Chapter 12

 

Chris

 

“I give up.” Brock lifted his head from the mat and waved in surrender. “Mercy.”

I walked over and grasped his hand, pulling him to his feet. He staggered slightly before putting a hand against the wall to steady himself.

I went back to the center of the gym. “Come on. We’ve only been sparring for thirty minutes.”

He groaned. “Is that all?”

“You sound like a new trainee,” I taunted, bouncing on my feet. “Let’s go.”

“I’ll go a few rounds with you,” Nikolas said from the doorway.

“Oh, thank God,” Brock muttered, limping past him.

Nikolas stepped into the room, dressed in sweats and a T-shirt, and joined me at the center of the mats with a familiar gleam in his eyes. He was the only one who could best me in hand-to-hand, and we both knew it.

His attack came lightning fast and without warning. I parried the strike with equal speed and countered with a kick to his thigh that would have put Brock on his ass. Nikolas gave me the little smile that caused younger warriors to tremble in fear and landed a numbing blow to my shoulder. I smiled back. This was more like it.

The thing about sparring with your best friend and longtime partner is that you know each other’s fighting moves better than anyone else. Nikolas and I had fought together so many times I could predict his reaction before I made a strike. And the same was true for him. We were so evenly matched that all we could do was fight and wait for a sliver of an opportunity to land the winning strike.

We traded blow for blow until I lost track of time and my body was slick with sweat. A group of people had gathered outside the door to watch, but my focus was on my opponent. He’d beaten me in our last full-on sparring session, and I was determined to win this one.

My Mori fluttered excitedly, telling me Beth was nearby. Out of the corner of my eye, I caught a glimpse of long blonde hair, and I shifted my gaze to her for one brief moment.

It was all the opening Nikolas needed. In the next instant, I was on my back staring up at the ceiling with his heavy weight on top of me. Hoots and clapping came from the doorway as I conceded defeat and shoved my friend off me.

He rolled over onto his back and to his feet in one movement. Reaching down, he extended his hand to me. I took it and let him haul me up. We walked over to a set of metal shelves where he grabbed two towels, tossing one to me.

“Thanks,” I said, wiping sweat from my face and neck.

“You good now?”

“Yeah.”

He slung his towel over his shoulder and gave me a dry look. “You want to tell me what has you in such a pleasant mood?”

“I’m not in a mood,” I muttered, causing his brows to lift.

“I thought things were going better between you and Beth. You said she agreed to go to dinner with you.”

“They were, and she did agree.” I exhaled loudly in frustration. “But dinner didn’t happen. Nothing has happened since we got back. Except work.”

“Ah.” Nikolas nodded in understanding.

The day we’d returned from San Francisco, I’d told Beth we were going out that night. She’d looked surprised but shyly agreed. An hour before we were to leave for our date, a call had come into the command center from one of the other teams about a large lamprey demon infestation in the subway. Almost every warrior at the command center had gone down in the subway tunnels, dealing with the problem.

The next day, we’d gotten word from one of Sara’s demon contacts about a new gulak slave operation in Baldwin Park. That night, there was a rash of vampire attacks, and we’d spent the whole night answering calls and patrolling.

Yesterday, Nikolas and I had spent the better part of the day following up with informants and in conference calls with the Council about the Lilin situation. By the time I’d gotten free, it was too late for dinner. I was starting to think some higher power was determined to keep me from my date with Beth.

It wasn’t like I hadn’t seen her in the last three days. She’d worked alongside me on every job, but there was never time for personal talk. At home, there was always someone around, making it impossible to get her alone, even when we had some time to spare.

I didn’t know what was worse, the time I spent away from her or being close to her and not able to touch her and talk to her like I wanted to. The need for physical contact with her created a dull ache in my chest, and I caught myself fantasizing about kissing her at the most inconvenient times. If I didn’t get some alone time with her soon, I wasn’t going to be fit to be on duty.

“It’s been a busy few days,” Nikolas said as if he’d read my mind. “Things seem to be back to normal, and we can handle it if anything comes up tonight.”

“You sure?”

He smiled and thumped my shoulder. “Go spend some time with your mate.”

“Thanks.”

I tossed my towel in the hamper and left the gym, letting my Mori lead me to Beth. I found her in the kitchen with Mason, who eyed me warily as I strode up to them. Beth gave me a confused look when I stopped in front of her.

“Are you free tonight?” I asked her.

Her eyes widened a little. “Uh…yes.”

I smiled as some of the tension left my body. “Will you go to dinner with me?”

I would have been happy to share a pizza with her in the guesthouse living room, but the odds of us having an uninterrupted meal were unlikely. Going out meant we were guaranteed at least three hours alone. More if things went as well as I planned.

She hesitated, and I caught the flash of uncertainty in her eyes. I was sure she would say no, and I let out a breath when she nodded.

“Yes.”

“Great. Six o’clock?”

“Sure,” she said breathlessly, making it hard for me not to close the distance between us and kiss the hell out of her.

“See you at six,” I said, backing out of the kitchen.

I knew I was grinning like a fool, and I didn’t care one bit. I turned and headed for the French doors, ignoring Mason and the three people in the living room who had all stopped talking to follow our exchange. I was going on a date with my girl, and I didn’t care who knew it.

 

*     *     *

I was buttoning my shirt when my phone rang at 5:30. I went into the living room to answer it and smiled when I saw Beth’s closed bedroom door. She was in there right now, getting ready for tonight, and knowing that made me as excited as a teenager going on his first date.

Distracted by thoughts of Beth, I answered my phone without even knowing who was calling. “Hello?”

“Chris, tell me you haven’t left yet,” Brock said in a rush.

My attention snapped away from Beth’s door. “I’m still here. What’s up?”

“We have Adele on the phone. Her club is under attack, and she’s asking for our help.”

“Under attack from who?” Adele had warlock wards on her place to keep vampires out, and there were few who would mess with the ogres she employed as security.

“Incubi,” Brock replied. “She’s holed up in her office, but they’ll break through her protections eventually.”

“Where is Nikolas?”

“Sara got a call about a disturbance at the local wrakk. She and Nikolas left half an hour ago to check it out.”

I rubbed my face and stared up at the ceiling. Is this some cosmic joke on me?

“Assemble whoever we have available and tell Adele we’re on the way,” I told him before I hung up.

I walked over to the closed door and knocked. A moment later, it opened and Beth stood before me, barefoot in a teal dress that made me forget what I’d been about to say to her.

She stared at me for a few seconds, waiting for me to speak. When I didn’t, she said, “Am I late? I just need a few more minutes.”

“You don’t need anything else,” I answered roughly. “You’re perfect.”

Pink tinged her cheeks. “I need shoes. I can’t go to dinner barefoot.”

Her comment brought me back to my senses, and I sighed regretfully. Now that I saw what I’d be missing tonight, I almost wished I hadn’t answered my phone.

“We have to postpone our date again. Adele’s club is under attack, and she needs our help.”

“Oh.” Her smile dimmed. Was that disappointment in her eyes?

She blinked, and it was gone. “Give me a minute to change,” she said before she shut the door.

Muttering a litany of curses, I yanked off my date clothes and dressed in jeans and a thin sweater. By the time I was pulling on my boots, Beth emerged from the bedroom, similarly attired and pulling her hair back into a ponytail. She walked over to a duffle bag near the table and began arming herself with knives and a long slender sword. I’d thought she looked hot in the dress, but damn, she took my breath away when she was dressed for battle.

Brock and Mason were waiting for us when we got to the control room, and the two of them were armed and ready to go.

“Who do we have?” I asked.

“Raoul and Jordan are meeting us there, along with Geoffrey’s team,” Brock said.

“Okay.”

Geoffrey’s team was seasoned and formidable. If I had to choose a team to be at our back, they were one of the best.

We took our bikes because they were faster, and we pulled up outside Blue Nyx ten minutes later. Dismounting, I removed my helmet and studied the building. There were no signs of trouble out here, but that meant nothing. Adele’s club was soundproofed so well that a bomb could go off in there and you wouldn’t hear a thing on the outside.

Jordan and Raoul arrived a minute behind us.

“Geoffrey’s less than ten minutes out,” Raoul said, walking over to us. “Should we wait?”

My first instinct was to say yes because I didn’t want to take Beth in there without backup. But my gut told me Adele might not have time for us to wait.

“No. But we don’t know what we’re walking into, so let’s stick together until we know more. Beth, Mason and Jordan, don’t engage the Incubi unless there are too many for us to handle.”

Jordan scoffed, and I held up a hand.

“The Incubus you fought in the tunnel was strong, but the ones we encountered in San Francisco were a lot more powerful. We don’t know what we’ll find in there. You take your lead from us.” I looked at Beth. “And no heroics.”

My tone brooked no argument. Jordan huffed softly, and the two of them nodded.

“Okay. Let’s do this.”

Adele kept the club doors locked at all times, so I pulled out my picks as we crossed the street. When I reached for the door handle, it turned easily in my hand and the door clicked open. Not a good sign.

I looked behind me, and my eyes met Beth’s excited ones. My protective instincts were screaming at me to keep her outside, away from danger. But singling her out would embarrass her, and I couldn’t stop her from being a warrior. I didn’t want to.

“Everyone, stay close,” I told them, but my eyes were on her when I said it.

I eased the door open quietly and entered the short hallway, which led to the inner door to the club. I held up a hand to motion for the others to stay still, and then I enhanced my hearing. Faint thumps and shouts came from inside the building, telling me the hostiles were still here.

The inner door was unlocked as well, and I opened it quietly. The interior of the club was dimly lit, and the first floor appeared empty. From upstairs came loud pounding and sounds of fighting that told me the Incubi hadn’t been able to force their way into Adele’s inner sanctum.

I stepped inside and caught sight of Dolph’s massive body lying a few feet to the left of the door. I knelt beside the ogre and took in the deep gash in his stomach and the blood soaking his shirt. The slight rise and fall of his chest told me he was still alive.

I reached for his shirt to check the damage, and a large hand grabbed my wrist in a bruising grip.

“Easy, big guy,” I whispered. “The cavalry is here.”

His eyes opened, and his mouth twisted in pain. “Mistress,” he gritted, trying to sit up.

“Whoa.” I pushed him back down. “We got this. How many are there?”

“Ten…maybe.”

I waved Mason over. “Stay with him, and keep pressure on the wound. He’ll start to heal as soon as we slow the bleeding.”

Leaving Mason with Dolph, the rest of us quietly moved farther into the club. Movement on the far side of the dance floor caught my eye, and I swerved in that direction. Fury built in me when I saw the scene before me.

One of Adele’s human waitresses lay on a leather couch, crying and feebly pushing at the Incubus leaning over her. Her top was ripped, exposing her bra, and a bruise was already forming on her pale cheek.

Beth let out an enraged gasp, and the Incubus’s head jerked up. The hunger in his eyes changed to anger at being interrupted and then to fear when he saw us. Whether he was one of the Lilin’s offspring or not, he didn’t stand a chance against five Mohiri warriors.

He moved quickly, leaping over the back of the couch and racing into the dark hallway that led to the back entrance. Before I could go after him, metal flashed and a dagger sailed through the air to disappear into the darkness. A choked cry sounded, followed by a crash.

I ran down the hallway with Brock at my heels and found the Incubus sprawled facedown on the floor, gasping his last breaths. Pulling out the knife, I used it to finish him off, then cleaned the blade on his shirt.

We went back to the others where Beth was trying to comfort the girl. Raoul offered up his jacket, and Beth laid it around the girl’s shoulders.

“Jordan, you and Beth stay with her,” I said.

I didn’t want to split us up, but the girl was in no shape to be left alone. And I wasn’t leaving either Beth or Jordan here by themselves.

Motioning to Brock and Raoul, I ran to the stairs to the second floor. We passed the bar, where I spotted the bodies of the two human male bartenders and another waitress. Brock went over to check for signs of life and shook his head grimly. The Incubi obviously planned to leave no survivors.

We were halfway up the stairs when the main door opened and Geoffrey entered with the rest of his team. I caught his eye and pointed up. He nodded and told two of his people to stay downstairs while the rest of them followed us to the second floor.

At the top of the stairs, I quickly assessed the scene. Bruce and Lorne, Adele’s two other security guys, were embroiled in battle with six Incubi. The ogres had sustained numerous cuts from the Incubi blades, but they fought valiantly to protect their mistress.

Behind them, three more Incubi were viciously kicking the steel door to Adele’s office. The door was dented badly, but it held under their assault. Adele’s office was warded by warlock magic, most likely by Orias, who was one of the most powerful warlocks in the country. It was going to take more than brute force to break down that door.

The biggest threat was to the ogres, so I jumped in to help them. Bruce was closest to me, so I put myself between him and the three Incubi who were taking turns slashing at him with their knives. I brought my sword up in an arc, and one of the Incubi stumbled backward, clutching at the stump where his hand used to be. On the downward swing, my blade laid open the chest of another Incubi. He staggered, and I went in for the kill, relieving him of his head.

A minute after we joined the fight, it was over. I studied the bodies littering the floor, glad to see that none of ours was among them.

I looked up at Bruce, who towered over me. “You okay?”

“Yeah.” He grinned, showing off his fangs. “What took you so long?”

I laughed and walked to Adele’s office door, which looked battered but stood firm. Knocking loudly, I called, “Adele, it’s Chris. You can come out now.”

I had to knock two more times before the door flew open to reveal Adele’s pale face. The succubus wore jeans and a shirt instead of her usual slinky dress, and she had on very little makeup. Her hair was uncharacteristically messy, and the sleeve of her shirt was ripped at the shoulder. I’d never seen her look so disheveled or frightened.

I opened my mouth to ask if she was okay, but my question was cut short when she threw herself at me, wrapping her arms around my neck. Her body shook, and a ragged sob escaped as if she couldn’t hold it back.

“You came,” she choked out. “Thank you.”

I’d never seen Adele when she wasn’t put together and composed, and her current state took me aback. I wasn’t sure how to deal with the scared woman clinging to me. My Mori wasn’t too happy either, and it growled, shrinking away from the touch of a female who wasn’t my mate.

When my demon suddenly fluttered, I looked up to see Beth standing at the top of the stairs. Her eyes were narrowed on the woman in my arms, and the straight line of her mouth told me she was not happy about what she saw.

Heat shot through me at the possessive glint in her eyes, and I felt a rush of elation. She wanted me even if she refused to admit it.

I gently set Adele away from me. She wavered a little, but Bruce rushed over to steady her.

“Mistress, are you hurt?”

She patted his arm affectionately. “I’m okay, Bruce. You look worse than I do.” She looked around in alarm. “Where’s Dolph?”

“He’s downstairs,” I told her. “He’s hurt, but he’ll make it.”

She sagged in relief against Bruce. “He took the blade meant for me. I’d be dead if it wasn’t for my men.”

“Can you tell us what happened?” I asked her.

Adele’s gaze swept over the bodies, and her face began to harden, her anger surfacing to replace the fear. “I was downstairs making sure everything was ready for tonight when they came through the front door. There were so many of them that it was impossible for Dolph and Bruce to stop them all.” She drew a shuddering breath. “One of them came at me with a knife, and Dolph threw himself in front of me. Lorne and Bruce held them off long enough for me to get to the office.”

I crouched near the closest body and pulled back one of the sleeves, confirming what I already knew. Standing, I looked at Adele again. “Why does the Lilin want you dead? He left you alone until tonight.”

Adele rubbed her arms. “He found out I’m in contact with the Mohiri, and he thinks I’m helping you against him. There’s no reasoning with a Lilin when his mind is set on something.”

I surveyed the carnage. “It might be best for you to leave town for a while.”

“I’m leaving tonight.” She stood and looked at Bruce. “You’re in charge while I’m gone. Can you call someone to clean up the club? And let the staff know we’ll be closed until further notice. They’ll be compensated as usual.”

“I’m afraid most of your staff didn’t make it,” I said.

She put a hand to her chest. “They’re all dead?”

Beth stepped forward. “All except one. We got to her before they could…” She pressed her lips together.

Adele pushed past me and went to Beth. “Where is she? I need to make sure she’s okay.”

I watched them go then looked at Geoffrey. “We should go through their pockets before Adele has the bodies disposed of. We might find something to lead us to their sire.”

“I was thinking the same thing.”

We found a few wallets with cash but no credit cards or identification of any kind. Other than the tattoos on their wrists, there was nothing to tie them to the Lilin.

I headed downstairs to where Beth and Jordan stood talking to Raoul while Adele sat with the waitress.

Walking over to join them, I held up the knife I’d pulled from the Incubus’s body earlier. “Who owns this?”

“I do.”

I couldn’t stop the look of surprise that crossed my face when Beth held out her hand. I’d expected Raoul to claim the weapon because the strike had been so fast and clean, something you’d expect from a more experienced warrior.

The corner of Jordan’s mouth lifted. “Wicked aim, right?”

“Perfect shot,” I praised Beth as I passed her the knife.

She smiled shyly and sheathed the blade. “Thanks.”

After we’d escorted Adele to a private hangar at the airport, we headed back to the command center. I pulled my bike up beside Beth’s in the garage and removed my helmet.

“I’m sorry we had to cancel our date.”

She lifted a shoulder. “It’s okay. Duty calls.”

Jordan snorted. “What are you guys, senior citizens? It’s barely nine. Plenty of night left.”

“It’s too late for dinner,” Beth said as we went into the house.

“But not for dancing.” Jordan swiveled her hips. “And that’s a lot more fun than dinner anyway.”

“I’m up for dancing if you are,” I said to Beth. I wasn’t willing to give up on our date just yet.

Beth bit her lip and shot me a nervous glance. “I –”

“We’ll all go,” Jordan announced. “We can wear those hot new dresses we bought last week.”

I smiled gratefully at Jordan. “I think that’s a great idea.”

I wanted Beth all to myself, but if having Jordan there made her more comfortable, I was all for it. Plus, I really wanted to see her in her hot new dress.

Sara was in the kitchen when we came in. “What’s a great idea?” she asked around a mouthful of apple.

Jordan stole a slice of apple from her. “We’re all going dancing tonight.”

Sara didn’t look nearly as excited as Jordan. “Didn’t you guys just fight a dozen Incubi or something? That wasn’t fun enough for you?”

“If you call watching someone else do all the killing fun. Now I have all this pent-up energy I need to burn off.” Jordan laid an arm across Beth’s shoulders. “What do you say?”

Beth thought it over for a moment. “Okay.”

“Don’t sound so excited.” Jordan laughed as she released Beth and headed for the door. She looked back over her shoulder. “I’m going to my place to get gorgeous. And then we’re going to show this town how to party.”