Текст книги "Ties That Bind"

Автор книги: T. A. Grey

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Текущая страница: 2 (всего у книги 25 страниц)

CHAPTER 3

Lily revved the engine of her Ninja 250R motorcycle and raced past the slow beat-up truck in front of her. The truck honked in outrage but she merely gave a dainty wave as she passed it.

Leaning down to get better speed, she pulled back on the handle of the accelerator. Cars littered the highway with families and couples going out to spend the Saturday. The bright clear sky made perfect weather for riding, too. She spotted a small green sign on the side of the road and slowed to read it.

Now entering Atlanta, Georgia.

She smiled so wide her cheeks hurt. Telal Demuzi, here I come. She threw her head back and screamed, “Woohoo!”

Whether it was from the dead-like sleep she’d had the night before or the fact that she was finally going to do this, she didn't know, but for the first time in the year since her papa died, she felt free, her heart light as air. She brought her eyes back to the round, and then screamed for real.

She saw a flash of yellow paint and part of a license plate number before she slammed into the yellow car in front of her. The crunch of metal and bone sounded horrifically loud to her ears, vibrating her tender eardrums like an explosion. The driver slammed on the brakes and her head rocketed forward, helmet meeting the metal trunk like it was trying to see what was inside.

It seemed like the squealing tires went on forever before it finally stopped. Her body hurt everywhere in an instant as her body curled around the bike and into the car which had become sandwiched together. Her lungs felt compressed like an anvil sat on her chest, and her limbs screamed at her in fiery agony.

Lily swore her eyes were open yet everything was turning a hazy gray, darkening. Was she still on the car? Was she on the ground? She had no clue. She tried to take note of the damage to her body but couldn't particularly feel anything except the screaming pain engulfing her. Hot burning sensations filled her lungs and stomach while sharp stabbing pain like little needles pricked her skull, arms, and legs. She heard a voice, young, male, and frantic.

She tried to let the poor boy know that she had insurance but her heart beat too fast and then her vision faded to black.

* * *

Lily came awake like she'd just been injected with pure adrenaline. She sat up in a flash, breathing hard, heart racing, her hands twisting in the sheets. Her eyes darted around the room trying to take in everything at once. White walls, white sheets, heavy brown curtain over the small window, a tiny TV mounted on the wall, electrical equipment made beeping sounds from the side of the bed.

“Damn it all to hell.”

Moving like an old woman, she carefully tossed her legs over the side of the bed and stood, keeping her hand on the bed in case her legs gave out. Her feet held steady and she stood up with only a little wobble in her knees. She took stock of her body with a rueful grimace. She wore a hideous blue hospital gown. Clear tubes came from her arm and white flat circular things were pressed against her chest. She gave a tug and tore the probes and IV out her arm and off her body.

A small dresser with three drawers sat across the room. She shuffled towards it and found her driving outfit folded inside. At least no one had stolen her clothes.

Clinching the paper-like robe in her fist, she lifted it off her body. She cursed again when she saw her body. Bright purple and blue bruises covered her from neck to hips with more violent contusions covering the span of her thighs and knees. She poked at the bruises and winced. Good thing it took more than a bad car crash to kill her. As long as she didn't do anything even more stupid she may even live to be as old as her papa did.

She pulled on her black leather pants, white tank top, and sexy leather driving jacket complete with zippers sewn in places that weren't necessary. It fit her like a second skin and made her feel like the world's biggest bad ass. She chuckled as she pulled on the clothes.

Looking down, she spied her bare feet. For a moment, she almost saw red. If someone dared to steal her shoes, they'd pay. Those black shit-kickers were her fave right next to her pink flip-flops. She threw open the rest of the drawers but found only empty space.

“Mother fuckers.”

As she walked to the door, her steps grew steadier, the feeling in her legs becoming solid as if blood has finally reached all the cells in her legs. She reached for the handle of the door but it swung open hard before she could open it. The door slammed against her face, crushing her nose.

“Are you kidding me!”

“Oh my God, I'm so sorry. I didn’t know you were right there!” a nurse said, squeezing through the door. She ushered Lily back on the bed and called for the doctor. She pressed a thick white towel gently against her nose to catch the blood. But all that did was push on her tender tissue. Lily yelped and slapped the nurse's hand away hard.

The woman looked surprised but backed up. A tall doctor with a good-sized bald spot on top of his head and thin wire-framed glasses came running into the room. He came and took the towel away, lifting her chin this way and that to examine the damage.

He lifted his hand toward her nose as if to touch it, and she actually snarled. “I wouldn't if I were you.” It felt like a grenade had exploded in the middle of her face.

His hands stopped in mid-motion, his jaw dropping. “Miss Bellum, I need to check to see if your nose is broken, if so then I'll have to straighten it.”

She shook her head hard then let out a cry as that only made her throbbing, bleeding nose hurt more. “No way. It hurts.”

“If it is broken and you leave it that way it can become infected and will not set straight. You will end up having a different looking nose for the rest of your life,” he warned in a firm voice.

Lily made a whining noise, then took a deep breath and slammed her eyes shut, hands fisting the sheets in a white-knuckled grip. “Do it, Doc.”

His touch was gentle but it still felt like he was viciously squeezing her nose in his hand like he wanted to strangle it. She gasped and couldn't stop the tears from spilling out her eyes.

“I'm not crying.”

“I know,” he said in a soft voice. “It's just a reaction to the pain. Okay, good news. It's not broken. But it’ll need a few stitches along the brim, and we can give you some pain medication.”

She grunted. “No, no pain meds. I don't do well with it.” She'd make her own pain remedy once she got out of here.

He fidgeted, his eyes blinking fast, and rocked on his feet. He cleared his throat. “Uh, yes, according to our records you are a succubus.”

Lily narrowed her eyes on him. Most humans were cool with meeting others like her, though they still preferred to pretend that beings like her didn't exist. And for the most part, they all obeyed and stayed low. But some humans bordered on hostile and others were straight psychotic about killing anything stronger than them.

“Is that gonna be a problem?” she said using her best “Willow's voice.” The voice Willow used when she wanted someone to back the fuck up.

The doctor literally did take a step back, shaking his head. “No, no. We accept all ill or injured in this hospital. Equal opportunity and all that.” He picked up the clipboard sitting in a compartment at the end of the bed and pretended to read something on it. “Okay, I'll go get the nurse to stitch you up and then you'll be all set, Ms. Bellum.”

“Thank you,” she said to his retreating back.

Another nurse came and stitched her up. She offered her pain meds again.

“No I don't want that crap. But you can tell me where my boots are.”

The young nurse’s eyes widened. “What boots?”

Lily looked down at her toes and wiggled them. “The ones I came in with.”

Her head cocked to the side, lips pulling into a frown. “Ma'am, you didn't come in with any. That's not a surprise, really. Many cases we get where a bystander hit by a car, for instance, their shoes fly off from the impact.”

Lily thought about that. “But I was on my bike.”

The woman shrugged. “I don't know. Maybe they're at the scene of the crash,” she said hopefully.

“Yeah, maybe.” Was it a big deal? No, but she’d paid a pretty penny for those boots and had searched long and hard for just the right pair to go along with her sexy bad-ass jacket.

Stitches finished, she left the hospital and stood outside. The sun had set and the skies were clear from clouds. She looked down at herself with a sigh. She'd meant to go to him looking bad-ass and ready to take charge. Now her bruised body could barely handle having the weight of her leather clothes on because even those hurt. Her feet were bare of socks or shoes, but at least her pink polish looked fresh and cute. And to the put the icing on the cake, her busted nose had white crisscross tape covering it. So much for looking cute.

Her bike was toast, her phone that had been in her jacket pocket and was crushed during the accident, smashed to smithereens. She felt her back pocket and pulled out her wallet. Cash and credit cards still intact.

A young man stood by a pillar, sucking on a cigarette and yacking on his phone. Lily smiled and strode towards him. His eyes flicked to her, froze, then drifted down her body in an obvious survey. Lily lifted her chin a little higher.

“Excuse me, could I use your phone? Mine broke. I was just in a car accident.”

He blinked slowly, and then closed his jaw. Without bothering to say goodbye to whomever he spoke to, he hung up and handed it to her.

“You are so sweet. Thank you so much,” she said with a sugary smile.

He cleared his throat and attempted to speak to her several times as she dialed information, got the number for a taxi, and had one sent on its way in under five minutes. With another brilliant smile, she handed the phone back to him. “Thank you, darling.”

His cheeks flushed. “You're welcome. Hey, anytime.”

Lily gave him a little finger wave and took a seat on a bench. The taxi pulled up some thirty minutes later. She got into the back seat and gave him the address.

The driver was young and dark-skinned, and super cute. “You sure you wanna go there? I heard that's the place with that...demon-man from the news.”

Lily nodded, and he shook his head with disappointment. Over the past year, Telal had been on the news' stations more and more with his message about the rift. Both human and supernatural media groups had taken to the story like flies on sugar. Telal made it clear that the rift needed to be open so that his people, the shahoulin demons, could be free to roam the earth again. Instead they were trapped below with violent demons like the idummi and jaheera.

Though the debates have been getting hotter and heavier as other supernaturals have come out to speak against it. Many said that the shahoulin demons were no less violent and that there's a solid reason why they were forced under the rift in the first place.

They pulled in front of the giant skyscraper a little while later. The building went up at least forty stories, easily towering over the small skyscrapers around it. The sign on the front read: Demuzi Manufacturing Inc. Cameras moved and watched every possible angle around the building, and two armed guards stood at the front doors.

Lily paid her fare and got out but was stopped at the doors. “Do you have an appointment?”

“Yes,” she lied and ducked inside. Even more guards waited inside the polished building. Bright fluorescent lights lit the room like a tanning bed. Unlike other office buildings that might have a couple of fake plants and cheesy paintings on the wall, this one had none of that. A wide arched desk sat on the left with computer monitors and two guards behind it; opposite that were elevators and a stairwell.

Lily kept her chin held high and marched towards the elevators. She didn't make it far. Three guards intercepted her. They wore full military-looking clothing with rifles and handcuffs—the only thing they were missing were helmets.

“Do you have an appointment, ma'am?”

“Something like that,” she said, giving the vaguest answer she could think of. She tried to walk past them, but the guards cornered her in, standing shoulder to shoulder. The camera in the corner of the room turned to lock in on her. Her heart started to pound as uneasiness built inside her.

“Unless you have an appointment, we can't let you see Mr. Demuzi.”

“He's expecting me.” Sort of. “Just call and tell him Lily Bellum is here.”

The guard in the middle shook his head. “Can't do that. Appointments are arranged in advanced. Please allow me to escort you back outside. You can make an appointment and come back another time.”

Shit. Lily quickly surveyed the guards in front of her and the distance to the elevator. Nothing was going as she'd planned today, but that wasn't going to stop her. It was as if the gods knew she wanted to see Telal but were doing everything in their power to keep her from doing so. Well, screw all that.

Pulling out her last card she said, “I'm Telal's woman. You might want to think twice about that.”

She'd obviously startled the guards. They each shared a surprised look and then the one on the right with a full head of blonde hair chuckled. He said, “Telal never has a woman.”

Keeping that little bit of info as food for thought later, she insisted, “I am his woman. His lilit as he likes to call me. Call and check but I'm not going to wait here any longer.”

“If you're his woman then why haven't we seen you here before?”

Damn. She was about to make up a lie but then a guard from behind the desk came forward, nodding his head. “She's been here before, though only once. I recognize her.” Lily smiled at the guard and his brilliant observation because it reminded her that she had come here before with Chloe and Tyrian. How could she have forgotten that? Must be because of the blow to the head she'd taken. She needed to make some calming tea and relax; her nerves were getting the better of her.

“See? I told you. Now take me up to see him before I tell him how much of a hassle you've put me through. He'll be pissed. Do you really want him mad at you?”

Each of the guard's frowned. Finally the middle guard nodded at her to follow him and took up in the elevator.

“If you're lying you'll be thrown out of here and never allowed back in,” he said.

Lily rolled her eyes then turned to flash him a bright smile. “He's my Protector, so I don't really think there will be a problem.”

The doors to the elevator dinged as they opened. The guard grabbed her at the elbow and started pulling her down the hallway. With a vicious yank, she pulled her elbow back. He moved to grab her again but she took off running for the two massive doors at the end of the hall.

He cursed and the sound of hard booted steps bounded after her. Heart racing like a stampede, she reached the doors just as the guard’s hand snagged her jacket. She lurched forward to dislodge his hand and finally came into his office.

A man, tall with short reddish hair gave her a hard look.

“Get her!” yelled the guard behind her.

The man lifted the rifle strapped around his shoulder. Lily panicked, eyes darting around the room looking for him. He wasn't here! The side door was her only hope, and she rushed for it. Then the hard blunt end of a rifle slammed into the back of her skull.

She cried out as her brain ricocheted around in her skull like a bullet. Not again, was all she could think as she collapsed like a sack of potatoes on the floor. Her nose smashed into the ground and instant tears. Her vision darkened quickly and blurred as tears came. Her nose pounded an angry painful beat and the back of her head hammered with burning violent heat. Everything hurt, from the top of her head down to her toes. It throbbed and pulsated and screamed at her for help.

She blinked her wet lashes, trying to rid the tears away so she could see, but it didn't help much because she knew she was seconds away from passing out—again. The door in front of her opened. Shiny black shoes and black pant followed.

She sucked in an airy breath through her mouth as those feet came closer. She tried to speak but nothing came out but air. All she could think as consciousness left her was “I swear I looked hot when I woke up.” And then she exhaled a shaky breath and went to sleep to make the pain go away.

CHAPTER 4

“Wake up!”

The hard voice jolted Lily from her happy sleep time. She blinked several times then squinted as the bright light try to sear off a layer from her eyeballs.

“Turn off the lights.”

“No,” said a hard, accented voice.

She knew that voice. Excitement fluttered through her. Lily slowly sat up and found herself on top of a massive bed. Her head pounded like someone had taken a jackhammer to it and she moaned. She touched the sore spot at the back of her head and winced.

“Dammit. That was not necessary.”

After her eyes adjusted to the blazing light she blinked, looking around the room for him. Telal sat at a desk, furiously writing like he was signing her death warrant. Awkwardness at the situation threatened to creep in, but she pushed it away and stood.

She swayed hard and her stomach felt like she was rushing downhill on a rollercoaster. She gasped, panting, and held tight to the bed post. What a day, she thought.

“What are you doing here?”

When she finally got her knees to lock and keep her upright without falling on her face again she ambled over to him. “You know why.”

He gave her one hard look, then returned to writing. “I do not. Even if I were to tag along with this whole 'Protector' nonsense, which I assure you I am not, you are still an entire month early. You will not be twenty-nine until next month.”

“Aww, you remembered my birthday.” She took a seat in the chair across from his desk and smiled her big beautiful smile that made everyone putty. He didn't even look up at her.

After a long moment he said, “Do you require a doctor?” The hand holding the pen tightened as he pushed harder on the paper.

“Already saw one. Had a helluva time trying to get to you.”

“How awful.” He didn’t bother to hide the sarcasm in his voice. “Leave it to you to be completely inept at something as simple as making an appointment.”

She laughed and his hand stilled on the paper. She looked at him with a lazy smile. She wished she didn't hurt everywhere, this was not how she'd wanted this first day to go. She wanted to cozy up to him and start pushing all his buttons—which would make him loosen up—eventually.

“Oh please, don't act like if I'd made an appointment you'd see me.” He looked up from his paperwork, eyes narrowing on her. She was instantly taken with his eyes just as she'd been when she first saw them. Golden eyes surrounding a pitch-black pupil, and even then there were layers to the gold. It started light near pupil like sparkling sand in the sun then grew darker towards the rim like sorghum.

“It's rude to stare,” he said in a hard voice.

“It's rude to stare right back.” His mouth flattened before he went back to writing. “What are you working on?”

His silence greeted her. Lily let him have his way for a good minute before she leaned forward, planting her elbows on his desk and cradling her chin in her hand to watch him. His hand stilled then slowly his head lifted to look at her.

“You have beautiful eyes.”

His eyes widened, mouth opening in the perfect expression of shock. “You are truly mad.”

“I may be odd but that's far from mad.”

He sat back in his chair, glaring at her. “What is it you wanted to see me about?”

She shrugged. “I'm ready to move in with you, that's all.”

For a moment he looked as though he'd laugh, then his lips clamped shut, and he moved in his seat to get more comfortable. Slowly he shook his head at her.

“Ms. Bellum I know you are not well in the mind, but even you must know that you will never stay with me. I will not be your Protector no matter what your father's will said. Do you understand me? Or perhaps I should say it slower?”

Lily clinched her jaw to keep from reaching out and slapping his cheek. I do not believe in violence. I do not believe in violence. Closing her eyes, she took several deep meditating breaths until her muscles relaxed again.

“If you do not abide by my Papa's will then I'll see to it that the law enforces it.”

His jaw slowly slid left. Golden eyes twitched with anger. “You really wish to threaten me, lilit?”

She smiled sweetly. “Oh, it's not a threat. Just the truth.”

His jaw dropped and she couldn't help but laugh. She sighed, he was just so much fun. Curse her wrecked body right now, she could easily be sitting in his lap if she didn't hurt like the entire NFL had used her for tackling practice.

He stood slowly until his tall imposing body created a shadow over her. She'd have stood, too, but that would take a lot of effort. He gave her a look that held so much anger. She leaned back in her seat in an involuntary reaction.

Then, without a word, he left the room. The only reaction he gave to express his anger was the slamming of the door after him which shook the frame and hurt her ear drums.

“Darn.” Bracing herself on the arm of the chair, she gingerly stood and went after him at a much slower pace. She opened the door in time to see him having a conversation with a man who had short dark hair and a set of green eyes to swoon for.

“Get a car outside, now,” Telal said.

“Going somewhere?” she said, wobbling to him.

He didn't spare her a glance. “You are.”

She made a tsking sound with her tongue. “Okay, but am I really that bad? I mean, I was in a car accident that put me in the hospital,” she said as if she were ticking off items on a list. His eyebrow cocked. “Then I woke up to find my boots missing, hence the bare feet and cute toes.” Those golden eyes fell to her feet and his full lips pulled down into a frown. “And then a nurse slams the door into my face. See item number three, my bandaged nose.” His eyes surveyed her nose with only minute interest. “And then I get here only to find your place locked up tighter than the Pentagon and I get a rifle butt to the head for all my trouble.” She touched the bump the size of a baseball at the back of her head with a wince.

He watched her with an unreadable expression. She stared right back, hiding nothing. “You were in a car accident?”

“I drove my bike into the back of some guy's car. Wasn't pretty.”

“You're foolishness apparently holds no bounds, Ms. Bellum.”

“Maybe.” She hid the hurt his words caused behind a shrug.

“Sir, should I order the car?” The guard darted curious glances back and forth between them.

When Telal watched her she felt as if she had his complete unwavering attention. It was actually unnerving as hell and almost made her want to look away. But that would be cowardly which was the last thing she was.

“Leave us.”

The guard looked at Telal in surprise then quickly left the room. Telal crossed his arms across his big chest; his cerulean blue hair was pulled back with a tie which served to make him look stricter in his suit and shiny black loafers. Too bad suits were his clothing of choice because the demon would look fine in leather...or nothing.

He looked away, his eyes lost in thought. “You've put me in a difficult position.”

“I know.”

He shook his head. “You have one night and then you're gone. Do you understand me?”

“Why of course,” she agreed, giving him her winning smile that made all the males sigh.

“I'll have Kearnyn show you to a room, and then I want you gone first thing in the morning. Zero questions. Do you understand?” He took a step closer as if he was trying to intimidate her.

Lily took a step forward too, putting them only inches apart. Something dark flared in his eyes before he narrowed them on her...in warning. She felt as though she was playing with some beast that had been caged for far too long, but that didn't stop her from running just the tips of her fingers down his shirt. She didn't press to feel his chest underneath, only lingered down along the little white buttons of his shirt enough to feel the heat from his body.

He tensed like she'd just pulled a gun on him and then she let her hand drop. The door opened behind her and the green-eyed man came back in. “It's time for the conference.”

Telal lifted his eyes from hers and the connection snapped like thread. “Fine, show Ms. Bellum to a room then gets her out of here first thing in the morning.”

He turned and disappeared back into his bedroom.

With a small smile, Lily followed the dark-haired, green-eyed soldier down the hallway to the elevators. When he noticed how slowly she walked, he slowed his pace.

“What's your name?”

He looked surprised and didn't answer for a minute as if he contemplated answering. “Kearnyn.”

“That's an interesting name.” The elevator dinged and they got in. He pressed a number on the pad and the elevator moved swiftly, quietly down.

“I'll come and get you at six in the morning. I suggest you be ready.”

She chuckled. She had no intention of doing any of that. “Sure thing.”

The elevator doors opened to show another long hallway, this one with about a dozen doors on either side of the hall. He went to the first one and opened it with a key that looked like a credit card. He stood at the door as she went inside, surveying the surroundings.

The room looked like an elegant, upscale hotel room equipped with a flat screen TV, a speaker system, and four-poster bed.

“Not bad.” Yeah right, the room made her home look like a shack. The bed was carved and made from real wood, the wood floors were polished to a sheen, and thick maroon rugs spread across the small living area and bedroom area. They matched perfectly with the dark wood furniture and dim lamps. She almost snorted; the room could easily be called 'romantic'.

“Do you require anything?” He sounded pained to ask.

“Not at all,” she said with a small smile.

He looked at her hard as if he knew she was up to something then finally turned and left. Lily laughed to herself as she walked around the enormous room. It really was a great size. She pulled off her heavy jacket, dropping it onto the floor as she walked around the room. The bedroom came first then opened into a wide living area furnished with couches and the television. A partitioned wall sat in the space behind the living room and Lily found a small kitchenette inside. Down a short hallway from there she opened a door and gasped.

“Lord have mercy, I am in love.”

It was the biggest bathroom ever. Brown and red stones covered the floors and walls leading to a bathtub in the corner of the room that had two steps to walk up to get to. Dark cherry wood cabinets lined the entire side of one wall with granite counter-tops and two modern-looking sinks. In the opposite corner stood a tall shower with a showerhead the size of a giant sunflower.

Lily whistled under her breath as she began unbuttoning her pants. The sight of that bathtub made a rush of excitement flow through her. But her tired muscles screamed at her just to go to sleep, so she dropped her pants and marched over to the bed.

She had to use two hands to pull back the heavy comforter; and it was even harder to try to get into the bed. It sat so high that she ended up having to grab hold of the mattress and wiggle her way on top of it until she was laughing breathlessly.

She scooted until her head hit the pillow and sighed. “Just like heaven.” She pulled the comforter over her then grimaced and shucked it away with a fierce kick. Too heavy for her ribs still.

She made a mental list of all the supplies she'd need to make herself a healing elixir. As she reached the third ingredient though, her eyelids grew heavy and she went out like a light.