"If it turns out he's an asset, and he's willing, he will be used."
"I don't like the Brotherhood right now," she blurted. "Or you."
She started to go past him, but his hand shot out, grabbing her arm and jerking her close, holding her, though not hurting her. His eyes went over her face, her neck, then swept down her body.
And that was when she saw the fire in him. The volcanic heat. The interior inferno that was caged by all that glacial self-control.
"Let go of me," she whispered, heart beating hard.
"I'm not surprised." His reply was quiet... quiet as a sharp knife laid on a table.
"About w-what?"
"You're a female of worth. So you shouldn't like me." Those glittering eyes narrowed on her face. "You know, you really are the great beauty of the species, aren't you."
"No... no, I am not - "
"Yeah, you are." Vishous's voice grew lower and lower, softer, until she wasn't sure whether she was hearing it or he was in her mind. "Butch is a wise choice for you, female. He'll take good care of you, if you let him. Will you, Marissa? Will you let him... take care of you?"
As those diamond eyes hypnotized her, she felt his thumb move over her wrist, shifting back and forth. Her heart rate gradually slowed to the lazy rhythm.
"Answer my question, Marissa."
She swayed. "What... what did you ask?"
"Will you let him take you?" Vishous leaned down and put his mouth at her ear. "Will you take him inside of you?"
"Yes..." she breathed, aware they were talking about sex, but too seduced in the moment not to reply. "I will have him within me."
That hard hand loosened, then stroked her arm, traveling over her skin warmly, strongly. He looked down at where he was touching her, an expression of deep concentration on his face, "Good. That's good. The two of you are beautiful together. A f**king inspiration."
The male turned on his heel and stalked out of the room.
Disoriented, shocked, she stumbled over to the library's doorway and saw Vishous going up the stairs, his heavy thighs eating the distance with no effort.
Without warning, he stopped and snapped his head her way. Her hand fluttered to her throat.
Vishous's smile was as dark as his eyes were pale. "Come on, Marissa. Did you really think I was going to kiss you?"
She gasped. That was exactly what had been going through her -
Vishous shook his head. "You're Butch's female and whether you end up with him or not, you always will be to me." He started up again. "Besides, you're not my type. Your skin's too soft."
V walked into Wrath's study and shut the double doors, thinking that little chat with Marissa had been disturbing as hell on a variety of levels. God, he hadn't gotten into anyone's thoughts for weeks now, but he'd read hers clear as day. Or maybe he'd just hazarded a guess. Hell, more likely the latter. Going by those saucer-wide eyes of hers, she'd clearly been convinced he was going to lay his mouth on her.
Wrong. The reason he'd stared at her was because she fascinated him, not attracted him. He wanted to know what it was about her that made Butch lay with her with such warmth and love. Was it something in her skin? Her bones? Her beauty? How did she do it?
How did she take Butch to a place were sex was communion?
V rubbed the center of his chest, aware of a piercing loneliness.
"Hello? My brother?" Wrath leaned onto his dainty desk, all heavy forearms and big hands. "You here to report or make like sculpture?"
"Yeah... sorry. Distracted."
Vishous lit up and replayed the fight, especially the final part when he'd watched a lesser disappear into the thin air, thanks to his roommate.
"God damn..." Wrath breathed.
V went to the fireplace and chucked the ass end of his hand-rolled into the flames. "Never seen anything like it."
"Is he okay?"
"Don't know. I'd take him to Havers to get checked out, but there's no going back to the clinic with the cop. Right now, he's at my place with his cell phone. He'll call me if things get ratty and I'll think of something."
Wrath's brows disappeared behind his mirrored wraparounds. "How confident are you that the lessers can't trace him?"
"Damn confident. In both cases, he's the one that went after them. It's like he smelled them or something. When he gets up close, they seem to recognize him, but it's always him engaging first."
Wrath looked down at the stacks of paper on his desk. "Don't like him out there alone. Don't like it at all."
There was a long pause and then V said, "I could go get him. Bring him home."
Wrath took off his sunglasses. As he rubbed his eyes, the king's ring, that massive black diamond, sparkled on his middle finger. "We got females here. One of whom is pregnant."
"I could watch him. I could make sure he stays in the Pit. I could seal off the tunnel access."
"Hell." Those sunglasses got slid back on. "Go get him. Bring our boy home."
* * *For Van, the scariest part of his induction into the Lessening Society was not the physical conversion or the Omega or the involuntary nature of it all. Not that that shit wasn't horrifying. It was. Jesus Christ... to know that evil actually existed and walked around and... did things to people? Yeah, huge wake-up call in a bad way.
But not the scariest part.
With a grunt, Van pushed himself up on the bare mattress he'd been on for God only knew how long. Staring down at his body, he extended his arm out from his shoulder socket, then curled it in tight.
No, the scariest part was the fact that when he'd finally stopped throwing up and managed to catch his breath, he couldn't quite remember why he hadn't wanted to join in the first place. Because the power was back in his body; the roar from his twenties was parked in his garage once again. Thanks to the Omega, he was returned to himself, no longer a faded, washed-up shadow of what he once had been. Sure, the means had been a mind bender of terror and disbelief. But the ends... were glorious.
He flexed his bicep again, just feeling the muscles and bones, loving them.
"You're smiling," Xavier said as he came into the room.
Van looked up. "I feel great. Really... f**king... great."
Xavier's eyes were distant. "Don't let it go to your head. And listen up good. I want you to stay close to me. You never go anywhere without me. We clear?"
"Yeah. Sure." Van shifted his legs off the bed. He couldn't wait to run and see what that felt like.
As he stood, Xavier's expression was odd. Frustration?
"What's wrong?" Van asked.
"Your induction was so... average."
Average? Getting your heart taken out and your blood exchanged for something that looked like tar didn't count as average to him. And for chrissakes, Van wasn't interested in this buzz-kill routine. The world was fresh and new again as far as he was concerned. He was reborn.
"Sorry to disappoint you," he muttered.
"I'm not disappointed in you. Yet." Xavier checked his watch. "Get dressed. We leave in five."
Van went into the bathroom and stood over the toilet, only to realize he didn't have to go. And he wasn't thirsty or hungry either.
Okay, this was weird. It seemed unnatural not to follow his morning routine.
Leaning forward, he glanced at his reflection in the mirror above the sink. His features were the same, but his eyes were different.
With unease snaking through him, he rubbed his face with his palm to reassure himself that he was flesh and blood still. As he felt the bones of his skull through his thin skin, he thought of Richard.
Who was at home with his wife and two kids. Safe now.
Van would have no more contact with his family. Ever. But his brother's life seemed like a fair trade. Fathers mattered.
Besides, look at all he'd gained for that sacrifice. His special part was back in business.
"You ready to go?" Xavier called from down the hall.
Van swallowed hard. Man, whatever he was caught up in was so much darker and deeper than just a criminal life. He was an agent of evil now, wasn't he?
And that should have bothered him more.
Instead, he reveled in his power, ready to wield it. "Yeah. I am."
Van smiled at his reflection, feeling as if his special destiny had been realized. And he was exactly who he needed to be.
Chapter Twenty
That following evening, Marissa was getting out of the shower when she heard the shutters lift for the night. Shame all she wanted to do was go back to bed.