The Bastard (26 page)

Although his Chiefs were powerful, they had lost some of their gifts when the Creator cast them from Paradise. He alone could hear the difference in her blood song. The sweet melody of Holy blood pumping in Lacy’s body was a precious secret he kept. She was
his
Scionim and his alone. He would share her with no one, not even his Chiefs.

Ruefully, he realized he’d made an error when he sent the Soul-Leeches after her. He’d wanted her alive, just dazed enough to not cause problems as they carried her to him. It would have worked if he’d factored in the Forsaken. Damn, he hated those bastards. Always taking what he’d stolen and generally being a thorn in his ass-crack. Why wouldn’t they die off already? One of his greatest wishes was to have all of them reduced to dust with Sela on her knees before him. He bet she gave great head. She’d been with Michael long enough and there was no bigger dickhead in the universe.

They’d found his oldest stash, the one beneath the sacred Jerusalem mount. A laugh echoed back to him. He’d have paid to see Sela’s face when she realized there were no Scion there. He was always one step ahead of the Vangeli and always would be. The Forsaken had claimed some soul-dust but no pearls. Those belonged to him, as Lacy Cooper would soon be his for eternity.

His phone rang out with INXS’ ‘Devil Inside’. His eyes narrowed. Ramiel, his Chief Enforcer, never called him unless… His heart raced.

“Remy?”

“We’re ready, Master.”

“Where?” His body quivered in eagerness.

“Cairo.”

“How many?”

Remy’s grin was loud in his voice. “Nine. I’ve been busy this decade.”

Nine. Nine more Scion who’d broken under Ramiel’s sadistic thumb, who begged for mercy and vowed to obey Samael’s every command. An irritating holdover from their heavenly ancestors, Scion were stubbornly hard to crack. But once they made that vow, he owned them. A few years and they would be well trained Minions in his army.

“You’ve done well and will be rewarded for your service.”

“My only wish is your pleasure, Master.”

As it should be.
Sam grinned. “But…”

Remy coughed, a sound others might mistake for shyness but Sam knew better. Remy’s deviant sexual tastes paled only to his own. “It has been a long time since we’ve celebrated together.”

Remy’s version of celebrating made orgies look like Sunday school brunches. The Fallen Vangeli definitely knew how to party. A wave of Sam’s hand resealed the hidden cavern in the mountains of Jordan. Anticipation quickened his steps as he left the forgotten Crusader’s Chapel near Karak. The ancient stronghold was in ruins but beneath the ground, a treasure worth more than gold slept. His mood was light, secure that his watchdogs, the lowest of Soul-Leeches, guarded his cache.

“I’ll be there by morning. Make the arrangements.”

Remy nearly panted. “May I bring in the dogs? And perhaps a calf or two? It has been centuries and the animal squeals are so much more…intense than the women.”

“All right. Just don’t forget the KY. That last goat rubbed my dick raw.”

Sam Leaped into London and slid behind the wheel of his company BMW. He dropped his cell into the center console and checked his hair in the rear view mirror. The blond was liberally streaked with sun and his tan just dark enough to make his eyes shine. Vanity lifted his chin. Despite everything, his maker had done marvelous work in designing him.

The phone chirped with an incoming text and his teeth snapped closed. He really had to hand-off the business. The money thing was cutting into his pleasures. Jerking the phone up, he glared at the screen. Galina was determined to win back her favored spot.

“Master, LC is at her sister’s house. Forsaken guard but I watch and will deliver. Forever yours, G.”

He snapped out a fast reply.
“You have less than twenty days left. Do not fail me or I’ll dance in your ashes while screwing that bitch kid of yours.”

Heat filled his mouth as he growled, wishing he truly did possess her daughter’s pristine soul. It’d be the perfect, ultimate torture. Unfortunately, he didn’t have the power to claim the innocent souls of children. But she didn’t know that. His weaknesses were few and those who knew them even fewer. Just the way he liked it.

“He’s a dick, a giant — no, a teeny, itty-bitty, needle dick.”

Annie was a pissed-off cub aching to protect her mama bear. The role reversal was startling but Lacy was just buzzed enough that she didn’t care. Dray had insisted on stopping for liquor, shoving the bottle of Jack Daniel’s at her like an order. She’d made him buy Coke and he laughed, calling her a lightweight. She tipped the Jack and Coke to her lips, swallowing more alcohol to deaden the pain.

“I should have known. Things seemed too good.”

The alcohol burned her throat but she forced more down, praying for a numbing fog that would whisk the ache away. Erik spent long hours closed off with Sela during ‘planning sessions’ but there were always other Forsaken with them. Unless there was a massive orgy going on, she doubted there’d been any sex during those times. But then she’d bought his security team story hook, line and sinker. She was the world’s biggest, most gullible idiot.

“He…all of them, they’re not exactly legal.”

Annie frowned. “What’d you mean?”

“They say they’re a security firm, but they aren’t. I think they’re like drug lords or mob or something.”

Annie’s mouth formed into a perfect O. “It’s a good thing you found out he’s a scumbag before you got involved with him anymore.”

“Yeah.” Heartache lodged in her chest and stole her breath. “I was falling in love with him.”

“No, you weren’t.” Annie gripped her hand. “It was like Stockholm Syndrome or something. You’re a better judge of character than that. There’s no way you’d fall in love with an asshole.”

A wet exhale substituted her laugh. “I wish that was true.”

“It is.” Annie nodded as if simply her words could make it so. “You lost your job, your friends, everything. You were vulnerable and Erik swooped in and whisked you off your feet. You’re just confused. You don’t love him.”

“What if I do?”

Pity darkened her sister’s eyes. “Then you cry it out and move on. He doesn’t deserve you.”

Permission was too much and Lacy’s vision filled with tears. She sucked them back and swallowed a healthy swig of alcohol. How could losing him hurt so much when she never really had him? They’d never said the dreaded L word, never talked about a future, never planned for what happened after the bad guys lost interest in her. Her chin quivered. She’d swallowed every lie he’d shoved at her like it was ice cream, licked her lips and begged for more. She was such a fool. She’d been wrapped up in playing house and forgotten that any dream built on nothing collapsed.

“Men are dogs,” Annie grumped. She flopped back on the couch and sipped her diet soda. “All the good ones are married or gay or still live with Mommy.”

Lacy grimaced. “Caleb?”

Her sister rolled her eyes. “That’s the last blind date I go on. I swear he spent the entire night telling me what ‘Mother’ would have preferred for an appetizer or what ‘Mother’ would have ordered as an entrée. I wonder if ‘Mother’ knows her baby boy tried to shove his hand up my skirt over dessert.”

A scraping noise interrupted Lacy’s snicker. Her heart lunged into her throat. Annie’s head cocked, listening. “That sounded like the bedroom window.”

“It’s probably just Dray,” Lacy murmured, mentally crossing her fingers. He’d made several trips around the house, once even tapping on the window and waving. She tensed, waiting for another sound. A hard knock made her jump.

“That man is gorgeous but annoying as hell.” Annie crossed to the door and swung it open. Her hands clenched. “No way. You either have balls of steel or you’re stupid as shit.”

“Balls of steel.” Erik shoved her aside and strode into the room.

Lacy surged to her unsteady feet. “Get out or I’m calling the police.”

He snatched her phone, shoving it in his pocket. “We need to go home, Lace.”

Lace
. How dare he call her that now? She seethed, chest heaving, face hot with livid indignation. He looked colder than she’d ever seen him, no softness to his mouth, no mercy in his eyes. There was no begging for forgiveness, no pleading it had been a misunderstanding, no asking to explain.

She was finished. “Annie, call the police.”

Her sister moved toward the house phone. Rex darted from the kitchen and plucked the phone from her hand, throwing it against the wall. It shattered, sending sharp bits of plastic shrapnel flying.

Erik’s hands clamped on Lacy’s arms like bands of steel. “Time to leave, Lace.”

She hit him. Balling her fist, she swung as hard as she could at his jaw. His chin flew up and a soft
oof
sounded, but his fingers tightened on her arm. Her head snapped back as he shook her. “I said we’re leaving.”

Annie flung herself toward them but Rex grabbed her around the waist. “Slow down there, sweetheart.”

She twisted and kneed him in the balls. Rex dropped her, falling to his knees. Annie tore toward the bedroom and her cell. Dray caught her inside the door. He palmed her ass, hefting her and tossing her onto the bed. He casually walked into the living room and lobbed her cell behind the couch. Bounding off the bed, Annie launched herself and landed on his back, her nails digging into his neck. Her teeth sank into his ear.

“God, I love a biter.” Dray chuckled. He turned and slammed backward into the wall, knocking Annie from his shoulders. She crumpled to the ground.

The icy fury on Erik’s face scared Lacy. She didn’t know this man. Preservation instinct kicked in. Her feet shot out, her hands slapped at him and she screamed the loudest scream she could. Every attention-grabbing word she could summon ripped from her lips.
Fire! Rape! Help! Police!

A hand she knew could be gentle fisted in her hair with a punishing grip. Wet fabric smelling of medicine slapped across her face. The too-sweet taste gagged her. She struggled for breath as her mind quivered in shock. Erik was drugging her.

Her muscles went slack. In the last seconds, as her mind began to dim, Lacy locked her eyes on his and tried to relay one basic message.

I hate you.

Lacy slumped, a dead weight in his arms. He swung her legs up, cradling her to his chest and looked over. Rex pulled the cloth away from Annie’s face and stood. Dray was crouched over, cupping his crotch.

“You get kicked, too?”

Dray moaned. “No. I moved too fast. Jesus. How do those super heroes do this shit in leather pants? They’ve got to have tiny dicks. I think I pinched my nuts off.”

“What do we do with her?” Rex motioned toward Annie.

Curled against the wall, her eyes closed and breathing regular, Annie was fine but out cold. Vike nudged his chin toward the couch. “Put her there and let’s get out of here.”

“She’ll call the cops,” Dray warned.

“She can call Dateline for all I care.”

Rex unceremoniously scooped Annie up and plopped her face down on the couch. “Bitch kicked me.”

“You’ll live.” Vike shifted Lacy into a more comfortable position and headed for the back door. Someone was still watching, he could feel them. Danger was too close for comfort.

Rex would live and so would he. They’d mortgaged their souls eons ago. He’d experienced mortal wounds for a thousand years yet his heart still beat. But no sleep could heal his heart as it crumbled. His eyes closed, breathing in the quiet stillness of Lacy in his arms. Her breath was warm against his neck, tinged with whiskey and the sickening sweetness of chloroform. She would hate him now, but she’d be alive. That’s what mattered.

“We driving or Leaping?” Dray asked.

“I’m Leaping. Don’t know how outdated that bottle was and I don’t want her waking up until I get her tied up.”

“You’re tying her up?” Rex blinked in confusion. “Why? She can’t get out of H2Q.”

“Yeah, but after what she did to my truck and my chin, I’d rather not end up with my own knife in my throat.”

“Okay, good point. But she’s going to be madder than a hooker with the clap.”

Vike’s mouth twisted. “Trust me, I know all about pissed off women.”

“I’ve got some new wrist restraints, velvet-lined leather, if you want to borrow them. I might even have a ball gag or two still in the package.” Vike and Rex stopped and stared. Dray rolled his eyes. “Shut up. You have your hobbies and I have mine. You want the shit or not?”

Chapter Fourteen

He watched from the shadows across the street. Zale’s lip curled. Lacy was more trouble than she was worth. Sela had forbidden them to kill her so protect her they must, but he didn’t have to like it. And Vike had to be an idiot and fall for her. He couldn’t just enjoy her in his bed and let her go. He’d given his heart and that went too far. Cold warriors had nothing to lose, nothing to live for. Their minds and focus were fixated on the goal, not distracted by leaving someone behind.

Vike and Dray dematerialized in a blink and Rex spun the sedan’s tires on the pavement. Zale’s gaze darted up and down the quiet road. Only one Leech lurked that he could feel but it paid to be cautious. His boots made no sound on the asphalt as he crossed the street. The porch light was off and the railing sturdy enough to vault. He landed in a silent crouch, listening, waiting. No noise came from inside, not even the ceaseless drone of the TV. He peeked in the window and scowled.

The sister lay belly down on the couch, her nightshirt bunched around her thighs, bare legs bent at an awkward angle. Dark brown hair covered her face. No blood soaked the cushions that he could see but he couldn’t tell from outside. Checking for human observers, he stood and tried the doorknob. Unlocked.

A scuffle had occurred. The lamp was knocked over and bits of a cordless phone littered the carpet. She didn’t move as he approached but her back rose gently with her breath. The open liquor bottle and spilled glass on the end table explained why. She was drunk.