“I hate that it has to be this way, but let’s face it, this is a long time coming. You see––I’m never going to make it to heaven. This is where I’m meant to be, and now I have you.” The belt wrapped around her wrists tightly. Melody screamed as she pulled against the restraint.
Leon flipped her over and she started kicking at him. “You’ll never have me, Leon. Not like that.”
“Probably not, but I still technically have you, right?” He grabbed another belt and caught her feet, easily binding them together. “I’ll just grab you some clothes, and then you and I can take a little trip. How does that sound?”
“Like bullshit,” Melody said. “You’ve obviously lost it.”
“Nope. I’ve never felt more right about anything in my life.” He pulled clothes from the hanger and stuffed them into the bag she had sitting at the bottom of her closet. “We always talked about taking a road trip. Where should we go first? California? Colorado? I hear the mountains there are to die for.”
Melody shut her eyes tightly, praying she had the gift to dematerialize. She imagined the room her mates were in. With every ounce of her strength she willed herself to appear there.
Nothing.
“I think that’s it.” Leon leaned down and pulled her over his shoulder. “Cheer up. It’s going to be fun, Mel. Trust me.”
“Trust you! You’re kidnapping me, for Christ’s sake.” She tried kicking her legs, but it was a pathetic attempt. Sliding against gravel brought her head towards the road. A white SUV came to an abrupt stop. Harvey got out, his eyes glaring at Leon. A sling was wrapped around his arm, and he had multiple cuts to his face.
“So, you survived.”
“Give her to me,” Harvey yelled as he stalked toward them.
Vibrations crawled against Melody’s skin. From the angle she was at, she couldn’t see him anymore.
“I can’t do that, Harvey––you see, Mel and I are taking a trip. We’re going far away from all this madness to where no one can find us. Right, Melody?”
When it came to staying with Leon or Harvey, she knew she had a better chance escaping if she got Leon to trust her. “Yep. We’re taking off. Nice seeing you, Harvey.” Leon laughed and she tried picking up her head. The pressure from the blood collection was becoming too much. “Can you put me down now? This is extremely uncomfortable.”
“Oh, right.” Leon opened the passenger side door of the Maserati and set her on the seat. She took in Harvey. “My father do that to you?”
He sneered, and turned to Leon. “Helix may have wiped out my other immortals, but he couldn’t catch me.”
“Looks like he did to me,” Melody said, taking in his wounds.
“I’m here, aren’t I?” His eyes went back to Leon. “I need her with me. Why don’t you both come back to the mansion? She’ll be safe there.”
If Harvey convinced Leon to take her there, she’d never get free. Plus, she didn’t like him using her as a pawn against her father. Didn’t he see that if he had her, it would only bring her father to him? She paused in her thinking. Was that the route she needed to take, then? Both had possibilities, and if she was at Harvey’s, at least she wasn’t out of state. Ugh, she was conflicted.
“I don’t want her anywhere near Helix or her mates. You’re too involved, Harvey. If word gets out that you have her, they’ll come after you. And sorry, I’m not going to have her anywhere near Helix.”
A laugh came from Harvey’s mouth. “He doesn’t even know he has a daughter! What makes you think he’ll care to come to her rescue?”
Leon narrowed his eyes. “How do you know he doesn’t know?”
The immortal shrugged. “I’ve been home a week, Leon. The last decade of my life has been dedicated to gathering intel on the eternal. Now that I’ve discovered where he’s hiding, I’ve learned so much more information. Come back with me. Let’s take Melody to the mansion so we can all guard her.”
Leon shut her door and gave her a smile that sent chills down her spine. The light that flashed from his hand was blinding. Melody heard herself scream from the crack that followed the release of his power. It had sounded like thunder the moment it left his palm. She looked around wildly for Harvey.
As Leon climbed in the car she feared him more than ever. “What did you do?” She knew it wasn’t smart for her to show him the fear consuming her, but she couldn’t help it. Leon had been the purest person she’d ever met. To see how much he’d changed over the last few weeks was astonishing.
“Leon, I asked you a question. Where’s Harvey?” The car reversed and she noticed the white SUV’s interior was burned and smoking. “Did you just kill him? Leon!”
His blue eyes glanced at her. “He wasn’t good, anyway. The man was about as corrupt as they come. He deserved it. Trying to sweet talk us like that. Please. Like I’d really hand you over now that I’ve got you to myself.”
A sob escaped her lips. “But that’s murder, Leon. Why would you risk your wings like that?”
“My wings?” He laughed. “What wings? I’m over it. I’m perfectly content staying right here in this realm, and never going back. So, did you decide on a place you wanted to go?”
The evil seeping from his pores scented the car. Melody shook her head. “My mom had a house in the country. Why don’t we go there?”
“Where is it?”
“About forty-five minutes from here.”
“Too close,” Leon snapped. “You’re up to something.” The car increased speed as he got on the bypass. All Melody could think about was getting back to her mates. Maybe if she got him in the house, she could find a weapon to knock him out or something. It was a dangerous call, but one she was willing to make.
Melody turned to him. “Leon, I’m not up to anything. You can’t fault me for wanting to stay close to my home.” She shifted against the belt holding her arms. “You think I’m looking forward to hours of driving like this. My hands are numb. This hurts.”
“You’ll get used to it, sweetheart. They’re not coming off until we’re far away from here.”
Frustration had her spinning in her seat and slamming her feet into him. The car jerked, but she didn’t care. Melody pushed her head against the car’s door for more leverage. She was not leaving here. Not without a fight. The car slammed to a stop and she slid into the floorboard. Leon laughed. “Now that’s more like it. Stay down there.” Melody kicked her feet again, but she was so far off that it wasn’t worth trying to continue. This was going to be a hell of a trip. She’d make sure of it.
Chapter Twelve
The sense of relief Leon felt as they crossed the border from Texas into Louisiana was overwhelming. He couldn’t stop smiling––this new life was going to be great. Harvey was only a distant memory. The guy had it coming. He wasn’t dead, per se. He’d be back, but not for another day or two at least. That was more than enough time to put distance between them. Let all those immortals deal with the drama of some impending doom. He and Melody would be living the high life. All he had to do was convince her to forget about her mates and be with him. Not an easy task, by far, but he had all the time in the world.
He looked at her body curled on the floor. Light snores had come from her for the last few hours. Damn, he should have gotten her up. The regret he felt about being mean to her was not sitting well with him at all. He loved her. The passion she had for not wanting to leave her mates had simply set him off. He knew she was trying to lead him into Vex’s clutches, and Leon wasn’t stupid enough to go against him, or Trace, the master-in-training at his side.
Leon pulled into the first motel he came across and locked the doors to the car behind him. It was already dark, so he was glad no one would be able to see Melody’s body. As he grabbed the key card from the front desk clerk, he noticed people pulling in close to the car. He jogged toward the Maserati and cringed. He hated this car. The pitchfork told him only one thing. This car belonged to Vex.
The screams and banging made his jaw cle
nch. All the while motel guests sat inside, oblivious to the noise. Leon slid in and ripped off his shirt, stuffing it in Melody’s mouth.
“You need to calm.” He moved the car in front of their room and looked down at her. How was he going to get her inside without anyone seeing? Leon glanced around. The only visible person was the man climbing out of the car. Leon walked to the room and propped open the door.
The man walked inside the office and Leon took his chance. He scooped Melody in his arms and rushed into the room, kicking the chair out of his way as he passed. “There.” He smiled down at her. The warmth against his bare chest had him looking at her in a new way. Contact with a woman wasn’t something he was used to, and this was Melody. That made it a million times more intense.
Gently, he lowered her to the bed. Her big eyes stared up at him and he watched as they scanned over his chest. If looks could touch the skin, she would have been running her fingertips down the length of his stomach. That look was full of lust. Leon swallowed hard. It was a trick. It had to be. She was just using her looks against him, trying to get him to untie her.
“Enough. You don’t mean it.” Melody kicked in his direction and he laughed. “You’re something else. You know that? The evil in you grows, Mel. Trying to seduce me so I’ll untie you. Ridiculous. It’s not going to work.” He pulled the shirt out of her mouth.
“What did you expect? Me to sit by like a compliant little chit?”
“A what?” Leon looked at her and laughed harder. “You and your words. I swear. You always crack me up. Why can’t we go back to the way things used to be before Vex and Trace came into our lives?”
Melody shook her head. “Leon, it can never be that way again, and that would be true even if they hadn’t come along. You moved out because I was too tempting to you. You’ve strived so hard to get your wings back, and now you’ve thrown them away, and for what?”
“For you! All for you. You don’t belong with demons or eternals, Mel. You were meant for me. Plus, I’m doing my kind a favor. With you gone, Vex will surely turn evil again. I don’t know about Trace, but I bet you’ve rubbed off on him too. It would be bad if they changed into eternals and paired up with Helix.”
“Well, you’re too late on that account. Why do you think I was at home getting my medical supplies? The process has already started on both of them. When the transformation completes, do you really think they’re going to hang out, waiting for me to come back? No. Vex and Trace are going to come looking for me, and when they do, you will regret it.”
Leon waved his hand in the air. “They’re turning. So what. With the anger they’ll feel about you being gone, it’ll only be a matter of time before they slip back into their old ways. Then, all this will be worth it.” He sat on the edge of the bed, pulling her feet over to give him more room. “And they won’t find you, Melody. We’ll run forever if we have to.”
“Like this,” she said, jerking her hands.
Leon took in the belt. He really needed to let her arms go, but he wasn’t sure how he was going to stop her from blasting him again. Even if her hands were in the front she’d be able to use her gift. “You’ll stay like that for as long as it takes.”
“Will you at least feed me? I’m human still … remember? You haven’t given me any food or water all day.”
Leon rolled his eyes. “You’re not going to die. I haven’t consumed anything either. Calm down and I’ll order a pizza to be delivered.” He stuffed the shirt back in her mouth and pulled the paper from the nightstand. While he placed the order, Melody stared at him the whole time. The moment he hung up the phone she started making sounds. He removed the shirt. “What, Mel?”
“What about showers, new clothes…bathroom breaks!”
Something along the lines of panic was starting to set in. Why hadn’t he thought of this before? He was in over his head. The bathroom was probably going to be the hardest part, but showering her would consist of his hands rubbing soap along her nude body. Leon made a sound between a moan and a groan. His body was aching to touch her, to claim her as his own. He’d been fighting the thoughts for so long now that just picturing what he wanted was almost crippling.
“I need a shower, Leon. It either consists of you getting your hands wet, or untying me. We both know my body is off-limits to you, so do me a favor and unbuckle this belt. I can’t overpower you. So what are you afraid of?”
He narrowed his eyes. “Who says your body’s off-limits? I’m not going for my wings anymore, remember?”
“I’ll say,” she snapped. “Just take this damn belt off. I can’t take not feeling my hands anymore. I’m freaking out. I give you my word that I will not use my powers against you.”
“Your word? And that means what?”
She groaned and tried moving her arms. “It means I promise on my life, if I use my powers against you, I give you permission to kill me. Just let me take a shower, and you can put the belt back on. That’ll give my hands time to circulate enough blood. I’m begging you.”
It would make things easier on him. Although temptation was driving him to touch her body, Melody didn’t want him, and he wasn’t about to do it without her consent. “If you try anything, so help me, I’ll never let you out of this again. Don’t push me, Mel. I’m dead serious.”
“I won’t. Please.”
Leon rolled her on her side and undid the belt. Her arms dropped heavily and she cried out in pain as she slowly moved them to the front of her body. The tears made his chest ache. Once she began crying, she didn’t stop. Her face burrowed into the pillow and sobs rocked her body.
“I’m sorry, Melody.” Leon slid his hand under her cheek. “Look at me.” The blue-green of her eyes was so bright it nearly took his breath away. “I love you. The last thing I want to do is hurt you, but you have to see that I’m doing this for you.”
She jerked her face away from him. “You’re doing this for you, Leon. For you and the immortals. Don’t you dare use me as an excuse … If Vex, Trace, and Helix are fated to find each other, it doesn’t matter if I’m there or not. They will cross paths.”
“Then so be it. You’re not there anymore, so I don’t care.” He unbuckled the belt around her ankles. “Go take a shower, Mel. Please don’t give me a reason to restrain you again, at least not for a while. If you don’t fight, maybe I’ll wait until bed before I put it back on.”
Melody tried pushing herself up and fell back to the mattress. Anger pumped through him at what he’d done. As he helped her stand and walk to the restroom, he noticed she wasn’t walking that well either. Next time the belt wouldn’t be so tight. Maybe then it wouldn’t be so bad.
***
Needles felt like they covered Vex’s arms. The sensation had him forcing his eyes open. His whole body weighed a ton as he tried to sit up. Trace turned from looking out the window and rushed to his side.
“Thank God! I thought you were a goner. I’ve been up for almost a day, and still you’ve slept.”
“Where’s Melody?” Vex tried to get his eyes to focus as he looked around. Nothing felt right. There was a weird thickness in his throat, and he tried swallowing repeatedly. Trace handed him a glass of water and he finished it in three gulps. “I said, where’s my mate? You didn’t answer.”
Trace lowered his head. “I don’t know, exactly.”
“What!” Vex groaned as he stood from the bed. He grabbed his phone, and Trace waved his hand.
“There’s no point in calling the demons. I’ve already been over to her house. What I saw was disturbing. There was a box and medical supplies strewn all over the floor. I think she went back to get stuff for us when she was taken.”
Fear washed through him. Vex lowered to sit on the edge of the bed. “What else?”
Trace eased beside him. “I don’t think you should hear this right now. You’ve only just woken up.”
Vex grabbed the demon around the throat and felt something weird tingle against the palm of his hand. “Tell me right
now. If you don’t—“
The grip Trace had around his hand was evenly matched and for the first time, Vex grew concerned over his strength. What in the hell had happened? Had he gotten weaker, or had Trace become that much stronger, nearly his equal? He let go and Trace’s eyes were big as he looked at him.
“You got stronger,” Vex whispered.
“I think we both did.” They looked at each other, and Vex couldn’t understand what had happened to them.
“Talk, Trace.”
The demon stood and paced. “There was a white SUV parked in front of her house. From the damage that was done, I believe the information from Evangeline has to be true. Harvey got zapped, by Leon, as he was running off with Mel––in your car, no less. Had her tied up and everything. Harvey only just came back today. From what she told me, it would seem her leader already had a run-in with Helix and that’s why he and Leon split. Leon didn’t want any part of the guy.”
Vex stared at Trace as he nervously paced. “Vex, you wouldn’t believe everything I’ve learned from that girl. She’s scared shitless. At first she wouldn’t talk to me. Kept calling me demon, but I guess she just needed to release it because it flowed out like water.”
“Well, keep going, dammit.”
He nodded. “Have you ever heard of an eternal?”
“A what?”
Trace smiled. “I didn’t think so. Apparently, that’s what Helix is. It’s basically a demon that has turned good, yet, not good enough to the standards of most. They’re still full of evil, yet it’s their choice to do what’s right instead of wrong. Am I making sense?”
“Yeah, I think I get it. He pointed at Vex. “We, my friend, are eternals.”
Vex shook his head. “You think?”
Trace shrugged. “Explains the changes to our bodies. The missing words on your symbol … Harvey fears we’ll team up with Helix. I think we’ve just become the immortals’ biggest fear.”
Their Dark Hunter (Masters of Darkness) Page 13
