A DANGEROUS BARGAIN (The Sentinel Demons)

by J. S. Scott

  Bullshit. There had to be a way to nudge Zach. Or knock him over the head with a sledgehammer.

  “Leave it alone, Drew. Everything will work out as it’s meant to be,” Kristoff told him, his voice holding a thinly veiled warning.

  “I thought you didn’t know whether or not Zach would take Kat as his radiant,” Drew retorted in an irritated voice as he stopped at his desk for another chocolate, pinning Kristoff with a questioning look as he popped it into his mouth.

  “I don’t know exactly what will happen. But you can’t mess with his destiny,” Kristoff cautioned before changing the subject. “What of the Sentinels? Have you heard about any of them having similar dreams?”

  Hunter merely shook his head. Drew answered grimly, “No. But it will take time to check with all of them in the area.”

  They had Sentinels worldwide and although the population wasn’t enormous, it would take more than a day for word to travel to all of them.

  “I’ve contacted all of the regional leaders. But they’ll need to track down and speak with our people of every designation,” Kristoff said impatiently. “How many have been taken so far?”

  “Twenty that have been reported. All from various regions of the US. It’s hard to know where the little assholes will pop up next,” Drew replied, gritting his teeth as he said it. His duty was to protect human life, the instinct deep-seated, and he had failed to protect those who were taken. “There could be some missing who we don’t know about yet.”

  They had guardian Sentinels who checked on all previous rescues occasionally, and they’d never had reason to check more often, not to mention the fact that they just didn’t have enough guardians.

  “Let’s hope not,” Kristoff replied, rising as he spoke, conjuring a folder and handing it to Hunter. “Your next assignment. The information is all there. Try to behave yourself this time. Kill when you’re provoked. Wait until they give you reason.”

  Hunter grasped the folder, opened it and placed his hand over the information, absorbing it before replying gruffly, “The assholes provoke me just by existing.” Without another word, he teleported out of the office silently, his vitriolic words still vibrating through the room.

  “How many times is he going to have to suffer the penalties before he stops?” Drew asked Kristoff, frustrated that Hunter didn’t seem to care how many times he got the crap beat out of him and then paid the consequences after the beating.

  “It’s been nearly two hundred years. My guess is that he will continue to do so until he has a reason to stop,” Kristoff said, strangely unconcerned about Hunter’s behavior. “Eventually, it will stop.”

  Honestly, his king was probably correct. No amount of reasoning or penalty had stopped Hunter in the last two centuries. He and Zach had tried for years to get Hunter to temper his actions, but it hadn’t worked. How would it stop?

  Drew opened his mouth to question Kristoff, but before he could ask, the Sentinel king manifested another folder and handed it to Drew as he informed him, “This is a different type of assignment. One that requires a bit of research.”

  “What is it?” Drew asked curiously, opening the file only to find no photos, only notes and what looked like copies of emails.

  “Apparently, someone is compiling a Sentinel history. A human poking around for information to write a damn book. I need you to find him and stop him. The last thing we need is any information floating around in the human population about us. I don’t know how we were initially discovered, and I doubt he’s finding many people who are willing to talk, but it could breach our security and the security of all Sentinels. He needs to be stopped and we need to do damage control,” Kristoff finished in a disgusted voice.

  It wasn’t Drew’s normal type of assignment, but he understood the importance of finding the source and of the danger of possible discovery. “I’ll find him and shut him up.”

  Kristoff nodded once, abruptly and regally, acknowledging that he knew that Drew would handle it.

  Drew disappeared with the file in hand, leaving Kristoff alone in the plush office, a small, knowing smile appearing on the king’s lips the moment that Drew vanished.

  *****

  Kat had lived in Seattle all her life, but she’d seen more of the sights with Zach in the last several days than she had in her entire twenty-seven years in the city. Most of her life had been spent working, going from place to place and never really seeing the beauty surrounding her. She and Zach had been everywhere from the Space Needle, to the lovely beaches, and some of the most exclusive shopping venues in the city. Those outings had taught her just how hard it was to argue with a demon. The more she protested, the more Zach purchased for her. Annoyed, she had finally refused to shop with him. There was very little he hadn’t bought her and it wasn’t really comfortable for her to have him spending money to buy her things. She wasn’t used to it.

  Get used to it. Kat could still hear Zach grumbling those words, and he used the expression frequently.

  Now, here she was, primped and wearing an expensive jade-green dress that she never would have bought herself, looking better than she had ever looked in her entire life. And she was on the arm of the hottest man on the planet, ready to enter one of the most expensive restaurants in the city. Zach had been more than willing to transport them to the eatery with his magic, but after the Space Needle incident and her first trip to his home by that method, she had been more than a little wary and had asked if they could please drive. No matter how careful Zach was, she wasn’t used to traveling at warp speed. She’d been dizzy and nauseated when they had reached the top of the Space Needle, although they’d had the entire place to themselves as he’d done it late in the evening, after the observation deck had closed, and they had been able to enjoy the view at their leisure.

  The evening had been absolutely…magical.

  Zach had become more and more relaxed over the last several days, more willing to open up and talk. Still, he was a mixture of tender and possessive, sweet and dominant, and everything about him drew her to him like a magnet. She might be his radiant, but Kat knew that she had fallen completely under his spell.

  How am I going to forget him after our week is over?

  Kat tried to forget that their days together were numbered and to enjoy just being with Zach. He hadn’t made love to her since he’d broken down and talked about his sister, and he hadn’t spoken of bonding with her and making her his mate. They had spent the days talking, enjoying each other’s company, but they went to bed separately. He probably still read her thoughts occasionally, but she wasn’t so sure she even minded that anymore.

  The valet attendant had helped her from the car, taking her hand for a brief moment, a polite gesture of assistance, but Kat could swear she had heard Zach growl, and he had reached the other side of the car and divested her hand from the young attendant’s with more force than necessary, faster than she could blink.

  “Did I actually hear you growl at that man?” she asked as she took a firm grasp on his arm to steady herself in her ridiculously high heels.

  “I don’t like any man touching you. Can’t help it,” he rumbled as he guided her up the steps to the restaurant.

  Zach sounded like an unhappy child, and Kat smiled as he led her into the opulent lobby of a high-rise building that housed a restaurant she had only ever heard about, but had never imagined she would be eating in. Approaching the elevator, she punched the button indicated on the classy restaurant sign, turning to Zach as she felt his muscles tense beneath her fingers. Concerned, she looked up at him. His jaw was clenched and he looked like a man about to attend his own execution. “Are you okay, Zach?” she asked, worried about his expression and tense body. Something wasn’t right. Not only was his body language impossible to mistake, but Kat could sense his unease, and she had never really seen him uncomfortable with his surroundings.

  “Don’t like enclosed spaces,” he told her quietly, his tone revealing his discomfort.

 
The elevator dinged and Kat hesitated. “I’ll go and you can transport yourself up there.” A claustrophobic demon? It might have been amusing had she not been staring at Zach’s face and his stark expression.

  “No. I’m not leaving you,” he replied in a husky voice, taking her arm and bringing her into the elevator with him. Punching the button, he leaned back against the wall of the small compartment, trying, but not succeeding, to look nonchalant.

  God, how Kat hated seeing Zach vulnerable in this way. “Go. I’ll meet you. It’s silly to be uncomfortable when you can meet me upstairs. I’ve lived in Seattle my whole life, Zach. I can ride the elevator alone,” she told him as the elevator lurched and started its slow climb upward.

  “No,” he ground out between clenched teeth. “You don’t need to be alone. You’re with me.”

  Damn. Stubborn. Demon. He was doing this for her, staying with her because she wasn’t used to being transported demon style. And although the gesture was very sweet, she hated it. She didn’t want him suffering because of her. Moving closer to him, grateful they were the only two in the elevator, she wound her arms around his neck and leaned her body into his, rubbing sensually against his immaculate, expensive gray suit and tie. Nipping at his clenched jawline, she breathed him in, her core flooding with heat at his carnal, masculine scent. “Kiss me,” she whispered softly as she reached his ear with her lips, flicking her tongue out to touch his earlobe.

  In less than a heartbeat, he switched positions, crowding her against the wall of the elevator, his heated body holding her prisoner and his hands moving, one to the nape of her neck to draw her mouth to his, and the other behind her back, tugging her body into his, getting them as close as they could be without being completely naked.

  She moaned into his mouth as his demanding kiss started out as he meant to continue: dominating, hot, and completely consuming. He plundered ruthlessly, and Kat opened to him, surrendering with a slight whimper, her need to get closer to Zach almost painful.

  I need you, Kat. I need you. I wanted to get to know you, but I’ve missed this.

  It was as if the floodgates of Zach’s mind were bursting open and every thought he had was echoing in her brain. Her body burned and her core flooded with incendiary heat as every molecule in her body begged for his possession, longing to be joined to him in every possible way.

  Kat came away panting from the torrid embrace, her heart thundering as Zach pulled his mouth from hers, leaving his arms around her for support.

  The elevator had stopped and the doors slid open with a smooth, nearly soundless glide, and she let Zach lead her out the confining space, her body and mind still stunned. What had started out as a diversion for Zach had ended up rocking her world. She should have known better. She couldn’t be near him without being intoxicated by his scent, captivated by his presence, and rendered mindless by his kiss. Oh well, at least her intention appeared to have worked. He had been distracted during the elevator ride.

  “Best elevator ride I’ve ever had,” he replied, his voice naughty and amused.

  “Probably the only one,” Kat muttered as she looked up at his mischievous grin.

  “You’re the only one I’d ever do it for,” he replied candidly.

  “How long have you been claustrophobic?” she asked curiously, wondering why he had such a strange reaction.

  “I’m not. Not exactly. It’s a Sentinel weakness. One that’s used as a penalty for breaking Sentinel rules. ”

  As they reached the enormous oak and glass doors of the restaurant, Kat turned to him, a confused look on her face. “Like prison?”

  “Yes. Only the cage is magical and inescapable, and being tightly enclosed is torture for a Sentinel, especially when there’s no possibility of escape.”

  “Have you ever had to go there?” she breathed softly, hoping he had never had to endure that sort of punishment.

  “No. But Hunter does quite frequently. He lives by his own set of rules and pays the price,” he answered, his voice disgruntled as he pulled on the ornate doors to enter the restaurant, putting a hand on the small of Kat’s back to lead her into the eatery.

  Kat entered the luxurious restaurant with Zach close behind…and all hell broke loose.

  Chapter Ten

  Kat never saw the attack coming. As soon as she entered the restaurant, she was seized from behind and held immobile by a creature she couldn’t see, nearly suffocated by the limbs that coiled around her neck and ribs, encompassing her torso. She didn’t need to see the creature shackling her to it, her back to its front, to recognize it. All she had to do was breathe, the fetid smell nearly gagging her.

  Evil. Big Evil.

  She struggled, kicking back at the demon that was nearly suffocating her, watching as Zach grappled with many others. He’d manifested a sword, swinging it with a skill that was at odds with his immaculate dress.

  He’s so outnumbered. I have to help him.

  Screams from hysterical staff and patrons vibrated through the room, but Kat tried to concentrate, tried not to panic, her only thought to help Zach.

  One mighty swing of his sword lopped off the head of one of the Evils, and Kat shuddered as it rolled near her feet. There was no red blood. Instead, the beheaded body oozed black slime, the substance as thick as mud.

  I’m going to try to take out the bastard behind you. Then you need to run. Get as far away from here as possible. Find my brothers. They’ll protect you.

  Zach’s anxious baritone flowed through Kat’s mind, a statement that sounded suspiciously like he didn’t expect to make it through this fight. “No!” she said furiously, fighting with all of her strength to get away from the Evil, but it only tightened its grip, pressing harder against her throat until she was seeing stars.

  “Agree to a life bargain with me and we will show him mercy.” The ghastly voice behind her spoke near her ear.

  Kat had been surprised the big Evil hadn’t paralyzed her, but he was obviously an ancient and arrogant enough to think she was helpless and weak. She’d give her life for Zach without question. It wasn’t possible for her to let him die. However, she wasn’t sure mercy meant sparing his life.

  No! Don’t do it. The only way your life bargain with me will end is if I die. It’s the only way they can take you if you agree. They’ll kill me anyway. I need to get you out of here.

  Kat had figured as much, but the knowledge that she could do nothing for Zach infuriated her. For every troll that Zach dispatched, it seemed to Kat that several more appeared. Tears rolled down her cheeks as she watched helplessly as Zach tried to cut a path to her, his eyes fierce and deadly. He was bloodied and injured, the Evils ripping his clothing to shreds, leaving raw, bloody wounds as they laid open Zach’s skin with their razor-sharp claws.

  Desperate, she wriggled her arms, trying to get her hand and forearm into her bag that was dangling at her waist. Her heart was pounding as she clenched her smartphone, grateful for Zach’s overprotective nature. He’d added his brothers’ numbers and Kristoff’s in case of emergency. The big Evil holding her had loosened his hold around her neck, obviously not worried that a helpless human female was going to get away, breathing heavily in excitement as he watched the battle playing out, waiting for Zach to be killed. Aiming carefully, she kicked back with her foot, hoping it would connect with what should be the creature’s groin and slammed a fist backward, hoping to hit his face. She went instantly slack and limp in his grip, gaining precious seconds of freedom as she landed at his feet and the troll hissed in pain.

  Her fingers flew, texting a SOS to Kristoff and the name of the restaurant. Seconds was all she had. She had just pressed the Send button when she was hoisted up brutally, wincing as she felt the claws of the Evil biting into her skin.

  “You’ll pay for that, bitch,” he snarled, claws sinking deep enough into her upper arms to puncture her flesh.

  Her cell phone dropped to the floor, and she desperately hoped that the message had reached Kristoff. Watching
Zach as he fought on, she knew he wouldn’t stop until he was dead, but he was weakening, blood saturating his body as he continued to lop off the heads of more incoming Evils.

  Terrified screams and the sounds of battle continued to vibrate through the room, the patrons and employees all huddled against the back wall, as far away from the battle as they could possibly get.

  Zach. Transport yourself away. Please. You can’t keep at this much longer. She shoved the thought into his mind with a mental push. She couldn’t watch him die trying to protect her. He could easily retreat. Save himself. And they couldn’t take her to the demon realm as long as he was alive, right? They might be able to hurt her physically, but they couldn’t touch her soul, kill her, or take her away. Zach could take care of his injuries, get more Sentinels and come to her rescue.

  A loud, reverberating, low sound pulsated through her mind, the sound of Zach’s displeasure at that particular suggestion.

  Just as she was about to start pleading with him, one by one, Kristoff, Drew, and Hunter appeared in the room, taking instant measure of the situation and joining the fray.

  A sob of relief left her lips at the same instant that she felt the Evil dig his claws deeply into her upper arms. Almost instantly, she began to quiver, white-hot pain lancing through her body, an agony unlike anything she had ever experienced before. Her vision started to blur and she could feel perspiration dripping from her skin. She blinked, trying to clear her vision. She could see that the Evils were retreating and her heart leapt with joy, even as her body was consumed in pain.

  Zach won’t die. He’ll live.

  Her brain flooded with relief as her body burned with excruciating pain before the whole world went dark.

  *****

  Dammit! Why didn’t she run when she had the chance?

  Zach’s whole body quaked with fury as he watched Kat thrashing on his bed, her body covered in a pair of flannel pajamas he’d conjured for her, completely buried under a mountain of blankets. Still she shivered and moaned, her body racked by the pain coursing through every cell in her body.