Shades of Darkness (Redemption Series) (44 page)

Her stomach lurched at the thought and she almost had to join Mitch at the throne. Good Lord, her life was a mess. More than anything, she wanted to be with Liam right now, to tell him she was sorry for yelling at him, sorry for everything she’d ever done wrong—

“…shirt,” Mitch slurred.

“What?”

“Will you pull off my shirt?”

“I suppose,” she huffed, guiding him a few steps to the left. Olivia took his hand off her waist and placed it on the towel rack. “Hang onto this. And don’t fall on me. There’s a seat in the shower, so make sure you use it.”

He clumsily pulled out of his shirt and gave her a devilish grin. “What about the pants?”

“I think you can manage them one handed, Mitch. Just hang onto the shower bar getting in and out. Here’s a robe. Sorry it’s damp, but it’ll have to do.”

He didn’t even wait for her to turn her back before unbuttoning his jeans. Olivia sighed in frustration and spun around, leaving him standing there to wrangle out of his pants. On her way out the door, she flushed the toilet, hopefully sending a burst of even colder water surging through the pipes. She walked over to the bed to wait, wanting to stay close enough to hear the crash if he fell. Seconds later, a yowl, followed by a colorful curse, echoed from the bathroom, and she giggled.

“Olivia! This water is freezing!”

Grinning with petty delight, Olivia plopped down on the bed, tucking her arms beneath her head, and crossed her legs at the ankles. She didn’t want to get too comfortable and risk falling asleep while she waited. She slept like the dead, especially when she was tired. It was late and she was exhausted. Her body ached with fatigue and her eyelids grew heavier with each passing second of the clock ticking from the living room like a distant lullaby.

Hopefully, the shower would sober Mitch up enough to send him packing before Liam got back from—wherever he was. He’d been gone over two hours, and she was starting to get worried.

***

Liam dragged in another breath of crisp night air, hoping to clear his head and scent the sulfurous stench of his enemies. He’d searched for hours and there was still no sign of Cale or Rhen. He wanted to end this—needed to end this, for his own sanity’s sake.

Seeing Mitch tonight had rocked his reality boat more than he wanted to admit. If he hadn’t left when he did, he sure as hell would have knocked the bastard out. It’d gone against every alpha male instinct inside him to leave Olivia there with him—but they needed to talk. And he owed it to Olivia to give her the space to end things with Mitch without having his presence rubbing their failed relationship in the guy’s face.

Olivia didn’t need that. She didn’t need her guardian acting like some jealous-crazed lover, especially when that was the poison fueling his veins right now. He needed to get his shit together and stop this paradoxical behavior. He knew he couldn’t stay, couldn’t have her. Yet, every instinct inside him fought to hold onto her. The tug-of-war was tearing him apart. He should be unshakably focused and on his game, not distracted and warring within himself. He was his own worst enemy and a far greater threat to this mission than Cale and Rhen were.

If only he could find those bastards and end this! But right now, the only POS he could sense was Haden, and that tool was hands off. Of course, he would know where the demons were, and with a little fist-to-face persuasion, he could probably sweet-talk the info out of him and blow off some steam at the same time. Right now, he felt like a pressure cooker and his release valve was stuck shut.

Bearing east, he headed for Lake Superior and found Haden sitting on a bench not far from the resort he’d checked Olivia into. The only light available this late at night was the moon’s reflection off the water. It didn’t reach beyond the waves lapping the shoreline, not that he needed it to see clearly.

“I was wondering when you’d come,” Haden called as he approached.

Liam scowled. “I made no sound. How did you know I was here?”

“You truly do underestimate my gifts, don’t you?” he scoffed with a humorless laugh.

“Are you trying to impress me?”

“Hardly, though I do think it wise to know one’s enemy. Yet you’ve failed to know me. They’re not here, by the way—Cale and Rhen. That’s why you can’t find them. Or did you think that you, the mighty warrior, were slipping?”

He rounded the bench and found Haden kicked back in a lax sprawl, looking like he hadn’t a care in the world.

“Sit down, will ya? You’re blocking my view.” Haden nodded to the empty seat beside him.

The last thing Liam wanted to do was make nice with the Nephilim. But he got the impression Haden was feeling particularly chatty, and it might save time to take a seat and listen rather than pummel the information out of him, albeit not as much fun. But it’d be dawn soon, and he was running out of time. The pull to get back to Olivia grew stronger with each passing minute. He refused to think about the torture every second of every day was going to be once he went home. Now wasn’t the time for added distractions.

Liam sat beside him, mirroring Haden’s forward-facing position. A lift bridge was rising to the south, making way for the passing iron ore ship creeping by at a snail’s pace. “Where are they?”

Haden chuckled. “Come now, you didn’t really believe I’d make it that easy for you, did you? I already handed you Rowen on a silver platter. I won’t make Cale and Rhen so easy. Of course, you could always go to Sheol and drag them out, but I think it only fair to warn you that no warrior, not even a Ronnin, has entered Sheol and survived.”

“You didn’t hand me shit, Haden. I killed Rowen, and I would have killed you, too, if you wouldn’t have been waving your humanity around like a white flag—”

Haden impatiently waved his hand. “Tomato, tomotto. Let’s cut to the chase, shall we? You’re starting to bore me. So here’s the DL, Liam. I am willing to do you the very gracious favor of getting Mitch out of Olivia’s life—for good.” He leaned toward Liam as if he were about to whisper a secret and said, “I think we both agree he’s real douche bag material. Olivia’s way too good for him. Honestly, I can’t believe you let that go on as long as you did. But who am I to judge?” He leaned back, raising his hands defensively.

Not that Liam considered it for even a minute, but he still found himself asking, “Out of her life for good, how?”

Haden shrugged. “I’ll kill him, of course. Honestly, it’ll be my pleasure, and think of the benefit. Mitch will never bother Olivia again, and you get to keep your precious wings from getting soiled.”

“You do realize that in the eyes of the High Court, conspiracy to commit murder is the same as actually doing it yourself, right?”

“Oh, please, just turn the other cheek.”

“That’s not what that scripture means.” Liam leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees, and scrubbed his hands over his face, digging deep for patience. He had one of two options here, fist-pound the guy or play along with this bat-shit crazy Nephilim. Unfortunately, option two seemed the most likely way he was going to get his answers.

Haden chuckled. “Got you thinkin’ about it, though, didn’t I?”

“And you want
what
in return?”

“The stone, of course.”

“I don’t suppose you’re going to tell me why you want it so badly.”

Haden shook his head. “Sorry. Let’s just say I’ve got a few power players on my shit list and I need it to wipe the slate clean.”

“I can’t give you the stone, Haden, and Olivia doesn’t have it anymore. She doesn’t know where I’ve hidden it, either, so don’t even bother trying to get her to tell you.” That was true. Olivia didn’t know where the stone was inside the Grotto. It concerned him when Haden showed no response to his declaration, and then he realized why. The bastard didn’t believe him. He turned to face his enemy and said, “Look at me, Haden. I’m going to tell you something, and I rarely ever talk about myself, so listen up.”

Now, this got Haden’s attention. A tawny brow shot up as he cocked his head, pinning Liam with those hateful pale green eyes.

“I can’t lie.”

Haden laughed, looking truly amused, which hadn’t been Liam’s intention. He resisted the impulse to drill that bastard right in his smug face. “I’m not kidding, Haden. Ask me something you know I wouldn’t tell you.”

His grin widened. “Now this is going to be fun.”

“I’m not trying to amuse you.”

“Why
are
you doing this?”

“So that when I tell you what I have to say, there won’t be any doubt in your wacked-out mind that I’m telling the truth.”

“Fair enough.” He tipped his head back and closed his eyes as if thinking hard. “Umm… All right, I got one.” There was something unsettling in Haden’s eyes when he looked back at Liam and asked, “Are you in love with your mortal?”

He didn’t even hesitate. “Yes.”

“Do you realize the damage I could do with that information?”

“Yep. And do you realize the damage I
will
do to you if you tried? Just because I can’t kill you doesn’t mean I won’t make you wish I could. Now, listen up. Olivia doesn’t know where the stone is, and if you don’t stay away from her, I will violate Universal Law and I will destroy you.”

“You’d fall for her?”

It irritated him that Haden looked so amused by the prospect. “I did it once. I would do it again.”

“Now,
that
is a story I’d love to hear.”

“Too bad, I’m not telling it.”

“Maybe another time, then… I tell you what, in the spirit of honesty, I’ll lay a little bit of truth on you, Warrior. Mitch is pissed off as hell that you’ve stolen his woman, and he wants you dead. I’d even go as far as to bet he’d make a deal with the devil himself to see that happen. You may want to rethink my offer before all this goes down. Oh, and by the way, he spent the night with your female.”

Chapter Thirty-Seven

Thwap!
Olivia’s eyes shot open and she sucked in a startled breath against the weight on her chest. Disoriented from sleep, she looked down to see an arm flopped across her breasts. Following the appendage, her hand flew up, muffling her startled gasp.
Holy shit!

Lying beside her on the bed was Mitch—completely naked and passed out in a spread-eagle sprawl. How could she have fallen asleep? How could she have slept through Mitch climbing in bed with her? What time was it?
Oh no, Liam!

Olivia leapt out of bed and stumbled back a few steps. Mitch didn’t move—not even an inch. He was completely dead to the world. “Mitch!” she hissed, “wake up!”

Nothing.

“Mitch!” She tip-toed around to his side of the bed and poked him in the foot with her toe. “Mitch, you’ve gotta wake up before Liam gets back!”

“He’s already back.”

The echoing response from the doorway stopped Olivia’s heart cold.
Oh God, no!
She knew how bad this looked. Spinning around, she saw Liam turn and walk away, his brisk clip marching right toward the door. “Liam, wait!”

He didn’t stop, didn’t look back. Olivia ran after him, her heart slamming inside her chest—dread choking her. She caught ahold of his wrist as he reached the door and jerked him to a stop. That was a mistake. Searing heat scalded her palm and she bit her bottom lip to keep from crying out.

He shook her hand loose and growled, “Don’t touch me, Olivia.” His voice rumbled with barely controlled rage, making the fine hairs on the back of her neck prickle. She wondered if he said it to warn her she would get hurt, or if he truly didn’t want her touching him. The amethyst glow of his preternatural glare hinted the latter might possibly be the case.

“This isn’t what it looks like,” she pleaded.

“Really? Because it looks like your fiancé is lying naked in our bed!”

She’d never seen Liam so pissed. Not that she could blame him. She knew it looked terrible, but yet a part of her was heartbroken that, despite what it looked like, he didn’t trust her—didn’t believe her. “He’s not my fiancé!” She reached for him again, and he effortlessly dodged her touch.

“Does
he
know that, Olivia? Somehow, I’m going to guess that answer is no.”

“I didn’t sleep with Mitch, if that’s what you’re thinking.”

“Do you want to know what I’m thinking, Olivia?”

Suddenly she wasn’t so sure that she did.

“I can’t do this anymore—”

“Liam…” She couldn’t breathe.

“I’m not any good to you like this, Olivia. When Haden offered to kill Mitch,
I
shouldn’t be considering it.”

“Did you?—consider it?”

“Not until about two minutes ago, but now I think it’s a bloody good idea! Look, I can’t keep you safe and be caught up in the middle of this—”

“What are you saying?” Olivia feared she knew. Tears stung her eyes as she tried to hold it together. Liam looked over her head, refusing to meet her pleading gaze. She could tell the moment his eyes locked on Mitch, because the jade color surged forth, competing with the amethyst hue of his rage.

“If you want to be with him, then be with him. If you don’t, then for crissake, tell him. Either way, it’s none of my business. I’m your guardian, Olivia, not your lover. You don’t owe me any explanations.”

His words stung like a slap across her face. In a knee-jerk response, she slapped him back, her hand cracking across his cheek. He didn’t even try to deflect the hit, which only made her pain and anger burn hotter. “Get out!” she yelled, pointing to the door.

And to her horror—he did! Liam turned around and marched out the door without looking back. As if caught up in the gust of his departure, it slammed shut with a loud
bang
, cutting her off from him.

“Sounds like that didn’t go well.”

Olivia spun around to find Mitch standing in the doorway of the bedroom, arms crossed against his chest. He wore only a towel wrapped loosely around his waist. The corner was carelessly tucked against his hip. Any sudden movement and the white terry cloth would be lying on the floor. The smug, cocky grin painted across his face was her undoing. Where she once saw an attractive, charming man with a well-conditioned body and equally sharp mind, she now saw a manipulative, arrogant, deceitful jerk. In the space of five seconds, Olivia completely lost it.