Angel Seduced

by Jaime Rush

  “But I don’t know what will happen if one half of the bonded couple dies,” she said. “Fortunately, none of my test couples have dealt with that.”

  “I can live with whatever that is, if I can just ease her suffering. And report back to you as well, so you’ll have the data going forward.”

  She chewed her bottom lip as she considered it. Finally she nodded. “I’ll give it a try.”

  Chapter 9

  Kasabian slammed his hands against the wall, fingers digging against the stucco, as the Shadow filled the empty space his angel had left. He let it come, because he needed it.

  Whatever his father and Silva were doing was going to happen in a few days. He remembered how driven the man had been, how passionate about his goals. He’d stolen his own son to be part of it, trying to sell it as some great opportunity.

  “We can be the ones who free Caidos,” he’d said in the voice of a revival preacher. “We will be the ones to change the lives of all of our kind. Small sacrifices amount to huge achievement. Yes, it’s hard on the children.” He had placed his hand on Kasabian’s cheek. “And on you. But you are a strong and noble boy, and soon you will see the payoff.”

  His father had obviously either given up or been stopped, since no such breakthrough ever came about. But recently he must have found a way to succeed. Started taking kids again.

  Kasabian could not abide the necessary sacrifice. He would stop them, even if it killed him. And it might. That kind of sacrifice he could manage.

  He thought of Kye and what that might mean to her. If it didn’t hurt her, she’d be free of him.

  He banged his head against the wall. Giving in to her was a bad idea. He had meant to scare her away, to show her his Shadow’s lust and power. He had not expected her to fall under its spell. She was supposed to push him away, not grind her body into his and devour him back.

  He had to shove her from his mind and concentrate on this thing that was invading his soul. He would give himself to the demon if that’s what it took to defeat his father and Silva. Which meant he couldn’t have anyone else around him, especially Kye.

  The sensation of it squeezed his lungs, making him drag in deep breaths. It burned along the lines on his back.

  “Come on out, you beast,” he gritted out.

  It seized him. Kasabian threw his head back and let its roar pour out of him. Its heat scorched his cold soul. He focused on the wall beneath his hands, the air he was drawing in. The room felt as though it were falling away, and he with it.

  Beneath the darkness, he felt something else. Not dark or evil, but light. Warmth.

  Kye.

  Their connection vibrated, like a gong sounding in the dark. He homed in on it, driven by an instinct he’d never felt before. He searched in the pitch black of his mind and saw a cord spiraling into distant space, a twist of her gold and his dark silver. Their essences. It stretched so tight that he could hear it cracking beneath the pressure.

  She’d found a way to break the bond. He should be relieved. A part of him was, for her. Another part railed against it as her essence began to pull away. He had to let her go. Then it would be over.

  The Shadow pushed at him to follow the cord that now threatened to break apart at any second. No. He had to resist. A sense of danger and urgency pressed even harder. Was she putting herself at risk to sever the bond? He grasped the trembling cord as he struggled to get to her.

  The closer he got, the stronger her presence was. Then he saw her, and the sight surprised him. She was blurry, as though he were looking through warped glass. And still, she was so beautiful it made him ache. Her head was thrown back as his had just been, her eyes squeezed shut. Her body shook as the cord began to split. He could see that her arms were stretched out and that her hands were clasped with someone else’s. Had she found another Zensu Deuce? He couldn’t resist seeing the person who was freeing her, shifting to see the man linked to her—his father.

  The horror of it nearly pulled him away. He held on, even as the cord shook harder. How could his father know about Kye? Daniel! Hell, Kasabian had told Daniel about the Cobra, and he’d asked her name.

  Kasabian jerked on the cord. Kye! Get out, dammit! He reached through the connection and touched her. Her eyes snapped open, and Kasabian lost the connection. He psychically groped for it, like a drowning man reaching for a rope. In the darkness, he started to spin again, to lose all sense of grounding and reality.

  Have to get to her. Have to…

  He lost complete touch with his physical self, with his thoughts, and darkness claimed him.

  At first, Treylon sensed Kye’s turmoil and the way she felt betrayed by this Deuce to whom she had clearly given her heart. He sent his essence into her and instructed it to pull out all of that angst. But Kye’s attachment to the man who had her all twisted up was strong, much stronger than anything he’d ever encountered.

  This has to work. I need her.

  He increased the power of his magick and felt something within her start to vibrate. He sent more power, willing it to break the attachment. It began to shake apart.

  Suddenly she gasped and stumbled back. Her gray eyes were wide.

  No, no, no! But he kept his expression placid, concerned. “Was it too much? I had to use a lot of power to break your attachment to this man.”

  She nodded quickly, running her fingers through her hair. “Yes, that’s what it was. Maybe…maybe I’m not ready to let him go yet.”

  Rage burned through him, but he maintained his cool. “That’s unfortunate. I don’t think my lover has much time left.” As he spoke, he tried to figure some way around the annoying requirement to get her permission before he could Leap her away. “Perhaps you could come to my home and try anyway?” He hated begging. He wanted to just grab her, take her to his car. He could hardly do that without causing a stir. He started to use the Thrall, but she closed her eyes and took a deep breath.

  “I’ll see if that was enough to restore it.” After a few moments, she shook her head. “We didn’t go far enough.”

  “We could try again.” He held out his hands, using the Thrall again. “That man has done terrible things to you. If you get rid of your connection to him, you’ll feel so much better.”

  Even though Kye was looking right into his eyes, her pupils weren’t dilating. The Thrall wasn’t working.

  “I just need to talk to him one last time. Say goodbye, clear the air. Give me your number and I’ll call you back tomorrow. I promise.”

  Her intent was true, that much he could tell. Damn, he wanted to shake her. But he couldn’t do anything that might make her wary of him. “I understand what you’re feeling,” he said instead. “I suffered this kind of heartbreak when my wife ordered me to move out many years ago. And I felt the same longing you do as I tried to change her mind. Ultimately, I failed to win her back and held on to my attachment to her for longer than I should have. I beg of you, don’t make the same mistake.”

  She nodded, giving him a soft smile. “It’s kind of you to think of me when you have your own pain.”

  Patience. He’d suffered through enough of that virtue in the last few years. He could wait a few more hours. He recited the number of a throwaway cell phone he’d procured for this appointment. “Please, call me soon. I can’t stand to see her suffer anymore.”

  Compassion filled Kye’s eyes. “I will.”

  She was clearly distracted as she gathered her purse and escorted him out of the office. He would follow her, and find out where she lived. If it came down to it, he would kidnap her. It wasn’t an ideal plan. Possible witnesses. Injury to her or the staff he would send to do the deed.

  She walked down the hall and disappeared from sight. He went out to his car and waited for her. Ten, fifteen minutes passed. He drove around to the back side of the two-story building’s lot, where he saw the employee parking area—and another exit. She was gone.

  He could use his contacts to find out where she lived, no doubt. But h
e would give her a day, all he had to spare. He would rather have her come willingly…at least until she learned the real reason he needed her.

  A pounding sound stirred Kasabian from the dark pit in which he’d fallen. Kye. His first thought as he became aware of his physical self again. He used the wall to brace himself as he got to his feet. The pounding continued. Someone at the door.

  He jerked the door open and found Kye, dressed all demure and professional. And pissed as hell.

  She burst in, full of glorious fury, alive. And none of it caused him any psychic pain, which meant they were still bound. That pleased the dark part of him.

  She slammed the door shut and jabbed her finger at him. “I had almost broken our bond! You told me to find a way, and yes, you proved how dangerous this connection between us is. And I did find a way. Then you sabotaged it, you son of a bitch!”

  The Shadow swept through him, and he gripped her arms and shoved her against the wall. His thigh moved between her legs. Fully pinned by his hips, she could not miss his body’s reaction to her proximity. Or her body’s counterreaction to it.

  His mouth came to within an inch of hers. “You will never be free of me,” he said in a low and guttural voice he’d never used before.

  Her eyes widened, and apprehension filled them as she looked into his. “Let me go.” She tried to wriggle free, to no avail.

  Her attempt at escape fueled the Shadow more, just as her effort to break the bond had. He slid his hands down to her wrists, linking their fingers together, and pinned her hands against the wall by her head. “You are mine.” The fierce possessiveness was as foreign, as crazy, as what he was doing.

  She was breathing hard, which made her breasts brush against his chest with every exhale. “You let it in, didn’t you?”

  “I had to.”

  “Kasabian, don’t give in to it. You’re stronger than it is.”

  He pressed his forehead to hers, fighting the urge to take her mouth. “I told you not to come near me.”

  “I was angry at you. I want answers.”

  She smelled so good, warm and sweet, and he took a deeper breath to calm himself. He needed to back away from her. He managed to pull away an inch, ready to fight for another one.

  But she kissed him tenderly, meeting his gaze. “You’re not going to let it turn you into a killing machine. Or a lust machine.” Her voice was strong and clear. She believed in him, even after everything he’d done to her.

  Or she’s just trying to get away. The Shadow’s whisper.

  He could still taste her, and she was looking at him with confidence that he would not hurt her. He wished he could be so sure. His body trembled with the need to make that possession complete.

  He loosened his hold on her hands, rubbing her palms with his thumbs because he couldn’t bear to release her yet. His eyes felt heavy with wanting her. He could feel desire freely now, and it throbbed through him like a current. So sweet. So electrifying.

  “I see you fighting it, Kasabian,” she whispered, watching his face. “You will win.”

  With a sharp exhale, he released her and stepped back, bowing his head. “Jesus, I’m sorry, Kye.” He ran his hand back through his hair. “What I said about you being mine…”

  She took a step away from him. “It wasn’t you. I know you didn’t mean that.”

  “Don’t fool yourself, Kye. This thing inside me does feel that way.”

  She stepped farther away, her posture going defensive again. “Is that why you stopped me from breaking the bond? Because you think you own me?”

  That’s how crazy he’d gotten, losing sight of why he’d stopped her. “No, getting free of me is the best thing you could do. And yes, I do mean that. Tell me about the man who was helping you.”

  “How did you know—”

  “I followed our bond when I felt it breaking. I could see you.”

  “I don’t get you, Kasabian. You say I should get away from you, and then you want to do the Cobra. You promise you won’t complete the bond, then you do. And now you’re saying I should be free of you, yet you stopped me from escaping. What the frigging hell?”

  He rubbed the back of his neck, feeling every bit of her frustration himself. “Tell me about the man, and I’ll tell you why I stopped it.”

  She looked as though she were going to argue, but she released a breath and walked to the sofa. Her arms were crossed in front of her as she sank onto the cushion. “His name is Carl Wallen, and he said he heard about the Cobra from you and came in because he wants to try to ease his dying lover’s pain with the bond. It’s an intriguing proposition. I explained that my magick was on the fritz, and he offered to heal the cause of it.” She arched her eyebrow. “That would be you. I didn’t tell him we were bonded. In fact, I said that the guy who had me all tangled up was a Deuce, and he seemed to take that at face value. He offered to heal my heartache if I would try to help him. I wanted my Zensu magick back. I need it.”

  He took the chair across from her. “Because you feel worthless without it.” He wanted to know why, wanted to tell her how utterly wrong she was. Focus. “So he was going to heal your heart and then what?”

  “He didn’t say exactly, but I imagine he would have taken me to his lover.”

  “Ah. Son of a bitch.”

  “All right, spill. Who is Carl? Is he some kind of lecherous Caido who lures women to his lair?”

  “His goal, with his sob story, was for you to give him permission to take you to where he’s keeping the children. That man was my father.”

  Her expression darkened as the implications set in. “The one who’s been doing the experiments? Who kidnapped you?”

  “The same. What I want to know is, why is he after you? I only mentioned to Daniel that you’d created the Cobra. Treylon has no reason to connect us in any meaningful way. We don’t live together; we’re not dating.” He couldn’t know that Kasabian would go after anyone who threatened her. “So I doubt he was going to use you as a lure to get to me. And hell, he could probably get to me anytime. So clearly he wants you for something.”

  She shuddered visibly so that Kasabian had to fight the urge to put his arms around her and tell her he would never let anything happen to her.

  “And I was going to go,” she said, a quiver in her voice. “He totally fooled me.”

  “Kye, your need to feel worthwhile, and to help others, could be your downfall.”

  She didn’t argue. “He seemed genuinely interested in the mechanism of the Cobra.”

  It hit him then why his father wanted her. Kasabian gestured to his scar. “The Caido kids who were channeling the other kids’ essence got this starburst because this is where we take it in. While they were drained, the Caidos were overcharged, and some got burned out, just like the boy who ended up at the Guard. I bet Treylon thinks the Cobra will allow the Caidos to channel more essence without burning out. And that would kill the other Crescents even faster.”

  “If he thinks I’d do the Cobra with kids, he’s sorely mistaken.”

  “You would, Kye. You would look at their drawn, haggard little faces and you would do anything to protect them. I know, because I’ve seen those faces.”

  That softened her outraged expression. “Like you taking the chance of getting caught when you planned your escape.”

  He nodded, the memory now burning in his chest. “My father will try to get you to cooperate, one way or the other. I’m not going to let him.” The thought of that burned even more. “I can put a barrier around your apartment so no one without permission can Leap in. Except I can’t create a barrier, because I have no angel in me.” He paced, pinching the bridge of his nose. “I’ll ask Hayden.” He snatched up his phone and, when Hayden answered, said, “I need your help.”

  “I can’t get away at the moment.” He lowered his voice. “I’m on a bullshit assignment with my sergeant.”

  “They’re on to you.”

  “The Concilium idiots grilled me on why I had an ass
ociate look up missing kids. I gave them some inane reason, but they were suspicious. What’s up?”

  “I need you to put a barrier around Kye’s apartment.” He explained why.

  “Hell. All right, I’ll come as soon as I can.”

  “Use me as a touchstone. I’m glued to her until you get here.” Kasabian disconnected.

  “So now we’re going to be physically bonded as well.”

  He felt a stirring at those words. “Just until Hayden gets there. Then we are staying away from each other.”

  “Yeah, that doesn’t seem to work very well, does it?” She wandered around the apartment, looking everywhere but at him. And that ended up being his computer monitor, which showed a satellite view of Miami.

  Kasabian came up behind her. “I’ve been trying to find my father’s compound through Google Earth. I know, a needle in a haystack.”

  “Yeah, I understand. It’s better than doing nothing.” She twisted her fingers together. “All I can think of are those children, and not being able to do something is driving me crazy.” She waved to the computer. “Go on, keep looking.”

  She pulled up a chair a safe distance away and watched him find and then discount area after area. Finally, she said, “Oh, shoot. I’ve got to get home and feed my cat. I never hear the end of it if I’m late with his dinner.”

  “Ruled by your cat, eh?”

  “I’m his pet, actually. I never understood that until I got him, how there’s some part of you that wants to please him, to earn that bit of affection he throws your way. He always seems happy when I come home, and he likes to snuggle. He’s the best thing that ever happened to me.”

  Kasabian loved her smile as she talked about her cat. He couldn’t help but think, And I’m the worst thing. “Let me grab some things, and we will save you from a cat thrashing.”

  He threw on a shirt, grabbed some clothes, and followed her to her apartment. On the way, they picked up Chinese food for dinner.

  Kasabian had to keep from whistling when he walked into her apartment. Everything about Kye saturated the place, from the black carpet in the living area to the red sofa that looked as though it had come out of a bordello. Old horror movie posters adorned the walls, all professionally framed. The place was neat and comfortable and, yeah, sexy.