Marked by Hades (5 page)

Chapter Ten

Yvonne tucked closer to Justin, heart still booming. His was, too, pounding a steady, intense drum solo just for her. Thank God he still wore a shirt; she could rest her cheek on his chest and listen to his song.

She rubbed down his stomach and his leg, reveling in being close with someone. Cuddling.

Sure, she had to have clothing and leather as barriers, but still. She wrapped her arm around his waist and hugged tight.

He grunted. “You’re stronger than you look.”

His voice rumbled through his chest. God, that was addicting. Another fire flickered deep in her stomach. She coiled her leg around his as he rested on his back. He’d made her feel so good, as if she’d been flying, and she wanted that again. Needed it.

Something clicked deep within her about his voice, his touch, and how he took care of her. Could he be the one she’d dreamed about? The faceless man who’d rocked her world.

Had to be. The hair. The eyes, yes, they were the same. Maybe—

No. She shouldn’t be thinking this. With her fatal touch, it would lead to nothing good. The dream had proven that when he’d faded into dust.

“Seems safe to touch your hair.” He twirled a lock around his finger.

“Be careful.” She knew she should move away from him, but she just held on that much tighter.

“You have strength.” He trailed his fingers up her back. Damn leather jacket prohibited her from feeling him more. “Figured, the way you propped that guy up.”

A comfortable silence settled in. She couldn’t believe he wasn’t prodding her with questions. Good thing, though, because she didn’t have any answers.

“You hungry?”

“Starving.”

“The diner down the street makes a mean omelet. Open 24-7.”

“Why are you doing this?” She planted her chin on his pec to take in his glowing eyes. “Taking care of me?”

“Haven’t quite figured that one out yet.” He reached for her face, then pulled back, jaw tensed.

“Yet you do it.” She rolled away, but he pulled her right back.

“Don’t.” He propped her on top of him, and the fire rekindled tenfold. “I can’t explain it, but I don’t need to. I just trust.”

She arched an eyebrow.

“The Great One.” He twined his hand with hers. “He never misleads.”

Yvonne flinched out of his grip and sat up. “Great One?”

“What? What’s wrong?” Justin looked around.

“You mean, like, God?” Did she even believe in God? What kind of God would allow her to be like this? She hopped up.

“Humans—
er
—some do call him God.” He planted his bare feet on the carpet and ran a hand through his hair. “What’s wrong?”

She turned away. “Why am I like this? Why would your Great One do this to me?”

Strong hands gripped her shoulders. “I don’t know, Yvonne, but I’ll help you figure it out.”

“And you’re not scared to be with me?” Her body still hummed from how close they were minutes earlier. She hadn’t felt such pleasure in…two weeks. Maybe before she had, but regardless, he’d made her feel so good, and he wasn’t scared to get close to her.

“I’m a tough one to knock down, and I don’t scare too easily. Tell me more about—” Justin tensed and faced the door.

“What’s wrong?” Yvonne asked.

“Nothing.” He shook his head. “Damn brothers and their damn bad timing.”

…

Justin. You ready?
Theo’s voice filtered through Justin’s mind again. A sharp knock at the door followed.

Yvonne jumped and pushed out from Justin’s reach.

“It’s okay. It’s my brother, Theo.” He stepped to the door. “He’s harmless—for the most part.”

Yvonne straightened her—Justin’s—jacket and sat on the edge of the bed, watching.

Justin opened the door to find Theo dressed in black army fatigues. “See, I remembered to knock.” He leaned to the side. “Trance her, and let’s go.”

“Very funny.” He glanced over his shoulder. “Yvonne, I’ll be right back.”

She nodded, and he closed the door behind him.

“What’s going on?”

“Got a problem.”

“Later.”

“No, Theo. This is the woman who can vaporize humans by touching them.”

The Gatekeeper’s jaw fell. Never had Justin seen him speechless or shocked, and he’d seen pretty much all of Theo’s emotions over the nine centuries they’d been together. A twinge ripped through Justin’s brain, and he knew Theo was snooping around in there.

He smacked Theo’s shoulder. “Get out of my head. I’m telling you what I know.”

“This is faster. So, she’s the one you saw dust a guy by touching him. You took her in, how nice of you, and—” He grunted. “Didn’t need to see that part. Okay, so what is she?”

“I was just trying to figure that out when you came barging in.”

“That’s not all I was interrupting.” Theo waggled his brows.

Brothers suck rocks sometimes.

“Bring her with.”

“Not having your man card for so long has clearly turned your brain to mush. I’m
not
bringing a total stranger through a splice to France, then to Hades.” Justin paced the wooden porch outside the hotel room door. “This girl is skittish enough.”

“You don’t even have a last name?”

“Theo, I don’t think
she
knows her last name. Or doesn’t remember. Or something.”

“Or something…” Theo tapped his finger on his lip, and Justin could see the theories formulating deep in his Gatekeeper’s mind. “She’s coming with. Halena or Sadie might be able to help Yvonne figure it out.” Theo straightened as his blue eyes narrowed. “You’re mated?” He grabbed Justin’s shoulders. “Is this girl your Mate?”

“Shit.” Justin pushed him away.

“You’ve felt the Ahavah Mark your Mate. This is amazing.” Theo grinned, knowing full well Justin never wanted one. “And your Mate kills people with a touch?”

“She’s not mine.” Half of him wished it was her. If he had to Mate someone, Yvonne might be okay. She was easy to be around, and this connection he felt with her…

“Yet you have her here, and you’re caring for her? That’s not like you, brother.”

“You must be rubbing off on me.” He faced Theo. “I checked her shoulders. No Mark. But I feel my Mate near, too. Like you’ve told me about. A twinge in my chest.”

“Your heart and soul.”

“Okay. Okay. I get it.” Theo’d always been the romantic. “But it’s not Yvonne. You’ve never known a Mark to be elsewhere on the body, have you?”

“Never.” Theo scanned the parking lot. “Always the shoulder. Is she drawn to you? Trusting of you?”

“Seems to be.” Considering she let him touch her so intimately, and she’d cried in front of him.

“Get her. She’s coming. We can trance her later if need be, but we must go. The intel we have is only good for tonight. Seems our friend Aggie had several people in on his plan. The Artifacts are moved nightly.”

“But the map…”

“Is one of several. Separate map for each storage.”

Justin turned toward his door. “Are there many Artifacts?”

“The Great One only knows, but what I can tell you is, He must want us on it, because I haven’t had a splice in the United States for nearly two weeks.” He let out a long sigh. “Halena hasn’t had any in her territory, either.”

Great. That couldn’t be a good sign. Even worse, Justin was bringing a total stranger along on a trip to Hades. One who could dust a person with a mere touch.

Nothing good could come of this. Yet he knew Theo was right. Between Halena and Sadie, they might know more about Yvonne and what she was.

But what about Justin’s Mate?

Chapter Eleven

The door creaked open and Justin stepped in, followed by a massive guy who could have been his twin. But what scared Yvonne the most was his size.

She launched to her feet and backed to the bed table, but then she saw it. A subtle glow around him. It wasn’t as bright as Justin’s, but it was there. His soul was pure.

“It’s okay. This is my brother, Theo. He’s scary-looking, but really he’s just a big oaf.”

His presence was nearly as dominating as Justin’s. They had the same black hair, yet Theo seemed hardened, more focused. Justin must be the laid-back brother. Younger maybe.

“Younger by twelve minutes,” Theo said.

“You read my mind?” She stood straight.

“You aren’t the only one with gifts.”

Hope flared deep within her chest. “Can you see more? Can you— Do you—” She coughed into her hand. “Can you see who I am? My full name? Where I come from?”

“So, you really don’t know.” Justin stepped toward her. “No memories?”

“Woke up almost four weeks ago on a park bench.” She left out the killing part. “No idea of anything except my first name.”

“And how did you find out you could dust people with your touch?” Theo asked as he crossed his arms over his broad chest.

His eyes pierced through her as if analyzing her every thought and move. Maybe he’d see something in her mind that could help her.

“Let’s just say I found out the hard way.” She fisted her hands and widened her stance. “But I knew things, like being able to work a computer, talking, walking…”

“Everything except your life before the park bench,” Justin said as he glanced at Theo.

“We’ll help you. But first”—Theo lifted his chin toward Justin—“we need to go.”

Justin nodded.

“You’re leaving?” She despised the weakness in her voice, but she didn’t want him to go.

“You’re coming with us.”

“Where?” she asked, thankful they could stay together.

“One of Theo’s gifts is…well…breaching time. We’re headed to France.”

Along with her breathing, her heart stopped. Surely she’d misheard him. That wasn’t possible, was it?

Of course it was, look at what she could do.

“It’s called a splice, and it’s perfectly safe, Yvonne. I know you don’t know me, but you can trust me.” Theo stepped forward, hand outstretched. “Trust us both.”

Justin nodded, offering his as well.

She looked to her gloved hands and figured it’d be safe as long as she never touched their flesh. And what did she have to lose, really? She hadn’t found anything here on her own. Maybe this was what she needed to do to learn who she was.

“Come on.” Theo waved to the side.

A shimmering black void as tall as Theo and Justin formed. Wind whipped through the room and ruffled her hair. Dread stole her breath.

Justin grasped her hand. “It’s okay,
szép
. I’ve got your back.”

She looked into his eyes, and his aura flared bright white. Why did his aura glow so brightly to her?

“What are you people?” she asked.

“We’ll explain later.”

She nodded and stepped alongside him. “I’m ready.”

Holding two strangers’ hands, Yvonne stepped into the darkness. The air was sucked from her lungs, and her legs went weak. Justin’s strength kept her upright, though. She felt him through the shifting of air and wind in her ears.

No, the howling wind in her ears.

Her stomach clenched. “Justin.” The noise swept away her voice, but his hand tightened around hers as if he’d heard. Peace settled over her, and suddenly solid ground appeared beneath her feet.

She stumbled forward, but the two giants kept her on her feet. They’d landed on a square block in a dim room. Brick walls surrounded her, and the concrete floor had exercise equipment scattered around.

“This is our designated landing safe zone.” Theo stepped away. “Sadie, love, are you here?”

“She’s coming.” Halena came in through a door off to the side. “Hey, Justin.” Her gaze immediately went to Yvonne. “What. The. Hell?”

“Chillax, Halena.” Justin held up his hand. “We can explain.”

“You do
not
bring a human—what—one of your floozies, Justin? Really. I—”

“Did you just call me a floozy?” Despite her thick French accent, this woman called Halena flipped a trigger in Yvonne’s chest with that insult. She might not know who or what she was, but this woman had no right to call her a floozy.

“Silence.” Theo bellowed.

Halena stopped in her tracks but never took her focus from Yvonne. Justin stepped between them.

What the hell had she walked into?

“Hey, hon.” A second woman, dressed in black fatigues like Theo, sauntered in. She skidded to a stop, her eyes went wide, and she screamed. “Demon!”

Justin squatted, pulling a dagger of some sort from his ankle. Theo held two, one in each hand, and turned a circle. “Where?”

The woman pointed at Yvonne. “Her. Her. Her. She’s with Aggie!”

Yvonne’s heart leaped up into her throat. Theo advanced.

“Don’t touch her skin,” Justin yelled.

Yvonne crumpled beneath the giant’s weight. Theo’d been careful to tackle her legs. She kicked, and he grunted. Reaching to rip off her glove, she felt another hand clamp on her wrist.

Justin.

The French girl stepped on her other wrist, effectively immobilizing her.

She was trapped.

…

“What the hell is going on here?” Justin paced the short hallway in front of the bars caging Yvonne, his anger raging to epic levels. “Agares? You were his woman?”

“Justin, please. I don’t know who Agares is.” She eyed Sadie. “I’ve never seen this woman before. I swear it.”

“Liar.” Sadie’s eyes flashed red. “You’re Dyre. You helped me find the scroll to end Aggie. Helped me out of his lair in Hades.”

Yvonne shook her head and hugged her stomach. She still wore Justin’s leather jacket. Hell, he could still feel her body beneath his, smell her intoxicating lavender scent. Even more baffling, he was in France and still felt his Mate’s Mark calling to him.

His mind swam with questions. He had no answers, and Yvonne claimed ignorance. He only knew that Sadie had been held for over three months, drugged, and that she was saying this woman had been part of it.

Was a demon.

He almost puked. This…
demon
…had catapulted him into pleasure harder and faster than any other woman he’d ever been with. They hadn’t even had sex, and he’d felt sated beyond measure without even touching her flesh.

But he didn’t sense that she was a demon, and neither did Theo. What the hell was going on?

Justin motioned for Theo, Sadie, and Halena to follow him. They made their way down the narrow hallway and through the door at the end of the makeshift dungeon.

The heavy door slammed shut.

“
Connard.
How dare you bring a demon to my sanctuary.” Halena shoved him. “You and your flings. Can’t keep it in your pants long enough to know who you’re doing it with?”

“Enough, Halena,” Theo said.

“No, Theo. This is my home. How could he—”

“She tripped no demon warnings in either of us.” Theo eyed Halena. “And yours aren’t flaring, either. How do you explain that?”

“She’s demon, Theo. At least in that cave she was a black-eyed demon, but now, she has green eyes. Wait, she’d said her human name was Yvonne.” Sadie paced and looked at her watch. “Shit. We have to go if we want to try to catch this convoy.”

“She’s secure, right?” Theo asked Halena.

“Of course. No one can break out of that space, but I don’t want her here alone.”

“I’ll stay,” Justin said. “She’s my responsibility.”

“No. We need you with us. She’ll stay here on lockdown. Halena, do you have a trusted human who can watch her?”

“No.”

“Then we have no choice but to leave her.” Theo stomped forward to the stairwell that led upstairs. “We’ll figure out what is going on when we get back.”

Justin caught up to Theo. “I’m sorry. I didn’t—”

“You couldn’t have.” Theo let out a long breath. “I believe her when she says she’s never seen my Mate and doesn’t know anything about Aggie.”

“But…”

“It doesn’t mean she isn’t part of their plans, though. They could have done something to her. Cast a spell.” Theo looked to Halena. “Get word to Beckett, and see what they can dig up on spells or something like this.”

“How did she get out of Hades if she doesn’t even remember who she is?” Sadie asked.

“She couldn’t get out of Hades before—that was why she was shacked up with Aggie. He was a high-level demon and could make that happen for her,” Theo said.

Justin tensed at the thought of Yvonne sleeping with Aggie, working with him to kill Theo and Sadie. His stomach churned.

“Maybe once we get the Thata and bring it to her, that’ll jog some memories.” Theo grabbed Sadie’s hand. “Come on, love.” He glanced at Justin and Halena. “We leave in five minutes.”

They stomped up the stairs, leaving Justin and Halena alone. She opened her mouth to speak and Justin said, “Not now. Just go.”

He stole back into the holding area.

“Justin. What’s happening? Those people are crazy.”

“I’m sorry. You’ll have to stay in there until we return.”

“No!” She reached through the bars, but he dodged before she made contact with him. “Justin. Don’t leave me here.”

How could she be a demon? In bed—
literally
—with Aggie? What if those damn demons found a way to trick him into thinking she was his Mate? He’d felt everything associated with an Ahavah receiving her Mark, yet she wasn’t marked. And to make matters worse, he felt so strongly toward her, had even wished she were his Mate.

It felt as if someone kicked him in the gut.

“Justin.”

“Save it.” He turned and stomped away from the only woman he’d actually ever considered caring about.