Ante Up: A Sin City Collectors Novella

by Amanda Carlson

  The leader of The Sumerians paled. Diesel immediately felt pressure on his chest. The incubus was trying to spell him. Diesel waited for a beat, but nothing happened. Instead, the magic energy raced along his forearms, but it wouldn’t penetrate his skin.

  Diesel smiled. This time, he flashed his fangs.

  The incubus’s eyes widened. “But that’s not possible,” Mason sputtered. “My magic is superior to your strength in all ways! You cannot best me. You are my playthings.”

  “We’re nobody’s playthings and we never have been.” Diesel glanced over and saw Sofia standing with her arms crossed. It was a blessed sight. She was okay, and better yet, she was extremely pissed off. “Demon, there’s nobody who can tweak genes better than I can. And guess what? I trump you in spellcrafting, too. I’m thinking you would’ve benefited from a little formal education. But now it’s too late.” She nodded once to Diesel. “End him.”

  Sofia watched as Diesel took Mason down. It wasn’t as gory as she thought it would be. The incubus’s magic would no longer work on Diesel, so it wasn’t really a fair fight, but it was justly deserved all the same. About four minutes after they’d arrived, Sofia had figured out the demon’s spell signature and had created a counterspell, mimicking the kind of thing Jake could do naturally.

  She’d known from the beginning Mason would spell her. She’d been the biggest threat in the room. And his spell had been a doozy—he hadn’t been lying about killing her—but she’d already set the net in place to collect his magic as it cascaded into her body. Witch Defense Tactics 101. It had worked like a charm. She’s wasn’t a master for nothing.

  What she had, that Mason had obliviously lacked, was training. A pureblood witch knew the tricks. Mason had been self-taught, but she couldn’t dismiss his unique power. He’d created something very potent between his supernatural sides, something she’d never seen before. She would have to be on the lookout for half-sex-demon half-witches in the future.

  Diesel turned to her immediately, Mason at his feet. Diesel was still huge, locked in his battle with the moon, but seemed to be shifting down on his own.

  He was breathtaking to her. She loved seeing him in his strongest form. Like that, Sofia wanted to believe that nothing could best him. He was her beautiful force of nature.

  He stalked straight toward her.

  Before she could get a word in, he had her in his grasp. His arms pulling her tightly to him, his mouth hungry. He didn’t seem to care about anyone else in the room, so Sofia decided she wouldn’t either. As his tongue delved inside her, seeking and claiming her mouth like he owned it, she did her best to match his intensity, pressing her body against his. He was warm, and she curled into his heat, her arms going around his torso.

  After a moment, a voice cleared behind them. “Um, yeah,” the dhampir said. “I guess we’ll just figure out what to do with all these dead demons ourselves. So, you know, don’t worry about it. Go ahead, take your time.”

  Diesel broke the kiss and turned toward Neve, snarling at the intrusion. The dhampir put her hands up, and Sofia stifled a giggle as she peeked around Diesel’s massive shoulder.

  “No need to get noisy, wolf. We got it. Jake’s got a call in to Louie. A cleanup crew is on its way. But Louie’s going to want an explanation for all this.” Her hands swept the room, indicating the five dead incubi, including Mason, most of them with throwing stars in their heads.

  “He’ll get one when I’m good and ready,” Diesel growled. Without waiting for Neve to respond, Diesel took Sofia’s hand and tugged her along behind him. When they were out of the hangar, and Sofia was able to form a solid thought, she stopped walking, forcing Diesel to stop or drag her with him. He turned, his head bowed, his delicious blond hair covering an eye, waiting for her to speak.

  She bit her lip. “We can’t just leave the scene like this,” she said lamely.

  “We’ll come back in a minute.”

  “Ginger is missing.” She’d noticed that Ginger had left right after she’d shaken the incubus’s spell.

  “So is my brother.”

  “Did they go after Damien?”

  “That’s my guess.” He leaned down and took her in his arms again, drawing her close and kissing her thoroughly, almost making her forget they were in the middle of a complicated mess.

  She managed to pull away, but it took supreme effort. Sofia placed her forehead on his chest, leaning in. “I know we agreed to let Luke go with Ginger, but you believe she’s innocent, right? She’s just trying to do what’s best for her brother. You’d do the same for Luke. We have to run interference with the agency.”

  “We’ll figure it out.” Diesel bent down to nip at her earlobe. “Just not right this minute. I believe in Louie, and the organization, or I wouldn’t be trying to become a Collector. They do great things for the supernatural race. The agency plays fair, they keep us in check. We have to trust in that.” Before she could object, he tilted her chin up with a single finger and placed a kiss on her nose. “Jake is in our corner. He’s Louie’s nephew, and he’ll make him listen to us.” Before she could figure out how to respond, he turned and began to tug her along again.

  “Where are we going?” she asked, her legs working double time to keep up.

  “To my truck.”

  “And what’s the plan when we get there?”

  “To do all the things you told me earlier would take too long to describe. It’s time to ante up.”

  Chills raced up her spine and heat pooled between her legs. His voice held possession, and it made her heart sing. She let him lead her toward the truck, because that’s what she wanted, too. They’d parked it a few miles away in a remote area, and as they walked, she turned over what she’d heard Mason tell Diesel back at the hangar.

  Even though she’d been hit by Mason’s magic, she had feigned being out cold to try to give Diesel an edge. She finally asked, “Mason insinuated you got in the way of him kidnapping your mother. The way he phrased it made it seem like you saved her.”

  Diesel shook his head as he glanced over his shoulder. “All I did was become a thorn in his side until help arrived. I kept at him. I was relentless, but I didn’t save anyone. My father died right in front of me.”

  “What help came?”

  “The Vegas pack. All the wolves who live within a few hours’ radius of Vegas are my packmates. It doesn’t matter if we’re not related by blood, we’re still pack. They’d refused to believe an incubus could be a real threat when my father told them my mother was being stalked. But once Mason came into our home and attacked us, Luke was the one to sound the alarm.”

  “Luke?”

  “Yep, he’s the tenacious one in the family. He never gives up.” Diesel chuckled. “He was only six, but he called every number in that phone book, and he must’ve been pretty persuasive, because they came. All of them. It was enough to drive the incubi, not only out of Vegas, but out of Nevada.”

  “How did you manage to keep coming at Mason?” Sofia asked. “Why didn’t he just knock you out? You were just a kid, and he was full of magic.”

  Diesel shrugged as they passed a huge boulder. The truck was tucked behind it. “I have no idea. Maybe he tried. I can’t remember exactly—”

  Sofia yanked Diesel’s arm back, surprising him into turning quickly, and brought him flat up against her chest. He looked down on her with the goofy grin on his face she loved. She could totally get used to that look. “You know what I think?”

  “No, what?” His mouth went up at the side.

  “I believe that before Mason tweaked your genes, you were immune to his spells outright. If you are truly a dual alpha, that’s a very powerful creature. And very rare. It would be along the lines of what Jake can do. Many powerful creatures have, or can build up, an immunity to witch’s spells. Mason knew you were a threat at eight years old, and likely he didn’t want to come up against you again, especially if your mother was still a target. So he did the only thing he could do: He changed
a single piece of you.”

  Diesel shrugged. “That makes some sense, but now we’ll never know for sure. What concerns me more”—he grinned down on her—“is how I managed to stay fully coherent while I was in the middle of a moonstruck rage.”

  Now it was Sofia’s time to smile. “Once I probed you during your change, I learned that I couldn’t undo what Mason did to you without altering your genes. Doing that would’ve been too risky and unpredictable, especially since your system hasn’t been functioning normally for all these years. But what I did figure out is, I can make your brain sharp as a tack, no matter what happens, by amplifying the synapses in your brain.”

  “So now I get to be intelligent while I’m hulking out?” Diesel chuckled.

  She threaded her hands through his hair. “I wouldn’t have it any other way.”

  He leaned down and slanted his mouth over hers, groaning as he did. He always kissed her with passion and intensity, and it was something that made her heart race every time.

  “You drive me absolutely insane, you know that?” He moved down the column of her neck, “The very first time I saw you walk into the bar, I knew I wanted you. But when Mason struck you down, my heart warred with my beast. The wolf wanted to kill Mason instantly, but my heart had to make sure you were okay. It wasn’t until I heard your voice that I was able to kill Mason. Now that I know you’re okay and the threat is gone, I need you.” His eyes sparked with clear intensity. “More than I’ve ever needed anyone. I want to feel every part of you, claim you.”

  “I need you, too,” she admitted, suddenly feeling shy. “The very first time I saw you, I nearly fell over. I’ve never been drawn to another man the way I am to you. It’s made my mind a jumble from the start. It’s hard for me to think straight around you.”

  Diesel bent down and scooped her up, heading straight for the back of the truck. “You have no idea, witch. You have no idea.”

  Diesel pressed Sofia close to him as he carried her to the back of his pickup. He couldn’t adequately express his need for her in words, so instead he planned to show her. His animal side was driving him with reckless intent to mate with her, to claim her as his own. Seeing her struck down and thinking, even for a second, that her life had been in serious danger had shaken him to the core. His feelings for her were something he’d never experienced with another before.

  He used one hand to lower the tailgate, and then set her gently on the edge.

  “We’re really going to do this in the back of the truck like teenagers after all?” Sofia asked, laughter in her voice.

  “Hey, at least it’s not in the front seat. They don’t call this the ‘bed’ of the truck for nothing,” he joked as he walked around the side and pulled open a plastic storage box. Everything he needed in case of an emergency was in there, including a quilted work blanket he used when hauling heavy equipment so it wouldn’t scratch up his pride and joy. The blanket was relatively clean, since he rarely did any hauling. He shook it out and laid it down.

  That’s when his chivalry ran out.

  Diesel strode up to her and lifted her back into his arms. She wrapped her legs around his middle as he stepped easily into the back of the truck, his long legs no match for the height. His mouth was on hers before her back hit the blanket. He tried to control himself, but it was going to be tough.

  He broke the kiss to see if she was okay with the level of intensity.

  “I’m fine,” Sofia panted. “I want this as much as you do. I’m ready to ante up, and I’m more than good with it being hard and fast.” To prove her point, she laced her hands behind his head and brought him back down on top of her with more strength than he’d thought possible.

  He groaned, rubbing his hardness into her sexy leathers. They were both still dressed, but that was about to change. He kissed her deeply then knelt astride as her as he ripped the T-shirt he’d borrowed from Jake in two, tossing the sides away in an instant. “I suppose I have to keep my jeans in one piece,” he said as he stood, his legs splayed over her as he grinned down at her. “I might need them when we’re done.”

  Sofia began to unbutton her leather vest beneath him, and he was suddenly riveted in place, one hand on his fly, the other thumb tucked into his waistband.

  He couldn’t move as he watched.

  She smiled up at him, knowing exactly what she was doing. She bit her lip as she ran her fingertips down her front, easing the vest open. “Do you like what you see?”

  As she revealed her perfect breasts, his intake of air was so sharp it whistled through his teeth. They were perfect. High, round, and firm. Her skin was beautiful, especially in the early-morning light. It was a flawless, and her breasts were peaked with beautiful, inviting pink tips.

  He licked his lips and discarded his jeans in the next instant.

  But before he could join her back on the blanket, she began to shimmy out of her leather pants. She laughed as she tugged them down, her dark hair fanning out around her, a halo of soft waves.

  She was so beautiful.

  As the black leather eased off her hips, he held his breath.

  She was clearly enjoying the torment, the look in her eyes fresh, knowing that once they started, it would be explosive for them both. Diesel felt coiled, ready to strike the moment she was naked.

  Sofia’s eyes met his, and he could see her lust mirroring his own. “Once these are gone,” she whispered, “I don’t want you to stop. Do you hear me? No matter what.”

  All he could do was nod.

  Her hips were perfectly flared, and as she slid down the pants, she was exposed to him, and it was incredible. She was lush and beautiful, just like the rest of her.

  She kicked the pants away and waited for him to come to her, but he was too struck for a moment to do anything. He gazed down on her and groaned, “You are so unbelievably incredible—”

  Sofia sat up, cupping his heaviness in her hand. Diesel threw his head back and roared at the touch. Then she began to stroke him, using both hands. The sensations were almost too much to handle, one hand going one way and the other going the other way. “Ahh,” he moaned. “Sofia, you can’t keep doing that. I don’t want to—”

  Instead of stopping, she rose to her knees in front of him. He glanced down, and she pressed a single finger in front of her lips before she took his fullness into her mouth. The feeling was exquisite. The sound that ripped from Diesel’s chest was primal. His head arched back as he grabbed on to her hair. The feeling of her warm, wet lips covering him was incredible. If she didn’t stop, it would quickly be his undoing. He let her have her way for another few thrusts before he stepped back, breaking their connection. He had her up in his arms before she’d realized they’d been separated.

  He growled as he walked her backward toward the cab of the truck, his mouth locking on hers. Her hot tongue met his lash for lash. Once they reached the cab, he turned her and gently pressed her down, her stomach on the roof of the cab, showing her what he wanted.

  “Oh, yes,” she moaned as she spread her arms out. “Please, Diesel, hurry.”

  He didn’t need to be asked twice. He tapped the insides of her thighs, coaxing them farther apart. Sofia moaned sweetly as she spread her legs wide for him. With one hand, he grabbed himself, stroking, then he placed the other hand between her legs. He found her wetness and circled it, causing her to buck and scream. He tried not to groan as he said, “I want you wet and at the breaking point, Sofia. Let me do to you what you just did for me.”

  She pushed her bottom back into him, undulating against his hand. He growled, gnashing his teeth to keep from entering her. She was perfect in every way—wild and hot. He knew she would take what he was ready to give, and give it right back.

  “Diesel, I can’t last like this,” she cried out. “Please. I need to feel you inside me.”

  He moved his hand out of the way and replaced it with his straining tip. He entered and Sofia cried out. Once he was in position, he grabbed on to her hips, and then rock
ed them back on his hardness in one motion. The feeling of her soft wetness gripping his entire shaft at once was nothing less than earth-shattering. He held her there for a few precious moments, not wanting to explode too soon.

  “Diesel,” Sofia groaned as she pushed her bottom into him. “I need more.”

  Having Diesel inside her felt so good she wanted to weep. Maybe she was already crying? She couldn’t tell one sensation from the next. He had stilled himself inside her, so she knew he was on the cusp, but she couldn’t wait. She began to thrust her hips along his rigidness, slow at first and then harder. The rhythm built quickly, the sound ringing out in the air around them. It was the sweetest sound she’d heard in a long time.

  His hands were clutched tightly around her hips. It was the only thing grounding her as each thrust threatened to plunge her over the waterfall of ecstasy. She could feel it mounting and wanted to make it last as long as she could, but she couldn’t control her frenzied pace.

  She needed him, and he felt so damn good.

  The friction alone was enough to send massive waves of pleasure throughout her entire body each time they came together.

  “Sofia, you have to slow down or I’m going to lose it first,” Diesel said through what sounded like very clenched teeth.

  “I’m trying,” she panted as she bucked her backside into him again and again, going up on her toes. She pushed back once more and locked herself against him. “But you feel too good to stop. I’m so close.” She started up again, but this time rotating her hips in slow circles, moving only a little way away from him, loving the feeling of his fullness as it hit her in all the right places. If this was any indication, having sex with Diesel was going to be nothing short of explosive every single time.

  He let her have her way for a bit then, with a throaty growl, took over. He stilled her hips and began to pump into her fast, his hard and sure movements pressing her entire body against the back window of the cab. His thrusts came quicker and quicker, and Sofia screamed as the sensations took her over the edge.