Chapter 41
Chapter Forty-One
Enzo
Flanagan. Every instinct screamed at me to walk in there and end him—drain him dry and be done with it. But that would start a war with the human police we couldn't afford.
However, if he tried to take Joy from me, if he tried to separate us again after everything we'd been through, then Flanagan could meet the bayou alligators up close and personal.
Joy's hand fisted in my shirt, her eyes searching mine. "Enzo, don't do anything stupid. Please."
I bent down and kissed her, forcing myself to focus on her lips, her scent, her presence. The touch grounded me, pulled me back from the edge.
“I promise I won’t.” I hesitated, my hand lingering on hers.
The thought of leaving her—even for a few minutes—made my chest tighten.
What if something happened while I was gone?
What if she was taken again? I left her and pulled on vampire speed, showering quickly before changing into clean clothes.
If Flanagan was watching, he’d only see a quick blur.
I came down the stairs, exhaustion weighing on every step. I was tired—bone-deep, soul-tired—and all I wanted was to collapse with Joy in my arms. Instead, I had to deal with this.
I entered the living room where Flanagan and another officer were waiting. Flanagan was stiff and his arms crossed defensively. The other one—younger, in a crisp suit—seemed relaxed, almost casual.
Angelo glanced up at me as I entered. “We have an interesting development, Enzo.”
Flanagan cleared his throat. "I was sent to inform you that you're no longer under suspension for the murders of Maximo Barone or Gloria Stenson."
I cocked an eyebrow.
"Let me introduce myself," the other detective said.
He was about twenty years younger than Flanagan, with a full head of hair as opposed to Flanagan, whose face was turning red.
"I'm Detective Joseph Bradford. Due to an internal affairs investigation, we've discovered improprieties in our department beginning with Captain Boudreaux.
We've determined that he planted evidence against you. Unfortunately, he's gone missing."
Missing. I kept my face carefully blank. Boudreaux—or rather, Faas wearing Boudreaux's stolen identity—had fled through the portal back to the Dark Demon citadel in Colorado. The humans would search forever and find nothing, because their "captain" had never been human at all.
Flanagan flashed Bradford a furious gaze but kept his mouth shut.
I understood now. Bradford was forcing Flanagan to deliver an apology that must have stuck in his craw. A smile tugged at my lips. Satisfaction settled warm in my chest. Watching Flanagan squirm might actually make this worthwhile.
“If we find any more information about Captain Boudeaux, we will contact you,” Detective Bradford said. “Good day.”
Flanagan followed Bradford out the door like a beaten cur. He’d be back and we’d tangle with him, but for now, I didn’t have the murder charges sticking to me.
Angelo glanced at the departing detectives, then back to me. "Didn't see that coming." His expression shifted to business. "I've spoken with Elena. Dinner's at eight. Serenity has an announcement—she wouldn't tell me what. You and Joy need to be there."
An order dressed up as a suggestion.
"We'll be there," I said automatically. But even as the words left my mouth, I was already thinking about how to get out of it. I had other plans for tonight—ones that involved Joy and absolutely no one else.
I took the stairs two at a time and nearly collided with Steve and Joy at the top.
I could smell fresh soap and her hair was damp.
She must have showered. She'd changed from her torn dress into jeans and a black shirt—still beautiful, still mine, but still injured.
She needed rest, the kind only I could give her.
She threw herself into my arms. "Enzo, what happened? Are you okay?"
I pulled her close, breathing her in. "The police are gone. They discovered Boudreaux planted the evidence. I'm cleared."
"Thank god." Her hands framed my face, her eyes searching mine. Love shone in those dark depths—undying, fierce, unwavering. “It's really over?"
"It's over," I confirmed.
Steve clapped my shoulder, grinning. "Hell of a day for good news."
I didn't take my eyes off Joy. "Steve, I need a moment alone with your sister."
"Say no more." He headed downstairs, whistling.
I lifted her into my arms and carried her to my room, kicking the door shut behind us. I inhaled her soft scent. Desire surged through me, hot and demanding. I needed her-now.
"Are you too tired to—"
She placed her finger on my lips, silencing me. "I'm as hungry for you as you are for me. You were all I thought about when I was trapped in the Elder Dimension—your scent, your kiss, your touch. I want you now."
Heat flooded through me at her words, at the need in her voice that matched my own. "Joy—"
"No more talking, Enzo. Just you and me. Finally."
I lowered her to the hardwood floor, her weight shifting from my arms to the polished oak with a soft creak.
She immediately kicked off her worn leather boots, sending them tumbling across the floor.
Standing there, backlit by the amber glow of my bedside lamp, she slid her fingers beneath the hem of her black T-shirt, the fabric stretching as she lifted it over her head, her dark hair cascading back down around her shoulders.
Black lace traced shadows across her skin, disappearing into valleys I wanted to follow with my fingertips.
I shifted my weight, the seam of my jeans suddenly too tight.
She held my gaze as her fingers worked each button, one by one, until she gripped the denim at her hips and tugged downward.
The fabric surrendered, revealing a matching edge of black that cut a sharp line across the pale curve where her legs met her body.
"You're so beautiful," I whispered.
I pulled her into my arms and kissed her hard, my tongue tracing the soft curve of her lower lip before delving deeper.
She tasted of mint and honey, familiar yet intoxicating.
The weight of her body against mine ignited every nerve ending, a stark reminder of how hollow these past couple of days had been without her.
The days feeling like months. I never wanted to lose her again.
My flesh ached with need, my hardness straining painfully against my jeans as her fingers tangled in my hair, but I forced myself to move with deliberate slowness, savoring each shiver that passed through her body when my hands traced the delicate line of her spine.
She threaded her slender fingers through my hair, her nails lightly grazing my scalp as she returned my passion with equal fervor.
Mine. She was mine again. After believing I’d lost her forever, she was here—real, warm, alive in my arms. Her soft lips planted warm kisses across my flushed face, from my temples to my jawline, before she playfully wiggled away from me, her eyes never leaving mine.
With deliberate slowness, she arched her back and reached behind herself, the movement causing her collarbone to catch the dim light as her fingers found the clasp of her lace bra.
It fell with a whisper onto the hardwood floor, freeing her large, perfect breasts, their pale skin pebbling in the cool air. "I want you.”
She didn’t have tell me twice. I tore off my tie then ripped off my shirt, buttons scattering into the air and across the floor. Desire flooded through me. I wanted her hard and fast.
Joy backed against the door, hooked her thumbs into the waistband of her panties, and inched them down over the curve of her thighs.
She flicked one foot, sending them sailing across the room to dangle from the lampshade like a tiny flag of surrender.
Her laugh was low, throaty. Where purple-black shadows and ugly slashes had bloomed across her skin, now there was only golden smoothness.
"Did Serenity heal you?" I managed to ask.
"She did." Joy's pupils dilated as she held my gaze. "I can feel everything now. Every. Single. Thing."
I tilted my head, watching her silhouette against the amber glow of the bedside lamp. "Don't you want to get into bed?"
She leaned back against the door, spreading her thighs in a deliberate invitation, her skin gleaming with a thin sheen of perspiration. The shadows accentuated the curve of her hips, the soft rise and fall of her chest with each breath.
Her eyes, dark and heavy-lidded, held mine as she bit her lower lip. "No. Not now. I want you to take me here against the door."
My throat ran dry at her words, like desert sand beneath a merciless sun.
I edged out of my Italian leather loafers, fumbling with my belt buckle before sliding my tailored slacks down trembling legs, never taking my eyes off the goddess before me—her skin glowing amber in the half-light, dark hair cascading across bare shoulders.
I yanked off my silk boxers, the cool air of the room caressing my exposed skin. My cock stood at attention, throbbing with each rapid heartbeat.
"Take me, Enzo. Please," she whispered, her voice honey-thick with desire.
"Oh, I will," I promised, "but I want to taste you first."