by H. M. Wolfe
The beauty of that soul, the magnitude of the feelings pouring from it like a fountain of life, made Soames bend his knees and gracefully sink to the ground. There was something else about the man, something the demon couldn't pinpoint. And it attracted him even more.
''Are you alright?'' The voice was warm, a soothing balm on his soul, or better said the scorched remains of it.
''I'm...there's no need for you to do that.'' Soames stuttered, ashamed that the human saw how weak he was. Demons were supposed to be strong, independent creatures — not the pathetic, helpless embarrassment of their race, like him. ''I can do it by myself.'' he scrambled to his feet.
''You must be Soames. I'm Ardan.'' That same kind voice spoke to him. ''It's nice to meet you. I've heard a lot of things about you, all of them good.'' The turquoise eyes examined him with interest.
''I'm honored to meet you, too, boss.'' The demon bowed his head. ''Everyone here worships you. They told me you are an angel, but I didn't believe them. You see, I'm not very fond of angels.'' At that point, Soames lowered his head again, falling silent, thinking he'd already let out too much information.
''How come?'' Ardan asked, visibly interested in the young man and his somewhat twisted philosophy. ''You don't like angels? I haven't heard anyone say that before. You're the first one.''
''They are greedy and power-thirsty, at least the archangels and their followers are. They turned the Creator, from a loving, forgiving Father, into a bloodthirsty, vengeful deity. One who punishes everyone who dares have a vision other than the official one. Michael and Gabriel's vision anyway. Well, not all angels are like that. Some of them are good, with warm hearts and pure souls. But they get fewer by the day.''
Suddenly, Soames raised his head, inhaling deeply. A hint of delicate perfume was filling his nostrils and filling every cell of that tormented, scarred, and damaged body. He basked in the aroma, absorbing it through the pores of his scaled, ashen skin. The archangels and their followers had sentenced him to eternal damnation. He was to see only the worst in humanity, always searching for a new body to host his crushed spirit.
The door opened with two teenagers and a young man in his early to mid-twenties stepping inside. The boys shared a lot of physical traits with the boss, so they must have been his younger brothers, Soames thought. The next second, when one of them turned and said hello and shyly waving at him, the demon gasped in shock at the realization that the kid was his destined mate.
''It can't be possible!'' he thought. Michael, Gabriel, and all the winners of that senseless battle had cursed him to stay alone forever. Would it be possible for the Fates to defy the archangels' will and remove the curse? As he was deep in his thoughts, a melodious voice reached to the very core of the demon's shattered soul.
''Hello, Pater. The hunky and intimidating-looking guy in charge of security sent us to you. You need to designate the area where we are to work during our volunteer period here, at the base.'' he shyly smiled.
''Good morning, my most beloved sons.'' Ardan wrapped the boys in a paternal, warm look. ''Lothier may look a little scary, but he has a heart of gold. It only beats for the children here. You shouldn't be afraid of him, Cian.''
''That was exactly what I told my brother. That's not the first time he's mentioned that he's scared of Lothier.'' Lorcan softly spoke, wrapping an arm around his twin's fragile shoulders.
''I have an even better idea.'' Ardan smiled at the thought. ''Let me introduce you to Soames. He's only worked here for a couple of weeks. According to Landon, he spends a lot of time around the kids, and that makes him a valuable source of information when it comes to their specific needs.''
''Hi, Soames. I'm Lorcan, and this is my twin, Cian. He's a little shier, because...well...that's how he is. Pater trusts you, and in my book, that makes you a great guy. So I'm happy to meet you.''
''Likewise.'' The demon shook hands with the boy but couldn't take his eyes off of the shy twin, who blushed a little under his stare.
''I'm Cian. And I'm also happy to meet you, but I would need a little more time to adjust, because...'' Leaving the sentence unfinished, he lowered his gaze and extended a hand.
''G' morning to you all,'' Lothier said, stepping inside, without announcing his presence with a knock on the door. ''I see the boys met the right man for the job.'' he smiled, seeing Soames. ''You'll have a lot to learn from this young man here. He knows more about this place than many of the others, who've been here for a lot longer than him.''
''Thank you, Mister De Lavaliere.'' The demon bowed his head, a tint of pink coloring his pale cheeks. ''Let's go, buddies. There are a lot of children out there who need our help.'' he continued, gesturing to the twins to follow him. ''Have a nice day, boss!''
While heading to the inner yard with Ardan's sons in tow, Soames sensed a change in the energy lines surrounding them. And it wasn't a good one. Even with his powers reduced to almost nothing, the demon could still recognize danger when he felt it, and the one coming their way was of epic proportions.
His blood froze as he realized that the target of that evil force was none other than Cian, the shy twin. It was the one Fates had designated to be his mate. Terrified, Soames saw how the boy's aura, so bright a couple of minutes earlier, was becoming darker by the second and losing its shine. Someone was going to hurt that perfect, innocent creature, and no one was going to stop them. Unless...
''Now, can you tell me what that was?'' Ardan frowned, as Lothier closed the door behind the kids and their supervisor. ''You always knock before entering my office. So it must be a hell of an emergency to make you act this way.''
''You know me very well.'' The head of the guards nodded. ''I'd hoped you would realize something was wrong and send the kids away so that we can talk. I have some pretty disturbing news.''
''Shoot.'' Ardan calmly spoke, although Lothier's worried voice made him a little disturbed because the man never worried about anything. He always had the situation under control.
''One Claude Robillard from Brisbane was spotted in the city by several members of a biker gang the House is allied with. I asked Tarquin to run a check on him, and the guy is guiltier than sin, of many crimes, including murder.''
''How does his presence here affects the House or us?'' Ardan managed to stay calm, although he was suspecting something terrible was about to happen.
''Robillard is the cousin of the twins' mother's deceased husband. And, according to some information that recently landed on DA Saint-Clair's desk, he may be behind the man's untimely death. Speaking of... there's another thing that worries me.''
''This matter is getting darker and darker,'' Ardan mumbled. ''I have the feeling that the worse is yet to come.''
''You're right.'' Lothier grimly agreed. 'Eve-Marie Griesser hasn't been seen or heard from in quite some time. It seems the woman has vanished into thin air.''
''T
hat's not unusual for her.'' Ardan shrugged, ''According to Cian, she sometimes went on business trips for weeks and barely called him once a day. The woman really hates to be bugged with unnecessary phone calls during meetings and conferences.''
''Maybe,'' Lothier rubbed his chin, casting a doubtful look to his friend, ''but she answers all business calls, which hasn't happened this time. It's making her partners and business associates wondering what's wrong. And the strange things don't stop here,'' he continued in the same grim tone as earlier.
''What do you mean by that? Now you are scaring me.'' Ardan tensed in his chair. ''Is there solid evidence suggesting that something bad happened to her?''
''I don't know if the two events are related or not, but one Amra O'Leary, who works as a maid for Eve-Marie Griesser, was reported missing about two weeks ago. That was around the time you, Alasdair, and the kids were on vacation in Connecticut. She's been in the family's service for about three decades, gaining her mistress's trust and becoming her confidante.''
''I see where you are going with this.'' Ardan nodded. ''The disappe
arance of the one person who's the depository of all of Eve-Marie's secrets is a serious reason for us to worry. If this Robillard guy has something to do with it, he's most likely behind what happened to my sons' mother, too.''
''I guess that once he has eliminated all obstacles standing between him and Cian, the bastard will come for the boy,'' Lothier spoke harshly, a tinge of worry in his voice.
''If that's the case, let's give him and his minions the welcome they deserve.'' Ardan's eyes narrowed dangerously. ''I'll burn them alive! Each and every one of them, so help me, Gods.''
Claude Robillard let out a long, elaborate curse, as he was examining the photos spread all over the bed. The man couldn't tell the two boys one from another for the life of him. So now he would have to take care of both of them. He would have to move fast because his time was running out, and so was the money.
The man sighed in frustration, cursing again. Why did things have to become so complicated? Especially when everything had started so smooth and straightforward? The brat would have been dead by now, had he stayed in Brisbane. But no, mama dearest had to take him to New York to meet his daddy and away from Doctor Winslow and his magic pills.
On top of that, said daddy was a calculated, cold, and sadistic, psychotic killer, according to all those who were brave or foolish enough to help him. Last but not least, it was the nasty surprise, namely the existence of the twin. That was something not even he anticipated. Kidnapping two boys were going to be twice as complicated, but it was a risk he was willing to take because it offered him the upper hand.
''Come in.'' Robillard croaked in an irritated voice when he heard the sequence of knocks signaling the presence of Snake, his right-hand man.
''Morning, boss.'' The man said, stepping into the room. ''Everything is set for tomorrow. We've managed to put together quite a little army out there.'' a satisfied smile appeared on the man's thick, greasy lips. ''It would have been even bigger, had we flashed some cash, but, given the circumstances...''
''I know,'' Robillard nodded, ''none of this would have happened if that bitch hadn't had the idea to get pregnant and complicate things,'' he spat. ''However, you know how I reward loyalty. So spread the word around.''
''Boss! I have important news!'' Poison, Robillard's other lieutenant, barged into the room without knocking. ''That MacNamara fellow's not as scary as everyone's told us. He's already pissed his pants and wants to meet you.''
''Really? Well, that's very interesting.'' The boss cocked an eyebrow. ''I'm wondering what he wants.''
''According to the hulk he sent as a messenger, MacNamara wants to negotiate with us.'' Poison grinned evilly. ''I'm telling you, the sorry bastard is scared to death. He wants to offer us money in exchange for us to change our mind regarding the fucking snot.''
''He should be afraid.'' Robillard let out a low, unpleasant laugh. ''His precious son's life is in my hands. The guy is very wise offering to buy us off. But I seriously doubt that he possesses the amount I have in mind. However, I'll consider accepting his offer to negotiate things, though, on my terms, of course.''
''If the negotiations fail, as expected,'' Snake said, an evil shine in his eyes, ''at least we'll have had a hell of a good time. Everyone, I asked, said Ardan MacNamara is an attractive man.''
Meanwhile, at the base, with his chin propped on his intertwined fingers, Ardan was praying ardently to be forgiven for the sins he was about to commit. He was going to let the beast out of the cage and allow it to unleash its fury and take lives. Although he'd called Alastair and explained the situation to him and getting the patriarch's blessing, the man still felt like he was breaking his oath.
Ardan found no pleasure in killing the scum who hurt the innocent and defenseless. He was not a sadist. Carter and Elizabeth had made him see that. However, when the beast was out, the man had no control over his actions whatsoever. And that thought frightened him, especially since Spitfire and the twins were a part of his life.
They were the very reason he was doing this, Ardan thought, raising his head. The look in the turquoise eyes was steeled, calm, and determined. He was going to do what any man with integrity and character would do. He was going to take care of his family and protect them at any cost. From that moment, no one must know about it, except for his loyal Lothier and Lazarus, who'd volunteered to help him.
He would talk to Alasdair later, after a night of slow, sweet lovemaking. He would confess his sin and ask for forgiveness, like a pagan to the deity he worshipped. But for now, Ardan had to put a lock on his heart. He was pushing back the humanity, and all that was good in him to make room for the beast.
''Everything's ready.'' Lothier let himself into the office. ''We are good to go whenever you decide to go.''
''What about Lazarus? Is he also ready?'' Ardan asked, starting to regret accepting the hybrid's help. Magical creature or not, he was just a kid. He was way too innocent for this kind of thing.
''Yes. He's waiting outside in the car. Believe it or not, I'm more relaxed knowing that he's with us and can use his magic on my temper. He'll be able to keep it under control; otherwise, the whole mission will end up being compromised.'' Lothier let out a sigh of relief.
''I know, my friend and I fully understand. I feel the same way. However, we have to be cautious. Robillard is a sly bastard and could sense us and seeing through our deception. We can work on them later, on the way to the location where the guys from Brisbane police will be waiting for us to deliver the goods.''
''Wait a minute! I thought you agreed to let Dargon fry the fuckers?'' Lothier knitted his brows, totally confused. ''However, I have nothing against the bastards being tried for the many crimes they've committed.'' Lothier shrugged.
''Good, let's go, then. It's bad manners to keep the guests of honor waiting for you.'' Ardan sarcastically smiled.
Half an hour later, they were at the abandoned warehouse. That was the location Lothier and Snake had agreed on as a meeting place. ''Hello, gentleman. Sorry, we're late. I had to go to the bank and take care of some things. I assure you it was in your best interest.'' Ardan coldly smiled as he stepped inside the warehouse, followed by Lazarus and Lothier.
''Let's skip the pleasantries and get straight to business. Claude Robillard's the name, and that snotty kid of yours, Cian, stands between me and my deceased cousin's fortune. I intended to kill him and his pesky twin, but the hulk here told me you have a better offer for me. Let's hear the numbers.''
While Robillard was talking, Ardan took his time to examine him from head to toes. Without a doubt, the man could be considered handsome, but something about the way he moved, and his gestures made him repulsive. In some ways, the guy had many similarities to Alexander. Except the latter's arrogance was backed up by a pretty high level of intelligence, while Robillard had none.
In fact, he had no qualities whatsoever. There was nothing behind that colossal arrogance. Most likely, Ardan thought, he relied on others to solve his problems and do the dirty work for him. And that would be his downfall. Somewhere in the back of his mind, Ardan was starting to regret that he didn't stick to the original plan and let Dargon fry the bastards. However, he pushed that thought back, an ice-cold smile on his face when he started to talk.
''Twenty-five million dollars on the spot. And then another twenty-five as soon as you get back to Brisbane. How does that sound?''
''That's bullshit! You want to pay me from my cousin's money? Which is rightfully mine and expect me to believe it's from your own fortune. If you think that cheap trick will work, better think again.'' Robillard huffed, contemptuously.
''As you probably know, your deceased cousin's widow has been missing for about three weeks. All her accounts are blocked for the duration of the investigation. Don't tell me you aren't familiar with the procedure.'' Ardan's eyes had a malicious shine.
''You lousy...'' Robillard plunged in the other man's direction, only to take a step back when dizziness overtook him. ''What the hell...'' he mumbled, falling
to the ground in a helpless, disgusting heap.
''Boss, are you alright?'' his lieutenants cast incredulous looks in his direction, but soon, they started to experience the same symptoms.
''They will be in this state for at least twelve hours,'' Lazarus explained. ''That is followed by another half a day of stupor. Plenty of time for the Brisbane police to take these pieces of garbage into custody, lock them up in a jail cell, and throw away the key.''
''The Commissioner called. They are five minutes from here, so I'm going out and wait for them.'' Lothier appeared from the back of the warehouse.
''Very well. We'll take care of the bastards and tie them up. Just in case they may try to escape. I'd rather be safe than sorry.'' Ardan said, tightening a knot on the rope tying Poison's hands together.
