by Lara Adrian
“More likely that they’re watching you and know everything you do.”
“That does sound like my mother,” she said through clenched teeth. “She did say she would never let me go.”
Which meant, they knew she was in New York. She grew sick to her stomach at the thought.
Canaan’s hand suddenly covered hers on the steering wheel. “I know. It means they saw me with you. More importantly, they know you’re back in the city.”
“I can’t,” she said while trying to keep her breathing under control. “I can’t go back there. Now that she knows I’m connected to the Romerac family, she’ll try her best to sink her claws in you.”
Canaan’s brow lifted. “She can try. I’d offer for you to come with me, but it’s the last place you’d want to be, Rayna. It’s a war you should stay far away from, especially since I don’t know its consequences or just how far the reach is.”
“I know.” Still, she was disappointed. If there was one person who could keep her mother away it was Canaan. With him, Rayna felt safe, secure.
Canaan dropped his hand, but there was a smirk on his lips. “If I know my brother, Teman, he’ll have lots of cars. And I know where he would keep them. You can leave your Camaro and take your pick of his. It’ll throw your family off your scent so you can make your escape.”
“For them to find me back at Traders Hollow?”
“For you to go anywhere you want.”
She looked into his eyes before the car behind her honked. Rayna cleared her throat and drove through the intersection and the now-green light. Canaan had given her something to think about.
All these years she had thought she was free of her family. It had been a false sense of security. Canaan, however, was offering her the real thing.
There was no way she was going to pass it up, no matter how much she might like Traders Hollow. She could find a new home, a new job.
A new life.
She could leave everything of her old life behind. Well, everything but the memories of Canaan. Those she would hold onto forever.
“Take a left up here,” he told her.
Rayna frowned, but did as he bade. “Are you sure? It’s been several centuries since you were here last, and things have changed.”
“Not as much as you might think. Take the third right. After that there will be an alley between buildings.”
Rayna followed his directions until she saw the alley. “The car will never fit. Nothing can fit through that.”
Canaan’s response was a smile as he said, “Trust me.”
Rayna shrugged and turned into the alley, expecting to hear the crunch of metal. In the next second, she found herself driving through a lighted tunnel.
Her quiet life had been turned upside down, but she couldn’t wait to see what was around the corner next. Especially with Canaan by her side.
CHAPTER SEVEN
Canaan should have been excited to be returning home. Instead, all he felt was a coldness that seeped into his very bones. He had been betrayed by the people who should have watched his back – his family.
“You don’t have to do this. You can just go on and live your life as you want it.”
Rayna’s voice broke through his fog of growing rage, just as surely as her touch had calmed him during his fight with the other Incubi.
Had the Oubliette changed him so very much? Or was it Rayna who managed to reach him as no other had ever been able to?
He kept his gaze straight ahead as she drove slowly through the winding tunnel. “I do have to do this. It’s my duty as the eldest to lead my family. More than that, retribution is mine.”
Canaan knew how heartless his words were, but he didn’t care. After all he had been through for five hundred years, including giving up his soul, exacting his revenge on his brothers was the only thing that was holding him together.
Rayna’s soft gasp when the tunnel opened into a huge garage full of cars, SUVs, trucks, and motorcycles almost made him smile.
“Take your pick of whatever you want,” Canaan told her when she parked her white Camaro next to a red Porsche. “The keys will be inside. No one will stop you.”
He opened the door and stepped out of the car, his mind already fixed on a plan of attack.
“Good luck, Canaan Romerac.”
He turned and looked at Rayna as she stood between the car and her open door, her dark brown hair falling about her shoulders and her walnut-colored eyes trained on him. Instantly, his body heated as desire burned through him.
For a heartbeat, he was tempted to forget his revenge and take her in his arms again. He knew they could never have a future together, because that wasn’t what an Incubus did.
But he was thinking about it.
Hard.
Seven times. It would take just once more and he would be bound to her – and she to him. The idea was so appealing he was about to go to her, but he was able to pull himself back under control before he could make that mistake.
He began to count how many times he had taken her the previous night.
“If you ever need anything, let me know,” Canaan said.
Her smile barely tilted her lips. “You’re so sure of winning.”
“I am. I have to. My only other choice is being returned to the Oubliette. I’d rather die.”
“Your brothers just might give you that option.”
He shook his head. “They would’ve done it the first time had they been able.”
“You make it sound as if you’re invincible,” she scoffed.
Canaan ran a hand down his face. “Not invincible, just smarter than my brothers. Take care of yourself,” he said and turned away.
Each step away from her was like someone was squeezing his heart. Any moment it would shatter. He couldn’t believe he was letting her go, not when every fiber of his being screamed for him to keep her by his side.
Canaan focused on the pain of his heart and let the rage begin. He would give no quarter, show no mercy to those who betrayed him.
~ ~ ~
Rayna watched Canaan walk up five steps and open a steel door where the sigil of House Romerac – a bull – was etched in the door. She couldn’t believe he was really gone. It seemed as if he had been in her life forever, not just for a few days.
How could someone leave such a mark on her in so short a time? It didn’t seem fair. Then again, that was her life. There was no way she would ever be able to be with a human again, not after a night in Canaan’s arms. Nor would she turn to another Incubus.
“Great. The rest of my life celibate. Doesn’t that sound fun?” she asked herself with a roll of her eyes.
Rayna closed the door to her Camaro and gave the hood a pat. “It’s time we parted ways, Mabel. I’ve got to get me a new ride, but I think you’ll find Canaan will take care of you.”
She turned and surveyed the plethora of vehicles to choose from. Rayna walked up and down the long aisles. She bypassed the super cars and motorcycles until she came to a black Mercedes E350 coupe.
A look inside after opening the door showed the key fob sitting in the cup holder, just as Canaan had said. She might not have any clothes or money, but she had a vehicle her family wouldn’t be able to track.
A noise startled Rayna so that she ducked next to the car. She peeked over the hood to see two women making their way to the door Canaan had gone through.
“Shit,” Rayna murmured as she recognized them. They were distant cousins, trying to make themselves worthy of being chosen for the Harem.
And bringing home evidence of Rayna with a Romerac would be just the thing.
It would be so easy for her to walk away and let Canaan and the Romeracs deal with the fallout, but that just wasn’t her way.
Rayna waited until both women had walked through the door before she kicked off her wedge boots and ran after them. Her heart was pounding when she gripped the door handle and slowly opened it. When nothing attacked her, she quickly slid inside and blinked
at the darkness.
After the bright lights of the garage, she was blinded. With nothing else to do, she remained against the wall and hoped her eyes adjusted rapidly.
It was the sound of footsteps quickly moving away from her that got her into action. There was no way her family was going to put her or Canaan in the middle of anything just so that her mother could further the family name.
Rayna ran silent as a ghost along the corridor toward the beam of a flashlight. When she reached her cousins, she kicked the first in the back of the knee, sending her crashing to the floor as the flashlight bounced on the ground and rolled away.
When the second turned around, Rayna punched her in the chest before kicking her in the face. The second fell while the first jumped to her feet.
With only the glow of the small flashlight, Rayna faced off against her opponent.
“I knew it,” Sally gloated. “You always thought yourself above us. But not this time, Rayna.”
She didn’t bother to respond. Instead, Rayna ducked a swing at her jaw, only to miss the uppercut that nearly knocked her senseless when it landed on her chin.
Rayna stumbled backward into the wall that helped to hold her up. She blocked another punch and stepped aside when Sally tried to knee her in the stomach.
With a leg hooked around Sally’s, Rayna pivoted until Sally was up against the wall. She was unable to avoid several punches to her abdomen by Sally. Rayna waited until Sally thought she had the advantage before she jerked her legs out from underneath her.
Rayna winced at the sound of Sally’s head hitting the floor, but at least Sally didn’t move again.
Pain exploded in her side as she was hit by Judith. Rayna tried to turn around, but Judith pushed her face first into the wall with her forearm at the base of Rayna’s neck.
“It’s time you came home, Rayna.”
“Kiss my ass, Judith.”
Her cousin chuckled and leaned close so she could whisper, “Always with the smartass.”
Rayna slammed her elbow back into Judith. As soon as her cousin released her, Rayna swung around and punched her in the face once, twice. The third time knocked her out.
“Well, I didn’t expect to see that.”
Rayna yanked her gaze up to find Canaan standing not five feet from her. “What are you doing here?”
“I could ask the same of you,” he said.
“Neither of you move,” came a male voice from behind Canaan.
The corridor was suddenly ablaze with light. Rayna blinked as she looked at Canaan. His face was set in hard lines, as if he were preparing for war.
The sad part was, that’s exactly what he was doing. It was also exactly what she had been doing a few minutes ago.
The big male behind Canaan moved to the side so he could see Rayna. He was in a black suit, but there was no tie against the crisp white shirt open at the neck. His dark blond hair was cut short but couldn’t hold back the waves. It was his bright blue eyes that held the promise of pain. “How did the two of you get in here?”
“Because it was my idea to build the damn thing,” Canaan retorted.
Rayna watched the Incubus’s forehead crease in a frown. “That’s not possible.”
“It is, Asher.”
“Canaan?”
Canaan shifted so that he faced Asher. “It’s me.”
“I’ll be damned,” Asher said, a smile upon his face. “Where have you been? Teman told us you died. Had I known you were still out there I’d have come looking for you.”
Rayna’s heart broke at the doubt she saw in Canaan’s blue-green eyes. He didn’t know who to trust, and she didn’t blame him. Once part of your family betrayed you, it was easy to think others could as well.
When Canaan didn’t respond, Asher glanced at her, his smile dying. “Canaan? What is it?”
“Tell him,” Rayna urged Canaan. “I don’t think he was part of it.”
Canaan didn’t so much as look at her. “You could be mistaken.”
“Perhaps I am. If so, he already knows where you’ve been, so why not just say it?” she asked.
Asher’s face fell into grim lines. “I’m the captain of the Watchman for House of Romerac. You disappeared on my watch, Canaan. Tell me what happened.”
“Teman and Levi, along with the Sovereign, betrayed me. I’ve been in the Oubliette for five centuries.”
The air charged with fury as the two men looked at each other. A muscle ticked in Canaan’s jaw as Asher’s blue eyes became as cold as ice.
“You think I was part of it,” Asher said.
Canaan simply lifted a brow. “As you said, you’re the Watchman for the House of Romerac. You and your men are the security – my security. How else would my brothers get to me?”
“Teman sent me out to get a bottle of that special wine you liked for when you returned home. He told me it was a gift for you, so I didn’t hesitate. When I got back, the House was in an uproar because no one could find you.” Asher fisted his hands at his sides. “I wanted to go looking for you, but Teman wouldn’t allow it. He said he needed to be protected since he was acting Master of the House while you were missing.”
Before Canaan could respond, Rayna stepped over her cousins. “We have bigger problems right now. My family followed me, Canaan. Those two are distant cousins, and they came to be witnesses to me being here.”
“Thereby forcing us together,” he said with a sneer. “I didn’t think they would dare follow us in here.”
Asher blew out a breath. “Many things have changed while you’ve been gone. Teman has let security become lax and no longer cares who comes and goes. With the Sovereign’s time on the Obsidian Throne coming to an end, this is when the House of Romerac should be the strongest, not the weakest.”
“There’s a reason my brothers aligned with the Sovereign,” Canaan said as he held out his hand to Rayna.
She eagerly took it. “You’re not sending me away?”
“You took down two of your family to protect yourself.”
“To protect us both,” she corrected.
He shrugged. “Either way, you’ll be safer with me.”
Asher punched a few numbers into his cell phone. “I’ll get the Nephilim out of here and secure the area.”
Rayna had gone only a few steps before she found herself against the wall and Canaan’s hard body. She looked into his eyes, but before she could ask what he was thinking, he was kissing her.
She melted against him, her body coming alive as only he could command it. Her hands went to the edge of his shirt as she thought about ripping it off. A low moan rumbled through his chest when she touched the bare skin of his stomach.
Canaan ended the kiss and pressed his forehead against hers. No words were needed. Each knew what was coming, and both were prepared to face it.
After a moment, Canaan straightened but didn’t release Rayna’s hand. She couldn’t contain her pleasure at that simple act.
“Asher,” Canaan called as he ran a hand through his black hair. “Get your men to do that. You’ll need to come with us.”
To battle, Rayna thought.
To right a terrible wrong.
CHAPTER EIGHT
Canaan wanted to believe Asher hadn’t been a part of the betrayal. If he wasn’t, then he would keep Rayna safe and have his back.
If he was...then Canaan wanted all his enemies in one room.
He hid his surprise at the opulent building his family used for business. The shiny dark gray floors, the walls in a lighter shade of gray, and paintings and other works of art everywhere. It had always been his dream to have something tall and impressive with the family name attached. Yet, he hadn’t gotten to build it. His brothers had.
At least the family hadn’t been eradicated or run into the ground.
“This isn’t seen by the public, is it?” Rayna asked as she followed Asher.
Asher glanced over his shoulder at them. “No. This is for the Romerac family and guests only.”
>
Canaan stopped next to a wall where the doors slid open. Asher stepped inside and Rayna quickly followed, but he hesitated.
“It’s an elevator,” Rayna explained. “It’ll take us to the upper floors. It’s better than climbing stairs.”
There was much Canaan still needed to learn about this modern world. An elevator that raised them upward. What else would he find? He thought the best had been computers and the internet. How wrong he was.
He stepped into the elevator beside Rayna and watched as Asher punched a button with 55 on it. There was a small jolt, and then the elevator began to move.
“I don’t think Levi was a part of your betrayal,” Asher said into the silence.
“What makes you think that?”
“Teman. Over the last few centuries, he’s pushed Levi out, more and more.”
Canaan leaned a shoulder against the wall. “Possibly. Or it could be that Teman got a taste of being in charge and doesn’t want to share now.”
“Then,” Asher continued as if Canaan hadn’t spoken, “there’s the fact that Levi tried to find you. He went out looking himself. Why would he do that if he was part of it?”
“A very good question,” Rayna said and cut her eyes to him.
Canaan couldn’t look at her. If he did, he was liable to take her right there in the elevator with Asher looking. It had been a mistake to kiss her, and an even bigger mistake to stop.
His hands itched to touch her, to feel her against him. To run along the silky smoothness of her bare skin. Especially since he had counted exactly how many times he made love to her the previous night. And it wasn’t seven.
“Canaan,” Asher called.
He blinked and focused on the slate tiles at his feet. “You may have a point, Asher. I wouldn’t have imagined either of my brothers betraying me.”
“The Sovereign is part of it,” Rayna said. “Too much has been happening lately with the Three unable to find new priestesses, and now the Sovereign.”
Asher gave a nod of agreement. “Instead of preparing to step down, he’s been putting off the Council getting together to figure out which family will take his place.”
