Betrayal (13 page)

“Don’t fight me. I’m getting you out of here,” a masculine voice whispered, as he placed her to her feet. She met the male’s eyes and desire slammed into her, sending trails of heat to pool at her center, ecstasy overwhelmed her senses.

Her rescuer was an Incubus. A sex demon.

Perfect
.

The Incubus met her eyes for a moment then took her hand. “Come.”

Emma allowed him to tug her along the hallways as they ran out of the warehouse. It became clear he knew exactly where to go and had taken care to remove any obstacles.

CHAPTER FIFTEEN

A few days later Emma ignored the steady rhythm of the rain that pelted the bedroom window. It was the middle of the night and as usual she couldn’t sleep. She looked at the clock on the nightstand. It was two o’clock in the morning. Weary, but not sleepy, she sat up and reached for a tissue to blow her nose.

Staying at her apartment wasn’t safe at the moment and with nowhere to go; she’d gone to Wendy’s.

What have I done?
Emma asked for the hundredth time. Tears began to fall from her swollen eyes.
Oh my God, I betrayed you and may as well have killed you myself.

Renewed grief filled her and she fell back into her bed. Her sobbing shook her entire being. Emma cried bitterly, until she was so exhausted and empty she just moaned.

Images of Cyn and their time together tumbled nonstop through her mind. A constant reminder of what she’d done to the only man she ever loved. The physical pain of heartache became almost unbearable. She curled into a ball and tried to fall asleep.

Sleep must have claimed her because a nudge woke her and she dragged her eyelids open to Wendy’s concerned face.

“Oh Honey,” Wendy exclaimed. “Let me get a cool compress for those eyes.”

Wendy disappeared into the bathroom and came back with a wet washcloth.

“Here put this over your eyes while I make us some tea.”

Later in the kitchen, Emma sipped her tea and took a small bite of one of the danishes Wendy had gone out and bought that morning. Emma had to admit, after a shower and some sustenance, she felt a bit better.

Eventually, she would have to go back to her apartment and move on with her life. For now, Emma was grateful for her friend’s presence and that Wendy hadn’t pushed her to talk. Instead, she’d just fretted and fussed over her.

“I’m not sure what I need to do now,” Emma sighed. “I’m so drained.”

Her friend picked at her own pastry. “Obviously things didn’t go well. What can you do?”

“I don’t know. Frankly I just want to go back to bed and stay there for a month or two.” Or,
however long it will take for the hurt to go away.

“What happened to Cyn?” Wendy finally asked.

“He’s dead.” Emma’s voice shook, the tears already falling. “I got him killed for nothing. Briana is still there, under Gerard’s control.”

“Oh my God.” Wendy covered her mouth with her hand, rounded eyes locked on Emma. “Are you sure they killed Cyn?”

“I’m pretty sure. I hope not. I love him. I didn’t even tell him.” Emma closed her eyes at the constriction in her chest. “It hurts so much. I can’t believe I killed him.”

“Oh Emma stop it. You didn’t kill him, those idiot demons did. I told you that Briana wouldn’t leave. I know you want to think better of your sister, but she isn’t like you.”

Wendy didn’t say anything else. She must have realized Emma already hurt enough and didn’t need to hear anymore.

# # #

A month later, wearing distressed jeans and a light jacket, Emma walked into Inferno, and tried without success to block the blaring techno music and flashing strobe that blinded her. She’d never been a clubber because the combination of loud beats, smoke, and lighting gave her a headache.

Several males, both human and demon turned when she walked by them. A male demon stepped in her path in an attempt to get her attention. She pushed past him and went to the glass bar that flanked the entire length of the club’s wall. Emma sat on a barstool and ordered a club soda. She spotted Sebastian on the dance floor.

Although a fast beat song played, the Incubus and his companion danced to their own slow song. The woman writhed into him and threw her head back as if in the throes of passion as Sebastian fed from her sexual energy.

Yep, the woman was having a major orgasm.
Emma’s eyebrows rose.

Sebastian held the woman who now convulsed against him. He moved off the dance floor and half dragged her to a nearby chair. Emma watched Sebastian lean over and peer into the woman’s eyes, no doubt to erase her memory of what just occurred between them.

He turned when another woman came up behind him and wrapped her arms around his waist while she swayed to the music. It was evident he didn’t suffer from low energy. The Incubus removed the woman’s arms and urged her toward the crowd on the dance floor and away from him.

He must have sensed Emma watching him and looked toward the bar, scanning it until he saw her. With a sensuous curve on his lips, he strolled toward her.

Emma studied the attractive demon. Dressed in black jeans and a silky teal shirt, he looked more like a movie star than a club owner. His shirt was unbuttoned and pulled out of his waistband. Probably the work of the woman he’d been dancing with. He wore a black undershirt that molded to him perfectly. He was tall and in good shape, with an angular face that gave him a rugged appeal. Sebastian wore his black hair trimmed and tussled. Then again, that too could be the woman’s handiwork.

“I see you ensure your customers have a good time,” Emma told him when he leaned on the bar next to her. “I wonder how she’ll explain it to herself when she gets her bearings and realizes she’s just been well pleasured.”

Sebastian looked back toward the woman, his eyes flat. “She’s woken up next to some slob many a time not remembering his name or even if they had sex. At least this time, she kept her clothes on.”

“You know how to pick 'em,” Emma teased him.

He motioned for the bartender to make him a drink then he turned his attention back to Emma. He regarded her and smiled. “True, I tend to shy away from good girls like you.”

“You didn’t the first time we met,” she replied, grateful he’d not used his sexual powers on her since.

“That day I didn’t know if you were a good girl or not.” His eyes twinkled with mischief.

Sebastian’s smile faded. “I know you didn’t come to dance. Not that I don’t enjoy your company, but why do you insist on returning time and again? I’ve told you, I am not going back to Gerard’s warehouse. I’m surprised he hasn’t torched this place after what I did. The only thing I can figure is that he must not know it was me who helped you escape.”

Emma placed her hand on his arm. He didn’t move away, but held her with his gaze. “Understand me Sebastian, I have to know if my sister is all right. I must get her out of there.”
And I want to kill Gerard to avenge Cyn.
“I need your help, I can’t do it alone.”

Sebastian picked up his drink, then took her arm and guided her around the bar toward his office.

Once they stepped inside his stylish workspace, he closed the door. He emptied his glass. “I told you—your sister was the one that went to Gerard with the idea of trapping the Protectors.”

“But she’s young and susceptible. I’m sure if I could talk to her alone, she will realize she’s making a serious mistake. Sebastian, I know Briana fancies herself in love with Gerard and she’s always been impulsive. I assure you she didn’t expect that anyone would actually get hurt.”

Sebastian went to his polished metal desk and opened a drawer. He took out a gadget and threw it at her. She caught it and studied the item. Emma recognized it as the remote for the tracer Gerard implanted in her neck. “I don’t understand. What you are trying to tell me with this.”

“When we removed the implant from your neck, we had to dispose of it immediately. We took it to an open field so that we could safely detonate it,” Sebastian explained speaking slowly to ensure she understood. “Emma, the device was an explosive, you were supposed to die.”

With a shaky hand, Emma rubbed the jagged scar on the side of her neck. “I didn’t know.”

“I know. Look, both you and your sister are half demon. Your father was a high-level so your demon heritage is strong and it can consume you, especially if you open yourself to it. Your sister is no longer human.”

Sadness threatened to envelope her, but she steeled herself against it. He spoke the truth. She just didn’t want to accept it. Resigned, she started toward the door. “You’re right, but I find it hard to give up on her. I love her and I know that she must still care for me, we are all we’ve got.”

She stopped and managed a smile toward him. “I owe you my life Sebastian. I’m not sure why you helped me, but if I can ever do anything for you, call me and let me know.”

The longing in Sebastian’s expression told Emma what he wanted from her. The desire in his eyes spoke volumes. He was attracted to her.

Although she found him appealing, Emma wouldn’t be ready for a relationship anytime soon. The grief of losing Cyn was still ever present and raw.

“Give me time Sebastian, okay?”

He nodded, accepting her reluctance. “Take all the time you need.”

Emma hesitated, but she had to ask, her heart constricted as she spoke. “Do you know if the Protectors were able to escape?”

“I can’t tell you anything about them,” Sebastian replied, his eyes didn’t meet hers. “You shouldn’t ask about them, it’s dangerous, they are our enemy.”

His answer disappointed her, and she didn’t persist. “Good night.”

# # #

It was a bright night. Cyn leaned against a building’s wall and looked up at the full moon.

He was assigned to the midtown sector of Atlanta and currently stood across the street from the Fox Theatre. The blinking lights of the marquee cast a glow over the patrons who rushed in late for the play.

He walked down the street and scanned behind the large hotel buildings. Movement caught his attention and he stepped back into the shadows.

The muffled sound of laughter traveled over the sound of a car alarm. He relaxed when two couples came into view.  The foursome chatted and walked past without noticing him. They parted ways, one heading to an all-night coffee shop and the other to their car.

The man held the door for his date, who gave him a grateful peck on the cheek. The familiar scene had unfolded before him thousands of times in all the years and he’d never paid much attention. However, this night he watched the car drive away until it disappeared. It bothered him, for the first time in a long time that he would never have a normal life. He’d been human once, but it was so long ago that he remembered very little of those short years before becoming a Protector.

Love, marriage, and family were things most Protectors gave up. Being immortal, they would see those they loved age and die.

Roderick himself confessed his sadness once to Cyn at the thought that he might have to watch his son Brock die of old age, while he remained young. Julian believed that Brock might be destined to be a Protector, but they wouldn’t know for a few more years. Cyn and Roderick didn’t know of any other Protectors to have offspring and Julian wouldn’t tell them if there were.

Cyn shook his head. The Roman kept too many secrets in his opinion.

He pushed the thoughts away and became vigilant again. He was on the lookout for a gang of young demons that attacked college students in the area. So far, it was a quiet night. Not many demons around. He wondered if Kieran had better luck spotting demons, so he called his brother’s unit. Kieran answered on the first ring.

“Anything over there? Nothing here. ” Cyn told him as he walked down a side street.

“I’ve seen quite a few demons headed into Inferno. But they’re more interested in getting laid, than killing,” Kieran replied. “By the way, I just saw a woman who looked just like Emma going in. It was strange. I followed her inside out of curiosity, but I lost her in there. It’s packed.”

“I’m sure the management loved you walking in there,” Cyn replied. “Call if anything comes up; we need to find the rogue demons.” He ended the call.

Damn it, the last person he wanted to think about tonight was Emma. Footsteps neared and he tensed as a woman stepped out of the shadows and faced him. “Emma?”

The woman laughed, it was throaty and sensual. “I almost wish I was.” She stood under a street light with her feet planted apart. She swept her long hair away from her face. It was the succubus, the same one he’d seen back at Gerard’s, Gia.

Succubae took power and life energy from sex. Although not dangerous, they were exceptionally strong. She was about the same build as Emma and stunning.

Her red-rimmed eyes roamed over his body and she licked her lips. “I’ve been looking for you.”

Cyn didn’t relax his stance. “I’m not in the mood to fuck a demon. Go look someplace else,” he told her, his voice flat.

Gia took another step toward him. “I bet I can help you forget the woman who betrayed you. After a night with me, you won’t remember any other woman you have ever been with. Wouldn’t that be nice?”

Cyn had to admit the idea did have merit. He hated that Emma filled his thoughts daily. He wanted to forget her and be glad she was gone, but he couldn’t. When they escaped from the demon’s warehouse, Sebastian told them an explosive transmitter had been placed in her neck. Ever since, he’d wondered if she was dead.

Cyn sneered at the succubus. “I bet I will forget all kinds of shit if I kill you too.”

“She’s with him you know. Emma is with Gerard. From what I can tell, she doesn’t care about you.” The succubus smiled. “Even when he told her you were dead, she didn’t act like she cared. Their only regret is that we were not able to free Thames.”