The Darkest Pleasure (Lords of the Underworld #3)(67)

They strode in silence for several minutes and soon hit the bottom of the hill. The sensation of being watched increased, and Reyes studied the surrounding area, gaze cutting through the shadows. Nothing seemed out of place, no one lurked nearby, but he didn't relax his guard.

"Let's get this over with," he said, and moved forward.

"YOUR REPORT, Stefano?"

"Gladly. I spoke with the girl. She mentioned another demon. Hope. Said this one's the Lords' enemy. Clearly they lied to her. Hope is not evil. Besides, we've seen and heard nothing of him. As for movement, at fifteen hundred hours, the one called Reyes left the fortress with a warrior we haven't yet been able to identify. The girl just left the premises, as well."

"The Darkest Pleasure"

"Was she bound?"

Dean Stefano sat at his desk and held a phone to his ear, sweat pouring from him. After talking with Danika, he'd spent a little time in front of the punching bag, hammering away. Then a call had come in from a trusted source, one who had relayed unexpected news. News that could destroy everything he'd worked for these past ten years.

Then he'd had to make a call of his own. This call. His heart would not stop pounding.

"No," he said. "She didn't appear subdued in any way. She was with the female demon Cameo and seemed willing to follow her. I'd say she acted of her own accord. Might even be working with the demons now." It would be a shame if that were true; he'd had high hopes for young Danika.

His boss remained silent for several seconds. They had worked together for a decade now, and he knew Galen to be single-minded in his pursuit of a life without Lords. Fierce, ruthless in his quest. Righteous.

That's as it should be. Galen was an angel, sent from the heavens. A living, breathing angel who flew through the skies on the wings of glory. Stefano hadn't believed him, not at first. Then he'd seen the wings. Then he'd looked deep into the man's eyes - eyes as fathomless as the sky, eyes that offered hope in a world of despair. Stefano had grabbed on to that hope for all he was worth.

Galen had assured Stefano that when the demons were gone, the world would become a peaceful place. Pain and misery, pestilence and disease would be things of the past, a distant memory. Ten years he'd been fighting this battle, and he'd never regretted it. His wife would be avenged, and never again would a happy couple be hurt as they'd been.

"Keep a close eye on them. Do not trust the girl and do not let them take her anywhere. If they try to move her, kill her."

"You can count on me." In war, there were always casualties. "There's something else." He gulped. "The girl...she's not simply a human. My source claims she's some type of living weapon. Supernatural, like the demons. What she is exactly, he didn't know. But if she is working with the Lords and if she does have special powers..."

There was a pause. "Why did you let her go then? Not only let her go, but gift wrap her and deliver her to the enemy?"

Because you told me to, he thought, but didn't say it. They had the same objective, and discord would only distract them. "My apologies. How shall I proceed?"

"Retrieve her. And if you can't - kill her. Better she dies than helps them."

DANIKA GAZED AROUND the nightclub. A silver strobe hung from the ceiling and tossed glistening pinpricks of light in every direction. They gleamed like stars in a black velvet sky, made for wishing and dreaming.

Hungarian rock blasted from the speakers. People danced, their bodies undulating together in a heady rhythm. Hands roved, caressing, kneading...seeking. The scent of sex practically coated the air. Waitresses hustled drinks from the bar to tables, then raced back to grab a few more.

Where was Reyes?

On the dance floor? Grinding his erection into another woman? Asking that other woman to scratch him, bite him, hurt him?

Danika's hands curled into fists. She'd finished the preliminary sketches on two paintings and had even added a little color. One, she'd hidden. It was for her eyes alone. The other she'd propped in the studio before going in search of Reyes, knowing he would want to see it. She hadn't found him. Instead, she'd found Cameo, the beautiful woman who made her want to pluck out her eyes and jam sticks into her ears.

Cameo had escorted her here and now stood at her side. "Look. I probably shouldn't have brought you here, or let you leave the fortress at all. Try to run, and you won't like me when I catch you. But I'm a sucker for romance, so here we are. See him?"

"I won't run." The emotional pain caused by the woman's voice was almost too much, and she nearly covered her ears to block it. "And no, I don't see him."

"When you do, just remember he is a warrior with a tortured past you cannot even imagine. If you want him, you'll have to fight him."

Maybe it was their topic, but the more Cameo spoke, the more the sensation of misery eased. "Don't you mean for him? Fight for him?"

"Oh, no. You'll have to fight him. He won't surrender to his feelings easily. Good luck. Remember, no running or you'll regret it." With that, the female warrior disappeared into the shadows, leaving Danika alone in the doorway.

Well, as alone as a woman could be when surrounded by people. Were any Hunters among them? The suspicion chilled her. What if they were here? Stefano had told her several of his men would be in the area. What if they saw her? Tried to talk to her? Sweet Jesus. She and Stefano hadn't covered what to do in this type of situation because neither of them had thought she would be leaving the fortress. Despite the ice in her blood, sweat instantly beaded over her skin.