Nate lunged up the stairs three at a time and sprinted down the hallway to assist the others in safeguarding the club with wards, herbs, holy water, salt, and iron. Jessie could be pissed at him until the next millennium if it meant she was safe.

He was pretty sure that had been an ancient demon calling him by name moments ago. Ancient and powerful. And from the sound of it, other Unholy Inc clubs were likewise shoring up their properties against the same formidable evil. Which meant they couldn’t help one another, except by sharing intel.

He grabbed a broom and began clearing the debris from the dance floor as he reached into the ether to connect with Jinx Tanaka at club AER. Do you have any idea what we’re dealing with here?

Jinx didn’t answer right away. He couldn’t feel her either. Then…

Kinda busy right now making a pincushion out of a cocksucking Demogorgon, Hellraiser.

That’s brilliant, Jinx. I can tell you’re doing your best to live down your bloodthirsty reputation.

She grunted, then let out a war whoop Nate imagined she’d sounded hundreds of times as an onna-bugeisha, a female warrior who fought beside samurai men in early twelfth century Japan.

She chuckled. Kill or be killed, I always say. Alexios believes the old ones rattling our cages are Princes of Hell. Aren’t we lucky? I’ve been dying to try out my double-sided naginata for ages.

Nate almost smiled at the image of tiny, fine-boned Jinx wielding the long, bladed spear. She’d always been one of the most ruthless Guardians. But if Princes of Hell had boots on the ground here on Earth, the time for smiling was over. I couldn’t reach Alexios a few moments ago. Is everything buttoned up at ETHER? he asked.

Alexios’s crew sustained several casualties before he got things locked down at his club. He probably doesn’t want to talk to you because this shitstorm erupted at your club.

Why don’t you tell me what you really think?

Aww, I’m sorry, did I hurt your feelings, English? Apparently finding your compar has made you soft.

Femme fatales were such a pain in the ass. He leaned the broom against the bar. It was a good thing she couldn’t see him cleaning. He’d never live it down. No other Guardian clubs I’ve contacted have been affected by the Seam rift like we have at TERRA, AQUA, IGNIS, AER, and ETHER. You have any other perspectives?

No. Which leads me to believe they want—

The relics, they said simultaneously.

Of course. It was the first thing he’d thought of, but it would’ve been nice to be wrong. Demons raising hell for the sake of being assholes didn’t sound so bad once you considered other reasons why they’d come. In other words, they were on a mission to claim the relics. There were dozens of Unholy Inc nightclubs around the globe, but only a small percentage housed holy artifacts.

He’d known it would happen eventually—all the Guardians did—he’d only hoped it wouldn’t be in this century. Especially now with Jessie in the picture. But it made sense—the Legions of Hell didn’t have the juice to get Lucifer out of his cage without the relics. If they managed to steal even a few, the archdemons would likely have enough mojo to force the archangels’ hand.

And if the archangels got involved, that meant Armageddon.

It was a dominoes thing. If the Guardians failed, the end of the world would begin.

No pressure.

Nate severed the connection with Jinx, then went to share what he’d learned with Dorian, Stark, Jaws, and Cruz. By seven-thirty, as the first rays of sunlight set the opaque glass blocks to glowing above the entrance door, he and the others had scouted the city in a ten-mile radius. They’d also reversed the wards that lured demons into the club, rescued humans they found trapped in the rubble, fought the remaining twelve demons who’d hidden in all the club’s dark spaces, and incinerated thirty-seven of them they’d captured in Devil’s Traps throughout the club—circular symbols etched into the floor or painted on the ceiling that physically detained demons and inhibited many of their powers.

Too bad they hadn’t collected enough evil-summoning objects to perform a domo ceremony. It might not get rid of the archdemon who’d come calling, but it would vanquish all the lesser demons in a ten block radius. They had three possessions that would have to wait for exorcisms since Katherine was no longer on site, but bringing in a priest for the job would be much easier now that daylight had broken and most demons would hide out until nightfall when their power resurged.

Exhausted and hungry, Nate descended the stairs to the sanctorum as softly as possible. All he wanted to do was eat and lay down in a soft place with Jessie in his arms. He paused outside the door, pressing his ear to the dense wood, listening. Several times as the morning had worn on, he’d been tempted to let her out of the room. But with every hiss and promise of retribution from the dying demons’ mouths, he’d known he was doing the right thing.

Keeping her safe was all that mattered.

His fingers closed around the doorknob. He whispered the unlocking ward, turned the lock tumbler with the power of his mind, and swiveled the brass knob. The door swung open abruptly, catching him off balance so he stumbled into the room with great momentum. He slid forward, scraping his knees on the stone tile and his broken nose on the walnut side table.

“That’s for all the lies,” Jessie announced above him as he groaned, swiveled, and plopped down to his bottom on the floor, too tired to even look up at her. Moments later, her concerned, silver blue eyes were inches from his own, assessing him from head to toe. “Oh heavens, look at you!” she scolded.

Her lips pressed against his sweaty temple before she ran to the counter to wet a clean towel. She’d better feel guilty because he was beyond knackered at this point. “What the hell did you expect? Demons don’t typically wait for my stunt double to show up.” He was surly, yes, but she deserved it for her ungratefulness, the lovely, little wretch. He sucked back another groan when he tried to stretch his arm over his head.

She returned and pressed the cool cloth to his face, taking special care not to bother his nose. “Are they gone?” Her voice was contrite. He could definitely press his advantage now. Guilt her into making it up to him. Con her into believing she was still in imminent jeopardy so he could more easily control her safety.

Make good choices.

Barmy conscience. Ever since she’d blown up his world with color, he’d been dealing with these inconvenient principles. He wanted to take that small, honorable voice and shove it up a demon’s arse. But protecting Jessie was the best choice, no? And to protect someone, you often needed to scare them.

Scare her? Or trust her to make her own decisions? She was intelligent after all.

But still…demons were a whole new level of fucked up with which she had no experience.

Blast this bloody morality shit. “There are no more demons in the club. Unfortunately, the same can’t be said for the city, thanks to Mason.”

“I’ve got to get to my grandparents, Nate. What if something’s already gotten to them?”

He grabbed her hand as she started walking toward the door and pulled her down to the floor with him, ignoring the flare-up of pain in his torso. The sooner he could eat, sleep, and lose himself in Jessie’s body, the sooner he’d patch up. “I set wards on their house and compelled them to remain inside until they hear from you.”

“Compelled.”

He only smiled.

She pressed her lips together. “Thanks?”

He raised an eyebrow. “You’re welcome?”

“What?”

“That was the most ungrateful thank you I’ve ever received.”

She frowned and scooted off his lap. He felt her withdrawal like an echo in his chest.

“You intruded on their minds. Took away their control,” she said quietly.

He shoved a hand through his hair and used the wingback chair to lever up from the floor. Her eyes widened at his grimace. “Would you prefer I left them vulnerable?”

She remained silent for a time. She wound her fingers together in front of her. “No. I’m glad you…did whatever it is that you do.” She waved a hand in the air. “Magic. Or whatever.”

“It’s not magic, Jess.”

“Well, what then?”

“I don’t know.” He’d never really thought about his abilities. They were just there. “Heaven’s Special Ops Forces, maybe.” Well, didn’t that sound ridiculous?

She seemed to accept it, though. “I don’t know what to think about all this.” She looked around the room. “What happens now?”

The need to claim her—to complete their bond—was growing stronger. And yet…

Her eyes reflected disillusionment and insecurity.

He hated that. She’d had a lot to take in already. He could wait a few more hours or another day to tell her she was his compar. “Right now, we just go on.”

Her gaze fixed on the lower section of his tattoo that was visible below his t-shirt sleeve. He’d swapped his shredded mobster getup for jeans and black cotton shirt. She clearly remembered their conversation earlier in the week when he’d told her about the ink’s reminder to pick up and move on in the face of hardship. He leaned forward to place a kiss at the sweet spot beneath her ear. She shuddered and melted into him. Finally.

“I’ve had hours to do nothing but stew and worry. I can understand why solitary confinement is the worst sort of punishment.”

“I wasn’t punishing you, Jess. I only wanted to keep you safe.” His hands slid down to cup her bum. She still wore her costume, so there was nothing under her skirt but her itty bitty thong. He groaned deep in his throat. She wound her arms around his neck, sighing his name against his stubbled skin. His body shuddered in response. Want her.

Take.

No, he should make a plan. Take care of the demon problem. Keep the relic safe.

Keep her safe.

My Jessie.

His lips feathered along her hairline. He closed his eyes, absorbing her lime and coconut scent. He backed towards the sofa, sat down, then laid back, bringing her down on top of him. His fingernails curled into the skin on the back of her thighs, then raked up to slide over her bottom. “Damn, you feel good.”

Her lips closed around his earlobe. Take her, she’s yours, said a voice.

Make good choices, said another.

Her hips started a slow grind against his pelvis as her mouth fused to his. His tongue swept across her teeth as the scent of her arousal fanned the fire in his own blood. Sweat rolled down his temples and beaded between his pecs. Sounds of her breath coming fast and hard made a dark hunger swamp him. He scooted up from the sofa, grasping her to him, then laid her back down while he stood to unbutton his jeans. But before he even got the first button undone, she bolted up from the sofa and ran toward the door. Son of a bitch. He raised his hand, locking the door. She tried the doorknob in vain, then swung around, her eyes spitting sparks…and silvery hot desire. Her chest was blotchy red with her passion, her nipples tight through her white peasant top.

He smiled darkly.

Her pupils dilated wider. “Open that door! I’m going upstairs right now.”

Everything slowed inside him. Focused on her minutest movements. He took one step forward and paused.

There was a disturbance in the ether.

Jessie made a sound of frustration and jiggled the door handle a little too desperately. “Open it!”

A trickle of sweat slid down the center of his spine. Something was coming. He heard it in the shifting of the air molecules.

Coming this way.

“Jessie, get down!” he yelled, lunging for her as the sanctorum door shattered inward.