9
Trembling, alone in the bathroom, Lilica slid to the floor of the shower. She should dress, march out of the bedroom, and teach the Targon king the error of his ways. Mess with me, die horribly. But she ached, and as the hot water continued to rain over her, a thousand little caresses from head to toe, she contemplated changing to blend into the water and bringing herself to orgasm despite what Dallas had said. Or maybe because of what he’d said. Exploring her body was something she’d only ever done after taking over IOT, but she’d never felt like this. As if she were burning alive, and glad of it.
She should have told Dallas no, should have let him sink deeper into an animal state, but she’d been stinging from her encounter with Trinity. And then he’d taken off his shirt, all those delicious muscles on display. And his tattoos! He had three. A tree of life along both sides of his rib cage; a pair of eyes, one on top of each foot; and her absolute favorite, a group of musical notes over his heart.
The heat inside her disintegrated her restraint.
Screw waiting for Dallas, and screw his consequences. She brought herself to a swift orgasm, but oh, it wasn’t as satisfying as she’d hoped, leaving her confused once again about whether she’d actually had one.
Dallas would tell her she hadn’t. And maybe he’d be right. She still ached. Still needed.
Legs unsteady, she emerged from the shower at last. As cool air kissed her wet skin, she rifled through Dallas’s closet, then dressed in a T-shirt, a pair of boxers, and pair of sweatpants.
If he complained about sharing his clothes, she’d probably claw his face off. If you want to keep me, be prepared to provide for me!
Should probably provide for . . . myself?
Whatever. She braided her hair and, wanting to assassinate something, ripped up another of Dallas’s shirts to use as a tie.
A quick search for weapons proved unfruitful, not that she was surprised. No matter. She still had her wits and her powers. Dallas hadn’t dosed her. Had he forgotten, or had he decided to trust her?
He wasn’t the type to forget anything. He also wasn’t the type to trust anyone but his elite circle of friends. Did he not mind that she could hear what he was saying to Devyn through the bond?
But then, there was a third option, she realized. Negating her powers would have negated his own. So, one point Lilica. The bond had been a good idea after all.
“Lilica!” Dallas’s bellow echoed through the bedroom, and oh, wow, he’d never sounded more enraged.
What had she done this time?
And why did she already miss the nickname he’d given her? Lily.
“Lilica! Get out here.” He was closer now, probably stomping this way.
—Ask nicely, Arcadian. Shouting demands will get you nowhere fast.—
A pause.
—Stop speaking inside my head.—
—Why don’t you come in here and make me.—
Wait. She didn’t want him storming in here and dragging her out, so she decided that, just this once, shouting demands would get him somewhere . . . slowly.
—Never mind. I’m on my way.—
Head high, she exited the bedroom at the pace of a hundred-year-old woman with a walker and a bum hip. He wasn’t storming after all, but standing a few feet away, his body radiating tension, his muscles bunched.
“What?” she snapped.
His gaze spewed fire at her. “You met with Trinity,” he snapped back.
Right. He hadn’t known about that. Her little visit with Trinity hadn’t been on her mind while they’d been . . . otherwise occupied.
Not yet ready to discuss her interaction with her sister—and her subsequent rejection—she studied his apartment. In the living room, the furnishings were just as masculine as those in the bedroom; the couch, two recliners, coffee table, and two side tables were dark and well used.
Devyn saluted her with a mocking grin. He sat in one of the recliners, which looked to be made of real leather. Leather was just as expensive as water. He held a glass of amber liquid the same color as his eyes and as he sipped, ice cubes clinked together.
Actual ice cubes, made from water, not just frozen blocks of H2OSyn.
—We’re rich!—
“I’m rich.” Dallas pinched the bridge of his nose. “Devyn invested my money. Without my consent. One night I went to bed with only a few thousand bucks to my name, and the next morning I woke up with millions.”
“I’m still waiting for my thanks,” Devyn muttered.
She ignored him, saying to Dallas, “Well. As soon as our bond is broken, I’m taking half your stuff.”
“What bond?” Devyn asked.
Again she ignored him. She gave Dallas a pitying look. “Alimony is going to suck, but what can you do?”
He scowled at her, and gritted out only one word. “Trinity.”
“How did you find—never mind,” she said. “I can guess. John called Devyn.”
“You should have told me,” he said, pointing at her.
She anchored her hands on her hips. “I think that’s the dumbest thing you’ve ever said. Think about it. You plan to harm her. Why would I ever tell you anything about her?”
“She could have infected you, and you could have infected me.”
“She didn’t, and I didn’t. But she does want to infect you.” The admission escaped before she could weigh the pros and cons of telling him. “And before you go charging after her guns blazing, know that I’m going to change her mind.” Lilica had to believe that the sister she loved was buried underneath the anger, the sense of rejection, and the thirst for power.
Dallas’s features softened as he closed the distance to frame Lilica’s face with his big, calloused hands. “I’m sorry she hurt you, sweetheart.”
Her stomach dropped, and though she longed to lean into his touch, she stepped back, severing contact. Can’t let myself need him. “I’ll never give up on her. If you knew her like I did . . .” Her eyes widened. He could know her.
She dug through her memories, focusing on the ones involving Trinity at her sweetest and pushing them across the bond, into Dallas’s mind.
“Stop that.” He shook his head. “Just stop.” Devyn unfolded from the chair, rising to his feet.
“What are you doing to him?”
Dallas pointed a finger at his friend. “Don’t even think about hurting her. She’s under my protection.”
The Targon blinked in surprise before holding up his hands, all innocence. “I was only thinking about making her hurt herself. Big difference. Huge.”
Don’t read too much into Dallas’s words, she told herself. By protecting me, he merely protects himself.
Catching her thought, he scowled at her.
“Did I hear you correctly? Devyn hurt a female?” A beautiful woman soared through the front door, kicking it shut behind her as she glared at the Targon. She held a tray of hors d’oeuvres. “Apologize to her. Now!”
“For you, love? Anything.” Devyn blew the woman a kiss. To Lilica, he said, “I’m sorry you forced me to take action against you. I mean that from the bottom of my heart.”
The woman bared her teeth, revealing sharp white fangs. She was a vampire. One of the first alien races to make themselves known to earthlings. The blood-drinkers now lived underground and very rarely surfaced.
Excitement bubbled up. Considering that Lilica had vampire in her DNA, she would love to talk shop.
Devyn smiled his most devastating smile at the vampire. “You knew about my bad-boy reputation before you married me, pet.”
Married?
“Lilica, meet Bride McKells. Devyn’s wife,” Dallas said. “Bride, meet Lilica, my—”
“Prisoner of war,” Lilica interjected before he could call her something worse.
Dallas stiffened.
“Her name is Bride Targon,” Devyn corrected.
“Just Bride,” the woman in question said. “It’s lovely to meet you, Lilica.”
The scents of roses, sugarplums, and honeysuckle wafted from her, and as Lilica drew in a deep breath—scents had always been her thing—a strong sense of familiarity struck her, as if she were peering at one of her sisters; she studied Bride more intently. The vampire had jet-black hair, so like Lilica’s natural state, and eyes the color of emeralds. Just like Jade’s. Her pale skin had a pink-roses glow of health . . . like Trinity’s when she wasn’t eaten up with disease. Her lips were scarlet, like Lilica’s sometimes were.
The scientists at IOT couldn’t have used this woman’s DNA . . . could they? What were the odds?
. . . Peel back the layers of coincidence and it made a strange sort of sense. Because vampires so rarely surfaced—and no one at the institute had been brave enough to venture below—the scientists would have snagged the first one they’d come across. Dallas stiffened as he looked from Lilica to Bride, then back again. Cursing, he scrubbed a hand down his face. He’d read Lilica’s thoughts—but more than that, he believed her suspicions.
“At IOT, scientists used DNA from captives to create Lilica,” he said to Devyn. “You yourself told me Bride was locked there for months.”
Devyn laughed, and yet he appeared far from amused. “What you’re suggesting is ridiculous.”
“Is it?” Dallas massaged the back of his neck. “You found the lab because of Bride’s memories.”
The color drained from Bride’s cheeks as she focused on Lilica. “You’re really from the lab?”
“Born there,” she said softly. “Along with my sisters, Jade . . . and Trinity.”
Dallas cursed again, and this time Devyn joined him.
“I was a child. No more than eight years old. I can’t be what you’re . . . I mean, that would make me your mother, and I—” Bride looked helplessly at her husband. “Right?”
He sprang into action, taking the tray from her trembling grip and placing it on the coffee table before drawing her into his arms, protective, possessive, and gentle all at once. For the first time in their acquaintance, Lilica could guess how the cruel brute had won the heart of the vampire.
Lilica swallowed. “If . . . if it’s true, you would be one of twenty-eight parents. Twenty-three otherworlders and five humans.”
“When I was at the lab,” Devyn said, “I found no paperwork, no computer files.”
“We hid them.” She rattled off the coordinates to where he needed to look. No reason to keep the data secret, even though she would have enjoyed torturing him; she’d never be able to hide the information from Dallas.
Devyn nodded in what might have been thanks. “I’ll have answers by morning, pet.”
Needing a distraction, Lilica grabbed a handful of the hors d’oeuvres.
The bite-size cakes smelled like . . . she couldn’t identify the scent, only knew she liked it, her mouth watering.
“Crab,” Dallas muttered.
She scoured her mind, but came up blank. “I’m unfamiliar with the term.”
“Seafood.”
Her brow furrowed with confusion. “Sea creatures were killed during the war, when the oceans were contaminated.” She might not have lived in the world, but she had studied its turbulent history.
“Some people,” Dallas said, hiking his thumb at Devyn, “have private stashes.”
Lilica nibbled on the edge of a cake and moaned with delight. Amazing! “I’ve decided I’m keeping your friends when we divorce.”
Dallas stole one of her cakes, popping it into his mouth before she could kill him. Mine! She watched his mouth as he chewed, suddenly mesmerized. When he swallowed, their gazes met and locked, awareness crackling between them. The air thickened, making it harder for her to breathe. Which was probably a good thing. His scent had blended with hers, creating a fragrance so potent, so arousing, she nearly leaped into his arms to rip at his clothes.
If she didn’t put her hands on him soon . . . if he didn’t put his hands on her . . . his fingers inside her . . .
I’ll die.
His fingers were so different from hers. Thicker, and rougher. When they brought her to orgasm, she would know it beyond a doubt.
“Yes. You will.” His pupils flared, black spilling over those arctic irises, as if he wanted to throw her down, strip her, and penetrate her with a single stroke, just as he’d promised in the bathroom. As if he wanted to fill her up, possess her, brand her. Own her. As if he wanted to take and take and take, but only after she’d begged would he give and give and give.
“I’ll never beg for you,” she whispered.
“Oh, sweetheart. I think we’ll both beg.”
Her tremors returned. To hear this man beg for her . . .
The soothing balm to every rejection she’d ever faced.
No. No! She would not surrender to her desires, would not give in to her animal urges. Not again. She’d thought sex with him was the answer to her problems. Bound forever, he would choose to save Trinity. But there had to be another way. A way she would actually survive.
As a muscle jumped under his eye, he backed away from her.
As cold reality chilled her desire, one of his thoughts filled her head. —Such a naughty girl, my Lily.—
His Lily. His.
Her heart sped into a dangerous rhythm.
“Wow. Anyone else hot?” Bride asked with a shaky little laugh. “I feel like I just watched a live and in-person porno. And however you’re changing colors to blend into the room, Lilica, it’s freaking awesome. The best defense against an enemy.”
A blessing rather than a curse.
Dallas ignored her, grating to Lilica, “You can have all the crab cakes you want . . . if you tell us where to find Trinity.”
Anger flickered deep inside her chest. Every interaction always came back to her sister, didn’t it. “I don’t know where she is, and that’s the truth. And if John tries to force Jade to find her again, I’ll—”
“John wouldn’t. He doesn’t want Jade near Trinity again, and he won’t let us near Jade.”
Well. —Some protectors know how to do their job right.—
Dallas glared at her.
She glared right back. What a nightmare this had become! She had to keep AIR away from Trinity, but doing so would prevent Lilica from digging past her sister’s uncaring facade to reach her heart.
“She’s a parasite.” Disgust dripped from his voice. “She isn’t the girl you knew.”
Trinity had said the same. “She is still my sister.” She pushed the memory of Trinity willing to take a beating for her through the bond.
He stiffened, then pried the remaining crab cakes from her hand and picked up the tray. “There are lobster and salmon cakes on here too, and they’re better than crab.”
“I’ve never had lobster or salmon.” But her mouth watered for them. Must have! “Give them to me. Now.”
“Sorry. You’ll have to put them on your bucket list.” He stomped into the kitchen and dumped the contents of the tray into the garbage can.
He . . . no! He was worse than Devyn.
“Fine. You win. I’ll help you find her, but not because of your stupid cakes. You can stuff those up your ass! I plan on saving her before you can contain her.”
“Too bad, sweetheart. I plan on containing her before you can save her.”
Of course he did.
She batted her lashes at him, all sugary sweetness, so angry for wanting a man who was so determined to hurt her flesh and blood. A man who was unwilling to give her a chance. Just one chance.
“Then we’ll have to wait and see who wins,” she told him. “Won’t we?”