~ EIGHTTEEN ~

Folding his arms behind his head, Joseph leaned back in his chair and put his feet on his desk. “Looks like Sparky got himself into trouble with Larissa.”

“What are you talking about?”

“She’s fixing to take off and leave him behind.”

“Why?”

“Beats the hell out of me. She wouldn’t say. You’ll have to ask him. But first tell me what the hell happened yesterday. Why were your heathens dragging Hanna across the street?”

“I’m sorting it out.”

“Killing them.”

“It needs to be done.”

“How many in all?”

“Half a dozen so far.”

“Are they associated with Evolved?”

“No.”

“Kazimir?”

“Not all. Apparently, a few felt I failed to understand their usefulness to me.”

“Were they trying to prove it by harassing your mate?”

“They didn’t plan to get caught.”

“You surround yourself with some of the shadiest as fuck individuals I’ve ever encountered.”

“I’m weeding the shady ones out.”

“Gabe has taken an interest in Larissa.”

“He’s looking out for her. You don’t need to worry about his intentions.”

“I’m not worried about his intentions anymore. Believe it or not, I actually like him. With everything going on it’s a relief to know he’s looking out for her. Until we take Kazimir out I would appreciate it if you would encourage him to continue to protect her. I don’t want her to take off alone for a few weeks right now.”

“You don’t need to worry about her taking off on her own. He’ll follow her. He knows she has been targeted and he feels responsible for it.”

“I think there’s more to it.”

Adam decided he didn’t want to discuss the possibility of Larissa being Gabe’s mate with him. He was pretty damn sure she was his mate, but he didn’t want to start an argument with Joseph over it. “You know how his mother died. He will always rise to defend the defenseless.”

“When I warned him that she was under my protection, he made it clear that she was under his protection. He basically told me to fuck off.”

“That doesn’t sound like him. He’s protective but he wouldn’t make such a strong declaration. I’ll talk to him.”

“No. Let it be.”

“We need to draw Kazimir out.”

“He will show up.”

“I don’t want to wait for the son of a bitch to show up.”

“We’ll be ready when he does.”

“I want you to make damn sure you have the shady fucks weeded out from your heathens before he strikes again.”

“We’re good now. No one left would dare to use Kazimir to fuck with me.”

“You better hope you’re right.”

“I know what I’m doing.”

“Isn’t Hanna in your suite?”

“Yeah.” Adam turned away from the window to face him. “Why?”

Joseph sat up straight, motioning for Adam to come behind the desk. “I don’t think we need to wait anymore. Take a look at this guy. Is he one of your misfits?”

Adam stared at the man on the computer screen. “No. That’s Robert. The little prick is a watcher for Evolved.”

“A what?”

“A watcher.”

“You encountered him before?”

“He showed up at the shelter. He had something to do with the bomb.”

“He had a face to face with you after trying to blow your mate up and he’s still breathing? I thought you knew what the hell you’re doing.”

“He was supposed to get a message to Evolved. Hanna called him a human watcher, but he’s not fully human. I’m not really sure what’s in him.”

“You must’ve been on your best behavior since he’s showing up here after having a chat with you. He has walked past your room a few times. He’s either waiting for her to leave or trying to come with a plan to get in the room.” Joseph stood up. “I guess I’d better get rid of him.”

“What the fuck are you doing?” Adam picked up his suit jacket from the chair and put it on. “Sit your ass back down and play with your computer. She’s my responsibility. I’ll take care of him.”

“No killing humans, no matter how shady, in or around my hotel.”

“He’s not fully human.”

“Bring him to my office for some quality time.”

“He’s a threat to her.”

“So?”

“I will kill him.”

“That’s fine. But you’ll wait until you bring him to my office or take his ass off my property. And you’re not taking him anywhere until I’ve questioned him.”

“Why?”

“He shouldn’t be able to sneak past my safeguards.”

“I suppose that’s an acceptable arrangement.”

“And you’ll have to take the elevator. No shifting in the halls right now.”

“Stop nagging. I know your rules.”

“I know you break them.”

“Only when it’s unavoidable.”

He walked out the office and made his way down the hall. Once in the elevator, he looked at his reflection in the mirrored door. He adjusted his tie and jacket and then fixed his hair a bit.

That’s cute. You’re getting all pretty for Robert.

You’re an asshole, Joseph.

You need to call off Gabe. He’s spooking him.

Adam reached for the link he shared with Gabe. Back off a bit but stay close. I want to question him. I’m heading back to the suite now.

Back off what?

Are you near my suite?

No.

Get there. Now. Be careful. You have a double.

I’m on my way. And you be careful. Don’t fuck up and kill me.

It’s not Gabe. Adam explained to Joseph.

It’s a damn good illusion. Too good.  It has to be the same demon that led Hanna out. Joseph replied. He’s definitely acting like Erebus.

He’s using Robert to draw me out.

I’m coming up. He just vanished. Joseph said.

Shifted?

That’s what it looked like. And your watcher Robert is still in the building. He’s heading toward the stairs. Joseph explained.

Up or down? Adam asked.

Down.

I’ll force him back up to you. Gabe broke in.

I’ll be in the suite. I need to make sure the demon didn’t gain access to Hanna.

Don’t let yourself get stabbed again.

****

When Hanna bent down to turn the water off, Adam materialized behind her. “I can’t believe you weren’t going to wait for me.”

“I didn’t think you really wanted to join me.” She turned in his arms to face him. “Are you crazy? I’m soaked. You’re ruining an expensive suit.”

“It’s a sacrifice I’m happy to make.” He bent his head to hers and kissed her. It was a tender, long-drawn-out, impassioned kiss that went on and on.  When he stopped kissing her, he rested his forehead on hers. “Someone is at the door. I’ll get rid of them.”

He stepped out of the shower and reached back in and wrapped a towel around her. He pressed his lips to hers. It was a hurried kiss. Too hurried. “I love you, Hanna.”

She knew he was up to something. He’d come into the shower to check on her. She dried off, got dressed quickly and opened the door. “I knew you were up to something.” She wasn’t surprised to see him standing out in the hall with trouble. But she was shocked to discover Robert was the trouble. “Why didn’t you tell me he was here?”

“It’s not a big deal, babe. He’s nothing for you to worry about. I’m getting rid of him as soon as I’ve questioned him.”

“You knew he was here when you popped up in the shower.”

Adam stepped in front of the door, using his body to prevent her from coming out into the hall. “I have this under control. Shut the door.”

“Get out of the room, bitch.” She suddenly realized Robert had a gun. He lifted it to Adam’s head. “Get your ass moving or I’ll put a bullet in his skull.”

Adam gave her a smile and winked. “Go back inside and shut the door, babe.”

“I’m not going to allow him to shoot you.”

“Nor will I.” He reached down, took her hand, turned it palm up, and placed bullets in it. “It’s no longer loaded.”

Click. Click. Then, causing her to gasp, Robert smacked Adam’s head with the gun. Wincing, “Give me a second, babe,” Adam turned away from her. He snatched the gun from Robert. He faced her again. Smiling wider and looking a special kind of a combo of sexy, naughty, badass, he nodded. “As you can see, I have the gun. Everything is okay, Hanna. Go back inside and shut the door.”

She shook her head adamantly. “No.”

He took her hand, brought it to his mouth and kissed it, his eyes turning completely black. “Do it.” He released her hand. “Go inside, Hanna.”

She felt his words commanding her body to obey. It pissed her off. “Don’t try that mind control crap on me again.”

"Go inside.”

“Excuse me?”

“What? I didn’t use a compulsion that time.” She kept her gaze locked on his. “Please go back inside the room.”

“No.”

****

Joseph glanced at Gabe. “All things considered, I’m pretty damn impressed by Adam’s self-control. When the idiot whacked his head with the gun, I was sure he would lose it and kill him. And now, he’s acting all polite and sweet.”

Gabe smiled. “Well, you know, we always consider your rules before doing anything around here.”

“She belongs to Evolved. She’s their whore. She can’t walk away from them.” Robert glared at Adam, baring his teeth. “He owns her.”

“Are you trying to scare me off with your little teeth?” Adam laughed.

Joseph turned to Gabe. “I would pay to see the idiot bite Adam.”

“That would be pretty damn funny.”

 “Do you think you should help him out and take her inside?” Joseph asked.

“No. He would ask if he wanted help.”

“Damn it, Hanna.” Adam tossed her over his shoulder and turned to face Joseph. “Do you mind taking this idiot to your office and keeping an eye on him?”

“Sure.” Joseph shrugged. “After he hit your head, I just figured you’d kill him and get it over with.”

“You’re the one with the damned rules.”

Joseph smiled. “Adam finally found a lady able to make him think twice before breaking rules.”

Visibly frustrated, Adam rubbed the bridge of his nose. “You have no idea what I am dealing with right now. My sanity is slipping away bit by bit.”

“That’s fine. Your sanity doesn’t matter to me. All I care about are my rules.”

“Did I kill him?”

“Are you saying you won’t.”

“You know damn well that’s not what the fuck I am saying. I already told you I’m going to kill him. Just hold him for me.”

“I could just do it for you.”

“Fine,” Adam growled. “Make sure it hurts.”

“The way you have her slung over your shoulder sort of looks uncomfortable,” Joseph said.

“She doesn’t weigh a damn thing,” Adam growled.

“I wasn’t referring to her weight or your discomfort.” Joseph paused. “I was talking about her physical comfort. And it doesn’t look all that dignified.”

Adam flipped him off. “Go to hell.”

Joseph glanced at Gabe. “That was definitely undignified.”

Gabe laughed. “Don’t be so hard on him. He looks all frustrated and grumpy.”

****

Adam knew Hanna was upset. It came out as anger, but it was pain. It was sadness. So much sadness. He’d hurt her feelings, but he wasn’t sure how he’d done it. He was tempted to take the information from her mind, but he knew doing so would worsen the situation. Since merging his mind with hers wasn’t an option, he needed to convince her to talk to him, to tell him what he’d done to upset her.

Once he closed the door, he slowly lowered her to her feet. “What’s wrong?”

“Nothing.” She frowned, shaking her head. “Go away. I want to be alone.”

“What’s wrong?”

“Asking again won’t change my answer.”

“I can feel your sadness. I know something happened. I hurt your feelings.”

“Fine.” She crossed her arms over her chest. “You came into the shower before dealing with Robert because you wanted to make sure I hadn’t turned into a demon possessed killer.”

“Why would you think that?”

“I killed my family. I tried to kill you.”

 “I joined you in the shower because I wanted to see you naked. And nothing that has happened is your fault.”

“I killed my family, Adam. Eventually, I’ll try to kill you again. I just…I just want it to end.”

“Don’t.”

“I’ll never be free from the memories. And you’ll always have a damn good reason to think I might try to kill you or someone else. I don’t even blame you for lying to me.”

“None of it was your fault. You understand that none of what happened was your fault, right?”

“I can’t do this to you.”

“Do what?”

“Force you to deal with a mate you can’t trust.”

“You think I don’t trust you?”

“It’s true.”

“Erebus took my form again. He was outside the door in the hall.” He framed her face in his hands and tipped her head back. “I didn’t tell you because I didn’t want to scare you. I had to check on you. I had to make sure you were all right. I came to you in the shower because I needed to touch you, I needed to make sure you were safe.”

“He was here again?”

“He was using Robert to draw me out.”

“You said he can’t enter the suite.”

“He shouldn’t be able to take one step inside the hotel. We don’t know how he comes and goes with our safeguards intact. Joseph’s are some of the strongest.”

“It’s me. He has access to you and your friends through me.”

“What are you talking about?”

“It’s the blood bond that I share with him. He wouldn’t be able to get beyond your safeguards without it.”

“I’ll fix this. Don’t give up on me. Don’t give up on us.”

“I don’t want to be a problem you need to fix.”

“You’re not the problem.”

“He’ll keep using me to come after you until you’re dead.”

“Until he’s dead,” Adam corrected.

“You’re supposed to dodge or deflect bullets. I’m making you a target.”

“Not you. I am making myself a target.”

“To protect me.”

“You’re innocent. None of this is your fault. You know that by now, right?”

“I do. I can’t believe it took meeting and falling in love with what I truly believed was the vilest and dangerous creature on earth to believe it.” She laughed softly. “I know none of it was my fault. But knowing isn’t enough to live with the memories or the fact that I might hurt you.”

“You’re falling in love with me?”

“I am in love with you, Adam.”

“And I am in love with you, Hanna.”

“But loving you isn’t enough. It’s stuck in my mind. Every second of everyday. I see it. I feel it. The blood. The death.”

"You don’t need to live with the memories.”

“No.” She panicked. “Don’t take anything from me, Adam.”

“I wouldn’t take anything from you without your consent.” He pushed her hair back. “I can’t promise that I won’t make mistakes with you. I will. I know I am not perfect. Far from it. And I know you’ve figured that out. But I will always be faithful to you. I will always love and protect you above all else.” He took her hands in his. “And I promise I will never do anything to betray your trust, Hanna.”

“I know.” She got up on her toes and kissed him, just a soft caress of a kiss. “I need you, Adam. I really need you right now.”

“I am yours in any way you need me.” He kissed her gently, his tongue exploring her mouth, driving her insane with desire.

“I need you to make love with me, Adam.”

“That’s wonderful news,” he whispered against her lips and, gripping her hips, he pulled her close. “For the foreseeable future, I plan to spend as much time making love with you as I can.”

“What are you waiting for?”

He’d gotten rid of their clothes and had her in his arms with her back up against the shower wall and hot water spraying over them in a matter of seconds. “Wrap your legs around my body, babe.”

She did as he instructed, locking her ankles behind him so that his shaft reared hot and hard against her opening. He lowered her slowly, allowing her body to become accustomed to his width and length, as his harsh groan of masculine satisfaction vibrated against her lips. He kissed her deeply. Completely. It was the kiss of a man in love, a man who cherished his woman. She passionately returned his kiss, tumbling into a glorious vortex of sensations as his cock stretched and filled her.

No pleasure compared to burying himself in her sweet heat. She was so damn tight. Her body embraced his cock in a delicious combination of slick heat and tightness that would always make him more rigid and engorged. He whispered gravelly words of praise and love against her mouth as he lifted her and lower her over his raging cock.

Linking her hands behind his neck, she arched her body and moved with him. It took every ounce of his strength, but he managed to allow her to set the pace. Pressure built in him, a violent storm of primal needs awakening the darkest, most dominant portion of his nature. His thoughts centered on the friction, the heat, the pleasure their bodies created together. She was driving him insane, dominating his senses with pleasure, riding his cock, devouring his control with her body, with her kiss, with her sexy incomprehensible mews of pleasure.

Abandoning himself to the brutal strength of his passion, he began to move faster, thrusting harder, burying himself deeper inside her hot, silky body. “Adam,” gasping his name, nearly choking on her own breath, she dug her nails into his shoulders. “I need…I need all of you.” Her body began to ripple around his. “Merge your mind with mine.”

“Are you sure?” he asked, hesitant to do anything to ruin the moment.

“Do it,” she breathed the command.

When he allowed his mind to touch hers, he felt his pleasure along with hers. He’d never experienced anything able to match the intimacy of the connection they shared at that moment. Nearly maddened by it, by their shared satisfaction, he moved fast and harder, maintaining a furious pace.

Her gasps, her whimpers, her cries of pleasure spurred him on. In wild, savage abandon, he surged into her again and again. He was so damn close to erupting. Just when he thought he couldn’t take anymore, she screamed his name and her body clamped down around his. Together, reaching a state of absolute euphoria, their bodies and souls shattered. Her inner muscles convulsed, gripping him, squeezing the hell out of him, forcing every drop of his hot seed from his body. He’d never, even in his wildest dreams, imagined a longer, hotter release.

Several seconds later, her body rippling with delicious aftershocks, she rested her face between his neck and shoulder. “That was amazing, Adam. You are amazing.”

“Nothing could ever top being with you, bade.” He turned his face to press his lips to her forehead. “Nothing. Especially when we’re naked.”

She laughed. “I think you broke me.”

“I hurt you,” He was horrified at the thought. She was human. Her body naturally more fragile. He should’ve been more careful.

“Not at all.” She lifted her head from his shoulder to look at him. “I just don’t think I’ll ever be able to move again.”

He kissed her gently, tenderly, and then reluctantly allowed his cock to slip from her body as he lowered her to her feet. Keeping his arm around her, he reached down and turned the water off, and then he scooped her up and carried her from the shower to the bed.

“It’s time for you to go shopping.”

“You’re going to the club, aren’t you?”

He nodded. “I’m hoping to use the tracking spell to catch the caster.”

“You had better not allow anything to happen to you. I can’t…I don’t want to live in a world without you. I need you, Adam.”

“And I need you. I promise I will be safe.” Smiling, he winked. “No matter what happens, I will always return to you. I am quite addicted to you.”

“You are?”

“Helplessly, happily addicted.”