“I mean it,” she said forcefully. “Back off.”
His hand reached out, and, inside, everything stilled. She could hear her heart beating heavily against her chest, felt the pace quicken as warning bells began to explode.
Her breath hitched, and her mouth went dry as his fingers settled over her clan tattoos. She felt them, burning beneath his touch. Another chunk of humiliation to add to her armor of shame.
“So beautiful,” he whispered harshly.
Jaden flinched at his tone.
“So deceptive.”
She wanted to rip his hand from her flesh but refused to let him know how affected she was by his touch. Instead, she smiled up at him and let her tongue run along her lips.
“I’m also the best piece of ass you’ll never have again.”
His breathing changed, slowed, and the air around them stilled. Jaden’s heart leapt crazily, and a wave of dizziness circled her brain. She was dancing with the devil, and that was always a dangerous game.
His hand moved up from her neck to grip her jaw. She refused to look away, though the cold glint in his eye left her stomach tight, nauseous. He looked like he wanted to strangle her.
“You do not want to mess with me.” He smiled, a cold slash of white. “I’m not anything like what you remember.”
No shit.
His anger and dislike were meaty, tangible. Jaden kept her face blank, but inside she fought the bleakness that lay there.
His lips thinned as he spoke. “Our meeting three years ago was no accident. You will tell me what your agenda is.”
He leaned close to her, and Jaden closed her eyes as his scent slid over her flesh, caressing her skin. “If I’m satisfied with your answer, I might let you live.”
Her eyes flew open at that, and her flesh burned as a wave of anger hit her hard.
“Take your hands off me,” she said carefully.
His grip tightened as he smiled down at her, a cruel bent to his lips.
“I could snap your neck right now if I so chose.”
She was hot, on the cusp of change.
“You could try.” Jaden’s words were stilted, her mouth dry. “But you won’t.” She sensed his thin control.
He arched an eyebrow and brought her closer to him, so close that she could see the tiny veins of his eyes. Her skin was burning, the animal inside enraged at his blatant show of force.
She wanted to punch him in the face, break his aristocratic nose.
She wanted to feel his lips on hers, taste the warmth and eat the danger that clung to him.
“Don’t be so sure, little cat.” His breath was warm against her flesh, and as it slid across her skin, she ached inside. “You have no idea what I am.” His voice lowered. “What I’ve become.”
“Well, one thing is the same.” She inhaled a cleansing breath. “You’re still an ass of epic proportions.”
Jaden snapped her head back and brought her knee up into the softness between his legs. At the same time, she jabbed him hard, right above his heart, where she knew his skin was tender. Damaged.
His grip loosened, and she was away from him in a flash, a blur of long silky hair.
He didn’t make a sound though his dark eyes stalked her from across the room. His mouth was tight. She knew he was in pain, but she was cool with that.
He totally fucking deserved it.
Yet an image of his raw, ragged flesh flashed in front of her eyes, and she swallowed thickly, hating the small sliver of remorse that slid through her. Her robe was gaping, and she angrily drew the ends tight together, hissing at the sly tilt that tugged at the corner of his mouth.
Underneath her feet, the jet’s engines rumbled.
Suddenly, she felt defeated. Tired of all the bullshit.
“Look, I don’t have time for this crap because seriously, this is way bigger than the two of us.” Jaden ran her fingers through the loose hair that fell around her shoulders, and she shook her head. “I’m tired, Julian, and pretty much fed up.”
“Join the fucking club,” he snarled. He was seriously pissed off.
She opened her mouth to retort but then closed it as she studied him in silence for several seconds. When she did finally speak, her voice was muted, raspy.
“I meant what I said. Our mating means nothing.” Jaden ignored the hard clutch at her chest, the way her belly twisted in pain. “A cosmic fuck-you, really, and nothing more.”
“You think this is natural? That we’re mated?” His voice was cold, his eyes flat.
“I don’t know what it is, but like I said, it means squat.” She flicked a long piece of hair behind her back and shrugged her shoulders. “So I’ll never have children. I’m cool with that.”
He laughed as his eyes slowly traveled the length of her body. “You think to live a life of celibacy?”
She nailed him with a direct stare, her eyebrows raised. “You’re an arrogant son of a bitch,” she said, laughing at his insinuation. “Seriously? You think that after I’ve had you, there would be no one else? I didn’t say that. I just said that since I’ll never let you touch me again, a pack of kiddies isn’t in my future.”
“Because a female warrior can only have children with her mate.” His voice was low, rumbling, as understanding crept into his eyes. He glared at her.
“Don’t worry about me. When my itch needs scratching, I’ve got plenty of options that don’t include you.”
“Like Nico?” he spit out.
His words surprised her, but she took care to stay neutral. Julian didn’t like the fact that she might be having sex with Nico. Interesting.
“He’s one of many.” The lie slipped out, blatant and sharp. She turned from him. “I don’t give a rat’s ass whether you believe me or not, but I didn’t seduce you three years ago.” She laughed a dry harsh sound. “In fact, if I recall correctly, you stalked me like the animal you are and pretty much dragged me back to your room.”
At his snort, she felt her anger triple.
“You screwed me, then made no effort to hide the fact that what I was . . . what I am . . . totally disgusted you.” She exhaled softly. “So get the fuck over yourself, Castille. I wouldn’t want you if you were the last man on earth.” She shrugged. “Which, given our situation, just might become the case.”
“I don’t trust you.”
“Well, that’s something we have in common.” She nodded toward the shower. “Look, we’re wheels up in like, five, and I need to wash the demon stench from my skin. So if you don’t mind . . .”
She turned from him and stopped as his voice slashed across her, his fury barely contained.
“But I do mind.”
She felt the heat of him at her back though he was careful not to touch her.
“My chain is being yanked, and I’m not liking that one bit.”
She hesitated, her heart beating a meticulous rhythm as she composed herself. “We’re all being played somehow, but that’s not what’s important. The portal needs to be destroyed, or we can kiss life as we know it good-bye.”
She reached for the bathroom door. “That is what I know. I will find it, and nothing will stand in my way.” Her head cocked to the side. “Not even an arrogant prick back from the dead.”
Jaden closed the bathroom door behind her and released a long, torturous breath. Christ. Julian Castille was a complication she so didn’t need.
The robe slipped from her body, and she stepped into the shower, letting the water soothe her heated, frustrated self. She stood there for a good long while before grabbing the soap and cleaning the last remnants of demon from her flesh.
When she stepped from the shower several minutes later, her bedroom was empty. Julian’s scent lingered in the air, and she wrinkled her nose as she quickly dressed.
He probably couldn’t get off the plane fast enough.
She slipped her feet into a pair of soft slippers, wincing as the tender flesh rubbed against the fabric, and toweled the dampness from her hair befo
re heading back to the main cabin.
The tone and feel of the engines had changed, and she knew they were ready to head back to Mexico. Her gaze wandered the cabin until they landed on the men in her unit.
Nico sat facing her, his body tense and his features cold. He’d shown up at her resort one day six months ago, not long after she’d returned from Belize. She’d not asked why he’d decided to take a break from his self-imposed exile, but the warrior was willing to do whatever it took to defeat O’Hara. Over the past several months, they’d formed a solid, tight unit, and had run several successful missions for PATU.
Jaden sighed. Things were never easy with the jaguar. He carried a lot of baggage, but his spirit and strength more than made up for his somewhat cranky attitude. She ignored him, knowing that when he was angry, the best thing to do was steer clear.
Finn nodded, his vivid blue eyes striking as they bored into her. “Castille is looking a little worse for wear.”
Finn Knightly had been sent her way from Jaxon’s unit in Canada. After the shit that had gone down in Belize, Jaxon Castille had been made aware of her undercover status. She ran her own operation but had helped out on several occasions when Jaxon had requested it.
“I don’t think he was holidaying anywhere we’d want to be,” she answered quietly.
Nico snorted loudly, but they both ignored him.
“He give anything up?” Finn arched a brow as he looked up at her.
“No. If he knows where the portal is, he wasn’t sharing.” Jaden exhaled slowly. “Did your contacts have any information?”
Finn shook his head. “Same old. The chatter is loud, shit is gonna hit soon, but no one seems to know where or when.” He smiled up at her though the weariness that clung to him shadowed his features. “No rest for the wicked.”
“No,” she murmured, “there won’t be rest for any of us until this is finished.” She nodded. “Contact Jaxon at PATU when we get back and see what he’s got. Fill him in on our status.” She paused, and whispered softly, “He should know that his brother lives.”
“Will do.” Finn settled into his seat and looked away. The eagle shifter had always been somewhat aloof; they were, after all, natural enemies, but lately it had been worse.
Things had changed, the game had progressed. They all knew the end was near. Jaden slipped into her chair and exhaled loudly. She just wanted it to be over.
“Buckle up, we’re due to taxi to the runway in one minute.”
Her pilot’s voice drifted through the speakers, and she secured the lap belt as she turned to the window. Outside, the vast darkness that blanketed the area looked beautiful as the lights of the city sparkled like diamonds. How deceptive, she thought. She knew what the darkness hid, what evil was out there watching and waiting for the chance to infect her world.
As she settled into her seat her insides twisted. An ominous feeling of dread pressed into her. The tide had turned. She could feel it.
Julian and Declan were back, by what means she didn’t know, but one thing was clear—the shifter was definitely off center. Wherever the hell he’d been had done damage.
There was no way she could trust him. Besides, the man could barely look at her. She clenched her teeth until her jaw ached and as she stared at her reflection in the glass, she made a vow to not care.
There was no time for soft feelings and regret. She had a mission to accomplish, and no one was getting between her and the portal.
Not even the man she called mate.
Chapter 5
Humid air swept across cool tiles and pulled at a melancholy anchored deep within, one that was long forgotten. Julian stopped and let the memory of it, the feel of it, wash over him.
The scent of the jungle tantalized his nose, caressed his skin, and slid over him. He felt it, the mystery and magic that lay in the surrounding area, and his jaguar chomped at the bit, wanting nothing more than to shed the cloak of humanity that held him back.
He’d been back in Mexico for several hours and had just arrived at the Night Sky Casino and Resort. The place was impressive, to say the least, covering several miles of prime coastland deep within the heart of the Mayan Riviera. It was a virtual paradise on earth.
He snorted. Yeah, the DaCosta crime family had done a bang-up job building one of the premier luxury resorts in the area. His eyes narrowed. Blood money. The family was rank to the core and this . . . this place of beauty and tranquility was nothing more than a big fucking hoax.
Like the shades that had lingered below in the filth of the demon realm, with their phantom skin. None of it was real.
His gaze strayed to the hordes of new arrivals, and he felt disgust. Business was good.
He tipped his driver and grabbed the small bag he’d brought along for the trip, before entering the main lobby area. Within seconds, he knew where every security camera was located and was careful to stay out of their line of sight as he made his way over to the bar just beyond reception.
The place was busy, but he had no problem grabbing a spot at the bar and ordered a double whiskey while he waited.
As he let the amber liquid burn down his throat, his mind wandered back to the one face that had haunted him for the last twenty-four hours. Jaden DaCosta.
He exhaled sharply and ordered another drink, ignoring the interest from the blonde who sat a few feet away.
His thoughts darkened, and he frowned. He didn’t know what Jaden’s agenda was, but he sure as hell didn’t believe one word that fell from her lips. How could he? She was a DaCosta.
Nervous energy had him itching to leave, but he forced himself to relax. He needed to keep a cool head.
After he’d left the jet and driven back to his condo, his mind had been all over the place, but one thing had become clear. Jaden was the key to everything. It was no accident they’d met three years earlier. He didn’t believe that for one second.
Just as it was no accident that she’d been at his place the night he returned to the human realm. She’d also been in the jungle the night he’d been banished to hell. As far as he was concerned, she was up to her ass in the entire mess. He needed answers, and he needed them yesterday.
His eyes drifted back to the lobby, over to a young couple waiting to check in. Their children laughed and played hide-and-seek while they held on to each other and watched, their faces full of love.
They had no fucking clue what walked the earth and what waited beneath. He gritted his teeth and drained the glass.
No fucking clue at all.
“I’ll buy you another.”
Julian turned to the blonde. She’d moved closer and was smiling at him. Her eyes were unnaturally green, her generous breasts on display, pert and firm. Her overlarge lips were wet as she ran her tongue over them in an open invitation for a quick fuck.
She was all kinds of plastic.
His sensitive nostrils flared. He smelled her interest.
He smiled at her, then glanced up at the clock perched above the bar. It was early. He had more than enough time to ease the ache that had taken hold the night before.
She moved closer and signaled to the bartender.
“Two more of what he’s drinking.”
Christ, even her voice was controlled, the accent in her words uncomfortable, as if she were trying desperately to be something other than what she was. The woman was the total opposite of Jaden.
A vision of the dark-eyed witch burned behind his eyes. She’d been magnificent fighting the demons, and as he let his mind settle on an image of her, with her hair flying everywhere in the heat of battle, he was instantly hard. The blonde giggled as she slid up against him.
“You ready to go, tiger?” She opened her mouth and laughed. A practiced line to be sure. “I have an hour before the bus arrives.”
Julian looked down at her, and even though his body was aching and unfulfilled, he knew she wouldn’t cut it. There was no way in hell the woman could satisfy what he needed.
She wouldn’
t even come close.
Julian stared down into the empty tumbler and frowned viciously. He was pissed off. He had no time for this shit. No time for complications.
No time for emotion. He much preferred the blank canvas that had draped his soul for the last six months.
“My name is—”
“I don’t give a flying fuck if your name is Cleopatra; it ain’t gonna happen.” The words were ripped from his throat, and it gave him perverse pleasure to watch her green eyes fade, her smile fall.
“Are you for real?” she retorted, embarrassed, confused, as her long lacquered nails fluffed the blond strands of hair that fell around her shoulders. She looked around as if afraid they’d been overheard.
Julian couldn’t explain the fury, the rage that flushed through him. It left him panting as he struggled to control the darkness that sank into his head.
“Lady,” he whispered hoarsely, “you should go.”
“You’re an asshole.”
“He’s been called worse.”
They both turned as Declan O’Hara slid up against the bar. “He wouldn’t be any good anyways.” The tall Irishman smiled at the blonde and winked. “Trust me, he hasn’t had sex in a seriously long time; I doubt he’d last more than two minutes.”
The woman’s mouth fell open, and she stuttered, but no words came from within. She shook her head and turned on her heel, disappearing into the crowd within seconds.
“Nice,” Declan murmured.
Julian scowled and pushed away from the bar. “What took so long? Thought you were going to meet me at the airport.”
Declan’s eyes narrowed though he kept a smile pasted to his face. He ordered a cold beer.
“I had a visitor.”
“More demons?”
“Nope.”
Silence fell between them as Julian stared at the sorcerer. He was tight-lipped and tense.
“You gonna elaborate?”
Declan grabbed the coldie from the bartender and took a long, hard swig. “Ana.”
Julian let that information settle a bit. The vampire was not someone the two of them discussed. Not once in all the time they’d been trapped in hell had Ana been mentioned.
His Darkest Salvation Page 4
