Touch of the Angel (Demons of Infernum, #3) (20 page)

Chapter Eighteen

“You’re insatiable,” Ronin murmured to Amara, who lay pliant and sated beneath him.

“Mmm...I’m merely catching up.” She reached up to tuck a piece of hair behind his ear.

“I may not live through your ‘catching up.’” He rolled onto his back, willing his breath to regulate. Damn, was he exhausted. They’d spent the last four hours holed away in Cresso’s house, and man, had it been amazing. While part of him wished this time with Amara would last forever, he couldn’t forget what waited for them back at home. They were living on borrowed time.

“Can I ask you something?” Amara turned to her side, resting her head on one elbow. She flipped her hair over her shoulder and then trailed her free hand along his abs, making them contract with her feather-light touch.

“How long until I’m ready to go again?” he joked. “Give me five minutes.”

Amara blushed. “I’m serious.”

His eyes slid down to the peaks of her full breasts. Unable to stop himself, he drew his fingers over them, making them go erect.
Hmm...maybe I won’t need five minutes.

“Do you ever think about your mother?”

That stopped him cold. He placed his hands on the mattress and pushed up so his back lay against the headboard. She sat up, too.

“Sure, I think about her.”
All the time.

“Did you ever think about going back to Infernum to try and find her?”

“I did go back. A year ago, right after Mammon got put away.” That was the only time he’d ever felt safe enough to seek her out without fear of Mammon learning about it and getting to her.

Amara cocked her head. “So what happened?”

“She wasn’t there anymore. No one was.”

“What do you mean?”

He placed his hands around her waist, pulling her into his chest. “Do you know how angels live back in Infernum?”

“No. I don’t know much about it. Solara would never speak of her home world.”

“It’s different there. Clouds have more substance than here on Earth. They’re more like hills in the sky. Angels build communities right on top of them. Homes, a town center, everything you could think of.”

“So what happened to your community?”

“Abandoned. I searched for a few days, but I couldn’t find anyone who knew what had happened to it.”

“Oh, Ronin.” She put her arms around his neck and rested her head on his shoulder.

“I think about it all the time,” he confessed. “What happened there? To my mother?” To Lina? He’d probably never know, and that killed him. Especially since he couldn’t help but wonder what he would’ve found if he’d gone back sooner, when he and his brothers first escaped Mammon. Would they still have been there?

“I’m sorry,” she said. “I didn’t mean to upset you.”

“You can ask me anything, Amara.”

She lifted her head to place a kiss to his shoulder, then moved her lips up his throat and to his jaw. “At least I know of a way to make you feel better.”

When her hand closed around his cock, he groaned and let his head fall back onto the headboard. “Yeah, that definitely helps.”

Her succubus allure folded around him like a soft, warm blanket, and the resulting rush of blood to his nether regions made him lightheaded. She tugged on his erection, bringing her other hand down to cup and squeeze his sac. “How’s that?”

“Better by the second,” he gasped.

She started to straddle him, but then his phone rang, making her pause. “Should you get that?”

He observed her from beneath half-closed eyes. “It can wait.”

She shrugged and began to lower, but then the phone rang again. “What if it’s one of your brothers? Do they know that I...that we’re both okay?”

Oh, damn
. In all the craziness, he’d forgotten to call them. They must be worried as hell. His body urged him to save it for later, but his brain said they ought to know what had happened. Stifling a curse, he flipped her onto her back faster than she could blink. He lowered his lips inches from hers. “Don’t move.”

“Okay.” She grinned up at him.

Ronin found his cell phone in the pocket of his discarded pants. The screen showed Keegan’s name. “Hey, Keeg. Good news.”

“I heard about Amara and the vaccine. I spoke to Cresso earlier.” Keegan’s voice was flat. Something was wrong.

“What is it?”

There was a pause, then Keegan sighed. “I wanted to give you two more time together before I called, but some things have happened you should be aware of.”

A ball of dread curled in his gut. “What?”

“Well for one, Dagan found some of your research that indicates Excalibur might be able to cut through magical enchantments, including—”

“The shield,” Ronin said.

“Yes. You’re the research guy. What do you think?”

“The shield?” Amara asked.

He held up a hand. “Huh, I never thought of it in that way. But I guess if you view the shield as any other type of barrier, say a wall of steel, then it sort of makes sense. Definitely worth a shot. Go, Dagan. I didn’t know he had it in him.”

“I know. He did good. He, Taeg, and Maya are on a plane headed to Wales. You know how fucking long it takes to get there, though. It’ll be three days before they get back.”

“Yeah, but that’s not really bad news, and the sound of your voice tells me you have some of that for me.”

“Not bad news,” Keegan said. “More like something I don’t know what to make of. Asmodeus called me less than an hour ago.”

“Asmodeus?” Anxiety punched through him. He turned away from Amara. “How? Why?”

Amara rose from the bed and approached, trying to slide the phone closer to her ear.

“Amara was right about that band around her wrist. While it doesn’t give Asmodeus her location, it does allow him to get glimpses of her life.” Keegan paused for a breath. “He knows she’s romantically involved with you. Well, not you
per se
. With one of us. Seems like he’s starting to fear what the Council has in store for him. He wants to send his associate to Opiate tonight to make a bargain. Amara’s mother in exchange for some sort of leniency.”

Based on Amara’s sharp inhale, she’d heard Keegan’s words. Ronin rubbed his jaw. “He thinks we can get him that?”

“Apparently. I didn’t do anything to dissuade him. I’m not above lying to a sack of shit like that.”

Neither was Ronin. He didn’t believe in giving honor where it wasn’t due, and it certainly wasn’t due to Asmodeus. “When does he want to meet?”

“Midnight, and it’s eight in the morning here, so sixteen hours from now. I’ll go meet with the guy, see what he has to say. Maybe we can get Amara’s mother out of there before the rest of the gang even gets back with the sword.”

Beside him, Amara seemed so anxious. Whether or not either of them had wanted or intended it, she was his responsibility now. He’d taken that on the moment he’d decided she should stay at his place rather than be turned in to the Council. Which meant this was his deal to take care of. “We’ll fly back to New York. We should arrive with a few hours to spare.”

“I should go with you,” Keegan said.

“But then who would stay with Brynn?”

Keegan sighed. “I’ll call Bram and Reiver and see if one or both of them is free to go with you tonight.”

“It’s not like Asmodeus will have his men attack me in a packed Otherworlder club,” Ronin said.

“I know, but I still don’t want you going alone.”

“Fine.”

“Okay, see you soon. Oh, and Ronin?”

“Yeah?”

“I’m really glad about Amara. Me and Brynn are happy for you both. You know we wish nothing but the best for you.”

Keegan’s unexpectedly kind words caused a lump to form in Ronin’s throat. “Thanks, Keeg.”

Chapter Nineteen

The flight back to New York City took longer than they’d anticipated. Ronin had tried to charter a jet back, but scheduling issues made it easier to catch a commercial flight. By the time they arrived, they had fewer than three hours to spare.

Amara didn’t truly hold out hope that she would get Solara back tonight. Something about this whole scenario seemed like a setup. Asmodeus had never before feared the Council. In fact, he’d always acted like he might someday love to go head-to-head with it, to see who’d come out on top. But then, what could he do in a crowded club like Opiate, especially when Ronin had his own contacts there? Maybe now that Asmodeus had gotten a taste of what it was like to be wanted by the Council, he’d decided it wasn’t as exciting as he’d fantasized.

Maybe.

When they arrived at Keegan’s apartment, Ronin knocked on the door and Keegan answered. A grin broke out across his face and he pulled Ronin in for a hug. “Good to see you home safe and sound.”

Ronin ducked as if he were embarrassed. It was the cutest thing. Then she noticed the way his shirt stretched taut over his back muscles and the way his jeans hugged his toned ass, and she lost herself in a sexy daydream that made her blood heat and her allure unfold like a blossom. She snapped out of it when Keegan also gave her a quick embrace, surprising the ever-living hell out of her.

“You too, Amara. Glad Cresso figured something out there.”

“Me too.” He’d sent a two-week supply of the vaccine with Ronin and assured them he’d have more shipped once he got additional vials of blood from Brynn. When they’d left him, he’d been hard at work on finding a way to replicate the immunity found in Brynn’s blood.

“Good. You look healthy, and the vibes you put out are a lot calmer now, so that’s a nice side benefit.”

Vibes?
Oh, he meant her allure. Sudden mortification that Keegan had noticed
that
made Amara’s cheeks flame. It wasn’t like she could regulate who her body tried to lure in. If only she could.

Brynn appeared at the entrance to the foyer. Her voice was dry when she said to Keegan, “You’re not supposed to mention stuff like that out loud.”

Before Amara could feel much more embarrassment, Brynn broke into a wide smile and headed toward her, then wrapped her arms around her. “You look a million times better than last time I saw you.”

“Thanks.” This time, Amara hugged her back. “And thanks for packing that bag of clothes for me.”

“No problem. Come on.” Brynn led Amara into the living room. Ronin’s presence was a tangible force at her back. No matter where she stood, her body was aware of him at all times.

Keegan headed to the bar and poured a drink, handing it to Ronin. He cocked a brow at Amara and, when she nodded, poured her one, too.

“Reiver’s working tonight, but Bram will be here soon,” Keegan said. “He’ll accompany you to Opiate. You’re supposed to be meeting with some incubus named Gofrey.”

Ronin downed the contents of his glass in one swallow. “How am I supposed to know who he is?”

“He gave a description, but it wasn’t too specific. Tall, dark hair.”

The whiskey Amara sipped settled like lead in her stomach. “I can go with you and identify him.”

“No way.” Ronin frowned at her. “I don’t want you anywhere near Asmodeus or his goons.”

“What could he do in a crowded club? Besides, I know Asmodeus and I know Gofrey. If they’re trying to play you in some way, I’ll know it.” That was the only reason she would insist on going, because, truthfully, Opiate was the last place she wanted to be.

Ronin shook his head no, but Keegan said, “She’s got a point there. Amara knows the two of them far better than anyone else we know of.”

The scowl on Ronin’s face said he was still against it, so Amara said the one thing that might have a chance of swaying him. “What if it was your mother in his hands? Wouldn’t you do anything to get her back?”

His wince almost made her regret using that against him, after all the stuff he’d confided about his mother, but it had the desired result. “Fine. But you’re staying by my side the entire time.”

When he turned to stalk out the glass door leading onto the terrace, Keegan grimaced. “I’ll go talk to him.”

Brynn broke the silence, her voice cheery. “He’ll be fine. We’d better get you ready if you’re leaving soon. Come on.” She grabbed Amara’s hand and headed toward the hallway. “Good thing I had that red dress of yours laundered while you were gone. Nothing I own would have worked for Opiate.”

§

A few hours later Amara and Ronin sat in the backseat of Bram’s black luxury SUV, headed toward Opiate. The weather outside was frigid, not that it made much of a difference to any of them. Outside, the snow from a few days before had melted into small piles of slush, but now ominous thunder rolled through the sky. As long as the rain held out until they were inside the club, she was okay with it. Her dress would hide nothing if wet, and that wasn’t exactly safe when entering a club full of Otherworlder misfits.

Outfitted in her familiar mode of dress, she almost felt like she was on assignment again. It made her feel dirty. Vulnerable. She missed the clothes Brynn had given her more than she could’ve imagined. They represented everything she wanted but never had before. Freedom. Security. A home.

Still, much as she might hate the outfit, this time maybe she’d be helping to save a life, instead of taking one.

Ronin wore black slacks and a French blue dress shirt that somehow only highlighted his pecs and the thick muscles in his arms. Even though they’d made love right before leaving, seeing him dressed that way made her wet all over again. She ached to tear his clothes off and take him. Hard. Right then and there.

From the way his body went taut, his eyelids half lowering, she knew he’d noticed the allure her body emitted.

“Stop that,” he whispered, trailing his hand along her thigh. “You’re driving me crazy. Plus, Bram can probably feel it.”

“I can,” Bram said from his position behind the driver’s seat.

Ronin picked up a small travel pillow that Bram kept in the backseat and threw it at his head.

“Sorry,” Bram said with a grin, sounding wholly unrepentant. “I’ll turn up the music so you two can talk in peace.”

It was a pointless act. Shifter hearing was excellent. Still, Amara appreciated the effort. Once Bram had cranked up the radio, Ronin refocused on Amara. “Promise me you’ll stay safe in there.”

He was worried about her. Melting, she pulled his head down for a smoldering kiss. “I promise. Now you, too.”

Though his lips curved upward, he didn’t respond. “Tell me about this Gofrey. Who is he? What can I expect?”

The memory of the incubus’s lecherous gaze made her shiver. More than anything else, he was why she didn’t want to be at Opiate. If Asmodeus ever gave him free reign with her, she didn’t know what he’d do. “He’s Asmodeus’s right-hand man. An incubus. You can’t trust him.”

Ronin hooked a finger under her chin and forced her to meet his eyes. “Has he ever hurt you?”

“No.” When he seemed dubious, she added, “Not that he hasn’t expressed a desire to do so, but Asmodeus has never given him leave to. He promised me he wouldn’t let Gofrey touch me as long as I obeyed him.”

Ronin’s mouth tightened. “I don’t want you anywhere near him.”

“But what about your negotiations?”

“If you can read this guy’s body language, you should be able to tell from a distance if he’s playing us. I’m serious, Amara. The other end of the club is as close as you’re gonna get.”

She sighed. “You won’t get too much of an argument from me there.”

“Good.” He closed his arms around her and pulled her onto his lap, placing a kiss on the top of her head. “I’m going to get your mother back for you, but not at the sacrifice of your own safety. As distant a mother as she might be, I can’t imagine she’d want that either.”

Moisture gathered in the corners of Amara’s eyelids, and she blinked furiously. Nobody had ever openly admitted to caring about her before. “Thanks, Ronin. For everything.”

He squeezed her to him. “No need.”

By the time they pulled up to the entrance of Opiate, Amara’s nerves were on fire. She couldn’t shake the feeling they were walking into a trap, but she wouldn’t risk saying anything for fear Ronin would force them to turn around and leave. Unbidden, the memory of the day she’d bound herself to Asmodeus leeched into her head.

“What are you doing, Amara?” Solara sat on the bed in what would be Amara’s new quarters, watching her apply her makeup. “Leave now. While you still can.”

“I won’t abandon you here.” Amara didn’t bother to turn around. She met her mother’s gaze through her reflection in the mirror. “Once I do this, he’s promised to leave you alone.”

“But at what price? I’m the one dumb enough to get caught in Asmodeus’s lies. You shouldn’t be forced to bear the burden.”

“I’m not backing out, Solara.”

A brief flare of anger blazed in Solara’s eyes. “If the tables were turned, do you think I would have sacrificed myself for you?”

That stung. Amara had tried hard not to think about that, because the truth was she hadn’t thought Solara would. Now she knew she was right. But the fact that her mother didn’t care enough didn’t mean Amara would be the same way. Plus, she owed it to Solara. After all, it was ultimately her fault that Solara had fallen into Asmodeus’s trap.

“I’ve already decided. You won’t change my mind.”

“Fine,” Solara snapped. “It’s your funeral.” She rose and stomped toward the door, but then paused with her hand on the doorknob. Without turning around, she said, “I’ll tell you one more time, Amara. Don’t do this. Please.”

Solara left without waiting for a response.

Amara forced her mouth to close. To her knowledge, her mother had never said “please” to her before. Could there be some true concern in there somewhere? Maybe she’d lied. Maybe she
would
have tried to save her if she’d been the one caught.

“Amara?”

Ronin’s voice drew her back to the present. She noticed for the first time that he’d opened the rear door and stepped out, and now held his hand to her.

“Are you okay?” he asked, his forehead crinkled.

“Yes. Sorry.” She slid out and Bram took his place at her other side. Together, they entered the alley and walked to the nondescript metal green door. Once they knocked, the door opened to reveal a suited bouncer whose name she had never learned. He nodded and stepped aside for them to pass. Directly ahead stood the reception desk. Noch, the demon who sat behind it, had always given her the creeps.

“Good evening,” Noch said. Then his eyes came to rest on her and they widened. “You. You’re being searched for. I can’t remember by whom.”

“Me.” Ronin slapped some money down on the counter. “Found her.”

When he moved to walk past Noch, the demon held out a hand. “Wait. The succubus killed someone in here. She’s not allowed inside.”

“Again, that was me,” Ronin said, “and as you can see, I’m still very much alive.”

They left a stunned Noch and headed upstairs into the main area of the club. It was packed, as usual. Back before the incident with Ronin, she’d been here practically every night. The place should feel old and familiar, but it didn’t. Being with Ronin made her feel like a new person. A decent one. Coming back to this club reminded her that she couldn’t change who she was. A killer.

She recognized several faces—men who’d chased after her when she was here, never realizing that every man she chose to go home with never came back. A couple of them noticed her and started to head over, but then they saw who accompanied her and must have thought better of it. Good. Dealing with them was the last thing she needed right now.

Ronin bypassed the round tables with their zebra-patterned seating and headed straight to the bar. There was an empty seat, which he directed her to. He and Bram slid in tight beside her.

A tall elf named Crull manned the bar. He grinned when he saw Ronin. “It’s been a long time, Ronin. Haven’t seen you since—”

He caught sight of Amara and abruptly cut off, scratching his head.

“Yeah, long time. Can I get a double shot of whiskey?” Ronin glanced at her and Bram before adding, “Make that three of them.”

Crull nodded and left to pour the whiskey without saying another word.

“He seems shocked to see me,” Amara murmured.

“No surprise. You’re with me.” Ronin closed his fingers over the hand she’d placed on top of the counter and squeezed.

Bram surveyed the crowd. “Anyone that look like this incubus here?”

Crull returned with the whiskey and she tossed hers back in one smooth gulp, drawing fortification from the slow burn of the cool liquid sliding down her throat. Then she turned and scanned the faces of the club patrons. Nothing. She was about to respond when someone caught her eye. A man climbed the top step. He wore a button-down black shirt with black leather pants, and his hair was slicked back. His eyes met hers and he grinned.

“There,” Amara said, swallowing past the heavy lump in her throat. “Right at the door. Wearing all black.”

Beside her, Ronin tensed. Pure rage rolled from his body in heavy waves as he surveyed Gofrey. The incubus returned his scrutiny without wavering, then gave a sharp nod toward the corner of the club closest to the door. It contained several tall, empty tables that were standing-room only. Ronin knocked back his drink and plunked the glass onto the counter. “You two wait here.”

Amara and Bram watched him go. “I don’t trust Gofrey. Or Asmodeus,” she said.

“Me neither.”

“What should we do?”

Bram shrugged. “Wait.”

She stifled a sigh. Bram was right. What other option did they have?

Ronin met Gofrey at one of the tables and they started talking. Even from this far away, she could see the lines of tension on Ronin’s body and the way his hand was balled into a tight fist. If only she could hear what they were saying. Whatever it was, Gofrey seemed too confident.