Night Hawk Trilogy (Night Hawk Series)

by J. E. Taylor

  Instead of acknowledging her disagreement, I met Michael’s glare. “Will you take them?” I asked, desperation filling my voice because now that he had shown up, the demon hoard would soon follow.

  Michael’s hand shot out and his fingers wrapped around my neck. Before I could react, a white blur tackled him and I blinked, staring at the white tiger growling in Michael’s face.

  “Naomi,” I started, and Michael’s gaze flicked from the teeth inches away from his neck to mine, widening a fraction and I wasn’t sure if his shock would bode well for either of us. I cleared my throat and continued, “Baby, he’s the only one that can get Valerie to safety.”

  The snarl in her throat faded and she licked her chops, stepping off Michael’s chest and positioning herself between Michael and me. I almost rolled my eyes, but the anger settling in Michael’s features gave me pause and I knelt, pulling Naomi into my grasp.

  Michael climbed to his feet, glaring down at the two of us. I flinched at the clench in his jaw and another snarl built in Naomi’s throat.

  “Please,” the soft voice in the doorway caught all our attention. “Please don’t hurt them,” she said and Michael glared at her.

  “Why not?”

  “Because they saved my life,” she said.

  “That’s his job,” Michael said, waving in my direction. “And he failed to save your mother.”

  Valerie inhaled and closed her eyes. “I know.”

  “So why should I let him live?”

  Valerie’s eyes opened. “Because he’s all the family I have left.”

  “He isn’t family,” Michael said, spitting the words out like a bitter pill.

  “There’s more to family than just blood,” Valerie argued and took another step. “At least he’s been there,” she added with a hint of an attitude that took Michael’s full attention. Valerie had the audacity to cross her arms and I suddenly felt the need to intervene before Michael annihilated all of us.

  “Mind your tone,” he said.

  The teenage attitude came out in full force and I scrambled to my feet just as she spouted out a curse that made Michael’s face turn bright red.

  “Valerie.”

  She turned and stared me down with the same glare Naomi had given me that first night. The same glare present in her ancient grandfather’s features.

  “Shut up, Damian. My family is dead and this asshole has the fucking nerve to threaten you?”

  I put up my hands to try to settle her down and the shift in the air caught my eye. Naomi stood next to me back in human form and her hand settled on my arm.

  “She’s grieving,” Naomi whispered soft enough to catch my ear and I saw the subtle change in Michael as he glanced her way before returning his attention to Valerie.

  “Valerie, Michael is here to protect you,” I said trying to diffuse the situation.

  “Yeah, right,” she said and the first sign of tears surfaced. The glaze in her eyes overflowed streaking down her cheeks in a silent flood and for the first time in my lifetime, I saw the fire sputter in Michael.

  He crossed and wrapped his arms around her. “You’ll never be alone,” he whispered and glanced at Naomi before his gaze moved to me and hardened.

  Before I could tell him to wait, he disappeared, taking Valerie with him. I turned on Naomi and a sudden wave of fear shut down my ability to speak. My gaze traveled over her shoulder to the woods and back to her. They were coming and I could feel it.

  “We have to go,” I said and spun toward the cottage. She followed me inside and closed the door. I grabbed my backpack and slipped it over her arms, meeting her gaze. “Grab the cooler and then I need to fly you out of here.”

  “Why?”

  “Michael leaves a distinct signature and this place isn’t protected like the house was.”

  She shoved the blanket and mural into her duffel bag and slung the strap over her head. “What about your clothes?” Naomi asked as I pulled her out of the house.

  “I’ll be fine,” I said and forced the transition, grabbing her around the waist in my talon. I took to the air heading northwest; away from the hungry pack closing in on the cottage from the south. The risk of being shot out of the sky crossed my mind and I ascended higher into the thickening cloudbanks and out of range of rifle fire.

  I wasn’t sure just how much time we had and my choices of where to go were limited. If I made a mistake, we’d be dead by sunrise. And if I didn’t find shelter before then, we’d be just as screwed.

  Chapter Thirty-one – Naomi

  Flying in the clouds held a dream-like quality that drenched my senses as much as the condensation soaking my clothing. I clung to the cooler handle, wondering how long I would be able to hold it in the high winds produced by his massive wingspan.

  Instead of worrying, I closed my eyes and chose to enjoy the ride. The wind whipped my hair in wet strands and the cold penetrated deeper than it normally would. I found myself shivering and Damian slowed, dipping down into the open air. Lights speckled the landscape and in the distance, I could see a brighter glow.

  Damian descended to just above the treetops, scanning the landscape as the glow increased to a cityscape. When he passed a low group of buildings, he dove, landing us in the middle of a deserted lot. The sign announced a self-storage facility and I glanced at Damian as he walked through the yard, looking both ways at the windowless buildings. He stopped in front of one of the units toward the back of the lot and studied the padlock. Before I could ask what he was doing, he reached into his pocket, pulling a pocketknife from his jeans and knelt with the lock in his hand.

  I took a minute to scan the area as he picked the lock wondering what the hell we were doing here. A hundred questions flitted through my mind and my arm ached from the weight of the cooler. The click of the lock caught my attention and I looked back in time to see Damian sliding it out of the clasp.

  When he lifted the gate, waving me inside the dark container, I slipped past him with a questioning stare. His lock-picking skills certainly clashed with his statement of not being a thief and he shrugged, keeping silent as he scanned the grounds and followed me inside.

  Once the door closed behind us, he slid the lock through the track, preventing the possibility of the door being lifted during the day. I dropped the bags on the floor and took a seat on the cooler, unsure of what to do. The water dripped from my body and I wrapped my arms around my chest, trying to find some heat, but there wasn’t any left and my teeth started chattering.

  The darkness enveloped us and when he opened his phone to scan the interior, I squinted and looked around at the haphazardly packed belongings. Furniture and boxes graced the space and he moved to the center, pushing boxes to the side and creating a little alcove for the two of us. With another quick scan, his gaze landed on a mattress set leaning in the far corner and he sent a raised eyebrow in my direction.

  “It might be more comfortable than the floor,” I whispered through my chattering teeth.

  He shuffled some more things around and then cut through the path he made to where I sat.

  “You need to get out of those wet clothes,” he said.

  The deep timber of his voice filled the small space and created another chill down my spine. He helped me to my feet and then grabbed the cooler along with the computer bag and my duffel bag, disappearing through the maze again. I had barely started unzipping the fleece jacket when he was at my side, helping me peel the soaking fabric from my chilled skin. Each garment found a resting place on the edges of the boxes lining each side of the container, far enough away from the door for the puddles not to leak outside and trigger the storage unit owner’s curiosity.

  “Your clothes are that way,” he said, pointing through the maze as he stripped his coat and hung it up to dry with the rest of the clothing.

  I didn’t wait for him. I shuffled down the path, finding the opening he created. A few chairs lined the alcove and a bare mattress lay on the ground with the chenille blanket laid
out on it. The thought of being wrapped in the soft fabric overwhelmed me and I nearly dove onto the waiting refuge. It was every bit as heavenly as I thought it would be and I wrapped the blanket around me in a tight cocoon. When Damian rounded the corner in only his underwear, he stopped.

  “Are you going to share?” he asked, standing over me.

  My teeth chattered in answer and he took a seat next to me, drawing me onto his lap. His strong arms wrapped around me, while his breath tickled my shoulder, but it still didn’t warm my core.

  “I am so cold,” I said.

  “I know. So am I.”

  The admission caught me off guard and I turned, meeting his shivering stare. Instead of elaborating, he reached over and popped the cooler open, pulling out one of the bags of blood. He sank his teeth into the bag, tearing a hole in the top before tipping it to my lips.

  “This will help,” he said and the cold blood flowed into my mouth.

  I drank until there wasn’t anything left and he dropped the empty into the cooler, taking one out for himself. He drank as quickly as I had and discarded his empty into the box before closing it.

  It took a little while for the blood to settle into my system, warming the chill as much as Damian’s slow caress of my arms and his lips finding the arch of my neck. I shifted, unwrapping myself from the blanket and letting him take the fabric. He draped it over his shoulders, enclosing both of us in chenille.

  “Thank you,” he whispered in my ear and just by his tone, I knew it was for more than sharing the blanket and I turned my head, meeting his gaze.

  A hunger blazed in his eyes and he offered the slightest of smiles before crushing my lips under his.

  Damian’s kiss stopped time and made the storage unit disappear.

  When his mouth left mine, he was stretched out over me, our bodies melded together on the soft mattress. I don’t even remember shifting from his lap or removing my bra and underwear for that matter. Dimples appeared in his cheeks and he dipped his head, finding my neck. The raw power of him knocked me senseless, and his touch ignited my skin, bringing with it a fever of pleasure.

  His slow sensual descent from my throat to my breasts left me dizzy and when his lips trailed even lower, I purred my approval. His mouth and tongue created magic on my skin, each swipe, each trailing caress sent tendrils of heat between my legs. When he pushed my thighs wide and buried his mouth between my legs, I moaned.

  “Shush,” he whispered, his gaze shooting to mine.

  I shoved the back of my wrist to my lips, cutting off the moan and he chuckled, resuming his blissful seduction. He took his time, loving me like I had never experienced, until every nerve ending begged for him. When he shifted, crawling back up my body, anticipation quickened my breath and he grinned down at me. The thrust of his hips and sudden fullness of him pulled a gasp from my chest.

  “Baby, being inside you is better than heaven,” he whispered and crushed my lips under his.

  Heaven wasn’t in the same league as this. This transcended and thrilled at the same time. The way Damian made love to me today was beyond comprehension, making yesterday’s frantic bid feel like an awkward mess. He took his time, his slow grind sending my eyes rolling back into my head and pulling soft pants from my throat.

  I opened my eyes and met his bright-blue gaze, his eyes almost glowing in the darkness and his teeth shining in a grin that accompanied a rush of wetness between my thighs. I arched into him, unable to stop the moan this time.

  “Oh, god, Damian!” I cried, my voice husky from the orgasm gripping my body. I trembled under him and he picked up the pace, his smile fading into the serious gaze that pierced my soul.

  He pressed his lips together against his own groan of gratification just before his eyes clamped closed and every single one of his muscles tightened. He collapsed onto me, his breath as ragged as mine.

  I held him tight against me, my fingers lazily tracing his back, content to just be in his arms. Finally, he propped himself up on his elbows and met my gaze, and a warmth I couldn’t put words to encompassed me.

  “I have waited my entire life for you,” he said and the tear that slipped from the corner of his eye cut me deeper than I could imagine. He tried to smile, but it didn’t quite form and he dropped his head to my shoulder, cursing under his breath at the emotional display.

  His reaction brought a smile to my face and I wondered why I wasn’t a mess like he was. Maybe two thousand years alone had prompted this. I planted a kiss on his temple and he squeezed me closer in response.

  Damian’s body relaxed, melting into me and his breath slowed into that soft rhythm of sleep. His weight became heavy and suffocating and I squeaked out his name.

  “Damian?”

  He jerked, his head rose, and he blinked his eyes. Instead of moving off me, he rolled, wrapping us in the blanket before giving me a sleepy smile. His eyes drifted closed, sleep tugging him under.

  I studied the lines of his face, the contours of his cheekbones and the strong curve of his chin. The man was beautiful, like an exquisite work of art and I wondered if I would live up to his expectations.

  His brow crunched and he opened his eyes, meeting my gaze.

  “Baby, you surpass all of my expectations.”

  I stiffened and pressed my lips together. “Stop listening to my thoughts.” I rolled off him and out of the warmth of the blanket, annoyed that he could still set my temper on edge.

  Crawling to my bag, I rifled through it until I found some underwear and an oversized t-shirt, dressing. I glanced toward the door and froze. Light bled through the perimeter, penetrating the darkness like a halo.

  “How much light can hurt us?”

  Damian got to his feet with the blanket wrapped around his waist. “That isn’t enough,” he said and slid on his underwear, taking a seat again. This time, he pulled out his computer and booted it up.

  “What are you doing?” I folded up next to him, glancing at the screen.

  “I’m praying I can tap into a wireless connection because I need to check the news and our email accounts in case our friend’s are phishing.” He glanced at me. “And I need to find another place for us to go, this isn’t safe.”

  “You said you had other places,” I started and before I finished, he was shaking his head.

  “I can’t risk it.” He bit his lip at the wireless accounts that appeared within range and glanced at me. “They’re all secure,” he said and sighed. He took a moment to rub his face and crack his knuckles, and then his fingers flew over the keyboard. A half hour later, he had hacked into the strongest signal and pulled up a local Connecticut news station.

  We scanned the article, our gazes zeroing in on the names of the deceased and Damian smiled. A name I didn’t recognize along with the three family members were listed as found dead in the rubble.

  “Why are you smiling?”

  “Because, that’s one of my aliases, which means the information was fed to the press by one of our friends.”

  “You mean Lu…”

  He slapped his hand over my mouth. “No, don’t. Saying their names is a death sentence.”

  My eyes widened and I gulped. “Then why were we able to talk in your place before?”

  “I had it angel and demon proofed, remember?” he asked and I nodded. “This place isn’t. Saying the names aloud gives away your location.”

  He went back to reading the story online while I tried to get a grip on my racing heart.

  “It means he’s looking for us, whether it was the beast or his brother who leaked the information, he’s still looking, but maybe not as diligently.” His nimble fingers played on the keys again. “Just need to check one more thing.”

  When he brought up his email account, he paused and I swallowed the fear building in my throat. We traded a glance and he closed his eyes, clenching his fists before opening the email.

  “Fuck,” Damian whispered and tossed the computer onto the edge of the mattress before throwing hims
elf on his back.

  I stared at the words, the threat, the knowledge that I didn’t die and I slid my gaze to Damian’s.

  Someone witnessed our escape.

  Chapter Thirty-two – Damian

  I can’t watch her die. That isn’t even an option and the grisly details of what Lucifer would do when he found us were spelled out in black and white on my screen. Each word pummeled my heart and if he ever got hold of us, I would wish for death long before it came. The crush of his promise made my skin burn with fear.

  “He doesn’t know you turned me,” Naomi said, scrolling down the page.

  “What difference does that make?”

  “To him, I’m just a weak human.” She waved at the screen. “I say we go after him instead of waiting for the ball to drop.”

  Laughter shot from my chest. She was out of her fucking mind and all I could do was shake my head. My laughter choked when she climbed on top of me, straddling my lap, her eyes filled with that wicked twinkle.

  My hands landed on her waist and my laughter wound down. “I can’t.”

  “What do you mean, you can’t.”

  “I’ve already witnessed the death of someone I loved. I’m not doing it again.”

  Her eyebrows rose and her mouth dropped open.

  Irritation raked over my skin. She still didn’t get the depth of our connection, of what all this meant to me, of what she meant to me.

  “Did you just…”

  “Shut up,” I growled and pressed my palms to my eyes. I didn’t want to be forced to say the words, not right now when everything in our future was so precarious. The reality of happily ever after was a farce and the passage of each second brought us closer to the end.

  She shifted off me and without removing my hands from over my eyes, I could still picture her with her knees to her chest and her arms wrapped around her legs wearing that pouting expression that made me want to put my fist through a wall.