Hard to Find (Hell Hounds Harem Book 4)

by Briana Michaels

  “A dojo,” Valor grinned.

  “And that?” She jerked her head towards the inground pool.

  “An unfinished project. Drake started a waterfall for the pool just before he went missing.” Valor’s cell phone went off. He glowered at the screen and hit the decline button.

  “Don’t not take a call because of me. I can wander if you need privacy.”

  “I doona need to speak with her.”

  “Her?” Damn but a jealous pang stabbed Tilly in the gut. What the fuck? Tilly had no right to feel jealous. It’s not like she and Valor were a thing. And, wow, hello? She just tried to fuck Bishop less than an hour ago. Tilly locked her lust back in its cage.

  “Can I ask ye something, Matilda Jane?”

  “Sure.”

  “Why the bucket list?”

  Odd choice of topic to change to, but whatever. “I was bored.”

  That was a lie, of course. One Valor allowed her to get away with. His blue eyes sparkled mischievously as he nodded his head, “I see.” They went back inside. “Follow me,” his pace stayed slow. “I want to show ye the basement next.”

  As they went down the carpeted steps, Tilly couldn’t help but smile at how lovely the place was decorated. It was clean, modern, simple. Lots of white. It smelled new – fresh paint, fresh carpet. “Did you guys just build this place?”

  “No, we’ve been here for several years.”

  “It smells like fresh construction. Everything’s so spotless.”

  Valor cleared his throat, “We just aren’t here much. No time to damage the place with throwing wild parties and turning it into an acceptable bachelor pad.”

  She laughed. He sort of laughed. They hit the bottom step and she took in the view. There was a huge theater area with a movie screen hanging on the far wall. A popcorn maker was in the front left corner. A drink station on the back wall. Valor didn’t pull her in there. He tugged her towards another doorway. “This house is large for a reason. We each need our own space to cool down. This one’s Bishop’s.”

  Valor opened a door to a music room with serious sound proofing materials to withstand the deluxe drum set in the middle of the room.

  “He plays music?”

  “That Hound is music. It feeds his soul. Bishop goes to as many concerts as he can, so long as he’s not out hunting, and banging away on these drums is his outlet. He’s incredible with his rhythm. I canna carry a tune in a bucket and have two left feet, but Bishop? Och, the Hound can play verra well.”

  Tilly whistled in approval as Valor shut the door and opened another one across the hall. “This is Baz’s space.”

  It was a billiard room. A huge pool table sat in the middle with a series of multi-colored hand-blown glass lights dangling above it. Trophies lined the left wall. There was a stereo system to her right, and huge photos were mounted in frames around the room.

  Tilly stepped in, slack jawed. Every photo was of Valor, Bishop, and the twins. Each were a candid shot that was printed in black and white. Their posture and easy smiles showed how much this pack loved each other. They’re a family, she thought. A terrible pang flicked in her gut.

  Baz and Drake were mirror images of each other – same smile, same build. Except… “Their eyes,” Tilly said quietly.

  “Aye,” Valor didn’t say anything more. With a jerk of his head, they left the room and he closed the door.

  “So, Drake plays with rocks. Bishop plays the drums. Baz plays pool. What do you play with? What’s your great escape?”

  “Tell me yours first.”

  Tilly stuffed her hands in her pockets. “I like to sing.”

  “Are ye any good?” His smile was light, but his eyes were darkening.

  “I’m alight, I guess.”

  “I’d love to hear ye sometime.”

  Had he heard her already? The mischievous grin on his face right now made her suspicious. He probably heard her sing in the shower her first night in the house. If he wasn’t going to admit it, she’d play along. “Ohhhh I don’t know. I’m not good at much in front of an audience.”

  “Perhaps ye’ve not found the right audience then.” Valor hit a few buttons on the wall and the new door they stood in front of unlocked. “This is my getaway.” He opened the door and welcomed Tilly to a shooting range.

  “Holy shit!” her heart fluttered. “I can’t believe this is in your house!”

  “We’ve reinforced the room to make sure it’s bullet proof. It’s also soundproof so the noise willna bother anyone upstairs or in the other rooms.”

  “Is that actually possible?” Tilly walked over and inspected some of the handguns laid out on a counter. Of course Valor would play with guns.

  “You’d be surprised what’s possible for a Hell Hound, Sweetheart.”

  “Sweetheart?” she teased, “You don’t actually think I’m sweet, do you, Foxy Boy?”

  The Hell Hound moved in, taking up all the space and air in the room. He leaned down and she could feel heat rolling off him in waves. “Only one way to find out,” he whispered, his lips almost touching hers.

  Just as Tilly was about to close her eyes and press her mouth to his, she felt his arm brush hers and then he took a step back. “Do ye ken what to do with this, lass?”

  Something heavy and hard was placed in her hand and she sucked in a breath. Tilly looked down and smiled at how big it was. “Indeed I do, Foxy Boy.”

  Valor’s eyes flashed with desire, “Prove it.”

  Chapter 32

  They went through six boxes of bullets in no time. It had been a while since Tilly held a gun in her hands, but it didn’t take her long to fine-tune her aim and hit the mark every time. Valor was one big smile after another, no doubt impressed with her skills.

  Hell, he even let her shoot his AK-47.

  That one was a tougher weapon to wield and she didn’t hit her target where she wanted, but still managed to hit part of it. After they finished, Tilly still felt a little buzzy from the adrenaline. It felt good to blow holes into things. She placed her unloaded gun down on the counter with the rest and took off her ear muffs.

  “Och, lass, ye surprise me.”

  “Why? Didn’t think a woman like me could handle all this without shooting herself in the foot somehow?”

  “I’m not talking about your shooting skills, Calamity Jane, as fine as they are. I mean your willingness.”

  “To shoot?”

  “To jump in.”

  Tilly shrugged and hit a lever that brought her last target over to her. She ripped the paper man off the clips and crumpled it up. “I like having purpose,” she said as calmly as possible. Even though her instincts wanted to roar about it. “I like being needed and helpful.”

  “You could volunteer at a soup kitchen to satisfy that kind of desire then.” Valor took apart each weapon and pulled out a large tool box filled with gun cleaning supplies. He sat on a stool and motioned for her to do the same. “I…” his voice dropped and became gruff, “I wish to know more about ye, Matilda Jane.”

  “Please don’t call me Matilda Jane.”

  “It’s your name, is it not?”

  “Just call me Tilly. Matilda Jane makes me feel like a ninety-five-year-old granny with no teeth.”

  Valor chuckled, “Alright, Tilly it is then.”

  She handed him a barrel to clean and oil. “What do you want to know about me?”

  Why was she allowing him this? Tilly felt like she’d just opened Pandora’s box – her Pandora’s box – and she didn’t even know this man. Not really. Yet some part of her wanted to tell him everything about her past, her fears, her hopes and her desires. All the secrets she’s kept hidden for years.

  Patience and intrigue cooled his gaze. “I wish to know why ye had a lock on the inside of your closet.” Valor didn’t look down at the weapon he was cleaning, he stared at her instead.

  Tilly gulped. See? This was a secret she’d kept from everyone, including her sister, but had longed to share this fear w
ith someone. Valor would be her someone. “I’ve tried a lot of magic on myself. It doesn’t always end well. Sometimes, when I work a particularly dark spell, the cost is a physically violent one. I can feel it before it comes, which took practice and lots of failure before I could recognize the symptoms, and I lock myself into the closet so I can’t hurt anyone or myself.”

  “And the spoon with the teeth marks?”

  “It’s what I shove into my mouth so I don’t accidentally bite my damn tongue off.”

  Valor placed the gun back on the counter, his eyes still fixed on her. “How long?” His voice was even deeper now, “How long have ye suffered like this?”

  She couldn’t bear the way he was staring at her. All that pity and sadness. She wanted to slap it off his handsome fucking face.

  “How long, Tilly?”

  “The first time I paid the price for dark magic, I was fourteen. And I’ve paid it often ever since.”

  Valor swept his face and stroked his long beard.

  “Why do you shake so much? You and Bishop both have some serious tremors. Is that a Hell Hound thing?”

  “Aye.” He went back to cleaning another gun. Clearly some piece of his pride was bruised over her asking about it.

  “It effects your aim,” she said. “Is there something you can do to fix it?”

  “Aye.”

  “So what are you waiting for?”

  Valor kept looking at everything other than her. “I’ll deal with it when I can.”

  “Is there something I can do or get you?” Maybe they needed a prescription refilled? A deep tissue massage or something? Fuck, she didn’t have a clue how Hounds worked, but they shouldn’t walk around like big sexy vibrators.

  “Does your sister dabble in the magic as well?”

  Oh, so that’s how we’re gonna play, huh? Turn the spotlight back on the other person so it’s not on you anymore? Fine. “God, no. Vivian would never do anything like that. She barely believes in the curse to begin with.”

  “Why not?”

  Tilly’s hands balled into fists in her lap. “I guess she’s the dreamer of the two of us.”

  “Why do ye say that like it’s a bad thing?” Valor looked over at her, his brow furrowed. It made him get a little crinkle between his eyes.

  “It’s not a bad thing. But we don’t have time to dream. At least that’s how I feel about it. I’ve spent my whole life trying to break our curse so we can live long lives and Viv –” she grew mad just thinking about it, “Viv has spent her whole life living and not worrying about how long she has.” Fuck, Tilly couldn’t swallow the lump lodged in her throat now.

  See? This was why she didn’t share. Sharing stripped away your layers and left you vulnerable.

  “Have ye not lived then, Tilly?”

  They stared at each other. The silence in the room was so loud, Tilly had a ringing in her ears. God, how could a man look like that? Valor focused on her with such intensity, it made her squirm in her seat.

  “I’ve lived,” she croaked, “I’ve just spent my life protecting the ones I love.”

  Valor tilted his head, “And who do ye love, lass?”

  Her palms were sweaty. It was too goddamn hot in here. “Me and my sister.”

  His brow arched, “No one else?”

  “My parents are dead. I have no other family.”

  “No one else outside your family?”

  Tilly stiffened. What the hell was he trying to get at? Was he trying to make her feel like the most pathetic and lonely human in existence? Because if so, he was doing a damn good job.

  “I don’t have time for love,” she stood, preparing to march out of the room.

  Just as she stormed past him, Valor caught her arm and yanked her back. He didn’t do more than that, but his grip was a powerful one. She couldn’t escape him. He stared at her with this crazy fucking burning gaze that made her insides feel like they were melting.

  Never look down. Ohhh but she wanted to. Tilly wanted to pull her gaze away and look anywhere but in his blue eyes. They were too knowing. Too dark. Too understanding. And waaaay too mesmerizing.

  Valor released her arm and she stormed off again. This time she made it out of the room.

  However, she didn’t make it very far.

  Chapter 33

  Valor watched Tilly leave his shooting range. To sit there and not chase after her was an exercise in control the likes of which he’d never suffered before. He didn’t even know why he wanted her so badly. But he did.

  He wanted to fix her.

  He wanted to protect her.

  He wanted to kiss her.

  He wanted to keep her.

  It was the unbalance in him talking, which was why he made sure to stay right where he was – ass on the stool, gun cleaner in one hand, the other a hard fist. Maiden, Mother, and Crone it was hot in here. Valor wiped the back of his hand across his forehead.

  He couldn’t continue like this. Tilly was right, his aim was awful. The next time the twins came to Tilly, they would hopefully be able to find out where they are. Once they had a direction to go in, Valor needed to be at his best.

  He needed to gain some balance.

  Och, the idea of laying with a woman turned his stomach. That’s why he didn’t answer Tina’s call earlier. He didn’t want to fuck anyone right now.

  No, that wasn’t true. He wanted to bury his cock deep into someone and that someone just left the room all flustered and rosy cheeked and—

  Gods, her ass. Valor stared at it, every chance he got.

  The black flames. Surely the black flames would take the edge off, right? Valor stood and abandoned his precious weapons – something he’d never done before in his life. But his balance needed to be a priority right now. His state of mind and body was only going to worsen. He could feel weakness coiling around his limbs and that was not acceptable.

  Alphas were not weak.

  Valor wrenched open the door and hung a right down the hall, bee lining it to the doorway that led to Hell. Hitting the security code, Valor ignored how bad his tremors were and cursed when he hit the wrong number by accident. He had to start over. He hit it wrong again.

  “FUCK!”

  He punched each number slowly and deliberately and – thank the gods – the mechanism unlocked and opened the way to his salvation.

  The heavy door slammed shut behind Valor as he marched down the corridor. He didn’t bother knocking before pushing open the double doors to Lucifer’s main chamber. It was empty. Fuck!

  “Lucifer!” He yelled. “Lucifer!” The Devil appeared from another doorway, wiping his hands off with a towel and Valor dropped to one knee. “I need help, sire.”

  “You need more than help, Hound. You need to explain to me why the fuck you went to that fucker’s house in Byrne’s district.”

  Valor froze. Panic tried to jar him, but he wouldn’t allow it. “I was searching for something, my Lord.”

  Silently, Lucifer turned and walked over to his large throne and took a seat. Valor kept his gaze to the ground and tried to remain stoic. Anger coiled around Valor’s heart. Had Byrne come running to Lucifer just after he dropped Valor off at the closest portal? Damnit!

  “What, pray tell, kind of lead did you have that would bring you all the way to Marco’s house?”

  Valor swallowed and risked a glance at his maker. He didn’t know how to respond without getting into a world of trouble with the truth.

  Lucifer leaned forward with a scowl, “Answer me while you still have your motherfucking tongue.”

  “I had hoped to find something there that might help me locate the twins.”

  “And,” Lucifer slowly tilted his head to the side, “did you find it?”

  “No, sire.”

  “What was it?”

  “A book, sire.”

  “A book? What kind?”

  Valor deflated and submitted. “A dark one, my Lord.”

  Lucifer growled. “You know it’s forbidden to us
e such things. Where’s the book now?”

  “I…” damnit it, “I doona ken. I went to Marco’s house, but he was dead. Killed, my Lord. His house was destroyed and any trinkets or collections he may have had were taken. As far I as I could tell, that is.” Shelves were bare and paintings had been taken from the walls, leaving nothing but nails and dust lines.

  “And you didn’t think that was something you should have reported to Byrne?”

  Now Valor felt like a piece of shit. Yes, he should have told Byrne, but to do that would mean admitting he’d overstepped his boundaries and that wasn’t something Valor wanted to deal with at the time. It still wasn’t, actually. The Hound had so much shit hitting the fan right now, there wasn’t a shield big enough to protect him from getting splattered.

  Fuck.

  “I didn’t tell Byrne because I was selfish.” There. He admitted it. “I just wanted to get back to my Hounds and I had blinders on. My only goal was to hurry home. I didn’t think that human’s death was of great importance to Byrne. It was an oversight that was part ignorance and part selfishness and for that, I will happily accept the consequences of my decision to return home without reporting what I saw.” Valor dropped his head, put his fists onto the floor, and braced for punishment.

  Lucifer stood and stepped closer to him. Valor kept his gaze locked on the floor. His limbs shook so fiercely, it was difficult to keep still.

  “Jesus fucking Christ, Valor,” Lucifer grabbed him by the scruff of his neck and hauled the Hound onto his feet. “What the fuck is going on with you up there?”

  All of the wind left Valor’s sails and he slumped in Lucifer’s hold. “I just need… help.”

  “Is Sara’s pack not helping you?”

  “Aye,” Valor sighed, “they are. But I need balance, sire. I’ve got too much going on and running on too little.”

  “You just bitched at Bishop for making this same mistake,” Lucifer forced Valor’s chin up so he could look him in the eyes, “I expected better of you, Alpha.” Valor tried to rip his chin out of Lucifer’s hold, but the Devil gripped him harder. “You’re not usually so foolish.”