“Do us both a favor and remove your manpon.”
—Strider, keeper of Defeat
THE NEXT WEEK passed quickly. Katarina waited, a little anxious and a lot eager for Baden to call in the favor she owed him. After all, he hadn’t returned bloody. But he also hadn’t mentioned her reward. Had he killed on his mission? Or had he changed his mind about wanting her?
Well. She—the lowly soldier—wasn’t going to worry about it anymore. Or think about him. Or yearn to kiss him...the way she’d yearned to kiss him when she’d framed his beautiful face with her hands. Nope. Nada. Nie.
She threw herself into her work. Ashlyn’s kids had refused to help her, a stranger, but they often trailed after her, peeking and giggling from behind posts. She ensured Biscuit and Gravy were bathed, medicated, fed daily and given shelter, doing her best to keep her emotions on lockdown. No love, no hurt. And yet, true to her nature, she found herself spending extra time with the animals, determined to get them used to her presence—to maybe even crave it.
The treats she left behind after each visit had already worked wonders. Now, instead of growling when she approached, they wagged their tails and jumped around with excitement.
So precious. And they just happened to be her favorite breed: rescue. Okay, okay, they were also a mix of other breeds. The pair had short fur and large, square heads with wide, muscled chests like pit bulls. Except, in terms of body size, they were as big as full-grown Great Danes—roughly one hundred and twenty pounds—even though their (extra sharp) teeth told her they were both under four months old.
I like big mutts and I cannot lie.
Biscuit had a serious underbite. Gravy, who was mostly white, had a line of black fur over his upper lip. The most adorable mustache! The two loved to wrestle and bite fight—the canine version of does this hurt, huh, huh, does it, well, what about this?
Three times she’d fit them with collars, and three times they’d ripped the leather to shreds only a few minutes later. They hated the leash and bucked like rodeo bulls every time she tried to lead them.
Anytime another human...or immortal...neared them, the pair stilled and quieted. Not with fear—which was what she’d expected—but curiosity. They observed the world around them with intelligent eyes. Eyes that actually changed color with their emotions, from black to blue to green, something she’d never seen in a dog before.
The dogs became agitated only when Baden approached, and she wasn’t sure why.
Her motto in the past: if my dogs don’t like you, go to hell.
Not that Biscuit and Gravy were hers. But she knew deep in her heart Baden wasn’t all bad. He couldn’t be. He’d taken care of her for days...weeks. He’d bathed her—won’t think about that—fed her, given her shelter and a closet full of clothing. More than that, he’d comforted her during the worst of her despair. Actually, he still comforted her.
Whenever waves of grief revisited, leaving her curled up in bed, feeling as if she were drowning, he would gather her close and pet her until she felt normal again.
Do I even know what normal is anymore?
He came and went whenever he pleased. And even when he didn’t please; he would disappear with a scowl, the bands on his arms glowing bright red. Sometimes he returned in the same condition he left. Sometimes he returned covered in blood. Every time, he appeared to her first, wherever she happened to be.
The very first time, she’d offered to wash him the way he’d once washed her. He’d accepted reluctantly, as if he expected her to attack while his back was turned. The second time—and every time after—he’d handed her a rag before she could utter a single word.
Once or twice, he’d returned and paced, muttering to himself.
I’m a gentleman. Life is precious...unless the life belongs to my enemy. Everyone is my enemy. No, no, I have friends.
Pep talks, she’d soon realized. Pep talks she found adorable. He didn’t want to hurt people, but a literal beast lived inside him and that beast craved bloodshed. Which made her impulsive offer to give him whatever he wanted quite foolish. But she couldn’t bring herself to regret stepping into the fray with him. He’d been consumed by rage, and she’d desperately yearned to ease him.
But, really, she could have just sung a song to ease him. Whenever she hummed, he would drape himself across the bed and drift into a peaceful sleep.
Her junkyard dog was definitely trainable.
LGB?
Today? Pretty high. He was already pacing. She watched as he stomped through the kennel she’d built in the backyard. Biscuit and Gravy watched him, too. Without growling. Ah, what sweet progress.
He was tense, his hands curled into fists. As strong as he was, his bite would be far worse than any dog’s, with real potential to damage her or worse, to kill her, but if she succeeded—when she succeeded—she would be helping more than Baden. She would be helping his friends. She would be helping the women he dated in the future.
A shard of jealousy razed her, which alarmed her. I haven’t done more than dream-kiss him. Jealousy was ridiculous.
“With all your flashing around lately,” she said, initiating conversation in an effort to distract them both, “have you come across my brother?”
“No.” One word. No more, no less.
Had he reverted to the Baden she’d first met? Was he no longer the warrior so deeply concerned for her welfare? “With Alek out of the picture, I pray Dominik gets clean.”
This time, silence greeted her.
Determined to engage him, she tried a new topic. “Do you know Biscuit and Gravy are the same dogs we encountered in New York?”
Baden frowned but continued to pace, silent.
“Someone must have flown them to Budapest, but I can’t figure out who or why.”
Now he muttered, “I would know if someone was following me.”
She waited for him to say more. He didn’t.
Damn him, what had him so frenzied?
After she placed dinner bowls in front of the dogs, she approached him. When he failed to notice her, she stepped into his path. He drew up short, his beautiful copper gaze narrowing on her.
She wasn’t afraid of him. Not anymore.
He took a step to the side, intending to move around her. Oh, no. She flattened her hands on his shoulders, keeping him in place.
“I want to know what’s wrong with you,” she said. “Tell me.”
He snapped his teeth at her in a show of dominance. “You think you want to know my problem. You’re wrong.”
Her tone dry, she said, “I’m so glad you know my mind better than I do.”
“Very well. I need sex.” He threw the words at her as if they were weapons. “Badly.”
Whoa. Blindside!
Heart pounding, she jerked her hands away from him. “Sex...from me?”
“Yesss.” A hiss. “Only from you.”
Only. Amazing how one little word could send pleasure soaring through her, warming her. “You told me never to touch you.” Which she’d just done, she realized. My bad.
“I’ve changed my mind.” His gaze dropped, lingered on her lips.
Burning her... “But you and I...we’re a different species.”
As if that mattered to her body. Gimme!
He took a step closer, invading her personal space. “We’ll fit, I promise you.”
Tristo hrmenych! The raspy quality of his voice, all smoke and gravel...she shivered with longing. Must resist his allure.
But...but...why? Before she’d committed to Peter, she’d dated around, had made out in movie theaters, cars and on couches. She’d liked kissing and touching and “riding the belt buckle,” as her friends had called it. Then, after committing to Peter, she’d gifted him with her virginity. At first, he hadn’t known what to do with her—he’d been just as inexperienced—and she’d left each encounter disappointed. When finally she’d gathered the courage to tell him what she wanted, he’d satisfied her well.
She missed sex. But connection...intimacy...she thought she missed those more.
Biscuit barked at Gravy, jolting her from her thoughts. They’d cleaned their bowls, and now wanted to play. She clasped Baden’s hand to lead him out of the kennel. He jerked away, severing contact.
One action. Tons of hurt.
“I’m allowed to touch you and you want to have sex with me, but you’re still disgusted by me.” She stomped outside the kennel, done with him. “Well, I’m leaving. Good riddance! Your do-what-I-say-or-else attitude was annoying, anyway.”
He darted in front of her, stopping her. Breath caught in her throat as sunlight streamed over him, paying his chiseled features absolute tribute, making his bronzed skin glimmer.
So beautiful. Too beautiful.
“I’m not disgusted by you. You need me. I’ve come to accept it,” he admitted, looking away from her. “But being skin-to-skin with another is painful for me. We’ll have to proceed with cloth between us. And you’ll get over your annoyance.”
Another order. Of course! “First, I don’t need you. Second, painful for you? How can you proceed without some type of contact?”
“The why could be psychological or physical. Or both. I went thousands of years without contact with another.” His gaze returned to her lips, and his tongue swiped over his own, as if he could already taste her. “The how...I can imagine it. My clothing will be on but yours will be off. I’ll wear gloves and sheathe my length with a condom. I’ll bend you over my bed, get you wet, soaked, and kick your legs apart. I’ll—”
“Enough. I—I get the picture.” A little too vividly. And the image he painted wasn’t exactly...unpleasant.
Perhaps he took her silence as rejection. He scrubbed a hand down his face and said, “I should just choose someone else.”
The jealousy returned full force. “Do you desire only me or not?” she snapped.
“Only you.” His pupils expanded, black spilling over copper. “Very much. You’re all I think about, all I crave.”
The pleasure soared again and heated, becoming a languid pulse inside her. “Then I’ll allow you to take me on a date.” He wasn’t the best choice for her, or for any sane person, really. Also, he was part of a world she knew little about. A world where every myth and legend she’d ever heard had grown from a seed of truth. A world she wasn’t sure she would ever like. But he was gloriously hot, and he made her feel something other than sad and doomed.
Once upon a time...
Their story didn’t have to last long. She could train him and enjoy him for what he was—sexy, naughty and exciting.
“You will allow me?” He placed his hands—his big, strong hands—on her waist.
“Well.” The heat of him burned through her clothing, delighting her. “Not if you’re complaining, kretén.”
His lips quirked up at the corners. “No complaining from me, then. Only appreciation.”
He drew her closer, so close her chest pressed against his, and she thought she might be reconnecting with the rambunctious girl she’d once been. The girl who loved to laugh.
Giddiness made her dizzy. “Such a good boy.”
“A naughty one. When you smile you make me—” He stiffened, his eyes flickering with sparks of red.
Was the beast acting up?
Keep the interactions short and sweet. Always leave him wanting more.
“All right,” she said, as if she hadn’t noticed his negative reaction. “Give me an hour to prepare myself...for our mutual pleasure.” She pulled from his grip—swallowed a whimper as the heat he’d imparted quickly cooled—and walked away, giving her hips an extra sway. “I’ll make sure I’m worth the wait.”
The sound of his ragged groan followed her into the fortress, and for the first time in forever, she did laugh.
This was going to be fun.
* * *
Baden flashed to Aleksander, who was still locked in the eight-by-eight cell made of concrete and steel. There was no door. The only way in and out was to flash.
The male was huddled in the corner, caked in mud and dried blood. His hair stuck out in dark spikes, his eyes bloodshot and narrowed on Baden, his injured arm clutched to his chest.
Baden frowned. The bones in his wrist looked as if they’d grown a full inch since yesterday, which was impossible. Humans couldn’t regenerate like immortals.
“I’ll never tell you where I’ve hidden the coin,” the man spat. At least he’d stopped lying about being unable to find it.
“That’s all right. One of my friends is a computer whiz. He’s hacking into your bank accounts and transferring the funds to ours. By morning, that coin will be the only one you have left. Oh, and he’s also finding the name and location of every girl in your employ. Each will be freed, and your guards will be fired. Literally.”
Aleksander paled. “The last time Pandora appeared, she told me you’d taken a shine to my wife. Do you really want to leave Katarina destitute?”
Baden unveiled a smile so icy it chilled the room. He wanted the woman, and he would have her, but their date wouldn’t change their future. Sex...release...and one day, goodbye. Callous of him? No. A kindness to her? Yes. Better he hit and run than allow the beast to one day decide she was a threat they couldn’t afford to let live—which just might happen.
As she’d stood in front of him, the sun stroking over the dark hue of her skin, a well of tenderness had bubbled up inside him. He’d hated it as much as he’d loved it. He had to remain sharp, focused on winning his game. He had to survive the war between kings and help his friends find Pandora’s box. And he had to do it all while controlling the beast.
Katarina could help with the latter, no question, but at what cost to her?
“I won’t leave her destitute,” he said. “When the time comes, I’ll give her your fortune. She’s earned it.”
Aleksander hurled obscenities at him. “She’s mine, demon-spawn. Mine!”
Baden battled...something dark. “I’m no longer a demon and have never been the spawn of one. I’m worse. And you can’t do anything to stop me.”
Far from cowed, Aleksander kicked at him. “One day, you’ll regret your dealings with me.”
An undeniable threat. Now he dies.
Yes. Yes. The blood they would taste...the screams they would hear...
Vibrating with anticipation, Baden closed the distance. Aleksander shrank back—bastard was cowed now, wasn’t he? Too late. Baden grabbed his uninjured arm and palmed a dagger, intending to cut off his remaining hand.
Aleksander attempted to push him away. His wrist was longer, Baden realized, with three metacarpals already peeking through his skin like little white twigs.
There was only one way such a phenomenon was possible. He wasn’t human.
Hades possessed the ability to immortalize certain humans, but then, so did several different artifacts. The coin... Baden still hadn’t learned much about it, the details sparse. To use the coin was—supposedly—to force Hades to perform a boon. But what were the limits? The consequences?
“Take my other hand if you want it.” Aleksander glared up at him. “You’ll never take my wife.”
“I already have.” The something dark grew hot...hotter...until it burned Baden’s chest, a poker pressing deep. “And if you say one more word about her, I’ll teach you how to make cell-to-table dick puree.” A threat he’d heard Paris make on more than one occasion.
The sharp scent of fear saturated the air. Delightful.
“Pandora,” Aleksander shouted. “Pandora!”
“She promised to help you, I know.” There were multiple cameras hidden throughout the space, and Torin had captured each of her flashes into the room.
He’d texted Baden every time, and Baden had joined him at the wall of monitors, waiting for her to attempt to free the human from his chains—chains that were attached to the wall with mystical bonds. They could be opened only one of two ways: a key made specifically for the lock, or the All-key, capable of opening any lock. A key Torin carried in his spirit.
The moment Pandora touched one of the links, she would become bound to the chains herself, unable to flash away. But she was smart, and she’d avoided all points of contact.
“Pandora!” Aleksander shouted again.
Movement at his right. Baden spun, at the same time jumping backward, barely missing Pandora’s swinging sword.
They faced off, glaring at each other.
“Trying to kill me?” Baden was dressed and ready for war. Dual pistols in holsters waited at his waist. His camo pants had multiple pockets, each filled with something deadly: daggers, extra cartridges, switchblades, throwing stars and even a vial of poison. “Tsk-tsk. Hades will be displeased.”
“Perhaps I meant to shave you. You’re looking a little stubbly.”
Well, then. Perhaps he would shave her, too. He pulled a switchblade, lethal silver glinting in the light cast from a single bulb hanging from the ceiling.
“This man belongs to me.” She pointed to Aleksander, as if Baden needed clarification. “He’s my point.”
“You want him? Take him.” He smiled at her. “I won’t lift a finger to stop you.”
She motioned to his blade. “You’ll just lift a weapon, I’m guessing.”
He held out his arms in a display of innocence. “I won’t. You have my word.”
She knew him, knew his word was as good as gold. She also knew he always planned ahead.
“Free him,” she said, “or I’ll take a page from your book and steal something else from you. Something new every day.”
“You may try.”
“Very well. Remember, you picked this path.” She smirked and vanished.
Aleksander smirked as well, feeling confident now that he thought he had an ally.
Baden smiled. “Try not to scream. Actually, scream all you like. I’ll enjoy it.”
* * *
Baden flashed outside Torin’s bedroom. He’d learned not to appear directly inside any room but his own. More often than not, a couple was inside having sex. Even in the living room. No one had boundaries anymore.
He knocked, his beastly strength cracking yet another door.
“If this isn’t a matter of life and death,” Torin called, “go away.”
His friend would probably regret the qualification. “It is.”
A grunt of irritation, a rustle of clothing and a patter of footsteps. Keeley opened the door, her tank top on backward, and her skirt tucked into her panties.
Oh, yes. Torin regretted.
Destruction cursed at her.
She looked Baden up and down, saying, “You’ve never looked better, but I’ve never hated you more.” She flipped him off as she shouldered her way past him, muttering, “Cock blocker’s not gonna like payback.”
The beast tried to take over his body, to attack Torin’s mate, but Baden heard Katarina’s laughter down the hall and maintained strict control. What or who had amused her?
Concentrate!
Right. He strode into the bedroom as Torin buttoned his pants, forewent a shirt and plopped into a chair in front of his “command center.”
“You need to tighten security,” Baden told him. “Pandora threatened to steal from me. Something new every day.”
“Security is already tight enough to pop a cherry. And you obviously haven’t heard how busy Pandora has been. Kaia and Gwen were in town when she attacked. An attempt to hurt Strider and Sabin, I’m sure, but she had her ass handed to her and retreated.” Torin typed as he spoke. “By the way. Galen came by earlier and asked me to talk to you about your old pal Distrust—”
“The demon was never my pal. And I don’t want to talk about him. I need to apologize to Kaia and Gwen, to Strider and Sabin.”
“Why? Strider and Sabin helped steal the box. They earned Pandora’s wrath same way you did.”
Still.
“Anyway. Distrust has possessed a woman named...” Torin scratched his head. “I’ve forgotten, even though Galen just reminded me. Whoever she is, she could use your—”
“No.” He had enough on his plate. “Have you learned anything else about the coin?”
“Not really. The only people who know anything belong to Lucifer. As you can guess, I’d rather shit an actual brick than trust his associates.”
On one of the screens, Baden caught a glimpse of Katarina. She stood outside Ashlyn and Maddox’s room, Anya at her side. The two chatted easily, Katarina’s hands waving as she spoke. An adorable trait. One she hadn’t displayed before.
Adorable...and sexy as hell.
The beast snarled, but issued no command to kill. Only to...protect?
The two females strolled down the hall and parted at Baden’s door, Katarina disappearing inside. Soon, he would join her for their date.
Every muscle in his body vibrated with sudden longing. Mine...for tonight. Perhaps tomorrow, too.
Once. Only once, Destruction said. Maybe.
Baden could feel the beast’s desire for her. He wanted her with a fervency he didn’t understand, but he didn’t want to be weakened, and the dual desires had placed him in the middle of a desperate tug-of-war. Fight Baden, or capitulate.
Whatever he decided, Baden had already made up his mind. He would have her. He would hear her voice go raspy with passion...hear his name whispered then screamed. He would feel her inner walls clench around his shaft as he slammed into her from behind.
She’s mine. Aleksander’s scream echoed inside his mind.
Baden’s hands fisted, the sharp tips of his claws cutting into his skin. The marriage was a sham. It shouldn’t bother him on any level. But it suddenly bothered him on every level.
“Whoa.” Torin threw a boot at him. “Get that thing away from me.”
That thing—his erection. Simply because he’d thought of having Katarina at long last. The power she wielded over him already...
Running a trembling hand through his hair, he backed away from his friend. “I’m going to use your shower.” He didn’t wait for a reply but locked himself in the en suite to remove the sweat and grime contact with Aleksander had left behind. He also took care of his problem.
When he finished, he changed into clean clothes he gathered from Torin’s closet. Even though they were a little snug.
“Where you taking your girl for the first date?” the warrior asked. He heard everything.
“Here.” No reason to risk having a flashback of Hades’s life in a public place, leaving him—and therefore Katarina—vulnerable. There was even less reason to put potential victims in the path of Destruction. And what if Hades summoned him? Katarina would be left on her own.
The girl was the quintessential damsel in distress.
Torin stopped typing long enough to give him the look. “Did I mention you suck? Females like to be romanced and you, my friend, are clearly romanerexic.”
As Destruction kicked up a fuss—I can be romantic!—Baden muttered, “I’ve got to go.” He stormed out of the room.
He had half an hour before the date was set to begin. He would return to Downfall. Would he still be able to flash there, without Taliyah? If not, well, he would find a way. There was always a loophole. While there, he would pick a thousand fights with the immortals, and he would exhaust the beast.
Then...Katarina would be his.