~ FIVE ~

Demetri Demidov opened his hand and looked down at the blue elastic hair tie in the center of his palm. He’d taken it from Sara’s hair the last time they were together. He’d carried it with him for years. It was the only thing he had of hers. He ached to feel the silky texture of her hair against his skin and breathe its sweet scent in again.

A few recent trips to the future convinced him that he would no longer exist in six months. He was running out of ideas and out of time. His heart, thoroughly broken, constantly ached. He had to find her before it was too late. But how? He was stuck. He was trapped. He had so much power and none of it could save her. He'd gone to the past a few times, attempting to pinpoint the exact moment she’d been taken, but the moment was guarded by a spell, hidden beyond a dark void. Then he decided to return to the past to find her before they met. He couldn’t find her. The same spell hid her entire past from him.

When Adam Vlacic walked in, he appeared to be looking around the club for something or someone.

Are you looking for trouble?

Adam shared an image of a woman with him. She was seen in here shortly before disappearing.

They killed her. I didn’t know until it was too late. Was she important to you?

My mate met her at the shelter that was blown up. She was worried about her. I hoped to give her some good news.

You came to the wrong place to dig up good news.

I also wanted to let you know that I’m planning to extend my stay here. I know your situation. Let me know if you need any help.

Why are you staying?

I’m going after Evolved.

What do you know about them?

Not much. But I’ve encountered the leader. He likes to be addressed as God.

God? That’s odd. Are you sure he’s a demon?

Yes.

Who is it?

I don’t know yet. He hid his identity.

Be careful. Don’t lose sight of your mate. They have the ability to place voids in time.

You’ve tried to alter the past to get your mate back?

I never had an opportunity to do it. I haven’t been able to get to the moment Sara was taken.

What about before she was taken?

I end up in a void.

Are you saying her entire past is in a void?

I am.

Not many demons can create actual voids in time. It takes an incredible amount of energy.  I’ve never encountered a demon with the ability to put an entire lifetime in a void.

They also have the ability to block another demon’s power. They can use another demon’s spells to strengthen their own. Their power is getting stronger at an alarming rate.

As I remember, you’ve always had a knack for siphoning power from other demons.

Not as well as they do.

Do you think the group’s attempt to alter DNA to make themselves more powerful has worked?

No. I don’t believe it has actually made them stronger. I think they’re using older, darker forms of magic. Maybe the demon who claims to be a god is older.

I can’t think of a living demon much older than you. Do you really think they’re using magic that has been around longer than you?

Absolutely. I’ve never seen anything as dark or as powerful. Over time, we’ve lost power. The shortcuts we’ve learned to use creates holes or weak spots. Anything we use to counteract their spells are just too weak to make a difference.

It sounds like we need schooling.

They’re schooling us. We’re all getting failing grades.

I’ll help you. They had my mate as well. She escaped.

Demetri stood up. I want to talk to her.

Not now.

Right now.

Later.

When?

She needs rest. Tomorrow at the earliest. I’m leaving the wolves, Rowdy and Jax, here with you.

No. I don’t want them hanging around here. Take them with you.

They can help.

No thanks, Adam. You have a reputation for surrounding yourself with backstabbers.

They had my mate. They still have yours. I am not leaving you alone. Since I know you’ll come after me if they fuckup, I wouldn’t leave them if I didn’t trust them. They know what they’re doing. They’ll stay out of your way, but they’ll be ready to get a message to me if you need help. They can also create a diversion if you need one. Most importantly, I trust them. I don’t trust many of my soldiers.

I will kill them if they do anything to endanger Sara.

You know me. I wouldn’t leave you with anyone other than the best. They won’t do anything to jeopardize Sara’s life. Work with me. We’ll get your mate back. We’ll destroy the leader of Evolved. We’ll kill the entire damn group before they acquire any more victims.

Kazimir showed up here with a few wolves. Demetri said.

When?

A few days ago. I figured he came to town to play war games with you.

I should’ve finished him off years ago.

Why didn’t you?

He’s sloppy. He has led me to several beings worse than him. Adam explained.

An unwitting informant?

That’s right. But I think the time has come to look for a new one. The bastard sent my favorite ship to the bottom of the sea.

I heard about it. He has always been a pain in the ass.  I’m sure you won’t be shocked to hear the wolves with him are your trackers.

I know. We’re getting ready to do some weeding.

That’s a good idea since your mate makes an easy target for them to take shots at.

****

After leaving Jax and Rowdy with Demetri, Adam returned to the hotel. Joined by Gabe and Javier, he walked down the hall toward Joseph’s office. “We need to keep gathering as much information as possible concerning Evolved. We need to identify Mr. God Complex.”

 “What happened at the shelter?” Gabe asked.

“Evolved blew the damn thing up.”

“I know about the bomb. Do you have any more details?”

“The bomb was unlike anything I’ve ever seen. The entire basement was the damn bomb. It was the most insane thing I’ve ever seen. The idiots had dozens of barrels of gasoline and other chemicals. And there were hundreds of wires going everywhere. I can’t believe its construction went unnoticed with so many humans staying at the shelter.”

“Are we still leaving for Russia in the morning?”

“No.” Adam shook his head, wondering if Gabe had listened to a word he said. “We’re staying here, and we’re destroying Evolved. Why else would I tell you we need to gather information?” For as long as Adam could remember, he didn’t allow himself to give a damn about anything. He created chaos and war. He hunted evil. He slaughtered it. The end. “Besides, I won’t leave her unprotected.”

“I assumed you wouldn’t leave her at all.”

“Then why would you wonder if I had plans to return to Russia.”

“I thought you’d bring her with us.”

“Once we’ve destroyed Evolved she’ll want to stay in her home country. I am sure it will help her establish a better life.”

“You said she’s your mate.”

“I don’t know if she’ll ever be able to accept me. You know she was tortured by demons.”

“You’ll be able to walk away from her if she doesn’t accept you?”

“If I must.” He knew damn well he wouldn’t leave her. He wandered from place to place, following evil no matter where it led him. He enjoyed wandering. Not anymore. He couldn’t. He needed to establish roots. He couldn’t drag Hanna around the world with him. It would be unfair. She needed a home. She needed stability. She needed peace. She needed time to heal.

“How far are you willing to go to destroy Evolved?”

“As far as it takes. You might as well settle in and get comfortable. You need to deal with the fact that we are not leaving anytime soon.”

“What about Kazimir?”

“What about him?”

“Are you still planning to go after him?”

“Not now.”

 “Letting Kazimir go right now is a bad idea, Adam.”

“We’ll deal with him but doing so is no longer my priority.” Hanna was his only priority. Nothing else mattered.  She was his to keep, to protect, to hold, and to love.

“He’ll see your retreat as a sign of weakness.”

“I don’t give a damn what he sees it as.”

“He won’t stop coming after you just because you’ve decided to back off. He’ll come after you with everything he has to kill you.”

“I hope he does. He’ll save me the trouble of going after him later.”

“You’re underestimating him.”

Adam stopped and turned to face Gabe. “Don’t fuck with me. I know damn well you’re not afraid of Kazimir coming after us.”

“I didn’t say anything about being afraid.”

“It sure as hell sounds like your trying to convince me you’re worried.”

“Fear has nothing to do with my belief that we should stick to our plan. It’s a good plan. We should return to Russia.”

“We’re staying here, and Kazimir is no longer my greatest concern. Does my decision to focus elsewhere change your loyalty to me?”

“You know better.”

“If that’s true we don’t have a problem, right?”

“We’re going to have a mess to clean up if we allow Kazimir to get away from us.”

“He won’t get away. He’s here.”

“What?” Gabe asked. “How long have you known he has been here?”

“Just a few minutes ago. Demetri said that he came into the club with a few of our trackers.”

“That’s not good.”

“My thoughts exactly.”

“Some of our soldiers will rebel against you if they believe you’re no longer planning to go after Kazimir.”

“Who?”

“I know you’re aware of the fact that many of your recent recruits are only following you because of their hatred for Kazimir. They view you as their best chance to take him out. They will retaliate against you if you back down.”

“Our recruits. And nice try spinning it. I am not backing down from anyone. And why the hell are you allowing the lack of loyalty of our recent recruits to bother you? If you think they’re a threat get rid of them.”

“All of them?”

“Yes. I cannot risk having anyone around who…oh, hell.” Adam stopped and turned to face Gabe. “We need to do some serious weeding. Get rid of anyone you believe could be a potential threat to Hanna. If you have a problem with any of them let me know and I will deal with them.”

Gabe nodded. “Consider it done. Does that mean you’ve changed your mind and decided to keep her?” 

“You know damn well I’m not giving her up. Since I’ve decided to extend our stay, I need to purchase a home here.”

“I already found two defendable properties for you to choose from.”

“When?”

“It’s my job. I always find a backup residence or two when we stay in any given place more than a few weeks.” He shrugged, handing his phone over to him. “You never know what’s going to happen. Besides, we have a way of wearing out our welcome.”

“That’s true.” Adam looked at the properties. “This one, by the ocean, looks perfect.”

“It’s just over seventy acres. The closest home belongs to Nikolas Drake.”

“Being his neighbor will present some challenges. I’ll talk to him. If he’s willing to have us as neighbors, we’ll purchase it.”

“If he’s not?”

“We’ll check out the other property. I’m not willing to start a war with him over it. We haven’t always gotten along. I’ll talk to him soon. We’ll make a decision in a few weeks at the most.”

Adam reached out to open Joseph’s office door when it opened. He took a step back to let Larissa Farley walk out into the hall. “Hello, Larissa.”

She frowned. “You’re taking all your pals back to Russia with you in the morning, right?”

Adam had been around long enough to know better than to beat around the bush with Larissa. “Are you having trouble with one of them?”

She took a deep breath and released it with a hiss of irritation. “Not one. A few of your slimy bastards have been giving our female staff trouble.”

“What kind of trouble?” he asked.

Joseph appeared at the door. “Unwanted attention.”

“Not unwanted attention. They were abusive.”

Joseph nodded. “I was just heading up to your suite to tell you to take care of it.”

“Can you name the offenders?”

“Larissa has their names and room numbers in her office.”

Adam turned and motioned for Javier. “I want you to go with Larissa and…”

“I’ll take care of it,” Gabe interrupted, positioning himself between Javier and Larissa.

Adam glanced at Gabe. Is Javier part of the problem?

No.

Are you going to tell me what’s up?

No.

Judging the protective nature of Gabe’s stance, he knew something was up. He’d never seen Gabe take a serious interest in a woman.  He was slightly tempted to push Gabe by insisting Javier could handle it, but he decided against it. “Wonderful. That’s even better.”

Larissa glared at Joseph. “I don’t like this. Are you sure leaving it up to them is the best option? They’re…they’re together.”

“I know how you feel about them. I respect your opinion.” Joseph nodded. “But I already told you that, in this matter, they will take care of it much more effectively than the authorities.”

“I want any possible chance of it happening again eliminated.” She turned her head slightly to look at Gabe. “Permanently.”

Gabe smiled at her and nodded his head once. “It will be my pleasure to make sure it never happens again.”

Adam looked at Joseph. Does Larissa have any idea what she’s asking Gabe to do?

Nope. And I don’t give a damn. Just make sure he doesn’t kill anyone on my property.

He knows the rules.

You both have a habit of breaking them.

Adam noticed the way Larissa turned her entire body toward Gabe, moving closer to him. She looked up at him for a few seconds as if searching for something or contemplating something. “They scared the hell out of me when I tried to intervene.”

****

“They hurt you,” Gabe stated, his voice deepened, resembling a growl. “Why didn’t you say something to me earlier, Larissa?”

She looked up at him and shook her head slightly. “I didn’t know about the problem when we were together.”

He tilted his head to the side. “The text?”

She shrugged. “I knew I had a problem to deal with, but I didn’t know the details.”

“Damn it, Larissa. You didn’t say anything about them harassing you,” Joseph said.

She glanced over her shoulder. “Go to hell, Joseph. You didn’t ask. And why the hell would it make a difference? All of our employees are just as important.”

“You should’ve told me the minute it happened.”

Her entire body visibly stiffening, Larissa turned and glared at him. “Don’t you dare lecture me on what I should’ve done, Joseph. You’re the idiot who decided it would be a wonderful idea to let a bunch of lowlife thugs and perverts stay here.”

Gabe needed to comfort her, to calm her down before he lost it. He settled for reaching out and placing his hand on her shoulder. Luckily, it worked, bringing her attention back to him. “I am sorry they scared you, Larissa.” He wanted…no, he needed to be the man she chose to rely on. “And, you’re right, they shouldn’t be allowed to get away with abusing or harassing anyone.” He paused. “They won’t.  I will get rid of them.”

Lifting her chin, she stared up at Gabe for a few seconds. She took a deep breath and released it with a sigh. “Since you’re with them, I sure as hell hope you mean it.”

Gabe’s smile widened at the idea of her taking a jab at his integrity. She was mad as hell. He liked the idea of her taking her frustration out on him. He liked the idea of her standing up to him. “I do.”

“Are you ready?” she asked.

“Absolutely.” He stepped back to let her past him. “After you.”

****

Adam watched Gabe and Larissa walk away. Gabe didn’t touch humans or nonhumans to comfort them. And he sure as hell didn’t share his energy with them. But that’s precisely what the hell he’d done.

“He touched her,” Joseph said.

Adam nodded. “I saw it.”

“What the hell was he doing with her earlier?”

“You know as much as I do.”

“What’s that?”

“They were together earlier.”

“He’s up to something.”

“Don’t worry about it? She’ll be fine with him.”

“Call him back and send Javier with her.”

“No.”

“I don’t want him to be alone with her. I don’t want him anywhere near her.”

“You’re more than welcome to try to tell him to stand down. Until I figure out what the hell just happened, I’m not doing a damn thing.” Adam looked at Javier. “What do you know?”

Javier shrugged. “I just know that he has spent his spare time watching her from a distance.”

“He has been stalking her?” Joseph asked.

“Not like that,” Javier said.

Joseph looked at Adam. “Javier wouldn’t tell me, would he?”

“Probably not. They usually have each other’s backs.”

“Gabe would never hurt her,” Javier said.

Joseph shook his head. “I don’t like the idea of him being around her.”

“He would never hurt any woman,” Adam said.

“He touched her. She’s human. You know how dangerous that is.”

“He wouldn’t have done it if he didn’t know he was in complete control.”

Joseph laughed. “I need to talk to him later because I sure would love to know how the hell he convinced her to calm down so quickly.”

“What do you mean?”

“Larissa never backs down. She’s a stubborn woman. I just spent the last hour and a half trying to convince her to let you deal with the bastards rather than call the police.”

“I’m more interested in the fact that he…never mind.” Adam shook his head. He didn’t want to alert Joseph to the fact that Gabe had shared his energy with her. “Maybe you wore her out, and she got tired of arguing.”

“Never. Not her. I’d more readily believe she plans to get him alone in her office and knock him out to give herself time to call the police.”

“I have a feeling he’ll enjoy getting knocked over the head as long as she’s the one doing the knocking,” Javier said.

Joseph glared at Adam. “You better hope Sparky can control his temper.”

“You’re overreacting. Even if he lost his temper, you know damn well Gabe would never hurt her or any other a woman.”

“You just sent a firedragon off with a box of dynamite.” Joseph crossed his arms over his chest. “A big fucking box. And, FYI, she’s under my protection.”

“I can’t believe you would even suggest he might react poorly to her,” Adam said.

“He would never lose control and strike out at a woman,” Javier agreed. 

Joseph nodded once. “That’s good.”

“And he can take a hit or two over the head and remain on his feet,” Adam laughed.

“You might want to let him know that losing at anything really pisses her off. If she hits him, he should pretend to be unconscious.” Joseph shrugged. “For a minute or two anyway.”

“Nah. He’s young. He doesn’t have much experience with women. I think it’ll be more fun for him to learn it from her. She definitely doesn’t have any fear of him. Did you happen to notice the way she got right up in his space?” Adam asked.

“I noticed.” Joseph motioned for them to follow him. “Come on in and tell me why you stopped by, so you can leave.”

“My plans have changed.” Adam closed the door behind him. “I’m sticking around for the foreseeable future.”

“Oh, fuck.” Joseph pulled his chair out.

“I thought you liked having me around.” Adam took the seat in front of the desk.

“Not at all.” Joseph sat down and folded his arms behind his head. “And it’s really going to piss Larissa off. What happened to your plan to head back to Russia?”

“Don’t worry. I’ll have Gabe smooth it over with Larissa,” he laughed.

“That’s not funny.” Joseph leaned over the table. “I don’t like him anywhere near her. Why the hell are you sticking around?”

“My interest has been shifted elsewhere.”

“I thought you were in an all fire hurry to retaliate against your competitor over that little incident with your ship.”

“You know damn well Kazimir isn’t my competitor. The bastard is a thieving murdering warlord.”

“And you’re not?” Joseph laughed.

“Killing, hassling, and redistributing the ill-gained wealth of homicidal, morally bankrupt immortals and other morally bankrupt criminal entities doesn’t make me a warlord.”

“Telling yourself that you aren’t a warlord doesn’t make it true. You have soldiers to deploy whenever the urge to go to war strikes you.”

“Soldiers and trackers. I am whatever I want to be because no one has been able to stop me.” Adam shrugged. “And, it’s true, I have faithful followers with advantageous combinations of various specialties. None of that makes me a warlord.”

“They engage in battles for you.”

“They know it’s a hell of a lot smarter to fight for me than it is to go up against me.”

“You’re a warlord, Adam.”

“Name calling has never bothered me. I strive to make the world a safer place.”

“Really?”

“Yes. In fact, I’ve decided to eliminate Evolved.”

“What do you know about them so far?” Joseph asked.

The only thing he needed to know was that they’d hurt Hanna. “The leaders are demons. They’re attempting to alter their DNA by introducing blood from other immortal beings into their systems. It doesn’t make sense, but they believe doing so will give them superiority over pure blooded demons.”

“Doesn’t make sense? Their logic isn’t flawed. It’s insane. I can’t wrap my head around the idea of them expecting the blood of inferior beings to strengthen them.”

“It’s doing more than making them weaker. It’s changing them. They’re sadistic. We’ve never encountered this type of depravity from demons. They’re imprisoning human females for blood. They torture and rape them for entertainment.”

“What about the tainted vampires? Why are the leaders empowering them?”

“That’s simple. We’re demons. They’re using the fucking ticks to distract us, to keep us preoccupied. Apparently, despite being completely nuts, they’re smart enough to know that we can and will crush them.”

“Have you been able to get any more information from the woman you brought from the shelter?”

“I will not force information from Hanna.” Adam leaned back in his chair and crossed his arms over his chest. “No one will bother her for details regarding the group.”

“I wasn’t suggesting you use force or bother her. Have you tried to talk to her?”

“She has told me enough. She needs to forget about them.” He didn’t want her to worry about them. He didn’t want her to give them another thought. He also didn’t want Joseph or anyone else to know that Hanna was unknowingly able to read the other demon’s thoughts.

“She might be able to guide us to the leaders.”

“I don’t need to hide behind a woman to take them out. I will take care of the bastards.”

“We can’t stop them until we identify them.”

“I don’t need to force her to relive it. I simply need to figure out who Demetri pissed off.”

“Mary Tate.”

“No. She’s a pawn. She’s the eyes and ears of a demon, a cowardly fucking demon, with a grudge against Demetri.”

“How did you come across this information?”

“I used my brain. He’s torturing Demetri and using Mary to watch from a safe distance.”

“We need to talk to him.”

“I have. I’ll meet with him again soon. I left Jax and Rowdy at the club with him.  We need to start narrowing down the possibilities.”

“You’ve been busy.”

“I like to get things done.”

“Any ideas where to start looking for his enemies?”

“Beats the hell out of me. He has been making them for ten thousand years.”

“How do you plan to sort through so many options?”

“I’m already working on it.”

“You’re awfully protective of Hanna.”

“Stop digging,” Adam growled. “I am not discussing anything about her with you.”

“Just don’t kill anyone on or near my property.”

“Don’t lecture me. I don’t’ believe in leaving enemies to come back and bite me in the ass. I most certainly don’t plan to leave one to bite my mate’s ass.”

“Oh, damn.”

****

Hoping to sneak up on Joseph, Mia materialized behind him and wrapped her arms around his neck. “Oh, damn, what?”

He turned to the side and pulled her onto his lap and kissed her. “That was amazing, Mia. You’re getting better. I didn’t know you were coming to me.”

She’d been working on catching him by surprise for months. “Really?”

“Would I lie to you, angel?”

She frowned. “Yes.”

“Well, I didn’t this time. You snuck up on me.”

“Stop trying to use flattery to get out of answering me.”

"I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“Oh, damn, what?”

“Adam has found his mate.”

“Who is she?” she asked.

Adam smiled. “Hanna”

“You brought her from the shelter, right?”

“I did.”

“Why is that bad?”

“She has many enemies,” Joseph explained.

“That’s not so bad.” Mia smiled at Adam. “You will have no problem taking care of them, right?”

“That’s right.”

Joseph nodded. “I have no doubt he’ll do great. In fact, he has decided to join up with Demetri.”

“Then stop being an ass, Joseph. Congratulate him.”

“Congratulations, Adam. Mia and I are delighted you’ve found your mate. We hope you have the most wonderful time ever during your mass killing spree.”

“Mass killing spree?” She glanced at Joseph.

“He’s remarkably thorough.”

“I do have a knack for getting things done right.” Adam said.

“That’s good,” Mia said. “Let us know if you need any help.”

“Remind me to ask you how you feel about his diligence and tactics in a few weeks.”

“I am no different from you. I won’t apologize for doing what’s necessary to protect what is mine,” Adam said. “None of us should be willing to allow Demetri’s mate to remain a prisoner without putting up a fight. We all need to do our damnedest to get her away from Evolved.”

“I agree,” Mia said. “Have Hanna come to the boutique tomorrow to pick out some new clothes. All the women from the shelter lost everything in the explosion. Can you bring her in the morning? It’s closed for the day. It’ll be a perfect time to get acquainted.”

“That’s a wonderful idea. I’ll talk to her later. Thank you, Mia.” He turned and walked away from them.

“No killing in or around the hotel,” Joseph said.

Adam kept walking, waving him off.

“You’re not messing around. You’re worried,” Mia said.

“Adam has a short fuse.”

“And you don’t?”

“He’s a damned nuclear weapon.”

Mia laughed. “And you’re not?”

“He’s planning to work with Demetri. I want you to stay out of his way. Do not get involved with anything to do with her.”

She grabbed his tie and pulled it until he lowered his head and rested his forehead on hers. “Do I need to tell you that I’m planning to go all in now?”

He smiled, but there was no hint of humor in his gaze, only menace, dark menace. He was pissed off and showing his teeth as if he planned to use them on her. “Damn it, Mia. I am serious.”

“Be very careful, Joseph. You know I bite back.”

“I am not playing with you. Stay away from Adam and his mate.”

“Put your horns away before I bend you over your desk and do it for you.”

“You’re going to stay away from them.”

“We’ve been together long enough for you to know better than to order me around. She’s coming to the boutique in the morning, and I’m going to make damn sure she feels welcome.”

“You don’t need to remind me that you like to push my buttons. You need to listen to me this time.” He paused. “Please, Mia.”

“I’m not going to shun the poor woman because you’re afraid of Adam.”

“I’m not afraid of him,” he growled.

“Really? Because you’re sure acting like it.”

“It’s a damn miracle he’s still alive. He collects his enemies like they are trinkets. He bullies them into sticking around and fighting for him. And now he’s planning to work side by side with Demetri.”

“Adam controls his men.”

“They aren’t men. He surrounds himself with powerful supernatural males that would rather gut him than follow him.”

“None of this seemed to bother you before.”

“It didn’t. He was just passing through. Now he’s planning to settle down here. The second his enemies realize he’s vulnerable and stationary, they’ll start swarming.”

“What do you mean by vulnerable?”

“He has something to lose now.”

“You think his mate is a weakness to him? What about me, Joseph? Do I make you weak?”

“Not at all. I am nothing like Adam. The one thing that has allowed him to survive for as long as he has is that he has never given a damn about anything. He’s going to have to get rid of most of his army because he knows they’ll use her to get at him.”