Ashes (Dark in You 3)

Harper could easily see Raini, Devon, Khloë, and Jolene standing at the front of the line not far from the studio, eating burgers. Martina, Beck, and Ciaran stood behind them, munching on hotdogs. In fact, most of the crowd was eating vender food. The street sweepers were gonna be busy later.

Knox gently turned Harper to face him. “You look beautiful. Raini chose well.” He thought the silky, ice-blue dress suited Harper perfectly. “I like that you have your hair down.” He loved her hair; loved sifting his fingers through it and feeling it brush over his skin. “And I like that you’re wearing the new earrings I bought you.” He tapped one of the dangly diamonds.

“They’re pretty. Thank you.” Harper skimmed her fingers along his smooth jaw, breathing him in. Beneath the scent of his heavenly cologne were the smells of wood wax, fragrant oils, and clean linen. “It’s not fair that you can look so mouth-wateringly hot so effortlessly.” No hair gel, no fake tan, no cosmetic products of any kind other than cologne – he’d basically just put on one of his tailored suits, briefly combed his hair, slipped on his gleaming shoes, and – bam – he was ready and edible.

Knox’s lips curled. “Mouth-wateringly hot? I like that.”

“Yeah? I only speak the truth.” Really, he was out of her league, but Harper wasn’t going to dwell on that. If he said that she was what he wanted, who was she to argue? Still, it would take time for her to get used to his way of life – to all the attention, luxuries, and social power.

Before Knox, she’d never experienced the kind of decadence that he surrounded himself with. The penthouse they stood in was a perfect example. Like the mansion, it was the height of luxury with high ceilings, a marble floor, beautiful paintings, and custom furniture that fit Knox’s elegant, masculine style. It didn’t just have the usual amenities. No, it also had an office, a gym, and a sauna.

Feeling a particularly sharp kick to the hand he’d rested on the side of her stomach, Knox said, “I can’t work out whether that was a greeting or the baby just doesn’t like the pressure of my hand.” In any case, his demon found it amusing.

“Nah, I think the kid is just trying to kick its way out.”

Knox gently massaged her stomach. “It’s amazing to think that in just five weeks, we’ll be able to hold it.” It was a scary yet exhilarating thought, and he was looking forward to it. He was also anxious. He’d heard so many stories of demon births going wrong and he hated the thought of her in pain. Still, he’d never let her see that anxiety – that wasn’t what she needed from him. “The time has flown by so fast.”

“It has, which is surprising because I expected to feel as if the whole time dragged. You know, I’m also kind of surprised that a being who’s as old and sexually active as you are doesn’t already have at least one kid.”

“I’ve always been extremely careful to use protection. I don’t think I could have trusted anyone other than you to carry and care for my child.” His demon certainly couldn’t have.

“Don’t be sweet. You’ll make me cry.”

He curled a hand around her chin. “Don’t cry. I hate seeing you cry, even when I know it’s just hormones at work.”

“Then get back to the current matter and distract me.”

“Okay. The parade itself won’t take long. We’ll do a quick lap of the Underground —”

“Tell me we’re not riding in a sparkly float,” she begged.

He chuckled. “Not a sparkly float. After we’ve finished the lap, we’ll go to the Ice Lounge and relax there for the rest of the celebration. I’ve no doubt that people will come talk to you, but at least you’ll be sitting comfortably and be well-guarded when they do.”

“Can Jolene, my family, and the girls meet us there?”

“Yes, I’ve already put them on the VIP guest list. They should already be in the VIP section by the time we get there.”

“Thank you.”

“You don’t have to thank me. You’re mine. I’ll always give you what you need.” He felt the baby move again. This time, it was as if it rolled beneath his hand. “This little one sure is active tonight.”

“Like I said, it wants out.”

“In five weeks, it will get its wish.” He kissed her and spoke against her mouth, “Love you, baby.”

“And I love you.” Hearing a ping, Harper twisted to look at the private elevator that was a direct entrance into the suite. The doors slid open, revealing all four sentinels looking smart and alert.

“Everything’s in place,” Levi told them. “Time to go.”

“We’re ready.” Knox threaded his fingers through hers and led her through the spacious entryway and into the elevator. The sentinels backed against the four walls to make room, all giving them brief nods.

As the shiny metal doors closed behind them, Harper let out a breath. “Looking good, guys.” The sentinels each shot her an impatient glance. “Sorry, sorry, you’re concentrating on looking scary and unapproachable. Don’t worry; you’ve got that down.”

The elevator hummed as they descended. It came to a very smooth halt with a chime, and the doors then slid open once again. Without a word, two sentinels took the lead while the others took up the rear as they all walked through the reception area and out of the automatic doors.

Harper gave a low whistle at the sight she found. Many people were waiting, all dressed up in glitzy costumes. There were acrobats, cheerleaders, stilt walkers, dance troops, and baton and flag twirlers. Even better, there were a bunch of demons on Harley Davidsons. Harper was totally jealous that she couldn’t ride one of those… right up until she realized that Knox was leading her to a beautiful carriage that was pulled by two white, fine-boned horses.

“Wow,” she breathed. Harper inhaled. She loved the smell of horses – hay, wood chips, sunshine, dust, and a hint of leather.

Tanner opened the carriage door and held out his hand. “I’ll give you a boost, since you’re size-challenged.”

“Hey,” she playfully whined, allowing him to help her into the carriage. She wasn’t at all surprised by the lavish cream-leather interior; Knox always traveled in style.

Knox slid in beside her and arched a brow. “Well?”

“This is pretty awesome,” she told him. “I’ve never been in a horse-drawn carriage before.”

“Really? Good. I like to introduce you to new things.”

“Well, you massively succeeded.” She noticed that the four sentinels flanked the carriage; Levi and Larkin stood on the right while Tanner and Keenan stood on the left. “I’m guessing they’ll be guarding us the entire time.”

“You guessed correctly. I won’t ever take chances with your safety, Harper. The performers are part of our lair, but that doesn’t mean I trust them so close to you. Throughout the parade, some of the performers will precede us; the others will follow. That means that, essentially, we’re boxed in if there’s a threat, which is why the sentinels are here and members of the Force are on patrol.”

She wasn’t the least bit surprised by how tight his security measures were. “Then you’ve done all you can do. Let’s get this done.”

Knox nodded to someone, and then a voice came over the loudspeaker, announcing the beginning of the parade. A big applause rang through the Underground. Then everyone around them began to move.

Harper almost jumped as the marching band roared to life. The drumbeat seemed to vibrate in her chest as the carriage smoothly pulled onto the strip. There was hooting, whistling, shouting, and laughing. Some threw confetti while others threw candy, snapping pictures with their cell phones.

When the carriage neared the studio, Harper beamed as she caught sight of the girls and her family. Hooting and jumping, they waved like crazy people. Jolene did a very regal wave that made Harper’s demon smile.

As the performers and carriage continued down the strip, the members of the Force worked to keep the spectators behind the ropes and ensure that all the performers moved in a timely fashion. All the while, their eyes searched for potential threats.