Domiel (18 page)

Roger was not enough to keep Jade from lunging at Lexie and taking her to the floor. She slammed Lexie’s head against the floor and landed a solid punch to her nose before she was roughly hauled to her feet by Azazel and Roger.

Lexie slowly stood, blood dripping from her nose. Her eyes had gone white. “Let her go,” she said to Azazel and Roger. “Let’s do this, Jade. I’m game. Because if you’re so fucking stupid and misguided to believe Kelsey’s capable of this, I’ll take you out myself, and you know damn well I’m the better fighter. Don’t sucker punch me. Ever. Again.”

Did Lexie not understand how everything had crumbled around them? How could she keep defending Kelsey and putting all of their lives on the line? Kelsey could bring any of them down with her powers, and she’d proven it by what she’d done to Samael.

Jade wanted to direct her anger at someone, and who better than Kels? But she knew from years of fighting that a knee-jerk response was often the most dangerous. Could she be wrong?

Out of the corner of her eye, Jade saw Samael shift under the covers. She jerked away from Roger and Azazel and shot to her husband’s side. “Get me some water. That bottle of water over there, bring it to me.”

Sven handed it to her, helped her get Samael to a semi-sitting position, and she brought the bottle to his lips. He coughed some of it up, then winced. She didn’t coddle him in front of his friends. As a fighter herself, she knew the best course of action was to allow him space to breathe. It took all the power she had not to cry or kiss him or simply touch her forehead to his.

Regrets and anger were swiftly replaced by hope. He would live to fight another battle. He was a demon, for Christ’s sake. He’d heal.

When his eyes opened, she gasped. They were
completely
red. Blood red with no pupils. She couldn’t tell who he was looking at. She’d never once seen him look like this. Not when they’d assassinated vampires, not even when she’d had her throat cut and was dying right in front of him—never.

Everyone waited for him to say something, and she wondered if he could form words. The dagger had ravaged his neck as well as his arms and chest.

Lexie’s energy bloomed at Jade’s back as if she was pushing for Samael to say something, waiting for him to absolve Kelsey. Jade wished it, too, but the visual of Kels on Samael holding a dagger wouldn’t go away so easily. As they all waited, Samael’s throat convulsed, as though he were trying to form words. Jade kept her hand on his and squeezed, offering what strength she could.

Azazel was the one to ask the question on everyone’s mind. “Samael, do you remember what happened?”

Samael nodded.

“Who did this to you? Kelsey?”

Please, God, don’t let him say Kelsey.
If he did, then she’d have to avenge her husband, and though she’d played the blame game for the better part of the day, she didn’t want to hunt her best friend. A part of her still believed Kelsey innocent.

Finally, he whispered one word. “No.”

Jade’s eyes widened at the one, raspy word that Samael uttered. Thank God. Alexia made a strange noise behind her. Jade ignored her and leaned forward. “How do you know? Are you sure?”

“Her face … another energy. She was there with me, but then another took her place.”

Lexie pushed against Azazel to lean forward and get Samael’s attention. “It’s an incubus. He can look like her, but he can’t take on her energy force without taking her blood. He’s framing Kelsey and using her appearance to do it.”

Jade kept her palm over Samael’s hand and squeezed again. He didn’t squeeze back. It seemed it had taken all his energy to say those few words.

“He’s … very … powerful in the … dream world.”

Jade nodded. “If he has powers like Kels, then he can do anything. Be anything. Conjure up any weapon—”

“None of you should have mistrusted her. Not after all the years Kels fought side by side with us,” Lexie growled. “She can connect with people in the dream realm, but she can’t hurt them physically. It’s impossible.”

“Then how is this incubus doing it?” Sven asked.

“We don’t know,” Lexie admitted.

Jade was about to lose it again, this time out of guilt, not anger. “In our defense, Kelsey never was herself again after the possession. Ambrose had evidence against her, and then I saw her with my own eyes. It was a … difficult call to make.”

Samael broke a sweat when he moved his hand to his chest. He made a fist over his heart. “I’ll do whatever I can … to make it up to her.”

Roger moved away from the bed and flipped his cell open. “Ambrose must be notified. We’ll move out shortly.”

Jade tuned everyone out—especially Lexie, who’d gone all high and mighty behind her. She was vaguely aware of the conversation Roger was having on the phone, but mostly she sat stiffly by her husband, fighting tears.

In her line of work, she’d been attacked by every kind of creature, from all angles, and with every weapon imaginable. She’d escaped immortal death only through the pity of an angel. There wasn’t much she hadn’t done or seen when it came to fighting.

But how could one fight an entity like an incubus?

It was as though they were playing a deadly game of Russian roulette.

The only question was: who was next?

Chapter Twelve

Domiel didn’t release Kelsey. The anger that had taken over when he’d found her gone had surfaced again. “What the hell does that mean, you welcomed him?”

She looked scared, and she damn well should be. He’d allowed her to call the shots up until now. That was over.

Kelsey told him everything, started from the beginning, and before she had finished he’d maneuvered her to sit down on the edge of the bed, not sure she could remain standing. She literally shook, and her eyes held a mass of tears that had yet to fall. She told him about the day she’d been turned, what had happened to her, what had happened to her daughter … and with every word he felt her pain, and more, he became livid. He wanted blood.

“A few months ago he came to me during my possession. He … helped me. I should have never allowed it, but he calmed the voices and the pain. I don’t think I’d have survived it without him. I hate myself for that. For wanting him to stay. I begged for him to stay with me.”

A few tears traveled down her cheeks, and her head hung down in shame. He kissed the top of her head and held her. “He took advantage of your situation. He knew you couldn’t turn him away, so he took advantage of you. You did what you had to do to survive.”

“I’ll never forgive myself for clinging to him.” She sniffled, doing her best to collect herself. Every wall she’d built around herself had come down, leaving her vulnerable. “It was years after my daughter’s murder that I finally started getting close to people again, but I kept my past to myself. Those damn pictures on the wall back at the house were like a slap across the face. At first I thought they bothered me because they depicted a perfect family, and who the hell has that? But that wasn’t what bothered me so much about them.”

He’d had his own thoughts on the family pictures. The desire to be a part of a family. “What did?”

She looked up at him. “I could have had that, but I chose not to. The night my family was attacked? I was having an affair on my husband. I always wondered what would have happened if I hadn’t been upstairs.”

“You couldn’t have changed anything. You have to let it go. You’re blaming yourself for the actions of others. Give yourself time.”

He tipped her chin up and kissed her lightly on the lips. “It’s almost over, Kels. Then you can move on. Maybe have that perfect family you’ve always wanted.” Could she? Could they? The empty words didn’t fool either of them.

She nodded. “I need to make a few calls.”

“You still think you’re going this alone?”

She smiled weakly. “No, and I’m glad.”

* * * *

The demon hadn’t come to Kelsey during the day while she slept. The relief she experienced during that stretch of time was hindered by the simple fact she was very much aware that he
could
reach out to her any time, even if she was awake.

She zipped up the new luggage they had purchased and put it by the bed—just like she used to do before her missions. Life was good … for the moment. “So I called Lachlan. He agreed to meet us at the Buddhist pagoda in the Bois de Vincennes Park in an hour. I didn’t want to tell him where we’re staying, and I figured the park was open and accessible. Just in case he tries to bring me in, you know? He may have a lead on my demon.”

“You think you can trust him?”

“Hell no, I can’t trust him. But between the two of us, we should come out of it unscathed if he decides to pull one over on me.”

“You ready, then?”

The tension that had started during their argument last night still hung between them. She didn’t want to leave without telling him how she felt. “Listen, about what I said—”

“I’ve never truly experienced hardships, and I have no idea what you’re going through. Don’t apologize for speaking the truth.”

She’d hurt him when she’d thrown out that notch-in-his-bedpost crack. Surprisingly, it hadn’t occurred to her before now. He stood before her, armed more than any man she’d ever seen, strong as any man she’d ever known, and she’d wounded him.

She’d been so damned conflicted about her attraction to him in the beginning. Because he’d been so casual about sex and relationships, she ignored her doubts about having sex with him, believing she could keep it casual too. But the second she’d taken his blood, she’d somehow known. He was someone she could never be casual about.

“I doubt I’ll go back to the Alliance.”

Her sudden admission brought to mind white picket fences and golden Labrador retrievers running after Frisbees. Strange visual to have in her current circumstance. She’d never been a candidate for the perfect family. Not as a mortal and certainly not after, no matter what Domiel thought.

He moved closer. “I’ve never wanted to kill before. I’ve never thought of retaliation, or revenge, or any of those things. It’s all I can think about now. This will end, and you’ll be free to choose anyone to spend your life with.”

A life filled with what? All she’d done since her transition was fight. “Yeah. There’s that.”

“What’s wrong?”

“I can’t…” She couldn’t put words to what she was feeling. Speaking of such trivial things when lives could easily be destroyed during this mission seemed … wrong. What if one of them didn’t make it through this crap? If the incubus found out about her attraction to Domiel … if he realized that this wasn’t a passing screw, like those from her past, he could take him out. Hell, he wouldn’t hesitate. She’d be battling to save Domiel’s life just as she had with Samael.

Did the incubus know her true feelings where Domiel was concerned? How could he when she wasn’t sure herself?

Domiel moved closer, and the hotel room shrank. “The Alliance isn’t the only fighting force you can align yourself with.”

No, but they were comprised of individuals she’d spent her immortality with. It’d be hard to give them up. “I don’t want to fight anymore.” Was that really true, or were the words a defense mechanism?

He held out his hand, and she took it, the gesture easier than it should have been. “Just like the Alliance, fighting isn’t the only way to spend your time.”

She felt like a traitor, taking this small reprieve with Domiel while who knew what was going on with Samael. But the feelings Domiel brought to life in her couldn’t be dismissed. Things between them had progressed quickly, and she’d been too wrapped up in her next move to think past the moment. “I know the Alliance isn’t the end all, be—”

His lips descended on hers without warning. She succumbed to the swift, tantalizing attack, molding her body into his. As inappropriate as the timing was, she briefly weighed the option of taking their kiss to the floor.

Then it dawned on her what they were doing and the repercussions that would come because of it. She pulled away. A possible relationship wasn’t something she could think about right now. It was too dangerous. Yes, she’d finally opened up to someone, and it had felt fantastic. They were closer now—all the more reason to keep him an arm’s length away. “Let’s get this over with.”

Domiel said nothing, kept her hand in his, and held the door open for her. Since he’d found her in the airport parking garage on that first night, he hadn’t been the same man she’d known back at Headquarters. He was protective and tense, not the happy-go-lucky guy who enjoyed a good time and a hearty laugh.

Hell, next she’d be thinking that she took his innocence away.

She rolled her eyes as she passed through the doorway. “Hey, we need to come up with a plan just in case Lachlan goes bad-ass on us and decides to take me out. He—”

Domiel held up a hand just as the door clicked shut behind them. Her muscles tensed, ready for a fight. His demonic senses were more powerful than hers. What was he hearing? Feeling? “What is it?”

“The Alliance.” His hand tightened around hers painfully. He pulled her toward the emergency exit. “You go, I’ll catch up with you.”

The idea was absurd. She wouldn’t leave him to fight alone. “How did they find us? Shit, maybe Lexie said something.” She glanced down the hallway. “I can’t leave you here alone. They’ll kill you.” She pivoted on her heel to face them only to be yanked back against the door.

His jaw was set, his gaze hard. “You will go meet Lachlan. I’ll be right behind you.”

There was that protective side again. She wasn’t going to win this argument. “How will I find you?”

He shoved her toward the exit. It was then that she felt the congregation of immortal energy, and it was growing by the second. “I’ll find you, don’t worry. They aren’t going to assassinate me. You’re a different story. Go. It might be your only chance.”

He was right, and she knew it, but leaving him felt so wrong.

“Kels, please,” he pleaded. “You’ve been in the Alliance long enough to know the worst they’ll do to me is fire me, and we’ve known that was coming the second I agreed to help you.”

He was right. The leaders of the Alliance would never kill him for merely helping her. She nodded, gave him what she hoped was a meaningful look, and hauled ass out the emergency door.