DemonicPersuasion (6 page)

“
I can solve your problem.
” Athanasios’ voice rolled
between them, the heat of breath seeming to caress Fade’s skin. Her chest
lifted at the scent of coal, sharp in the air. She tried—and failed—to deny the
sudden and unwanted flare of desire their multitude of voices and the lurking
promise drove into her flesh. “
Open yourself up to me as Fade has.
”

Color slashed across Foster’s cheeks and his fingers curled
into bloodless fists at his sides. “I turned your deal down then. I’m turning
it down now.” He bit the words out and the brush of air against her changed,
soured.

“
She’s ours.
” The hint of possession in their voice
jumped her pulse. Athanasios had always wanted her. They’d had no qualms, made
no apologies for their desire. A clawed hand cupped her breast through the
throw, rough, scaled skin drawing against her aching nipple. “
We could fuck
her right here.
” Sarcasm rose. “
You do like to watch, after all, don’t
you, Foster?
”

Foster’s breathing quickened and the sudden shine to his
dark eyes, the way his fingers flexed said he wanted it. Wanted to see her at
Athanasios’ mercy. Her pulse drummed. It was insanity. The series of sounds
grew heavier and faster, proving that whoever was trying to breach Foster’s
system was succeeding.

And yet there she sat on the couch, her fingers loosening
the material around her body, wanting to expose herself to her strange and
invisible lovers and the man she couldn’t get enough of…

The sounds stopped.

Foster cursed and flowed into action. From the desk by the
window, he drew out small, short-barreled weapons and pushed them into his
trouser pockets. A heartbeat later he grabbed her arm, hauled her to her feet
and pulled her with him through the flat.

She snatched up her bag from the table and slung it over her
shoulder. Everything she was was stored inside. Foster barely spared her a
glance. He stopped halfway down a bedroom corridor and pressed his palm to a
smooth run of blank metal wall. A blue glow drew around his hand and a low
groan followed. The floor beneath her bare feet shuddered.

“The previous owner’s panic room.”

Foster pushed her inside the compact room and remained at
its threshold. “You’re not coming in?”

“I will be shortly—”

“
They have disabled your vehicle.
” Athanasios’ voice
warmed the air. “
Seven men. Armed. Killers.
” A heavy silence fell and
when the rush of voices returned their tone in her mind was hard and bitter. “
What
they have done. What they will do…
”

“I can protect her.” And with that Foster pulled the panel
shut, leaving her alone.

Fade pressed a hand to her throat, staring at the now-smooth
wall. The silence pushed at her, only the rapid drum of her heart filling it. Her
stomach was tight with worry, and the need to run, to pace, to do anything but
will the door open and find Foster safe and well on the other side beat through
every thought.

He was putting himself in danger for her and she still
didn’t know why. Did he have a grudge against Dolon? Had that man fucked him
over as he’d fucked over so many? She knew nothing about Foster’s past. But his
helping her would never be for the one reason she wanted.

The bare walls pressed around her, their only mark strange
black lines. She dug her fingers into them and pressed her palm flat. Swore at
them. No doubt there were hidden mechanisms buried in the wall, but she was not
allowed to access them.

She sank to the floor and hugged her bag to her, her gaze
fixed on the blank stretch of wall that could become her way out. What was
happening to Foster? He was a former soldier, but Athanasios had said seven
armed killers.

“
Fade.
” Athanasios’ voice was warm in her thoughts
and she clung to it, not from desire but for comfort. A rough finger brushed
her cheek and the hint of coal filled her. “
Take out the pyramid. Let us
flow over you. I can show you everything.
”

“And the catch?”

“
There is no catch.
” A hint of anger threaded through
the multitude and Fade forced down a wince. “
We need both of you to survive.
We’re energy. Unity. A consciousness from another universe. A place where we
lost all pleasures. Until we find compatible flesh, I’m bound to the pyramid.
”
Silence hung over her for a long moment. “
As much as we…dislike Foster, he
is essential for our bond.
”

Fade had no choice. She dug into the bag and pulled free the
carved pyramid. Its metal was warm against her palm and she sucked in a breath
as the point of it cracked. Silver light gushed from the top to spill over her
hand, her arm and to chase up over her shoulder like twisting vines. They were
whispers against her skin, cool and strangely soothing and under their touch
her muscles relaxed.

“
Lie down. We have you.
”

Fade willingly slumped and her drowsy eyes stared up at the
smooth ceiling. The tendrils of light wound over her, across her eyes, her
nose, and she breathed in its essence with every slowing pull of air.

“
That we had time to love you like this.
”

Athanasios’ voice burned against her ear, lips and the hint
of sharpened teeth grazing her skin. It rippled a sensual shiver down to her
sex. For a brief, tormenting moment a long tongue teased between her legs,
deepening the heat growing there, but one word escaped her, “Foster…”

“
As you wish.
”

Fade blinked. She was no longer lying down in the panic
room. She…hovered in the long room that overlooked the rambling city. Somewhere
in the shadows off to her right, she sensed bodies. Four men. Two dead and two
close, their life energy bleeding out of them with every ragged breath.

But ahead of her was the sound of fighting. Not weapons, but
the hard hits of fists and boots and the smack of sharp, white pain. She winced
as its energy cut across her.

“
It can’t harm you. We have you safe.
”

The flow of voices eased her fear and she floated forward
toward the increasing pain. Four men. Each one a distinct presence against her
mind. One shone above the others, seductive and the sudden ache to surround the
burning energy, to take it into herself…

Athanasios’ smile seared her. “
It’s how we feel about
you. We…yearn.
”

This was how they felt about her? About both of them? The
hunger of it caught her, spun her thoughts. It pushed her through the air,
through a wall as insubstantial as mist and into Foster’s stark work room.

Her heart turned over. Athanasios had distracted her.
Foster, clamped to the floor with metal restraints, knelt before one of the
men. The two others leaned against the wall, one clutching his stomach, the
other with his hand supporting his broken arm. The man looming over Foster
aimed a weapon between his eyes and the intent was there, the need to kill, to
blast Foster’s brains all over the wall behind him.

“
Athanasios!
”

But the presence flowing over and through her said nothing
and there was a hint of satisfaction at seeing a man who had denied their need
being punished. Fear rushed Fade. They would kill him.

Blood leaked down Foster’s battered face, his eye purple and
swollen shut. But his spine was straight and his chin lifted, and in that
moment the ache of loving him was a fierce and bitter joy.

“Where is she?” Dolon’s thug—his name smacked her—Dagna
worked the muzzle of the gun against Foster’s forehead.

Foster spat blood and it coated Dagna’s expensive shoes.
“Who?”

Dagna swore and a charge shot from the gun. Fade cried out,
surging forward, but Foster swayed, yet didn’t fall. A smile tugged at his
cracked mouth, drawing fresh blood and he rolled his neck. “Sweet. I’d love
another.”

Dagna’s eyes narrowed. “You have a net?” He swore and turned
to his men. The one with the broken arm struggled to straighten. “You didn’t
think to do a thorough check? He’s a fucking trooper.” Dagna smacked his gun
against the other man’s skull. “He has bio-cybernetic dispersion tech wired
into his bones.” He waved his gun. “This thing is fucking useless.” He swore
again, but then the darkness pushed at his thoughts, Fade felt the creep of it,
an empty soulless horror and his plan spread out before her. “Time to fall back
on old-fashioned methods.”

“
Athanasios. You said yourself, you can’t survive without
both of us. Without
him
!
”

“
He has to want the merging.
” The bitterness was
there again in the chorus of voices. “
And even now, he’s resisting. He
doesn’t want to share you.
”

The flare of joy at his need for sole possession was a sweet
rush but it was also a lie. “
He does. He did. Only before, he burned with
it. The need to see you take me right in front of him.
” Her heart clenched
with the hot memory and the fact that it would save him. Athanasios had
promised. If they merged their energies, then he could solve their problems.
She had no idea how, but she trusted him now as much as she had faith in
Foster. “
Tell him. Give him what he wants.
”

“
Fade…
”

Already Dagna had pulled a long-bladed knife from a bag on a
nearby bench. The sharp edge glinted in the stark overhead light and the press
of what he intended, of how Dagna knew where to slice, nick and cut to inflict
excruciating pain played across his thoughts in too much detail. And he enjoyed
his work.

“
Athanasios, please.
”

“
I have to release you.
”

The pyramid dropped from her loose fingers and hit the
floor. Fade put her hand to her head, her mind spinning from the sudden rush of
thoughts and senses and she curled onto her side. She groaned into the silence.
Her life was a mess, but she hated to think of how long she would’ve been alive
without both Foster and Athanasios watching out for her. Events were unfolding
in an insane way, but she was still alive, still breathing. It was all good.

She didn’t know the plan, but she had to be ready. She pulled
out clean clothes from her pack, shrugged on the plain gray tunic and trousers
and pushed her feet into flat pumps. A band caught her tangle of damp hair.
Slinging the bag across her chest, she held the pyramid in tight fingers, its
heat and the thin ripple of light a strange comfort.

The wall whined and her heart jumped. She stepped back as
thin, black lines chased around the blank wall to form a door. The edges of the
pyramid bit into her palms and she swallowed down her fear. Three assassins
were no match for Athanasios and Taras Foster.

“Miss me?”

Fade threw herself at Foster, finding his mouth as he
wrapped his arms around her and pulled her hard against him. His strong fingers
pushed under the band of her trousers, squeezing her ass and moving farther to
tease across her sex. She mewled against his mouth and drawing in her breath,
she tasted it. That hint of coal. Not Foster…but Athanasios wearing his flesh.

The disappointment slammed into her chest and the twist of
guilt that came with it wrenched her heart. She wrapped her legs around his
waist, linking her arms behind his neck. Taking Foster had healed him. Not one
bruise marred his skin, only the smear of blood streaked his forehead. His eyes
were different, silvered with a spark of anger and bitterness. Athanasios had
felt her reaction. She brushed his mouth. “What now? The men? Are they…?”

“They are no longer your concern.”

A shiver ran over her. So much death chased her now. But it
was her or them. She’d known that for a long time.

“You didn’t ask about him.”

She brushed Foster’s cheek, something she’d often ached to
do, but a gentle gesture the man would never accept from her. “You’re keeping
him safe.”

A dark smile pulled at his mouth and the sudden surge in her
arousal, the need to push down on the firm hand still gripping her ass, broke
over her. “I could be torturing him. I have my hand here.” His fingers dipped
into her sex and the spark fired along her veins. She followed her instinct and
rolled against him, urging him deeper. “And could so easily make it his dick.”

Her belly hollowed and the bitter sweep of coal wrapped
around her senses. Foster and Athanasios. Both of them together. She had to
fight everything in her that wanted to unbutton his trousers and take him
inside her. But…it wasn’t Foster.

With a sigh, she kissed Athanasios, grinning against his
mouth as a sly finger teased her asshole. “You’re incorrigible.”

“I have needs.”

She lifted an eyebrow. “So I’m simply a series of holes for
you?”

The silver in his eyes spiked. “Holes I can get anywhere.
From anyone. You.” He sighed against her mouth before he eased away from her
skin and let her slip to the floor. He took her hand and brought it to his
lips. “You are unique.”

Fade blushed. It was crude…but oddly sweet. She could hear Athanasios,
and logically she knew it was them, but a desperate part of her heard only
Foster saying it. “You have a plan?” She followed him as he tugged her forward.
“Where can we run?”

“Foster has a place. We have a short time before Dolon’s men
use your trace to track us again.”

“They won’t stop.”

Athanasios squeezed her hand. “They’ll never stop.”

Fade rubbed her hands together and nerves gnawed at her
stomach. Athanasios had driven to the far side of Theta-Scorpii-3 to an expensive
and sparsely populated complex cut into a mountain.

The burn of the binary suns flared over the black crags as
he landed the transport in the hangar. The gate clunked back into place behind
them and Fade willed herself to get out. She pulled in a breath, the filtered
air sweet and cool. The rich even breathed differently.

She followed Athanasios through the shadowy corridors into
the main section of the house. Soft crystal light flickered and shone as they
passed, their feet silent on the smooth, tiled floor.

“I can’t hold him much longer.” Athanasios staggered and
Fade slipped under his arm to hold him up. His strong hand gripped her
shoulder. “It’s a shame. To have you with this body, this flesh.” His low groan
with Foster’s voice skittered fresh awareness across her skin. His scent, the
man she knew, yet mixed with Athanasios, worked under her skin, deepening as
his hands slipped lower to cup her breast, to push the heel of his palm over
her tightened nipple. “You could ride me hard. I would see you scream with his
eyes.”

Fade caught her breath, wanting that, wanting it with a
fierceness that coiled her flesh tight, but Athanasios stumbled through the
arch and into a long room. It pulled him free of her and he collapsed on the
couch set before the long line of transparent shielding.

“Athanasios?”

Foster’s body exhaled a death rattle and Fade fought not to
back away. Her heart kicked over. “Foster?” She wetted her lips. “Taras?”

He lay sprawled over the wide couch, flopped back into the
soft leather. Athanasios had pulled from his body, and she could sense that he
was…less. Foster looked simply asleep, his skin warming and the worry lines
pushed from his face. Fade couldn’t remember a time she’d seen him almost
relaxed.

She pushed out a sigh. “When will he wake up?”

“
Soon.
” Athanasios’ voice tickled her ear, the brush
of a rough knuckle against her throat prickling her skin.

“And we’re safe.” She glanced around the sleek room, so like
Foster’s own apartment. An exclusive residence for very special club clients,
it was evidence of what power and influence could buy. “You’re sure?”

“
For a time. I can end this, but he—
”

“Is awake.” Foster lurched forward and his head dropped into
his hands. He scrubbed at his face. “I remember…” He pulled one hand away,
stared at it and frowned. Fade blushed. Athanasios had buried three fingers in
her pussy and her scent would still coat Foster’s skin. “You said you wouldn’t
touch her.”

“
I lied.
”

Foster swore. “And you expect me to fucking trust you? To
give you a permanent place in my head?”

“
Neither of us want it.
” Athanasios’ voice was sharp
and burned with an old anger. Fade suspected it was an argument that had gone
around and around with them. “
But for her, we need it.
”

Foster caught his fingers in his hair. “I can get her away
from here. I have a new identity and gene mask—”

“
Alone. She’ll be alone.
”

“I am here.” Fade stood before Foster, so close her fingers
ached to cover his and ease them from the tight tangle of his dark hair.
Something gentle and loving. And something he didn’t want from her. She’d
become some kind of twisted duty. It soured the warmth, the love that had grown
in her for him. It was time to end it. “I can’t make your mind up for you,
Foster. I won’t even try. Give me what you have and I’ll get off this rock.”

His head snapped up as Athanasios’ sharp “
No!
” rang
in her ears.

She tilted her head. “I survived before you. I can survive
after.”

Foster pushed himself to his feet, a slow and lethal energy
to him that caught her breath. He loomed over her. She’d seen even Gallagher
crumble under Foster’s fury. But what right did he have to be angry at her? She
hadn’t asked for his help. Now that she intended to take it he was offended?

“What?” She folded her arms across her chest. Shit, that
made her look weak, but she couldn’t unfold them now. She lifted her chin and
held his gaze, even as her heart thudded and she wanted to run. “You don’t see
anything you want.”

“You offered.” He looked away, over her left shoulder. Fade
frowned. Was he talking to her? “Show me. Then I decide.”

The scent of coal wrapped around her. He’d been talking to
Athanasios…which meant… “
Here?
”

“Here’s good.” Foster sank back onto the deep couch, his
legs spread, his hand already unbuttoning his fly.

Fade’s chest burned. She’d stopped breathing and gulped in
air. A dull throb pulsed in her belly and she tried—and failed—to suppress it.
“Me? You want me to—”

“As you said before, I want to see them fuck you.” Foster’s
smile was dark and her heart turned over, the wickedness in his face only something
her fantasies had imagined. “My fantasy.”

Rough hands moved over her skin, cupping her breasts and
Fade bit her lip. Invisible fingers unfastened the buttons to her shirt and yet
more pulled it from her back. Foster’s gaze never left her, moving with the
fingers that stroked a line down her breastbone. “You can see them.”

“It’s the net in my bones.” His fingers brushed over his
dick, teasing himself and her. “I’ve always seen them.”

“Then why…” Clawed fingers unclipped her trousers and pushed
them down over her hips. A long tongue licked over her mons, dipping between
her legs, quick and eager as strong hands gripped her waist, holding her up as
others moved to part her thighs. All in a moment. Athanasios was eager for her.

Tongues found her clit and teased through her folds, licked
farther, chasing along the cleft of her ass. Wild sensation burst through her
veins, her skin hot, her nerves already stretched. With Athanasios eager and
Foster watching her with hot, dark eyes, she wouldn’t last long.

A slow rumble pricked her ear and she leaned back into
Athanasios’ solid body. “
He’s caught. He doesn’t want to share you with us,
but now he’s on fire at this sight.
”

“She’s mine.”

But Foster wrapped his hand around his dick and his gaze
slid over her body. A clawed hand grabbed her breast and, mouth parted,
Foster’s thumb slicked across the head of his dick. He wanted this. This
spectacle.

“
She’s ours.
”

Athanasios’ vow burned against her skin and she cried out as
a tongue pushed deep into her sex. More hands parted her thighs, drew them wide
and lifted her. Her heart drummed, the rough and rhythmic pleasure of so many
hands and mouths and tongues swirling her thoughts.

Foster watched her. She fought to keep her eyes open,
wanting to see him, see the slow stroke of his hand, the beads of sweat
breaking out across his forehead. The wild beat of his pulse at his throat and
in his temple. It drove her own pleasure deeper and she gasped as a dick pushed
over her ass.

“
We promised him a show.
”

A low groan escaped her as the dick breached her ass, a
slow, slow push that twisted hard pleasure through her flesh. She fought to
breathe, arching against the invasion, offering herself up to Athanasios, to
Foster, wanting them both to share in her joy. Foster’s low “fuck” broke a
shiver over her skin.

She willed her eyes open, but found the curve of the ceiling
above her. She lay on her back, supported in midair by only the power of
Athanasios. The incredible feeling of them surrounding her, of rough skin
brushing against her belly, of sharp teeth nipping at her thighs and ass, of
the pure joy of the tongues that licked her and the dick that now pushed into
her sex.

She groaned, panting at the aching fullness and another dick
brushed against her lips.

“
Let me have all of you.
”

Athanasios’ warm voice seared the shell of her ear—the
caress of lips, of the hint of teeth rippling pleasure. She opened her mouth.
The hot steel strength of the dick, the sweet, musky taste tightened her chest.
She licked and sucked, the tension in her belly wrenching as they found a slow,
sure rhythm. She mewled, her body hardly her own under Athanasios’ sensual
attack.

Foster’s guttural groan danced stars across her closed eyes.

“
We’re so close, Fade. All of us.
”

“
Make Foster scream.
” The thought burned through her.
She wanted him to see how this could be. All of them together. But more,
closer. Three minds bound in ecstasy.

Athanasios growled, their surge of want and need smashing
over Fade. She lost all sense of control. Hands gripped her thighs, biting into
her flesh and they fucked her, stroking into her pussy and ass in fierce
rhythm, finding her mouth with the same wild and insatiable power. A tongue
licked her clit, quick and sure and the heat, the intense pleasure firing under
her skin drove her pulse. She moaned around the dick fucking her mouth, the
heavy pressure in every inch of her flesh tightening until the intensity
twisted and coiled within her.

Her body shook as Athanasios held her on the very edge of
bliss. Fucking, licking, sucking. Everything she wanted. Everything she needed.
But not the one thing, the one sound she ached for.

Foster’s harsh cry broke over her and her body snapped, a
strangled moan the only noise she could make as white heat slammed over her
again and again. Somewhere in the maelstrom, Athanasios found their own release
and Fade came again as she swallowed and licked him clean.

“Fade…”

Foster’s voice was raw and in a blur of movement Athanasios
tilted her up and slid her against him. She buried her face against his damp
neck as his arms wrapped tight around her. He kissed her shoulder, his breath
as short and quick as her own. His heart pounded against her palm.

“That was…” He crushed her to him and groaned.

“Strange?” she offered.

His laughter warmed through her, teasing her cooling skin.
“It was certainly strange.” He eased back to brush a light kiss across her
swollen lips. “But fuck, you were hot.”

She wetted her lips and Foster’s gaze darkened. His hand
slid down to her ass, pressing her against his hardening dick. “I don’t want
this to end.”

He stilled beneath her and his hand fell away. “Fadeyka.”

He’d slid back into the old Foster, the one who put rules
between them, who was all about duty and not about soft kisses, unexpected
laughter and hot sex. She closed her eyes and fought the tightness of her
throat. She breathed, fighting to keep the pain from her voice. He wanted
her—that much was an obvious cool wetness against her belly—but not enough to
risk merging his soul and flesh with Athanasios.

She pulled herself away and he let her. No, that wasn’t
fair. She wouldn’t have the alien living in her, she would only have the
undoubted benefits of Foster sharing his body. “I said I wouldn’t try to
convince you.” She pushed her hands over her tangled hair. “How long until they
find us again?”

“
They’re close.
” It was Athanasios who answered, the
rush of voices quiet and hard in her mind. The bitterness that swelled between
them would make the merging of Athanasios’ energy and Foster’s mind and flesh
an unpleasant experience for both. “
They’ve tracked you here. You need to
go.
”

Athanasios had given up trying to convince the hardheaded
idiot too.

There was no time to shower. Fade grabbed the clothes thrown
around the floor and shrugged them on, too aware of Foster, who watched her
from the couch. Only minutes later, she was dressed and grabbing her pack.

“
You have the pyramid?
”

Fade blinked and her heart turned over. Could she take it,
them with her? Her belly hollowed at the thought. “I can…”

A ghostly kiss touched her lips, the bitter burn of coal
swirling around her. “
You have
me
forever, Fade.
”

Foster stood and swept out his hand, calling up a wide light
screen. His face was stark in its glow, his jaw tight. “They’re taking no
chances this time.” He swiped the screen to pull up security footage of heavy,
armored transports. “What did you do to Dolon, Fadeyka? Kill his puppy?”

“Dolon is head of the Castor Cartel.”

Foster’s frown deepened and he ran a hand over his hair. He
turned away from the screen, pacing into the shadows as the transport continued
to drone through the air toward them. “The Castor Cartel. Fuck.” For too long a
moment, he was silent. Fade’s nerves stretched. She had to leave. Information
ran fast along the screen, revealing too much. Such as the fact that in only a
few minutes, the lead transport would be in weapons range. Foster turned back.
“Will a genetic mask be enough?” The question was half to himself and she
suspected half to Athanasios.

“
You know the answer to that.
”

Foster drew his hand down his mouth and swore again. “It’s
not enough. Not with the resources he has. Dolon, I planned for. The Castor
Cartel, I didn’t.” He straightened, lifting his chin. “Do it.”

Fade stared at him. “What?”

“Athanasios can get us out. Make it so we can’t be found, right?”
Foster narrowed his eyes over her shoulder, focusing on the energy she couldn’t
see.

“
I can make all of this go away.
”

“Then…” Foster spread his arms, his palms out. “I agree.”

“Foster…” He didn’t want this. Athanasios wanted it only for
his own survival. They hated each other. He couldn’t do this…for her. “You
don’t—”

“Separately, we can’t protect you.” Foster’s smile was dark.
“Together? You’re ours.”

“
Ready?
” Athanasios’ voice was tight, almost pained.

Foster gave a slow nod and braced his body. His spine was
ramrod straight and his fingers curled into fists at his sides. He didn’t close
his eyes, but kept them fixed on the light screen. The data counted down,
marking the seconds now until the lead transport came into range. New
information flashed, identifying that the vehicle had powered up, ready for
firing.