Five hours, thirty-seven minutes. This waiting shit was wearing his last nerve, and he was pretty damn sure he only had one left.
“Your book collection had a surprising number of works on the subject of psychopathy.” Michelene shifted the hand lying on his lap, her cheek grazing the outline of his dick. She had one such book dangling in her hand.
Looking down at her lying on the couch like they didn’t have a care in the world, Azriel had to smile. She was gorgeous. Wearing a lightweight white sundress, with the afternoon sun shining on her flawless skin, she looked almost otherworldly. He could see how a man might become obsessed with her. He damned sure was.
“I sought to understand myself better.” Unwilling to keep anything from her, he answered honestly.
Five hours, forty minutes.
“People with a psychotic obsession are unable to control their need, whatever that need might be, according to this book by a Dr. Reginald Baker.”
Azriel frowned. She was trying to tell him something. “And?”
“And, they will come,” she said simply. “Father Emmanuel is obsessed with me for some unknowable reason. My mother is obsessed with control, power, and getting her way.” Reaching up, her small hand caressed his cheek. A casual gesture of affection, but to him it felt precious. “They will come. And Pierre will come because he thinks he owes me something. Each of them is driven by an obsessive need of some kind, so they will come. Stop counting minutes.”
All he could do was smile at that. His little miracle. Just like that, his body relaxed, tension flowing out of him as if it were being carried away by the tides outside. All it took was some simple casual touch, affection given so freely and honestly. And how quickly he’d come to need that from his bewitching mixture of woman, child, brat and minx. Everything about her was addicting. Now he finally understood why men would do anything for a woman. It was like he’d waited his entire life to be woken up by her kiss. And he should fucking hate being that sappy guy. Instead he wondered how he had lived without this for so long.
“You are life to me.” He hadn’t meant to say those words, but it was true. She was the thing that kept him tethered to life. He’d never realized how disturbingly close he’d been to slipping into the darkness never to return.
“And you are everything to me.” Sitting up as she said it, she straddled his lap and took his face between her hands. “You know that, right? You are more than I ever hoped to have, more than I could dream of. I love you, you know?”
“Yes, baby, I know.” And it felt damn good. She felt so damn good.
Just as he was about to kiss her, the outer perimeter alarm went off.
***
Finally, she was there! Weeks scouring for any information he could find had led him back here, and at long last his diligence had paid off. Seth was so sure of himself, there weren’t any guards outside the place, no hidden traps. It was so easy to sneak up close. The place may have had loads of floor-to-ceiling windows, especially the side facing the beach, but the side facing the road barely had any. There was a security system on the front door, but it wasn’t as intricate as one would think a hitman would have. Emmanuel knew that because he’d already broken in to case the place several times before Seth’s return. All he had to do now was avoid the few motion detectors along the long, curving driveway that led to the house from the road.
Easy enough. They reset automatically as soon as a small movement like those made by small animals faded. That was why he’d gotten a few frogs from a pet store. Working his way close he let a couple go at a time, then darted to just before the next set of sensors all the way to the door. He knew he wouldn’t need Rico’s men; that was why he’d ditched them over a hundred miles back. It’d been thoughtful of his cousin to provide the five rough-looking men, but he thought they might scare Michelene. Sneaking away from them had been child’s play. They were probably looking for him even now.
His angel was in that house, and nothing was going to keep him from her. There was no way she was in there with Seth by choice. Never would he believe that. Oh, she may have looked content laying on the sofa with that monster. Emmanuel had watched for a while before he’d approached. Somehow Seth was controlling her, making her appear as if she was content. Michelene was a good girl; she’d always been biddable. Sooner or later she would’ve found a way to fight Seth, just like she’d fought her father. But this time, he would be brave and free her himself, like he should’ve done years ago.
How right his angel had been to baptize herself in the blood of that monster who had sired her. And she’d tried to do it again with that she-wolf of a mother. That proved she was righteous, pure. Even as a child she had eased his sickness because she was blessed, touched by heaven. God sent her to him to free him of those horrific demons that hounded him, made him do horrible things. It was destiny. The entire time he’d been her confessor, he hadn’t felt the need to touch those tempting young vixens.
But then that bitch May had banished him from her. The urges returned even worse than before. For years, he had drowned in his sickness. With each passing year it had gotten worse. There was no way to fight it. Then out of nowhere he’d found her again. She’d walked right past him as he worked in a homeless shelter in that godawful neighborhood. How he’d ached to take her right then! But he’d had no place to bring her. Noplace where they could be alone. There’d been no choice but to work for his cousin until he had enough money to make a place good enough for her. But Seth had stepped in right before he was ready. The hitman had ruined everything!
That was going to be set right today. It was hard not to giggle as he disabled the alarm. The passcode entry was so easy to bypass. Nothing so simple would keep him away now. So close. So very close.
***
Azriel Seth. What an amazing turn of events. Her little girl had captured herself quite an asset. May was positively giddy as she followed the poor, demented priest. To think she’d almost wasted what she thought was a worthless daughter on a Columbian drug lord just to ensure supply. But her daughter had proven herself to be far from worthless. Instead of the sweet, biddable simpleton May thought she had on her hands, she’d spawned a siren who’d lured a far greater asset into her web.
“Do you want us to go in with the freak?” One of her men interrupted her delicious daydreams.
What was his name? The man had been a quick replacement for Munoz, who’d disappeared without word or warning. Her son probably had a hand in that, but she couldn’t be sure, and no one else seemed to know. Too bad this one wasn’t as good in bed as Munoz had been. Probably the reason she couldn’t remember his name.
“No.” She didn’t like to be questioned, but there were bigger matters at hand. “We’ll wait for Seth to kill the irritating gnat. Twenty minutes should be about enough time.” Eyes trained on the thin, demented priest slipping into the house, she started a mental countdown. Only a fool would think it was that easy to get the jump on a trained assassin. And there was no fool quite like a crazy fool. While Seth was busy with the priest, they would stroll right in and have a reasonable talk. Seth wanted her daughter? Well, then, he was going to have to give her his services exclusively. Otherwise, she’d snatch the little bitch out of his grasp. Now she knew the calibre of men she could lure with her daughter, there were a host of other men who’d probably give her a hell of a lot more than Rico Cruz.
Soon, May would have everything she was entitled to and the prospect of an heir much more easier to mold than her obstinate son. Her empire would expand, as well it should. Pierre would be livid when she informed him Michelene would be her second now, but the boy just couldn’t be controlled. He never could, which was why he’d had to be sent away so much. Besides, as a female, how could she ever trust Pierre? Men were never to be trusted.
Maybe she wouldn’t even punish Michelene for trying to knife her. Originally, she had planned on having the bitch taken down a peg or two, but if Seth agreed to her terms, she might overlook her daughter’s past transgression. As much as May hated to admit it, Michelene had gained her respect. She hadn’t seen the girl’s potential. But she saw it very clearly now.
***
Almost all the players were in place. Pierre watched Father Emmanuel sneak into the house, watched his mother and the pathetically small group of men she’d brought with her. Both parties completely unaware they were waltzing into a trap. He had to admit, Azriel was a master at planning.
“Approach from the back of the house as soon as you see May’s men move,” he ordered his men via walkie talkie. He’d brought twenty-five hand-picked, battle-scarred men completely loyal to him. Unlike May, his men couldn’t prove their loyalty by sleeping with him. They had to bleed for him. It would overwhelm the five May had brought. The five the priest had been supposed to have with him had been killed before they could leave the city.
“As soon as May is in the house, I want her men taken out,” Pierre went on. “Don’t go in unless I instruct you to.”
It didn’t matter that they were loyal, the fewer witnesses to what would go on inside, the better.
Seth would take care of the priest, but Pierre was determined to make damn sure May didn’t get her claws on his sister. Although he’d sworn to Seth he would let Michelene take care of May, he was fully prepared to do it himself should the need arise. And of course it went without saying her man-whores were dead.
Fear had been a constant for so long, it was was easy for Michelene not to show it. Living in a world full of monsters, you couldn’t show you were afraid. Especially when you’re alone, and most of her life she’d been so very alone. With the few exceptions when Pierre was around, there had been no one to hide behind. Now she literally had an army of one. And her army allowed no fear. He may have been full of anticipatory tension before the first set of alarms went off, but at the sound of the small beeping signal, Azriel had been all business.
“LIE here on the the sofa,” he instructed, jumping to his feet with the grace of a jungle cat. He handed her a semi-automatic GP9, already loaded. “If he manages to get close, shoot him in the kneecaps, just like I told you. If I am not a few seconds behind, shoot him between the eyes, understand?”
Not waiting for her to answer, he slipped away on silent feet. Fear was there, but certainty overruled it. While it was appealing to curl up into a little ball and hide, it would do her no good. Pretending to be engrossed in the book she held, she concentrated on taking deep, calming breaths.
Soon, this would all be over and her life could really begin.
***
A crazed priest wasn’t much of a challenge. The deluded man actually believed he’d bypassed Azriel’s security alarms. Of course, Azriel’d gone to great lengths to make it appear that way. Even though he knew he wasn’t dealing with a criminal mastermind, it was more than a little insulting the man actually believed it would be this easy to break into one of his homes. The beach house was exposed for the most part, so most of his alarms were buried under the sand. There were sensors under the driveway, cameras hidden in the shrubs. Azriel knew each time the priest had been in the house, he knew which room the man had been in, knew where May was, knew where her men were. Though he would take nothing for granted, it boggled his mind how impressed they both were at their own intelligence, when really they were being quite stupid.
Hugging the walls, Azriel crept toward where the priest would be. The priest was so focused on getting to Michelene, he didn’t notice the amount of noise he was making. Nor was he checking the hallways he passed in his single-minded goal to get to the back sunroom where she waited. Slipping behind him was simple. Emmanuel didn’t hear him, didn’t sense him. In one quick strike, Azriel snatched a hand that was holding a syringe, pressing mercilessly inside the wrist until the priest’s fingers let go. His opposite arm went around the much smaller man’s throat, applying just the right amount of pressure. Too much and this would be over way too quickly. Azriel had no intention of letting him escape so easily. Emmanuel was unable to draw in enough air. In this cold, steady fashion, Azriel kept him immobile until the priest’s body went lax. Just to be sure the loss of consciousness wasn’t feigned, Azriel remained in that position a few moments more, though he eased the pressure on the priest’s neck somewhat.
Finally, Azriel pulled out the ties he’d had in his pocket to secure the priest hand and foot. Heaving the thin man over his shoulder, he made his way back to Michelene. He calculated he had about fifteen minutes before May would come in. Then the fun could really begin.
***
There was no sound of gunshots, no sounds of a fight. Either Emmanuel had pulled off a major miracle or Seth had made quick work of him. There was just no scenario in which May could imagine the priest getting the upper hand, so Seth must’ve killed him. That was rather hot. Perhaps she might manage to get him to see the glories of a mature woman over the charms of her daughter.
“We’re going in now,” she snapped to her men, jumping out of the SUV. “All of you go around to the back. I’m going in the front.” After all, she was just a concerned mother here to see about the well being of her child. Seth had no reason to see her as a threat.
“By yourself?” The same bold man who’d questioned her earlier did it again now. What the hell was this man?
“I’m going through the front,” May reiterated pointedly and forcefully. “I don’t have any need of an escort, boy. I’ve been doing this kind of thing for a while.” Besides, there was no danger. Not to her.
“I’m going with you,” he stated mulishly.
Why did men always seem to think she needed their fucking protection? If anything, they should be protecting themselves against her.
“Fine.” Although she smiled she was pissed. Later she would show this little worm who was in charge. No one contradicted her, especially in public. Now time was of the essence; she wouldn’t be deterred by hired muscle who didn’t know his place. Nothing could be allowed to get in the way of her goal.
“When I give you the signal, breach the house from the beach side. Make sure you see your indicators clearly,” she snapped at the others, indicating the small black boxes each of them wore on a wristband. A small electronic signal that was soundless. Seth wouldn’t have any warning. “Don’t shoot unless you have to, and if you have to you better not hit my daughter.”
With those final instructions, she turned and stomped toward the door, her mouthy muscle man in her wake.
***
He came awake slowly, his throat constricting painfully. It was hard to focus at first, but slowly his eyes began to adjust. His angel! She was right there, sitting demurely on the couch watching him. Though she was much older she still looked like the innocent eight-year-old he’d fallen in love with. Trying to rush forward to gather her in his arms, he found he couldn’t move. Why couldn’t he move?
“Michelene?” he croaked, trying to get his body to cooperate.
There was no memory of making it this far into the house, but he knew he was in the sunroom at the very back of the house. The waves could clearly be heard crashing to the shore behind him, and the sun shone directly into the room with zero barriers. It was almost blinding, that sunlight, but it framed her in a halo. That usually happened when he saw her; there always seemed to be a heavenly glow about her. How ethereal she looked all dressed in snow white to symbolize her purity. He knew she wouldn’t let that animal corrupt her. She was too pure for that. Perfection, the way he’d always imagined.
Maybe he’d blacked out and he’d already had her in the place he prepared for her. That would explain why she looked so feminine. The sundress was so different from the drab colors she usually wore. It was something he might’ve picked out for her. Light and soft. The home he had for her was in Mexico, right on the beach far away from any town, any sign of corrupt civilization. Sometimes he lost time, moving on autopilot. But why couldn’t he move?
And why was she looking at him like that? There was a disapproving frown on her face, and something in her eyes. Like she knew what he’d done to be free of the demons when he couldn’t be close to her. Shame hit him in the chest. He would make it up to her. She would forgive him, and they would be perfect. They would come together and create a holy union, then become heavenly beings themselves.
“Don’t you remember me?” That was it. She didn’t recognize him. The years had aged him, he knew. He hadn’t been able to eat much since that night she freed herself from her father. It would be all right now, though. Everything was going to be perfect. “I saved you. We can finally be together, finally be free. I would’ve never left you with that monster.”
A bolt of lightning came from nowhere and slammed the left side of his temple. Pain exploded on that entire side of his face, scalding, blistering pain. Wetness trickled down to his chin, but he couldn’t see what it was. HIs hand still refused to cooperate with the mental command to rise to wipe at it so he could see what it was. What was happening? None of the episodes he’d had in the past hurt from the outside. They started from within.
“M-m-m-Michelene!” It seemed as if his mouth was full of rocks. The room was starting to spin. He couldn’t understand what was happening. “What—?”
CRACK
!
The time the pain erupted from his chin, snapping his entire head backward with powerful force. A tooth flew from his mouth, and the sticky, metallic taste of his blood washed down his throat.
“So the paralytic does allow you to feel pain.”
That voice! It was the sound of evil right above him. It was Seth! He’d never heard the man speak before, but that had to be how he sounded. Like death. But how was that possible? He’d had poison for the hitman. There’d been two syringes—one to keep Michelene calm and one to kill the man who’d tried to take her from him. Was Seth the reason why he couldn’t remember anything? Had he found the syringe that had been in his pocket? The one he’d had in his hand had been lethal.
So he’d never made it to his angel. Somehow, Seth had stopped him. This couldn’t be it. Evil couldn’t triumph like this.
The view to his angel was blocked when Seth’s big body stepped into his line of vision. Squatting down in front of him, Seth smiled. It was a horrible smile. One that promised pain, death, retribution.
“Did you really believe I would ever allow a sick fuck like you to take what is mine?” the devil asked softly. And Azriel was the devil. Satan incarnate looked him in the eyes. “Did you think you could just walk into my house and take my woman from right under my nose?”
Yes, that was exactly what he’d believed. Warm wetness bloomed from his crotch, the stale stench of urine permeating the air. Seth didn’t bat an eyelash. Emmanuel knew he was facing his end. He should’ve brought his cousin’s men, he should’ve planned better, thought through more angles—
CRACK
!
A mighty fist slammed into his right eye. He hadn’t even seen Seth move. The eye closed, the pain throbbing hard, going all the way to his brain.
So close! He had come so very close to the only thing he’d wanted for so long, he couldn’t remember anything else. Now he was about to die, and Michelene would be lost to him forever. All he could do now was—
CRACK
!
***
“May Brown, I presume?”
Having never seen Azriel Seth before, May hadn’t been prepared for the beautiful man standing at the front door. Lethal, yes, but that was to be expected. There was an air about him that screamed “Don’t fuck with me.” That face could’ve been carved from stone; there was no emotion visible at all. The keen gray eyes looking at her dispassionately at her were lit with a knowledge she wasn’t entirely comfortably with. A knowledge that shouldn’t be in the eyes of a stranger.
“I see my daughter’s been talking about me.” What
had
Michelene told him? This man hated her. There were no outward signs of hatred, or much of any othe emotion, but suddenly May was afraid. She couldn’t remember being more so since she was a young girl.
Fingering the small electronic box in her pocket, she considered calling her men in now, but ultimately decided against it. This wasn’t a man who’d respond kindly to a threat. Besides, there was still chance she could secure his exclusivity. Many of her enemies would shit their collective pants if she secured Azriel Seth. And Michelene had only defied her once; she wore that reminder on her skin. As long as she played nice, her daughter would do as she said, just as she’d always done.
“I take it Michelene is here?” she asked sweetly when he failed to respond to her little taunt. May knew she might not be as beautiful as her child, a fact that had always galled her, but she wasn’t without her charm. She’d had her children very young, so she wasn’t quite over the hill yet. Plus, she had more sex appeal than Michelene had ever had. The girl just didn’t know how to use her assets to full advantage; at least, that was the way it used to be. Turning on her sex kitten to full blast, she gave him one of her best come-hither smiles, pushing her chest out to full advantage. Wearing a white linen suit with no shirt under the lightweight jack gave her plenty of cleavage, and her breasts were magnificent. “I’ve searched everywhere for her. She
is
my baby, you know. May I see her?”
There was a pointed stare at the pearls she wore around her neck to hide the scar her child had left her, then his gaze shifted to the muscles behind her.
“You are certainly in thick with the Cruz Cartel, aren’t you?” Azriel confused her by asking.