Dark Promises 2: Demonic Obsession

by Elisa Adams

  “I will.” He took the mug and left the room, shutting the door behind him.

  * * * * *

  “Should I take your presence as a sign that she’s not doing well?” Sam asked when Eric walked into the kitchen with the nearly full mug of soup.

  “Actually, no.” He set the mug in the sink, wishing she’d taken just a little more before drifting off. “She’s doing better. She woke up and talked to me for a little while, but she’s back to sleep now.”

  “You really think she’s going to be okay?”

  “I think she’s going to kick my ass, and probably yours, as soon as she’s up to it.”

  Sam laughed. “She’ll definitely be fine. She’s through the worst of it.”

  “I really hope you’re right.”

  “Give her a while. She just needs some time to make the adjustment.” Sam shook his head and took a swig of beer from the bottle in his hands. “How are you handling this?”

  “It’s getting easier.”

  “Good. I don’t think I’ve ever seen you that distraught over anything. Frankly, it bothers me to see you so out of sorts.”

  Eric slumped in a chair and leaned on the table, taking a deep breath. “She had me really worried there.”

  “She’s the only one, in all the years I’ve known you, whom you’ve ever bothered with.”

  “Yes, she is.” And it scared the hell out of him, too. But it was much too late for regrets. “I just hope she feels the same way about me.”

  He loved Ellie, but he didn’t own her. He’d do all he could to keep her, but he was too proud to beg. He had to draw the line somewhere. The decision was out of his hands. If she wanted him, she’d have to be the one to make the first move. Right now, he wasn’t sure of anything, and he wasn’t going to give her the chance to reject him.

  “Maybe you should ask me.”

  They both looked up at the kitchen doorway where Ellie was standing. “You’re supposed to be sleeping,” he said, his body tight with nerves. How much had she heard?

  “I’ve never been very interested in naps.” She smiled a little when she replied, even though fatigue etched her face.

  Her gaze fell on Sam, and Eric noticed her eyes visibly widen. “Ellie, this is Sam.”

  “Hi,” she said hesitantly.

  “Don’t let him scare you.” Eric said to her. Ellie’s expression was a mix of fear and fascination. With his rugged build, harshly defined features, and the jagged scars that ran from his nose to his jaw on the left side of his face, he tended to have that effect on people. Especially women.

  Ellie would be no different. Sam had cursed her—recreated her—and it was inevitable that she would feel a very strong bond toward him. Eric had to face the possibility that he might lose her to Sam, even after everything he’d done to ensure she stayed with him. That thought chilled his heart as well as his bones. He could very well lose his woman, and the man who had become his best friend. If Ellie chose her creator, Eric wouldn’t be able to hang around anymore. He’d have to leave his job, his home, and move far enough away that he’d never have to face either of them again.

  That thought alone was enough to spark his territorial instincts. His body tensed, and his hands clenched into fists at his sides. He couldn’t give her up without a fight.

  But he couldn’t fight Sam—not if he wanted to walk away with all his body parts intact. In a fight over her, Eric would lose—hands down. He didn’t doubt his power, but he didn’t doubt Sam’s either. Power came with age, and Sam was nearly twice as old as Eric. The man had also spent a lifetime studying the spells and incantations Eric had shunned. If he went up against Sam, he was a dead man.

  Ellie made a small noise—a cross between a whimper and a sigh. Eric glanced at her, and saw she’d gone even paler, if that was possible. She looked like she was ready to collapse. He stood up and rushed to her side.

  “Sit down, Ellie, before you fall over.”

  She shook her head. “I want to take a shower, and I really want to brush my teeth. I’d feel a lot better of I could get clean.”

  “Not even an option,” Sam told her. “If you can’t stand up for five minutes without falling over, I’m not going to trust you to stand up in a ceramic tiled shower. You don’t need to add a head injury to your list of complications.”

  Ellie narrowed her eyes at Sam. “Last time I checked, I didn’t answer to you. I’m twenty-eight years old, and I don’t need to ask permission. Eric, will you please help me find a couple of towels so I can get cleaned up?”

  “Yeah, no problem. I’ll see if I can get a toothbrush for you, too.” He shot an amused look at Sam, who shook his head.

  “No, she’s not going to be difficult at all.” Sam finished off his beer and set the bottle on the table. “There’s an extra toothbrush or two in the linen closet in the hall. Eric can show you where everything is.” He turned his attention to Eric. “Just be careful.”

  “Of course.” Eric couldn’t help the tiny flash of resentment that built in him with Sam’s words. He’d stopped needing a father figure hundreds of years ago. “Go back upstairs, Ellie. I’ll be right there.”

  “Is she going to be a problem for you?” Sam asked when she was out of earshot.

  “Probably,” Eric answered with a smile. “I hope so.”

  “I can imagine. She’s a tough one, huh? I never would have imagined…” The look on Sam’s face had Eric’s instincts up again, despite his fight to keep them at bay.

  He clenched his teeth. “She’s mine.”

  Sam laughed. “I can see that. It’s plain on both of your faces. Just don’t push her too hard, too soon, or you’ll lose her.”

  “I’m trying.” Eric shook his head. “This is killing me. She’s too complacent, too at ease with the whole thing. I keep expecting her to tell me to go jump off a cliff or something.”

  “That won’t happen. You’ve already bonded with her. That won’t change.”

  “God, I hope you’re right.”

  “Of course I am. I’m always right.” Sam laughed again, and some of Eric’s tension eased. “And just for the record, I promise to try to keep my hands off her.”

  “Try? You will. I’ll kill you if you don’t.”

  Sam snorted. “That’d be the day.”

  “Don’t push me, Sam.”

  Sam was silent for a long time, his intense gaze boring into Eric’s. “I have a feeling that, where you’re mortal-turned-cat mate is concerned, you might actually be able to do it.”

  “Don’t ever doubt that I could.”

  * * * * *

  Ellie stood under the shower spray, letting the hot water run down her body. She imagined the steam and water cleansing her, body and soul, taking away all the bad things that had happened in the past couple of days. Her life had changed, but she could get through it. Her mother and grandmother had raised her to be strong.

  She leaned one hand on the black tiled wall for support, feeling weaker than she’d first thought. Her legs still felt like they were made out of gelatin, and her stomach still felt queasy. She needed to eat something, but she didn’t know if her body would accept it. When she’d sipped the soup, nausea had hit her in strong waves.

  “You should have waited for me. I told you I’d be right there.”

  She jumped as Eric pushed the shower curtain aside and stepped in behind her. Naked. Despite her weakened state, she couldn’t help but notice that. She noticed him now on a whole new level—primal and instinctual. The energy thrummed through her body and she reached for him.

  He disappointed her by shaking his head and turning her around to face away from him. “Not until you’re better. I just want to make sure you can wash up without losing your footing and cracking your head on the tub.”

  Indignation rose in her and she frowned. “I’m perfectly capable—”

  “Shh,” he whispered in her ear. “Just let me take care of you for once, okay?”

  She leaned back against him, absorbing
his warmth. His essence. She hadn’t been able to do it before, but now she felt like she was absorbing part of him into her. He felt so good against her, but it was hard to ignore the way his erection pressed into her ass. He took a bar of soap and ran it over her skin, cleansing every inch of her body with slow circles of his hand. Her skin quaked under his touch, driving her to the edge of a need she didn’t quite understand. By the time he finished soaping her and started to run his hands over her to rinse her, she was ready to tear him apart. A low, incoherent moan escaped her lips and she tried to turn to him. He wouldn’t let her.

  “Just relax, Ellie. The shakiness will pass,” he said soothingly. “We can’t make love yet, as much as I’d like to. I won’t put your body through that. For now, just breathe slowly and let it go. You can control it, you just have to focus.”

  She felt him in her mind again, his words calming her inside and out. She felt herself get weaker as he turned off the shower water and helped her out, drying her slowly with a plush towel. He dried himself quickly and took her back into the bedroom, climbing into bed with her and wrapping her naked body with his.

  “How are you feeling now?” he asked, his tone tinged with worry.

  “A little better, but still tired.” She was just beginning to realize how much she ached. Everywhere. She felt like she’d just jogged down the entire East Coast. Her mind had started to clear, but some things were still foggy. “Where are we, anyway?”

  “My bedroom,” he answered softly.

  Up until that moment, she hadn’t even asked where he lived—or how he lived. She glanced around the room, taking in the masculine décor done in black and beige. The bed was large, the linens soft, probably very high quality cotton. His manner, his clothes, even his furnishings spoke of money.

  “Where exactly do you live?”

  “Right now, in southern Maine. We’re about two hours north of Stone Harbor.”

  “That’s it?” She didn’t know what she’d expected, but it certainly wasn’t that. “Do you and Sam live together?”

  “Not really. None of us are here that often. We live here, yes, but nobody ever really stays here for more than a few weeks at a time.”

  “Nobody? There are other people here besides the two of you?”

  “Merida, my sister, is here more than anyone else. She kind of keeps the place running.”

  His sister. “Will I get to meet her?”

  “Absolutely. She’s out right now, but I think she’ll be back in a couple of days.”

  She licked her lips and drew in a deep breath, not sure how to ask the next question. “So what happens now? With us, I mean.”

  He sighed into her hair and pulled her closer. “We’ll work it out in time. For now, let’s just get some sleep.”

  * * * * *

  Royce stood in the shadows, watching the empty streets. No one dared venture out after dark anymore. It had been a week since Ellie’s disappearance. He was worried sick about her. They all were. All that had been left on the pier that night were a couple small puddles of blood. Was Eric taking good care of her? Was she even with Eric at all? Charlotte knew more than she let on, but she wasn’t talking. She’d left right after Ellie disappeared, going to Georgia to join the rest of her family.

  Eric had disappeared, as well as Antonio. Something about this didn’t settle well. It sat like a nail in his gut, twisting and turning and tearing him apart. He needed to know Ellie was safe. Until then he wouldn’t be able to rest.

  Hearing someone creeping up behind him, he stood as still as he could. Cat. Just what he needed right now. In one fluid motion, he turned and grabbed the visitor’s arm, dragging him into the glow of the street light.

  His eyes narrowed when he saw it wasn’t a man standing before him. It was a very pissed-off looking woman with fiery-red hair and green eyes that sparked daggers at him. She looked like some kind of high school cheerleader. Definitely not a threat. He snorted and dropped her hand. “Merida?”

  “Nice to see you, too, Cardoso.” She winked at him and gave him a big smile. “I thought you could use some help around here, seeing as you and your vamp friends can’t seem to stop Aiala.”

  He didn’t have time for childish games, not when he had a killer to catch and a woman to rescue. “Don’t you know how dangerous it is to be wandering the streets tonight, honey?” he asked in his best condescending tone.

  She raised an eyebrow and sneered at him. He would have laughed, if the situation had been different. “Do you? You’re out here all alone, with just those wimpy little fangs to protect you. If you don’t want my help, I’ll just go find someone who does.”

  She smiled wickedly and started to walk past him. He grabbed her arm, trying to convince her she was in danger. Big mistake. She twisted his wrist in a death grip and shoved his hand away. “If you touch me again, I’ll make you wish you were never born. And then I’ll make sure there’s no way in hell you’ll ever be able to father children.” With that, she turned again to stalk away, looking over her shoulder after a few seconds. “You coming or what?”

  “Excuse me?”

  “You’re not even going to try to follow me?” She cocked her head to the side and laughed at him. “What if I told you I know exactly how to stop Aiala?”

  “I’d say you were lying.”

  “So you’re too macho to accept my help?”

  Of all the nerve. Who did she think she was coming here and acting entitled? “What the hell kind of a question is that?”

  “An honest one. I deserve an honest answer.” She shrugged. “If you don’t want to give me one, fine, don’t. I couldn’t care less. You should feed if you’re planning on being out here much longer. I can see in your eyes how hungry you are. It’s not good to go very long. You might go nuts, like Antonio did, and start killing people.”

  “How much do you know about that?” he asked, taking a dominant stance. She didn’t shrink away like he’d expected—like most women would have.

  She put a hand on her hip and glared right back. “I know you’re accusing the wrong guy. He’s not in control of himself—at all. Aiala is the only real danger here.”

  “Bullshit,” he said before he could stop himself.

  She nodded. “Yep. That’s what I thought. Typical male, always flying off the handle for no reason at all. You know, it’s a wonder there’s life on this planet at all, with the way you men behave. You guys are lucky you can get a woman to even look at you, let alone sleep with you.”

  “What gives you the right to talk to me like that?”

  “Oh, relax.” She sighed and shook her head, obviously fed up with him. “Are you going to let me go about my business, or are you going to follow me? If you could decide sometime tonight, that would be great. I’ve got a lot to do, and I don’t want to waste too much time goofing around with you.”

  He resisted the urge to slam his fist into something. “Are you working for Sam now?”

  “Yep. Okay, conversation time is over. I have to worry about is finding the psycho demon bitch before she kills someone else, not appeasing some macho vamp’s fragile ego.”

  “Go back home, Merida. We’ve got it covered here.”

  “Yeah, you keep telling yourself that, buddy, until another body is found. I, on the other hand, am not willing to take that chance. I’m going to find Aiala, and if you get in my way I’ll have to hurt you.”

  “Hurt me?” He almost laughed at the idea of a little thing like Merida doing him any kid of harm.

  She shrugged again. “It wouldn’t be any big sacrifice, you being a vamp and all.”

  She walked away, and he followed. It was no secret that cats and vampires didn’t get along, but she seemed to be taking it to a whole new level. “Do you have a personal vendetta against vampires?”

  “They’re not my favorite creature.” She walked faster. “Besides, maybe it’s you personally that’s the problem, and not your race. Do you mind walking away so I can get my job done?”

&n
bsp; She had a personal beef with him? That didn’t make any sense. He barely knew her, hadn’t seen her in literally hundreds of years.

  “Where’s Ellie?” he asked. If she’d spoken with her brother, she had to know where he was keeping her. The only information Marco had been able to get out of Charlotte before she left was that Ellie was safe, in no danger, and she would contact them as soon as she could.

  “Your friend is safe. She’ll be safe as long as you don’t try to find her. Let Eric take care of her. He knows what he’s doing. If either Aiala or Antonio is led to her, Eric and Sam are going to be pissed. If you’ve seen Eric mad, you know that’s not a good thing. And, trust me on this one, Sam is ten times worse.”

  “Sam has enough emotions to actually get mad?” Back when Royce had worked for him, Sam was the coldest son of a bitch he’d ever met. The man had no emotions whatsoever, at least none he’d ever shown.

  “So you don’t know everything after all.” She laughed and kept on walking. If he wanted any answers, he had no choice but to follow. “If you screw up and get Ellie killed, then you’ll get to experience his murderous temper firsthand. If you play this right and let me take out your killer, you won’t have to worry about it.”

  “What happened to you? You used to be so quiet.”

  “You’re just full of questions, aren’t you?” she asked. She stopped in front of a big black sedan, unlocking the doors with a remote attached to her key ring. “I told you why I’m here. I offered you a chance to work together. You didn’t take it. Now go away.”

  She made a shooing gesture with her hands. He almost laughed at it. She was so small, so petite. Did she really think she could shoo him away like a common housefly? “Listen, kiddo, I think we need to get something straight. When I find your brother, and I will find him, I’m going to kill him for taking Ellie away and not even having the courtesy to let me know where he was going. And believe me, sweetheart, I’m going to enjoy every second of it. If you get in the way, I have no problem taking you out along with him.”