No Mercy (Dark-Hunter 18)

Dev's jaw dropped as he saw the time. No. It couldn't be.... One minute more and he'd have missed the deadline. "What the hell trick is that? It hasn't been twenty-four hours yet."

Thorn arched one perfect brow into the most arrogant and disdainful expression Dev had ever seen. "Oh? Did I fail to tell you about the time? It travels differently on the other side. You've missed an entire day here while you frolicked with some of my friends."

Anger erupted inside him. "You bastard!"

Thorn's eyes glowed vibrant red. "Don't push me, Bear. You have your belt and you've won. For now. Take your prize and be grateful I didn't change the rules on you." He turned his attention to Fang. "Get them home."

All of a sudden he and Fang were in a small room where Sam was pacing. The sight of her there...of her safe and sound and in corporeal form again.

Those feelings slammed into him so hard, he was amazed his legs didn't buckle. It was only now that he was with her that it hit him just how much he'd expected Thorn to keep her in spite of everything they'd done.

But now that she was with him again...

Her face lit up in a way no one's ever had before and it turned his emotions inside out. If he could have anything in the universe, it would be to always have her look at him like that. It was obvious she was as delighted to see him as he was to see her. She ran and launched herself at him.

Catching her leap, Dev staggered back as he held her close and inhaled the scent of her soft hair. The warm floral smell made him hard and aching. It was all he could do to not take her right here and now with Fang watching them.

But he would never shame her.

Sam knew she shouldn't be doing this. Especially after everything Thorn had told her about Dev's future if they stayed together.

She had to let him go.

Yet right now, she just wanted to feel him close to her. To have his arms soothe her fears and uncertainties. Gods, she'd forgotten just how good it felt to hold him like this.

"You okay, baby?" he breathed in her ear.

She laughed at that deep, precious voice that sent a shiver over her. "Yeah." It was only then she realized just how she'd wrapped him up in her body. Her legs were around his waist and he completely supported her weight. Heat stung her face at what she'd instinctively done, especially as she became aware of the sizable lump under his jeans that was pressing into her and making her wet.

Fang cleared his throat. "I think it's safe to say she's glad to see you, huh, Bear?"

Dev gave her a quick kiss to her cheek as she unwrapped her legs and slid to the ground in front of him even though that was the last thing she wanted to do. "I don't mind it in the least. Kind of nice to feel welcomed."

Fang cleared his throat. "Especially after what we just went through.... Everyone still have all their fingers and toes?"

Sam held up both hands and wiggled her fingers. "Think so."

"Good." Fang gestured to the door over his shoulder. "Let's all head home before Thorn changes his mind and decides to keep us here where time apparently has no meaning to anyone but him."

Sam couldn't agree more. Like Fang, she wouldn't be surprised in the least if Thorn stopped them.

Or sent another round of flying monkeys after them--just for shits and giggles.

Dev took a minute to secure her grandmother's girdle around her waist. Sam looked down at it. Originally designed to hold a sword, it looked like any thick belt with heavy embossing. She had a sword at home that was kept in the matching scabbard that would hook onto the girdle. Without that piece, no one would ever guess it to be of any real significance--that it was the prized belt of the Amazon nation that Hercules had crossed a sea to claim for a foreign princess. Never mind know that it was something people would kill to possess.

Including her own sister.

"You ready?" Dev asked.

She nodded even though it wasn't entirely true. Her earlier encounter with Thorn had been brief, but traumatizing. He was one scary SOB. And his warning about Dev stood loud and clear in her mind. If she stayed with him, he would die.

And she couldn't be responsible for his death. Not after she'd killed Ioel.

Dev held her hand as Fang took them not to Sanctuary or the Charonte Club as she expected, but to a room she'd never seen before. All the windows were shuttered closed and there was a massive plantation style bed in the room with an antique styled blue silk comforter over it.

She looked at Fang with a frown. "Where are we?"

Before he could answer, Nick Gautier materialized in front of them. The dim light cast an evil shadow over his face. His whiskers were thickening--like he'd gone several days without shaving and his eyes held a wicked gleam to them. "Welcome to my nightmare, Princess."

By the look on Dev's face she could tell he wasn't expecting to be here anymore than she was.

She scowled at Fang "Why did you bring us here?"

Fang shrugged. "It's what Ash told me to do when I talked to him before we went questing for you. I figured Mr. Omniscient knows best about keeping his people safe--" those words were interrupted by Nick giving a rude scoff that Fang didn't even pause for--"so I didn't argue." He inclined his head to her and Dev. "Now if you'll excuse me, I have a Lady Bear I haven't seen in a day and I don't want her to kick my ass for leaving her high and dry."

He left before anyone could say another word.

In the silence that followed, Sam felt suddenly awkward. True it hadn't been the real Nick who'd tried to kidnap her out of Sanctuary, but still.

There was an aura of pure evil around this man and it set her hackles on edge. Whenever Nick looked at her, she had the feeling he was sizing her up for a body bag and it made her blood run cold.

"Relax," Nick said in a soothing tone as if he felt her unease toward him. "I don't want your blood. Since it's a rogue demon after you, Ash and I decided this would be the best place to hide you where the fewest lives would be threatened by your enemy." He gestured to the room. "Make yourself at home. Everything's been sanitized so it shouldn't give you nightmares or images to touch it." Something Nick knew about since she'd told him that when she'd started guarding him. How ironic for the tables to now be turned. "If you need anything, there's an intercom on the wall." He gestured to the unit that was just inside the door. "Call and I'll answer. And..." he pointed to the nightstand. "Ash sent over your cell phone so that you wouldn't be without it. There's a message from Chi who's been worried about you and pissed off that the guys didn't invite her to rescue you. I don't envy them. Ethon in particular was promised a major ass-whipping."

Sam frowned. Nick didn't look well. When she'd first met him on this assignment months ago, he'd been well coifed and gorgeous--except for the bow and arrow mark on his face. Now he looked pale and exhausted. Shaken. Like something had him in a vise grip and he couldn't breathe for the pain of it.

If not for the fact that Dark-Hunters couldn't get sick, she'd think he was about to hurl.

"Are you okay?"

"I'm always okay." His bitter tone denied those words.

Sam wanted to touch him and see what the truth was, but her inner alarm told her that she didn't want to see what ever demon had its claws into him. When you stare into the darkness, sometimes it stares back....

And those mirrored images were often the most terrifying and threatening.

Nick paused in the doorway to look back at them. "By the way, I should warn you. It's almost noon here and Stryker's mounting his attack to take you into Kalosis. I don't know when he's planning to strike, but I'm sure it'll be before dark since you'll be at a disadvantage in the light. My house is technically shielded, however Stryker's powers are such that I don't know if it'll hold against him."

Sam narrowed her gaze dangerously as her suspicions about him mounted. "How do you know what Stryker has planned?"

When Nick answered, it wasn't with his mouth. She heard his voice loud and clear in her head. The same way I know you love Dev, little girl. And if you do, send him home before nightfall. He won't survive otherwise.

And with that he walked out of the room and closed the door without touching it.