BURN (33 page)

They thought
he
was insane, yet they could accept the strange behavior going on around them. One imp was wearing nothing but a kilt, blue face paint, and a pink Hawaiian flower necklace. Another was dressed up as Harry Potter and occasionally blurted out meaningless spells for no apparent reason. There was also the imp who was carrying a hedgehog and losing patience with the creature because, ‘You’re not listening to me; you never listen to me.’ Then there was the group taking bets about whether the teenager currently eating a raw onion would vomit.

“Are you really Harper’s mate?”

Hearing that sweet, tinkle-like voice, Knox looked down to see the most angelic looking child he’d ever laid eyes on. Long white-blond ringlets, aquamarine eyes, and rosy cheeks. She couldn’t be much older than four years. “I am.”

“You’re really tall,” she said shakily, worrying her lower lip.

He squatted down to meet her level of height, so he didn’t seem so intimidating. “That better?” Her smile was all dimples as she nodded shyly. “I’m Knox.”

“I’m Heidi. Harper calls me Heidi-ho.”

“It’s good to meet you, Heidi.”

“I’m gonna be five in four months. You can come see me on my birthday, if you want.”

“Thanks, I—”

“Heidi-ho,” drawled Harper. “Give him back his wallet.”

Blinking, Knox frowned. “Wallet?” He watched in bemusement as the child’s innocent expression morphed into a put-out snarl that called Harper a traitor.

“Don’t be fooled by those angelic looks, Knox,” Harper told him as he stood upright. “That kid is a plotter. She’s as manipulative as Jolene, and she can cry on cue.”

Handing Knox his wallet, Heidi burst out into very convincing tears. Then she smiled brightly. “Good, aren’t I?” Heidi wrapped her body around Harper’s leg.

His inner demon was chuckling, impressed. He turned to Harper. “She does that ‘you’re really tall’ thing in that trembling voice to make people bend down, doesn’t she?”

“Yep. Then she robs them blind.”

Hearing a new voice behind them, Knox guessed another lair member had arrived. But when sharply Harper pivoted on the spot just as Heidi released her with an “Uh-oh,’ Knox had a pretty good idea who it was. He turned just in time to see a tall male imp with salt and pepper hair hold his arms out to Harper with a wide grin.

“I thought you couldn’t make it,” said Harper.

Lucian wrapped his arms around her. “Happy birthday, baby girl.” Pulling back, he told her, “I sold the emu. I couldn’t miss this, could I?”

There was no way Knox could fail to see the genuine affection Lucian had for Harper. It was in his eyes and the tone of his voice. While Knox wished for her sake that it would be enough to cool his anger at the imp, it simply wasn’t.

He gave father and daughter a few minutes to catch up before he sidled up to Harper. Lucian gave him an assessing look. “You must be Lucian,” said Knox, conscious that a silence had fallen. “I’m Knox Thorne.”

“I know who you are,” said Lucian. “Can’t say I ever expected to see you at my mother’s house. What’s she done this time?”

“I’m not here to see Jolene. I’m here with my anchor. She also happens to be my mate.”

Lucian’s brows flew up. “Really? Who—” He paused, taking in just how close Knox stood to Harper. His face reddened, his lips thinned, and his nostrils flared. “Anchor?
Mate
?”

“That’s right.”

Lucian actually stamped his foot as he looked at Harper, his emotional immaturity quite evident at that moment.
“You mated with
him
? Do you have any idea how dangerous he is? Do you not value your own life?”

With a silent groan, Harper stated firmly, “Knox would never hurt me.”

“You can’t really believe that! You must have heard all the stories about him! He’s ruthless, brutal! He doesn’t have an ounce of mercy in his system!”

“Very true,” confirmed Knox. “In fact, most of the stories about me are true. I’m a danger to every demon out there…except for Harper.”

Lucian sniggered. “Forgive me if I don’t find the words of an evil, conscienceless bastard comforting.”

Harper raised a hand. “Lucian, I don’t want to argue with you – I really, really don’t – but Knox is my choice, and I
won’t
have you insult him.” But she knew her words would fall on deaf ears. Lucian was wearing his ‘I’m ready to rant’ expression.

“I don’t understand
why
he’s your choice! It’s not like you could be short of male attention! Why
him
?”

“Isn’t it obvious? I care about him.”

“But does
he
care about
you
? That’s the question!
Don’t tell me he does! That demon cares for no one but himself!”

Knox’s chuckle was empty of humor…and the dark sound made everyone freeze. “Isn’t that a case of pot, kettle, and black? Oh, and you really do need to quit talking to her that way. I won’t have it.” His demon wanted to gut the bastard for it. “This is all a surprise for you, I get that. But then, if you were a
real
part of her life, you’d have already known.”

Lucian’s eyes narrowed. “If you’ve got something to say to me, just say it. No sly remarks.”

“Fine.” Knox stepped into the imp’s personal space. “You’re a selfish, irresponsible, juvenile, self-indulgent asshole. In fact, scrap ‘juvenile’ – you’re not quite that advanced.”

“You son of a—”

“Harper had already been abandoned by her mother. Did you make up for that? Did you make sure that she at least had one parent take care of her from the start? No. You left her with Jolene, and you continued with your self-centered, nomadic lifestyle. And let’s be honest, you wouldn’t even have visited Harper if Jolene hadn’t insisted on it.”

Clenching his fists, Lucian lifted his chin. “She was with me from the age of four—”

“Because Jolene forced you to take responsibility for your child, which was something you should have done from the beginning.”

“What, you think I should have taken a baby around the world with me?”

“No, you should have
stayed with her
. But that would have required you to put another being before yourself. And you just can’t do that, can you?” Knox shook his head. “It amazes me that Harper is the person she is today after having you and Carla for parents.”

Lucian snorted dismissively. “You think you know all about our lives? You know nothing.”

“Wrong, Lucian. I know everything.”

“Then you know I took care of her—”

“No, Lucian,
she
took care of
you
.”

The imp’s jaw hardened. “You’ve no right to judge me.”

“She’s my mate, I have every right.”

Seeming lost for words, Lucian turned to his mother…like a small, petulant child. “You don’t care that he’s speaking to me like that?”

Jolene shrugged. “You need to hear it, Lucian. I’ve tried to make you see yourself as you really are, but you never listen to me. Maybe you’ll listen to him.”

Eyes clouded with uncertainty, Lucian turned to his daughter. “We didn’t have a bad life, did we?”

“No, we didn’t,” replied Harper.

“But it wasn’t a life that gave her stability and security, was it, Lucian?” said Knox. “It wasn’t a life that began from the moment she was put in the care of this lair. You should have put her first, quit traveling, and given her what she needed. You didn’t. And for that, I’ll never, ever like you. I’ll accept you’re a part of Harper’s life, because I’d never ask her to choose, but that’s as good as it will ever get between you and me.” His inner demon, however, would never accept Lucian.

Harper slipped between the two males. “Look, you’ve both taken your shots at each other; let it go. Let it go,” she repeated when Lucian went to speak. Predictably, he stomped off in a huff. He was still wearing that sulky expression when she and Knox left half an hour later.

“You’re upset with me for insulting Lucian,” assumed Knox as Levi drove them home in the Bentley. Tanner rode shotgun.

“No,” she denied. “Don’t get me wrong, it wasn’t a fun moment. But I know that if it was the other way around, I’d smack the shit out of whoever I believed let
you
down.”

The protectiveness in her tone made him smile. “I couldn’t help but notice that Khloë enjoyed the dispute.”

Harper shrugged. “She’s never liked Lucian.”

Knox’s phone beeped, halting what he would have said next.

“Is everything ready for the voting poll tomorrow?” she asked, watching his fingers adeptly flying over the screen of his cell.

“Almost,” he replied.

“Which way do you think the wind will blow?”

“It’s hard to say. Each of the three candidates made appealing proposals. One thing in our favor is that demons, as a rule, aren’t fond of great changes. The whisper campaigns also did a lot of damage.”

“The question is: Just how much damage did they do?”

There would be no knowing the answer until tomorrow.

CHAPTER NINETEEN

Knox arranged for the polling station to be open from 6am to 10pm in the same Underground hotel that held the speeches. Demons voted using an electronic polling system that had been used in the past. In short, each demon entered a polling booth and voted using the computer inside – one that was designed to ensure the demon couldn’t place more than one vote.

According to Larkin, many demons claimed they wouldn’t be voting, since they were undecided. Still, it seemed that the entire U.S. public had come to the Underground to witness the result of the election. As such, everybody was no doubt waiting impatiently for the Primes to finish their five course meal.

The restaurant’s table seating arrangement was the same as it had been for the speeches. Beside him, Harper was as stunning as always in a fuchsia halter-neck dress that dipped near her cleavage enough to flash some of his demon’s brand. The sight was enough to make him hard, despite that he’d exploded inside her only an hour ago. He thought about the brand he now wore on his nape and felt masculine satisfaction rise in him. His mate had marked him, made it clear that he was taken. His inner demon was pretty smug about it.

Knox watched, totally rapt, as Harper licked chocolate sauce from her spoon. She was such a sensual creature, and so very unaware of it. He put his mouth to her ear, speaking quietly. “Every time your tongue flicks out to catch that sauce, I remember how it feels to have your tongue lapping at my cock.”

“You should get that put in a Hallmark card or something.”

A low chuckle rumbled in his chest.

She pushed aside her plate and spoon. “Looks like almost everyone is done with dessert. How long until you announce the result of the poll?”

“A few minutes.” Sweeping his gaze around the room, he studied each of the candidates. Isla looked smug, seemingly confident that she would be elected. Dario seemed composed, but he was chugging down wine like a man dying of thirst. Malden’s expression and posture betrayed nothing.

Neither Knox nor his inner demon was comfortable having Isla in the same room as Harper. So far, Isla had done nothing more than greet him from a distance with a simple nod. It was difficult to imagine that the cool, collected she-demon was the same one that enjoyed sexually assaulting and torturing the women within her lair.

When Harper informed him of Khloë’s findings, his initial reaction had been shock. Dismay had quickly followed – dismay at the fact that the vulnerable, abused child he once knew had grown into an abuser herself. That such cruelty existed within her only gave him more reason to suspect she was responsible for the things that had happened to and around Harper. If so, the Prime was living on borrowed time.

“Why do you look like you’ve just swallowed something bitter?” Harper asked him. Her eyes were presently a bright gold that fairly mesmerized him.

Knox lightly touched one of the two jeweled, metal hair sticks she’d inserted into her bun. “I don’t like you being in close proximity to Isla.”

Harper wasn’t so keen on it either. Although she didn’t share Knox’s belief that Isla was the guilty party, it didn’t mean that Harper was comfortable around such a twisted bitch. “Any news on the mysterious Kendra impersonator?”

Knox shook his head. “We still haven’t been able to find out her location or her true identity.”

“In terms of whether she’s a likely suspect, it doesn’t look good for her that she’s disappeared.”

“No, it doesn’t,” he allowed.

“You’ve crossed Carla off the list of suspects, haven’t you?”

“I don’t believe she wants you dead.”

Neither did Harper. “Lucian’s pissed that I found out the whole Carla story. He thought it was best that I just believed the woman was an evil heifer, nothing more.”

“Can we not talk about that negligent, childish, self-absorbed bastard?”

“Can’t you come up with a pet name for him that’s a little less offensive?”

“How about I shorten it to just ‘bastard’?”

Harper sighed heavily. “Forget it.”

“What’s wrong?” asked Jolene.

“I don’t like to admit defeat, but it’s possible that I’ll never get Knox and Lucian to like each other,” replied Harper.

Her grandmother shook her head. “Lucian will never like
any
male in your life. And Knox will never stop imagining new ways to kill him. It’s a hopeless case.” Jolene patted her hand. “But I’m sure Knox wishes he could put his dislike of Lucian aside for your sake. I’m sure he wishes your feelings on this matter could come before his. I’m sure he—”

Knox cut her off. “Don’t try to manipulate me, Jolene. It won’t work.” He kissed Harper’s cheek. “It’s time. If the result causes any kind of uproar, Tanner will get you out of here.” Before she could bristle and tell him she could take care of herself, Knox pushed away from the table and walked onto the dais.

Harper frowned, confused, as Isla moved to stand beside the dais…as if she was expecting to be called up there. Dario and Malden followed her lead.

“Have you noticed all the scowls that Isla has received tonight?” Jolene asked her. “There are many unhappy bunnies in this room, and they seem to hold her responsible for their misery.”

Yes, Harper had noticed. “I don’t know what she’s done, but whatever it is has pissed off a lot of people.”

Knox spoke then, filling the silence that his mere presence had commanded. “As you all know, the polling station closed two hours ago. The votes have all been entered into the polling computer software, and in just a few minutes the software will count the votes. Before we get to that, I want to make it clear that if a Monarch
is
elected, it will not give them any power over me or this place. As such, do not think to issue any orders at the moment of your election. Your authority and your position means nothing here.”

“Isla didn’t like that remark,” commented Jolene as Knox moved to the side of the white screen that was hanging behind him.

Knox nodded at Levi, who was near the laptop situated on a small table in front of the dais. Instantly, the laptop screen was projected onto the large white screen, showing the image of a box that said, ‘Count Votes.’ After another nod from Knox, Levi clicked it. The words ‘Please wait’ replaced the box, and under it was a bar that showed the percentage of time left to go.

The silence now seemed weighty, somber. The air fairly hummed with a suspense that brought goosebumps to Harper’s arms.

Eighty percent.

She licked her lips, anxious. If the demon public chose to have a Monarch, it would impact everyone, whether each demon accepted that Monarch or not. It didn’t matter that Harper would never answer to them.
Others
would have to answer to them. The change would affect so many, alter so much.

Sixty percent.

Harper glanced at the candidates. All three were admirably composed. Isla’s gaze shone with an unsettling amount of self-satisfaction. Did she know something they didn’t?

Forty percent.

Taking a sip of her champagne, Harper looked at Knox. In spite of her current tension, she couldn’t help but note that he was the epitome of self-assurance and untamed sexuality. He was also staring at her.

Twenty percent.

Leave with Tanner if necessary,
he reminded her.
Take your family with you.

She didn’t assure him she would leave, unwilling to lie. If things went tits up, she’d be at his side. And he should know better than to think that Jolene would ever walk away from a riot. Hell, the woman was more likely to be in the middle of it.

‘Done!’ popped up on the screen, along with a box marked ‘See Result.’

That was when Harper finally understood the term ‘bated breath.’ For a single moment, she didn’t breathe at all. Then her breathing turned shallow and rapid as she couldn’t seem to get the air she needed. So much could fuck up if the wrong decision was made.

“Levi,” was all Knox said. After one click on the box from the sentinel, an image of scales appeared. One was labelled ‘Yes’, and the other was labelled ‘No.’ Mere seconds later, percentages popped up beneath each scale.

Only forty-three percent of the votes said ‘Yes’ to a Monarch.

Relief rushed through Harper like a tidal wave. Glancing around, she saw that her relief was shared by almost everyone.
Almost
everyone. Disappointment shadowed Malden’s features, but there was no anger; she got the feeling he could take the public’s rejection providing no Monarch was elected at all. Dario bit out a few harsh expletives, every line of his body tense. Still, he took the rejection with a little dignity. Isla, however…

Her spine snapped straight, her hands balled into fists, and her beautiful face became a mask of anger. “No!” she shouted. “I refuse to accept this!”

Knox shrugged at her, dismissive of her outburst. “It is what it is.”

“I demand a recount!” Isla fairly barked, not so composed now.

A deathly quiet descended as Knox’s eyes bled to black for a moment. “And who are you to demand anything of me?” he asked silkily, malevolence dripping from every syllable.

To her credit – or utter stupidity, whichever – Isla stood her ground. “I have many supporters, Knox. It makes no sense to me that this is the result of the poll.”

“Maybe they weren’t as loyal to you as you thought.”

“They wouldn’t have betrayed me!” she insisted. “The results were fixed! They have to be fixed!” Here was the paranoid streak Khloë had mentioned.

Knox arched a reproachful brow. “That’s an offensive claim you’re making, Isla. Be careful.” The latter words were like blades.

Levi spoke then, overriding what Isla would have said next. “Don’t you have enough power, Isla? Why push so hard for more? What is this really about?” No answer. “Is it power you want? Or is it power over Knox?”

Isla’s mouth tightened around the edges.

“You had to know that Knox would never answer to anyone,” continued Levi. “Being Monarch wouldn’t enable you to control him. But it could have put you in a position to take him out. I think you thought that if you ruled over the other Primes, you could force them all to unite against him. Was that your plan? You must be pissed that it didn’t work out.”

“It
should
have worked out!” she yelled, obviously out of control now that she’d lost everything she’d worked for. “I had loyal supporters! The results have to be fixed!”

“Why is that?” asked Knox.

Harper laughed as realization dawned. “Been up to your old tricks again, Isla? Tell me, just how many people
did
you blackmail, threaten, or manipulate to try to get what you want? Are some of those people in this room?” That would certainly explain the amount of scowls she’d been receiving all night. “I’ll bet you were the one to start the whisper campaigns, too.”

“I don’t believe I was speaking to you,” Isla sneered at Harper.

“I don’t believe I care,” said Harper with a shrug.

“So brave because you have Knox to protect you.”

Harper didn’t rise to the taunt; she simply stated, “I don’t need the protection of him or anyone else.” Harper hid behind no one. If Isla wanted to believe she was weak, that was her mistake.

A glint of calculation entered Isla’s eyes. “Really? Very confident.” A pleasant smile lit her face. “Maybe you and I should take a turn in the combat circle, and we’ll see just how strong you are.”

Raul almost choked on his champagne. “You want a duel with Harper? Truly? You’re
that
crazy?”

Knox crossed to Isla, muscles rippling with danger. “I wasn’t aware that you wanted to die, Isla. I warned you that I’d destroy you if you harmed her.”

Isla shrugged one shoulder delicately. “It would just be a little fun, Knox.”

As Tanner moved to stand in front of Harper, his stance protective, Harper assured him, “It’s okay, Tanner, I really don’t think she can kill me with her scowl.” Harper peered around him and raised her hand. “I have a question. Do you want to duel with me because you still believe you’re Knox’s anchor? Or is it that you need a whipping boy because you’re so pissed off that you didn’t get your precious votes? I’m interested.”

“I
am
his anchor,” she snapped.

Harper shook her head sadly. “Oh, Isla. How you do enjoy your delusions.” She sighed. “And here was me thinking it was the second answer. After all, you do like to take your rage out on women.”

Isla’s eyelids flickered.

“Yes, you find inflicting pain and sexually assaulting the she-demons of your lair to be lots of fun, don’t you? You’re addicted to the high you get from it.”

Isla hissed, ignoring the whispers of disgust that traveled around the room. “Lies.”

Harper snorted. “It’s not me that prefers the world of fiction, Miss ‘Knox-is-my-anchor-despite-all-evidence-to-the-contrary.’”

“Isla,
leave
,” snarled Knox. “Or I
will
kill you. That’s your last warning.”