Darker (Alexa O'Brien, Huntress #6)(45)

I beat a hasty retreat back into the house. The quiet lull of conversation between Arys and Jez died. Falon was nowhere to be seen. I didn’t doubt he’d run to tell Lilah their little secret had been revealed. It was time I paid the bitch a visit, too.

Shya spread his hands expectantly. “Satisfied? Gabriel and I had a little chat, and he’s more than happy to be here. Now, unless you have other business, I’ll have to ask you to leave.”

“I know what you’re doing, Shya.” I closed the patio door and turned my full attention on the haughty demon. “You talk a good game. You promise people things they didn’t even know they wanted. For the most part, you’re not so bad. Until you fail to get what you want.”

“Your point?” He did his best to appear bored.

“Your sweet talk might work on someone as young and new to this world as Gabriel, but I see right through you. I won’t be manipulated. I’ll find out what you’re up to, and when I’m done with Lilah, I’m coming back for you.” Sure, those words put my ass on the line, but I was furious and ready to fight back.

A fiery burst of energy accompanied Shya’s laughter. My instinctive reaction was to harden myself against it. It easily burned a hole in my shields. I made a split-second decision to pull the aggressive force through me, channeling it back out and into the earth beneath the foundation under my feet. It left me feeling uncomfortably hot inside but otherwise unharmed.

“I look forward to it,” Shya quipped. Rather than the anger I’d anticipated, he seemed impressed, genuinely pleased. “Your stubborn wishful thinking is endearing. It’s because of my so-called manipulation that you stand here right now. You could have been FPA property. Like your sister.”

Letting him antagonize me would be playing right into his hands. He and I were long overdue for a good ol’ fashioned knockdown, drag em out, ass kicking discussion. That day would come.

“You win,” I snapped. “I’m leaving.”

Jez fell into step beside me as I strode toward the door. I didn’t spare a last look for Arys. The weight of his gaze was upon me. I was so many kinds of pissed at him I couldn’t even think about it.

He caught up to me outside, as I knew he would. I reached for the car door handle, and he put out a hand to hold the door closed.

“Alexa, whatever you’re thinking, it’s wrong. I didn’t tell you I was coming here because there was nothing to tell.” He pressed close, forcing me to look up at him.

Jez got into the car, giving us the illusion of being alone. I refused to let go of the door. Arys could talk circles around himself if given the chance. I didn’t want to hear it.

“I just finished cleaning up a murder scene at Jez’s apartment. Another one of my wolves is dead. I am not in the mood to argue with you.”

“I don’t want you to be mad. I can’t stand it when you give me that look.” Arys reached to touch my face. I stepped back, avoiding the contact.

“You’re always going to do whatever the hell you want to do regardless of how I feel. If you want to let that bastard pull your strings, so be it. That’s your choice. Right now, I have bigger things to worry about, starting with my friend whose heart is breaking because of Shya’s f**k up; he brought Lilah’s wrath down on all of us.” I jerked on the door handle until he finally released his hold on the door. “You’re making a mistake by being here.”

“I’m doing what I have to do in order to keep you safe. To keep us both safe,” he insisted, his blue eyes blazing.

“Now who’s being reckless?” I got into the car and slammed the door, cutting off his reply.

“Yikes,” Jez said, holding an unlit cigarette between her fingers. “Trouble in vampire paradise?”

“What else is new?” I muttered bitterly as I backed the car up so I could turn around in the driveway.

Arys stood there stiffly, watching until my car disappeared from sight. His prior refusal to cooperate with Shya had made sense. This sudden change of heart, it didn’t. Bad things would come of this.

“I thought you two were so well matched. In synch.”

“We are. That’s the problem. We’re both too damn hotheaded, and neither of us is willing to back down.” I cast a critical glance her way, tempted to yank the smoke from her hand. “Don’t light that nasty thing in here.”

She fiddled with it, putting it between her lips, then dropping it back in the pack. She was understandably restless. “He just wants to protect you, Lex. Is that so wrong?”

I manoeuvred the Charger down the dark gravel road, back to the city. I couldn’t wait to get home. “It could be. Arys has this halfwit idea that an alliance with Shya will benefit us both. I think it only benefits Shya. Arys is desperate. He’s afraid to lose me.”

“So you’re punishing the guy for being head over heels in love with you? Damn. I’m glad we never dated. I’d have to kick your ass.” Jez forced a wry smile that didn’t quite reach her eyes.

Her comment made me pause and reconsider. Was I overreacting? Demons didn’t make deals without ensuring they had something to gain. Until I knew what I meant to Shya’s personal plans, it was a risk we couldn’t afford to take.

I steered the conversation to a lighter topic, making idle chat as we crossed through the city and headed west toward home. Sunrise was creeping closer. The mental and emotional exhaustion began to take hold, but I’d get no rest anytime soon. I had to go through the rest of those files. I was certain Veryl had left something in there that would help me with Lilah.