Tangled Sin (A Dark Realm Novel)
Read Tangled Sin (A Dark Realm Novel) Online
Authors: Georgia Lyn Hunter
GENRE: PARANORMAL ROMANCE
This book is a work of fiction. Names, places, characters and incidents are either the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual people, living or dead, businesses, organizations, events or locales is entirely coincidental.
Tangled Sin
Copyright © 2016 by Georgia Lyn Hunter
Editor:
Chelle Olsen
All cover art copyright © 2016 by Georgia Lyn Hunter
Images: ©123rf.com
, Fotolia.com, Obsidian Dawn
BLURB:
In a world of encroaching darkness and carnal hunger, a deadly sin awakens…
Bound to a legacy he cannot escape, Riley is a demon unlike any other. With each passing century, his soul grows darker until the seductive trouble-magnet, Saia Sen-Grayson, stumbles into his pathand throws his entire world off kilte
r
.
But danger has a way of finding him and destroying anything worthwhile in his life.
The biggest challenge in Saia’s life is evading her matchmaking socialite mother. Then she crashes into the sexiest man in her aunt’s building. One look into his striking green eyes and her fleeing days skid to a halt, except she gets more than she bargains in the sexy, tattooed bartender.
And neither can deny the burning attraction between them.
When his tainted past closes in on him, Riley’s forced to make the toughest decision ever to keep her safe. Then Saia’s hauled by a deadly adversary into his dark and treacherous world of Stygia—a place of old betrayals. Now Riley must face his past and accept his future in order to save the woman who belongs to him.
But danger comes in many forms and the one least expected might be the sin that seals their fates once and for all…
DEDICATION
My darling MJC,
For all you do.
Love you.
CONTENTS
Did the bastard really want to die?
Riley snagged a shot glass and filled the ordered green poison. With Satire’s jam-packed from the rush of tourists, it was the only thing nailing his feet to the floor from an all out fight.
He had another damn tail on him! And this one was brave enough to sit in his bar and eyeball him for the past hour.
In this world, his kind tended to blend in with mortals and usually kept below the radar for a simpler life. But not this asshole. He had no idea he was dancing with death right now.
Already on edge, his body wound tight as restlessness clawed at his psyche, Riley sent the absinthe sliding toward the demon down the counter. The male grabbed the thing and tossed it back like water.
The demon’s human girlfriend leaned against his arm and peered at Riley beneath her lashes. He met her sultry stare as he readied a line of shooters for a noisy trio of college kids.
Oh, yeah, his looks and badass rep were the perfect draw, got him the females. So easy to accept her invite but he wasn't interested in a quick backroom bang.
He was in need of something violent. Bloody.
A dark haze stole into his mind, knowing his damn past would never leave him alone. His fingers clenched. A loud shatter, and glass rained onto the scoured wooden counter. Blood and vodka ran over his hand, drenching the crystal fragments.
“Rile-man, you okay there?”
A six foot two hulking tattooed male with a buzz cut, appeared at his side. Zacarias. His friend, manager and sometimes bouncer.
A terse nod. He looked up from his bleeding hand, his gaze colliding with those of his watcher.
Anger unleashed, he scaled the counter in movements too fast for human eyes and was across the floor in seconds. Grabbing the dark-haired demon by his shirt, Riley shoved him against the red brick wall. “Why the fuck are you on my ass again? Do you want to die?”
All the demon guards hounding him in recent months were seriously pissing him off. No matter how many he sent back to the Dark Realm wounded or dead, more just took their place.
This idiot didn't even try to fight back. His gaze grew languid, his smile seductive. “No. But I know what I
do
want,” he purred, walking his fingertips up Riley’s chest.
The haze turned red. Riley slammed his fist into the demon’s gut. The male squeaked in pain. Startled gasps erupted from the customers. Before he could get in another shot, someone grabbed his arm and yanked him off the cowering demon, who hurriedly slunk away.
“What the hell’s wrong with you?” Zac snapped. “You want to draw notice, you’re sure going about it the right way. So the guy came on to you, it never drove you homicidal before.”
Riley elbowed Zac off.
Not a guard—not a damn guard!
He’d hit an innocent demon—one of those docile Otium demons who’d escaped the tyranny of the Dark Realm for a better life here.
Fuck, fuck, fuck!
“Get your damn self together,” Zac growled. “You don’t want to start an all-out fight in the bar. Go walk the streets, find something outside to kill, and cool the crap off.”
Breathing hard, Riley walked out of the bar and into the crowded street, the familiar reek of seafood enclosing him. Avoiding the noisy tourists and drunks loitering about, he cut through the back alleys in the French Quarter, rife with the stench of decaying waste, and headed for his apartment a few blocks away.
Unable to expend the rage roiling inside him, he pulled out his cell phone from his pocket and made a call. A female answered.
“See you in ten.” He rang off.
Pandora was one of the few humans who knew what he was. She didn't want the ties either, just some fun time, and she was the perfect submissive when he needed that edge. Tonight, he was definitely in the mood for something darker.
A moment later, the sounds of a roaring V8 engine split the silence. A blood-red Corvette Stingray came to a squealing halt in front of his building, the acrid burn of rubber stinking up the night air.
He scowled. “Damn maniacal drivers!”
The door flung open. A petite, but curvy female jumped out and flipped back yards of wavy, inky-black hair, giving him a tantalizing glimpse of her face. Her tan skin revealing her mixed-race ethnicity, her lush mouth flattened in a tight line.
Cursing, she kicked the tire then pressed her cell phone back to her ear. “I swear, Zayn, if you tell Mother you spoke to me, I will personally call all your girlfriends and tell them they aren’t
the
one…” She laughed evilly. The light, raspy sound grazed his senses with an unexpected sensuality, and had him slowing to a halt in the shadows.
“Yeah, that’s me, spawned from the devil, but Daddy wouldn’t appreciate the comparison…” She listened then snorted, impatiently pushing back her heavy fall of hair. “Liz loves me like her own. Stop complaining and tell Mother you haven’t seen me because I'm not coming to another boring party…
Who
?— Why would I care if Piers is back in town, he’s your friend…”
She marched alongside her car, hip-bumped the door closed as she listened, the streetlight casting a soft glow over her irate features. “Yes-yes, I'm always careful…” Despite her tart response, she cut a quick look around.
Riley stilled as her dark gaze skimmed past him then darted back to the spot where he allowed his form to blend in with the shadowy trees, the cover of night his camouflage. A frown marred her smooth brow.
She sensed him? How, he had no idea. Obviously, all her senses were in working order.
The faint reek of decaying swamp and sulfur drifted to him. Riley narrowed his gaze. They weren’t alone. And this little human probably couldn’t smell the bile-inducing stench of evil—had no idea how close to danger she truly was.
He willed her to get back in her car and leave. She did nothing of the sort. Instead, she popped the trunk, tugged out a large suitcase, and dumped it on the sidewalk. Then she sat on the thing and continued her call as if basking in the Maldives.
Un-flippin-believable!
Him, she sensed, but the evil drawing closer just flowed over her pretty little head.
For hell’s sake, did she not get a whiff of the damn stink?
***
Saia Sen-Grayson shifted on the uncomfortable luggage she sat on, scowling as Zayn prattled on. Not even a day had passed since she’d left home, and her brother was already hounding her. Whenever Zayn called, it was always because of Mother.
He hadn't said so, but Saia just knew. Absently, she rubbed the engraved silver ring on her fourth finger with her thumb.
“Piers asked about you, Sai. Shall I bring him to Liz’s?”
“Zayn, you do that, and the threat about those calls to your girlfriends will become reality. I have to go—”
“Saia, wait-wait—”
She ended the call. Why would she care if Piers were back after several years abroad? Just because she’d once born a teenage crush on him, didn't mean she was still hung up on Mr. Moneybags.
Gah, she hated being the only daughter at times.
Her family suffocated her with their idea of protection. Her brothers would undoubtedly prefer her locked at home like some Victorian maiden. And then there was Mother, looking to marry her off to a
suitable
man from the moment she’d turned twenty a year ago. Saia wondered if there were something wrong with her at the alarming rate her mother produced “appropriate” men.
Her mouth tightened, recalling the disastrous meeting with suitor number twenty-eight two nights ago. He’d wanted to marry as soon as possible to dispel suspicions of his sexual preference.
That
had been the last straw, and she’d finally moved out of the mansion and in with her Aunt Liz, who’d been hurt in a mugging a few days ago.
At least it gave her time to decide what to do. Plus she could keep an eye on her aunt.
Her cell rang again.
“Not talking to you, bro.” Saia rose to her feet. As she stuck her phone into her skirt pocket, her ring started to heat up. Warmth pulsed through her body in alarming little zips of flame.
Wonderful. First Zayn. Now something evil this way crawled.
Warily, she eyed her silent surroundings. Moonlight highlighted the few cars lining the sidewalk. Her gaze lingered on the shadows of the oak trees covered with Spanish moss several feet away, and she felt as if someone was watching her. But nothing moved there, just the trees, branches, and leaves.
She’d better get her butt moving before whatever it was arrived. Saia reached for her luggage when hands yanked her back. She shrieked, her heart lodging in her throat as she crashed against a brick wall that breathed. In pure survival reflex, she elbowed the attacker in the belly. A low grunt escaped him.
“Let me go!” She let fly another vicious whack.
“Stop that,” he snarled in warning. “I lose my prey, you will pay, little hunter.”
Hunter?
If he knew about hunters, then obviously, he knew what else was out there. Crap, she had to get away from the madman before whatever evil trawled this place found them both.
“I'm not a damn hunter, you imbecile!”
“No?” He ran his nose down her neck. “Hmm… You certainly smell like one.”
What the hell? Sure, her dad and older brother were supernatural hunters, but they didn't stink.
Saia struggled harder. His powerful grip tightened painfully around her upper arms. Snarling, she kicked the pain-in-the-ass’s shin. “Let me go, or I swear I’ll hurt you.”
He laughed—he actually laughed at her—the fiend!
Then he said in a voice so low it made the tiny hairs on her arms rise, “I'm saving your ungrateful hide. Stay here, don’t move, or I’ll cuff you to that tree while I take care of business. And know this, little hunter, I
so
love a woman tied for my pleasure.”
At the deeply carnal promise, a tingle of heat spread through her body.
God, she must have lost her ever-loving mind!
Saia cut him a furious look over her shoulder—and felt as if someone had whacked her in the gut at the compelling face highlighted by the streetlight. All hard lines and sculptured jaw.
Mussed, shaggy, bronze hair appeared as if he’d just rolled out of bed. Tiny twin hoop piercings glinted in his left ear. And tatts crawled up both biceps disappearing beneath his t-shirt sleeves.
The guy had to be easily around six and a half feet tall. She barely reached his shoulders. Sheesh!
Then her gaze flickered up. A dark eyebrow cocked, startling emerald-green eyes stared right back at her.
Ugh, he was irritatingly gorgeous.
He looked nothing at all like her over-blown, steroid-pumping date from two nights ago.
Glued to him like a fly on duct-tape, Saia became aware of his lean, tough body aligned with hers, and the tantalizing scent of lemongrass with a hint of woodsmoke invading her nose.
Of course, he’d smell good, too.
Pity he was off his rocker.
She slitted her eyes in a threatening manner, no need for him to know she really hated fighting, let alone hurting anyone. Or that she had a deadly stiletto tucked inside her boot, one she was quite capable of using despite her aversion to violence.
Her ring started to warm further. Oh crap! Evil was close.
“Lemme go!” She tugged her arm, growing frantic.
He went motionless. Those impossibly green eyes looked away from her, scanning the dark street. The next minute, he shoved her behind him and flashed. It was the only way she could think to describe what he did. One minute he was with her, the next he was gone.
She hastily withdrew her iron stiletto—deadly to demons if stabbed in the heart—and palmed the thing. Her family had given her both the ring and the blade on her fifteenth birthday since she hadn’t taken after her father, hadn't inherited any of his psychic ability like her three brothers had.
For her own safety, Saia understood she needed to know when supernatural evil was around.
Best she got outta here. As she reached for her bag, a body flew through the air and crash-landed—
nooo
—not her poor luggage. She leaped back, cringing as it flattened.
He
appeared and grabbed the demon. A vicious punch followed, they moved too fast, hurtling to the asphalt but the Corvette hindered her sight.
Peering into the dark street, she couldn’t see anything. Only grunts and snarls filled the air. Then a loud screech. She had no idea whether her tormentor had killed a blood-demon, the ones who drained a body dry, or the more horrifying evil entity—the body-stealing Caligos that had been spotted recently in The Quarter. Nor was she waiting to find out.
Before her demented protector came back, Saia shoved her blade into her boot, grabbed the handle of her battered Vuitton, and thrust open the wrought-iron gates leading into the secluded, red-bricked courtyard. The thing squeaked. She winced, hoping
he
hadn't heard that.
The yard was dense, shadowy with tall shrubs and an array of potted palms and ferns hanging from the balconies. The usually pretty place looked a little spooky right then.
