Through a Crimson Veil (16 page)

She followed his instructions to the letter. As soon as
Mika’s back was against the building, Conor put himself in front of her. He checked the area again. Mika stayed still. She didn’t talk or fidget or tease. And that told Conor clearer than words how seriously she took this situation.

The yowl of an alley cat broke the silence, and only then did Conor realize there’d been a dearth of night noises from the time he’d arrived until now. As the tom strolled past, giving him and Mika a lot of space, his tension eased away. Animals were good at sensing demons.

“I think he’s gone,” he said.

Mika moved out from behind him. For a minute Conor gazed down at her; then he reached out and with his thumb wiped at the smudge of dirt on her cheek. The only thing he could think was how damn close she’d come to dying. If he hadn’t felt uneasy enough to check on her…The horror he felt was staggering.

Conor dragged Mika against him and held on tightly. He felt her hands rub his back as he lowered his head to hers. The scent of her shampoo—the scent of
Mika
—filled his senses. His mouth found hers. The kiss started out deep and became more urgent. Her taste, the feel of her lips under his, none of it helped his adrenaline subside. Instead, that spiked higher. Damn it to hell, he could have
lost
her tonight.

It was one thing to know she’d walk away at some point—at least she’d be alive, even if she wasn’t with him—but tonight Mika could have died. The thought was intolerable. He could survive Mika leaving him, but he would never recover from her death. How could she be so careless about her safety? Didn’t she understand how important she was to him? Conor broke the kiss.

“What were you thinking?” he hissed.

He saw about half a dozen different emotions cross her face, but he read one thing plainly: she knew he was beyond furious. There was no indication that she was intimidated by it.

“It might be a better idea to have this fight at home,” she said.

And she was right. He took a deep breath, then another. Just because the immediate vicinity was clear, they weren’t out of the woods yet. The Dark One could be lying in wait along the route to their vehicles, and no way in hell was Conor risking her again simply because she had him so screwed up that he couldn’t see straight.

But she’d referred to his house as her home. Damn, she was going to make him insane yet.

When he had control back, he said, “You’re right. And, honey? You can count on us finishing this once we’re safe.”

“I know.” Her smile should have warned him what was coming next. “I just hope we finish more than the argument.”

“Mika,” he warned.

“What?”

The innocent look that accompanied her question made him growl. “Could you try not to play with my mind until we’re back at the house? Please?”

She nodded, her expression overly solemn, and Conor decided that was good enough. He said, “Stick close to me, and if I tell you to do something, obey immediately—got it?”

“Got it.”

They traversed the distance to their vehicles without incident, but Conor wasn’t ready to breathe easy. He hooked his arm around Mika’s waist and pulled her away from her car. “Wait. I want to check things out.”

He inspected his truck first. It was clean. He opened the driver’s-side door and put her inside to wait, then went over her car. Mika didn’t argue, and for the first time, he realized how seriously she was actually taking this. Her earlier humor had probably been more to help relieve her tension. He should have figured it out sooner, but he’d been dealing with his own reaction.

A sense of something off stopped him. Rigged to the engine he found a trap a human would never spot, not created as it was with demon powers. He couldn’t even tell what would trigger the energy bomb, not for sure, but there were a couple of possibilities that leapt to mind. It could be geared to Mika’s sig, going off when she was within a certain distance for a particular length of time. Or it could be set to explode when the engine hit a designated vibration. Either way, he wouldn’t try to disarm it tonight. It was beyond him right now.

Climbing into his truck, he used his hip to bump Mika over to the passenger seat. Without giving her time to say anything, he slammed the door and drove away.

“What about my car?” she asked.

The explosion was strong enough to rock the pickup, so Conor figured that was answer enough. He stepped on the accelerator. The sooner he had Mika back inside his house, the better.

Mika heard the small
snick
as Conor closed the front door, and she moved deeper into the great room. From the corner of her eye she saw him head for the light switch, and in the next instant, the room was illuminated. She took a deep breath and waited. It wouldn’t take long for him to start chewing her out, not the way he’d been strangling the steering wheel on the drive home. Anger combined with adrenaline probably continued to churn through his body, and he must be more than ready to release it.

She turned when she felt McCabe behind her, and realized he was furious. Even through his contact lenses, his eyes were glowing redder than she’d ever seen. He vibrated with pent-up energy.

“Why
the hell
did you leave the house?” His voice was almost as quiet and deep as it had been earlier on the street, and that told her clearly how enraged he still was.

Licking her lips, she said, “My cousin—”

“Is an adult?”

“She’s only nineteen, and she’s as close to me as if she were my sister.” Both statements were true. Mika would be as honest with Conor as possible. She curled her fingers
into her palms. No matter how much she wished she’d never made any promise to the leaders of Orcus, she had.

“So she—or someone you believed to be her—called and you went haring off without a second thought.”

“I
did
think about it.” She’d planned carefully how she was going to cover her tracks. That counted. “I even called you,” she defended.

McCabe seemed unimpressed. He closed the distance between them and leaned forward. “You left a message,” he growled.

“How did you want me to handle it? You were unreachable, and I could never leave Kimi in a dangerous situation.”

“What you should have done,” he said, “was continue calling until you got hold of me, then
I
could have gone and rescued your cousin.”

Mika was unable to speak for a moment. If she’d asked, he’d have driven over to get Kimi? It was that simple, and it stunned her. Demons kept their word to the letter, but they never, ever went one step beyond their oaths. Rescuing Kimi was much more than he’d promised. She felt another shift inside her, and she wasn’t sure whether or not it was a good thing. Reaching out, she rested her hand on the center of Conor’s chest. The beating of his heart was strong and solid. Just like he was.

“I didn’t know when or even if I’d be able to get through to you,” she finally said. She licked her lips again, uneasy because she was the reason his comm had been disabled.

Apparently he had no good response, because he switched tactics. “It never occurred to you that the call might be part of a trap?” he asked. “You’re being hunted and this wasn’t the first attempt made on your life.”

“I believed the call was legitimate,” she snapped. And so she had. Her rendezvous had given her the passwords the Council had told her. She hadn’t doubted for a moment that he was the minion she was supposed to report to.

“Damn it, you could have been killed! Do you understand that?” She felt him inhale deeply, probably trying to regain his self-command. “If I’d been even five minutes later…”

Stroking his chest, trying to soothe him, Mika said quietly, “I know, and if you think I’m not scared, you’re wrong. The dark demons apparently want me dead, and that’s terrifying.”

He put his hands on her waist and pulled her against him. “Are you frightened enough to stay in my house from now on? That’s the big question.”

“Until it’s safe, I won’t go outside—not unless you tell me otherwise. I promise.”

McCabe’s eyes closed and he wrapped her in a hug. “That’s all I wanted to hear, Mika.” The anger was gone. “It about took ten years off my life to see you hiding behind that bench. Don’t do that to me again.”

“If it took ten years from you, it probably cost me twenty,” Mika joked. But it was hard to inject a light note into her voice as she recalled what had happened. She put her other hand on Conor’s chest and pushed him back a few inches. “Now, let’s talk about the way
you
placed yourself in danger tonight.”

“I wasn’t in danger.”

“That’s a bunch of bullshit. You put yourself between me and a dark demon. You protected me with your body. What the hell were you thinking?”

“I can take care of myself. Don’t worry,” he snapped.

“Don’t worry? Don’t worry!” His lack of concern ignited her temper. “You’ve never faced anyone from this branch before, and you don’t know what they’re capable of. I do. You can’t dismiss them lightly.” She gave him a shove. “You know how many times I’ve told you demons aren’t all evil, they’re dark? Well, not this group. These
are
evil. You remember that. They’re unbeatable. They’re—”

“You don’t know what I’m capable of.”

The hardness in his voice gave her pause. Just what kinds of powers did he have, anyway? She shook her head. It didn’t matter. “I’ve seen firsthand what these guys have done to demons stronger than Kiverians. Don’t shrug it off.” She cupped her palm around his jaw. “Do you hear me?”

“You really are worried about me,” he said, incredulous.

The absurdity of that infuriated her. Hadn’t anyone ever been concerned about him? Someone caring about his well-being shouldn’t be so novel an experience. “Yes, I’m worried about you.” She stroked his cheek. “You may not put any value on your life, but I do. You’re important to me, and I don’t want to see you take any unnecessary risks.”

So many expressions crossed Conor’s face in less than a blink that Mika was unable to name them. “I’m going to protect you. You
hired
me. And I gave you my promise,” he added more importantly.

“You could have kept your promise without shielding my body with yours.” She knew how their bargain had been phrased, and a demon who’d agreed to the deal Mc-Cabe had said yes to, never would have done such a thing. It humbled her—and horrified her. Conor was honorable and courageous. And what was she? A liar.

“Mika—”

“No,” she interrupted, before he could start arguing. “You know I’m right. You could have done a lot of things that weren’t as risky and still been true to your promise. I don’t want you dying for me.
I don’t want that!
”

“Hush, Mika,” he said, trying to calm her. “I don’t plan to die, but I am planning to keep you safe. Besides, these dark demons are nothing but bullies. Look how fast he ran when someone more equal showed up.”

Mika couldn’t enjoy Conor’s smile. Her blood ran icy cold. “That demon did not leave because you were more of a match for him. He left because you didn’t fit into his
agenda, whatever it was.” She brought her other hand up, cradling his face between her palms and tried to convey her urgency. “If he’d wanted, we’d both be dead right now. He could have killed you as easily as swatting a fly.”

McCabe looked too damn patronizing. How the hell could she get him to understand the danger when she couldn’t tell him about the legend, about the incantation, and how it was believed he was the one who could invoke it? Whether or not that was true she couldn’t say, but maybe the dark demons believed it, and maybe that’s why the one who’d attacked her had withdrawn: He didn’t want to risk Conor.

From time to time in Orcus, there’d been rumbles that the Dark Ones wanted to reclaim Earth. Demons had once ruled this overworld and used humans as their thralls, but something had happened to see her people imprisoned. All demons. With the veil in place, world domination had been nothing except talk—for the most part. But now the Dark Ones believed they’d found someone to lower the barrier.

“You don’t believe me,” she said quietly. “You think that because I’m weak I’m overestimating their abilities.” Mika quirked up the left side of her mouth. “There’s nothing I can say to convince you that it’s more than my perception, and I’m sorry for that.” More sorry than she could say.

Conor tugged her against him, and Mika let her arms slide to the back of his neck. She took comfort in the warmth of his body, in the strength of it. Resting her cheek against his chest, she clung to him.

“I appreciate your concern,” he said. “I really do.”

“Yeah.” She bet he did, since she might be the first person who’d shown any regard for his health.

Conor shifted and stared into her eyes. Then, after a long moment, his lips curved—but it was unlike any smile she’d seen from him in the past. Before she could figure it out, his mouth claimed hers. There was no restraint in the
kiss and she returned it the same way, with everything she had. With everything she felt.

His hands went to her hair, freeing it from its clip. She heard the barrette hit the floor and slide, then Conor’s fingers were tangled in the strands, holding her still as he devoured her. The taste of him, the feel of his tongue sliding along hers, sent a thrill through Mika’s entire body before it settled between her thighs. She clutched his waist more firmly, but couldn’t get close enough, not with his hands keeping her away.

Murmuring a protest, Mika tried to convey her displeasure, but he must not have understood. Thwarted on one score, she decided to work on another. She tugged his T-shirt free of his jeans and slid her hands under the cotton knit. Conor’s skin was warm, his muscles hard, and she ran her fingers over him, sinking deeper into the simple pleasure of caressing his back.

He broke their kiss, looked down at her and then released his hold on her face. Mika growled, a low animal noise. A part of her registered shock that the sound had emerged, but she couldn’t take time to focus on it. Not when every part of her protested Conor’s sudden distance.

He shucked his jean jacket and his weapons, then yanked his shirt over his head and tossed it aside. “Wait,” he ordered, when she reached for him.

Impatiently, almost quivering with restrained need, Mika waited. And she was rewarded when Conor reached for the hem of her long-sleeved T-shirt. She lifted her arms as he pulled, helping him get it off her. As he stared at her chest, her nipples peaked, pushing against the lace of her bra. Antsy with his continued delay, she shifted from foot to foot. “Damn it, McCabe, hurry up,” she complained.

Conor’s smile increased her desire. She expected him to strip the bra off her, but he didn’t. Instead, he ran his index fingers underneath the edging. It wasn’t nearly enough. Before she could protest, McCabe tugged the cups below her breasts, baring her, then he stared some more.

Mika looked down, decided the positioning of the bra did a wonderful job of showcasing her assets and left it where it was. A little bit of clothing sometimes did more to heat a man up than complete nakedness. But her man just stood and ogled her.

Since Conor didn’t seem to be able to get in gear, she decided to jumpstart him. Mika slipped the middle finger of her right hand into her mouth to remove it glistening with moisture. She knew how steamed up McCabe became if she touched herself. When her finger was nice and slick, she ran it over a nipple.

His reaction was immediate, and exactly what she’d hoped for. He moved, smashing her back against the wall. Mika hummed with satisfaction and rubbed against his chest. Her nipples stiffened more as they were abraded by his warm skin and chest hair. He went still, as if savoring her touch, before demanding another open-mouthed kiss.

Conor’s muscled body wasn’t the only thing that was hard, and Mika dug her fingers into his shoulders, trying to drag him closer. He helped. His hands gripped her hips and pulled her into his erection. His groan was muffled by their kiss.

As he kneaded her bottom, Conor trailed his mouth down to her throat. He nuzzled there before nipping at her pulse point. The light sting of his teeth against her neck had Mika arching, pleasure rocketing through her. He used his tongue to soothe the spot, but that wasn’t what she wanted. “Bite me more,” she told him breathlessly.

McCabe obeyed. Mika dropped her head back, letting him have complete access. Lost in arousal, she hardly noticed him lifting her, not until his mouth found her left breast. Mika held his head, her fingers splayed through his sun-streaked brown hair, and wrapped her legs around his waist. Damn, the man knew how to drive her wild—he used his lips, tongue and teeth until the noises she made were totally animal. Totally demonic.

He took his time before moving to her other breast.
Mika wanted to stroke him, but the position in which he had her only gave her access to his head, shoulders and upper back. She couldn’t even rock against him, since she was up too high. If he were human, she would count on him needing to put her down before too much longer, but with his demon strength, Conor could hold her up indefinitely.

“I need to touch you,” she gasped.

“Tough.” His reply was nearly unintelligible, since he didn’t release the nipple he was teasing.

“McCabe!”

Ignoring her, he raised her higher and bit the underside of her breast. Mika felt her eyes go unfocused. She gave up—she was Conor’s, and he could do whatever he wanted with her for as long as he wanted to do it.

He made her whimper before he lowered her back to her feet. Mika’s knees buckled, and if Conor hadn’t been holding her, she would have sunk to the floor. Instead, with a smug smile, he tightened his grip.

“Arrogant,” she accused, her voice thick.

His grin widened. She felt his fingers on the clasp of her bra, then felt the tautness beneath her breasts give way. He stripped the garment from her and pitched it to the side. With one arm around her to keep her upright, Conor raised his hand to her face and smoothed her hair back to study her. The stop made her wonder what was going through his head. She knew one thing, though; if he thought he was calling a halt now, the man better think again.

Reaching for the button at his waist, Mika opened his jeans. His hand covered hers as she started to work the zipper. For a moment she believed he was stopping her, and she was ready to bang her head against the wall, but that wasn’t his intent. Instead, he lowered the zipper himself, and while she was unable to see his expression, his movements felt careful. That made her recall that he wasn’t wearing undershorts. The throbbing between her thighs intensified.