Starved For Love (12 page)

Chapter Eighteen

Val walked close on my heels as I led him through Sin’s nest. It was late and most of his people were out either hunting or working the club. A distant moan, the only sound on this level, said that someone had stayed behind.

This floor contained mostly living quarters consisting of sleep chambers, social rooms and security monitoring. Sin took his people’s safety very seriously. I pitied the slayer who thought to try to breach this nest.

The dim lighting didn’t bother me. Not anymore, I’d grown used to it during my initial stay with Sin. Val didn’t seem bothered by it, though he twitched at every muffled moan.

I took his hand. “It’s just sex.”

“Just? It doesn’t stir your instincts?”

“After the orgasms you given me today, honey, my instincts are comatose.” I squeezed his hand. Maybe if the vamps were still at it after summoning John, I’d take Val to watch. Most of Sin’s people didn’t mind.

I keyed in the code at the elevator so it would take us to the lowest level, the one Sin occupied. His apartment was as empty as the nest. The leather jacket tossed on the couch meant he was around though. I gestured for Val to have a seat but he wandered, touching the rack of swords hanging on the wall.

“These aren’t decorative.” He ran his thumb along the edge of one and hissed at the thin slice it left behind. “They all seem well-used.”

I didn’t respond to his unspoken question. I never asked Sin about the guns or blades scattered around his living area and he never told me. Some things were better left unsaid. I wandered into the bedroom. The sheets were knotted at the foot of the bed and a pair of bloody barbed handcuffs hung from the headboard. Such a busy boy.

“Were those for you?” Val hovered behind me.

“Not recently. He uses them for punishment. Someone in the nest pissed him off.”

“In the nest?”

“Only those he trusts come down here, me and his nest mates. All the others he takes somewhere else.” I shrugged and returned to the living area where he kept a small fridge with a few sodas for me. I searched for the chocolate I left here a week ago but someone must have filched it. Whores.

“If he does this to the females, what is the punishment for the males?” Val still stared at the bed.

“Same.”

I got on my hands and knees, shoving old Chinese takeout to the side, to see if maybe it had fallen in the back. Bingo. A quarter of a chocolate bar left. Not much, but enough to stave off my growing hunger.

Depleted but not completely empty of energy, I had the shakes. Sugar helped the side effects. I’d have to visit Cooper early tomorrow.

Something ground against the floor, like rocks being dragged. I glanced toward Sin’s workout area and saw a doorway in the wall that hadn’t been there a moment ago. I jumped to my feet, staring as Sin sauntered into the room. “You have a secret door and never told me?” I tried to pass him and peek inside but he stopped my progress with a hand to my waist.

“Where’s Val?”

“Taking stock of your toys in the bedroom. Who irritated you enough to deserve your personal attention?”

“Ratan. I was told what he did to you at the club. He needed reminding who you belong to.”

I could barely breathe as my imagination went wild. “I would have liked to watch.”

Sin met my gaze and shook his head. “This isn’t about fun and games. It’s about dominance.”

“There’s a difference?” I had to step away from the master vampire. Val wouldn’t appreciate the eagerness in my voice and I had to learn to control those urges to only days I had to feed. The damn stirring need made it hard and Sin’s outfit didn’t fucking help.

“Shopping at Gladiators-R-Us again?” I eyed the tight, brown leather underwear he wore, taking note for future games.

He held out his hand. “The room is ready. Where’s the locket?”

A touch at the back of my neck startled me. I twisted my head to find Val unlatching the locket. He handed it over to Sin, who pressed close to my front. Sandwiched, I had to clench my hands to restrain them from touching. I would never fantasize about these two men together, this was as close as it would ever get in reality, and I had to savor every second.

Sin examined the locket and pressed the button, listening to John’s voice. He raised an eyebrow, mumbled something under his breath and returned through the secret doorway.

I grabbed Val’s hand and pulled him to follow before the door closed us out, then halted just as quickly beyond the threshold.

We were deep underground. The modern conveniences of the nest made it easy to forget but this cave made an excellent reminder.

Hooked chains hung from pulleys bolted into the rock ceiling, tables and shelves lined the farthest wall and, in the center of the room, a huge black pentagram covered the floor. A shiver ran down my spine. It was one thing to talk about doing black magic, another to volunteer for it.

Sin paced around the pentagram, replaying John’s message over and over until I wanted to scream.

Val rested his hands on my shoulders, his strength seeping into me. He was my rock.

I clung to his presence. Two years of frequent visits with Sin, all the time that I’d lived in the nest, and I never suspected a thing about the vampire’s hobby. What else didn’t I know?

Sin began to repeat John’s demonic name after he’d play the locket, mimicking his voice perfectly. After the hundredth time of listening, I thought maybe I could do just as well. I leaned on Val, exhaustion on my horizon, and yawned.

The vampire hesitated in his speech as he glanced at me. “Maybe I should do this on my own.”

“I’ll be quieter. It’s been a long day. Some people actually sleep at night.” I rubbed my eyes and slipped out of my heels. My aching feet were killing me. Cooper’s promise of foot massages sounded so enticing for tomorrow.

Val placed his hand over my mouth. “I’ll keep her silent. Please, go on.” In my ear, he whispered, “I want to see this.” His statement had more effect on my behavior than Sin’s.

I watched as the vampire opened a bag and poured a circle of white crystal like grains around the pentagram.

“Salt will bind John here once he’s summoned. He won’t be able to leave until I break the circle.” Sin inspected his work then sat cross-legged in front of the symbols. He also set a dagger on the ground next to him. In a deep voice, he began to intone words in a language I didn’t recognize. They vibrated with power and sank into the ground.

I could sense it through my bare feet, as if the spell called to my ancient demon nature. What remained of my ancestors was too weak in my blood to do much more than set me on edge. I glanced at Val.

A thin sheet of sweat covered his forehead and he too stared at the ground under his feet.

Sin’s voice changed as he spoke John’s name the first time. The pull of his spell released me.

I sagged into Val’s arms and blinked at the smoke rising from the center of the pentagram.

Sin’s voice grew louder as he repeated the name exactly as John had said it on the locket. Over and over the syllables of the name resonated, and the smoke grew thicker until a bestial screech shattered inside the room. Sin slapped the ground with the palms of his hands three times and stood, clasping the dagger.

I staggered from Val’s secure embrace and peered into the smoke.

A set of black leathery wings stretched up to the ceiling with red veins lining the inside membranes.

I cut short my next step. “John?” The panic in my question was evident even to my own ears.

“Who summons me?” The smoke cleared with a few flaps of the creature’s wings. A tall male, close to seven feet, stood in the center of the pentagram. The colors on his wings melted into his back and diffused into his light mocha skin. Wild mahogany hair fell to the middle of his back as if it had never seen a haircut.

Sin stood his ground under the demon’s scrutiny. “Pia, this is
not
John.”

“Are you sure?” My feet developed a mind of their own and wanted to flee but couldn’t decide whether to run to Sin or Val. “I’ve never seen his demon form.” I pretty much moved in a circle as my brain short-circuited from terror.

The demon’s black eyes snapped on me. All black eyes, not a speck of white sclera anywhere. “Pia? I know you.”

My feet stopped moving and wouldn’t respond to my request to flee, leaving me to face the demon. I couldn’t breathe. I couldn’t think except how the hell did he know
me
? “Hi.” The greeting barely came out.

The sound of John’s voice from the locket’s recorder played. Sin held it in his hand. “We were told someone else owned your name.” The vampire’s gaze traveled to me, anger turned the color of his eyes into a boiling sea. I foresaw an evening in barbed cuffs in my future.

“That voice.” The demon tried to step closer but the pentagram prevented it. He roared as if in pain. Little bits of rock fell from the ceiling with the power of his bellow. He pointed a clawed finger at me. “She ensnared my brother, used her seductive ways to keep him bound to this plane.”

I shook my head, but my voice didn’t work. A set of strong arms encircled me and drew me away from the demon’s direct gaze. I turned to face Val. “I didn’t do anything. I don’t have that kind of power. John’s the only demon I know.”

He caressed my face. “It’s okay.”

“But I don’t know what he means.” I pointed at the beast, its furious gaze still focused on me. Light-headed, I tried to control my breathing before I made myself pass out. “I need a bag to breathe in.”

“Incubus and succubus.” It spat out the words as if they were vermin. “I will eat your soul, little female.”

“Why would John give
me
that monster’s name?” I didn’t ask anyone in particular. Any semblance of my sanity had taken a holiday.

“My brother gave you this thing?” The demon pointed to the locket, which Sin kindly replayed because he was such a Boy Scout.

“Yes, it was a present.” I gasped as memories plagued me. John said it was the most precious thing he owned. Not the locket, not the fucking name. His brother. “Oh shit. Whatever you think I did, it wasn’t intentional.” I held onto Val, his presence the only thing that kept me from screaming like a horror movie victim.

“Did you seduce John?” The demon’s stare nailed me to the spot.

“Y—yes.”

“Guilty.”

“What? Sleeping with demons isn’t against the law. You guys come here and steal women all the fucking time.” I glanced at Sin. “Right?”

The demon’s wings blocked my view. “Not your kind. It’s too dangerous. My brother never returned home. He has duties toward the clan. His excuse is a succubus named Pia. And now, just as I’m charged to find the little bastard, I’m summoned by you. Coincidence?”

Bile rose in my throat and I clapped my hands over my mouth. John had tricked me. He’d predicted exactly how I’d react to his vanishing act. That I’d coerce Sin into summoning him by using the locket and, in turn, trap his brother. Damn, he was smart for a harmer.

Val rubbed my arms. “Sin, banish it.”

Sin used his dagger to slash his wrist.

The demon’s eyes went wide. “You wouldn’t.”

Blood dribbled onto the salt as Sin circled the pentagram.

“I thought you said you had to break the salt circle to release it.” I grasped Val as if he were a lifeline.

The demon’s cries grew almost pitiful.

“I’m binding this one to our plane.” Sin placed pressure to his wound as he stared at the creature on its knees in the center of the bloody salt circle.

“Why?” I whispered.

“You heard it. As soon as I banish him, he would hunt you down, Pia.” Sin sighed. “Now, I have to figure out what to do with him. Not like I can kill the thing.” He stormed past us back into his living quarters.

Val half carried, half dragged me from the cave.

I couldn’t tear my gaze from the demon, who appeared to collapse on itself inside the circle. He wanted to go back home, and I had trapped him here.

Its dark gaze met mine, and I saw my death. A shudder shook my body.

Val set me on the couch and ran his hands through his hair. “What are we going to do?”

“That’s one big demon.” Sin paced back and forth. It did little to reassure me that my strongest men both seemed just as frazzled as I was. Sin stopped with a huge look-what-Santa-brought-me-for-Christmas grin on his face. “That’s one huge demon.” He knelt in front of me and planted a hard, open kiss on my mouth.

Stunned, I returned it by reflex.

His tongue roughly ran over mine before he pulled away. “You always give me the best presents. I thought I’d be stuck with little hacker John but this…” He rose. “This gives me such an edge.”

“You’re welcome.” The words just tumbled from my mouth. I blinked, hoping to wake from this nightmare.

“Sin!” Val’s shout woke me from my terror. “What are we going to do with that thing?”

“Nothing.” Sin slapped Val on the shoulder. “I know his real demon name. I summoned him and bound him to this plane. He’s my slave. Aren’t you happy we decided to set aside our differences when you came to Lake City?” He slapped Val on the shoulder again.

“What about John?” I tried to stand but my knees had other ideas.

Sin shrugged. “Without his name I can’t summon him and Amel, in there, said they’re all looking for the scrawny creep as well. Sorry, sweetie.” He kissed my cheek and went back into his work cave.

Both Val and I stared at it. What had we done?

“Let’s go home.” He gathered me into his arms.

I melted against him. He’d been there for me. Supporting me, protecting me, all the things good males did. I touched his jaw, turning his face toward mine. “Thank you.”

“For what?”

“Not abandoning me. You could have run but you stood by me instead.”

“What kind of males are you with, if those are your expectations?”

My heart sank with John’s betrayal. “Ones who really don’t care about me.” I set my head against his shoulder. Why the hell was I so surprised? John did exactly what my father warned he would. He’d used me for his own purposes. I ground my teeth so I wouldn’t howl at the ceiling. He pinned all the blame for not returning to his clan on me. I never begged him to stay. Here I was all Mother Hubbard-worried about the little dweeb. He was probably on some beach sipping piña coladas while his brother wanted to turn me into his personal chew toy.