Demons Like It Hot (5 page)

“I’m lucky?”

“More than lucky,” Rafe inserted. “You can speak with imps. I’ve seen how you act when a demon is near. You hesitate. Your eyes widen. You become more alert than any other human I know. You are Pure, and Matthias is here to protect you.”

“Pure?” It might have been a while since… well. But she certainly wasn’t pure. “You
definitely
got the wrong girl.”

“Your blood is pure.” Matthias’s onyx eyes continued to swim, hinting at her other not so pure portions. Her body shook and shivered, goose bumps popping from her skin.

She struggled to tamp down the sudden rush of adrenaline. Something about this guy sent her body into overdrive. Her heart thumped, sending more waves of electricity. She sucked in a deep breath. “Now I know you all are out of your gourds.” She forced a chuckle. “I’m on the River City Blood Bank’s ‘Do Not Drain’ list. Apparently not pure enough for them.”

“Or too pure,” Matthias muttered. He raked a hand through his shorn dark blond hair. Despite the militaristic facade, something in his face sparked. He angled a glance at her and just as quickly jerked his head away.

“If I’m so pure, why do you keep looking at me like I’m a zombie ready to eat your brains?”

His face filled with alarm. “You’ve seen a zombie?”

“Dude, this is the twenty-first century. Ever heard of a thing called a movie?”

“Zombies are no laughing matter, Serah. They are mindless humans controlled by demons.”

She should have known. It seemed every monster or supernatural being was actually a demon or some sort of minion. Sirens, faeries, and vampires—to name a few more. “I didn’t know.” Although she probably should have. “Are there any monsters that aren’t demons?”

“Look at the world,” Rafe added. “Every culture, every continent, every religion has a belief in demons. It isn’t a coincidence.”

She wouldn’t argue there. “Coincidence is something I’ve learned doesn’t really exist.” She crossed her arms. “However you all are overreacting. Seriously.”

Taking a deep breath, Lucy shook her head. “You want serious? I’ll give you serious. Serious is having your salon explode. Serious is finding out your father is still alive and is the King of Sex Demons. Serious is almost getting married to some stinky, egomaniacal demon. I’m quite aware what serious is. This—whether you choose to admit it or not—is very serious.”

Matthias’s eyes widened, apparently shocked by Lucy’s rant. With a slow, meticulous nod, he moved in closer. “I would listen to your friend, Ms. SanGermano.”

Lucy raised her chin and crossed her arms. Letting out a long huff of air, she leaned against the high-back chair. “Just humor us here. Even if what you say is true, a little extra protection never hurt anyone.” With a waggle of her brow and a lopsided grin, she threw a sidelong glance toward Matthias.

Rafe grumbled and nudged Lucy on the shoulder. “Lucy, please.” He angled lower and whispered something in her ear.

With a nonchalant shrug, she whispered back. Tossing Matthias another scrutinizing glare, she scrubbed her fingers through her chunked hair. “Take care of her, Matthias, or I’ll kill you.”

“I will,” Matthias replied, his voice stony.

His onyx glare continued to slice into her. Her stomach was tied in knots and her breath caught. He might not smell of Infernati, but he was still dangerous. He unnerved her. His entire presence seeped into her, drowning her. Part of her wanted to run away in terror. The other part screamed for something else—something she hadn’t had in a while.

A little extra protection might not hurt—
my
ass.

“So now that we’ve got everything settled, we should head back to the shop. Kalli deserves a break.” Lucia laced her arm in Rafael’s and pulled close to him. It amazed Matthias how much trust and love the two had for each other.

“Should we leave him alone with her? They just met.”

“They have to be alone eventually. So why not now?”

Rafael’s silver eyes sparked as he angled a glance at Serah.

“Why don’t all three of you vamoose? I already have protection.”

“Your chimp of an imp isn’t going to protect you from the evil coming this way.” Matthias crossed his arms and turned a stern glare at her. “The Paladins need you safe. They need your help to fight the Infernati.”

Serah shrugged, then raised her chin. “Squeaky’s moved on to bigger pastures. And I’m a lover, not a fighter.”

“Oh. What form is of protection do you have now?”

“I have Mr. Whiskers,” she spat out.

“Mr. Whiskers? What kind of name is that?”

“He’s a cat.”

“You call that protection?”

“He is a certified attack cat. He’s good with his claws.”

“A cat is no match for an Infernati assassin.”

“He has claws. Twenty of them, to be exact. And they’re razor-sharp too.”

“Twenty?” Matthias asked.

“Polydactyl, or so I’ve been told.”

Matthias grumbled. She definitely needed more protection. “Where is Mr. Whiskers now if he is such a good protector?”

“He’s at my house.”

Matthias’s jaw tensed. Either she was clueless or just plain reckless. Either way, she needed someone to defend her. “And that’s why I’m here.” He leaned in, his jaw set and his nostrils flaring. Perhaps he could scare her into submission. He might not have wanted this mission to start, but now he knew its severity. He’d read the reports Deleon had given him. She was more stubborn than he thought. She was smarter than she gave herself credit for too. He sensed the energy surrounding her. He saw it in the spark in her eyes. It radiated from her every pore, hot and heavy, and seeped into his being. That sort of power needed to be controlled. She needed more than a bodyguard. “Your life depends on it.”

“Oh, well.” Her gaze glowed like two molten sapphires. His heart, despite the control he tried to muster, thumped in his chest, sending all the blood rushing to his groin, where an altogether different organ throbbed. Bloody hell.

She could very well be her own worst enemy—and his complete and utter downfall. One thing was obvious. The Fore-Demons wanted him to fail. And, with his previous history, it didn’t surprise him one bit. He’d heard stories about the Fore-Demons and their cryptic ways. Perhaps they knew more than they let on. Mayhap they believed he was doomed long before he even joined the ranks. He had news for the Fore-Demon Council. He would not back down. If he was meant to fail, he wouldn’t go down without a fight. Serah’s protection depended on it.

“Oh well?” he ground out, grabbing her by the shoulders. Heat pounded its way from the tips of his fingers and slammed him in the head. His whole body reeled with energy. Calming the rush of energy and emotions rushing through him, he sucked in a breath. “Your friend saved your life, did she not?”

Serah’s gaze widened. Her body trembled against him. He loosened his grip on her shoulders, reluctant to let go completely.

“Yes,” she whispered. She lowered her gaze to the gray, carpeted floor. Even though it had only been gone for a mere second, Matthias already missed that sapphire gleam. Maybe she was finally coming to her senses, because God knew he was surely losing his.

“Damn, Ambrose. We wanted you to protect her, not have her cowering in fear.” Lucia shook her head. “What the hell?”

“She needs to accept what she is. Acting stubborn and ignoring the truth isn’t the way.” He glanced around the room, seeing Lucia’s and Rafe’s piercing gazes. Uttering a low growl, Matthias scrubbed his chin. “This isn’t the sort of mission I’m used to.”

Serah’s head snapped up, affording him another glance at the jewels he desperately tried to avoid. “What sort of mission are you used to, Ambrose?”

Matthias’s heart quickened. Good God! Did she remember? She might have been strong, but his powers were strong enough to make even a demon forget, which was why his services were always in high demand. He always wondered why the gift of erasing his victims’ memories was important. After all, they usually ended up dead or banished to the deepest dregs of hell. There, memories were often fleeting.

But not everyone’s memories were so fragile. Those with stronger powers often remembered, and Serah was powerful. He needed to tread carefully. He couldn’t have her remember. Not just the kidnapping, but something else. Something he should have never done, something he swore he’d never do in over seven hundred and fifty years as a demon. He had let his emotions get in the way. He had fallen victim to her charm. He needed to keep his distance—a virtually impossible task.

But he had no choice. This mission was no longer about him finding his place. It was about keeping Serah safe. He could not fail. He owed her that much, after all the horror he’d allowed to befall her earlier.

“Well?” Her sweet, sultry voice broke his thoughts.

“I’m a tactical expert.”

Her gaze roved up and down his body, sending more heat spiraling through his veins. He strained to swallow the lump forming in his throat. “I should have guessed. Military fatigues and all.”

“He didn’t have time to change,” Rafe said, his voice annoyed. “We’ll have to go shopping later.”

Matthias cringed. Some things still hadn’t changed over the years. Shopping was one of them. Merchants might have improved their wares over the centuries, but the outcome was still the same—overpriced rubbish.

“I hate shopping,” Lucia grumbled. “I’d rather have a root canal… with no anesthesia.”

Serah chuckled. “You’re just jealous of my mad shopping skills.” It amazed him how, despite the tension of the situation, everyone remained chipper. He should’ve been unnerved, but the laughter seeped into his system. His jaw twitched as he struggled to control the smile brimming on his lips. He couldn’t show weakness.

Serah scrunched her brow, her gaze quizzical. “The constipated look doesn’t become you at all.”

“I don’t see the humor in this,” he said, forcing a gruff tone. The fact was, the humor was infectious, like a disease that crept in when you least expect it. He was practical. He was tactical. He didn’t have time for laughter. It left you open. It left you vulnerable. He needed to be alert if he wanted to keep her alive.

“Laughter is the best medicine, you know.” Serah let out a long sigh. “Seriously, Lucy. This guy’s stick is wedged so far up even a proctologist can’t help him.”

Everyone broke out into laughter. Everyone except him.

Matthias wasn’t that familiar with mortal medicine, but he was familiar with ancient languages, so he had a good idea what a proctologist was. And hopefully he wouldn’t be meeting one any time soon—stick up his ass or not.

“I’m so glad I dropped out of med school,” Lucia drawled.

“Whatever. You would have kicked ass as a surgeon, but the women of Connolly Park thank you for your sacrifice.” The sarcasm rolled from Serah’s mouth and permeated his senses. What was it about that subtle wit that drove him mad?

Lucia chuckled. “The only thing I sacrificed was my insanity. You know how much blood scares me.”

With that, an irritatingly high-pitched falsetto rent the air. Lucia dug in her pocket for the source of the annoying tune.

“Justin Bieber? For real?” Serah covered her ears, grimacing in mock horror.

Lucia fumbled with the gadget. “It was the only thing I could find annoying enough to force me to answer the phone.”

She pressed a button. “What’s up?”

Matthias contained his groan. God, how he hated those silly electrical contraptions that modern mortals allowed their lives to revolve around. He wished things were as simple as they were eons ago. But times change, people changed, and so did their technologies. In this day and age, technology was a necessary evil.

“Oh, really?” Lucia blew out a deep breath. “Wow. Just wow.” Gripping her phone tight, she paced the office. “All right. We’re almost done here anyway.”

Rafael’s eyes glinted. “What’s going on?”

Lucia covered the phone. “Hairstyling emergency. Frankie accidentally dyed someone’s hair blue.” She blew out a loud breath of air. “Where’s Kalli?” She paused briefly. “Oh, okay.” She shook her head. “Gerardo, you know that’s not safe. Even angels have their limitations. Rafe and I are just about done. Everything’s settled. We’ll be right there.”

“What now?” Rafael asked with a groan.

“Kalli sure picks the best time to stock up on supplies,” said Lucia.

“What about Gerardo? Can’t he do anything?”

“You know as well as I do that angels aren’t supposed to use their powers on humans. Looks like we’re the next line of defense.”

“Bloody hell.” Rafael turned to lock gazes with Lucia. “I really don’t like leaving him alone with her so soon. But I’ve seen some of your irate customers.”

Lucia stuffed the phone back in her pocket. She turned to her friend, sternness etched across her face. “We’re not finished talking.”

“I figured as much,” said Serah, as she steepled her fingers, hunched her shoulders, and allowed soft sigh to escape.

Matthias’s mind reeled. Angels? Here in Connolly Park as well? Angels and demons, congregating in one area? This did not bode well. Something big was brewing. Something he didn’t want Serah to be a part of. He wanted her safe, protected. He would not fail her.