“Nice. Good answer.” Her smile widened into a grin. “More brownie points for you.”
His lips twitched.
She leaned toward him. Her mouth brushed his. Once. Twice. A third time before she settled in and kissed him—softly, sweetly, with so much affection his heart went AWOL and he forgot about the male outside. Drawing away, she drew a swirl in peanut butter with the tip of her knife and lifted her hand. He opened his mouth. She fed him the saltine. Kraft’s finest hit his taste buds, making him hum in gratitude. Gaze locked on his lips, she watched him chew. And Venom knew what she was thinking. Despite her teasing, she wanted him again too. Was ready to forsake her snack in favor of feasting on him.
A thump drifted into the kitchen. Metal rattled. Hinges hissed as the door from the garage into the house opened.
The sound made Evelyn jump. “Did you hear that?”
“Relax, mazleiha.” Brushing her hair aside, he cupped the side of her throat. A gentle tug turned her back toward him. His thumb drifted, brushing over her pulse point. “It’s just Daimler.”
“Right,” she muttered, her focus split—half on him, half on the corridor. “Ever notice that when you use the word just, I get blindsided?”
“Like when?”
“Like when you kidnapped me at the hospital—”
“Rescued, you mean.”
She ignored his interruption and sailed on. “And that crazy-looking black dragon was sitting on the roof glaring at me.”
“Wick wasn’t glaring at you.”
“Total evil eye. He gave me one,” she said, treating him to a you-bet-your-ass-he-did look. “I saw it.”
“When—before or after you freaked out?”
“Oh, shut up. My screaming was totally justified.”
He chuckled, enjoying her tart tone. Big surprise there. He adored everything about her—attitude included.
Her eyes narrowed on him. She pointed the knife at his nose. “Listen, mister, I—”
“Hello!” Full of pep, Daimler’s shout drifted down the hall. “Anybody home?”
“In here,” Venom said.
The quiet click of a closing door drifted into the kitchen. Plastic rustled. Paper crinkled. Quiet footfalls sounded a second later, rushing the Numbai out of the corridor and around the corner. Eyes bright, elfin ears peeking through his dark hair, and loaded down with shopping bags, Daimler slid to a stop. His gaze landed on Venom, then bounced over to Evelyn. Taking in the cozy arrangement—the fact she nearly sat in his lap—he smiled, gold front tooth winking in the low light.
Venom tipped his chin. “Thanks for coming.”
“Of course, Master Venom. I am delighted to be here.” With a happy hop, Daimler stepped up to the island and set the bags on the marble countertop. A pleased look on his face, he met and held Evelyn’s gaze. “And you must be Evelyn. I am so very pleased to meet you, my lady.”
Evelyn blinked. “My lady?”
“Go with it.” Taking her hand, Venom pushed off his stool and stood. Lacing his fingers with hers, he tugged Evelyn off her seat. Her palm sliding against his, she tucked in, standing so close pleasure erupted in a wave of glory, glory, hallelujah. Venom shut it down, forcing his body to cool and his mind to work as she raised a brow in question. He shrugged. “It’s just easier to go along.”
“There you go again . . . using the word just,” she said, tone hushed before smiling at the newcomer. “It’s great to meet you too, Daimler. Venom’s told me so much about you.”
Not an exaggeration. He’d extolled the Numbai’s virtues. Told Evelyn all about his wizard-like culinary skills. Daimler’s wicked triple-decker to-die-for chocolate cake too.
“Oh, good, then there is no need for me to explain.” Popping up on his toes, Daimler hunted through the collection of bags. Paper rasped against plastic, shuffling into each other across the countertop. With a soft a-ha, he grabbed one with “Macy’s” printed on the side. “I brought you a gift.”
Evelyn sucked in a breath. “Clothes?”
Daimler nodded. “Running shoes too.”
“Bless you,” she said. “Venom’s right. You’re the best, Daimler.”
Clasping his hands in front of his chest, the Numbai blushed.
Gaze on the bag, she shook free of Venom’s hand. The loss made his chest go tight. He let her go anyway, mourning the distance as he watched Evelyn step around the edge of the island. Thanking Daimler again, she accepted the shopping bag full of goodies. Handles hanging from her fingertips, she glanced over her shoulder and smiled at him. “I’m going to have a shower. Wanna come?”
Venom blinked. Muscles roping his abdomen clenched and . . . oh, baby. Talk about a double entendre. His stomach flip-flopped, somersaulting into a quadruple backflip. Wanna come, indeed. He bit down on a laugh. Little minx. Gorgeous tease. Of course he wanted to come—in the shower or anywhere else she asked him to please her.
Too bad he couldn’t. Not right now.
No matter how much he longed to love her again, he needed to go. His brothers-in-arms awaited his call. Were already in the air and headed his way. Fine-tuning his sonar, he reached out with his mind. A soft buzz swirled against his temples as his dragon half rose. Six males. Five miles out. And closing fast. Venom glanced over his shoulder. His gaze skimmed the living room, over the couch and a pair of armchairs to reach the wide bank of windows along the back wall. Magic rippled across glass, individual panes moving from opaque to clear in the moonlight. Which made it official. Dusk had fallen, and now duty called. Granite Falls wouldn’t wait much longer, never mind another night. Neither would the humans who called the small town home.
Which meant playtime was over. At least, for the moment.
“Evie.”
Reacting to his serious tone, she turned toward him. Intuition sparked in her eyes, downgrading the pleasure of Daimler’s gift. “What’s wrong?”
“Come here for a second.”
With a whispered “Excuse me” to Daimler, Evelyn skirted the kitchen island. Sidestepping one of the stools, she stopped in front of him. “You’re leaving, aren’t you?”
“For a little while.”
“How long will you be gone?”
“A few hours. Maybe more, but I’ll be back before dawn.”
She frowned. “That’s why you called Daimler, isn’t it—to keep me company?”
“I didn’t want you to be alone in the house.”
“I could come with—”
“No, mazleiha, you can’t.” He shook his head, backing up the words with action. Super-strong immune system or not, he didn’t want her anywhere near Granite Falls. Jesus. Just the thought sent him into a tailspin. “I need you to stay here. Inside the house with Daimler. Don’t go outside. I’ll come back as fast as I can.”
“But—”
“Promise me, Evie.”
Worry in her eyes, she stared at him. “What aren’t you telling me?”
“It’s nothing serious,” he said, lying through his teeth. Tell her . . . tell her about energy-fuse. He’d revealed so much already, trusting her with a secret only Wick knew. Still, the words refused to trip off his tongue even as honor urged him to be honest. Down and dirty. Quick and clean. The truth tied up in a neat little bow. Venom cleared his throat. He opened his mouth. Nothing came out. Goddamn it, he was pathetic. In need of a good ass-kicking or something. A boot to the balls. A fist to the head. The method didn’t matter just as long as it allowed him to move forward. Away from the fear of her rejection. “Really, it isn’t, but I’ve still got to go.”
Her brow furrowed. “Why are you lying to me?”
“I’m not.”
“You’re asking me to take a lot on faith, Venom.” Raising her hand, she stroked a finger along his jaw. “To trust you without proof or knowing why.”
“I know.”
&nb
sp; “A tall order.”
“It is, but . . .” He trailed off, struggling to find the right words. Again. Like always, but like it or not, he needed her to stay put until he got home. Her safety wasn’t optional. It qualified as a must. Especially now that Ivar knew her name. The rogues weren’t stupid. Masters of technology, the bastards pulled intel off the Internet in the same way Sloan mined human databases. Personal information—address, job history, friends, bank account numbers—ranked as important when hunting prey. Which meant his enemy would already be tracking her credit cards, looking for patterns and preferences in the hopes of finding her favorite haunts. “Do this for me, Evie. Stay here. It’s not safe for you in the city after dark.”
Chewing on the inside of her lip, Evelyn held his gaze. One second ticked into more. Silence spun into tension. Venom stayed quiet, forcing himself to be patient, waiting her out, praying she fell in line.
After what felt like forever, she blew out a breath. “Okay. I’ll stay here . . . on one condition.”
Relief hit him like a wrecking ball. “Name it.”
“When you get back, you tell me what’s bothering you. No pussyfooting around.”
“Deal.” Thank God. He’d just bought more time. Enough maybe to find a way to explain without freaking her out. “We’ll talk when I get home.”
“And you’ll be honest.” Dark eyes narrowed, she leveled him with a no-nonsense look. “One hundred percent straight with me.”
Venom nodded. “About everything.”
“All right, then go,” she said. “Daimler and I—”
“Will bake cookies!” The excited chirp echoed across the kitchen. A thunk followed as Daimler set a mixing bowl in the center of the island. “Maybe watch some movies too.”
Laughter chased the worry from Evelyn’s eyes. “Kind of like a slumber party.”
“Exactly! Now . . .” With a jubilant hop, Daimler disappeared behind the mound of grocery bags. Cupboard doors banged. Metal rattled against metal. A second later, he popped back into view with an armful of baking trays. Setting them down with a bang, he waved a hand, flicking his fingers at them. “Kiss Master Venom good-bye, my lady, then sit down. I will make tea and we’ll talk.”
“No chance of that.” Holding her hand up to keep Venom at bay, she took a step back. And then another, punishing him with distance. “No kissing until I have the whole truth.”
“Shit,” he grumbled. “Unfair, Evie.”
“Within bounds, Venom.”
“Fair warning then, love,” he said, picking up the gauntlet she threw down. “I’ll make you pay for it later.”
“You’ve got to come back to do that.”
The provocation cranked him tight.
Venom growled. She held her ground, crossing arms over her chest. Well, all right then. His female refused to back down, and he wasn’t going to get his good-bye kiss. A frigging pity. A total kick in the pants, but . . .
No sense pushing the issue now.
She was entrenched and ready for a fight. One Venom knew he couldn’t win. Not right now. Not without a winning approach and the right words. Frustration grabbed hold. Blowing out a breath, Venom tore his gaze from hers and, with a quick pivot, headed for the door. Pace steady, boots thumping, and mind churning, he strode across the living room.
Seconds before he reached the door, Venom glanced over his shoulder. “Prepare for the fallout, mazleiha. There’s gonna be some when I get home.”
She leveled her chin. “Bring it on.”
No need to worry. He would. Nothing would keep him away.
The promise of his female’s kisses was too much to resist. So was accepting her challenge. No kissing, his ass. No way would she be able to hold out. Which meant the game was now afoot. And he planned to come out on top—literally, by spreading her beneath him before he told her the truth. Just to make a point. Stubborn, maybe, but well . . . hell. He didn’t like manipulation of any kind. So yeah, bring it on. Let her try to hold out. Let her use desire like a weapon. Let her believe she would win in the end.
Venom clenched his teeth, then shook his head. Her strategy wouldn’t work. With a mental flick, he turned the handle, flung the door open, and stepped out into cold night air. And she wouldn’t last long once he started the seduction. The thought energized him. Venom upped the pace, making tracks beneath huge trees to reach open lawn. More space made for a better launchpad, and he needed to get airborne. Must meet the others. Do his job—quick, neat, and clean, ’cause . . . yeah. No question. The sooner he killed the contagion in Granite Falls, the faster he’d be on his way home to prove his female wrong.
Chapter Twenty
Stretched out on the floor, Gage struggled to wake up. He told his body to move. His muscles disobeyed, brushing off the direct order. Sticky cobwebs held him down instead, pressing him back toward slumber. Now he lay captive, suspended between layers, one level up from dreams, one down from wakefulness. Struggling against the muscle drag, he forced his eyes open. Soft light whirled into pinpricks of mind-spinning blur. He blinked, hoping to stop the light show. Nothing. A total no-go. No improvement at all. No matter how many times he reached for clarity, the druglike feeling refused to abate.
With a grumble, he allowed his eyes to drift closed again.
Fuck. Not good. He was way too groggy. Completely off his game, stuck in the hazy layers of sleep instead of alert and ready to fight. Unusual for him. Gage grimaced. Most evenings, he surfaced fast, bolted out of bed, feet hitting the floor before his brain acclimatized to his body being upright. Which pointed to one inescapable fact. His sluggish reaction signaled trouble. The kind he didn’t want to be anywhere near. Something was off. Screwed up in a big way, but—he frowned—damned if he could touch on the problem.
Or figure out if there even was one to begin with.
He didn’t feel threatened. Wasn’t shackled or tied down. No buzz of electricity surrounding him either. Just a steady sway and an odd vibration that rocked the floor beneath him. Dragging his hands off his chest, he pressed both palms to the floor. Solid. Soft. A carpet, maybe? Muscles squawking, body throbbing, he explored further, stretching his arm out to—
A big hand landed on his shoulder.
Instinct grabbed hold, pumping him full of adrenaline. With a snarl, Gage jacked upright. His head brushed a low ceiling. His feet thumped down on the floor. Vision a mess, seeing nothing but blur, he raised his fists and spun around.
The fuzzy outline of a male stood behind him.
Gage bared his teeth.
Raising his arms to the sides, the guy turned his hands palm up. “Easy. It’s just me.”
Swaying on his feet, Gage blinked. “Haider?”
“Yeah.”
“What the hell?” Frowning, Gage rubbed his eyes. His vision cleared a little, giving him a quick snapshot. A familiar silver gaze met his. Relief hit him like a body shot, making him sag and reach out. His friend grabbed hold, keeping him upright. “Where are we?”
“On the plane.”
Hanging on to Haider like a lifeline, Gage blinked again and looked around. Narrow space. Rounded roof. Oval windows with the shades pulled down. Comfortable wide-backed chairs and a long couch hugging the curved wall on the far end. “Holy fuck. We made it.”
“Thanks to you.” Supporting his weight, Haider shifted, turning him toward one of the chairs. Gage sank into the leather seat back with a grateful sigh. “You got us to the airplane hangar in daylight—crazy son of a bitch.”
He snorted. Some things never changed. Most notably? His friend’s bad attitude. Mouthy male. Honest to a fault, Haider never pulled any punches. He struck fast and hard instead. Called it like he saw it too, hammering him with so much truth Gage didn’t want to hear it half the time. Thank God. He loved that about his friend. Never say quit equaled big fun on the fighting scale.
Leaning
his head against his backrest, Gage grinned.
Haider smiled back.
Stretching out his legs, he tipped his chin. “Where are we?”
“An hour from home.”
Which meant they’d just crossed the border into Washington State. Perfect. Less than two hundred miles away from Black Diamond. “Shit, I’ve been asleep awhile.”
“You’ve been pretty out of it. You were in Connecticut too.”
Gage exhaled in surprise. “We landed in Connecticut?”
“In Hartford to refuel,” Haider said, settling into his own seat. “And feed.”
Brows drawn tight, Gage racked his brain, trying to remember. His eyes narrowed. Okay, he remembered the drive after busting out of Rodin’s pleasure pavilion. The wheel of the Bentley in his hands, the dust in the rearview mirror, and the pain of sunlight on his skin. Not surprising. That kind of agony was hard to forget. So were multiple injuries thanks to time spent in an Archguard kill room. Funny thing, though. Gage rolled his shoulders. He wasn’t in pain now. Exhausted, sure, but not hurting anymore.
Rubbing his jean-clad thigh, he glanced down at his bare chest. No cuts. No burns. Nothing but smooth skin poured over heavy muscle. Another round of relief rolled in. Gage relaxed, letting his tension go. The mental ease-up unlocked his memory. Images streamed into his head. Fuzzy, indistinct, and short of a full load in places, but . . . hmm. He remembered the late-night pit stop now. A crowded bar on a busy street. Beer on tap—three-dollar pitchers, ladies’ night out.
“Pretty little barflies.”
“Super-fun night.” Haider grinned. “You liked the twins.” Gage huffed. Made sense. Blonds were his favorite, but a pair at the same time? God. Absolute paradise. Although, the redhead he’d pleased after exhausting the twins hadn’t been bad either. Tipping his chin, he met his friend’s gaze. “You okay?”
“Right as rain. Ready to go home.”
Reaching out, Gage flipped the window shade. Vinyl hissed as the thin covering rolled up to reveal wispy clouds and a clear night sky. “Osgard?”
“Still asleep in the rear cabin. Nian’s in the head.”
Fury of Obsession (Dragonfury Series Book 5) Page 31
