Текст книги "Sweet Temptation"

Автор книги: Wendy Higgins

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PART THREE SWEET RECKONING

CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT

Most Important Job

“Everyone’s got to face down the demons

Maybe today, you could put the past away.”

—“Jumper” by Third Eye Blind

The Dukes don’t waste any time. They’re after Anna already, and it’s only been a few days since they discovered there are traitors in their midst, since they killed Flynn. Now I’ve learned from Anna that Father’s sent someone to rifle through her dirty laundry so he can get his hands on her knickers—he’s determined to find out if she’s still a virgin.

Dodgy bastard.

It’s been days since I heard from her, and I’m beginning to feel edgy. My heart leaps when my mobile dings, but it’s a text from Blake.

My pops is going thru the changing of the guard. China.

He must be jubilant. To the world it will look as though his father died of a heart attack, leaving his mansion to Blake. In reality, Duke Melchom’s spirit will be roaming his new duty station of China, searching for a new body to inhabit.

And I’m engaged.

I cringe at this. Should I send my condolences? My mobile rings and I assume it’s Blake until I see Father’s name. Great. I hesitate, but I can’t not answer.

“Hallo.”

His voice is posh, bored, and all business. “You’re needed in Atlanta straightaway. I’ve sent my jet to L.A. It will arrive in four hours and you are to be there, ready.”

I want to ask what this is about. If it’s a job for Marissa or something else. But I don’t dare. For all I know he could be suspicious of me already.

“Yes, sir,” I say.

He hangs up without another word, and my stomach sours. I immediately want to contact Anna or the others, but it’s too dangerous. If they’ve found a way to hack her phone, we’re screwed. If he’s calling to ask me to work, he’s out of luck. That’s never happening again.

I text Belial with the code we’d agreed on for when my father calls. K-611

I grab my bag and begin readying for the trip, wishing my knives could make it past security. I’ll need to stop and buy one when I get there.

Bloody hell, I nearly forgot about the East Coast humidity. Thankfully I’m only in it a moment before I’m whisked off by Father’s driver in a black sedan, AC blasting.

“Stop at the sporting goods shop,” I tell the driver.

I buy a new knife and get back in the car. My heart beats a steady, fast rhythm the entire way to Father’s house, and I match it against my knee with my thumb. My face is schooled into an expressionless mask, and I’m eager to find out what this is about.

As we near the house I push out my hearing and find sounds of two people going at it in the den. We arrive and I stand outside the door of the den until a maid with ample hips hurries out, flushed, smoothing down her clothing. She glances at me and rushes past.

Father sits relaxed in a recliner when I enter, one of his dark whisperers bobbing in the air at his side. Father doesn’t get up or motion me to sit. He only scans me from head to toe. My straight face will not give away my nerves. I won’t allow it. I hook my thumbs in my pockets lazily.

“I’ve come as you requested.”

“You’re looking well,” he says. “Bulking up nicely.”

“Thank you, Father.”

He steeples his hands and runs his joined index fingers up and down his chin. “I’ve got a rather . . . strange job for you. But quite possibly the most important of your life.”

I force myself to take slow, even breaths. “Anything you wish, of course.”

“Of course,” he drawls. For a moment his eyes are lost in thought, then he kicks the recliner closed and stands to move closer. The spirit circles the two of us.

“We’ve been dealing with a load of nonsense recently,” he says. “Nothing we can’t handle, but a nuisance nonetheless.”

“I’m sorry to hear that.” I know better than to ask questions. Father hates questions. Finds them pushy.

“Yes, well. We believe Duke Belial has turned traitor, and he’s using his daughter Anna to work against us.”

Bugger . . . I push my eyebrows together as if this is shocking and appalling news. Keep it together, I warn myself. He continues.

“We will find Belial and return him to Lucifer straightaway, but we need to find his daughter first. We must know if all of our suspicions are correct.”

I nod, thrilled to hear news but terrified at the sound of Anna’s name coming from Father’s mouth.

“Do you recall she was a virgin when we last saw her in New York?” His whisperer makes a sound of disgust in my ear.

“I do recall, Father. Last New Year’s.”

He hmphs a breath through his nose, still annoyed, no doubt, that I didn’t take her virginity when he sent me off to train her originally. “Well, we have reason to believe Belial is keeping her innocent.”

I draw my eyebrows together again, as if the idea is absurd.

“If what we suspect is true, he has ulterior motives for keeping her clean, which you don’t need to concern yourself with. All you need to know is that it’s imperative the girl loses her purity immediately. I would ask you to kill her, but that pleasure will belong to the Dukes.”

Breathe slowly. Nod.

“Your job is to find the girl and personally make sure there is not a trace of innocence left in her body. I will accept no excuses this time, Kaidan. If she is found to be a virgin after this, you’ll be dead on the spot. Do I make myself clear?”

Darkness swirls behind my eyes, causing my fingers to tingle with numbness. “Yes, sir.”

“Good,” he whispers. “Very good.” He steps closer and puts his hands on my shoulders. He feels the girth there and nods to himself, running his hands down my arms to examine my muscles. His eyes shift over me.

Do not ball your fists. Do not clench your jaw. Do not pull away.

“Shall I leave straightaway?” I ask.

This brings him back to the moment and he drops his hands.

“Yes. You’ll take my BMW and head north.” He picks up his mobile from a side table and swipes through it. “She was last seen on Interstate 95 in South Carolina, heading north. I will text you updates as I receive them. We’ve got Neph and whisperers tailing her for other purposes, but I won’t trust this job to anyone but you.”

“Thank you, Father,” I say. “I’m honored.” And truly, I’m grateful. If they had asked another Neph . . .

Do not growl.

“My whisperer Rafe will escort you.”

My eyes go wide, and I quickly neutralize my face again, but Father catches the look and smiles.

“Is that a problem?”

Yes, actually, it’s an enormous problem. “No, sir.”

“Good. The spirit will report to me as soon as the job is done, and we’ll retrieve her when we’re prepared to deal with her.”

“I understand. Would you like me to be in contact with the other Neph myself?” I ask. “To save time?” And to find out who’s against us?

“I think not,” he says with a half grin. “Not all Neph are to be trusted these days. It’s best if we deal with all of you directly ourselves.”

I nod, pretending not to care that his words clearly include me.

He pulls keys from his trouser pockets and I take them.

“Drive fast. I don’t care how many bloody tickets you get. Find her and ruin her once and for all, Kaidan. Make me proud.”

“I will, Father.”

I turn away and head to the garage. When I’m out of his sight I clench my jaw and silently curse him straight to hell before his stupid minion spirit flies in and I fall into false relaxation mode again.

Leave it to my father to unknowingly sabotage the one good thing in my life. I have no bloody clue how to get out of this. I wish like hell I could contact Anna to tell her she’s being tailed, and to let her know I’m on my way. I’ve no idea what I’ll do when I get there.

On the way out of town I stop at a drugstore and buy an over-the-counter men’s fertility test to make sure I’m completely sterile. Just in case.

I cannot have sex with her. She has to remain a virgin—it’s the only way she’ll be able to use the Sword of Righteousness. I’ll just have to take this charade as far as I can until I can go no further. This could be it. This could be the thing that kick-starts the prophecy. Because when it comes right down to it, if I cannot find a way to fool them, I might have to take Anna away; I might have to run. I’ve told her myself that she cannot hide from the demons, but damn it, I cannot let them have her without a fight, either. If our only other option is to stay put and be captured, then we will run like hell.

CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE

Not Like This

“Keep my eyes open, my lips sealed.

My heart closed, and my ears peeled.”

—“Hurricane” by MS MR

I drive through the night, stopping only once for petrol and coffee. Each time a text comes from Father I reprogram my GPS with the new information. I cannot wait to get to Anna. To see her safe, with my own eyes. I’m desperate to have her out of their sights. After a while I think something must have happened with the Neph tailing her, because the updates from Father simply stop and only whisperer sightings are being given now.

Father’s whisperer has been a nasty thorn in my side for far too many hours now. It keeps whispering excitedly about all the foul things it wants me to do to the “Neph girl,” things I’ve never done to anyone. I try hard to keep from shuddering.

“I’m not into Neph,” I tell it. “I’m not planning to stay all day.”

It begins a breathy whine in my ear. “But—”

“No. Just a quick job—nothing for your entertainment.”

It proceeds to throw a tantrum, stiffly flying from the car and bashing into the earth, out of sight, then back up, kicking at cars and flailing its grubby arms at trees as it passes them. What an idiot.

As I’m driving through Wythe County, in the mountains of southwestern Virginia, I see a whisperer swoop down in the grassy median to relay something to the other. It then flies to me, right in my face. I lean to the side, keeping an eye on the road. I can’t stand the cold sensation when they touch me.

“Blacksburg,” it whispers creepily. I nod. I’m not too far from her now.

I’ve been trying to figure out for hours what I’ll do when I get to her. How will she react? With the whisperer there, we’ll have to pretend we hardly know each other. If Anna cries or tries to hug me, or does anything remotely Anna-ish, we’re as good as dead.

Our biggest chance of making it through this is to somehow lose the whisperer, and based on how closely he’s been at my side, that will be difficult. The only other thing I can think to do is get her under the covers and pretend to shag her. That, however, could be awkward for poor Anna, and very, very difficult for me, especially if we’re naked.

You can do it, I tell myself. I just hope she’ll play along with whatever I decide. I grip the wheel and take a cleansing breath as the murky whisperer leads me to Anna.

It’s early in the morning. The sun has risen, but the town is still sleepy. I park outside the hotel and listen while the whisperer circles the car. Anna is stirring, her murmuring breaths sounding as if she’s not sleeping very soundly. When the whisperer ventures away from me for a moment, like a dog sniffing around, I whip out my phone and pull up Anna’s contact info: Hot Chick From Gig. Before I can type a word, the whisperer is back and I quickly close the screen.

“What are you doing?” it asks. Damn it.

“Seeing if I missed any messages,” I mutter out loud. “But I haven’t.”

“Let’s go.”

Bugger. I hate being here, so close to her, under these pretenses. It kills me not to warn her. I get out of the car and note exactly where it’s parked and where the nearest exit is. I walk with purpose, fighting to keep my cool as my spirit escort flies up and down beside me. His wing keeps swiping my back and I grit my teeth. I desperately search each room of the hotel with my hearing, but everyone is sleeping or doing boring morning things.

Then my senses snag on something in one of the first-floor rooms. Something that sounds like it’s just getting started. Something right up this whisperer’s alley. It’s better than I could have hoped. I take the long way around so we can pass that room on our way. I take note of the number on the door: 108.

This is a long shot. My first instinct is to distract the demon right away, but Father will be extremely suspicious if he learns I sent his whisperer away before the job had even begun. The spirit has to see me with Anna. He has to think we’re having sex. And then, if I’m lucky, I can convince him to leave, to take in the more exciting events of room 108.

I head up the stairs, my pulse at an all-time high, and I knock on Anna’s door. Inside, I hear her go still. Abruptly, she begins scrambling and shuffling through her things like mad.

Don’t be frightened, I want to say. Trust me, Anna. Play along.

Anna whispers suspiciously, “Who is it?”

“Kaidan Rowe. Son of Pharzuph.” Impersonal. Formal. Please take the hint, luv.

I hear the quick pad of her footsteps to the door and I’m filled with fear that she’s going to fling it open and jump into my arms. I’m immensely relieved when she stops at the door without opening it. “What do you want?” she asks. She’s being smart.

“I need to speak with you. Open up.”

When she doesn’t open, the whisperer hisses a harsh curse in my ear and I’m filled with loathing for the stupid, impatient spirit.

“I’m not here to hurt you,” I say. It comes out sterner than I meant it to.

After a long pause the door opens enough to show Anna’s beautiful, fresh face. Her eyes soften just slightly when she sees that it’s really me, then widen when she catches sight of the whisperer over my shoulder. She doesn’t move.

Anna knows something’s up. Good. Because it’s about to get real, and I need her to put on a show. I need her to pretend with me, one on one. Enough to convince the idiot bobbing behind me, foaming at the mouth.

I grasp the edge of the door above her head and push it open, forcing Anna to step back into the room. I scan her when she’s in my sight—from her messy morning hair to the knife and another thing clenched in her fists.

I first cover her knife hand with mine and pry her fingers open. She gives a slight gasp as I relieve her of the weapon and slip it into my pocket. Then I reach for the other hand . . . a torch? Or, rather, flashlight to Americans. It’s hardly big enough to use as a weapon, but I suppose it’s better than her bare hand. I drop it to the floor and close the door behind me, still moving her forward until I have her against the wall. She glances toward the whisperer, then back to me. I have to ignore the hurt and fear in her eyes and get her to focus solely on me.

Her breathing goes a bit ragged as she stares up at me. I remind my body this is not for real, but it responds excitedly all the same. She puts her warm palms on the rise of my chest, and pushes me back with a fierce look in her eyes.

“Back off, son of Pharzuph.”

I feel a wicked smile spread across my face because she’s figured it out and she’s playing along. She’s the most sexy and spectacular creature on earth.

Let’s do this, Anna.

“I’m only here as a precaution,” I tell her. “To be sure our little daughter of Belial is behaving properly.”

It’s vital that she knows what’s at stake and that she trusts me for what’s to come. Anna’s breath hitches and her eyes widen as if she’s frantically searching for something to say.

“I heard you don’t even like Neph girls.”

I laugh and jerk my head to the side, flicking the hair from my eyes. Then I close the space between us. “I don’t. But I’m willing to make sacrifices for the greater evil.”

Don’t show innocence, I want to beg her. Be hard. Be tough. Act like you don’t care.

“So, what are you saying?” she asks with attitude. “The Dukes don’t think I’m working? Is that why they’re sending every Neph to question me and fight me?”

Fight her? I was under the impression she hadn’t had any contact with the other Neph. Bloody hell.

“Just covering all the bases,” I tell her. “They know you’re pushing alcohol, but you weren’t exactly a well-rounded worker at that summit, yeah?”

Her eyes flash with indignant anger. “That was a year and a half ago. I’m very well rounded now.”

“Prove it.”

I press her hard against the wall and slant my mouth over hers. She lets out the tiniest yelp of pain, and I have to stop myself from backing off to see if she’s all right. I wasn’t being gentle, but I also hadn’t been rough enough to hurt her. I move past the awkward pause and focus again on her mouth. Anna’s hands go to my chest. Her nails dig in and grasp my T-shirt. That’s it, Anna.

The side of my body chills like it’s been hit by a cold breeze, and a wet, bubbling sound of ecstasy fills my head. Fucking demon. Anna cringes and I turn to glare at the spirit, who’s right in my face.

“Bit of a turnoff when you do that,” I say through clenched teeth. “Mind shutting up?”

I hope it will back off long enough for us to give a decent show before I attempt to send it away. I take Anna’s warm mouth again, but I’m finding it hard to focus on the charade. I want to savor my girl, and I can’t think like that right now. I have to think of this like a job. Like a random hookup.

I can’t let myself feel for her right now.

I kiss her harder. She doesn’t melt into me like she usually does, but she’s not pushing me away, so I press on. Father’s whisperer is not going to want me to take my time with Anna. I have to get to business.

My shirt comes off first. I’m craving her touch all over my bare skin, but she’s acting sort of stunned by what’s happening. When I reach for the hem of her T-shirt, her arms automatically lock down to her body.

C’mon, Anna . . . trust me.

With a resigned expression, she raises her arms and I tug the shirt over her head, then our bodies are together again. Oh, God. No bra. She’s bare-chested. For the first time, I can feel the soft and taut parts of her touching my own skin. Her arms go around my neck, tight with tension. I release a series of curses in my mind. I want to look down. I know, I’m a pig, but I’m dying to see every bit of her. However, she’s as stiff as a board, so I pretend her naked chest is no big deal to me—not worth checking out.

It’s time to take this to the next level by removing more clothing. I continue to hope Anna won’t throw on the brakes.

Just a bit longer, I want to tell her.

But the biggest part of this show hasn’t even happened yet.

I kiss down her neck to her shoulder and slide my hot hands down her back. My fingers easily push past the elastic of her sleeping shorts, and then her underwear, until I’m cupping her bare arse.

This is the most perfectly fucked-up moment of my life, because having her ass in my hands is heaven, and I should not feel that way right now. My body is so overcome I can’t move. She’s mine and I want her.

Then I remember that my most heavenly moment is being closely scrutinized by a demon.

Still overcome, I manage to say, “Take them off.”

Anna freezes. We don’t look at each other. We have about two seconds to make this look believable—two seconds before she reacts or I rip them off myself.

“You don’t have to be such an ass!” she snaps.

That fiery voice is just what I need to hear. She is livid, but still playing along. Anna will not strip herself, so I will do it for her. A dark part of me is loving every minute of this—thrilled that I will finally be naked with Anna Whitt, even if it won’t lead to sex. I turn her and push her onto the bed, refusing to look at her face as I kneel above her. Before she’s settled I grab the material at her beautiful hips and pull it down her legs.

A single sight catches my eye and puts the dark part of me to rest. There’s a bruise on her thigh, and as I pull her shorts the rest of the way off, I see a series of purple-greenish markings down her calves. I stop breathing. My sweet girl has been injured.

Badly.

Fury burns like heated coals under my skin. Who did this to her?

The whisperer gurgles and flies over us, excited. I can’t stop to demand answers. With great effort I force myself not to stare at her bruises, or her breasts, or . . . well, anywhere.

I move off the bed and stand at the end. She stares hard at me as I unclasp my belt and unbutton my shorts. I’m trying very hard not to look at her body. I want to, desperately, but not like this. However, I’m more than happy to let her see all of me.

It doesn’t happen. As soon as I’m nearly naked, her eyes shift and I’m quite proud to see the look of Neph nonchalance on her face. But I also know her well enough to notice the set of her jaw jutting out—a sign she’s trying not to cry. And behind that glazed expression I can see her hurt, her fear.

I’ve hurt her. I’m scaring her. Does she think I’m going to do this, for real? If she thinks that, I will stab my own damn self with her sword. She has to know I would never force myself on her. Anna’s opinion of me is the only one in the world that matters.

I have to get rid of the damn spirit so I can explain. Just another minute more.

All I have to do now is climb onto the bed with her—breathe—throw a sheet over us—breathe—and pretend. And then it will be over. I won’t let anything happen. I swallow hard and yank the blanket down from underneath her. She scoots back and I put my hands on the bed. Then a knee. Anna’s eyes are on my chest. She knows I’m coming for her, and she’s breathing fast.

I am nearly on top of her when the demon spirit makes a disgusting sound, like something gurgling inside a zombie’s throat. Anna flinches from it, then her eyes light up and she surprises the hell out of me.

“Do you have to be here?” she yells at it. “You’re really distracting.”

“Shut up,” it hisses into our minds, diving forward. “As if I want to be here with you boring Neph!”

Bingo, baby.

“Then leave,” I say in a lazy voice. “We’re almost finished here. Anyway, I think you’d find room 108 far more interesting.”

My heart is pounding. The whisperer goes still. Then moves up and down, pondering. Please, let this work.

“You won’t tell?” it hisses.

“Tell what?” I snap, as if I’m eager to get back to work. “You did what you bloody came to do—you saw me find the girl and assure she’s impure. Your job is done, and I can finish mine much better if you’re not hovering.”

For a horrible moment I imagine it will refuse, then it spins and disappears through the side wall into the hall. Just like that. I stare at that spot forever, because it’s too bloody good to be true. When he doesn’t come back, I fall to my face on the bed beside Anna, screaming into the mattress with relief and tension.

My man parts are crying.

I want Anna so bad. My girl is naked next to me. I didn’t even get a proper glimpse. I want to beg her to let me climb atop her, just for a moment, if I swear not to let it happen, just to have our bare bodies touching. . . .

Anna scrambles under the covers away from me and throws something soft over my bum.

Right. That’s a no.

I look at her face as she stares at the wall in agony, and I can’t take it any longer. I reach a hand over her waist and lay my head in her blanketed lap, breathing in her sweet scent. I have to erase any shred of doubt, fear, or distrust in her mind.

“I would have stopped, Anna. I swear,” I babble with desperation. “I’d die before I took you against your will. Please tell me you believe me.”

Her voice is filled with emotion when she says, “I believe you.”

My head is suddenly too heavy to lift, though I know I should move away from her. Then I feel Anna’s fingers tentatively push into my hair, moving through the strands so tenderly. I cannot move away.

“Get under the covers with me,” Anna whispers. “We need to lie here for a little while in case it comes back.”

Yes. I lift my head and the doubt is gone from her eyes. Only love and concern are there, and I feel myself melt.

Her head tilts and she touches my cheek. “There you are.”

Here I am.

She pulls back the sheet and I move next to her, shielding myself with a pillow. We lay silent, side by side, and I’m trying damn hard not to think about our nakedness. About her waist and hips and thighs and legs . . .

I bolt upright. The bruises!

I take her arm and gently twist it to find fingertip bruises on the soft flesh underneath. The smoking coals beneath my skin reignite with a vengeance.

“Anna . . . ,” I whisper in disbelief as I think about her being hit and kicked. Bright spots soar in my vision. “What. The bloody hell. Happened? Who did this to you?”

“Listen, Kai.” It’s her calming voice, but it’s not working. “I’m all right now, okay?”

No. Not okay at all. Anyone who is capable of putting marks like this on Anna does not deserve to live. “Who?” I demand.

“The sons of Thamuz.”

HolyMaryMotherofGod.

My mouth goes completely dry as I recall the things they did to Marna when she was so young—things that forced her to begin seeing evil whisperers. “What did they do?” I don’t want to hear it, but I need to know. If they raped her and stole her innocence, her power . . . “So help me God—”

“Nothing!” she assures me, grabbing my arm. She sounds as if she means it, and I try to calm my breathing. “They tried to take me, but I fought. And . . . Kope showed up.”

I’m sorry, what? “Kope?”

Her eyes dart about like she wants to run. “Yeah. Um. I figured it might be safe to call him for information. I didn’t ask him to come. I didn’t have any idea the sons of Thamuz were going to attack me. I was only planning to meet with the son of Shax to see if he was an ally. But I guess Kope was worried and came to make sure I was okay, and he showed up just in time. He went sort of crazy and beat the crap out of them.”

I can see the worry on her face, that I might get jealous, but I’m not jealous of Kope anymore. I know there’s nothing between them except friendship. However, my foolish pride makes me hate the fact that she had to ring another person for help while I had no clue what was happening. And I hate that Anna charges into these dangerous situations with no thought for her safety. She’s still too trusting.

I rub my face hard as exhaustion hits me.

“I can’t . . . I just . . . Anna, swear you’ll never engage another Neph like that. You’re bloody lucky Kope showed! God, what would I do? Look at you!” I move her hair aside and look at her back.

Her shoulder blade is swollen and purpled. I want to vomit, remembering how she’d yelped when I pushed her against the wall. “I’d no clue you were injured. I was too rough. . . .”

She takes my hand and angles herself so I can’t see it. “I’m okay. I swear. You had to be rough. It was more convincing that way.”

But I don’t hear her. I’m too busy picturing the evil sons of the Duke of Murder manhandling her. “I’ll kill them.”

Anna shushes me and pulls me back down until we’re lying close, facing each other.

“If it makes you feel any better,” she says, “I zapped one of them pretty good.”

“You did what?”

She points at the torch on the ground by the door. “It’s a stun gun.”

I chuckle at the thought of this, and Anna gives a small smile. We can’t stay in this hotel room long, but for now, Anna is safe, and Kope nearly beat the sons of Thamuz to death. I let myself picture it, and I feel a bit better.

We dodged a bullet tonight, but we’re not out of the dark yet. What happened tonight was only a temporary fix on a major problem. Father and the others will come looking for Anna eventually, and when they do, the true darkness will show itself. For now, I will hold her close.