"What?" Dragging the sheet with her, she squirmed out from under him and propped herself against the cracked headboard. Her expression was blank, though her color was high. Dark hair tangled around her beautiful face and she smoothed several strands away with a steady hand. Steady.
He didn't like that. Not when he felt like an earthquake was even now raging through him. "As if you don't know."
"Fine. You want an audience for our afterglow, you'll get an audience." She closed her eyes, features hardening with her determination. A moment later, the shadows thinned and the screams quieted, both seeming to vapor-lock around her before being sucked completely inside her.
While she'd straddled him, while he'd thrust his shaft deep inside her, he'd forgotten that they were there. Hell, he'd forgotten everything. Except pleasure, that is.
And gods, had she given him pleasure. Nothing like that had ever happened to him before. But he'd dreamed of it. Dreamed of being at a woman's mercy while she took what she wanted from him. That probably wasn't something most warriors dreamed about, but over the years he'd disappointed too many women to count and that had been hell on his ego.
He'd say something like, "Don't tell me what you want, I don't want to know," so the women wouldn't tell him and he'd have to guess and of course, he'd sometimesmost timesget it wrong. Tonight, he hadn't wanted to think about his next move. He hadn't wanted to wonder if he was doing it right.
Scarlet had taken care of everything. Exquisitely.
Yeah, he'd shot like a fucking virgin the moment he'd entered her and was embarrassed as hell about that, but that only proved how much she'd aroused him. He'd known she was enjoying herself, that she was taking exactly what she needed, and that had increased his own enjoyment. Actually, everything about her had increased his enjoyment.
Her body fit his like a puzzle piece. Her scent was like nose candy and better than any ambrosia he'd ever snorted. Yeah, he'd been there, done that. Her skin was smooth, the perfect contrast to his callused hands, and her hair was perfect for fisting. Inside, she'd been wet and warm and tight enough to squeeze him.
But next time, he was going to be in control. He was going to demand, in his way, that she tell him exactly what she craved. She would know what he meant, and she would tell him the truth. Tell him what she really wanted him to do to her. And he would do it. Every damn thing. Nothing would be taboo. The dirtier the better.
Kane cleared his throat and shifted uncomfortably from one booted foot to the other, and Gideon realized he'd been quietly staring at Scarlet, who was still watching him with that blank expression. He tried not to blush like a pussy but failed.
"Who's she?" Hazel eyes brightening with amusement, Kane sheathed the two Sigs in his hands. He must not have seen Scarlet in the dungeon.
Gideon studied the warrior. His mix of brown, gold and black hair was shorter than when Gideon had last seen it. No doubt his friend had caught the strands on fire. Again. The man's demon, Disaster, fed off catastrophes, purposely drawing them. In fact, one of the wooden shards that had flown from the busted door was lodged in Kane's side, blood seeping from the wound and soaking his shirt.
"She's my wife," Gideon said, and even though the words were a lie, he liked saying them. Could hear the pride in his tone.
"Actually, I'm no one," Scarlet stated baldly. "I'm nothing."
Like hell, he thought, tossing her a glare. She was...everything.
Everything? His brow puckered. Surely that was an overstatement. He liked being with her, enjoyed her, had contemplated marrying her for real, felt married to her, and would even kill to protect her. But was she everything to him?
He could think of nothing he valued as much as he valued her. Not his war, not his weapons. Not even his friends. So, yeah. Maybe.
"She's Nightmares," Lucien said, his blades steadily pointed in Scarlet's direction. "Aka one of the few prisoners who's ever left our dungeons alive." Unlike Kane, his eyes weren't gleaming with amusement. His eyesone blue that saw in the spiritual world, one brown that saw into the earthly realmwere calm and determined. He was possessed by Death, and could shred a soul in a single heartbeat of time. The blades were kind of overkill.
"I don't suggest you lower your weapons. I'm sure you'd love for me to threaten Annie that way, just as I love how you're threatening Scar."
Annie, real name Anya. Lucien's fiancee. The warrior's face was terribly scarred, and as he ran his tongue over his teeth, those scars seemed all the more puckered. He was iron-willed, loved rules and took no risks when it came to the safety of his loved ones. Especially Anya.
"You could be making the suggestion under duress," Lucien said. "So, I'll keep my weapons where they are, thanks."
"You're right. I'm under duress." Now put those godsdamn weapons away, before I'm forced to do something we'll both regret, he wanted to shout. Lucien was his friend, and Gideon didn't want to hurt him. But he would attack, no hesitation, to protect Scarlet. She'd been hurt enough.
Finally, the blades were sheathed. Reluctantly.
"Why aren't you here? Feel free not to tell me and then stay as long as you want." Which meant: Tell me and get your ass out! They'd seen Scarlet, knew she was important to him. Mission accomplished. He was ready to be alone with her.
Lucien massaged the back of his neck. "Kane texted me that something was going down in your room, and I flashed back to help since Torin and Cameo are the only other people left at the fortress."
"Where aren't the others?"
"We'll get to that in a minute. I didn't expect you to be here. Strider told me you'd left with Nightmares. And great going by the way, putting everyone at risk by letting the girl run wild."
"She doesn't have a name." Why the irritated, offended voice? "And it's not Scarlet." He just...he wanted his friends to treat her right. To treat her with respect. Not like she was a nuisance or an enemy and he should watch his back whenever she was around.
"And ta-da." Scarlet splayed her arms in a how-am-I-still-sane gesture. "After all that running wild, we're back. Or he is. I'm about to take off." She kicked her legs over the side of the bed, dislodging the sheet. In the next instant, both exquisite breasts were bared. Both nipples hard like frosted cherries. "Nice seeing you again, though."
Two pairs of eyes widened before both men spun to give her their backs.
"Yeah, leaving's gonna happen." Where the hell did she think she was going?
Scowling, Gideon grabbed her by the nape and jerked her back down. Roughly, yeah, but she could take it, and he liked that about her. With his other hand, he drew up the sheet. Then he settled in beside her, his arms locking around her and holding her in place wrestler-style.
She was a warrior herself and could have fought him, but she didn't. And it wasn't because she cared about who saw her naked, he thought darkly. Obviously she wasn't ashamed of her body. Not that she should be, but still. He was ready to sandpaper his friends' corneas even though their weapons were put away. Now they knew what a perfect shade of red her nipples were.
"I have stuff to do," she said stiffly, "and you have stuff to do. It's time to say our goodbyes."
"Sure. 'Cause we did not agree to take care of that stuff together."
Like Lucien, she ran her tongue over her teeth. "I never agreed."
Maybe she had, maybe she hadn't. He still couldn't tell with her. Which was odd, now that he thought about it. They hadn't been married. Their pasts weren't intertwined. Well, not as much as they'd assumed, anyway. And they now knew her memories were false. So why could his demon still not tell when she spoke true?
"Can we turn around now?" Kane asked, his amusement making another appearance.
"No," Gideon said as Scarlet said, "Why would you want to? We're decent."
Both warriors pivoted on their heels. Lucien pulled at his collar and Kane clearly fought a grin.
"We need to talk," Lucien said, then glanced pointedly at Scarlet. "A lot has gone down while you were away."
"Say no more." Immediately she tried to dislodge Gideon and stand, though she never outright tried to injure him. Which meant she didn't want her freedom enough, he thought smugly. "I can take a hint," she added. "I'll give you guys some privacy."
He held tight, keeping her in place. "Whatever you need to say to me can't be said in front of her."
She stilled, and that was both good and bad. Her skin had been rubbing against his, and well, the material draping his lap was getting taller by the second.
Cheeks flaming for the second time in the past five minutes, Gideon lifted her up and settled her in front of him so that her body covered his growing erection. Mistake. The thick length pressed into the crevice of her ass, and he had to stifle a groan.
She gasped as if he'd burned her, and tried to jump off him. "Gideon!"
His arms wrapped around her in a vise-grip, and he used his legs to frame hers. "Don't get comfortable. You're going somewhere."
"Gideon." Gritted this time.
"Scar."
"Fine, you stubborn jackass." With a sigh that sounded both frustrated and relieved, she relaxed against him. Even rested her head on the curve of his shoulder.
Unable to resist, he kissed her temple. That's my good girl.
"Well." She gave an imperious wave of her hand in his friends' direction. "What are you waiting for? Start talking. The sooner you start, the sooner this ends."
Both Lucien and Kane were too busy gaping to speak.
What had Lucien meant? Kane, Cameo and Torin were the only ones left at the fortress? Why? And why had Lucien had to flash back here? Where had he been?
"Sure you don't want to dress first?" Kane finally asked Scarlet, sounding as hopeful as he did regretful.
"Not sure," Gideon answered for her. One, his curiosity was now too high to take the time needed to throw on a shirt and jeans. Two, he didn't want either man getting another peek at Scarlet. And three, he didn't want to release Scarlet.
Maybe he was being selfish, placing temptation right under Kane's nose like this. The man hadn't had a lover in years, too afraid his demon would somehow physically hurt his females. Which wasn't an irrational fear. It had happened. Several times. Gideon remembered the screams. But just then, Gideon was really only concerned with Scarlet. If he let her go, she might run before they settled things between them.
"Don't take her advice and explain," he finished. "You can't trust her, I swear." After everything, Scarlet wouldn't betray him. He knew that, at least.
Though he'd never shed his reluctance, Lucien nodded. "We'll start with the basics. You might not know this, but Aeron, Amun and William journeyed into hell to retrieve Legion. No one's heard from them since."
Cronus had mentioned the boys were somewhere else, but not that the somewhere was actually hell. Freaking great. Gideon couldn't leave until he'd spoken with Amun, and he wasn't sure how long he could convince Scarlet to wait before slaughtering her despicable family.
Of course, she was supposed to stop him from contacting Amun, and he planned to let her do so, freeing her from her promise to Rhea, but she couldn't stop him if he couldn't find Amun. So again, he had to wait.
Unfortunately, he'd never been a patient man. He wanted this over and done. He wanted NeeMah at his mercy, aka the end of his sword. He wanted time to romance Scarlet. Time to prove to her that things could work between them. All of which had to be placed on hold.
"Ready for the rest?" Lucien asked, fighting a grin himself now. "You look distracted."
He would not blush. Again. "Don't go on," he said with a wave just as commanding as Scarlet's had been.
Lucien gave up and let the grin form full-force. "Hunters surrounded the fortress, apparently planning to steal our artifacts. We decided to split up. Anya and I took the Cage, Reyes took Danika and Strider took the Cloak. Paris decided to take a vacation."
"Are we no longer surrounded?" he asked, glancing at his closet. He had a case of weapons in there. He could do some damage, blow off some steam.
"Strider killed most of them on his way out," Kane said with pride.
Lucky. "Others?"
"Maddox didn't want Ashlyn near a potential battleground, so he took her away," Lucien said. "Sabin and Gwen took Gilly somewhere."
Yep, that left only Kane, Torin and Cameo. Could they hold the fort if other Hunters showed up and attacked? Yeah, there were all kinds of traps leading up the mountain and any intruders would be forced to first battle explosions, trip wires, rigged gunshots and metal clamps around their ankles. But that wouldn't stop hundreds. Survivors could make their way inside.
"Can I count on you to stay?" Kane asked.
Adding one more warrior to the mix wasn't a miracle cure, but it would help.
Gideon's head fell back and hit the tattered headboard. He closed his eyes. Damn it. If the fortress was attacked and he was injured before Amun returned, if that delayed his confrontation with NeeMah...he would just have to deal, he thought.
"No," he said. "You can't count on me."
Scarlet didn't react.
"Knew it," Kane said. "Thanks."
"Now. Stay here," he told the warriors. Get lost. "I don't need some alone time with her."
"Have fun," Lucien replied, still shooting off that sheepish grin.
"And try to control the...whatever we stumbled upon," Kane added. "That was just flat-out weird."
With that, both men turned and strode out of the room. One of them remained in the hall to try and refit the door in its hinges. When that failed, whoever it was propped the wood in the entrance so that most of the bedroom was blocked, only a long, thin crack of light visible.
Alone at last.
"Don't stay here with me," Gideon said to Scarlet, and once again he hated his demon. More than anything, he wanted Scarlet to stay with him and he was willing to beg to make that happen. Beg properly. Truthfully. But he couldn't allow his body to weaken just then. His friends needed him at his strongest. "I don't want to be with you. We can't do this, I know we can't."
"Why would you want to be with me?" she asked, finally ripping from his hold, standing and whirling on him with shining black eyes. Gods, she was glorious in her nakedness. Skin still flushed and pink, nipples beaded from the cool air, lean legs braced, stomach flat and navel dipped. "Why would you want to try?"
Let her leave. A plea from Lies to keep her here.
Working on it. But why do you care? Not mine.
That's right, he shot back, doing to his demon what Scarlet sometimes did to him. Even though he knew the demon lied, he responded as if the fiend had told the truth. She's mine. And that wasn't up for debate. "You didn't promise your mother to stop me from helping Cronus," he said. "You don't have to"
Her bitter laugh shut him up. "Guess what? I lied to Mother Dearest. Besides that, you and I don't have a past," she continued before he could respond. "We're attracted to each other, yes, but that will fade. Right now I'm just the shiny new toy who gets you and your sidekick, and that's got to be a relief for you. But we have different goals, and that's what matters. I'm going to kill my mother and my aunt, even if it takes an eternity. You're going to protect your friends."
Shiny new toy. Fuck that! He popped to his knees, dislodging the sheet completely. Yeah, his erection stretched toward her, and yeah, she noticed, even backed up a step, but he didn't cover it. Let her see what the shiny new toy did to him.
Don't grab her, Lies commanded.
Grab her? He'd lose an arm. We have to finesse this. "Clearly you're thinking this through rationally, Scar. You don't follow through with your promise, and you'll live happily ever after." One thing he knew. For immortals, a broken vow was fatal. He'd imprisoned many Greeks for just such a crime. Therefore, Scarlet would be following through. "Second, you face your aunt and she won't give you new memories. She won't beat you." Gideon, too, laughed bitterly. They both knew her ass would be handed to her. "She won't chain you to a leash of her choosing."
"I know what she can do now. I know what to guard against."
Oh, really? "Having trouble recalling what happened today?"
She squared her shoulders and raised her chin. "I told you. I'm prepared now."
"That'll make a difference." No fucking difference at all! Why couldn't she see that?
"Well, failure is a chance I'm willing to take."
Well, he damn well wasn't. "Don't stay here with me, and I won't help you defeat her." Then, whatever. "We're weaker together, you know we are." They were stronger. "I mean, I did nothing to help you come to your senses last time, right?" He'd done everything.
Fury sparked in her eyes as she crossed her arms over her chest. "And just how long would you expect me to stay?"
He didn't answer. He couldn't. He didn't know how long he'd need to guard the fortress and everyone inside. Didn't know how much time would pass before Amun returned.
"That's what I thought," she said and turned away. The elegant curve of her back had him sweating, and those tattoos...he'd never licked them, never given them the attention they deserved. One day. One day he'd devote an entire night to her back. If she let him. "You'd keep me here indefinitely, and that I won't allow. I'm going."
Yes. Yes, let her go. Stop her.
"Scar."
"I'm going," she repeated, but still she didn't storm off. "Yes. I'm going." One step, two. Hesitant. As if she warred with herself. Or perhaps her demon.
His own demon whimpered.
She took another step, still hesitant. And then silence, waiting. Maybe he'd gotten to her. Maybe
She fisted her hands and strode into the closet. Clothing whooshed. A growl. Stop her, Lies gritted out, and it was the first time in all their centuries together that the demon had told the truth. Please.
Gideon blinked in shock, even as the demon screamed in pain. Pain that radiated through his entire body. A grunt escaped him, his muscles seeming to rip from his bones, his bones seeming to pop out of his skin.
"No," he barked. "No!"
"Gideon?"
Stop...her...
Another grunt. Black winked over his vision. Shut up! We have to stay strong. Stop...
The sweat poured from him, little rivers all over his body. "Don't give me...a couple days...to learn more about...what's going on and do...what I can to help...so I can't leave with...a clear conscience." He could barely get the words out.
She leaned out of the closet, brow furrowed. "What's wrong with you?"
"Nothing."
A moment passed as she waited for him to elaborate. "Are you in pain?"
"No."
Again she waited. Again he offered nothing more. He didn't want her pity. Didn't want her having to take care of him. He wanted her to view him as the warrior he was.
She frowned, looked away. "Listen. We both know the truth. You can't leave this place with a clear conscience. No matter how long I give you. And no, I'm not doing this to be cruel. Please believe that," she whispered, then ducked back inside, disappearing from view.
Stop...stop...
Shut up! Panting, almost wheezing, he said, "I have slept...with very few women." Many. "All of them made me feel...utterly satisfied." He'd been pleasured, yes, but always hollow and lonely. "But with you, it's all physical." It wasn't. "I don't admire your strength...and your courage and fuck, I don't want...to see your smile." He did. More than anything.
"You don't know me," she called, but there was a tremble in her voice.
"And I don't...want to." Fuck. He wouldn't be able to stay awake much longer. Took every ounce of strength he possessed to get to his feet.
"Shut up! Just shut up. I have to leave." A pause. A sniff. "I have to." Another whisper.
No! A scream.
Gideon roared as more of that awful pain raged through him. "Morning won't...arrive soon. Don't wait another day at least." Stay forever.
"Damn it, Gideon. What's wrong with you? Tell me this time." Soft black material hanging from her fingers, she once again leaned out. "Please."
"Don't stay," he gritted out.
A frustrated sigh met his words. "The moon is high. I've got several hours to find someplace safe. I'll be fine, so there's no need to worry about me if that's what you're doing."
Maybe he could stall her. Keep her talking until the sun rose and she drifted to sleep. "How did your demon...know I love spiders...so much?" It was the first question that popped into his head.
"My demon just knows. My demon always knows. Why are you afraid of them? I've wondered."
He liked that she'd wondered about him. Even about that. "Before my possession " after "and never...at random times" always "I wouldn't feel them...crawling all over me. I wouldn't bat them away...and many more wouldn't take their place."
She disappeared back inside the closet. Something clanked. There was a muttered curse.
What else could he ask her? His brain was fogged, clouded by the pain, but surely there was something. "So why..." Damn it. What? "Why"
"Stop. Just stop. You've never been this talkative before, so I know what you're trying to do." A gun clicked, metal slid against leather, and then she finally emerged fully.
Her hair was anchored in a ponytail at the base of her neck. She wore another of his T-shirts and a fresh pair of his sweatpants. Both were rolled to fit her shorter, smaller frame. In several places, there was a telltale bulge. Looked like she was stealing...four of his weapons. Not that he cared.
Gideon wanted to close the distance, grab her up and remind her of just how good it was between them. Weakened and hurting as he was, though, his knees finally gave out and he collapsed to the ground.
With a cry of concern, she stepped toward him. Just before contact, however, she stopped herself. Backed away. "Please understand, Gideon." Cold, so cold, and that was far worse than her lack of emotion. "It has to be this way. Being with you...hurts. There's just too much in the way. I'm too much of a liability to you. And I know that isn't your fault, it's mine, but that doesn't change anything."
Every instinct he possessed yearned to tell her she wasn't a liability. But he couldn't. Truth or lie, she would know his meaning. NeeMah influenced her too easily. That didn't mean Scarlet wasn't worth the risk.
She was worth every risk.
But he wanted her to be happy, even if that meant upsetting himself, and she didn't think she could be happy with him. It hurt her.
The thought of her hurting utterly destroyed him. She'd endured far too much already.
"Besides," she continued in that cold, detached way. Frowning, she rubbed her temple, as if her head were aching. Or perhaps, as he'd suspected, her demon was as loud and upset as his own. "Like I told you, I'm going to do everything in my power to ensure my memory is wiped clean. If I have to break into Tartarus and abduct the Greek god of Memory, I will. And when it's done, I won't remember you, so there's no reason to start something that has no future."
No, no, no. From the demon and Gideon. And yet...
Cringing at the effort required to move, he waved his arm toward the door. "Stay, then." If she needed to leave to find happiness, so be it. But when he healed, when the fortress was fortified, he would go after her. Somehow, some way, he'd prove he could make her happy, too. Wiping her memory, though, wasn't going to happen. Ever.
"Goodbye, Gideon," she said, then hesitated only a moment before walking away from him and out of his room.
No! No! Mine. Come back! Lies shouted, and that was the last thing Gideon knew.
CHAPTER TWENTY
THE OLD MATTRESS squeaked as the punked-out female thrashed atop it, lost in what was probably a bloody, violent nightmare. I'll have to thank Gideon's woman later, Strider thought, just in case she was responsible. And he didn't feel bad for the lack of compassion.
He had studied his bounty while she'd slept. Every inch of her, even peeling back her clothes for a look at all the hidden places. Weapons could be stored anywhere. Some would say he had no scruples, and he would agree. He didn't. Not with this woman. Never with this woman.
He now knew who she was, and she didn't deserve leniency from him. She deserved the sting of his blade.
There, lying on the small motel bed, locked with him in this tiny room, was Hadiee, the woman who had led Baden, keeper of Distrust, to his slaughter. She helped destroy my best friend!
The beheading had taken places thousands of years ago, and she'd been human. Or so he'd thought. Yet here she was, as young as she'd been back then. Which meant she was now immortal. Right? How it had happened, he didn't know. But he would find out. He would be finding out a lot of things from the bitch.
It had taken him a few hours to place her, 'cause yeah, the tattoos, piercings and pink streaks in her hair had thrown him. She hadn't looked like this back then. Her hair had been several shades lighter, a tumble of snowfall, and her skin glowing from the sun's kiss. She'd dressed in the rough, conservative garb of a servant, but that hadn't detracted from her prettiness.
He never would have placed her if not for the scoreboard tattooed on her back.
Lords: IIII Haidee: I
She'd split her back in two, one side for the Lords, one side for herself. He'd known exactly what the marks meant, too, because Baden had marked himself that way, as well. Bitch.
The four he and his friends had supposedly killed, he couldn't name. And yeah, he'd probably slain them. In all his many centuries, he'd slain thousands. The knowledge of that should have dulled his anger toward this woman. It didn't. Baden had been the best man Strider had ever known. The kindest to his friends, the most supportive and caring.
Being possessed by the demon of Distrust had changed him, of course, just as being possessed by such a dark force had changed all of them. But he'd been the first to come back to his senses. The one who had led everyone else to the light. He'd felt the guiltiest for the destruction the Lords had caused. He'd been the first to reach out, to try and make amends with humans.
He had also hated what he'd become more than any of the others. He'd hated that he distrusted himself, everyone around him, even his friends. Especially his friends. But that had only made Strider love him more. Baden had been Strider's salvation. Strider had wanted to be Baden's salvation.
Hadiee had destroyed that chance.
As the girl continued to thrash, eyes squeezed shut, sweat beading over her skin, arms and legs jerking at their ties, her cell phone rang. Strider grinned. He'd been hoping this would happen and didn't have to guess who was calling. The boyfriend. The leader of the Hunters who had been chasing him.
Strider reached out, swooped the cell from its perch on the table beside him and flipped it open. "Sorry," he said into the mouthpiece, "but your girlfriend's a little tied up right now and can't come to the phone."
There was a pause. A ragged breath and crackling static. "She's mine, you sick bastard! If you hurt her..."
Oh, yes. The boyfriend. "If?" Strider laughed with genuine amusement. "That's cute. Really it is."
Now there was a roar. "Which piece of evil shit are you?"
"Doesn't matter. All that matters is that this evil shit has your woman. And he isn't giving her back. Not unless it's in pieces."
More of that static crackled over the line, followed quickly by a loud boom, a curse. Loverboy must have punched the wall. "What do you want with her? What will you trade?"
"One thousand Hunter hearts. Oh, wait. Hunters don't have hearts. So I guess there's nothing I'm willing to trade for her."
"You dirty, filthy" The human stopped himself, as if only then realizing Strider could punish his woman for everything he said. "She's a good person. She has a family. She"
Anger blasted through him. "I'm a good person. I have a family." He could just imagine how the Hunter was gritting his teeth at that. "And yet she would have taken my head without hesitation. It's only fair that I reciprocate."
"You aren't good, and you know it. You're selfish and dark and ruined. You belong in hell."
Selfish? Dark? Yeah, no question. But ruined? Hardly. "I've done nothing but try to protect myself for thousands of years."
"And in that protecting" the Hunter sneered "you've killed my friends."
"Just as your woman killed mine." Now it was Strider's turn to punch something. He slammed a fist into the side table, splitting the wood. Boom!
A feminine gasp had his gaze moving back to his charge. He stilled. She'd stopped thrashing, was staring over at him through blazing gray eyes. "And believe me," he added calmly, "she will pay for that."