Touch of the Angel (Demons of Infernum, #3) (7 page)

“You got her,” the man behind the wheel said, his voice deep and silky.

“Yup.” The brother from the club opened the door and pushed the front passenger seat forward so she could climb into the backseat.

She sat, smoothing the tight skirt of her red minidress. They’d been tracking her.

Maybe Ronin had been as affected by their initial meeting as she had. Maybe he couldn’t get her out of his mind either. Had decided he couldn’t live without her. He’d come for her, like a knight in shining armor.

She held her breath as Ronin climbed into the seat beside her. She’d forgotten how tall and well-built he was. He barely fit in the cramped space, his broad arm brushing against her shoulder. When he folded his long legs to the side, his jeans rubbed against her bare thigh. Why did a stupid layer of fabric have to separate their flesh? It wasn’t fair.

The intensity in his eyes melted her bones. The way he watched her—it terrified her almost as much as it thrilled her.

Her voice trembled when she spoke. “How did you survive?”

His lips curved into a sardonic smile. “I’m hard to kill.”

His brother pushed the front seat back and crawled into it, slamming the door shut. “Let’s get the hell out of here.”

The car sped down the street. She barely noticed, all her attention focused on Ronin. “Why were you searching for me?”

He laughed, but it wasn’t a pleasant sound. No, instead it was bitter. Angry.

“I wasn’t searching for you. I was tracking Asmodeus. I merely happened upon you, and wouldn’t you know, you’re in league with the monster we’re trying to catch? Isn’t that damned convenient?”

Just like that, all her daydreams evaporated. Her stupid fantasies. What an idiot she was. Here she’d been imagining them living happily ever after. As if a succubus ever got those.

My hero. Yeah, right.

Ronin hadn’t saved her. He’d captured her.

Chapter Five

She was more beautiful than he’d remembered. Far sexier. Her brown eyes, done up in some glittery gold makeup, practically glimmered with moisture. A lock of her shiny, dark hair had tumbled in front of her face, but she didn’t appear to notice as she watched with him those gorgeous wide eyes.

When she asked him how he survived, Ronin answered her, all the while resisting the urge to smooth the hair off her face. To slip a finger between her full lips, which were parted to reveal a hint of her perfect, straight teeth. And thank the devil demons didn’t feel cold in the same way as humans, because she would have frozen in that dress. Skintight and cherry red, with wide bands at her shoulders instead of sleeves and a straight neckline. Her hardened nipples poked against the fabric, making it clear she wore no bra. Although her legs were closed, the skirt was short enough to give a glimpse beneath it. No underwear either.

In the past months, he’d often wondered how he’d fallen into such a stupid trap, letting himself be seduced by a succubus. Now, seeing her again, he remembered—she was irresistible. With her muted aura there was no way he could’ve ever guessed she was a succubus.

That was when she asked him why he’d been searching for her.

“I wasn’t searching for you.” He went on to explain that it was Asmodeus he’d been tracking. But even as he said the words, he recognized them for the lie they were. He
had
searched for her. True, he’d resigned himself to the possibility he might never find her, but he still thought about her. Constantly.

Ronin witnessed the light dim in her eyes when she realized the truth. “The Council is after Asmodeus?”

“Yes,” he answered. “Sorry to disappoint you, but your employer is a wanted man.”

Something flickered in her eyes. She licked her lips, betraying her nervousness. “What do you want with me?”

“You’re going to tell us what you know.” Keegan turned to glare at her. “We need to know why he’s doing what he’s doing.”

“And...” She swallowed hard before continuing, but her voice sounded calm and even. “What will you do with me?”

That question surprised Ronin. He hadn’t thought about it. Hadn’t given much consideration to anything past getting his hands on her.

Keegan scowled at her. “You’ve murdered for him. Not because you needed to feed, but to further his agenda. It’s up to the Council to decide what to do with you.”

It was obvious he didn’t hold out much hope for her.

Ronin tore his eyes from Amara. Keegan was right. She’d committed premeditated murder, even if it was on someone else’s orders. She deserved to be locked up at the very least, if not executed for her crimes. So why did the thought of that twist his stomach into a vicious knot?

“Where are we going?” Dagan asked.

Good question. Keegan glanced back at him, arching a brow. They hadn’t considered the possibility of catching one of Asmodeus’s accomplices when they’d planned the initial scouting mission. It wasn’t like the Council had provided them with a holding cell here in New York City. There had never been a need. They usually turned fugitives directly in to the Council’s prison, which was kept on a plane between dimensions, in the same building that housed the headquarters. This was a different story, though. Amara was different. She wasn’t—technically—a fugitive. And she could be of use to them.

“My place,” Ronin answered.

Keegan tensed. “I don’t think that’s a good idea.”

“So what, you want to bring her back to
your
place?”
With Brynn there?

His big brother must have read his thoughts from the challenge in his voice, because his shoulders slumped and he faced the front and muttered, “Now I wish Brynn hadn’t sold her apartment.”

Taeg had moved into Brynn’s old one-bedroom apartment in the Lower East Side after she married Keegan, but once he’d gone to live with Maya almost six months ago, there hadn’t been any need for it. None of them would ever have anticipated it would make the perfect holding place.

Dagan drummed his fingers on the steering wheel. “Our place it is.”

Ronin turned back to Amara, who’d been silent throughout their entire debate. She’d rested her head back on the leather seat, and her eyes were closed. He would’ve thought she’d fallen asleep if not for the heaving of her chest. The sight of it took him back to that first night they’d met, when he’d found her in the hallway. Like then, she almost appeared to be in pain.

“Is something wrong?” he asked her.

She smiled as if she’d acknowledged the irony of that question, but she didn’t respond or open her eyes.

It seemed like an eternity before they arrived back at their apartment building. Heavy tension hung in the air, thick and oppressive. Nobody dared to voice what they were thinking.

They’d interrogate her, sure. Find out what they could about Asmodeus’s plans and her role in them. And then what? Turn her in to the Council? She wouldn’t survive in their prison—he knew that. She was too soft, too fragile.

Dagan pulled into the parking garage, and the valet opened the passenger-side door.

Amara tensed, opening her eyes and sitting up straight.

Ronin leaned forward and speared her with his gaze. “Don’t even think about trying to escape. Everyone here knows we work as bounty hunters. They won’t help you.”

She turned to him then, her eyes rich and dark and full of emotions he couldn’t begin to read. “Then I’d be stupid to try to escape, wouldn’t I?”

Her voice caused a shiver in his spine. Naturally seductive, soft and sultry. Full of the promise of wicked sex. A promise he knew she could deliver on.

Not until Keegan cleared his throat did Ronin realize he was alone with Amara in the car and that Keegan had pushed the front seat forward so he could exit. A stab of heat rushed to his cheeks. He uncurled his legs and crawled out, then held his hand out for her to follow.

Amara hesitated before accepting it, but she withdrew from him as soon as her feet hit the ground. Good thing, too. Her touch affected him in ways he couldn’t explain.

She was trouble.

His brothers flanked her as they led her inside and to the elevator, where Keegan pressed the button.

“Why?” He hadn’t meant to ask that question yet. It involuntarily tore out of his mouth.

Amara turned to face him. Her nose scrunched in a way that would have looked cute on most women, but on her was fucking sexy. “Why, what?”

“Why are you with him? Why would you ever agree to become a murderer for a psychotic demon?”

Keegan cleared his throat and Dagan looked away, as if trying to pretend he didn’t hear him.

Amara regarded him in speculative silence. “Why do you think?”

Ronin didn’t know, but he did know one thing. “I think it’s sick, aligning yourself with someone like him.” He didn’t bother to keep the contempt out of his voice.

Something flashed in her eyes, but it was gone before he could recognize it. Her lips curved into a smile. “Well then, I’m getting just what I deserve, aren’t I?”

The elevator door slid opened but she didn’t seem to notice, merely continued staring at him with challenge in her eyes.

“Step inside.” Keegan placed his hand on her arm to nudge her in.

Her face twisted into a scowl and she jerked away from him. When she spoke, her voice was deep and furious. “Don’t touch me.”

Keegan fell back, lifting his hands into the air.

What the hell was that all about?

Amara stepped into the elevator and wedged herself into the farthest corner. She hunched her shoulders and averted her face, as if she’d like nothing more than to be invisible.

“What’s up with her?” Dagan whispered.

Ronin shrugged. “Hell if I know.”

One thing was for sure. The sexy, confounding succubus had an awful lot of secrets...and he intended to uncover every single one of them.

§

She’d surprised them. That hadn’t been her intent, but Amara hadn’t wanted his hands anywhere on her. She was hungry, and there was no telling how her body would respond in this condition. The last thing she wanted was to wake up from a lust-induced haze to find herself trying to feed off one of Ronin’s brothers. Even though the two of them were almost as handsome as Ronin, the possibility of that happening grossed her out big-time. Ronin’s brothers were off-limits
.

Part of her wondered if she should try to fight. Run from them. Do
something
other than meekly accept her fate. But they would easily overpower her. Besides, what did she have to run to? An eternity in prison was better than another day with Asmodeus. As long as they were going to apprehend him tonight, she had nothing to worry about. He would never be able to lord his power over her once he’d been turned in to the Council.

And he won’t be able to hurt
her
anymore, either.

Getting captured sounded like the best thing ever, if it meant the man who owned her soul would get put away. The only thing stopping her from immediately telling them everything she knew about Asmodeus was the knowledge that Ronin believed the worst of her. And why wouldn’t he? She’d almost killed him.

The doors slid open and Ronin’s brothers stepped out of the elevator. Ronin eyed her, though he didn’t approach. Something about him seemed so sad. Resigned, almost. It was the very thing that had attracted her to him back at Opiate, that had made her think maybe he wasn’t so different from her. But he was. He had a family—a real one.

“Your brothers?” she asked.

His lips pressed together, and for a moment she feared he’d ignore her. “Yes. The one with the longer hair is Keegan. He’s the oldest. The other one is Dagan.”

“You’re lucky.”

“You said that once before.” When she didn’t reply, he nodded toward the door. “Come on.”

She tugged the hem of her dress down. “For what it’s worth, Ronin, I’m glad you’re alive.”

His eyes widened but he didn’t respond. She hadn’t really expected him to. Amara slid past him and walked behind Dagan down the hall. When she followed him inside the door he unlocked, he gave her wide berth. His disgust with her was evident from his grimace and the way he avoided eye contact.

What had she expected—that she would be welcomed? She’d almost killed his brother. He had every right to detest her. Even so, she couldn’t help but long for an entirely different scenario, one in which she was introduced by Ronin. One in which she wasn’t the enemy.

Dreamer.
She always had been. The front door slammed behind her, making her jump. But she didn’t turn around. Instead, she took the time to examine her surroundings.
Ronin’s apartment.
She never would have imagined she’d end up here, of all places.

Though they were in a small foyer, Dagan wasted no time in leading the way into a compact but elegant living room. The walls had been painted a steel gray about three shades darker than the long, suede couch, and blond wood decorated the floor. A wall of windows exhibited the spectacular view of the neighboring buildings, all lit up in the dark. A glass door led out to a small but serviceable terrace. The place had charm and class, but nothing to indicate a bachelor lived here.

“Nice place,” she said.

“Let’s get right to it.” The brother named Keegan stepped forward to block her view of Ronin. Impatience glimmered in his eyes, and he stared at her with thinly veiled menace. “What’s your employer up to? Why is he murdering Otherworlders?”

“Straight shooter, aren’t you?” Trying her best to appear casual instead of starving, Amara spun and strolled forward into the room. She trailed her fingers along the small, round dining table as she passed. Once she’d taken a seat on the couch, making sure to keep her legs pressed together so she didn’t inadvertently flash anyone, she answered, “I don’t know.”

Keegan’s lips tightened in clear displeasure.

“Stop fucking with us,” Dagan growled, pacing toward her. “You can’t expect us to believe you’ve been blindly going around, killing whoever he tells you to.”

“But that’s the truth.”

“I don’t believe it—”

“Amara.” Ronin edged past his brother and took a seat on the chair closest to the couch. Then he leaned forward, placing his elbows on his knees. “We need to know what he’s up to. Whatever your reason for working with Asmodeus, I sense there’s some good in you. Now please, tell me what you know.”

She stared at him, feeling herself weaken. She couldn’t help it. Everything about him called to her. Not merely in a physical way, though there was much of that, too. But she felt a pull toward him she’d never experienced with anyone else.

Or maybe you’re just starving and he’s a yummy snack.

Amara carefully crossed her legs, all too aware of how few clothes she wore. Not such a big deal when she was hunting down an assignment in a darkened club. Less than ideal, however, in a lit room occupied by Ronin and his brothers.

Ronin speared her with an intense gaze. “Amara.”

She feared those eyes of his might talk her into doing anything. Breathing in deeply, she confessed every sordid detail. “I really don’t know what he’s doing. He gives us assignments. Men we’re supposed to seduce. I don’t know how or why he picks them, but he’s found a way to take in the energy we absorb from our assignments.”

That got their attention.

“Why would he do that?” Keegan asked.

“
How
does he do it?” Ronin added.

How?

“Guess,” she said wryly.

She saw the moment Ronin caught her drift. Unmistakable anger sparked in his eyes.

“Wait a second.” Keegan stood in front of the round table and leaned against it. “You’re saying that Asmodeus has you seduce men in order to absorb their energy, and then uses sex to transfer that energy from you to him?”

“What the hell?” Dagan’s brows knitted together.

Amara shrugged. “I don’t know what his agenda is.”

“If Asmodeus has figured out a way to absorb the life force you take, who knows what he might have learned to do with it?” Keegan said.

That was the very thing she feared. Asmodeus did nothing without reason. What acts was she helping him commit?