Chapter 18
Chapter
Eighteen
GRIM
“ F ucking ungrateful, entitled pricks, the lot of them,” I grumbled, my annoyance swelling.
The decanter in my hand was woefully empty as I took the elevator down to the bottom floor to my bespoke wine cellar. I’d crafted an entire corner specifically to house my collection of Brimstone whiskey and now that my brothers were here, my stores were rapidly depleting. I was going to have to call Hades and ask for another shipment at this rate.
“The least they could do is refill the decanter after they empty it, but noooo. Would serve them all right if I cut them off. Bloody parasites.”
It wasn’t like they didn’t know where the cellar was. They’d left nothing more than a few drops in the crystal container this time. No excuse for bad manners. I’d have to teach them a thing or two if they were going to live in polite society. Clearly the years of rock stardom had only made Sin worse, and Chaos? Well, who knew what he’d been up to. War was never civilized.
Malice was only slightly more tolerable, though I suppose the years of living on his own had taught him a thing or two about picking up after himself. So there was that, at least.
My grumbling continued as I reached the large wooden door, its pointed arch and oversized iron handle all that was left of the Bavarian castle I once called home. Ah, the good old days. Back when all I had to worry about was being the first to successfully kick off the apocalypse. Now, strangely, I was supposed to stop it.
One constant I’d banked on in my long life was my purpose. The other was that I bring death to all things. Now, for the first time, both of those constants had been tested. No wonder I was feeling so out of sorts.
Stalking down the rows of expensive wines from across the world, I zeroed in on my goal—the beautiful bottles of amber liquid nestled in a special case. Perhaps I should get a lock to keep Sin out. He knew exactly where to come to find the precious commodity, and eventually he would have done exactly that. Selecting one, I uncorked it and refilled the decanter, my nose picking up on the distinctive notes of brimstone and hellfire mixed with peat.
More than ready to enjoy a glass, I returned the bottle to its resting spot and turned, only to stop dead. A splash of familiar flaming hair peeked out from around the corner, spilling across the floor in a way that felt unnatural. Instinct screamed at me to go to her, and the sight that greeted me when I rounded the tall wine rack had all my senses on alert. Merri wasn’t supposed to be in here, but more than that, she shouldn’t be curled up on her side like a child hiding from a monster.
“Wildflower?” I called, forgetting myself as I used my secret nickname for her.
When she didn’t so much as stir, I set the decanter down and crouched in front of her. I’d been alone, so I hadn’t bothered with my gloves, which meant I couldn’t even give her a shake.
“Merri,” I tried again, louder this time.
Her skin was deathly pale, dark circles ringing her eyes, but she blinked and finally focused on me. “Hi, Daddy,” she whispered. “I didn’t think anyone would find me here. No cameras.”
The instant her eyes locked on mine, I was nearly knocked over by the wave of lust that accompanied them. Her power was unchecked, searching and needy. I scrambled away from her.
“Control yourself,” I snapped, terrified of what might happen in my ungloved state.
“I’m trying,” she said, her voice wobbling. “It’s been so hard.”
She could say that again. I wasn’t a stranger to arousal, but the reaction my body had to her was painful and immediate.
Slowly pushing herself up to a seated position, she rested her head in her hands and let out a soft, defeated sigh. “I’m starving. Sin was right. The camming was barely keeping me going, and without it...”
Fuck.
This was my fault.
It had been three days since the attack. Three days since my edict against Merri’s sole energy source.
She continued with the most pathetic look on her face. “You guys don’t even jerk off. At least when I was at Iniquity, I could snack on the surplus sexual energy from patrons. This is like living in a convent. Except a convent is probably more horny. You know the nuns are getting off to thoughts of hot priests.”
I would have laughed if she didn’t sound so forlorn. And frankly, she looked terrible. I’d seen hospice patients who looked healthier.
“Come on, wildflower. You can’t be down here. Let’s get you to your room and sort you out.”
She stared at me in shock for a heartbeat before nodding and reaching for me. I was at a loss for all of two seconds, knowing the last thing I could do was give her my hand. Pulling myself together, I offered my fabric-covered elbow instead, fighting a groan as the heat of her palm radiated through my shirt.
“I’m not contagious, you know. And I might be desperate, but I already swore not to feed from the unwilling,” she muttered, her steps unsteady as I led her from the little room.
“It’s not me I’m protecting. It’s you.”
“Ah, the classic it’s not you, it’s me speech,” she mused with a raspy bark of laughter.
“I’m glad you see things my way.” I hated the way her words affected me, making me wish things were different, that I was different.
It had been ages since I’d let myself fall into the deep pit of yearning for casual affection and physical contact. Hel had all but burned it out of me after that absolute shitshow of a relationship. Or so I’d thought. Until Merri showed up and sent my carefully contained life tits up.
I stared down at the crown of her head, at a complete loss as she snuggled into my arm like a kitten.
Fuck.
I couldn’t give her anything she wanted or needed. All I could do was hurt her.
Punching the elevator button, I waited none too patiently for the car to descend so I could get her safely tucked into her room and away from me. Forgetting my gloves was a mistake I wouldn’t make twice. As Merri had proven once again, just because I planned on spending a night alone didn’t mean I was going to get my wish. She had a way of turning up at the most inconvenient and unexpected times.
“Finally,” I growled when the elevator chimed its arrival and the door slid smoothly open.
I charged forward, causing Merri to stumble in my haste. If I were anything other than the literal hand of death, I would’ve caught her. Instead I stiffened and prayed she’d right herself without me helping. So much for chivalry.
Her grip on my arm tightened, and she sagged even harder against me.
“Mmm,” she hummed, “you smell good.”
My eyebrows flew up in shock. I couldn’t recall a single time in my existence that someone remarked upon my scent. Death wasn’t exactly known for its subtle or pleasant aroma.
“Do I?” I murmured, tamping down the urge to ask her what I smelled like.
“Mmhmm. You smell like... like you were rolling around in the dirt.”
A sharp bark of laughter escaped before I could stop it. “What?”
“Yeah. Like fall. Leaves and rain.” She pressed her nose to my chest and took a deep inhale. “Damp earth. Crisp air.” I could hear the smile in her voice. “Makes me want to curl up in a blanket and crack open a book. Take a nap...”
I wasn’t sure how to feel about any of that. Was it a good thing to have a scent that made a woman want to fall asleep? Better than running away in horror, I supposed.
With the way she was pressed against me in this tiny box, I couldn’t help but breathe in her scent as well, and I had to admit, sleep was the furthest thing from my mind.
The sweet vanilla smell had my mouth watering, but once I let myself sink into the complexity of the fragrance, I realized she was everything I loved. The slight bitterness of coffee gave her a dark note I hadn’t expected, but then there was the warmth and familiarity of bourbon blending with the two, all layered with just a hint of spicy jasmine. She was delectable, and my body fucking recognized and responded to her without my permission.
If she got any closer to me, she’d feel exactly how hard being around her was for me.
I was so high off her, I’d have sworn I downed the entire decanter of whiskey, except I hadn’t had a single drop. This buzzing, swimming feeling in my head was all her.
I opened my mouth, not entirely sure what I was about to say—warn her away, perhaps, or maybe beg her for more—I was an absolute tangle of conflicted urges. Before I could do any of that, her knees gave out, and she slid down my side.
Fear punched through the sensual haze I’d been lost in, and I reacted on pure instinct. Instead of reaching for her, I jerked my arms away, terrified she might accidentally brush against my skin in her fall.
“Merri,” I called, crouching down beside her crumpled form.
With careful hands, I shook her shoulder in an attempt to bring her around. The oversized shirt she wore did nothing to cover her legs, making it impossible for me to safely pick her up.
“Wake up, wildflower. I need you to walk for me.”
She was breathing, that much I could tell, but her eyes didn't open at my urging.
Fuck.
The elevator finished its ascent, the door barely more than a crack open before I started bellowing. “Malice! Get your arse over here right now!”
The fucker didn’t show for what felt like an eternity as I reached out and pressed the button that would hold the elevator door open. I’d have called for the others, but they were both out taking care of the demands of their power tonight. Malice was the only other person here.
“Mal! I need your help! Do you hear me, you wanker?”
Slow, heavy steps echoed from down the hall, Malice’s irritated grumbling unmistakable.
“Hurry the fuck up,” I barked.
“What is it now? Can’t a man shower in fucking peace?” He rounded the corner, hair dripping, a towel in one hand, a pair of joggers haphazardly pulled on by the look of them.
“It’s Merri?—”
But I could tell from the way the blood drained from his face that further explanation wasn’t necessary.
“Jesus fucking Christ, Grimsby. Did you kill her already?”
“Me? What? No!”
The words exploded out of me. Apparently I did need to explain after all.
“She looks dead.”
“She’s starving. I found her in the wine cellar, nearly unconscious. She collapsed on our way to her room.”
“Well, pick her up, you twat.”
I held up my bare hands. “Can’t. Not without killing her. It has to be you.”
He could not have looked more put out. “Fuck’s sake,” he grumbled, dropping the towel and pushing into the small space to scoop Merri up.
I followed him out of the elevator, panic giving my voice an edge as I pressed, “She needs to feed, Malice. She’s fading fast.”
“I told you she needed her fucking cam work. You feed her.”
“It can’t be me. I’m not safe.”
“So get Sin or Chaos. They both volunteered.”
“They aren’t back yet, and”—I risked a glance at Merri’s face, her lips pale and bloodless, complexion waxy and drawn—“I don’t think we can wait.”
Mal let out a woeful sigh and rolled his eyes before looking down at her. I saw the flicker of concern cross his face, but as fast as it appeared, he schooled his expression back into the indifferent, stony facade he usually wore. “Fine. Just this once.”