The Barrier Between (Collector Series # 2) (41 page)

“If. You. Touch. Her. I will gut you and hang you by
your intestines.” A deep voice came out of the dark, and the
enormous outline of a man stepped from the shadows with a battle
axe in hand.

Even I sucked in a breath seeing Ryker standing
there. I had seen him angry before, even livid. Here he was way
beyond both. His form seemed double the size, wrath swelling his
chest and shoulders. His white-blue eyes were so bright, the blaze
reflected on his cheeks. He took a step, vibrating the ground.

“Ever hear of the Nordic Blood Eagle, Garrett? If you
lay a hand on her, I will rip out your lungs and throw them over
your shoulder. You can watch your lungs take their last
breath.”

Garrett didn’t flinch as Ryker approached, though
some of Garrett’s men did. I’d grown accustomed to Ryker. But this
fae, the true Wanderer who stood in front of us?
Holy. Shit
.
He was frightening. Even when he hated me, he never showed this
side. I would have peed my pants, huddled in a ball, and cried. If
I’d known he could be like this, I wouldn’t have taunted and messed
with him as much as I did.

“Back down, Wanderer. You might be able to kill us,
but not before I could slice her head off. So let’s keep your
temper in check.” Garrett inched the blade up my neck.

Ryker blinked, his eyes locked on the knife. Then
slowly his gaze moved to me, taking in my bruised and puffy face.
His jaw twitched as his teeth ground together.

“I’m fine,” I said softly. I didn’t know if it was
the truth, but in my gut I knew he needed to hear me say it. He was
only seeing red, and the bloodshed would be bad if he made a move.
I didn’t doubt Garrett would make a point and take my head off if
Ryker made a move.

“Throw your axe down.” Garrett nodded to Ryker’s
hands. Ryker rolled his jaw, gripping the handle harder.

“Do it, Ryker.” Amara stepped out, touching Ryker’s
arm. He jerked, almost like he was going to swing it at her but
caught himself.

Garrett shook his head and snorted at seeing Amara
walk up. “Oh, Amara, I’ve missed you. Been lonely at the house
without you.”

She glared at Garrett. “No one else to harass?”

His green eyes sparked. “Not one I enjoyed as much as
you.” There was a strange tone to his words, like there was a
hidden meaning only they understood.

A low growl emanated from Ryker.

Amara pushed at Ryker’s hand, lowering the axe. “Just
do what he says.” Amara directed her head to me, implying without
words whose life was being threatened.

“Let me give you some motivation.” Garrett moved the
tip of the blade over my chest. Blood gathered along the thin line
he cut. Goblin metal felt like a thousand hot coals being shoved
inside your wound. I groaned in pain and sucked in at the sharp
sting, my eyes watering as I held my tongue.

Ryker’s axe hit the ground, ringing on the
brick-lined road.

“That’s better. Now I feel we can have a civilized
conversation.” Garrett’s knife moved to my neck.

“You don’t think I couldn’t kill you with my bare
hands?” Ryker rolled his fingers into balls.

“You’re right.” Garrett nodded and men from all
directions lunged at Ryker. He reacted, his fist knocking back the
first two men.

“Ryker, stop!” Amara screamed as a few fae grabbed
her, pulling her back. Ryker ignored her, continuing to fight the
throng of men. A few got close enough to carve at his arms with
their knives. He roared as the goblin knives sliced his skin.

Pain exploded at the side of my neck, and I screamed
out involuntarily.

Ryker froze.

“I will cut the artery next if you don’t behave. Your
actions will be what kills her.”

Ryker snarled but didn’t move. Eight men with
fae-welded blades surrounded him, pushing him to his knees.

“Good work, Garrett,” a low voice cut through the
air, stopping everyone. A tall, broad-shouldered man stepped from
the darkness. Every inch of him screamed cold, powerful, and
commanding. There was something about him I instantly feared, but
it was the man’s aura that iced the blood in my veins.

He was a demon.

There were as many types of demons as there were fae,
most exceedingly unpleasant. The most dangerous types of demons
were the ones with yellow eyes. He was not one of those. Thank
goodness. From his aura I couldn’t tell what type he was.

He was striking. Handsome, intriguing, and
intimidating with his sharp, chiseled features. He appeared to be
in his early forties, but was probably centuries old. Dressed in a
dark suit, the man’s hair was so blond it almost was white. The
sides were cut short and the top was smoothed back. His eyes were
so dark navy blue they almost appeared black, blending in with his
pupils.

Vadik
. I somehow knew it without needing any
confirmation. When he glanced at me chills ran up my arms. I could
sense the ruthlessness in him. There was something cruel and
calculating in his eyes.

Ryker stared at him, his fury replaced with
apprehension. This was bad. Very, very bad.

“Sir.” Garrett gave Vadik a nod. Vadik strolled
casually by Ryker, Amara, and me.

“What is that?” Vadik pointed behind me. Maxen walked
into my peripheral, a sleeping monkey hanging from his hands.
Sprig. Seeing his chest rising and falling sent relief through me.
He was still alive.

“It’s their
pet
.” Maxen snarled at the
unconscious monkey.

“Oh, right. The manufactured creature.” Vadik lip
rose in disgust. “Kill it.”

“No!” I screamed, pulling against my capturer’s
hold.

Vadik tilted his head, finally really taking me in.
“I thought your kind hated fae. Wanted us all dead or a lab
experiment like this thing.”

“Don’t hurt him.”

Vadik shoved one of his hands into his slacks, the
other one rubbing at his chin. “Much has changed for you, hasn’t
it, Collector?” He was letting me know he had done his research. He
knew who I was.

“Clever to dye your hair. From afar, you’d confuse
and dissuade your enemy from engaging you, believing the rumors
they heard were false.” Vadik walked to me, taking the tips of my
hair between his fingers. “Unfortunately, this disguise would only
work on the incredibly inane.”

There was no doubt he was the most dangerous fae
here. Power and magic oozed off him. I wanted to get us out of
here, to jump to Ryker and Sprig, but the fae’s hands on my arms
kept me in place.

The feel of Ryker’s gaze focused my sight on him. The
nod of his head to the side was so slight I almost missed it, but I
couldn’t mistake the way his eyes drilled into me, screaming,
Don’t do anything stupid.

Vadik’s large frame moved gracefully toward Ryker.
“Give me the stone.”

Ryker sneered while his eyes flashed. “I don’t have
it.”

“You might fool others, but I know you. Better than
you think. I’ve studied you for years. It was the reason I hired
you.” Vadik’s studying gaze drifted over the Viking. “But I am far
smarter than you, Wanderer. And there is a reason people fear me. I
always get what I want. You can choose how this happens and how
painfully.”

Ryker kept his face unreadable.

Vadik nodded to Garrett and his blade cut across my
chest again. My legs gave out as the agony from the blade seared my
skin. A cry sprang from my lips.

“Stop!” Ryker shouted. “Deal with me. Leave her out
of this.”

“I will deal with you, but I never said the pain
would be yours.” Vadik curved around, taking in the figure being
held next to Ryker. He smirked and sauntered over to Amara,
gripping her face between his fingers. “I will make those you care
about pay for your obstinacy.” His words were meant for Ryker, but
his attention was completely on Amara.

“Let me go,” Amara seethed at Vadik. There was no
fear in her eyes, only irritation.

“Why?” Vadik pinched her chin firmer. “I am not
pleased with you at all right now.”

Amara’s lids tapered with annoyance, but she didn’t
pull from his grip.

“You kept a lot from me, Amara.” He pulled her face
closer to him. “You really thought going against me was a wise
decision?”

“I didn’t go against you.”

“You left. Destroyed my compound. Killed some of my
men in the process.”

“So I’m being punished?” She tore her face from his
hand.

“Yes. No one goes against me,
including
you.”

“You wouldn’t listen to me. I did what I had to do.”
Indignation flamed her brown eyes. “If you let me do it the way I
wanted from the beginning, you would have had it by now.”

Like fog rolling over a mountain, realization of the
scene taking place crept over me, sinking to the pit of my
stomach.

Vadik moved close to her. “I think we both should
admit I sent in the wrong girl.” Amara flinched at his words. “I
think this
human
would have done a better job in her
sleep.”

“No! She wouldn’t have.” Amara pulled against the men
holding her. “Taking me hostage last time was your mistake. You
thought it would invoke him to act. I told you it wouldn’t, but you
didn’t listen to me. Don’t turn this around on me now. By the time
I came back, this human had burrowed in. It was going to take time
to regain his trust again.”

“Well, I’ve grown impatient waiting.”

“You’ve been waiting for thousands of years. What
were a few more months?”

“What. Is. Going. On. Amara?” Ryker’s voice was low
and rough, his gaze slicing between them.

Her gaze fluttered over to Ryker, then reverted to
Vadik. “Let. Me. Go. Now.”

Vadik sighed then nodded to the men behind her who
released her arms from their hold. She rubbed at her biceps with
irritation. “Was that necessary?”

Vadik seized her neck. “I thought you liked it
rough?” He pulled her in, aligning their bodies, his gaze becoming
primal. Amara’s lips frowned, but a glint of excitement and desire
flickered in her eyes.

Bile slithered up my esophagus. There was obviously
more than employee/employer relationship here. I felt sick.

Ryker was like a statue as he watched the woman he
thought cared about him flirting with his enemy. I couldn’t imagine
the betrayal he felt. “How long?” he asked.

Vadik moved away from Amara, strolling over to Ryker.
“From the beginning. She was always mine.
I
sent her to
seduce you, to learn you... find where you hid the stone after you
vanished with it. From the moment you met her in Romania, she was
playing you.”

Did Vadik let his lover fuck someone else because his
desire for the stone was greater than her? And she willingly did
it? Something about the way Garrett shifted next to me with
irritation also told me there was a lot more going on there. Was
she with him too?

The relationship fae had toward sex was different
from what humans thought of it, but still... It felt wrong in many
ways. And mainly because she had messed with Ryker.

“It was all a lie? Your escape? Is Croygen in on this
also?” Ryker’s asked.

Amara brushed her hair out of her face. “The best
lies are rooted in truth. Everything I told you about my breakout
was technically true. Two things made Croygen the perfect person:
his unwavering love for me and his connection to you. I knew he was
probably the only person in the world who would be able to find you
because of his link to you.

“We made sure Croygen heard about my capture, and as
I knew he would, he came running. I couldn’t make it too easy for
him or his crew to get me out, but there was no question he was
going to. He bought the lie as easily as you did.”

“So you told him our whereabouts?” Ryker’s said
through his teeth. “Why did you wait till now?”

“Amara didn’t tell me.” Vadik shot her a look before
his attention came over to me. “It was your human who led us
here.”

“What?” Ryker and I said at the same time.

“Your appearance in Seattle. Face splashed all over
town on underground fighting posters, gave us an exact date and
time. You provided the perfect opportunity.”

Ryker’s eyes flashed to me.

“But I-I got away. You didn’t get anything from
me.”

Maxen snickered.

Vadik faced me with a gratified grin. “You may have
gotten away unscathed, but your clothes didn’t. Maxen was able to
plant a tracking sticker on your top before you disappeared.”

“A what?” My stomach sank at the memory of Maxen’s
hand pressing onto my shoulder before I slipped into the crowd and
disappeared.

“A minuscule, clear sticker you would never notice
unless you were looking for it.” Vadik folded his arms over his
barreled chest. The earlier scene clicked in my head: the two
little girls conversing with someone I couldn’t see; one of Vadik’s
men trying to find the true owner of the clothing. “And you also
provided the truth to the rumors I heard but were not confirmed.”
Vadik frowned at Amara. She looked at the ground, dodging his
accusatory stares. As an employee and mistress, she still had kept
a lot from him. “A
human
procuring a fae’s powers from
them... instinct wants me to kill you right here.”

Ryker leaned forward, dragging some of his captors
with him. Vadik’s hand halted the Viking, his attention still on
me. “Your very existence is a threat to fae. Not only are you a
seer who worked for DMG, but you should not be alive or able to
contain a fae’s powers. It’s unnatural, and you should be
terminated.” Vadik stepped within an inch of me, leaning into my
face. “I would love for your blood to water the earth under my
feet. But you are more valuable alive than dead. For the moment
anyway.” His voice went to a low threatening whisper. “If you even
think about jumping, I
will
slice both your lover’s and your
pet’s throats before you can even close your eyes.”

Maxen held up Sprig. The monkey was awake, his claws
scratching at Maxen’s fingers as the fae pinched down on Sprig’s
neck.