Wicked Edge (30 page)

Finally, Edge took over. He grasped her hips and drove up into her at the same moment the car began to hurtle down the other side.

Edge’s hips became a blur of motion as he slammed into her over and over. She screamed her ecstasy as she threw her head back and spread her arms wide. Passion thought she sort of looked like the woman on the
Titanic
who stood at the front of the ship with her arms held out. In real life, Passion would have a death grip on his wide shoulders.

The hurtling car seemed to be taking a long time to reach the bottom. Long enough for both Edge and Passion to reach orgasm. Very loud orgasms.

In the final throes of obviously mindless pleasure, Edge gave one final mighty thrust, lifting her high into the air, and…

Flinging her out of the car. She disappeared, her scream fading until it suddenly stopped.

Passion froze. Did she just see…? “You killed me? How could you kill me? What kind of rotten fantasy is that?”

The screen faded to black as the female voice offered a few closing comments. “But you died happy. Sadly, our hero was devastated. Grief over the loss of his love drove him crazy. He went on a mad spree of destruction, dynamiting roller coasters across the country. He was finally caught and spent the rest of his miserable life in a mental health facility.” Huge sigh. “I love tragic love stories.”

There was dead silence in the room until the sound of applause turned both of their attentions to the window.

Red eyes looked back at them. Not just three eyes.
Rows
of red eyes. One on top of the other.

“It looks like they set up freaking bleachers out there.” Edge looked down at the remote. “There has to be a button to…”

“Don’t bother looking. They’ll go away now that they’ve seen the show.”

Bourne’s voice caught them by surprise. He stood in the bedroom doorway, one shoulder propped against the frame. He shook his head as he laughed softly.

“Too bad I didn’t have time to fill you in on a few things before sending you through the portal. First, the green button at the bottom would’ve given you a selection of movies. You activated the Fantasy Fulfiller. You have to give her an exact description of what you want or else she improvises. She’s not good at it.”

Bourne pushed away from the door and moved farther into the room. Passion didn’t notice any blood or obvious wounds.

“Second, my semicivilized neighbors like to watch the movies with me. They’re too big to fit in here, so they watch from outside. You made their night. They’ve never seen a fantasy like that before.”

Passion felt the heat rising in her face. This was way beyond embarrassing. “Edge didn’t really want that fantasy. He said it to be sarcastic. He didn’t know about the Fantasy Fulfiller. He—”

“I think he gets it, Passion.”

Edge’s voice sounded weird, all tight and deep and raspy. She chanced a glance at him.

Hunger so powerful it shook her glowed in his eyes. His hands were clenched into fists, and it was obvious the Edge on the screen was the only one who’d gotten a release.

Time to change the subject. “You survived.” She watched Bourne walk over to the window and wave at the dozens of eyes before they faded back into the darkness. She didn’t ask what owned those eyes.

“You had doubts?” Bourne stood watching them.

Passion wondered how much of the fantasy he’d seen.

“I cleared my suite of his pitiful attempt at intimidation and then came for you.”

“Pitiful attempt?” Why wasn’t Edge chiming in? “It sure got my attention.”

Bourne’s expression turned grim. “He was just playing this time. I don’t think he seriously thought his invasion of my space would destroy me. He wanted to annoy me. He did. Now it’s time to take the fight to him.” He waved them toward the door. “Let’s go. I have some people I want you to meet.”

Edge walked back through the portal with Passion and then stopped. Every inch of Bourne’s suite was packed with big dangerous-looking men and women who he knew could kick major butt. All cosmic troublemakers.

And in the middle of the mob, seated on the couch, were a terrified Hope and a pissed-off Kemp.

“Before I came for you, I took time to collect our resident angels.” Bourne smiled at Hope and Kemp.

Hope cringed, and Kemp scowled. They weren’t restrained in any way, but they weren’t making a break for it either. Edge didn’t blame them. Too many badasses in the room to take a chance.

Edge figured he’d better clue Passion in. “These are Bourne’s deadliest troublemakers.”

“Where’s Sparkle?” Passion looked uneasy as she glanced around.

“My sweetie’s the best at what she does, but this job is going to need more of the physical stuff.”
Ganymede sat on the arm of the couch, still in cat form.

Passion didn’t look convinced. “I’d put my money on Sparkle. I
saw
what she could do. There’re different kinds of ‘physical stuff.’”

No one paid any attention to her.

Bourne walked over to stand in front of Hope and Kemp. “Now. Let’s have a talk. Where is Archangel Ted?”

Hope’s eyes widened. “I don’t know. I don’t know
anything
.” Her gaze skittered to Kemp. “Why didn’t you tell me?”

“Because you might’ve told
her
.” Kemp sent Passion a glare that said traitor.

Bourne’s voice softened a little. “You
did
know Kemp was one of the avenging angels, didn’t you?”

Hope nodded and then looked down at her clasped hands. “I just thought Archangel Ted had sent him to check up on us, to make sure we were really trying to save souls.”

“I believe you, Hope.”

Bourne patted her hand, and she visibly relaxed.

He turned his attention to Kemp. “Where is Ted?”

Kemp said nothing.

“How many angels does he have?”

More silence.

“When will he attack?”

Silence.

“Want me to twist his balls, Boss?” This from one of the troublemakers standing in the crowd.

Kemp winced, but Edge gave him credit for not putting his hands over the body parts in question.

“Torture won’t make me tell you anything.”

Kemp sounded calm, but Edge watched him swallow hard.

Bourne didn’t address the ball-twisting offer. “Kemp, why do you want to overthrow me?” He seemed sincerely interested.

“Archangel Ted told us about all the evil you’ve visited on
humanity. It’s our duty to destroy you so he can redeem your misguided followers and bring peace and goodwill to the world.”

A smile tugged at Bourne’s mouth. “Wow. Anyone who thinks they can do all that doesn’t really understand the situation. And I hate to break this to you, but he’s no more an angel than I am. He’s just another power-hungry immortal hoping to take over my job. Oh, and you’re not an angel either. Sorry.”

Kemp glowered. “I
am
an angel. He told us you were the voice of the devil, that you’d try to turn us against him.”

“Kemp, Kemp, we’ve talked to several real angels. None of them have ever heard of an Archangel Ted.” Bourne looked as though his patience was wearing thin. “And what self-respecting angel would admit to the name of Ted?” He waved the comment away. “Never mind about that.”

“Are you going to kill us?” Kemp seemed resigned to martyr status.

Hope gulped. She stared at Passion. “Please help me. I forgive you for going over to the dark side. I’ll go too, but I don’t want to die.”

Kemp shot her a poisonous glare.

“Neither of you are going to die.” Bourne glanced at the still-open portal. “Unfortunately, I don’t have time to convince you you’re wrong, so I’m just going to take you out of the equation until I’m finished with Ted.”

Everyone’s gaze shifted to the portal.

“When you go through, you’ll be in my house. There’s plenty of food. And if you use the Fantasy Fulfiller, make sure the fantasy is something you won’t mind my neighbors seeing.” Bourne waved them toward the portal.

Neither Hope nor Kemp moved.

Bourne exhaled wearily. “Why must I do everything myself?” He beckoned to them.

An unseen force lifted both Hope and Kemp from the couch and floated them over to and through the portal. Hope’s screams were the last thing Edge heard as Bourne closed it.

Passion stated the obvious. “Kemp didn’t answer any of your questions.”

Bourne smiled. “Oh, but he did. Every time I asked a question, he thought the answer. And I was in his head to hear them.”

“And?” Edge was starting to feel claustrophobic with all the power pressing in on every side.

“He doesn’t know where Ted is. His leader has been communicating in the same way he did with Hope and Passion. So no mental picture.”

“How many of the bastards are there?”
Now that the couch was empty, Ganymede leaped down and stretched out on it.

Bourne didn’t look concerned. “About fifty avenging angels, along with the office staff that worked with Passion. The office staff won’t be a threat.”

Edge could see Passion bristle.

“Excuse me? Everyone in that office has skills.” She narrowed her eyes. “Have you forgotten what I can do?”

Bourne smiled. “I apologize. Of course you have amazing talent, but I’m thinking in terms of the ones who could rip our heads off.”

“Fifty doesn’t seem like much of an army.” A female troublemaker Edge didn’t recognize, but who had to be at least six-five, spoke for the first time.

“There only have to be enough to keep you at bay while Ted kills me. I’m sure he thinks that’s more than enough to take care of twenty-five of you. Of course, his fifty haven’t been forged in the fires of chaos, destruction, and general crappy attitudes. They’ll be way out of their league.” Bourne’s smile turned into something much darker. “And so will Archangel Asshole.”

“Since Ted didn’t have any luck getting Murmur’s help, do you
think he found someone else to pad his forces?” Edge couldn’t imagine who he’d get on short notice.

“No vampires. No demons. No fey. What’s left?” Bourne shrugged. “Maybe a few dumbass shifters.”

“How do you know none of those beings will be helping him?” The voice of doubt came from the middle of the troublemaker mob.

“My last fortune cookie?”

No one had the nerve to call Bourne on his nonanswer.

“When’s the attack coming?”
Ganymede didn’t seem to be experiencing any kind of adrenaline rush. The cat yawned, his eyes slowly drifting shut.

“Ted told Kemp to be ready at seven tomorrow morning. If they strike at dawn, they take away any help Dacian could give us. And there won’t be a bunch of humans up to get in the way.”

Passion widened her eyes. “We have to get the humans to safety.”

Before being drawn into Passion’s angelic orbit, Edge wouldn’t have given a damn about human collateral damage. But this was his woman—jeez, had he just thought that—and he needed to back her up. “Humans will be a distraction. Passion’s right.”

Ganymede opened one eye.
“Sparkle can take care of that. She’s good at those kinds of things.”

Bourne glanced at his watch. “I want all of you to get a good night’s sleep. I’ll call you in time to eat before the battle.”

Ganymede gave a cat snort.
“This is too civilized for me. Why aren’t we rampaging through the castle dragging the freaking winged wusses out of their hiding places and sending them to their real maker?”

There was a rumble of agreement from most of the other troublemakers.

Bourne cast Ganymede a stare guaranteed to drill a hole right through his fuzzy head. “Because the ‘winged wusses’ aren’t here yet. I’d know. Besides, your goal will be to disable, not kill them. They honestly believe the lies Ted has fed them.”

“Not kill?”
Ganymede’s disbelief was echoed by the rest of the troublemakers.

“Feel free to pummel, pound, and punish. But no killing.” Bourne’s tone said he was throwing a bone to the bloodthirsty masses.

Ganymede didn’t look appeased.

Edge was enjoying Bourne’s put-down of Ganymede, but he had to ask a question. “When he realizes Hope and Kemp are gone, won’t Ted suspect you know about his plans and change them?”

“Probably not. He’s overconfident or else he wouldn’t even be attempting this. He can’t do anything until his forces are here, and he still won’t want to take a chance of Dacian weighing in. So he won’t attack before dawn.” Bourne thought for a moment. “As soon as you leave, I’m calling in Holgarth and Zane. They can wake the gargoyles and command them to stop any incoming nonhumans. I suspect Ted has enough power to shut them down, but not before they sound a warning.”

Passion looked doubtful. “Good luck getting Holgarth and Zane to work together.”

Bourne smiled. “Oh, they’ll work together.” His smile didn’t bode well for Holgarth and his son. “They’ll also be warding all of your rooms. No one will get in while you’re sleeping.” He turned to Edge. “You’ll have to stay in Passion’s room tonight. I’ve put three of the men in your apartment.”

And that was that. Everyone left his suite, but Passion held Edge back till last. She wanted to ask Bourne something.

“Edge has said he doesn’t know who created him. Do you know?” She felt Edge’s surprise at the question.

Bourne dropped onto the couch. “No. I found each of them wandering the cosmos like lost children. They were primal and savage, and like children, they had no focus for their power. I gave them that.”

She took a deep breath. Now for the scary question. “Why guide them along the path to chaos? Why not turn them into agents for good?” Passion hoped he wouldn’t use her body to open a new portal.

But all he did was shrug. “Their power was what it was. I couldn’t change it, only channel it into less destructive paths.”

Edge finally spoke up. “Less destructive? Have you looked at what Ganymede’s been doing for the last few millennia?”

“Change takes time. Ganymede’s power is under control.” He frowned. “Except for sporadic outbursts.”

“What if one of us wanted to change, to be something other than what we’ve always been?”

Edge sounded casual, but Passion could feel tension thrumming through him.