The Demon Within (28 page)

She stilled, savoring the sensations bombarding her. Using her distraction, he ducked his head, his lips whispering across her neck. Caly tilted her head to allow him better access. A sharp sting followed when his teeth nipped at her, turning her insides to mush.

All her plans of going slow evaporated.

Her body craved him now.

He nuzzled her neck, sending a ripple of lust down her spine to pool between her thighs. She tightened her legs, her fingers clawing at him for more. Then he moved, ratcheting up her need to feel him skin to skin. The room spun, and she found herself on the bed, spread out beneath him.

She yanked up his shirt, frantic to reach his flesh. Muscles rippled under her touch. Heat singed her palms, and she reached for more, eager to burn. Caly arched under him, needing to feel his weight. Desperate to touch and be touched. When he didn’t move fast enough, she hooked her leg around his hip, then twisted, flipping him on his back.

Straddling his hips, Caly splayed one hand on his chest, relishing the feel of his dark eyes on her. The wound on his arm was gone, only a slight discoloration remained. Instead of cold stone that warmed under her touch, this man was flesh and blood.

Hers.

She scraped her nails down his chest, enjoying the way his skin pebbled. Faint lines lingered from her ministrations. She liked her mark on him.

Caly set her mouth to his chest, caressed him until he grew restless then pushed him for more. A large hand cupped the back of her head, dragging her higher, bringing her face up to his. His mouth ravaged hers like he was starved for her taste. The way he wove his fingers through her hair and held her close made her feel precious. Made her feel not so alone in the world.

Caly pulled away and stared into the eyes that haunted her dreams, made her want, made her feel desirable. That he allowed her to do what she wanted made her feel that anything she did would please him as long as she didn’t stop. It was sexy as hell.

Now she wanted to see if she could break his control. Leaning back, she grasped the bottom of her shirt then yanked it off.

She smoothed out his fists then placed his hands on her waist. The touch was electric. Ruman jacked upright, kissing her with a skill that left her stupid. She dragged her nails down his back, eager to touch all of him and make him hers.

Ruman’s mouth left hers. He stared at her breasts, hunger darkening his eyes to sable.

“Please.” Caly couldn’t prevent the plea.

Before the word left her lips, his mouth latched onto her breast through the fabric of her bra. Fiery pleasure seared her. Muscles rigid, Caly pushed herself forward, offering more. Offering herself.

Pain streaked up her right arm, robbing her of breath. “Stop.”

Ruman instantly stilled.

Caly panted, and the muscles in her hand went rigid. “Something’s wrong.”

Chapter Twenty

S
ensations flooded his mind with each touch, blinding Ruman to everything but Caly. With her in his arms, he had everything he needed to be at peace with his choices in life. But the tormented look on her face stopped him cold. “Caly?”

“Shhh.” Caly held up a hand, her head tilted, listening to something only she could hear.

Her expression eased, and the tiny dart of panic that gripped him faded. Ruman marveled at his emotions, the desire to do anything to keep her safe and in his arms. Emotions he shouldn’t be able to feel. Emotions he’d always thought mortals were foolish to cling to when it endangered their chance at eternity.

Caly leapt off the bed. “Get dressed.” She grabbed her shirt, fitted it over her head, and drew it down, covering all her lovely flesh. He almost whimpered. From the heated look she gave him, maybe he had.

When she showed no signs of re-joining him, he sat, wincing the way his pants tried to strangle his arousal. Ruman locked his gaze on her, not liking how completely she pulled away from him. “What is it?”

“I heard something.” A feverish light entered her eyes. In a lunge, she palmed the dagger and darted out the door.

“Wait.” But she was already gone.

“Woman.” Huffing under his breath, he shrugged back into his shirt and chased after her. He refused to let her out of his sight. Not after the last few days of hell.

He didn’t see that she’d stopped at the landing and bumped into her with enough force to knock her off the top step. He grasped her waist, yanking her back to his chest in time to save her from taking a header down the steps. When he opened his mouth to apologize, harsh voices erupted from the kitchen.

“She’s not been the same since the temple and the death of her team. We barely survived the last attack, and she left us to go on some mission to find an angel to solve all our problem.”

Each word sent his anger flaring. He tightened his hold on her as if to protect her from the hurtful words. She stiffened, her eyes became shuttered, locking him out again. A snarl worked its way up his throat. Ruman picked up Caly, set her aside, and stalked toward the kitchen.

“Leave it alone. It doesn’t matter.”

The way her voice caught, the way she tried to cover her pain, infuriated him.

It mattered to him.

And it would damn well matter to them.

He slammed open the door with enough force that wood cracked. A number of the members jumped, weapons clutched in their hands. From one to the next, Ruman glared at each person, wishing he could smack the stupid out of them. He would’ve if he didn’t think it would upset Caly.

“You should be ashamed of yourself. You lose your home, almost your lives and come here begging for a helping hand. She offered you protection with no questions. Now, when she’s injured, you want to turn your backs on her and sit like a committee judging her. Why? Because of his word?” He jerked his head in Henry’s direction without turning. He couldn’t guarantee he wouldn’t rip his fool head off just by looking at him.

“They have the right to learn the truth.” His self-righteous voice reverberated in the silent room.

Every person froze when Ruman slowly turned.

“Ruman, enough.” Caly’s hand settled on his arm. The faint tremble in her fingers snapped the last of his restraint. No one had the right to abuse her.

“No.” In a swift turn, he loomed over her, his face less than an inch from hers. “You’ve risked your life for these people for years. Sacrificed everything for them. In the jungle, this paragon left you and an old man to fight and die alone.”

Henry’s eyes narrowed, shooting daggers at Caly. When she opened her mouth to protest, Ruman growled. “I was there. I saw it happen. Don’t you dare defend him.”

With a vengeance, he turned dark, fathomless eyes on the group. “Caly didn’t tell anyone the old man’s last words, that he meant for her to lead the group. Now I think I understand why she kept quiet. You’re not worth it.”

“Caly?” Kelly stood with a look of confusion on her face.

Caly’s chest ached at the hurt expression. A spurt of panic invaded her mind that everything she’d worked for was disintegrating. If she lost this, she had nothing.

“The group was already splintering.” Caly glared at Ruman, resisting the urge to slap the back of his head. “To undermine everything further would’ve left it in ruins.” And she didn’t want the damned position. She was a soldier, not a leader. She couldn’t have people depending on her, she couldn’t be responsible for their lives or deaths. Not when she couldn’t guarantee she wasn’t the biggest threat of all.

Henry shifted closer to Ruman, and all her senses went on alert. Used to his underhanded tricks, Caly let him bait the trap and waited, resisting the urge clawing at her to protect what was hers.

It happened fast, quicker than she could’ve guessed. “Watch your left.”

In an amazingly dexterous move, Ruman dropped to one knee, sliced his arm out and snatched Henry’s wrist in mid strike. A flip sent the other man to the floor and with a twist, the knife Henry still held was at his own throat. The power behind the move chased goose bumps across her skin in admiration.

“He is a demon. Test him.” Henry’s voice squeaked and he cleared his throat nervously.

“Release him.” Ruman’s muscles bunched, and Caly didn’t know if he heard her. “Please, he’s not well.”

And he wasn’t. Henry’s complexion was pale, a ghost of his former self. Once lean and whipcord thin, his frame was now skeletal. Hair thinned and retreating, eyes haunted, he looked like a man with his last days numbered and time was quickly ticking off the seconds.

A spasm went through her hand, and she recognized the feeling she had upstairs. Something was preying on Henry.

Ruman reluctantly retreated. Henry lumbered to his feet, clearly pissed when nobody defended him. “Oscar would never—”

“Oscar would be the first to knock you on your ass.” Kelly rounded to face Henry, her hands on her hips and attitude written all over her face. “You’ve spread your venom for days, tried to sow seeds of discontent through the troops. No leader would do that.” She tipped her head back, lifting her nose in the air. “No wonder Oscar replaced you.”

“Enough.” Weariness passed over Caly. She missed the quiet, missed having a place where she could retreat from everyone and be alone.

Henry stalked forward, his face alarmingly pale. David quickly placed himself in front of Kelly and crossed his arms, bristling impressively for a desk jockey. It halted Henry on the spot. He spread his arms wide. “I’m only trying to protect the group. She’s brainwashed you into thinking she can save you.”

With nowhere to vent his anger, Henry turned on her. “Ever since Oscar allowed you on the team, you’ve ruined everything. Now you’ve condemned the rest of them.” He backed away from the crowd, shifting closer to the exit.

“Your name’s Calypso, she who conceals. Tell us, what’re you hiding?” He cast a scathing look to Ruman. “Or should the better question be who do you think you’re trying to fool? Did you think hiding a demon in plain sight would work?”

In his fervor, he glared at everyone in the room. “You made your decisions. Let’s hope you survive the night.”

The door slammed behind him as he left. Caly sighed and turned to follow. He was in danger, a demon had fed from him recently. She needed to warn to him.

“Leave him.”

Caly looked down at the hand on her arm. It didn’t offer a restraint, she could easily shrug him off, but something in Ruman’s tone alerted her to the fact that he knew the reason she wanted to confront Henry.

“He—”

“In his current state, he’d never trust a word you said.” Unrepentantly, he dropped his hand and stepped away from her. “You have more important decisions to make.” From the challenge issued in his eyes, Caly knew he meant both what happened between them upstairs as well as the future of the group.

With those ominous words, he, too, left the room, abandoning her.

He wanted her to tell the truth, spill her deepest fear and expose her past to the group. Part of her screamed that it was a mistake. If they left, she couldn’t keep them safe. But she wasn’t sure it was her decision anymore. With death hovering like a specter, it was time to drop the subterfuge. These people thought they knew the score. They deserved to know the truth.

Taking a deep breath, Caly tried to put in words her betrayal. To hope for understanding would be expecting too much. “Henry was partially right. I am not what I seem, nor is Ruman.”