Chapter 22
“This is… quaint.” Aden stretches out on the couch in the small living area. In front of us is a large bay window giving way to a clear view of Emerald Lake.
I didn’t know Mom owned this small cottage on the far side of the water across from Slate City. The flickering lights of the distant skyline look like colorful stars. Our high-rise in Emerald Point is probably among them. It makes me wonder what other properties she has scattered throughout the world.
She wanted to send us further away, but Aden is in no condition to travel, and we have no intention of staying longer than necessary. If Aden has his way, we’ll be heading to his brother’s house for stage one of our plan tomorrow.
He closes his eyes and folds his hands on his bare chest. Moonlight from the skylights bathes his smooth skin and wet hair in soft white light. It’s as if even the moon insists on worshiping him.
My gaze caresses every inch of his perfect form while the clean, spicy scent of his shower gel drifts toward me. His wet curls, the angular cut of his cheekbones and chin, down to a sculpted chest and arms that still take my breath away. Chiseled abs carve a mouthwatering path to gray sweatpants that have been dragged so low they’re barely on his hips. Every vein and muscle is on display, every glorious inch begging to be tasted and explored.
The only thing marring his perfection is the large bandage on his left side. I push away images of the ugly wound, still red and raw when I helped patch it up after his shower.
“You’re staring,” he says without opening his eyes.
“Am I not allowed to stare?”
“Just seems inefficient, that’s all.”
“Oh?” A smile plays on my lips when his lips tip up.
“You could just come over here and fuck me instead of fantasizing about it.”
Whoa.
His smile spreads into a grin as he casts a mischievous glance in my direction. Heat spreads through my core. My body tingles with the urge to oblige.
“Challenge accepted.” I climb onto the couch and straddle his hips, careful to avoid the damaged area of his side.
He meets my gaze, and I’m rocked by the most gorgeous lavender eyes, somehow visible in the shadows. It’s not even fair how breathtaking he is.
“Your eyes are glowing,” I say, leaning in to trace his cheek. His jaw. His incredible lips. I brush them with mine.
“Yeah? Why do you think that is?” I feel his smile before I see it.
“No idea. A god thing?”
“Could be. Or a you thing.”
My heart lurches in my chest. A sudden wave of panic washes through me at how close I came to losing him. And now we’re about to seek out an even more dangerous situation.
We’re running toward the very thing he should be running from.
He frowns and captures my chin in his hand. “What is it?”
I force a weak smile. “Nothing. I’m just… a lot of things, I guess. Grateful. Scared. In love. Scared. Determined. Scared. So yeah, mostly scared.”
He sighs and centers my focus on him. “I’m not going to let anything happen to you. Haven’t I proven that by now?”
“And who protects you?”
He hisses in a breath when I gently run my fingers over the bandage.
I rest my palms on his chest and search his face. “What if my mom hadn’t shot Rob? What if she’d chosen differently?”
He smooths his thumbs over my cheeks as emotion squeezes my chest. God, what if I’d lost him? What if he was chained up in The Shadow’s dungeon or?—
“Hey,” he says softly.
I bite my quivering lip.
“It doesn’t matter because she did shoot him,” he says in a firm tone. “And if she hadn’t, we would have figured out a different path. Either way, we fight, we survive.”
I nod as the weight of these last few days crashes in at once. Tears blur my vision, burning away the little that’s left of my strong fa?ade. I swat them away with a rough hand. I don’t want to be a woman who cries. I want to be a warrior. To be strong in the face of a challenge.
“It’s okay.” Aden guides me down on top of him.
I stretch out along his good side and burrow into his warmth. His heavy arms tighten around me, and I drape mine over his chest, holding on with all I have. Hot tears drip from my eyes to his skin despite my attempts to stop them.
“You’ve been through hell,” he says gently, running his fingers through my hair. I close my eyes and focus on the soothing motion of his touch and steady beat of his heart.
“So have you,” I whisper.
“Yeah, but I’m sort of wired for this shit.” His chest moves with a light chuckle beneath me.
“No one should be wired for hell.”
“I mean, if you want to get technical…”
“If you give me some asinine story about your cousin Hades I’m going to smack you.”
“So, I should cancel our lunch with him tomorrow?”
I lift my head to meet his grin. My own smile slips out but fades the longer we study each other. I adjust to smooth my palm over his cheek and tilt his face toward me. After a brief pause, I lean in for a tentative kiss.
Sparks skim over my lips. With a small whimper, I part them to steal more, and more, until I’m lifting up for better access. His tongue invades my mouth, spreading a soft buzz wherever it touches. It slides over mine in a gentle caress of electricity while our lips wrestle and suck.
A moan escapes me at how good it feels. Heat streaks through my body straight to my core, and I dig my hips into his abs for much needed friction.
He winces, and I pull back.
“Shit! I’m so sorry. I?—”
He grips my hair and drags my mouth to his. “Just move lower.”
Fuck yes.
My center drags over the hardening ridge in his sweatpants, triggering an animalistic need to consume him. His fingers tighten in my hair as he lifts up to lock my mouth to his and drive our frenzied kisses. With each deep thrust of his tongue, my hips seek more pressure to ease the ache in my core.
“Aden,” I breathe out. “I want you. All of you.”
The electric current feels like it’s searing through my body and pooling between my thighs. The craving is unbearable. I need his hard heat inside me, to feel his explosive arousal in the deepest parts of my body and soul.
“We’ll be careful,” I promise, searching his face for any sign of surrender.
Eyes closed, his expression is the picture of agony as he draws in a controlling breath.
“We can’t. Not until we’re both stronger.”
Disappointment turns to irritation. I hate that it’s always his way or no way.
“We can at least try,” I say.
Before he can argue, I reach between my legs and run my palm over the hard outline of his cock.
“Fuck, Gabi,” he groans, but he doesn’t stop me.
I shift to straddle his thighs and peel down the waistband of his sweatpants. I’m not being fair, but neither is he to expect me to keep waiting after almost losing him so many times. If we’ve learned anything, it’s that any touch could be our last.
His hard length springs free and quickly becomes an impossible temptation. I run my fingertips along the firm, hot flesh, mesmerized by the mix of longing and pain on his face. Each brush of my hand triggers another flash of arousal he’s trying so hard to fight. I mold my palm over the solid ridge in a gluttonous hold.
“It’s not safe.” His hoarse tone ruptures the little restraint I have left.
No, what’s not safe is the fire about to combust inside me.
“I’m feeling fine.”
I lower my head and slide my tongue along his shaft. Sparks sizzle over my tongue in the most delicious sensation.
“Mmm,” I hum, going in for another pass.
“Fuck,” he exhales as I lick again and again.
He throws his arm over his face, breathing hard while his body fights his mind. As they argue, I swirl my tongue over the smooth, hot tip of his cock. The faint taste of soap has me hungry for more, and I draw him into my mouth for a gentle suck. The tip of my tongue grazes the crown while my fist tightens around the base of his shaft.
He curses again, and I can’t stop a triumphant smile when his hips instinctively rock into my mouth. I increase suction and take him deeper, melting at how good he tastes. The rigid, burning flesh feels incredible against my tongue.
His chest moves in heavy breaths as he digs the heels of his palms into his eyes. Damn, he’s really fighting this. Why?
I’m almost angry when he abruptly pushes at my shoulders.
“Wait. Stop.”
I pull off him, staring at him in disbelief. “Why are you so hesitant? I told you, I’m fine.”
“I know. It’s just…”
“You need to heal so we can go find my dad, right? Isn’t this helping?”
“Of course it’s helping. It’s incredible. I’m already feeling a lot better.”
“Okay, so…?”
I let the question hang between us as he scrubs at his face.
“I’m strong enough, Aden. I promise I’m okay.”
“It’s not that. It’s… Fuck, I can’t believe I’m saying this.” His gaze swings to me. “I want something else more.”
“More than sex?”
“Yes.”
He peeks at me with a look bordering on shy. It’s so fucking adorable, I can’t even be mad anymore.
He rolls out from under me and pushes to his feet. After adjusting his pants, he holds out his hand. “Come with me.”
I squint at him and take his hand. He pulls me up and he leads me through the cottage to the small bedroom.
“You want to use the bed instead of the couch?” I ask.
“Sort of.”
After folding back the blankets, he lies down and motions to me. Confused, I follow his lead and crawl in beside him.
“On your side,” he says in a soft tone.
I obey, still not sure what’s happening. Soon I’m facing the wall with my back to his front.
He shifts closer and drapes his arm over my stomach to secure me against him.
“I wanted you to save your strength for this,” he whispers. “I want an entire night with you.”
His lips rest on my hair, and I freeze in shock. Oh my god.
Emotion swells in my chest and clogs my throat.
“Good night, Gabi. I love you.”
A hot tear rolls down my cheek when I thread my fingers with his. “Good night. I love you too.”
“You ready?” Aden asks.
“No pressure,” I mumble.
He takes my hand and squeezes my palm. “They’re going to love you. Just don’t let go of me or the laptop.”
That part seems easy enough. It’s the rest I’m not sure about.
In the history of “meet the in-laws moments,” mine must rank up there among the most bizarre. I’m not sure how many other girlfriends have had to jump through another dimension to confront their boyfriend’s brother who also happens to be a god, but I’d imagine it doesn’t happen a whole hell of a lot.
The fact that we even make it through The Translucence this time is a step in the right direction, though.
“It worked!” I say but miss his response when my eyes go wide. “Holy shit.”
After passing through the dim shadow world, we’ve emerged into one of the largest home libraries I’ve ever seen. Massive shelves lined with books and antiquities stretch toward a breathtaking cathedral ceiling. Plush leather furniture fills the center of the room, while giant merlot-colored drapes hang over another wall to conceal what must be an enormous window. A fireplace bigger than most closets adorns the wall to my right, although there’s currently no fire.
When I finally draw my gawking eyes back to the present, a man and a woman are staring at us with amused expressions.
“It’s a lot, huh?” the woman says. “Hi, I’m Analise. You must be Gabi.”
Long blonde hair swings over her shoulder as she holds out her hand to me. She’s unpretentiously pretty with discerning, kind eyes. I return a smile of my own as I take her hand.
No sparks. She must be human.
“Yes, nice to meet you.”
The woman nods and waves toward her companion. “This is Luca.”
Luca. My heart stutters for a beat as I scan the man Aden told me about this morning. He didn’t want there to be any awkward secrets during our encounter today. I appreciated his honesty, but now that I’m looking at the man who “nursed” my boyfriend back to health, a surge of emotion moves behind my ribs.
His dark eyes study me with an anxious expression.
“Hey. Good to finally meet you,” he says, casting a nervous look at Aden.
Aden places a soothing palm on my lower back.
“This is him?” I ask, turning to Aden.
He swallows hard. “Yeah. If not for him, I probably wouldn’t have?—”
I stalk forward and throw my arms around the stranger. Luca tenses at first, then relaxes.
“Thank you,” I whisper.
“You’re welcome,” he says softly.
I pull away and offer the sincerest smile I can muster. He looks relieved as Analise loops her elbow around his.
“Told you she wouldn’t beat the shit out of you,” she quips.
“Yes, well, you’re the optimist of the group,” Luca mutters.
“No Matteo?” Aden asks, glancing around.
Analise winces. “Sorry. He’s on ‘god duty’ today. He should be back tonight if you want to wait.”
“Shit.” Aden scratches at his temple and turns to Luca. “It’s fine. You’re the one we need anyway. You got a second?”
Luca huffs a laugh. “We’re in hiding. I’ve got nothing but seconds. What’s up?”
Aden motions for the laptop, and I hand it over. “We need your help. I know you don’t like reliving your past, but we need to find Gabi’s father. It’s life or death or I wouldn’t even ask.”
Luca’s smile fades and Analise threads her fingers with his in a firm grip. She glances up at him with a concerned expression.
“You don’t have to, babe,” she says softly. “You’ve done enough.”
“We’re just looking for information, nothing more,” Aden says. “Please, Luca. You’re our best shot at finding the man and ending this.”
After a long pause, Luca nods and pulls away from Analise. “Show me what you’ve got.”
Aden and I breathe a sigh of relief as we follow Luca toward a desk by the drapes.
While Aden logs into Mom’s laptop, I turn to Luca and Analise.
“According to my mother, my father was working with The Shadow and stole one of the… Um… Them.” I motion toward Aden.
“Your father is Jack Wells, correct?” Luca asks.
I nod and his expression goes dark. “Did you ever cross paths with my dad?”
“Not directly, but I was assigned to security not operations, so that’s not surprising. What I do know is that if he stole one of the deities, he’s a dead man.”
A shiver runs through me at the finality of his words, even though we suspected as much.
“We know,” Aden says. “And until we find him and turn him in, Gabi is their primary target.”
“Fuck…” Luca scrubs a hand over his face.
“Yeah.”
Luca pulls in a deep breath. “Okay. Then let’s find him. What do you have so far?”
Aden tilts the laptop toward Luca. “This is everything Celeste has gathered. She’s been looking for him too.”
“I’ve been running my own investigation as well,” I add. “Although, all I found was that he asked to be dropped off somewhere on Canal St. in the Watershed District the night he disappeared.”
Luca’s shoulders tense as he fires a look at me. “Canal St.? You’re sure?”
I nod, and he mumbles a curse.
“The only facility I know with assets that valuable near Canal St. is The Mill property.”
“The Mill?”
“Yeah, it’s an old warehouse right near the water. The Shadow took control of it about ten years ago and converted the basement into a fortress of sorts. If Jack was headed to Canal St., he must have been going there.”
“And they keep prisoners there?”
“Yeah,” he breathes out. “They definitely do.”
Analise squeezes his shoulder, and he returns a weak smile.
“But how would he kidnap someone from The Shadow? And why?” I ask.
“Good questions.” Luca leans forward and scans a spreadsheet with my mother’s notes. We wait quietly, until his hand freezes on the track pad. “Oh shit. He didn’t have to kidnap one.”
“What do you mean?”
He turns to me and points at the screen. “Right here. Your mom has a note about finding periodic 1.7-million-dollar payments to an off-shore account.”
“That number means something to you?”
He nods with what’s almost a pitying look. “Everyone in the organization knows that number. It’s the highest tier of reward payouts… and there’s only one asset in that tier.”
My stomach drops. “The deities.” I can barely get the words out.
“I’m sorry,” he says gently. “I’d bet anything your father didn’t steal a deity. He just didn’t turn one in. He was probably hunting them and handing them over for the reward bounties. My guess, he decided to keep one for himself.”
I shake my head, numb. I can’t even look at Aden.
“Why?” I manage finally. “Why would he do that? And why go to the Watershed District if he was planning on betraying The Shadow?”
“I can’t answer your second question, but from what I can tell, this is why he did it.” He pulls up a surveillance photo that shows two men in front of a rundown warehouse.
“That’s him,” I gasp. “That’s my dad.”
Luca nods. “Makes sense. I don’t know who the other man is, but that building is Factory X in Hell’s Gate.”
“Hell’s Gate?” I say in shock. “Why would he be in Hell’s Gate?”
“Only one reason I can think of—he’s making a deal with the Demon Militia.”
I gasp. “You mean…?”
“The Shadow’s biggest rival, yeah. They’ve been battling it out for territory since they took out Hunter’s Cross a decade ago.”
A muscle moves in his jaw at that revelation, but there’s nothing in his expression that tells me he wants to elaborate on that particular story.
“Anyway, the Demon Militia owns all of Hell’s Gate now, which is why The Shadow is on edge. They’re afraid they’re going to push into the Watershed District next.”
“Do you think they could?” I ask. “Is that why my father would switch sides?”
Luca shrugs. “No idea. But I bet they’d pay big for a deity. Not just for their own use, but to keep that advantage away from The Shadow. And I’d bet they’d offer more than money.”
I stare at him. “Like what?”
“I don’t know, but a wealthy man like your father wouldn’t take this risk for money. Well, not just for money.”
I force away the nausea in my stomach.
Aden has been unusually quiet, and I glance up to see a faraway look on his face.
“You okay?” I ask.
He seems to shake off a trance. “Yeah. Fine. So, your bet is on this Demon Militia?”
Luca nods. “If Gabi’s father betrayed The Shadow, the Demon Militia would be the only group capable of protecting him. I’d bet almost anything, you’re going to find him in Hell’s Gate under lock and key.” He glances back at the grainy photo. “Figure out who that other guy is, and you probably have your next lead.”
“No need,” Aden says in a dark tone. “I know who that is.”