The Darkest Kiss (Lords of the Underworld #2)(26)

"Don't hate the player," Paris said, grin widening. "I can't help it if both flight attendants wanted to see to my needs midair."

Lucien strode inside the spacious home, warm air replaced by cool. "We paid for a private jet, not a private bedding for Paris."

All four men withdrew a weapon as his voice cut through their good-natured ribbing. As soon as they realized who had spoken, they relaxed. Even smiled.

"Private is the wrong word," Strider said, blue eyes twinkling. "They did it in front of everyone. And I'm not complaining. The movie was crap, so their performance kept me entertained."

Lucien rolled his eyes, doing his best not to appear envious. "Take a look around. Pick a bed." Because he could flash, he was the only one who had been here before. He hadn't yet picked a room because he'd wanted to give the others first choice. He was happy to take whatever was left.

Bags were suddenly thrown aside as the men toured their temporary new "digs," as Paris would say.

"Nice," Paris said after choosing the room in back. "Chicks will certainly love it."

"Sucks," Gideon said, but everyone ignored him as usual. Everything out of his mouth was a lie. He'd taken the room closest to the front door.

"How long have you been here?" Strider asked Lucien as he came back into the living room.

"Only a few minutes."

"How is that even possible?" Strider and Lucien had only been reunited a month ago, Strider part of the group who had remained in Greece to fight the Hunters after Lucien's men had departed for Budapest. Hundreds of years had since passed, and they were only now getting to know each other again. "You didn't fly out before us, and you damn sure didn't fly with us."

Paris swung an arm over the wide expanse of Lucien's shoulders. "My man here did a little something called flashing." He proceeded to explain how Lucien could enter the spirit world and travel from one location to another in the blink of an eye. "Learned it a few years after we arrived in Buda."

Before then, he hadn't had enough control over the demon to master the ability.

Strider nodded, clearly impressed. "Cool skill. But why didn't you just flash all of us?"

Again, Paris answered for him. "Last time he spread the flashing love, Reyes threw up all over his shirt. I never laughed so hard in my life. Lucien, though, has no sense of humor and vowed never to take us again."

"I'm surprised you didn't mention the part where you fainted," Lucien said wryly.

Strider chortled. "Oh, man. You fainted? What a baby! Shit, look at that view," he added with barely a pause, catching sight of the terrace. "Reminds me of Olympus."

"Hey," Paris said, frowning at Lucien. "I told you I hit my head midflash."

"That doesn't make you any less of a baby," Strider tossed over his shoulder. He braced his arms on the balcony frame and leaned forward. "No matter how many times I see this place, it feels like the first time."

Paris wasn't letting the subject drop. "Let's see your reaction to a flash, Defeat. I bet you - "

"Stop," Lucien interjected with a raised hand. Paris knew better than to issue any type of challenge to Strider. Once the man entered into a competition, be it a knife fight, boxing or even the human game he and Paris liked to play, Xbox, he could not lose without suffering intense, debilitating pain. Needless to say, he did anything necessary to win at everything. "We have work to do."

"Work sucks," Gideon said.

Lucien ignored him. "We need to better secure the building in case any Hunters managed to follow us. After that, we'll prepare for our outing tomorrow."

They had the first done in an hour, placing sensors on the windows and around the building. They were sweating when they reentered the living room.

"I had Torin look a few things up before we left," Paris said, digging weapons from his boots and placing them on the nearest tabletop. "He thinks the temple we're going to search is the Temple of the All Gods. Ever heard of it?"

Lucien shook his head. Anya had not mentioned names. Anya... He ran his tongue over his teeth, his blood heating. In arousal for the woman, in fury at the god who wanted her dead.

"What do you think we'll find?" Strider asked, his features pensive as he peered at Lucien. "And why the hell do you now look capable of murder? These last few weeks the only expression you've given us was bored. I mention the temples and hello, demon."

The others whipped to face Lucien and were obviously shocked by what they saw. "Hopefully we'll find the box," he said, disregarding the other question. "Or at least a clue as to its whereabouts." Unfortunately, he would have to deal with Anya while looking. Anya. Fighting. Dying. Dead.

"Shit. His eyes are red. I've never seen that happen to him before." Paris.

"I remember what he was like back in the demon days, and it wasn't pretty." Strider. "Should we, I don't know, chain him?"

"Yeah, that'll be fun," Gideon said.

"Give me a minute, and I'll be fine." Before they could do anything, Lucien flashed back to Antarctica, right into the frigid water. He gasped, suddenly chilled to the bone. Yet while the icy liquid helped cool the fierceness of his anger, it did little to quench his desire for the woman currently taking up prime real estate inside his head.