Bound by Magick 4-in-1 Box Set (Pentacles of Magick) (23 page)

Up ahead was a dense grove of trees. If they could make the
last twenty yards without getting shot, then they could disappear. More
commotion and angry voices called out for them. If they didn’t make it
now, they never would. Jessie’s racing heart roared in her ears, and her
blood pumped adrenalin through her body. Time seemed to stand still as they
raced towards the treeline, the cover they needed to get away.

Electricity buzzed around Noah as they moved. She could
feel him open himself to his power and without her own—it spilled over to
her, suffusing her with added strength. She absorbed it like a sponge,
craving even more. Her stomach tingled and her breasts tightened with the
dangerous sensation of his darker magick. Oh yeah, this is what her body
had called out for all these many months since she’d left him. It was dark
and delicious and oh so addictive.

More…More
…her mind whispered.

Despite the danger they ran from, her mind swirled with
thoughts of hard driving sex and something even darker…pain. Her senses
sharpened around her. Her mind filtered out the voices and noises behind them
and instead focused on the breath sawing in and out of Noah’s lungs, the energy
buzzing through his blood. 

Something deep inside her stirred once again, a longing she
thought she’d gotten past. Seeing Noah—feeling his magick—brought
it all back. Power or no power, her beast still wanted him, now more than
ever. Her stomach clenched with need for him, and the fear coursing through her
only fanned the flames.

With a quick burst and thrust of his right hand behind her,
Noah unleashed his heat, engulfing some of the pursuers in a burst of
flames. Screams tore through the night and the urge to turn and look
filled her.

“Don’t.”

Noah’s one-word demand halted her distractions, reminding
her just how in control he was of himself and every situation. Not to mention
they couldn’t spare a second if they wanted freedom. Trees swallowed them as
they ran into the dark thicket surrounding the estate, their feet pounding
against the uneven terrain. He squeezed her hand and pulled her to the right,
indicating she should follow him. Jessie complied, her lungs nearly bursting
from the effort to keep up with him.

Minutes later, the ground became spongy and wet. A few steps
more and her shoes were sinking into mud. They were headed to the
swamp. 

“Noah, where are we going? I don’t think anyone is chasing
us anymore.”

“They’re following us, all right. At the very least,
magickally. I can feel Scott’s power touching both of us.”

She cursed under her breath. Of all the times she could
really use her power, this would be it. Instead Reverend Scott was using
her own stolen magick against them, making it all the more difficult for them
to escape. 

The deeper into the bayou they moved, the deeper the water
became until it was up to her knees. She was forced to move slowly and
methodically, trying to avoid the pitfalls of the area that could hurt her. She
shuddered to think of what wildlife they might encounter.

She stumbled when Noah stopped unexpectedly, and was headed
for the water face first when a large, strong hand shot out to catch her.

“Let’s save the swimming for the pool, okay, babe?”

She turned her head to give him an idea of what she thought
about his sarcasm and looked into the depths of his dark blue, snappy eyes and
the wry grin on his face. Her heart stuttered and her stomach
flipped. She let the words she’d been about to slap him with die on her
lips. Instead she smiled back at him and let him pull her upright again.

“Thanks.” Her voice was barely a whisper.

Steady on her feet again, she finally noticed the boat
sitting on the water twenty feet in front of them. The small, dark green boat
looked big enough to hold two people—just the right size for not only
maneuvering around some of the tight spaces in the swamp—and also easy to
hide if they had to.

“Get in the front.” Jessie rushed into the boat while Noah
hurriedly untied the rope from the tree before jumping in behind her. A flick
of the switch on the small motor hanging on the back, and it hummed to
life. If anyone was close by they would definitely hear, but they’d lost
contact with their pursuers at the edge of the swamp, so it likely wouldn’t
matter. She hoped. At this point she could use some luck on her side.

“How are we going to keep them from just following the
magick?” She was worried they wouldn’t get far.

“Well, Denn is working on something, but for now it’s up to
us to stay one step ahead of those bastards back there.”

Jessie struggled with the emotions that his voice at her
back called up. She needed to get away from him and fast, before she did
something they’d both regret. Apparently even a few weeks in a fucking dungeon
didn’t put a damper on her libido when it came to one Noah Scott.
Unfortunately, she suspected now more than ever if he found out what she was,
things would go bad—very bad.

“How far are we from the city proper? I have a suggestion.”

“Probably about six or seven miles,
cherie
. Without
any further trouble it shouldn’t take us long to get to where I have a vehicle
stashed up river.” His easy slip into a local accent did funny things to her
insides.

“There is a place down off Charles Street that could easily
confuse anyone looking for magick. Some of the Voodoo shops down there
that cater to the locals have such a strong resonance of dark magick anytime of
the day or night, we should be safe there, at least temporarily,” she spoke
eagerly.

“Do I even want to know how you know that?”

“Probably not.”

She felt the heat of his eyes boring into the back of her
head. He might let her explanation go for now, but he was a hunter through
and through. He would eventually circle around back to it.

Chapter Two

A couple hours later, Noah’s black SUV stopped in front of
one of the seedier no-tell motels on Charles Street. She surveyed the area
for any sign of trouble and found only a few streetwalkers roaming the area
looking for johns.  

“Wait here.”

“But—” she started to protest.

“No. I want no potential witnesses seeing any sign of
you around here. Voodoo whispers in the night, giving away your secrets
when you least expect it. So, you will stay right there and wait for me to
return.”

She sighed, realizing he was right. She had no
protection against that kind of thing, and if Scott was still using her power
he would have a definite edge over them. A fact she’d have to share with
him sooner or later.

“Don’t worry, Jessie. I won’t be gone more than a few
minutes and we won’t be staying here long. I need a little time to make a
few arrangements and you look like you need the rest. What did he do to
you anyways?”

“Just go do what you have to do, Noah, we can talk about me
later.” She relaxed into the comfortable leather seat, letting her head fall
back against the headrest. He was right, she needed to rest, recharge.
Come up with a new plan. 
Seems like a new theme for me
, she thought.
Rest and plan. Rest and plan. Problem was, she hadn’t come up with any
good plans in a long while.

* * *

Goddess, he hated seeing her like this. His every
instinct to protect and shelter her had kicked into high gear, and it was
pissing him off. He shouldn’t care. The woman had left him without a
backwards glance eight months ago, turning her back on his loyalty and love. If
he was smart he’d walk away now before things got worse between them. A heavy
sigh rolled through his shoulders. He couldn’t do that, either. He had
made a promise to his brother and hers that he would see her safely back to
them, and he never upped and quit on a commitment like that. Never.

Shaking off his thoughts, he surveyed the lobby area before
throwing open the door. The clerk at the desk jumped at the sight of him.
Noah gave himself a cursory glance in the reflection of the window glass and
laughed. Black T-shirt, black cargo pants, and black boots all caked with mud
and smelling like swamp. Well, the night man was just going to have to get
over it. He and Jessie needed a quick temporary place to hide, and this
was as good a place as any.

“I need a room for tonight.”

“That will be—uhh—I will need state ID and a
credit card.”

“Noah pulled out a fat wad of cash from his pocket and laid
it on the counter. About one hundred more than the usual fee he would
guess. “Will this do?”

The clerk hesitated for a second. His tongue darted around
his lips and he gave Noah another quick glance. “Sure thing, but I don’t want
no trouble here.”

“No trouble, just some rest and a shower. Can this place
handle that?”

“Sure can.” He handed a key over the counter. “Room 204,
round back, second floor and two doors down from the stairs.”

“Thanks.” Noah palmed the key and headed back out the
door. His hands paused on the handle and he turned back to the clerk once
again. “Any place around here open this time of night to buy some clothes?”

“No, not around here. This neighborhood scares most
folks at night.”

Noah chuckled. “I’ll bet it does. I guess you don’t get
too many Wal-Mart shoppers coming through here.” He stuck his hand in one of
the cargo pockets at the side of his legs and the clerk went positively white
with fear. When he pulled out another stack of money the frail man relaxed
and perked up once again. “You know anyone who would be willing to deliver
something.”

The clerk didn’t even hesitate. “Sure do. What is it
you want?”

Noah strode back over to the desk and scratched out a short
list on the notepad on the counter. Without another word he handed it and the
stack of money over and headed outside. He would bet the man was on the phone
to his wife or girlfriend or whatever before he’d even gotten out of
sight. Some people were just too easy.

When he slid back into the car the first thing he noticed
was that Jessie—or Jessica, as he’d known her—was fast
asleep. The next thing he noticed was a bandage peeking out from her
t-shirt sleeve, and it was turning red. 

He pulled his vehicle around the back and surveyed the area
before opening her door. He grabbed the small first aid kit from his glove
compartment and shoved it in a pocket. Being careful not to jostle her too
much, he slipped his hands underneath her and lifted her gently from the seat.
Dear Goddess, she was light, a lot lighter than before. White-hot rage bubbled
up inside him as he once again wondered what the hell his Uncle Scott had been
up to. He had a feeling when he found out, he would be hunting
again.  Family or not, if he hurt Jessie he would have to die.

He carried her into the room, his body protectively curled
around hers. Even if someone saw them he doubted they would be able to recall
what the woman he carried looked like. They might remember a man dressed in
black, though, and even that little bit of information could lead to
suspicion. He calculated they could hide here for about eight to ten hours
before their position would be located. Just enough time to get cleaned up
and grab a little rest. At least, for her.  He would have to stay awake
and stand guard.

When he laid Jessie out on the bed she stirred and
stretched, causing her t-shirt to ride up her belly and reveal the taut, smooth
planes of her torso—from the sexy indentation of her small waist to the
enticing dip of her belly button. He instantly remembered how sensitive
she was there. When he swirled his tongue around and into that spot she
went wild. He’d never thought of that as an especially erogenous zone, but on
her it was. Unable to resist temptation, Noah reached down and brushed his
fingertips around her belly, skimming across her most sensitive areas. 

A soft sigh escaped her lips and she shifted around on the
bed but stayed asleep. The ache to remove her clothes and taste every
sweet inch of her again overwhelmed him. With a reluctant groan he forced
himself away from the bed and into the adjoining bathroom before he did
something they’d both regret. After he turned on the hot water, he stood in
front of the mirror and stripped off his clothes. He glanced briefly at
the scars scattered across his chest and arms. He didn’t even notice them much
these days, they were part and parcel with his job.

His job
.

He nearly choked on that thought. Who in their right mind
considered demon hunting a regular job? Or even an irregular job? He rubbed his
hands back and forth over his face. For him it was a compulsion he couldn’t
control. He’d seen too much, used magick he wasn’t supposed to, and
wondered almost every day if it would finally be his last. It was that
thought that made him a force to be reckoned with. He chuckled to himself as he
turned the water in the shower to a nice hot temperature. His last few demon
encounters had apparently left him with a bit of a reputation. Normally
having the assholes running scared would be a really good thing, but the target
wasn’t just on his back anymore, not if they found him with her.

He stepped under the hot spray and lifted his head directly
into the stream, letting the hot water rinse away the grime and sweat from his
face. When Jessica had left, he never expected to see her again, especially not
on a rescue mission. Sometimes his dreams were consumed by memories of the
woman he’d had feelings for. Those were the bad days. Of course thinking about
Jessie had him hard as a rock, a situation he was going to have to resolve on
his own. He palmed his thick cock, running his fingers along the veined
underside to the engorged tip, thinking about her underneath him with her hands
bound above her head. He thought of the pink glow of her ass after he’d spanked
her. When a moan escaped his lips, Noah clamped down on his jaw, making sure he
kept himself under control.

The heat of the water soaking into his skin was nothing
compared to the flames building inside him as he stroked from tip to base and
back again. He would never be able to forget the sensation of her tight
sheath clamping down on his dick as he worked his way inside. Or the odd
mixture of fear and trust that had shown in her eyes the first time he’d
restrained her. He pumped his fist faster as the release began to build,
thoughts of Jessie on her knees, taking him in her mouth, pushing him to the
brink. His hand slammed against the shower wall to steady his loose body,
his arm moving in short, jerky strokes. Random memories of their time together
flooded through him until the pressure built in his balls to the breaking
point. With one final stroke to the underside of the head his orgasm burst
free, his body going rigid. Letting his head fall forward, he rested on his
hand, allowing the pulses of release to take over.

Damn her.

After several long minutes of recovery he grasped the soap
and cloth, and quickly and efficiently washed and finished up his shower. He
needed to get back out to her, make sure everything was secure.

With just a pair of running shorts to cover him, Noah
double-checked the windows and door, surveying the surrounding area for
anything out of the ordinary. Satisfied they were safe for now, he lowered
his body onto the bed right next to Jessie’s slender, sleeping form. Her slow,
even breathing was a soft rhythm in the room as he watched her sleep. With
her there looking relaxed and innocent, he had an urge to shake her awake and
demand answers from her.

He thought back to how he’d first seen her earlier in the
day. Tired and frail thanks to the conditions in which he’d found
her. He needed to report to Denn and Jake again before long. Jake had
sounded edgy and anxious to see his sister, or at least talk to her, but he
knew what kind of risks they could take and what kind they couldn’t. He’d
made alternate arrangements for the two of them to lay low, away from his uncle
and his hired guns. Based on his experience, he knew the only way he could be
sure of the control necessary for this situation was to tell no one, not even
the ones he trusted.

So her brother would just have to wait a while longer before
he could reunite with his sister. Jessie shifted restlessly next to him
and a long lean leg rubbed against him. That simple touch of soft, female flesh
ignited his blood in an instant. His magick rushed forward, seeking her
out, daring him to take her now. She would respond, he was certain of it, but
that didn’t mean it was the right thing to do. Not that she was in any real
condition for what he had in mind, she was far too weak.

On a deep sigh, Noah stood from the bed and headed for the
floor. With the extra pillow and blanket from the closet, he made himself
a spot to rest next to the bed. He would be close enough to notice even a
slight change in her breathing, but just far enough away to not be tempted to devour
her in his sleep.

Who was he kidding
?

His body thrummed with sexual energy once again and with no
relief in sight it was going to be a very long night.

* * *

“C’mon, Jessie, we have to go now, our time is up.” His
magick hummed, sensing other users nearby. When she came out of the bathroom
carrying a duffel bag with her, she took his breath away. A night of rest,
some food and a shower had made a world of difference, and now she looked more
like Jessica. Silky brown hair fell just below her shoulders, the perfect
length for grabbing onto. The almost too short denim shorts and tight green
t-shirt she’d chosen from the clothes that had been delivered first thing this
morning showed off every inch of her luscious body. Not exactly subtle nor
disguise material, but
dayum
she looked good enough to eat. Even the
plain white tennis shoes on her feet seemed sexy to him.

When he finally let his gaze meet hers he could have sworn
he saw the same heat in the normally cool blue depths of her eyes. Shaking
his thoughts loose, he opened the door and ushered her out and down the stairs
to his waiting vehicle. She was turning into a distraction neither one of them
could afford.

“Where are you taking me? To see Jake?” She slid onto the
seat next to him, looking at him for an answer.

“Not quite yet. We still have some trouble to deal
with, and I don’t think either of us wants to involve more people than we have
to.”

“Then where are we going?”

“Somewhere safe. Buckle up.” 

She glared at him, waiting.

“How familiar are you with the bayou?”

“Probably not enough, guess it depends on what you have in
mind,” she blurted.

Ignoring the jolt in his groin from the look she threw him,
he continued. “We need to hide for a while. Somewhere I can protect you. I
know of a place deep in the swamps that will fit the bill.”

“Should I be nervous? I mean, I’m not your favorite person
these days, and going deep in the swamps as you put it, with someone who
doesn’t like me sounds like a recipe for big trouble.”

“I’m not the one that left in the middle of the night,
Jessie.”

A dark cloud passed over her features, making her look sad.
Seeing her like that made him feel like shit. Which really pissed him off since
he had nothing to feel bad about.

“I know.” She turned toward the window, ending the
conversation and settled in for the ride.

He pulled the SUV out of the parking lot, watching
everything around them despite his preoccupation with the woman beside him.
Obsession
is more like it
. He took a deep drag of air into his lungs, held it until
it burned, and then let it out as slowly as he could. He needed to be in
complete control of this situation and couldn’t afford distractions.