Enemy Mine (32 page)

“Then prepare for your execution.” Rurik stepped back as his henchmen moved past him.

“No!” Nikko said, stepping forward. “You cannot do this! You owe Selena for foiling Apollyon’s plan. Because of her, he doesn’t have the cask and never will! He is the one you should execute, not her!”

Rurik raised his hand, staying his hit squad. “Apollyon has been dealt with.”

Selena’s blood chilled for the second time since Rurik’s arrival. The vampire king smiled that wicked smile of his again and said, “Are you so arrogant that you thought it was
your
power that drove away the daemon king?”

“It
was
my power!” The necklace flared in agreement.

Rurik nodded. “I will admit you made my job easier.” He took a step closer to Selena. “I will also admit I respect your loyalty. But I do not respect your deeds. You are guilty of numerous immortal homicides, and also guilty of countless serum extractions.”

He waved the hit squad forward.

In full fang, Nikko pushed Selena behind him. “I will not allow you to destroy her!”

Rurik’s eyes blazed red. “Because you are human is the only reason you are still alive after challenging me. Now, step aside or die with her.”

Selena pushed Nikko behind her, shielding him from the angry vampire. “Touch him and I will bring Hell down on every vampire in this world and the next!” Nikko tried to push her behind him, but she was stronger.

Rurik raised his hand, holding off his death squad. “Stay,” he said as if commanding a dog. “This one I will see to myself.”

“A compromise!” Selena shouted stepping toward Rurik. She swallowed hard and touched the stones around her neck. As they always did, they warmed. They were her talismans. For so long they had meant so much. They were her power, her leverage. If she gave them up, she gave up her power, and without power, she could not protect her family. But if she was dead, it wouldn’t matter. They would all die.

Selena knew when to fold. She had hoped it would not come to this, but without Nikko and Marisol, the necklace meant nothing. She unhooked the necklace from around her neck and dangled it in front of the vampire king.

“The necklace, if you walk away and forget you ever saw me or Nikko. The necklace for your word we will be left alone by all immortals.”

Rurik looked uninterested, but she heard the acceleration of his vampire heart. “What makes you think I want the necklace or would even consider saving the life of a rogue slayer? Your crimes are not pardonable. Each one alone is punishable by death.”

Nikko growled and stepped up beside Selena. “The necklace holds the power of seven Hellkeepers and a damn Prince of Hell! With it, you could keep the devil himself along with every fucking daemon in Hell jailed.” Nikko looked at Selena, then back to Rurik. “The necklace for her life, or I swear by all that is unholy, when she gives it to me, I’ll make the same deal with the devil!”

“I do not respond to threats,” Rurik seethed. His gaze slid to the necklace dangling from Selena’s hand.

“Decide now, Rurik! Her life for the necklace. Yes or no!” Nikko raged.

For the first time in a long time, Selena felt powerless. Rurik’s death squad would suck her dry in less than a minute. If she fought them, Rurik would do the deed himself. He was too powerful to stop. She would die trying, and Nikko would die trying to protect her.

Marisol needed one of them alive.

Nikko, promise me you will not try to save me. Marisol needs you.

You will not die.

Promise me!

I give you my word we will both be alive and with our daughter before the sun sets tonight.

“You are a fool, Selena,” a deep, familiar voice said from behind her.

Selena whirled around, and stared. “Joran!”

The disheveled vampire smiled crookedly at her, and despite the blood-soaked clothes, he didn’t look half bad. “I am not worth your life.” He looked disdainfully at the king of vampires. “Long time no see, cousin.”

“I should have known it was you behind the Rev,” Rurik said, shaking his head. “Only you would be so bold to defy me in such a way.”

Joran shrugged. “Someone had to shake things up.” He looked at Selena, then back to the vampire king. “Take the necklace and let her go.”

“You are hardly in a place to give me orders,” Rurik said.

“For every immortal life Selena has taken, I have saved three vampires. It is because of her skill set that I was able to save lives. Take the necklace and let her go, Rurik. It is not only in her best interest, but in the best interest of the Order. And if you don’t kill me in the next few minutes, I’ll explain why.”

Selena stepped to Rurik. She took his right hand and pulled his arm up. Her eyes caught and held his simmering red ones. Turning his hand palm up, she pushed open his hand and pressed the necklace into it. “For my life, Nikko’s life, my daughter’s life, and Joran’s life, I freely give you this necklace. It holds the hearts of all seven Hellkeepers and the black stone heart of Paymon, Prince of Hell.” She curled his long fingers around her hand and the necklace. “Do you accept?”

Rurik held her gaze for several long moments. Selena’s heart slammed against her chest with each beat. His lips quirked as his eyes settled back into their natural color of deep aqua. His fingers tightened around hers. “I accept.”

Selena let out a long, ragged breath.

She thought her heart stopped beating; her stomach certainly was doing somersaults and back flips. Her knees shook so hard she could barely stand. Nikko’s arms wrapped around her waist. Slowly he turned her around. Tears blurred her vision.

“We’re free, Selena, we’re free!” he said before he kissed her.

Reverently she returned his kiss. He picked her up and spun her around and around and around until, too dizzy to stand, they fell laughing to the floor.

“Nikko!” she said, kissing his eyes, his nose, his chin, his cheeks. “I love you, I love you, I love you!”

He pulled her up into his arms. His deep blue eyes danced happily. “I’m never going to let you out of my sight.”

She wrapped her arms around his neck and smiled. “As if I’d let you!”

They turned around to an empty club. Rurik, Joran, and the death squad had vanished. The front door burst open as Nikko’s team poured in.

They stopped as one and looked around at the rubble, then up to the huge hole in the ceiling.

“What the Hell happened here?” Cassidy asked.

“
Hell
is what happened!” Nikko laughed.

Cross came in behind them and looked stoically around. “Rurik was here?”

“He was here, all right. I sent him packing though,” Selena said, trying to keep a straight face.

The always serious Cross cocked a brow. “You gave him the necklace?”

“I did.”

“What happened to the daemon? And what the hell came through the ceiling?” Satch asked.

Nikko threw his arm around Selena’s shoulders and drew her close. “Where the hell were you guys when we needed you?”

Stone shook his head. “Where were
we
? We were damn busy! You’re never going to believe what happened once we got those assholes outside.”

Nikko looked down at Selena with a knowing look. “Oh, after tonight, I’d believe just about anything.”

EPILOGUE

St. Michael’s Island, eight months later

T
he autumn sun hung low over the ocean, casting a warm glow across the silvery Atlantic. The gulls cried above the gentle waves as they ambled ashore. Nikko’s hand rested on his wife’s swollen belly, while his rosy-cheeked daughter buried his feet in the sand.

“What are you thinking,” Selena asked, sliding her hand over his.

Entwining his fingers with hers, Nikko smiled and looked at her radiant face. The sun had nothing to do with her beauty. As she had when she’d carried Marisol, Selena glowed with health carrying his son.

He brought her hand to his lips and kissed it. “I was thinking how lucky I am to have a second chance.”

“We’re both fortunate for our second chances,” she softly said. She leaned into him and brushed her lips across his. His free hand cupped the back of her head, pulling her more intimately against him, deepening the kiss. He would never get enough of her. Since that fateful day almost a year ago when she’d found him dying on that mountainside in Kyrgyzstan, there was not a second that passed when she was not in his thoughts. He could die at one hundred, and would still want one more kiss, one more caress, one more chance to say, “I love you.”

They were meant to be. And would always be. There was not a force in heaven, in Hell, or on earth that had the power to tear them apart. Not now. Not tomorrow. Not ever.

“Daddy, look!” Marisol shouted with all the enthusiasm of a nine-year-old. Nikko smiled against Selena’s lips and turned to his daughter. Her blue eyes, so much like his, sparkled with excitement. A crab dangled from her hand by one of its back legs.

“Marisol!” Selena gasped, leaning forward. “That’s a crab—put it down before it pinches you.”

Marisol’s little face scrunched up as she realized the potential danger. She shrugged and said, “I’m not afraid of a
crab
.” She held it up higher for a better look.

Nikko chuckled. “You are your mother’s daughter.”

“His mommy is probably worried about him,” Selena said. “Why don’t you let him go?”

In true nine-year-old fashion, Marisol turned and tossed it toward the ocean, then proceeded to pile more sand on her father’s feet.

Nikko sat back in his chair and replaced his hand on Selena’s belly, but kept his eyes on his daughter. They were far enough from the waves not to be overly concerned, but his daughter had a mind of her own. She was a constant buzz of activity, and if he took his eyes off her for one minute, she would find something to get into. “I told Cassidy we wanted her and Cross to be godparents to John Marcus,” he said.

“And?”

He smiled as Marisol globbed a bucketful of sand on her mother’s foot. “She tried to act all badass, like it was no big deal, but she couldn’t say yes fast enough.”

Selena smiled. “I’m glad.” She glanced at him. “When do you leave?”

“Monday, but only for two days, and then no travel for a few months.” He rubbed her belly. “I’m not going to miss my son’s debut.” The baby moved, as if to say, “Damn straight, you won’t!” Nikko grinned, pressing his hand more firmly against Selena’s belly. The baby moved vigorously again. He kissed her belly and then looked up into his wife’s liquid eyes. They filled with tears. She did that a lot lately.

“Happy tears,” she told him.

Each minute away from his wife and daughter was torture.

Still an intricate part of L.O.S.T., Nikko had flipflopped from fieldwork to support. He flew in for briefings once a month but worked primarily from his home office here on the island. He had the best of both worlds.

He would not trade places with anyone, human or not. He was content. Selena was happy, and Marisol was their sunshine.

They were left alone, his family in no danger. His body had finally purged the Rev from his system. He was glad about that. Mostly. While he missed the perks of the stuff, he was more comfortable in his all-human skin.

His fingers caressed Selena’s taut belly. He ached for her. He hadn’t wanted to press her in her condition.… He kissed a trail across the high mound of her belly, stopping at the base of the deep valley between her full breasts.

“Nikko,” Selena said, holding his gaze. “I want to go home, take a shower, eat dinner, put Marisol to bed, then get naked with you.”

“You’re reading my mind.” He stood up so fast he knocked his chair over.

“Daddy!” Marisol scolded. “You broke my castle.”

“I’ll build you another one, sweetheart, a better one. But right now, we need to go home and eat dinner.”

He took Selena’s hand in his right and his daughter’s in his left, and as the sun set on the western side of the island, Nikko walked with the two women in his life he could not live without.