Who cared? The thought that she’d even felt that way, that he might have gone his whole life without getting to meet this vibrant, intoxicating creature, made his stomach curl into knots.
“After she died, I knew I couldn’t stay where I was,” Lina continued. “I couldn’t stay with Thorne. So I got my friend to smuggle me off Infernum. A distant uncle of hers worked for the Council, and he got me passage through the portal. Once I made it here on Earth, I wandered the streets for a few days, until Getty found me half-conscious outside his martial arts studio.”
“Getty?” he asked.
“The mercenary who trained me.” Her gaze locked on his. “He recognized me for what I was. A drugged-out angel. Any other mercenary would probably have left me to rot, but I reminded him of someone he’d once loved and lost. He told me I was like the daughter he wished they’d had. He took me in, fed me until I recovered, and taught me all he knew.”
“So you became a mercenary yourself.”
She shrugged. “Given all that I’d suffered through, it didn’t seem like a big deal anymore. And the pay was good. For once I had the money to do something of value.”
Sensing that he’d touched on something important, he crooked his arm under his head. “What did you do with the money?”
An embarrassed flushed covered her face. “There are a few halfway houses in the city that cater to abused mothers or those in recovery, as well as their children,” she said, casting her gaze down toward his chest. “I give it to them.”
Something inside Dagan’s chest broke for her. Despite her tough outer shell, he’d sensed from the very beginning just how much she cared about others, and what she’d told him now made it clear how very right he’d been.
“You’re an amazing woman,” he whispered.
“No.” She shook her head. “I’m just a woman trying to right her wrongs.”
True. And that was what he loved most about her.
He hooked his finger under her chin, gently forcing her gaze back up to his. “You are amazing, Lina,” he repeated, making sure she realized just how much he meant those words. “I could lose myself in you forever.”
Her eyes went bright with unshed emotion, a tremulous smile curving to her lips. “Me too, Dagan. Me too.”
Neither of them mentioned the obvious. That their forever might end far too soon. There was no need to dwell on that. Not when they’d been graced with this precious moment.
Closing the distance between them, he placed a soft, tender kiss to her lips. Right now, Lina was his, as he was hers. And now that they had each other, he would never willingly let her go.
Chapter Nineteen
Brynn sat on the couch in what was to be her new home, her eyes taking in every detail of the space surrounding her. The personal, homey touches that had been placed in the cave—a living room complete with a leather sectional that looked very similar to the one back at their New York City apartment, artificial lighting that made the place sparkle like a white-lit Christmas tree, and even an improvised kitchen—did nothing to dispel the essence of fear that permeated the space.
This was all so wrong.
Aegin shifted in Brynn’s arms, the endorphins from his liquid meal beginning to take hold. His beautiful red eyes fluttered shut, and his tiny hand caressed the upper curve of her breast. Sleep finally claimed him, and his mouth detached from her breast as his head fell back against the crook of her arm.
A sense of euphoria filled Brynn as she gazed down into her son’s face. Never in a million years could she have predicted the utter joy, combined with the incessant fear, that becoming a mother would bring. He was the most amazing thing she’d ever created, and she knew Keegan felt the same.
Please, please, baby…get here soon.
After readjusting her blouse, Brynn dropped the nursing blanket from around her chest and wrapped it around Aegin.
Bram, one of the panther shifters who worked as a bodyguard for Keegan and Brynn, paused in mid-pace. His eyes landed on Aegin’s tiny sleeping form, and a tender smile crept to his face. It was so at odds with his burly “man killer” appearance that she couldn’t help but grin in response. She and Keegan weren’t the only ones who’d fallen for Aegin’s sweet innocence. They all had, from Keegan’s brothers—who she loved as dearly as if they were her own family—to Bram, Reiver, and the small contingency of men they’d brought with them for protection.
“He asleep?” Bram rambled, his voice low and deep.
She nodded from her position on the couch, gazing back down at her sleeping son. His lips moved in an instinctive suckling motion, and she let out a soft laugh, leaning down to press a kiss to the top of his fuzzy head. He smelled so pure, so innocent. This tiny little being gave meaning to their crazy lives, reinforced that what she and Keegan had together was worth fighting for.
It wasn’t fair. Keegan should be with her. They should be reveling in the newness of their infant, not fearing for their freedom and their lives. Damn his employer for putting them through this.
She’d always viewed the Council with no small measure of contempt for its screwed up philosophies about interactions between the various interdimensional species, but this was just so wrong. Keegan and his brothers had been loyal to the Council from the very beginning. They’d captured their own father and turned him in—though admittedly the bastard had deserved that and more. And this was how the Council repaid them.
At least she knew Keegan and his brothers had managed to successfully retrieve Lina. Keegan had called several hours ago to notify her of their success, and that they were back in the state. He’d also told her of the bomb Lina had been implanted with.
Brynn’s heart broke for the sad, beautiful angel. It was easy to see she’d suffered some sort of horrific trauma in her life. Though she tried to be hard and aloof in their presence, sometimes Brynn would catch her looking at Aegin with teary, emotion-filled eyes that bespoke a heartache so intense it clogged Brynn’s throat just to think of it.
She said a quick prayer for Lina and Dagan, that they would be safe, before refocusing her thoughts on Keegan. He and the others had decided to fly in circles around the state, simply to ensure they weren’t followed back here. While she understood and appreciated that, the greater part of her just wanted her husband back in her arms.
“They should be back soon,” said Reiver, the other panther shifter on staff, as he stalked into the living room from the narrow corridor that housed the steel door of their entrance.
“I hope so.” Brynn didn’t know how much longer she could wait. While she understood the reasons why she couldn’t go with the others—well, the one extremely important reason that currently slumbered in her arms—it still physically hurt to think of her family in danger and her not being able to help. Granted, she wasn’t a strong fighter like Maya and she hadn’t been infused with a selection of powers like Amara had inadvertently been during her enslavement. But she had the power of the Book of the Dead within her. The ability to command an army of zombies was nothing to snooze at.
It also wasn’t much help to the others here, in a damp, dark cave hidden at the base of a mountain.
A shuffle of footsteps sounded from the rocky corridor that housed their makeshift bedrooms. A moment later, Amara padded into the room, clad in a pair of black pajama bottoms with red lips imprinted on them and a matching black tank top. Her gorgeous black hair hung in loose waves to her waist, but it wasn’t her natural succubus allure that stood out right now. It was the utter anxiety written all over her face.
“They’re not back yet?”
Brynn shook her head. “No.”
“Damn.” Amara absently lifted one of her nails to her mouth, worrying at the tip. “I’m going to kill Ronin when he gets here.”
Brynn couldn’t fault her for that. They both knew perfectly well how much Ronin would sacrifice to ensure Lina’s safety. He’d give his life for hers if it came down to it. Although they could understand why, that still didn’t mak
e things any easier to deal with.
Before either of them could say anything else, both Bram and Reiver stiffened and let out deep, hair-raising growls.
Instinctively tightening her hold on Aegin, Brynn sat up straight.
“What is it?” Amara cried out, whirling toward the two men.
The ten men who Bram and Reiver had brought with them and who currently lined the entrance corridor—demons, shifters, and even a couple of gargoyles—began to let out warning shouts that Brynn couldn’t quite make out. Their tone was unmistakable, however. Something was going down.
“Get to the back of the cave,” Reiver growled as he started toward the corridor.
Heedless of their instructions, Amara moved to follow Reiver and Bram.
Brynn’s heart clenched and needles pricked her spine. She rose and squeezed Aegin tight to her body, but she’d made it no more than two steps when a loud boom ricocheted through the cave, creating a sonic wave that momentarily deafened her. She went flying back, making hard contact with the couch. Luckily, Aegin remained tight in her grasp. He awoke, however, letting out a muffled cry that wrenched her heart.
When she tried to move, she found herself paralyzed.
Oh my God.
What was happening?
“Wha…?” Breathing hard, she blinked in an effort to dispel some of the smoky haze clouding her vision.
A shuffle and a muffled groan rent the sudden silence. After what seemed like forever, the smoke cleared enough for her to note the bodies lining the corridor. Rather, the bits and pieces. Whatever the boom had been, it appeared to have torn apart the men guarding the entrance.
Oh, shit. No.
She let out a whimper.
Bram, Reiver, and Amara’s bodies were laid out on the floor in front of her. Unlike the bodies stacked up in the corridor, they were in one piece. They were also completely immobile.
Jesus Christ.
Were they also dead or merely unconscious, or perhaps paralyzed like her?
The shuffle sounded out again, and a moment later, a booted foot stepped over the pile of body parts in the corridor. A man came into view.
For one moment she couldn’t place him. But then the features registered. The cruelly handsome face, the angled cheekbones.
An older version of Keegan.
Oh God.
“No.” Her voice came out a whisper. Even moving her mouth to form the words was a struggle.
She’d met him before, a year ago, but even if she hadn’t, she’d still be able to recognize him as Mammon. Stark fear broke her body into a cold, hard sweat. He’d found them, and more than anyone in this room, she knew what the demon was capable of.
Mammon’s gaze rooted through the bodies on the floor then shifted around the room until it locked with hers. A genial smile crept to his lips. “Hello, dear. My, but it’s been awhile. Too long, I’d venture to say.”
Her breath caught as fear clogged her throat. Not for her, but for her son. Her poor, defenseless baby, who even now sniveled in a wordless plea for comfort. His body was still as a statue, however.
“Wha-what’s happening?” she slurred.
“You’re all paralyzed from the neck down. Not forever, you see.” He grinned. “Just long enough.”
Jesus, no. She willed her useless arms to move, but nothing happened. She was helpless.
So fucking helpless.
Please, God, please. Don’t let this happen.
With that cold smile still on his face, Mammon began to step over Reiver’s prone form. To her surprise, Reiver let out another groan, and his shaky arm reached out to clasp Mammon’s ankle.
Mammon’s brow rose as his gaze traveled down to the panther-shifter. “Strong one, aren’t you? Belpheg’s charm is supposed to render paralysis for at least ten minutes.”
When Reiver grunted, Mammon tugged his ankle from the shifter’s grip. Without further warning, he slammed his booted foot down on Reiver’s neck. Over and over again.
“No!”
Brynn screamed, unable to look away from the horror of Mammon stomping on Reiver until there was no possibility of him having survived the attack.
Once he was satisfied with his work, Mammon made a show of wiping his gory boot on the rocky floor before stepping over Reiver’s corpse and heading toward her.
No, please no.
Her breath puffed out in audible gasps as Mammon stopped right in front of her then crouched so they were at eye level. Amusement, along with that ever-present hint of madness, glinted in his eyes.
“Surprise.” He let out a soft chuckle. “Didn’t expect that we knew about this place, did you? Or that the fae would be strong enough to find me a way in.”
“Please.” Even knowing it would be useless, she begged for mercy. “Please.”
“I heard the Book of the Dead was destroyed, which means you’re no longer of any use to me.” Mammon reached out a hand and gently ran it along one of her cheeks. “Too bad, dear.”
Aegin let out a pathetic, pleading wail that cut her to the very depths of her core. When Mammon’s gaze went down to him, she screamed once more.
“No! No, please!”
“Now the child on the other hand,” Mammon murmured. He moved his hands down to Aegin, tugging her baby from her helpless grip.
“Please, no! Don’t take him. Don’t take my baby!”
Mammon’s gaze locked in on the baby. “Oh, the child will be very useful indeed.”
A torrent of tears streamed down her eyes, practically blinding her vision as Mammon rose and lifted Aegin up at arm’s length.
Not my baby. Anything but my baby. Please, please!
Gazing at Aegin with his gleaming, crazed eyes, Mammon made a soft, cooing sound that somehow managed to sound utterly terrifying.
“Well hello there, little one. Say hi to grandpa.”
…
For the second time in less than a day, Dagan was awakened by the buzz of his cell phone. He crawled out of bed, taking care not to wake Lina, and staggered out to the living room. It was Taeg again.
He answered with a sleepy, “Hello?”
“Hey, bro.” Taeg’s voice was gruff, like he was exhausted.
No, wait. He didn’t sound tired. More like…like he’d been crying.
Dagan’s stomach constricted. “What’s wrong?”
“It’s…”
When Taeg paused to clear his throat, Dagan’s heart plummeted in his chest. Something was very, very wrong.
“What? What is it?”
“When we got back to the cave…someone had beaten us there.”
“What?” Dagan leaned forward, bracing himself against the windowpane for support against the sudden dizziness that threatened to disarm him. “Shit, man. What happened?”
“Apparently Belpheg already knew the location of our hideout. He sent someone. Mammon.”
Oh fuck. Oh fuck. Brynn, Amara, Aegin. What had happened to them?
“Tell me,” Dagan said hoarsely.
“He had some sort of spell from Belpheg. Blew up Reiver, along with the men he and Bram hired.”
Blew them up?
Oh hell, no.
“What about the rest?” he asked, knowing he probably didn’t want to hear the answer.
“Brynn and Amara were temporarily paralyzed. They’ve recovered already.”
He didn’t fail to notice the missing name.
No. Please, no.
Angry tears welled in Dagan’s eyes, then began to roll down his cheeks like thick streams of water. With his free hand, he reached out and grabbed onto the first thing in sight, a wooden knife block. The wood cracked under the force of his grip. “And Aegin?” he forced himself to ask.
“H-he took him.” Taeg’s voice cracked. “Mammon took the baby.”
A harsh, angry noise filled the cabin, like that of a wounded animal. In Dagan’s despair, it took him a moment to realize the sound had come from himself. The wooden block shattered to pieces in his hand, and several of
the knives sliced into his palm. He released his grip, blood dripping to the countertop, and studied the damage as it slowly began to heal itself.
“We’re going to get him back,” Taeg growled. “If it’s the last thing on this earth that we do.”
“Yeah,” Dagan croaked in agreement. “Yeah, we will.”
Or they would all die trying.
A line had been crossed, one that should never have been…and now there would be hell to pay.
…
Keegan’s body shook as he crossed the floor of the hotel room he’d rented for him and Brynn after the events at the cave. He took a seat next to her on the bed and reached out to draw her into his arms, but in the end, he found he couldn’t.
Everything in Brynn’s body posture, from the head she cradled in her hands to the knees curled up against her chest, told him she was on the verge of breaking. If he touched her, he feared she would go over the edge.
Or perhaps he would.
“We’re gonna get him back, baby. I promise.” His voice was hoarse, barely recognizable to his own ears, thanks to the breakdown he’d had when he first learned Mammon had taken their son.
She let out a low, wounded moan, her body shifting back and forth as she rocked herself. “My baby, Keegan. He has my baby.”
“We’re getting him back,” he repeated, chancing a comforting hand on her upper back.
Brynn lifted her swollen, tear-stained eyes to his. “I’m gonna kill him, Keegan. I’m gonna tear him apart, inch by fucking inch.”
“I know.” His hand flexed on her back. They hadn’t even invented names for the forms of torture he envisioned for Mammon and this Belpheg. That they would dare use a tiny, helpless infant…
Well, it didn’t really surprise him. Mammon was capable of anything, he knew. But he and Belpheg had signed their own death warrants when they’d dared to take Aegin. He was going to destroy them both, if it was the last thing he ever did.
Thank the devil Mammon didn’t kill Brynn. Though Keegan still couldn’t figure out why. That would have been just the thing for him to do, especially given what he’d done to Keegan’s own mother.
Call of the Siren (Demons of the Infernum) (Entangled Edge) Page 21
