“I want to stay with you. No, Dante. No!”
“Yes, ofryd.” His hand fell limp to his side as his senses dimmed. “Help your sister.”
“No!” Anna’s anguished scream echoed from a long distance away as Dante surrendered to the darkness crowding around him.
Done. He was done.
Chapter Twenty
Anna buried her face against the side of Dante’s neck, not ready or willing to face what was happening. Cold rain pelted her from all sides and the smell of brimstone hung heavy in the air.
Dante was gone. Her life mate, the man she loved more than life itself was gone.
Basher’s foot twitched. She glanced over before looking away again. The winds were strong. Must’ve been the wind. Seemed like the heart of the storm was raging all around her.
“Anna, please. Help me.” Liz’s arms shook from the strain of channeling the energy vortex alone. “I can’t do this by myself.”
“No.” Anna squeezed her eyes shut, searching in vain for her connection to Dante, for some clue he wasn’t dead and this was all another elaborate image casting hoax to help him achieve his plan, but she found only bleak emptiness. “I can’t.”
“Yes, you can.”
Basher groaned low and Anna’s heart lurched.
“Now!” Liz gave her a stern look, her gaze darting from Anna to the gang leader then back again. “He’s rising!”
Anna kissed Dante’s forehead one last time, then stood. If this was the end, she’d go out fighting for what she loved. “What do I do?”
“Take my hand and close your eyes.”
Anna did as instructed. “Now what?”
“Focus on what makes you happiest, just like we did in training. Our energy feeds into the vortex and draws in more of the same energy.”
Anna closed her eyes and focused on all her precious memories of Dante.
“Damn, girl.” Liz said. “Whatever you’re thinking about, keep going.”
An electric jolt ran through Anna’s body and her hand tightened around Liz’s. The dark hurricane swirling around them became an iridescent, sparkling light show.
Basher sat up and stared straight ahead, as if dazed.
“Liz?” Anna tugged on her sister’s hand. “Liz, he’s awake.”
Her sister leaned forward slightly to look, then shook her head. “Don’t worry.”
“How can I not worry?” Anna eyed Basher warily.
“You should listen to your sister, ofryd.”
“Dante?” Time seemed to slow as he opened his eyes and ran his hands through his slick hair. “How are you—? Why are you—?”
“The energy vortex. Rev was right. The Oracle will save us all,” Dante said, sitting up. “You ladies might want to move back.”
He pushed to his feet and reached for Basher’s gun, emptying the entire clip into the wrath demon’s chest before beheading him with the machete. Then he picked up Basher’s severed head and stood in the center of the medicine wheel, hoisting his trophy high.
The other members of the gang ceased fighting and dropped to one knee in a sign of allegiance. Dante spun in a slow circle, shouting, “I am Dante Selvaggio and I claim my right as leader of the Blood Ravagers. I am half-demon, half-human. From this night forward, all who are loyal will be welcome in our ranks. What say you?”
The gang members cheered loud.
In the distance, sirens wailed, growing closer by the second.
Dante stared down at Swifty. “You are not welcome.”
“But—”
“No buts. You are lucky I have not killed you as well.”
He then dragged Basher’s body and severed head to the edge of the summit and tossed them both over the side before returning to Anna. Two squad cars and three SUVs full of FBI agents rumbled up the pedestrian path to arrest the Asian traffickers.
“Please, man,” Swifty begged Dante as an FBI agent handcuffed him. “I can’t go to prison.”
“You should’ve thought of that before aligning yourself with Basher.” Dante led Anna away, grabbing a blanket from the back of one of the FBI vehicles and placing it around her shoulders, hugging her tight to him. “All that matters to me is your safety, ofryd.”
“I still can’t believe all of this is real.” Anna stared up at him, still stunned he was alive and well. “How did you know all of this would work?”
“I didn’t. But I knew if I had you, anything was possible.”
“What about your vows?”
He exhaled, his expression solemn. “I promised my mother I would avenge her death and create a safe world for others like me.” He gestured toward the Blood Ravagers gang members still milling about, helping their injured comrades. “Tonight, I have fulfilled that vow. Tomorrow, I will carry on that legacy.”
“What about the psychics?” Anna asked.
“The human agents and courts will handle them. The only psychics I care about are right here.” He kissed Anna’s temple then waved to Liz.
Happy at last, Anna glanced over at her sister, currently nursing a bump on Dex’s head while also holding a rag to a seeping wound on Rev’s forearm. Seemed both men were vying for her attention. “Looks like she’ll have her hands full.”
“Yes. It remains to be seen who will win her.”
“Hmm.” Anna yawned then stared down at her blood-stained dress. “We should go.”
“Why, ofryd?” Her heart tripped like a drunken sailor at the warm feel of his fingers on her chilly skin. He pulled her closer once more and wrapped his arms around her waist. “Are you in a hurry to escape me?”
“Never.” She placed her hands on his chest, loving the steady thump of his heart beneath her palms. “I’m just tired.”
“Too tired for this?” He kissed her and the chaos and uncertainty around her faded away, until all that was left was Dante and their love. “I will need help to heal fully.”
She smiled against his lips. “I suppose I can assist you with that.”
He growled and kissed her deeply, until they were interrupted by one of the FBI investigators.
“Sorry, sir,” the agent said, “but we have a few questions for you so we can wrap up this case.”
“Fine.” Dante let Anna go. “Take your sister and her two patients back to Seven. I’ll see you there later.”
“Okay.” Anna watched Dante walk away then headed over to help her sister get Dex to his feet. With Rev’s assistance, they managed to get the wolf shifter down to the rental car then bundle his large frame into the backseat.
Once they were all piled into the vehicle, Anna turned to Liz and grinned. “To think I’d have missed all this if I’d never come to Salvation.”
“Nah.” Liz shrugged. “I knew you’d find me. It’s our destiny.”
Chapter Twenty-One
Two months later…
Anna sat at a small table near the back of Seven, waiting for Dante to return from riding patrol. It was midday and the place was nearly empty, save for the two men who were currently vying for the newly vacated position of second-in-command of the Blood Ravagers.
“You call that an Angel’s Tit?” Rev scrunched his nose at the milky white liquid filling the martini glass Dex slid in front of him. “As someone who has seen an actual angel’s tits, I can assure you they look nothing like that.”
“Well, bloodsucker. Seeing as how I am fresh out of pig’s blood cocktails, it’s either this or nothing. Your choice.” Dex slung his dishtowel over his shoulder, his expression clearly stating he couldn’t care less what Rev decided. “Now, if you don’t mind, some of us actually have a purpose around here.”
“Yes. And what’s yours? Servant?”
Dex mumbled something under his breath Anna didn’t quite catch, keeping his back toward the bar as he arranged the bottles of liquor on the shelf against the wall.
“I’m sorry, beast. What was that again?” Rev asked, shoving the martini glass aside.
Dex took a deep breath, then rolled his neck. �
��Reason will not decide at last…”
Rev stared at him before pushing to his feet. “Save your poetry for someone who cares, beast. I have work to do.”
He started toward the door, then stopped as Liz walked in.
She waved at Anna and headed toward the table, smiling at Rev and Dex as she walked past. “Howdy, boys.”
“Ma’am.” Rev tipped the brim of his cowboy hat toward her. “I’m on my way out.”
“Pity.” Liz turned to watch him leave, her gaze following his every step.
Anna had to smile. Liz never missed a chance to ogle, especially the cool, aloof ones.
She took the seat across from Anna. “Hey, sis. How’s tricks?”
“Good. Waiting for Dante to get back so we can spend some quality time together.” Anna stretched and sat back in her chair. “My stuff finally arrived from Atlanta this morning and I need to get settled in our new place.”
“Sounds incredibly homey.”
“Ladies.” Dex came over to them, his grin slow and sexy and directed entirely at Liz. “Can I get you anything?”
“What are you offering?” her sister winked.
“Nothing for me thanks,” Anna said.
“I’ll have a Screaming Orgasm, please.”
“Your wish”—Dex took Liz’s hand and kissed the back of it—“is my command.”
Dante walked in and his attention immediately zeroed in on Anna.
He strode over, his long legs eating up the space. “You ready?”
“Yep.” She grinned. “More than ready.”
His dark gaze sparked with heat and lust pooled deep in her core. Their “activities” had been somewhat curtailed recently with all his new gang leader duties. Hopefully, now that things were slowly getting back to normal, they could focus on each other.
Anna stood and linked her arm through Dante’s then kissed her sister goodbye. They boarded his chopper outside Seven and she pulled on her helmet then settled in behind him, loving to ride now almost as much as he did.
“What are we doing?” Dante asked as he started the engine.
“Maybe we can grab some lunch and take it home? I’m in the mood to cuddle.”
“Sounds perfect.” He gave Anna a quick kiss then took off toward their favorite Mexican restaurant.
After ordering takeout, they drove to the home they’d rented together on the outskirts of Salvation. Her apartment back in Atlanta had been easy enough to sublet. Her teaching job had been harder to leave behind, but she was already on the lookout for tutoring opportunities here to keep her busy until she and Liz finished their training and underwent the Oracle binding ceremony.
After they’d eaten and cleaned up, she and Dante kicked off their shoes and socks, then settled into the overstuffed, leather sofa in their great room and clicked on the movie channel. Dante stretched out his legs. Anna rested her head in his lap while he stroked her hair. It felt so good and nice and normal to be here with him like this. He seemed to feel the same way, given his contented sigh.
“Happy, ofryd?”
“Blissfully.”
He set the remote aside and his touch moved from her scalp to her upper shoulders. “Roll over onto your stomach and I will give you a back massage.”
“Really?”
Dante smiled. “Really.”
He gave the best back rubs ever.
She stretched out over his lap and rested her chin on her forearms. “So, how’s the gang leading going?”
“Slow. Most half-breeds are still leery of trusting others. It will take time for them to find us. And there are always those who wish to silence our cause, but I do what I can to continue my mission.”
The thought of him putting himself in danger again scared her beyond imagining, but Anna couldn’t ask Dante to give up what he loved. “I trust your judgment.”
“Good girl.” He swatted her lightly on the butt. “Now take off your top and bra.”
Anna glanced at him over her shoulder, smiling. “What?”
“I can’t give you a proper massage with all these clothes in the way.”
Her body thrummed with desire. She pushed up onto her knees and pulled her shirt over her head, then unclasped her bra, sliding it slowly down her arms before tossing it on the floor.
“Now back down you go,” Dante said.
“Yes, sir.” She draped her body over his lap again, relishing the crimson flare of lust in their connection. All the goodies from his dungeon at Seven were now safely tucked away in a special closet in their bedroom dedicated entirely to kink. She wiggled against him and savored his growing hardness beneath her stomach. “Anything you say, sir.”
“Right.” Dante worked his fingers deep into the knotted tissue along Anna’s spine and shoulders, then massaged his way down her back with circular movements that felt like heaven on earth. As her tense muscles loosened, so did her inhibitions.
“Feel good?” he asked.
“Yes, sir.” Moisture gathered between her legs. Only two thin layers of faded denim separated them. If Anna slipped her hand beneath her and unzipped his jeans, she could have Dante’s hard length in her palm…
As if reading her wicked thoughts, he smacked her ass hard. “Pants. Take them off.”
“Of course, sir.” She stood, careful to give him a good look at her naked breasts and straining nipples as she unbuttoned her jeans and slowly lowered the zipper.
At last, Anna shimmied out of her clothes, keeping her gaze locked on Dante. She started to climb back onto his lap, but he stopped her with his hands on her hips. His fingers tightened against her soft flesh and she savored the bruising pressure of his hands.
“Panties, too.”
She took her time removing her tiny lace thong before stretching out across him again. “Is that better, sir?”
“Yes. Much better.”
If Dante was even half as turned on as Anna at this point, they should’ve both burst into flames. Her whole body felt molten and each time he touched her, the fire stoked higher. Her slick folds throbbed in time with her pulse as he worked his magic on her tight body, stroking and kneading and massaging until she felt like a limp noodle—a horny, relaxed, ready-for-anything noodle, but still.
Dante moved his hands from her lower back to her thighs, completely bypassing the one area she wanted him to touch the most. Her frustration must’ve shown in her expression because he chuckled.
“Patience, ofryd.” He smacked her ass hard and she gasped.
Smacked it again, harder still. Then again and again, until her skin stung and heat radiated off her aching flesh. Only then did Dante dip his fingers between her legs and graze them lightly over her swollen clitoris. Anna bit her lip to keep from crying out.
“Are you ready for me?”
“Yes, sir.”
He brushed his palm over her sensitive flesh then retreated again. He was trying to drive her insane. That must be it.
“How badly do you want me?”
“So very, very bad, sir.”
These little games had become part of their foreplay since the convergence. They hadn’t had time for their regular forms of pain, so denial served as a different kind of agony, forcing them to wait as long as possible for fulfillment.
Anna blinked up at Dante, keeping her expression as innocent as possible. “Does it please you, sir?”
“Yes.” He nudged her thighs wider apart and scooted lower in his seat, shrugging off his vest. “It pleases me greatly. What would you like me to do, ofryd?”
“Touch me, sir.” It took all the willpower she possessed to stay still and not grind herself to orgasm against his hard, muscled thigh.
Dante cupped the heat of her again. “Like this, ofryd?”
“Yesssss.” She hissed in satisfaction.
He pulled away. “Yes what?”
“Yes, sir.”
“Very good. What else?”
All sorts of naughty thoughts filled Anna’s head, but she wanted Dante too badly to waste
time. “You could use your tongue, sir.”
He bent and licked her shoulder. “Like that?”
“Yes, sir.” She groaned and shivered. “But lower, sir.”
His licks continued all the way down her spine until, finally, Dante flipped her over and laid her down on her back. He raised her legs and knelt between them, his breath cool against her heated, wet flesh. “You must stay very still. Do you understand?”
“Yes, sir.”
“Very good.” He leaned forward and traced his tongue over her.
Anna did her best not to arch against him, gripping the edges of the cushion tight.
“So very, very good.”
Anna gazed down at the man she loved between her thighs and couldn’t resist running her fingers through Dante’s thick, dark hair as he pleasured her with his lips and tongue.
He glanced up at her, his crimson gaze hot. “Would you like more, ofryd?”
“Yes, sir. Very much, sir.”
He slid one long finger deep into her slick channel.
She sighed. “More, sir.”
On the next thrust, he added a second finger, stretching her body wider. “More?”
“Yes, sir. More, sir.”
“Naughty, naughty girl.” Dante inserted a third finger. “Better?”
“The best, sir.” At this point, Anna couldn’t keep still any longer and rocked against his talented fingers. Dante pushed her closer and closer to the edge. So, so close…
Her inner muscles fluttered and she came hard. Wave after wave of exquisite pleasure rocked her from head to toe while he spanked her hard again, driving his own passion higher.
Finally, Dante removed his own jeans then reached for the stash of condoms he kept hidden in the drawer of the end table. But they were life mates now, committed body and soul. Bringing a child into their union only seemed natural, seemed right.
“Maybe we can try it without protection this time, sir?” Anna asked.
Dante froze, his dark gaze unreadable. “You wish to have sex with me unprotected?”
“Yes, sir.” She pushed up onto her elbows, imagining a little boy with his dark hair and her unusual eyes. Or maybe a little girl with Anna’s blond hair and Dante’s fathomless gaze. Or maybe one of each. “If it pleases you, sir.”
Blood Bound (Blood Ravengers Book 1) Page 16
