Dark Beauty (The Deadly Beauties Live On 1)

I toss my panties to the bed, and I go back to my drawers, failing to keep my hands from trembling.

“That’s not what I mean and you know it. You’re going after Gavin after I told you to stay away. How the fuck do you think you’re going to take him even if you do find him?”

“Well, you didn’t tell me to stay away from Gavin. You told me to stay away from you. And I haven’t worked out how I’m going to handle him, but I think Thad and I can throw him into purgatory. We’re still running over a plan.”

“You’re seriously going to open the gates of purgatory again? After all this shit?”

I turn to face him, steeling my rubbery legs that seem to lose consistency in his presence. “It’ll be a suction gate, not an exit gate. Nothing can get out when it’s open for admittance instead of escape. You know this, so stop being a dick.”

He closes the distance between us, and before I can process any of it, his lips are on mine, and my fingers thrust into his hair, pulling him as close as possible. His hands move to my hips, and he jerks me toward him, pushing our bodies flush, and his tongue slips into the part between my lips.

The bar in his tongue flicks and swirls, eliciting a heated moan from me. His throaty growl sends chills down my body, and my towel falls to the ground, leaving me bare for him to do with as he pleases.

Unfortunately, he pulls back, leaving me breathless. He pants for air while moving toward the other side of the room, and I pull my towel back up.

“I’m sorry,” he says quietly, so quietly I barely hear it.

I stare at his back, and I resist the urge to go to him. “Don’t be. That’s exactly what I wanted. Well, I want more, actually. Just stay. I promise I won’t risk my life unnecessarily, Gage. Just stay. Please.”

I hate the fact that I’m begging, but I can’t help myself. When he turns to face me, I see the pain in his eyes. “That wasn’t why I was apologizing. You’re about to hate me, but I refuse to risk your life, Kimber. If you won’t keep yourself safe, then I will.”

I tilt my head, confused, and then I look at the mirror and my mouth falls open. Resting on top of the necklace he gave me is another necklace I never felt him put on. And I recognize it. It’s the medallion that iced my gatekeeping powers so long ago and allowed us to shut the gates of purgatory. I can’t use my gatekeeping powers while wearing it, but he’s an idiot if he thinks I won’t just… What the fuck?

“Why can’t I take this off?” I snap, struggling to make the necklace budge, but it remains on my neck no matter how hard I tug.

“Because I spelled it to you.”

With more frantic motions, I jerk at it harder, but to no avail.

“Why?” I bark turning my glare back on him.

He takes a breath, and he shakes his head. “Because somehow in the span of the few short weeks I’ve been with you, I’ve managed to fucking fall in love, and I’ll be damned if I let you die trying to save me. That will keep you from chasing down your death, because your powers will be absent until I die or take it off you.”

Tears water in my eyes, and I move toward him. “Take it off, Gage. Now, dammit!”

He smiles weakly, and he reaches up to thumb a tear off my cheek. “That right there is why I fell in love.” He moves to the other side of my face and knocks away another tear. “And that’s why I can’t take it off. You’d give your life to save mine, even if it was a pointless death. It’s funny, you know. I risked Alyssa’s life—used her as bait. Did the same with Morgana. I wasn’t worried because I thought I could keep them safe. But with you… I can’t take that risk. I finally found what I want, and wouldn’t you know I can’t have it because it could cost you your life. Fate’s a really cruel bitch to me.”

I tug at his hand, putting it on the necklace as more tears fall. I can’t go after Gavin or put him in purgatory with this damn thing on.

“Please,” I say in a choked breath, “take it off.”

He bends and brushes his lips against mine, and then he leans back up. “Not until Gavin’s dead.”

Before I can argue more, he vanishes from the room, and I’m left pleading with the vacant air. I continue struggling to remove the necklace, but I can’t get it off.

As I shove my legs in some pants and toss on a shirt, I pick up my phone to call Alyssa. Why the hell did she give that to him?

My phone rings before I can make the call, and Karma’s name flashes across the screen. Even though I need to figure out a way to get this damn necklace off, I answer to see what she needs in case it’s important.

“Kimber?” she asks before I can even answer with a hello.

“Yeah.”

“I need you to go to Kya’s house with me right now. She sent a message saying she would talk to me, but only you were allowed to come with me. She doesn’t trust anyone else, and she has information on Gavin.”

Shit. Of all the timing.

“What about Dice?”