Chapter 8
Adrianna took a deep breath, looking down at the mesmerizing landscape below. The trees were softly swaying in the wind, the orange of the rising sun painting their. The weather was so clear this morning that she could see the dome of the Basilica di Santa Maria del Fiore, even hear the bells echo, as she stood on the balcony of their hilltop home. Everything was so peaceful, quiet, beautiful.
Just like her life here in Florence.
The life she'd built.
With him.
As if called, two strong arms suddenly wrapped around her waist, his lips softly brushing over her neck.
"Goodmorning," she whispered, leaning back into his hard chest.
"Morning," Lucian rumbled in that seductive voice of his, kissing a sweet spot behind her ear. "Come back to bed, Cara. It's cold."
She laughed softly, twisting her arm over her shoulder so she could run her fingers through his thick black hair. "That's why you want me to come back to bed, huh? 'Cause it's cold? No ulterior motives?"
She felt his lips curl against her skin. "Off course not. I'm only concerned about your health." He softly tugged at the thin white sheet she'd wrapped around herself. "This thing can't be keeping you very warm."
"I'm warm enough."
"Not as warm as you could be."
She snickered, biting her lip. "You're insatiable, Nox."
"Me?" he growled in her ear. "Remind me, who broke our old bed again?"
She sniffed as he kissed her hair, tightening his hold on her. For a moment, they were silent, gazing at the awakening world. With his arms around her, everything seemed even brighter, warmer. He had that effect on her. He made everything better. Always.
"Did you get some sleep?" He suddenly asked in a serious voice.
She let out a deep, relieved sigh, resting her head on his shoulder. "Actually, I did. For the first time in a month, I slept for eight hours straight."
"You're welcome."
Adrianna cocked an eyebrow, grinning. "You're welcome? I have you to thank for it?"
"Yes, you do" Lucian rumbled, his hands dropping to her curving belly. "I had a little talk with our boy yesterday about all the kicking at night and he promised to cool it so you could rest."
She laughed, turning in his embrace. "Really? You had a talk with your unborn son, huh?"
He cocked a teasing eyebrow. "Are you calling me a liar, wife?"
She shrugged, biting her lip. At once, his eyes flung to her mouth, those dark depths turning even darker. She knew full well what biting her lip did to her husband and she wasn't ashamed to use it to her own advantage.
The second his lips touched hers, Adrianna's knees wobbled. Even after all these years, his kiss still had the same effect on her as it had that first time in his loft. Her blood still boiled, her skin still tingled, her mind still went soothingly numb.
"Okay," she moaned in between kisses. "You were right, I'm getting cold."
"Are you?" he whispered teasingly against her wet lips.
"Yes," she groaned, her fingers tightening in his hair. "Take me to bed."
She didn't have to ask twice. Growling, his hands dropped to her behind, lifting her up. She moaned in his mouth as she wrapped her legs around his waist and felt his desire for her through his boxers.
He definitely wasn't cold.
Never breaking their kiss, he carried her inside, softly placing her back on the bed, immediately snuggling between her legs.
"God, you're beautiful," he growled, brushing a curl from her forehead.
She bit her lip again, her eyes sparkling. "Will you still think I'm beautiful when I get really, really big?"
He sat up between her legs, his hands caressing her baby bump through the sheet. Whenever he looked at her belly like that, her heart soared. He looked so happy; so in love with that tiny human inside of her. If possible, it made her love her husband even more.
"I can't wait for you to get really, really big," he rumbled, those grey eyes on hers again. "The bigger the better."
"The bigger the better?" she laughed.
"More of you to love."
"You're such an idiot," She shook her head, smiling. "But you're my idiot."
"Yes," he rumbled, crouching down over her again with that heated look in his eyes. "I am."
His face disappeared in her neck, his rough tongue licking a path up her skin. Arching up from the bed, she felt his hand slip underneath the sheet; his fingers brushing up her calves, her thighs, heading for the spot between her legs that burned for him…
"Oh God," she croaked, her nails digging into his back. "God, yes, don't-"
Suddenly, a loud bang echoed through the room and before Adrianna could even process what was happening, Lucian was off her and slipping back in his pants. At first, she didn't understand why, but then she heard that sweet little voice chanting, "Daddy, daddy, daddy!" and she realized their daughter had stormed into the room.
Smiling, Adrianna sat up straight, saying a little prayer that the sheet was still wrapped around her as she watched their three-year-old being scooped up by her father.
"Hey baby," Lucian smiled, kissing their girl's messy black hair. "You're up early."
"You promised you'd make pancakes before uncle Killian picks me up, daddy."
"Yes, but that doesn't mean you have to get up at the crack of dawn, sweetheart."
"But if I'm not quick, mommy will eat them all."
Adrianna laughed and it was only then that her daughter's blue eyes found her. She was such a daddy's girl that whenever her father was in the room, Adrianna disappeared for a few seconds. She would've minded if it wasn't so damned cute.
"Mommy!" she sang.
Adrianna got up, pressing a kiss to her little forehead.
"Hey baby. So, you think I'm going to eat all the pancakes, huh?"
"You're eating a lot," she said on a whisper. "Your belly's big, mommy."
Adrianna laughed again as Lucian explained, "That's not from pancakes, baby. That's your brother, growing inside mommy. We talked about that remember."
"So, he's eating all the pancakes?"
"Okay," he laughed. "I think we have to have that talk again."
"Good idea," Adrianna snickered. "I'll get dressed and join you downstairs in a second."
"No hurry," her husband rumbled, brushing his fingertips over her cheek. "You look a little pale. Have a long bath, relax. You're going to need your strength for later."
"Oh, am I?" she teased.
He just shot her a hot, promising look before pressing a sweet kiss to her lips and walking out with their daughter in his arms.
Smiling, Adrianna started picking up the clothes she'd abandoned on the floor last night, noticing something that was out of place.
Mister Dog. She grinned, picking up the stuffed animal. Lucian had bought their daughter the toy when she'd been obsessed with getting a puppy. They'd just found out she was pregnant again and throwing a small animal into the mix hadn't seemed like a good idea, so her daddy had soothed her with a stuffed version instead. She and mister Dog had been inseparable ever since. Which meant that pancake-time would be hell if she didn't get the toy back into her cute little fingers asap.
Slipping on a robe, she clutched the fluffy dog and threw open the door, walking into their high-ceilinged hallway.
Their dark hallway.
The windows that outlined the hall were all wide open, wind blowing in, making the curtains snap violently through the air. The only light came from the moonlight streaking in…but it was morning five seconds ago…
Her heart racing, Adrianna turned to get back into her room…but there was no more room. No door, no room, no light. Just more dark hallway.
And that wasn't the only change.
When she looked down, there was no more stuffed animal, no more pregnant belly…and instead of the white robe, she now donned a virgin white, lace wedding dress.
"What the hell?" she whispered, walking deeper into the darkness. "Lucian?!"
No answer.
A sudden panic gripped her; her every instinct telling her to run, as fast and as far as she could.
So, she did.
The high heels she wore slowed her down, but there was no more time to take them off.
It was coming.
It was close.
Her lungs hurt as she tried to catch her breath, her sides stinging, but she couldn't stop. If she stopped, it would be over.
Turning a corner, she headed for the large staircase. If she could just get down, get to the door, get out, everything would be-
Her mind shut down when the floor suddenly tore open beneath her feet…and then, she was falling; falling into a never-ending darkness.
And yet, the panic and fear she'd felt only seconds ago, were slowly fading away. The deeper she fell, the safer she felt…
And then, she hit the ground.
The first thing she noticed, was the smell. It was everywhere, crawling in her nose, making her sick. The smell sulphur.
Frowning, she got up, peering into the darkness. It took a while, but when her eyes finally adjusted, she realized she was in a cave of some sort. She didn't see any way in or out, except maybe the still, black lake beside her. But there was no boat, no means of crossing it.
She was trapped.
So, why did she feel…safe.
It was cold and dark, but she felt safe.
It made no sense…until she noticed the large, black throne in the middle of the space. And the man sitting in it, in the shadows, watching her with eyes that were now pitch black, but still so familiar.
"Lucian," she whispered, relieved.
Growling, he leaned forward, a cruel smile crawling up those beautiful lips…as he slowly shook his head.
Adrianna's eyes snapped open, her breath coming out in short gasps. She could feel sweat running down her neck, could feel her heart race in her chest…but most of all, she could feel her stomach clutching violently. Throwing off the blankets, she rushed into the bathroom, making it just in time to empty her stomach in the toilet. She'd barely eaten, so not much made it out, but that didn't stop her from gagging. It was that smell stuck in her nose that was to blame for her nausea.
The smell of rotten eggs.
Sulphur.
When her body finally understood there was no food left in her, she got up and slipped into the shower. Letting the cold water envelop her, she tried to shake the image of him wrapping his arms around her, touching her pregnant belly, kissing her. She hadn't seen or heard from him in over two months. She shouldn't be dreaming about him. She shouldn't be dreaming about being married to him, about having his kids. That man had done nothing but hurt her, turn her down. Besides, even if he hadn't done any of that, even if she somehow lost her mind and wanted that with him, that life still wasn't in the cards for her. She had a little over five months until her twenty-fifth birthday and on that day, she would become Immortal like her family. That's what she wanted, that was the plan; that had always been the plan…and she was going to stick to it. No matter what.
The cold water doing nothing to help, she got back out, wrapping a robe around her before making her way downstairs.
Good morning, miss. How did you sleep?"
"Good, Lucinda," Adrianna said, feeling that blush crawl up her cheeks again. Even after two months, she still felt so uncomfortable around his house staff. She wasn't used to people cooking for her, making her bed, doing her laundry. It didn't feel right.
"Is he home?"
Lucinda nodded, pointing at the kitchen.
The second she entered the state-of-the-art kitchen, she spotted Alex, making himself an espresso and she immediately flashed back to the first time she'd met Alexander Ryder. It had been two months ago, in her sergeant's office, only hours after saying goodbye to Lucian. She'd thought that she'd been called in to get her suspension lifted, but instead, her sergeant had needed her for a job. Alexander Ryder was the mayor's son, so when he came knocking for help, there was no turning him down. And he needed help. In more ways than one. But the most urgent thing he needed help with though, were his finances. Alexander was the founder and CEO of Ryder Enterprises; a billion dollar corporation. He generally ran a tight ship, had everything under control…but then he started noticing small loses in several of his branches. He needed someone to investigate where the money was going, but he needed it done without anyone knowing. Otherwise, whoever was screwing him over, could disappear into the ether with his cash. So, the idea was that Adrianna would slip into Alexander's life as his fiancée. That way, no one would be suspicious about her presence in his office, about her talking to his employees and she could go through confidential data without Alexander worrying anything would get leaked.
She wasn't in the right frame of mind to pretend to be engaged, though. She didn't like to dress up and go out every night when all she wanted to do was stay in her pyjamas and drink. However, her sergeant had promised to lift her suspension as soon as she'd completed this thing, so here she was.
"Morning," he said when those two blue eyes finally spotted her. "Coffee?"
She nodded, sitting down on one of the stools by the kitchen island.
"Didn't sleep well?"
"No, not really," she said. "So, I've gone through the data from January 'till-"
"You're really all work and no play, huh?" he cut her off with a grin, placing a cup of something resembling coffee in front of her. "No, good morning. No, how did you sleep."
Adrianna sighed, running a hand through her wet curls. "Good morning, how did you sleep? So, I've gone through the data and-"
He laughed that infectious laugh of his, but she still couldn't bring herself to laugh along. Laughing felt…unnatural…without him.
"What's so funny?"
"You," he smiled. "Do you know how many women would love to be here with me, chatting, drinking coffee? Off course, they would've slept in my bed with me, so-"
"I'm just doing my job," she cut him off.
"And that's what's so funny," he grinned. "I think you're the first woman ever to turn me down."
She sniffed, a little smile crawling up her lips. "Tell me, is it hard to have such low self-esteem?"
"Horrible," he grinned, smoothing his hands over his blond hair. "But I've learned to carry the burden."
"Idiot," she smiled.
He shot her that sweet smile of his and once again, she wondered,
Why not him?
Alexander was attractive, charming, funny, successful and genuinely kind. Sure, he had the reputation of being a player and there wasn't a doubt in her mind that he'd more than earned that reputation…but he was also the kind of guy who, if he truly loved someone, would be as loyal as a man could get. And yet…nothing. She didn't feel anything even close to what he'd made her feel. There was never that crackling of electricity in the air, that tension in her muscles, that throbbing in her blood. Why did he have to be the only man who could make her ignite like that? Why couldn't she choose to feel that way about someone else, someone less complicated, someone like Alexander?
"So, couldn't you sleep or where you out with Gabriel 'till late again?"
Adrianna rolled her eyes. "I thought I saw your goons lurking around. We talked about this. I told you, it's kind of hard to shadow someone when two bodyguards are shadowing me."
"And I told you that I'm not letting my fiancée shadow murderers without anyone watching her back. "
"It's a murderer, Gabriel has my back and I'm not really your fiancée!"
"True, but if you get killed, I'll have to explain to everyone why I let you go out there unprotected, so the bodyguards are staying."
She took a beat, trying to cool down. She couldn't actually remember the last time she'd gone out alone. With Lucian, she was constantly surrounded by guards and now, with Alexander, there were bodyguards everywhere she turned. The only time she was alone was in her room…Well, technically, his room.
"Fine," she sighed, realizing this was a fight she wouldn't win. Alexander was almost as stubborn as him. "But tell your guys to work on laying low. I could spot them a mile away."
"Agreed," he said, getting up. It was only then that she noticed he was already wearing a suit.
"Early day?"
"Conference call with Belgium," he said, pulling out his smartphone. "Any plans today?"
"I have a ton more data to go through so that'll take up most of my time."
"You really can't wait for this job to be over, can you?" he said, shooting her a teasing look. "There are ways to make your time here more pleasurable, you know. I could show you sometime."
She rolled her eyes. "It's in your best interest that I hurry this along, Alex. The more time passes, the bigger the chance this guy will disappear. So, just go to work, Casanova and leave me to mine."
"Okay, fine," he smiled, downing his espresso. "Just promise me you'll let Lucinda fix you some breakfast. I hardly ever see you eat."
"I'm not hungry."
"Don't be stubborn, Salvatore. Eat something."
Adrianna just sipped from her coffee, crinkling her nose. Why did every coffee have spices in it these days? What had happened to a regular, black cup of coffee?
"Oh, by the way, there's a possibility I'll need my fiancée on my arm to this thing tonight."
"What thing?"
"No idea. There's just a reminder in my schedule for eight o'clock, but I didn't specify it, so I'll have to check with my secretary. If it's something I need a date for, I'll send a car tonight. Wear the black dress."
Adrianna sniffed. "Sir, yes, sir!"
He laughed again. "I know you're being sarcastic, but I love you calling me sir."
"Get out," she smiled weakly, shoving him to the door.
"As you wish," he smiled. "Remember, black dress."
She just rolled her eyes, watching him leave…and the second the door closed behind him, her smile dropped. She tried to be as cheerful as she could around others, tried not to show what was happening inside of her…but as soon as she was alone, she dropped the act. It was too exhausting.
"Breakfast, miss?"
Adrianna shook her head at the woman, pushing away her coffee before heading back upstairs.
As she waited for her laptop to fire up, she grabbed her phone and dialed the number she knew by heart.
"You've reached Margaret Grace. I can't come to the phone right now, but leave me a message after the beep and I'll get back to you as soon as I can. Thanks!"
"Hey," Adrianna sighed, clutching the phone tighter. "I guess you're not there. Again. Or you're just not picking up. Look Mags, I really need to talk to someone. I've had that dream again, which makes it three weeks in a row now. It started with some crazy fantasy again about-" She trailed off, blushing. "It doesn't matter what it was about. It's the second part of the dream that worries me. That's the part that never changes. I'm always in a dark hallway, in a wedding dress and someone's chasing me. I don't know who or why, but I can feel them. And I'm scared, Mags. Not just scared, but in a blind panic. And then, I fall into this darkness. And when I land, Lucian's there. But it's not Lucian. I can't really explain. It was him, but it wasn't. And that smell… I can't get the scent of sulphur out of my nose." She shook her head, lying back on the bed. "Look, Mags, I know you must be pissed at me. And I get it. But I'm not sorry. I had no other choice. Killian is the only one who can keep you safe from Rodchenko until I've put him behind bars. Please, try to understand that. And I'm working on it, trust me. I've even teamed up with Gabriel again, but Rodchenko is…slippery. I promise I'll get you back here soon though. I need you back here to unscrew my life; to tell me that I'm out of my mind for missing a man I barely know; to snap me out of this. I just…need you, Mags. And I miss you. Stay safe. And don't hate me too much, okay?" Sighing, she hung up. She hadn't spoken to Maggie since the night she'd asked Killian to take her out of town. She knew she had to be upset. She would be, too. But it was for her own good.
Grabbing the laptop, she installed herself in the bed again, ready to spend her day in her robe, on her laptop, searching for the person who was ripping Alexander off; focusing on the numbers, drowning in them, until there was no more room in her head for anything else.
Or anyone else.
Yeah, a voice inside her head laughed. Good luck with that.
Adrianna ignored that voice, scrolling through the files as she reminded herself of the fact that that part of her life was over and done with. She might still dream about him, but Lucian Nox was a closed chapter. She would never see him again.
And she was fine with that.
That voice inside laughed even harder.
"Maybe you should take it easy on the scotch."
Hades glared at Aphrodite before downing his drink and immediately pouring himself a fresh one. From the back of his town car, he watched the world grow darker, colder, shadowing his mood.
"Why are we doing this again?" the goddess asked on a sigh. "You're clearly not in the right frame of mind to do, well, anything. Let alone go out. Look at you. You're a mess."
His hand tightened on his glass as he shot her another glare. But he knew she was right. He hadn't shaved in days, he barely slept and the rare times he did sleep, she was there, torturing him. Like the dream he'd had last night. He'd dreamt he'd told her everything; why he was there, who he really was…and she'd still looked at him in that way that made his heart soar. Like he was a man and not the monster he knew he was. She'd kissed him and told him she loved him, no matter who he used to be or what he'd done. She knew the truth…and still loved him.
And then, he woke up.
Without her.
Doomed to spend another day missing her, thinking about her every fucking second of every fucking day. The only thing that kept him going was his mission: translate the codex and hide her from his brothers until her twenty-fifth birthday, so she could live a long, Immortal life with the people she loved; the people who deserved her.
"We won't stay long," he growled. "I got a tip that a sorcerer named Rellix will be at this thing. He's rumored to know where the key is that can translate that damned Codex. He doesn't resurface much, so this is my only shot at getting to him."
"Do you know what he looks like?"
"That's where you come in," he rumbled, taking another large gulp from his drink. "The longer I stay in this miserable world, the more out of touch I get with other supernatural beings. I can't sense them as well anymore. But you can. This Rellix-guy is supposed to be a big deal, so if he's anywhere near this party, you should be able to pick up on his power."
"So, I'm basically just a sniff dog for the Supernatural?"
"Basically. You point him out to me and I get what I need."
She huffed. "Like you have any idea what you need."
Hades ignoring her as he poured himself yet another drink…but the goddess of love wasn't so easily dismissed.
"Are we really not going to talk about the elephant in the room, or in this case, the car?"
He narrowed his eyes, warning her to back off.
She didn't listen.
"I know what happened in the dream."
The glass Hades had been bringing to his lips stopped mid-air as his heart tried to remember how to beat. He knew exactly what dream she was talking about. The dream on the beach. The one he'd had right after he'd chased her out of his loft. The one where she'd cried in his arms, begging to stay.
"You spied on us?" Hades hissed dangerously.
"That was the first and the last time, I swear, but I had to know what she would say-"
"Why?!" he barked. "Why did you have to know?!"
"Because I knew that you'd ignore her wishes and I wanted to be able to speak for her, that's why!"
"It's not up to you to speak for her!"
"And yet, here I am, reminding you of the fact that she told you that she wants to be with you, even if it's just for a limited amount of time!"
"She doesn't know what she's saying! And neither do you!"
"Yes, I do! Love is what I do-"
"-as your job!" he yelled. "Have you ever really loved someone, Aphrodite? Needed them so badly that the simplest things become almost impossible without them?! Loved them so desperately that you were willing to sacrifice everything, including your own happiness, to keep them from harm?! If you had, if you'd ever felt that, you wouldn't ask me to be selfish!"
"It's not being selfish! She wants it, too!"
She's right, the monster inside whispered.
"Just think about it, Hades! Adrianna said-"
"I know what she said and this conversation is still over!"
"But she wants you!"
"Enough!"
"Hades-"
"Enough, Aphrodite!"
The goddess snapped her mouth shut, a little flicker of fear in her eyes as the windows around them practically vibrated from his outburst.
"Fine," she said after a long moment of loaded silence. "Be miserable then, but don't say I didn't try to help you."
"I don't need your help."
"No, you need her."
"What I need is for her to be safe! What I need is to translate that goddamned codex so I can get the hell out of here and-"
"And what? Do you think the pain you feel now will be any less when you leave this world? Or that she will feel the loss of you any less? 'Cause that's what she's feeling right now, Hades. Loss. She won't admit that, nor will she understand it, but she will always miss you!"
Hades clutched his jaw, gnarling, "I can't keep having this discussion with you."
"Discussion? It's never a discussion! You just decide and then refuse to listen to reason-"
"Because you have no idea what you're asking me to do!"
"I'm asking you to be happy-"
"By ruining her!"
Hades took a deep breath, trying to calm down…to no avail.
"How did you see this end, Aphrodite?!" he hissed. "Let's say I go to her, beg her forgiveness and she somehow grants me that kindness. Then what? We live happily ever after? No! It can only end! I will never do what my brothers want me to do, I will never promise her a life I can't deliver on! So, what do I possibly have to offer her?!"
"Love," she whispered without missing a beat. "Pure love. Do you know how rare that is, Hades? How few people get to experience that? Even just a flicker of it is better than never having it at all."
"That's bullshit! Loving someone when it can never last, is an unnecessary cruelty."
"Really?" she said, cocking an eyebrow. "So, if I could take your love for her away, right now, you would want that?"
Hades' stomach dropped, something cold seeping into his bloodstream.
"You would want that, right?" the goddess pushed with knowing eyes. "I mean, if your faith is so cruel, if loving her is such a burden, you would want me to take it away from you, wouldn't you?" Her slim fingers reached out for his heart. "I could get all that nasty love out of you right now and-"
He slapped her hand away before she could touch him, shooting her a deadly glare.
"Yeah," she smiled, arrogantly. "That's what I thought. Even though it hurts, you wouldn't want to give that feeling up for anything in the world, would you? It fuels you, fills you, gives you a purpose. Why wouldn't you want her to feel that way?"
The car slowing down saved Hades from answering. Not that he had an answer. Deep down, he knew she was right…but he couldn't bring himself to accept that. He couldn't let himself give in.
Simmering with rage, he got out of the car, practically jerking Aphrodite out when he opened the door for her.
"Oh, I like this," Aphrodite chimed when they entered the impressive building. "Columns, high ceilings, chandeliers. It reminds me of home."
"Yeah, throw in an asshole to rule the whole damned thing and it's Olympus."
Aphrodite slapped his chest. "Zeus is not an asshole."
"He's threatening the one person I love," Hades snarled. "He's an asshole."
Aphrodite was already so lost in the splendor of the whole thing that she just mumbled in agreement, gazing up at the murals as they walked further into the hall. When they reached the crowd, Hades sighed, rubbing his eyes as he mumbled under his breath, "Humans."
"Oh come on, they're not that bad," the goddess chimed, her eyes sparkling. Her brown eyes. It was strange to see Aphrodite without her golden eyes, but like him, she was mortal now. At least for a few hours. She had on a necklace like his, trapping her power inside until she broke the crystal that dangled from the silver chain. Hers was only a temporary crystal, but it did the trick.
"How can you stand to be around these creatures?" He whispered, watching the humans fill the room to the brim. "Look at them."
"Exactly, look at them! Don't you feel the urgency?"
"The urgency?"
"Yes! They have such limited time to live their lives, so everything they do is more intense, more dramatic. I never feel like that. I can only imagine how exhilarating it must be to know that every breath may be your last!"
"You give them too much credit, Aphrodite. They're not living life to the fullest. All these things care about is money, sex and power."
She just rolled her eyes, her enthusiasm still oozing out of her.
"I'm going to mingle."
She moved to walk away, but Hades grabbed her arm, keeping her in place. "We're not here to mingle, Aphrodite. We-"
"Amory."
"What?"
"It's the name I use when I'm in this world," she explained. "I can't very well tell people my name is Aphrodite."
"So you chose Amory?"
"Oh, right," she said, cocking an eyebrow. "Because Lucian Nox is such a subtle name."
"Okay, fine, Amory, like I was saying, we're not here to mingle. We're here to find-"
"-Rellix. Yes, I remember, but how do you expect me to pick up on his power without coming into contact with anyone?"
She has a point.
"Fine," he conceded, releasing his grip. "But don't get side-tracked. Find Rellix and report back so we can get this over with."
She sniffed, shaking her head. "You're really the life of the party, aren't you?"
"Just go."
Her lips twitched and then, she was off, disappearing in the crowd. Hades, on the other hand, made a beeline to the bar in the back of the room. Not that alcohol actually helped. He'd tried drinking until he could barely stand, but even though his body had a breaking point, his mind seemed determined to hold on, no matter how much he drank. He just couldn't forget her warm smile, that infectious laugh, that warm voice-
God, her voice.
He missed talking to her so fucking much…
"You look like you love being here about as much as I do."
Hades sighed mentally as he glanced at the man who'd popped up beside him. Why did humans always feel the need to socialize?
"Look," he gnarled. "No offense, but I'm not in the mood to talk."
"I get it. I hate these things, too."
He'd expected the man to walk away then, getting the hint…but no such luck.
"I got to tell you, I'm happy I'm not the only openly miserable person here. I mean, do you think anyone actually enjoys these things or are they all just good actors?"
"I'd put my money on the latter," he rumbled, snapping at the bartender. "Scotch. Double."
"Make that two," the oblivious guy said, casually leaning back against the bar. "Hey, at least the evening won't be a total waste, right? An open bar is always a plus. Not to mention that chef Lareu is catering this thing."
"Catering?" Hades snarled. "Please, tell me you mean hors d'oeuvres."
He laughed again. "You didn't know there was a dinner included? Why do you think you paid 5000 dollars for one ticket to this thing?"
"5000 dollars?" He should've probably checked the charge before giving out his credit card information. Not that he would've let the price stop him. When it came to finding the key to protect Adrianna, nothing was too expensive, too hard or too dangerous. Keeping her safe was all that mattered. Besides, thanks to his clubs and hotels, money really wasn't an issue.
"I just hope my date shows up anytime soon," the man said, checking his watch. "Otherwise, I've flushed five grant down the drain."
And I just hope Aphrodite finds this Rellix-guy before this dinner starts, so I can get the hell out of here before I kill someone. Probably this moron.
"So, I saw you come in with the blonde," the man continued, nodding at Aphrodite, who was working the room. "I have to say, I don't get how you could possibly be miserable anywhere with that on your arm."
Hades felt his chest clench as her face popped up in his mind's eye. Compared to Adrianna, Aphrodite was nothing. The goddess didn't have her sweet lips or her blindingly beautiful eyes or the ability to make him feel like everything was going to be alright, despite knowing better.
"Are you two together?" the guy asked, his voice a little unsure. "Or is this just a friends-thing?"
Hades sniffed, bringing his glass to his lips.
Behold, humans, the monster inside mocked. His date is a little late so he moves on to the next one. How fickle they are.
He was envious of their ability to move from one woman to another though; to have the option of finding comfort in someone else's arms, never feeling the anguish of rejection or the pain of loving someone you couldn't have. He didn't have that luxury. For him, there was only one girl, one woman. There was no moving on from her or finding comfort. She was all.
"Hey, I had to ask," the guy smiled. "You can't blame a guy for trying."
"Can't you?" Hades hissed into his glass.
The idiot's smile faltered for just a second…but then, his eyes flickered to a point over Hades' shoulder and he grinned even wider than before. "There's my girl. Fashionably late, as always."
"Okay, great," Hades said, seeing this as his chance to ditch him. "It was nice to meet-"
"I'm so sorry I'm late."
And just like that, Hades couldn't move.
For a naive second, he wondered if his mind was playing tricks on him, if maybe it hadn't been her hauntingly beautiful voice ringing in his ears; if maybe he was just imagining things. There was always a chance he was going mad.
However, every flicker of hope he had of being in the middle of a mental breakdown vanished when she passed him to get to the man he'd been speaking to…and he saw her, in all her glorious beauty.
And God, was she glorious.
The deep red dress she wore hugged her in all the right places, emphasizing her delicious hips, her hourglass waist and those breasts that had felt so good pressed against his chest. She wore barely any make-up, only her lips were painted in the same color as her dress and her black hair was cascading in thick curls over her back and shoulders, practically begging for him to twirl them around his fingers.
She was a vision…
Being away from you clearly agrees with her, the monster pointed out.
"I got caught up and lost track of time," she sang. "I know you hate it when I'm-"
The words died on her lips when her eyes, those brilliant blue eyes, finally found his.
For a long second, nothing was said, only silence filling the space between them. Silence and something else; something warm and pressing; something that made the very air between them crackle. If he'd thought that being apart from her for two months had somehow diminished his desire for her, he was proven wrong in that very moment. And he wasn't the only one feeling the sudden charge in the air. As soon as she'd seen him, Adrianna's pupils had dilated, the hairs on her arm standing up; her cheeks flushing with blood…
Her body still responded to him.
And fuck, did his respond to her. Everything was on fire; the air, his blood, his skin. Even his very soul.
"Sweetheart, are you okay?"
Hades could barely suppress a growl as Adrianna blinked wildly, breaking their stare.
Sweetheart?!
Her spine stiffening, Adrianna smiled an unconvincing smile at that fucker, rubbing her forehead.
"Sorry," she whispered. "Yes, I'm fine. It's just a little hot in here."
The guy frowned, touching the back of his hand to her forehead, making her blush grow even deeper as Hades' hands fisted by his sides.
Who is this asshole?!
"You feel really warm. Are you sure you're not getting sick?"
Hades pushed back a growl. She wasn't sick. She was feeling hot for the same reason his body suddenly felt like it had been tossed into the fires of hell.
"I'm okay," she reassured him, those luscious lips curling into a sweet smile.
When her eyes flickered back to his, the man let out a huff, addressing Hades again as he said, "I'm sorry, I just realize we haven't actually been introduced. I'm Alexander Ryder."
Hades kept his gaze on Adrianna, her eyes everywhere but on him as he rumbled, "Lucian Nox."
"It's a pleasure to meet you, mister Nox."
Hades knew common curtesy demanded he'd say the same thing, but he couldn't get the words past his lips. He found no pleasure whatsoever in meeting that bastard. Although, if he didn't get his hands off Adrianna's back soon, he'd break every single one of his fingers…and he couldn't deny that prospect made him feel tingly inside.
"And this is Adrianna," Ryder continued, still oblivious to the tension that had filled the room. "Adrianna Salvatore. She's usually much more talkative than this, but I think her social skills are running late, too."
Hades could feel another growl built in his chest as he watched her cheeks turn an even darker shade of red in embarrassment.
Is he ridiculing her?
His muscles rippling under his skin, he started to move forward…but before he could do or say anything, Adrianna reached out her hand and said, "I'm sorry, you'll have to excuse my rudeness. It's a pleasure to meet you, mister Nox."
He frowned, confused…until he realized she probably didn't want to explain their past to her fucking date.
Biting his tongue, he took the hand she'd offered, playing along...and immediately regretting it.
God, she felt good.
Soft.
Warm.
Mine.
As if hearing his monster's possessive snarl, she jerked her hand back, her fingers curling into a tight fist. At first, Hades didn't understand why her eyes were suddenly a touch harder…but then, Aphrodite showed up beside him, flashing those white teeth of hers.
"Hi," Ryder broke the silence, greeting Aphrodite. "Alexander Ryder."
Aphrodite took the hand he held out, singing, "Amory."
"Amory," the slime ball grinned. "What a beautiful name."
Seriously? His monster hissed. Is he flirting with another woman when Adrianna's right there? What is wrong with human men?!
"Hello," Aphrodite said, addressing Adrianna with a sweet smile. "It's nice to meet you as well."
Adrianna tried to smile as she introduced herself, but he recognized that tension in her body, that flicker of anger in her eyes. He recognized it, because that tension and anger had been present in him too since the second that Ryder asshole had laid a hand on her.
She was jealous.
He knew he shouldn't enjoy this; knew he should tell her Aphrodite was his niece, but the monster inside really loved her jealousy. It made him even harder than he already was.
The lights above flickered and in unison, the crowd started moving out of the room and up a grand staircase.
"Dinner time," Ryder explained, his arm sneaking around Adrianna's waist. "You know what would make this evening a whole lot more tolerable? If you two would sit with us for dinner."
Adrianna's eyes met his, a flicker of panic in them, but before either of them could say anything, Aphrodite chimed, "What a wonderful idea!"
"Alexander-" Adrianna started.
"Well, unless anyone has any objections to it," the goddess laughed, feigning innocence. "Although I wouldn't know why. What possible reason could there be for us to not enjoy a nice meal together?"
And with that, Hades knew she'd had them cornered. If he or Adrianna made a big deal about it now, even that Ryder-fuck would know something was up.
Good! His monster gnarled. Let him know! Show him she's yours!
"Great!" Ryder said. "Let's go!"
As they walked out in front of them, Hades felt his nails dig in his palms. That guy's hand shouldn't be on her hip, his lips shouldn't be on her ear and she sure as hell shouldn't be blushing.
"What the fuck are you doing?" Hades gnarled under his breath, glaring at Aphrodite.
"What you told me to do," she sang. "Finding Rellix. He wasn't in the crowd, so we have no choice but to stay."
"You know what I mean," he spit out, his hold on her arm tightening. "Why would you agree to have dinner with them?"
"Because I would like to get to know the woman who made Death love," she said, unapologetic. "Besides, I thought you'd be happy."
"Happy?!"
"Yes. Wasn't this the whole point of your masterplan? To have Adrianna move on with someone who could give her a life? Well, she's moving on. Aren't you delighted?"
Hades shot her a deadly look.
"What? You know I'm right. You practically pushed her in this man's arms. So, deal with it," she said, adding on a smile, "Or don't. You can still change your mind, be with her. I'm sure they're not serious yet. You can still win her back."
Hades wanted to ignore her…but her words had hit home. The possessive animal inside of him that had been dormant without Adrianna around, was now wide awake, begging him to grab his woman and take her home…
But he couldn't do that…even though when Ryder pulled her chair back and Adrianna cast him a sweet smile, he couldn't quite remember why.
As she slipped into her seat, Hades noticed Adrianna's eyes briefly lingering on the exit-sign by the door. She was debating whether or not she should just go...but like him, she realized that leaving would only look suspicious. If she suddenly left, she would have to explain herself to that bastard sitting beside her. She would have to tell him about their kiss, about what had happened between them in his loft…about how she'd moaned in his mouth, trembled beneath his fingers, pulled his hair as he'd licked a trail down her chest…
"What happened to the black dress?" he heard Ryder whisper, snapping him out of his memory.
"Nothing happened to it," Adrianna whispered back. "It's still hanging safely in the closet."
Ryder laughed, but Adrianna didn't laugh along. She tried to smile, but when her eyes touched Hades, her lips dropped again.
"So, miss Salvatore," Aphrodite chimed once they were all seated. "Tell me, how did you two meet?"
Adrianna blushed as Hades cursed that blonde demon beside him.
He didn't want to fucking hear this.
And from the looks of it, Adrianna wasn't keen on telling them either. She shifted uncomfortably in her chair, singing, "It's a boring story."
"Bite your tongue," Ryder chimed in, pushing a curl out of her eyes, his fingertips brushing her jaw.
Kill him! His monster snarled. Or at least cut his fucking fingers off!
"She bumped into me on the street," Ryder said, unaware of the danger he was in. "Literally. She was out for a run and didn't see where she was going. She was all sweaty, out of breath, wearing this ridiculous hoodie…but I knew right then and there that she was the girl for me."
Hades sniffed, making Adrianna's eyes fly back to him…and they were flashing; a silent warning to behave. Why he listened; why he didn't just take her right there on the table and showed her who she belonged to? He had no idea. And the longer he sat there, watching her, smelling her, the more his motivations for behaving became unclear.
"What?" Ryder asked. "You don't believe in love at first sight?"
Adrianna looked away again as Hades held back laughter. Off course he believed in love at first sight! He'd loved Adrianna since before she was born, before her ancestors were even born, simply from one glimpse of her in a blurry vision. But that was because Adrianna was his soulmate; not some random girl he'd bumped into on the street. Whatever this fuck had felt the moment he'd laid eyes on her, it sure as hell hadn't been love.
"Mister Nox is obviously too level headed to grasp a concept like love at first sight," Adrianna answered his question, her eyes cold on his. But there was something beneath that cold. A touch of something playful…and fuck, he wanted to play.
"Is that so, miss Salvatore?" he rumbled.
She gave him a tight little smile. He had no idea how she managed that when she was staring daggers at him. "You seem like the kind of man who's head rules his heart and not the other way around."
"And that's a bad thing? Being realistic?"
"Just because something doesn't fit into your reality, doesn't mean it's not realistic. It means that you have to make room for it in your life; that you might have to be open-minded and-no offense, mister Nox- but you don't strike me as the open-minded type."
"Don't I?" he rumbled, shifting in his chair as he grew even harder. God, he'd missed seeing that stubborn fire in those blue depths.
"No, you don't. I think you're the kind of man who is set in his ways, who is so used to being tough and cold in business that you forgot how to be human, how to express emotion."
"Adrianna," Ryder scolded, clearly confused by her attitude towards a complete stranger…but she ignored him, keeping her glare going. "You'll have to excuse her. She doesn't mean it."
He's speaking for her, now? The monster snarled as her eyes continued to bore into his. And she's letting him speak for her?
"You might be right, miss Salvatore," Hades growled, ignoring that fucker. "Would you like me to change my ways and express how I'm feeling right this very moment?"
Adrianna's eyes narrowed; a warning…or a dare? She clearly didn't believe he would call her out on this charade…but if that asshole didn't stop eye-fucking his woman asap, he would show her just how fucking wrong she was!
"Would anyone like a drink?"
"Scotch," Hades snapped at the waiter, keeping his eyes locked on Adrianna's.
"I'll have a white wine," Aphrodite said beside him.
"Red for me," Ryder said. "And a Chardonnay for my date."
Hades gritted his teeth, noticing a touch of annoyance flicker in her eyes. She hated Chardonnay. Why wasn't she correcting him? Why was she being so damned submissive? If he'd pulled that crap on her, she would've told him to shove it and ordered herself a scotch. That's what she liked, what she wanted. Not a fucking Chardonnay.
"And you? How did you two meet?"
Adrianna's eyes dropped from his again at Ryder's question, her body tense as she focused her attention on the goddess sitting beside him.
Fuck, he'd never realized what a turn-on a jealous Adrianna was. That blush on her neck, that simmering anger in her eyes…all because she thought he was sleeping with another woman. He had no idea why that was so damned hot, but it fucking was. If she only knew how insignificant the blonde was; who he really wanted...hard, right there, on the fucking table in front of that fucking asshole-
"Us?" Aphrodite laughed. "Oh no, we-"
"-don't really have a romantic story like yours," he finished for her, flashing the goddess a fake smile. She shot him an annoyed look, but she didn't call him out on his lie. If she told them now that they were related, she'd embarrass him…and she was too polite for that. "Like miss Salvatore pointed out, I'm not the romantic type."
Adrianna sniffed, her jaw setting.
"So, mister Ryder," Aphrodite changed the subject. "Why does your name sound so familiar?"
"Please," he smiled with too much seduction. "Call me Alexander. And my company is based right here in the city, Ryder Enterprises, so perhaps that's why-"
"He's the mayor's son," Hades cut him off, a hint of mockery in his voice. "That's why."
Ryder still smiled, but Hades could tell he'd touched a nerve. The man clearly didn't like being associated with his old man. He probably didn't want people to think his success was only a result of his powerful father, even though it undoubtedly was. Hades could almost see the silver spoon in his fucking mouth. Spoiled little-
"Or maybe you know him because of all the charity work he's done," Adrianna shot back, glaring. "Or because of the fact that he donates one third of his profits to cancer research every year. Although, come to think of it, you probably wouldn't know about that, since he doesn't feel the need to broadcast his good deeds."
Ryder's lips twitched at her kindness. She was sticking up for him, seeing the good. He remembered what that felt like…. She didn't see any good in him now, though. Not anymore. Why should she? Without her, there was no more good. In fact, if she had any idea what he was thinking when Ryder laid his hand on Adrianna's leg underneath the table, she probably would've stabbed him with the silver knife in front of her.
Tightening his grip on his chair, he fought to suppress his rage, although it was hard to do when even the smiles on their faces made his blood boil.
How could she fall for that guy?
That boy seemed barely old enough to drive, let alone have his hand on her leg.
"And you, miss Salvatore?" Aphrodite kept the conversation going. "What is it that you do?"
"I'm a homicide detective."
"Well, not currently."
Adrianna's jaw locked at Ryder's comment, but the idiot didn't pick up on it.
"She's currently suspended," he added insult to injury.
"What happened?" the goddess asked.
"It's not important," Adrianna mumbled, unfolding her napkin on her lap. "I don't want to bore you."
"Bore me?" Aphrodite chimed. "I'm sure you won't bore me. I mean, how many people are lucky enough to talk to a real-life homicide detective?"
"Well, generally only people who are suspected of murder or who's loved one has been murdered, so I wouldn't exactly call them lucky."
Hades barely managed not to grin. He could tell by Aphrodite's twitching lips that she was picking up on Adrianna's jealousy too and she was enjoying it almost as much as Hades was. Almost. He was pretty sure the goddess wasn't imagining fucking Adrianna's brains out against the wall.
"My suspension was really just a misunderstanding," Adrianna added, her voice softer. She must've realized she'd been rude and was trying to fix it.
My sweet girl.
"Wait a second," Ryder suddenly said, frowning. "Lucian Nox? You're not the Nox who runs Club Cepa, are you?"
"Yes," he rumbled. "I own Cepa."
"Well, I'll be damned," He laughed. "I love that place. I practically lived in Cepa when I was in Paris last year."
"Paris?" Adrianna frowned. "You have a club in Paris, too?"
"And Prague, Swiss, Budapest," Ryder said mockingly. "You can pretty much find Cepa all over the world. It's a chain, sweetheart."
Adrianna's face flushed. That was the third time that fuck had embarrassed her in public. One more time and Hades was going to rip that sharp tongue right out of his big mouth.
"As you can tell, my girl isn't really into the club-scene," he continued. "She doesn't share my taste."
"Maybe she should taste something else, then."
For the first time, Ryder's blue eyes narrowed just a smidgen and gathering from the kick Aphrodite gave him under the table, he knew his façade was dropping. But what the hell did she expect? How was he supposed to sit through an entire dinner with her and that fuck, acting like everything was great, when inside he was dying?
"She dragged me to this ballet two nights ago," Ryder picked up the conversation, forgiving Hades' crude remark. "A modern interpretation of Romeo and Juliet. I didn't get it."
"What is there not to get?" Aphrodite asked, smiling. "It's a pretty straightforward story."
"Oh, I get the story," Ryder said, reciprocating her smile. "I just don't get why people still go see Romeo and Juliet. I mean, everyone knows what it's about and even how it's going to end. Two kids think they're in love even though it's obviously just some teenage crush, get married, have sex and then kill themselves. The end. I really don't see the attraction."
"Then you're not paying attention," Adrianna snapped.
Lucian could see the blood rush to her cheeks, see her chest rise and fall a little faster, see that little angry fire blazing in her eyes. God, anger made her even more beautiful then she already was to begin with…
"What am I missing, then?" Ryder asked, smiling.
"Well, first of all, why couldn't their love have been real? Why do you define it as nothing more than a crush?"
"Because they only met once!"
"Only minutes ago, you were advocating for love at first sight. Why couldn't that have happened to them? Because of their age? Love knows no age."
"True," Aphrodite whispered, sipping from her glass.
"And secondly," Adrianna continued, her passion palpable. "You make it sound like their deaths were their own fault, like they brought it on themselves when it were outer forces who determined their demise. Without the adults meddling in, they could've been happy. So how was it their fault that-"
"Because they made stupid choices."
Adrianna's flew back to Hades, surprise flickering in them at his interjection.
"Which choices did they make that you would define as stupid?" she asked.
"Every single one," Hades rumbled, taking a large gulp from his scotch before he continued. "The first one was falling in love to begin with and-"
"Love isn't a choice," she cut him off, frowning. "Love is something that happens to you. It can't be forced between two people when it isn't there and it can't be stopped when it is."
"That's bullshit," he growled, watching her eyes widen a little. "We are not helpless victims to love. And even if that was the case, Romeo should've had the sense to walk away. What did he think was going to happen? They were sworn enemies. Was he really so naive that he believed his family would change their minds and let him be with the woman he loved? Faith is not that kind. His family would've never let him be happy. They always would've stood in the way, endangered the life of the only woman who'd ever mattered to him. If he'd truly loved her, he would've walked away. He would've let her marry Paris and live a normal life."
Aphrodite squirmed in her seat beside him. She'd picked up on the fact that he wasn't just talking about the play anymore. Luckily, Adrianna didn't seem to notice.
And she wasn't going to give up, either.
"It's not that easy, mister Nox," she said, clearly annoyed. "He loved her so much-"
"-he killed her!" he replied, clutching his glass tighter. "Because he couldn't keep it in his pants, they both ended up dead, making the whole thing pointless."
"Not pointless," Adrianna snapped, shaking her head, her curls brushing over her porcelain skin. "They loved! People spend their whole lives looking for what they found-"
"They found it for a day!"
"That doesn't matter! You just don't get it, do you? Whether it's for a day, or a year, or fifty years, they knew what it was like to love another and be loved in return! I would rather spend one day feeling that way than live forever and never feel anything like that!"
"Hear, hear," Aphrodite chimed, raising her glass to Adrianna. "I like you, miss Salvatore."
Hades finished half of his scotch, keeping his eyes locked on Adrianna's. That was the second time she'd told him she would rather love for a moment than life forever without love.
So, grant her that, the monster whispered. Love her.
She doesn't know what she's saying!
Really? It sure seems like she does.
Humans always think short-term, gratifying every desire when it pleases them-
Sounds good.
-I don't have that luxury! If I pleased my every desire, I'd already be balls-deep inside her, making love to her until the world ended!
So do that! God, please, do that!
No! I'm finding that Codex, protecting her from my brothers and then I'm letting her live her life-
With him?!
"You know," that asshole interrupted, making Adrianna break their glare. "Now that I have you here, I have to ask, what does Cepa mean? Is it a pet's name or something?"
"It's Russian," Hades growled, offended. Like he would name his club after a fucking pet.
"You're Russian?"
"No," he snapped as two waiters came to their table, putting a pear and walnut salad in front of them. "But I speak it."
"I have to admit my Russian is a bit rusty," Ryder laughed. "What exactly does it mean?"
"It means sulphur."
The loud clang of silver hitting porcelain made Aphrodite jump as Ryder laughed at his date's clumsiness.
But Hades didn't find it amusing.
Not at all.
He'd seen how every drop of blood had flooded from her cheeks and lips as she'd dropped her fork on her plate; had seen how she'd stopped breathing; how a touch of fear had flashed in her bright, blue eyes.
Something had spooked her…and he had no idea what it was.
"Are you alright?" Hades whispered.
She looked at him, bewildered, opening her mouth…but no words made it out. Her eyes just switched back and forth between his, as if searching for something. And then, she stood up so fast her stool scraped across the floor. Hades could see a few heads turn towards the racket, but he couldn't care less. Something was wrong with her.
"Sweetheart?" Ryder whispered. "Are you alright?"
She nodded tightly, dropping her napkin on the table. "I'm fine. Please excuse me for a moment."
She walked away before anyone could object.
"She's really not usually like this," Ryder said. "I apologize."
Apologize? Hades thought, his hands fisting by his side. How about going to check on her, you stupid-
"Is she alright?" Aphrodite asked.
"I'm sure she's fine. She's just been under a lot of stress. Between being suspended and planning the wedding-"
The wedding? For a moment, Hades felt like he was back in that cold cave, surrounded by death, letting the darkness consume him.
"You and Adrianna are getting married?" Aphrodite asked. He could hear the shock in her voice, the fear. She knew how this would make him feel.
"We are," Ryder answered proudly. "I never thought she'd say yes, though, but when you know, you know, right? And what man would let a woman like Adrianna slip through his fingers? You would have to be a special kind of moron to-"
Hades growled, jerking up violently. He could hear Ryder ask what was wrong, but he ignored him, stalking to the same door Adrianna had disappeared through. He knew it was a bad idea, he really did…but as soon as the fuck had said Adrianna was binding herself to him, the monster had taken the reigns.
And the monster only wanted one thing..
Adrianna moaned at her reflection, holding herself up by the marble sink. Her face was pale and clammy, not at all resembling the woman she'd seen in the mirror before leaving Alexander's home. Off course, an hour ago, she'd never suspected the night would turn out this way.
She never suspected Lucian would be here.
With her.
Pushing her hair over her shoulders, she splashed cold water in her face, welcoming the cool relieve, but it didn't help with the nausea. That smell was back. The smell of sulphur…of Cepa.
"It's just a coincidence," Adrianna told her reflection as she dapped her face dry. "Nothing else. This has nothing to do with your dreams."
Pretty big coincidence, don't you think?
"I've heard my mother speaking Russian," she whispered, trying to have it make sense. "I must've heard the word cepa before. I must've known somewhere deep down that cepa meant sulphur and I just linked it to his club, to him. That's why I dreamt about it while I was dreaming about Lucian. That's the only reasonable explanation."
The only reasonable one, sure. But what if this has nothing to do with reason?
She shook her head, trying to get rid of that damned voice…but she knew it had a point.
Grabbing her phone out of her black clutch, she started dialing Maggie's number again, needing to talk…but before she could finish, her phone went off and the name Vasquez appeared on the screen.
"Hi, Gabriel," she said, leaning against the stone wall, letting the cold touch her back.
"Hi," his deep voice greeted. "I got your message and I just wanted to let you know that it's no problem. I can shadow Rodchenko alone tonight."
"Thanks," she sighed. "And sorry about that. Alexander dragged me to this charity-thing and-"
"Hey, I get it," the PI said, his voice kind. "You need to do this to get your job back. It's fine. I can do one night without sleep."
She smiled, rubbing her forehead.
"Are you okay, Anna? You sound kind of-"
Heartbroken?
Confused?
"-exhausted."
She sniffed. Her lack of sleep was the least of her problems. It were the dreams that haunted her when she did sleep that tore her apart…and the man that now continued to haunt her even when she was awake. What was he doing here? He hated social events. Or, at least, that's what he'd told her. Now, however, after seeing him with that woman, she wasn't even sure if a single word out of his mouth had been true.
So much for not wanting to corrupt anyone with his darkness! I guess now that it's a blonde supermodel on his arm, his internal struggle isn't quite so hard to overcome!
She could feel her heart speeding up, anger curling in her stomach. It had never been about 'protecting her from his darkness'! He just didn't want to be with her…and instead of just telling her that, he'd treated her like a fragile little puppet who surely couldn't handle rejection from a stud like him and he'd made up that ridiculous excuse.
Who the hell did that son of a bitch think he was?!
"Adrianna?"
She jumped, completely forgotten she was still on the phone with Gabriel.
"Sorry," she rushed. "You're right, I'm exhausted, but it's nothing I can't deal with."
"Okay," he said, his voice still worried. "You're sure that's all it is? You're just tired?"
"Yes, I promise, Gabriel," she lied. "It's nothing that a good night sleep won't fix. I'll be back in that car with you tomorrow, ready to stake out Rodchenko's place. I promi-"
All of a sudden, the door to the bathroom slammed open and in stormed Lucian, his eyes shooting fire.
She knew it was messed up; knew she should hate him, but her traitorous heart soared.
It shouldn't be, though. It shouldn't matter that she'd missed him; it shouldn't feel like the world was right again, like she was waking up from a deep sleep-a nightmare-and now everything was back to the way it should be.
Because, it wasn't.
He'd still sent her away two months ago…only to show up now with someone else.
Someone gorgeous.
Her anger blazing even hotter, she raised her chin, trying to ignore the tingling sensation in her belly; trying not to notice how well that tuxedo fit him, how rugged that little stubble on his jaw made him look, how warm those grey eyes made her feel. She shouldn't notice any of that!
"I'll call you back," she quickly whispered into the phone before slipping it back in her purse and snapping at the huge man in front of her, "This is the ladies room. You shouldn't be-"
"You're working with Vasquez again?!" he growled, his deep, raw voice making her knees tremble. "Are you kidding me, woman?!"
Adrianna's jaw actually slackened, her mind in shock.
That's why he was there?! To scold her, like a child?!
"You were listening in on me?!" she hissed. "What gives you the right-"
"Save it, Adrianna!" he snarled. "You're working with that idiot again?! Are you out of your mind?!"
She fisted her hands, holding back the string off curses that were on the tip of her tongue. "I don't have to justify myself to you!"
"You do remember Rodchenko saying that he was done with blondes and that his tastes had changed, right?!" he fumed. "That was a treat, Adrianna! He meant he's coming after you!"
"I know that! I'm not an idiot!"
"Then don't act like one!"
She grabbed her clutch tighter, digging her fingers into the material, trying to stop herself from slapping his stupid, beautiful face.
"I'm a big girl, mister Nox! I don't need you to look after me!"
"Like hell you don't!" He took a step closer to her, flooding her weak mind with fantasies. "I take my eyes off you for two months and you're working with that fucking PI again and getting married to some fucker you barely know!"
The clutch squeaked from the assault of her tightening fists. "You don't know what you're talking about! On either matter!"
"So, I'm wrong, then? You're not working with that amateur and you know that asshole sufficiently enough to marry him?!"
"First of all, Gabriel is not an amateur-"
"And yet, two months ago, you said you were done with him!"
"That was before I held a dying girl in my arms!"
Lucian's eyes turned a touch softer …but then they blazed again as they dropped to the ring on her finger, a ring that caught and reflected the dim light in the room.
"And that guy who you promised yourself to?! You know him well enough to bind yourself to him for the rest of your life? Your possibly immortal life?!""
"Yes."
"Oh, please," he growled, making the hairs on the back of her neck stand up. "He ordered you a Chardonnay for fuck's sake!
"So?!"
"So, you hate Chardonnay!"
"Tastes change!"
She could tell by his flaring nostrils that he'd understood the double entendre…and didn't like it at all.
Watching him get angrier by the second, she ground her teeth, her nails digging into her palms. She didn't want to do this. She didn't want to talk to him, see him….because it hurt too much. It hurt to realize that even fighting with him made her feel better than she'd felt in the past months without him.
"Just go Lucian. Go back to your date-"
"And you fiancée?" He spat out that last word with disgust, making Adrianna's heart clench. "Yeah, let's go back and have a nice fucking dinner together! I have a few stories to tell!"
"You're not telling him anything!"
He sniffed, his jaw set. "How can you marry that guy? You don't know him!"
"I know him!"
"How could you possibly?! It's barely been two months since-"
"Since what?! Since you humiliated me?! Since I basically threw myself at you and you turned me down? Again?"
Lucian's jaw clutched. "I know I'm an asshole, but that doesn't mean you should get engaged to some guy you barely know!"
"You arrogant bastard!" She huffed, her eyes narrowing. "You think I made a hasty decision because of you?! You are not the driving force behind everything I do, Lucian Nox!"
"Then why would you marry him?!"
"Because I love him!" The words had barely escaped her mouth or she'd cursed them for ever passing her lips. It felt so wrong to utter that lie to him, so cruel…
And that look on his beautiful face…
Take it back, a soft voice whispered. Tell him Alexander's just a job. Tell him the truth.
But she couldn't. She was so angry, so hurt. He'd made her feel for him, miss him, while all the while, he'd been out and about what that blonde supermodel.
No.
If she'd hurt him, good.
He deserved it.
"You actually love that ridiculous boy?" he growled after a long moment, his voice rough.
"Stop calling him names!"
"That's not an answer! You love him?!"
She gave him a tight nod, trying to keep her heart under control. "Yes, I just told you! I love him very much!"
His dark eyes darkened even more, anger seeping out of them. "Damn it, Adrianna, why are you marrying this man if you don't love him?!"
"Are you deaf on top of stupid?!" she snapped. "I just said I love him! Twice!"
"No, you said you love him very much!"
"So?!"
"So, when you love someone, you simply say you love them! There's no need for any adjectives! When you say you love someone very much, you're saying it to convince someone of something that isn't true…or convince yourself!"
She huffed, shaking her head. "You have some nerve, you arrogant prick! You stroll into my life after two months and have the audacity to say these things to me?! When I say I love him, I love him! And he loves me! You know how I know that? Because when I'm with him, I don't feel like crap! He never yells at me, he never purposely hurts my feelings…and when I offered myself to him, he sure as hell didn't send me away!"
She didn't know why she'd said that last part, but if she had to guess, she'd blame her anger. How dare he stand there, looking so damned mouth-watering, making her feel guilty for being with another man, even a man she was only pretending to be with?! Besides, it's not like he'd been a monk! He and that blonde weren't just holding hands! And she would've pointed that out too...if she hadn't been too busy trying to breathe again. Lucian's eyes were now darker than she'd ever seen them, that impressive chest pushing against his shirt, his muscles rippling underneath the fabric. She knew that look. He was furious…
Just when she felt her knees wobble, Lucian gnarled in a dangerous voice, "You gave yourself to that fucker?"
"He's not a fuck-"
"Answer me!"
She could feel her cheeks flush, only partly out of anger, as she took a step forward, glaring at him. "Did you think I would pine over you for the rest of my life? Never looking at another man?"
You probably will.
Shut up!
"No," he barked. "But I at least expected you to use your common sense in picking a partner! Do you know about his reputation?! How could you let a man like him take your virginity-"
"Because the man I wanted it to take, kicked me out of his apartment, half naked!"
"So you let that fucker-"
"Stop calling Alexander a fucker, you son of a-"
The door flew open again, a wide-eyes woman entering, her eyes shifting back and forth between them.
Adrianna used Lucian's temporary distraction to move past him and out of that bathroom, hoping some distance would make her catch her breath…but it didn't. Her inside were screaming, tears pushing against her eyes as she realized this was the most alive she'd felt in two months. Why did it have to be that way? Why did he have to be the one person she…needed.
No!
Screw that!
You don't need him!
He's a lying, arrogant piece of-
A big, rough hand grabbed her bare arm and before the idea to struggle even crossed her mind, he'd dragged her through a pair of French doors, onto a balcony.
"What the hell do you think you're doing?!" she snarled, spinning around as he closed the glass doors, trapping her on the stone structure. "Are you out of your mind?!"
"Am I out of my mind?!" he growled, towering over her with that huge body of his. "I'm not the one spreading my legs for every womanizing playboy who comes alon-"
Her hand shot out before she could stop herself, slamming right into his cheek. Lucian had been as surprised by her action as she'd been, touching the red mark on his cheek as those eyes pierced hers with an intensity she recognized all too well, an intensity that made her mouth go dry. The last time he'd looked at her like that, she'd almost lost her virginity for real...
"You have no right!" she broke the silence, her words trembling. "You have no right to judge me! Or Alexander! In fact, you calling him a playboy is a little hypocritical, don't you think?!"
"Meaning?"
"Meaning you're not exactly alone tonight either, are you?"
He smiled, but it wasn't the warm smile she still dreamt about. No, this was cocky, almost cruel, as if he enjoyed tormenting her with this other woman.
"You noticed her, huh?" he rumbled, his voice so low it vibrated through her entire body.
She sniffed, raising her chin defensively. "She was hard to miss, sitting across from me and all! And yet, you don't see me spewing my opinion about her, do you?!"
He growled, the silver light of the moon flashing in his irises. "You have an opinion?"
"Off course I do, but like I said, you won't hear me voicing it! I have more restraint than that! Unlike you!"
"Unlike me?!" he barked, taking another step closer to her. "You think I have no restraint?! I have restraint, Adrianna! You have no idea how much fucking restraint I have; how much I need to have, every single minute of every single day!"
He was breathing so heavily now that she could see the buttons of his shirt straining dangerously. God, she hated so much that she wanted to reach out and touch that heaving chest, make him calm down, take away the anger and pain she saw in those tormented eyes. She shouldn't want that. Not anymore. But the longer she stood this close to him, the harder it became to think straight, to remember the reasons for her anger. He was just too close…. So close she could smell him now. There was the scent of scotch, a lot of it, but underneath the alcohol, she could smell that male, alpha-smell, touching her in places she'd never been touched before…and she couldn't stop her mind from flashing back to her dream, to the part of it where they'd stood on a balcony at lot like this one…only in the dream, they'd been happy, in love, expecting their second child together.
A ridiculous dream that would never come true.
She didn't want it to come true!
She hated that bastard!
She hated-
"Are you pregnant?!"
She felt her jaw slacken, her mind actually going blank at the accusation. Did he really just say that?! Why would he think-
When she noticed his eyes had dropped to her stomach, she realized that at some point when she'd been remembering the dream, she'd folded her hands over her belly.
"Is that why you're marrying this guy?" he continued unapologetic. "Did that fucker knock you-"
"Shut up!" she yelled, dropping her hands again and immediately balling them into tight fists. "God, just stop talking, you dick! I'm not pregnant!"
She could tell he didn't believe her, his eyes still blazing on hers.
"Jesus Christ, I'm not pregnant! First of all, I'm The Crescător, remember? There's a whole ritual I have to do before I can have kids-"
"Accidents happen!"
"Not when you're The Crescător'
He sniffed, opening his mouth as if to say something…but whatever it was, he changed his mind about it, snapping his jaw shut again.
"And secondly," she hissed. "I'm not marrying Alexander because I have to! I'm marrying him because I want to!"
"No, you don't!" he simply gnarled.
She huffed, running a hand through her hair. "What do you even care?"
"I don't want you to be miserable!"
She let out something between a snort and a laugh at that. He didn't want her to be miserable?! He was the goddamned reason she was miserable, all the time! Not Alex! Him!
Fuming, she shoved against his chest again and then slipped from between him and the balustrade, pushing the French doors open and storming back inside.
But she could feel him behind her; the hairs on her neck standing up, heat flooding her body. She tried to shake him, but he matched her pace, his loud footsteps echoing in her ears.
When she reached the stairs, she almost tripped going down them, but she somehow made it to the ground floor in one piece…only to be yanked to the side again; into the shadows of the grand staircase.
"Stop manhandling me!" she hissed, pulling her arm free.
He raised his palms, but his eyes were anything but surrendering.
"Why can't you just leave me alone, Lucian?!"
"Because you're going to regret this decision!"
"The only thing I regret is ever meeting you!" she yelled, her anger boiling over. "You have no right to stand here, after two months of no contact whatsoever and tell me what to do with my life! You have no right to tell me not to get married or school me on love! You pushed me away! You rejected me!"
"I know that," he snarled, his eyes flashing dangerously. "But-"
"No, no buts! My life has nothing to do with yours anymore!"
"So I should just let you ruin it?!"
"Yes!" She spit out, blinking wildly before correcting, "I mean, no! I'm not ruining anything! I love him!"
His eyes turned even darker, bursting with rage, the tension in the air growing thicker…and then, something changed. The anger that had overpowered her before was now slowly fading, something else-something warm and thick- making it harder and harder to think. She didn't know what had made it happen. She didn't know what had made the change, but looking up at his chiseled face…she felt herself get wet. It came from inside. She could feel the muscles flowing, drenching her panties. She wanted to hate him, not…want him. And the thing that annoyed her the most was the fact that Lucian looked at her like he knew, somehow. He knew the effect he was having on her, knew the ache that squeezed her heart so tight she could barely breath…
Swallowing hard, she pressed herself closer to the wall, away from him, a shiver running through her blood. He stood frozen for a long second, something in his eyes fighting, as if he was trying to stop himself from doing something…but it was a fight he lost.
With a soft growl, he took a step closer to her already trembling body; rumbling in a low, seductive voice, "You're lying, Cara."
"I'm not."
His dark eyes slipped down her body, touching her everywhere. She tried not to moan, tried to stop herself from trembling…but she could feel her knees weaken, her mouth go dry, her skin tingle.
"You can't pretend with me, Cara. I'm not that idiot. I know you. I know your body."
Somewhere in the back of her mind, she knew she should be fighting with him, tell him to fuck off, that he didn't know her or her body…but she could no longer speak. Her mind was a jumble; a mess of fantasies and random thoughts she shouldn't be having…and then, his fingers wrapped around her wrist, his touch making her eyes slip closed.
"Your heart races when you lie," he rumbled, his deep voice sending a shiver up her spine. "And right now, your pulse is beating madly against my fingers."
She wanted to tell him that had nothing to do with lying, but with him pissing her off…but then, she felt his fingers slip up her arm, over her shoulder and she couldn't remember how to form words.
"And you blush when you lie," he groaned, his fingertips caressing her neck. "Right here."
Make him stop.
Tell him to stop.
Tell him to-
Her thoughts evaporated into nothing when his big, warm hand cupped her cheek..and his thumb brushed her lips. Rubbing her thighs together, she could no longer keep her eyes closed. She had to see him…and when she did, the fire between her legs only grew.
His jaw was set, his brows pulled together in an angry scowl and there was something in his eyes that she'd never seen before. For the first time, she suspected, she got a glimpse of the monster he was so ashamed off…but she wasn't afraid. Not even a little bit. She knew she should be…but she just wasn't.
"You wet your lips, too," he snarled, focused on the way his thumb stroked her bottom lip. "When you're not telling the truth."
Heat surged through her, her skin turning pink, flushing with even more blood.
"You're an open book to me, Cara," he whispered. "You can't hide from me. You can't lie."
"Unlike you." The words were out of her mouth before she'd decided to speak them…but they reminded her of why she should hate his touch…not crave it.
"What's that supposed to mean?"
She sniffed, horrified when she felt tears pushing against her eyes. She couldn't cry. Not in front of him. Never in front of him. He couldn't see the damage he'd done.
"Just forget it, Lucian," she said, gritting her teeth as she dropped her glistening eyes to the floor. "Go back inside, go back to your date and leave me alone."
He didn't move…and there was no way she could get away from him. He was too close, trapping her against the wall.
"Adrianna," he growled, the sudden softness in his voice making her heart pinch. "Tell me what you meant."
"Forget it. Just go."
He didn't listen. Instead, one of his fingers found their way underneath her chin, softly tilting her head up, forcing her eyes back to his.
"Tell me," he ordered.
She shot him the meanest glare she could muster up, raising her chin defiantly. "Are you really going to stand here and pretend like you haven't been lying to me?"
He had the audacity to frown, to look confused…and that made the angry fire in Adrianna's blood blaze even brighter.
"You know, I'm a big girl, mister Nox," she snarled. "I've put men behind bars that are bigger and scarier than you; I've grown up around vampires, I've been shot-"
His jaw set even harder as his eyes dropped to her belly, to the spot where he knew the scar was.
"-so, there's really no reason for you to treat me like I'm some fragile little girl who can't handle the truth!"
"The truth?"
"Oh, come on, Lucian! That blonde looks a lot purer than I do! And you clearly don't have any problem with that purity now that the pure woman in question is a blonde bombshell!"
Something dangerous flashed in his eyes.
"You could've just told me, you know! You could've said 'Adrianna, I don't want to be with you' and I would've been just fine! You didn't have to spin this whole fantasy about not being good enough for me! You could've-"
He cut her off with a growl, making her skin sizzle. What man growled like that? Actually growled? And why the hell did it hit every spot?
Putting his face closer to hers, he narrowed his eyes, barking, "Do you really believe that I rejected you just for the hell of it?"
"Seeing is believing! That woman-"
"She's my niece!"
Her heart skipped a beat. "What?"
"She's my goddamned niece!"
Adrianna sniffed, narrowing her eyes even more. "Oh, please! How stupid do you think I am?! She's my age!"
"My brother is older than me!"
"Yeah, right!"
"It's true!"
"Than why didn't you introduce her as your niece?"
"Because I wanted you to feel how I felt when I saw you with that guy!" he yelled. "I wanted you to-"
"-hurt?"
His eyes widened a little, his features softening…and God, she'd missed that side of him. The sweet, soft side he'd shown her on rare occasion. The side he never showed to anyone else, as far as she could tell.
"Well, you didn't hurt me, Nox," she lied, feeling a tear slip down her cheek. "I'm happy now. I found a man I want to spend the rest of my life with. A man I love."
Suddenly, his face turned hard again and then, before she could prepare herself, he placed his palms on the wall next to either side of her head, boxing her in. She had nowhere to run...and even if she had, she wasn't sure she could've run at that point. Her legs felt like rubber. She hated him so damned much, had never been this angry and yet her every instinct was begging her to kiss him. He was just too tempting, his mere presence turning her mind into nothing. She could practically feel his palms cupping her ass, the fabric of his pants rubbing against the insides of her thighs, his teeth softly biting her neck and-
"Don't go back to him."
Her thought halted abruptly at his whispered plea, her mind unable to process what he was asking. Surely, he couldn't actually be asking her to-
"Stay," he rumbled, his hungry eyes dropping to her lips. "With me."
What?
She was speechless. She was lost. She opened her mouth to speak, but instead simply stared at him. If he had any idea how many times she'd dreamt of him saying those words to her, how much she wished he meant it…
"You're only saying this because you're drunk."
"No," he growled. "I'm saying this because I can't stand his hands on you, or his eyes, or his lips… and the idea of you in his bed makes me sick. Physically sick. I can't bear it."
Oh, God…
"Don't say things like that, Lucian."
"Why not?" he rumbled.
"Because you don't mean it."
"Yes, I do," he snarled, his hand cupping her cheek again. "I don't want him to touch you or taste you or feel you. I don't even want him in the same goddamned room as you!"
She felt herself get even wetter, leaning her head back against the wall, trying to remember how to think.
"Stay, Adrianna," he demanded. "Stay with me."
"And how long before you change your mind again?" she asked, scared to believe he meant what he was saying, that he would see it through. She couldn't hope for that. She couldn't hope and be crushed. Not again. Not by him. "Do you think we will make it to your car before you remember this is not what you want? Or will we actually make it to your bed before you throw me out again?"
He stood frozen, his jaw locked, his dark eyes switching back and forth between hers…but he didn't say a word. He didn't defend himself, didn't deny that any of that could happen…because he knew it could. It had before. Nothing had changed.
"You're just arrogant," she whispered, pain stabbing her chest. "You see me with someone else and your ego can't stand it. It doesn't really have anything to do with me."
"It has everything to do with you," he gnarled. "Cara, I-"
"Lucian?"
Adrianna froze as the woman's voice drifted down from the staircase above, hurried footsteps making their way down.
But Lucian didn't move.
And those eyes, God those eyes, still pierced hers with an intensity that shook her to her core. She could see there was so much more he wanted to say, so many emotions swirling in those depths…
"Lucian, where the hell are-" Amory trailed off when she rounded the corner and saw them. And what a sight it must've been. Lucian was still pressed against her, his chest keeping her trapped against the wall; his hand was still on her flushed cheek and Adrianna could feel her body trembling so much it had to be visible. But the woman didn't get angry. Instead, she smiled. It was only then that she actually believed Amory was his niece. If they'd been lovers, this would've gone a completely different way.
"Sorry," she said, a hint of amusement in her voice. "But I need Lucian back for a moment."
"Not now," he growled, making her toes curl.
"I hate to do this, but it's sort of time-sensitive," Amory persisted. "I found that thing you wanted me to find, but it's not here. I found someone who knows where it is though, but it won't be there for much longer, so it's kind of a now or never-thing."
"Never, then," Lucian snarled, keeping his gaze locked on Adrianna, opening his beautiful mouth to say more…but she didn't want to hear it. Because she knew him and she knew that look in his eyes. He was going to tell her things she could never unhear, things that would run through her mind like a bittersweet song after he'd inevitably send her away. She couldn't handle that.
Not again.
"Actually, we're done."
Lucian snapped his lips shut, scowling, but she'd made up her mind. This would lead nowhere. Nowhere but pain. When he sobered up, he would regret this and they would be right back where they started. She would be right back where she started. Crying, in her bed, hating herself for missing him.
"You should go," she said in the strongest voice she could muster up. "And so should I. My fiancée is waiting for me."
His nose wrinkled in anger, but before he could say another word, Adrianna forced her trembling hands against his chest, somehow finding enough strength to push him back. Ignoring how unnatural it felt, she slipped from between him and the wall, heading for the large entrance, needing to get out of there.
But then, his fingers wrapped around her wrist, stopping her in her tracks.
She glanced over her shoulder, intended to curse at him. But the expression on his face stopped her. He looked so…tortured. So sad.
So, stay with him. Just stay and-
"Adrianna?"
At the sound of Alexander's voice, she could feel Lucian's grip tighten…before he finally let go. She could tell by his face that he wasn't happy about it though, but he still released her, focusing his angry eyes on the man coming down the grand staircase.
"There you are," he smiled when he spotted her. "Where did you run off-" He trailed off when he noticed Amory and Lucian as well. "Is everything alright here?"
Adrianna nodded, even though she felt like falling apart. No. Not everything was alright. Everything was fucked up. One moment with him and every single flicker of progress she'd made over the last few months had evaporated into nothing. If anything, she was even more confused. Why hadn't she just left? She should've made up some excuse the second she'd seen him…but she'd missed him. God help her, she'd missed him so much that even the prospect of certain pain hadn't convinced her to get the hell out of there.
"We were just saying goodbye to miss Salvatore," Amory said in a lighthearted voice. "I'm afraid we have to get going."
"Already?" Alexander asked, his eyes still a little suspicious.
"No, we're staying," Lucian's deep voice growled behind her, making goosebumps crawl up her skin. There were so many promises simmering in those words, so many tantalizing promises…
Feeling his eyes burn on her the back of her head, Adrianna walked over to Alexander, needing distance before she did something stupid like turn around.
"Are you sure you're alright?" Alexander asked, tucking a curl behind her ear.
She nodded, ignoring the soft growl coming from behind her. "I'm fine."
He cocked a skeptical eyebrow, but before Adrianna could reassure him more, her focus was drawn to the soft whispers behind her back.
"-to go now or you'll lose him."
"I don't care," his deep voice gnarled.
"Yes, you do," Amory whispered. "You're not thinking clearly-"
"Are you coming back to the table?" Alexander asked, drowning out Amory. "We're not even through the first course."
"Yes," she smiled. "Off course."
"-going to let this chance slip away?" Amory whispered a little louder, getting annoyed. "After dragging me here? The least you can do is go see Rellix and-"
"Are you sure you two have to go?" Alexander asked over her shoulder. "They don't do refunds."
"Yes," Amory said kindly again. "I'm sure. It was nice to meet you, though. Both of you."
Adrianna wanted to cast her a polite smile, but the second she spotted Lucian and that angry look in his eyes, her lips couldn't curl. Why was he so angry? She was the one who should be pissed off. And, God, why did he have to look so damned mouthwatering when he was angry? As if this wasn't hard enough!
"It was nice to meet you, too," Alexander said politely when Amory grabbed Lucian's arm, maneuvering him to the exit. She watched them walk away, slipping back into the night…and she hated that her heart shattered in her chest. She should be happy he was gone. She'd wanted him to leave…
"You don't look so good, Adrianna," Alexander said as she watched the exit, silently hoping he'd walk back in. "I don't think you're okay."
I'm not.
I'm not okay.
"We should go back and you should eat something. You look pale and-"
"Wait, Rellix?" Adrianna whispered, only then processing what she'd overheard Amory say. "Did she say Rellix?"
A cold hand gripped her heart, chilling her to the bone. She couldn't have been talking about the Rellix, right?
I don't think Rellix is a popular name.
"What?" Alexander asked, cocking an eyebrow. "What is a Rellix? Adrianna, you're not making any sense."
She sniffed, rubbing her forehead.
That idiot is getting involved with Rellix?!
"Adrianna?"
Cursing inwardly at what she was about to do, she focused back on Alexander, sighing, "I'm sorry. You were right, I'm not feeling so well. Would you mind if I went home?"
He huffed, cocking an eyebrow. "Am I missing something, here? Why is everyone leaving?"
"I'm sorry, I've been feeling terrible all day. I think I might've caught something. I thought I could make it through the night, but-"
"You know him, don't you?"
Adrianna sucked in a breath, her stomach clenching. "What?"
"You know Nox."
She stood frozen, not sure what to say.
"I'm not an idiot, Salvatore," he continued, smiling kindly. "I suspected it before, but now, it's pretty obvious. He left and you want to go after him."
"No, it's not like that," she rushed. "I don't want to go after him, but I have to-"
"Because you love him."
She let out a short laugh, feeling her stomach drop. "I don't love Lucian. Why would you even think that?"
"Well, first of all, you call him Lucian-"
"That doesn't mean-"
"And secondly, there's been a spark in your eyes since the moment you saw him, a sense of excitement I've never seen before."
"That's ridiculous," she bit out, her mind racing as it tried to shut out Alexander's preposterous accusation. "We worked together on a case. That's why I couldn't tell you. There's a confidentiality-issue and-"
"-and you love him."
"Stop it," she hissed. "I don't love Lucian Nox. He and I have nothing."
"You have a past."
"Only a professional one."
"Bullshit."
"Alex, I-"
"He was jealous," he cut her off, cocking a meaningful eyebrow. "I thought that guy hated me for no reason, but it's obvious now. He hated me because he thinks we're actually engaged."
"He was just drunk. He doesn't really have any feelings for me."
Alexander's lips twitched. "For a detective, you don't see much."
She frowned, but before she could protest, he said, "Go. Go after him."
"It's really not like that. He's meeting someone dangerous-"
"And you couldn't live with yourself if anything happened to him, could you?"
"That doesn't prove anything! I'm a cop! It's my job to stop bad things from happening!"
He grinned. "Just go, Adrianna. I'll make up some excuse."
"Alexander, I swear-"
"Yeah, yeah, you don't love him. Sure. Just go."
She wanted to stay and argue, convince him he was wrong…if only to convince herself. But she couldn't. There was no time.
"Take a bodyguard with you, though," he added on an afterthought. "To be safe."
"No," she snapped, annoyed now. "I can handle this myself."
"Adrianna-"
"I'll call you in the morning," she cut him off, ending the discussion.
He nodded, that strange mischievous look in his eyes. That bastard really thought he'd hit the nail on the head.
Fuming, she raced out the door and into the night, heading for the one place Rellix put up shop when he was in town. She had to hurry, though. That warlock never stayed in one place for long…but he always left behind a trail of destruction. She had to find Lucian before he did anything irrevocable.
Because you love him.
Adrianna shook her head, trying to get rid of Alexander's voice. She had to focus…but how dare he claim to know her mind, her heart, better than she did? He didn't know anything about her! He had no right to just spew out crazy stuff like that! If he'd bothered to do his research before making up wild theories, he would know she hated Lucian more than she loved him! He would know that Lucian Nox had done nothing but mess up her life, her plans! How could she possibly love someone like that?! How could she possibly love someone stupid enough to seek out Rellix?!
"Moron," she mumbled, turning the corner and finally spotting the red neon-light she'd been looking for.
Taking a deep breath, she crossed the street and carefully slipped down the stairs leading to Rellix' underground bar. The warlock ran this place, mostly from a distance, and on the rare times he was actually there, there was only one way to get to him.
Cracking her knuckles, Adrianna headed straight for the meanest looking bouncer, preparing for what was about to come.
Hades and Aphrodite made their way through the dark club, following the man Aphrodite had found back at the charity event. Apparently, Rellix had decided not to attend and had sent one of his henchmen instead. Aphrodite had picked up on his power, worked her charm and here they were, about to meet the man himself. He should be focused, preparing…and instead, all he thought about was her. The way she'd trembled underneath his hands; the warmth from her cheeks seeping into his pores; the scent of her hair fogging his mind.
God, what had he been thinking? He shouldn't have said those things to her; he should've walked away the second she'd shown up…but seeing her with him had awoken that primal part again, that part that didn't just need her, but demanded her; the part that ruled with fire in his blood and reminded him that she was his and his alone.
Not anymore, the monster gnarled. She's been tasted. By him.
"Whatever it is that you're thinking about right now," Aphrodite whispered. "Stop. You need to be here. From everything I've gathered about Rellix, this isn't a man to be trifled with. Pay attention."
"I'm here," Hades gnarled. "Don't worry about it."
"Well, I am worried. I realize tonight didn't exactly go as planned, but after you get what you want from Rellix, you can still go to her and finish whatever it was that I interrupted earlier."
"If I get what I want, I'm not going back," he growled, cursing the words as they slipped from his lips. "If he has the Key to the Gomorrah Codex, I'm translating that damned book tonight and using whatever's in there to protect her from my brothers. She'll be safe and-"
"- Zeus and Poseidon will sense what you've done, pull you from this world and punish you."
"Don't look so sad, Aphrodite. Punishment is inevitable. I knew that going in."
They were lead into a dark office before anything else could be said, their escort signaling for them to stand in the middle of it before he walked over to the desk, whispering something at the man sitting in the shadows. Hades tried to see him, but the darkness seemed to cling to him like a cloak.
Their escort accepted something and then walked out of the office, leaving them there.
For a long moment, Hades and Aphrodite just stood there, waiting and just when Hades was about to lose his patience, a figure stood up, the shadows around him disappearing.
"Rellix?" Aphrodite asked, frowning.
He knew why she sounded so surprised. He looked nothing like the powerful warlock he'd expected to find either. The man who had appeared before them didn't look a day over twenty, except maybe his hair. It was as white as snow, matching his pale skill. That, combined with his silver eyes, made it pretty obvious this was no ordinary human, but he'd still expected someone more threatening; someone who oozed danger and black magic.
"I hear you've been looking for me," he said, straightening his grey suit.
"You're Rellix?" Hades asked, still skeptical.
"I am. And you are?"
"Lucian Nox."
"Amory Nox."
"Husband and wife?" he asked, cocking an eyebrow.
"No,we're not married. Just related."
"Good."
Hades frowned. "Why is that good?"
"Because since you've entered, my mind's been flooded with images of a woman that is not the woman standing next to you and I would've hated to cause a rift in a marriage."
"Images?"
The warlock's lips twitched. "I have many powers, mister Nox, but the most unique one is my ability to see desires. People's deepest, darkest wants. And you only have one desire, which is rare."
Adrianna.
"Stay out of my head," Hades snarled, earning a nudge in his side from Aphrodite. He didn't care about politeness, though. Rellix had no business with Adrianna. He didn't want this guy knowing anything about her.
"Fiery type, huh?" the warlock said, tilting his head a little, watching him close.
"Look, I didn't come here to chit-chat," Hades gnarled. "I heard you're the guy to see when you need something done that no one else can do."
"Did you now?" he smiled. "Let me guess, you need this black-haired beauty that fills your mind to fall madly in love with you?"
"No," he hissed. "I need you to find the Key that can translate The Gomorrah Codex."
Rellix frowned, a spark igniting in his silver eyes. "Really? It's not what you desire most-"
"My desires don't matter."
The warlock let out a short laugh.
"Is something amusing you?"
"No," he said. "It's just been a long time since I've heard anyone say that."
"Can you help or not?" Hades asked, impatient.
The warlock took a beat, still watching him and then said, "Yes. For a price."
Hope welled up in his chest. "What do you want in exchange?"
"Let's just say you'd owe me a favor."
The business man in him warned him not to make a deal like that…but the truth was, he would give him anything. Whatever that favor would be in the future, if it meant she would live, he'd do it.
"Deal."
Aphrodite nudged him again, but Hades ignored her like before. She had no say in this. This was his call.
"Alright then, mister Nox. I will ask around for your key and in exchanged, you owe me one. Yes?"
"Yes."
The warlock reached out his hand and the second Hades shook it, he felt a strange burst of electricity shoot up his arm.
"What was-" he started to ask, but before Hades could finish his question, the door flung open and in walked two giant men, dragging between then-
Adrianna?
Hades started to move forward to get her away from those men, but then she shot him an angry look, warning him to back off. She was clearly still pissed. He couldn't blame her. She'd started a new life, without him and he'd tried to ruin that. She was engaged to be married, for god's sake. He should've let her be, let her built a future with a man who could actually take care of her.
Take care of her? his monster snarled. She's been going out at night with that Vasquez-fuck again! Chasing after a murderer who's made his intend to hurt her clear! How is that protecting her?
"Sorry to bother you, sir," one of the men, who still had a tight grip on Adrianna, boomed. "But this little bitch here just started attacking us out of nowhere. We thought you might want to deal with her."
"Did you?" Rellix said, watching Adrianna with a smile on his lips. "Hello, black-haired beauty."
Hades cursed inwardly, realizing that fuck recognized Adrianna from whatever he'd seen in his head. If he'd known beforehand that this bastard had that power, he would've taken precautionary measures…but he hadn't. He'd rushed into this to keep her safe and he might've just done the opposite. Rellix was watching her with way too much interest in his eyes.
"What do you want us to do with her, sir?"
Rellix' silver eyes moved to the man who'd spoken, his smile dropping. "We're not going to do anything with her. You've already done enough."
The man shot him a confused look.
"The woman clearly attacked you because she knew that was the only way to get to me. She's human. You don't get into my club when you're human. Not unless you have an insider guiding you like these two here," he said nodding at him and Aphrodite. "Or, unless you do something to break the rules of this place. Like, say, attack my bouncers."
The man swallowed hard, the realization he'd fucked up hitting him.
"You can go now," Rellix said, waving a dismissive hand at the men.
"And the woman?"
"Leave her." Rellix smiled again, watching Adrianna as he sang, "Her desire isn't to kill me." His gaze flickered to Hades again for a second, amusement flashing in his irises…and Hades couldn't help but be envious of the warlock. He would give anything to look into Adrianna's mind, even just catch a glimpse of it. Maybe then, he would understand why she was marrying that Ryder-guy…or why she'd followed him here.
"Adrianna," Hades growled under his breath. "Get out of here."
"Adrianna," Rellix chanted, leaning back against his glass desk. "What a pretty name."
Hades shot the warlock a deadly look, his entire body tensing. But that only seemed to amuse Rellix even more…
"Tell me, Adrianna," the warlock continued. "What can I help you with? If you want what you desire most, I have to tell you, you don't need my help. It's ripe for the taking."
"Stay the hell out of my head, Rellix."
The warlock straightened and Hades followed his lead. She knew what he could do?
"And the surprises keep coming," the warlock laughed. "And here I was, thinking this would be another boring deal."
Before Adrianna could answer, Rellix was suddenly standing right in front of her, holding her chin between his thumb and forefinger.
Hades jerked forward, but Aphrodite grabbed his arm, shaking her head warningly. Something told him this warlock wasn't all he seemed and Aphrodite knew that.
"You're clearly human," Rellix said, a smile still on his lips even though his eyes had hardened significantly. "So how do you know me? How do you know what I can do?"
Adrianna smiled coldly. "It must be annoying to be able to see only desires. What good does that really do, huh?"
The warlock sniffed, pulling his fingers back from her chin so roughly her head snapped to the side. There was no pain in her eyes, though.
Only anger.
Lots of it.
"You know what," Rellix said. "I'm actually not that interested in how you know, so if you're not here to get me my second deal of the night, you can go."
Adrianna's beautiful eyes widened a little before they shifted to Hades. "You made the deal already?"
"Adrianna," Hades whispered, warningly. "This is none of your business."
"And it shouldn't be any of yours, either," she snapped, making something inside him heat. She was acting worried about him again and God, he'd missed that. He'd missed that softness in her eyes, that warmth. He'd missed her.
"I know what I'm doing," he said, trying to comfort her.
It didn't work.
She sighed, crossing her arms over her chest and he couldn't stop his eyes from dropping to that magnificent chest. God, he wanted her pressed against him again, feel her, smell her-
"You don't know what you're doing," she said, interrupting his fantasies. "Or who you're doing it with. Rellix is a scam artist."
"Careful, little girl," the warlock hissed, dropping his facade. "I quite like you, but you would be wise to mind your manners before I mind them for you."
"Don't threaten her," Hades snarled, feeling his blood simmer underneath his skin. "Ever."
"Or what?" Rellix laughed. "You're not in any position to challenge me, mister Nox. And neither are you, miss. You have some nerve, calling me a scam artist. We've just met."
Adrianna sniffed, one corner of her lips curling up. "Oh, this isn't the first time we met, Rellix."
The warlock frowned before running his eyes down her body. Hades felt his jaw set, his nose crinkling. If that fuck didn't get his eyes away from her, he was going to remove them!
As if hearing his thoughts, Rellix briefly glanced his way with a cocky grin on his lips before addressing Adrianna again, saying, "I would've remembered meeting you, dear. Believe me."
"Well, I was younger. Three, to be exact."
Rellix' frown deepened. "Three?"
Adrianna nodded, a confident smile on her painted lips. "Yes, my mom and dad were visiting my uncle in New Orleans and they bumped into you."
"Your mom and dad?"
Hades could hear the hint of worry in the warlock's voice. He knew she was going somewhere with this and he didn't like it.
"Yes, my mom and dad. Well, I know them as mom and dad. You know them as Damon and Elena Salvatore."
The warlock froze, his expression turning horrified. "You're Adrianna Salvatore?"
Hades tensed, keeping a close eye on the warlock, waiting for his next move. If he went for Adrianna, he would make damned sure he got to him first, before he could harm a curl on that beautiful head of hers. He was ready for anything…
…except maybe for what actually happened.
And Adrianna seemed just as surprised as him when the warlock dropped down on one knee, his head bent, his eyes on the floor.
That beautiful blush crawled back into her cheeks as she exchanged a surprised look with Hades. She was embarrassed…and fuck, it was cute.
"Okay," she mumbled. "Get up. You don't have to kneel."
The warlock stayed down, rambling, "I'm so sorry, your highness."
"Don't call me-"
"I didn't know who you were. Please, spare me. I swear, I didn't mean you any harm-"
"Just get up," she said louder, that blush dipping down to her neckline, disappearing in that mouthwatering dress of hers. Fuck.
The warlock listened this time, raising, his eyes still low.
"I thought my parents and brothers made it clear that you were to stop making these sleazy deals," she hissed. "You can have your supernaturals only-clubs, but this side-business of yours was forbidden."
"I know, I'm sorry," he rushed. "I strayed, but it won't happen again. Please, spare me."
"I'm not going to kill you," she said, offended.
"Thank you, your highn-"
"Don't call me that. I'm not royalty."
Rellix frowned, but didn't comment. Off course she was royalty. Or at least the closest thing the supernatural world had to royalty. Her entire family was. After defeating Niklaus; Damon, Elena and the remaining Mikaelsons had set up ground rules for those who walk in the darkness, enforcing them strictly. And as soon as Killian and Asher had been old enough, they'd joined the family business, not only as enforcers, but hunters, finding those who broke the rules and bringing them to justice. Everyone knew them, respected them…and knew not to mess with them.
So, threatening their daughter, their sister, wasn't the best idea. And judging from the way Rellix was sweating, he was well aware of that.
"Okay," Adrianna said. "Here's what you're going to do-"
"Anything."
Her lips twitched. "I could go straight to my family and tell them what you've done-"
The warlock's eyes widened in horror.
"Or, you could promise me this was the last time and as a show off good faith, undo the deal you made with mister Nox. "
"No."
Adrianna's eyes flew to Hades at his protest, surprise and anger written on her face. "What?"
"I need this deal, Adrianna. He's the only one who can get what I need."
"Lucian," she whispered, softly shaking her head. "Trust me, nothing is worth making a deal with Rellix."
Your life is.
"Look, I didn't ask for your help," he snapped, his heart pinching.
Her jaw set, her eyes turning furious. "No, you're right! You never ask for help! But believe me, if you're making deals with Rellix, you sure as hell need it! I mean, what is so important that you would risk coming here?"
You are.
"Again, this is none of your business, Salvatore! Leave!"
"I can't do that!" she snapped, turning her focus back on Rellix when she hissed, "What did he ask for?"
"Don't tell-"
"The Key to The Gomorrah Codex," the warlock said without hesitation, making Hades curse.
"Key?" Adrianna frowned. "It's encrypted?"
Hades didn't answer. He just glared at her, hissing, "I don't need your help, Salvatore. I can handle this."
"Really? You can handle it? So you know you're never getting that key from Rellix, right? You're aware of that?"
A muscle in his jaw ticked. "We made a deal. I'm getting that Key."
"No, you're not! Rellix always words his deals in such a way it's only beneficial to him! That's why my parents shut him down years ago…or tried to."
Hades frowned, shooting the warlock a suspicious glare. "No, we have a deal-"
"Let me guess; he said he would look around for the Key? Or that he would do his best? Or something vague like that?"
"He said he would ask around for it," Aphrodite said, a worried look in her eyes.
"That's what I thought," she sighed. "He's going to make one call so his part of the deal is done, so he asked around, and then, he'll come to collect! What did you promise in return?"
"A favor," Aphrodite mumbled.
"A favor?" Adrianna shrieked, shaking her head. "Seriously? Do you have any idea how much danger you've put yourself in? Please, tell me you didn't shake his hand!"
Hades frowned, but before he could ask why that mattered, she was walking over to him in a determined stride. Without missing a beat, she grabbed his hand, making the blood underneath her touch heat.
"Damn it."
At first, Hades wasn't sure why she'd cursed…but when he followed her eyes down, he saw what had pissed her off. There, on his wrist, was now a red mark; a rune, burned into his skin. That had been what he'd felt when they'd shook hands. The fucker had branded him.
"He marked you," Adrianna explained, rubbing her forehead. "Which means you're bound to the deal you made. He can literally ask anything and you'll have no choice but to do it. He can ask you to kill someone, to transfer all your money to him, to-"
"I need that Key!"
"I understand that, but Rellix can't help you!" When she saw he still wasn't convinced, Adrianna sighed and snarled at the warlock. "Do you know where the Key is?"
"No," he answered immediately, still terrified.
"Do you have any idea where to start looking?"
"No."
"Any contacts you can think of that might help?"
"No."
"Did you even hear of The Gomorrah Codex before tonight?"
The warlock met Hades' furious eyes for a second before whispering, "No."
"Are you fucking kidding me?" he fumed, seeing red. "You fucking-"
"I'm sorry," Rellix croaked, watching Adrianna with scared eyes. "If I'd known he was with you-"
"Unmark him," she commanded.
"I can't."
"Warlock-" she hissed warningly.
"I would, your highn-" he stopped himself, correcting. "-miss Salvatore. But I can't. Once the deal is struck, it has to be done."
She cursed under her breath, her eyes growing more and more worried as she ran her soft fingers over the rune. He could feel his entire body tense, his free hand itching to reach out and touch her; touch that blush that was trickling down her neck, the curl that was hanging in front of her blue eyes, that lip she was biting.
God, he wanted her.
Even in the midst of this clusterfuck, he wanted her so badly.
At least she doesn't hate you, the monster inside smiled. She might be engaged, but she still worries about what happens to you, so she still cares. We still have a shot.
I don't want a shot. Look at her. She was safe and happy half an hour ago, with her normal fiancée and now, she's in a warlock's den, because of me. She's better off without me.
That's not what you said when you had her pressed against that wall, teasing her, touching her-
I was drunk.
Bullshit.
"Maybe the vague aspect of the deal could work in our favor," Adrianna whispered before snarling at Rellix, "Ask Lucian to order you a pizza."
"What?" the warlock frowned.
"You heard me! Repeat after me: Lucian Nox, do me a favor and order me a large pepperoni pizza with extra onion. Once he does that, the conditions of the deal are met. He will have done you a favor."
"And that'll work?" Aphrodite asked, cocking an eyebrow as Adrianna handed Hades her phone.
"Only one way to find out," she hissed, staring Rellix down. "Do it!"
As soon as Adrianna was back outside, she inhaled deeply, drawing the cold night air into her lunges. It felt like she hadn't taken a breath the entire time she'd been in that club. Things could've gone so horribly wrong in there. Instead of walking out with a rune-free Lucian, she could've walked out alone. Or not walked out at all.
"Thank you, Adrianna," Amory's voice sang behind her.
Adrianna turned, adrenaline still coursing through her veins as she watched Lucian come up the stairs behind his niece.
"How could you be so stupid?" she hissed over Amory's shoulder, glaring at him. "I mean, seriously, how?!"
Amory shifted uncomfortable. "Well, that's my cue. I think it's time for me to go."
Lucian started to protest, but when she said, "My time's up. I need to get back home," he nodded. She probably had a plane to catch or something.
"It was nice to meet you, Adrianna," the woman said, smiling kindly. "Despite the circumstances."
Adrianna kept her mouth shut, instead giving her a tight nod. If she spoke, nothing nice would pass her lips. She was furious. At both of them.
"I'm sorry you didn't get what you wanted," Amory whispered to Lucian, squeezing his arm. "Just don't lose hope. There's still some time. Keep searching."
"Keep searching?!" Adrianna laughed hysterically. "Keep searching?! What is wrong with you people?!"
Feeling her blood boil, Adrianna whirled around and started walking, anger determining her pace. She couldn't stay there, with those two ignorant fools! Not without giving them an earful in the middle of the street! Lucian had barely made it out of that club intact and his niece was spurring him on to continue being an idiot?!
"Adrianna!"
She ignored his deep voice behind her, picking up her pace even more.
"Come on!" he barked, following her through the darkness. "Look, I'm sorry about tonight! I-"
"Which part?" she yelled over her shoulder, feeling tears push against her eyes again. God, why did she cry so easily lately? She'd never been a crier and now, she couldn't stop… "The part of the night where you screwed with my mind or the part where you almost got yourself killed?!"
"No one was getting killed! Don't overreact!"
She spun on her heels, glaring. "Don't overreact?!"
"Made you turn," he said, his lips twitching.
She dug her nails into her palms. "You think this is funny?!"
"No," he rumbled. "But I also don't think there's any reason for you to be this angry."
"Oh, you don't, do you?!" she fumed. "I just left my fiancée at a benefit, alone, to save you from one of the most dangerous warlocks out there, but there's no reason to be angry?!"
"I didn't ask you to come after me!" he snarled, his anger suddenly matching hers. "If you want to go back to him, then go!"
"What?!" she laughed, hysteria in her voice. "First of all, you should get down on your knees and thank me for coming after you, because trust me, that favor Rellix would've asked you for, wouldn't have been ordering a fucking pizza! There's a reason my parents tried to shut down that maniac years ago! His deals get people killed! And secondly, you didn't ask me to follow you?! Half an hour ago, you were begging me to go home with you, to leave Alexander!"
A muscle in his jaw ticked, that same muscle that always ticked when she'd hit a nerve.
"You were right," he growled after a long minute. "I was drunk. I shouldn't have-"
"Save it!" She snapped, shaking her head softly. She'd known this was coming, she'd predicted it…and she was so sick of hearing it, so sick of feeling her heart shatter. "You don't have to explain yourself or apologize! You didn't hurt my feelings, Lucian! In order for you to do that, I still would've needed to have feelings for you to hurt and trust me, whatever I felt for you went away when you did two months ago!"
He sniffed, his eyes dropping to the diamond ring on her finger. "Yeah, I got that."
Adrianna balled her fists, her entire body trembling in rage. "I asked you in that car if you wanted me, remember?! I asked you, if you had any feelings for me and you didn't say a word! You practically shoved me out of that car, out of your life!"
"I know that!"
"Than don't act like I did something wrong! Like I somehow betrayed you! You decided our paths for the both of us that night! Not me! If it had been up to me, we would've-"
The sound of shrieking tires cut her off, making them both face the street; the street where a black Volvo had just pulled up beside them. When the doors opened, Lucian grabbed her arm, pulling her back with him, away from the car and the men spilling out of them.
But they didn't get far.
The street they were on was narrow and every possible escape route had been blocked by one of the men before Adrianna even had time to look around. They were organized. Too organized.
Professionals.
But professional what?
"Miss Salvatore," the man holding open the door to the backseat said. "Get in."
He might've sounded polite, but it was clear that this wasn't a friendly request. And Lucian knew that, too. She could feel his grip on her tighten, could see his hard body prepare for whatever was about to happen.
"No, thank you," she hissed. "Maybe next time."
"Oh, come on, don't be difficult," the guy continued. "It took us a lot of time and effort to get here. You're not an easy woman to get alone."
"She's not alone."
The man acted as if Lucian hadn't spoken, smiling as he said, "Miss, you can either sit in the backseat or I can throw your ass in the trunk. Those are you only two options."
"There's a third," Lucian gnarled, his voice now almost animalistic. "It involves killing each and every one of you before you can lay a hand on her."
The four men laughed, but Adrianna could tell he was dead serious.
"You do realize you're outnumbered, don't you?"
"Four of you," Lucian snarled. "Two of us. I like those odds."
"You are not part of our orders, friend. Just leave the girl here and you can walk away."
"I'm not your friend and that's never going to happen."
"You should really go."
"Fuck you," he hissed. "The only way you're taking her, is over my dead body."
"Fine."
Adrianna had barely registered the man's hand disappearing into his jacket before she saw the moonlight reflecting in the silver barrel. The moment she realized he'd pulled out a gun, she tried to move forward…but Lucian had seen the weapon a second earlier and had pushed her behind his back, shielding her.
And then, she heard it.
Pop.
Pop.
Pop.
She heard herself scream, watching in horror as Lucian fell to his knees.
Her heart echoing in her ears, she moved in front of him, finding those grey eyes as tears filled hers.
No!
She stood for a couple seconds, her stomach churning, her mind trying to catch up with what was happening…
…and then, it did.
He'd been shot. Lucian had been shot.
Adrianna felt her heart stop, then pound so violently she could no longer breathe. In a blur of movement, she crashed to her knees beside him, hearing herself choke on her tears as she stared at the three small holes in his shirt, meticulously placed over his beautiful heart, trying to stop it from beating.
No, not trying.
Succeeding.
Her teeth chattering in horror, she forced her hands over the wounds, pressing down with all the strength she had left, trying to keep the blood inside his body. But no matter how hard she pushed, she could feel the cold darkness seep through her fingers relentlessly.
So much blood. Too much blood.
"Please, Lucian!" she croaked, every fiber of her being hurting, screaming out in grief. "Please!"
His jaw set as his hand moved over hers on his chest. She could see how much pain he was in, could see him struggling to hold on.
"Cara." His voice was weak, but still somehow held the strength it had always held, the authority as he croaked, "Run."
She frowned, shaking her head. She couldn't leave him. Why would he even ask her that? Why would he-
Suddenly, two sets of hands grabbed her, pulling her away from him, dragging her away and it was only then that she remembered the men; remembered that she was still in danger. Not that it mattered. She didn't care about her own safety, that's not why she fought their grips with abandon. She struggled because no one else was going to help him. These monsters were just going to leave him there to die, on the cold ground, like an animal.
"No!" she cried, throwing herself forward, digging her heels into the pavement, hitting everything she could hit as those grey eyes held hers. She could still see that fire, that rage she'd seen so many times…but if no one helped him, it would extinguish. "No, Lucian! Let me go, you bastards! Help him! You have to help-"
A damp cloth was slapped over her mouth and suddenly, everything turned into a blur.
Chloroform.
She tried to hold her breath, tried to keep fighting…but after a while, desperate for oxygen, her lunges expanded again, pulling in more of the chemical.
And just like that, her limbs went numb and the world disappeared.
He disappeared.
Everything was lost.
The first thing Adrianna noticed when she opened her eyes, was the pain. Not the darkness, not the vibrations underneath her body. No. The pain. A pain that came from within; a pain so terrible, so destructive that she couldn't breathe.
For a wonderful second, she didn't understand where it came from…and then, the memory resurfaced.
Lucian!
Panicking, she tried to move, tried to see, but wherever she was, it was small. Too small.
They shoved me in the trunk! she realized with a start, clutching her hair. I'm in a car! We're driving! Lucian's alone!
Panicking, she screamed, kicking the metal around her. She knew it was no use though; knew that even if she got out, there was no way she could still save him. No one survived three clean shots to the heart.
Oh, God...no.
Fresh tears filled her eyes as despair took her over; the kind of despair she'd never felt before. For the first time in her life, she couldn't see past the pain. She didn't know how to go on, how to get through this. Everything seemed so bleak, so pointless, so empty.
It was only then, in that moment, that she knew…
…Alexander had been right.
I loved him.
Oh, God, I loved him!
She inhaled sharply, this ball of pain twisting in her belly. How could she have been such an idiot?! So much time wasted, spent fighting when they could've been together! She never should've gotten out of that car, she never should've allowed him to push her away! She should've stayed, her pride be damned! Now, it was too late! She'd never see him again! He would never know! She'd never get the chance to tell him!
Because he was dead.
Dead.
Her mouth opened in a mute scream, her knees pulling up to her chest, trying to keep her insides from spilling out. Lucian was dead. He was dead. Oh, God, he was dead.
She screamed in the darkness. But it wasn't a scream for help. No, this was the kind of scream only those who'd lost everything could utter. It was the kind of scream that held so much pain, it left a permanent darkness in whoever heard it.
But no one heard it. Because every sound was drowned out by the loud music booming inside the car.
Where they were.
The men who were responsible.
The men who'd killed him.
And that's when she realized there was a point to her life, even without him.
One.
Making sure those animals got what they deserved.
All of a sudden, an eerie calm fell over her, her mind clear and focused as she took in her surroundings again, this time with an analytical mind.
She was trapped in a trunk, she could feel they were driving fast and from her calculations, the amount of Chloroform she'd inhaled couldn't have knocked her out for long.
Long enough for him to die.
She shook her head, getting rid of that voice. She couldn't listen, couldn't feel. Not now. She knew what she had to do.
Relieved to find they hadn't bound her hands, she felt around for her purse, but it was nowhere to be found. So much for using anything in there to get out. There was no trunk release cable inside either, which meant the car was an older model, which also meant the locking mechanism was probably outdated. When she let her fingers run over the lock, she recognized the model. It was old, easily broken with something strong enough. The only problem was, she didn't have anything strong enough.
But maybe they did.
Shifting as deep into the trunk as she could, she ran her palms over the bottom searching for the compartment where the tools to change a tire would be. When she found it…she found it empty.
Cursing, she hit the metal, feeling her fingers scream out.
Finger.
With a jolt, she remembered this story she'd once heard about a thief breaking bulletproof glass by placing a diamond on it and applying the right amount of force. If it worked on bulletproof glass, it sure as hell would work on this old lock…and her engagement ring was a real diamond. She was sure, because Alexander had made a big deal about getting a real rock and not a fake one, even though their entire relationship was fake. Something about his reputation. She'd never thought that monstrosity would come in handy one day…or it would've, if it had still been on her finger.
Those fuckers must've taken it from her before locking her in the trunk. They'd taken everything.
Feeling raw, blinding rage seep out her every pore, she slammed her fist into the metal over and over again, screaming.
And then…silence.
No more music.
"Did you hear that?" A male voice boomed.
Adrianna froze.
"I didn't hear anything. Don't worry, she's still out cold," a female said.
"Maybe we should-"
"Don't be a pussy, man," another deep voice said. "We're almost there."
"I still don't get why we couldn't just shoot her like that asshole back there, Richards! Why go through the hassle of taking her back to her place-"
"Because that's the order! It needs to look like a break-in! We get her to her apartment, force the lock, play with her a little, put a bullet between her eyes and make it seem like a robbery gone wrong! That's what we're getting paid for!"
No one else objected. This guy was clearly the leader.
When the music started up again, Adrianna knew she should be petrified after hearing their plan. But she wasn't. In fact, she felt the opposite. She felt…thrilled. See, during that whole conversation, she'd heard them as if they were sitting right next to her.
Because they were.
A fresh dose of adrenaline coursing through her veins, Adrianna turned her body around so she faced the back of the trunk. Carefully, she reached out…and touched soft fabric. This was a car with a fold-down backseat, made to give the passengers easy access to the trunk. Or, in this case, give whoever was in the trunk easy access to the passengers.
After a quick inspection, she realized her best bet was breaking through the middle part of the backseat, the part with the arm rest. This model's arm rest was wide enough for her to get through, at least the parts of her that needed to get through.
As quickly as she could, she turned her body again, twisting it until her back was pressed firmly against the front of the trunk, her feet positioned towards the armrest.
And then, she took a breath.
She would only get one chance at this, one kick. She had to break that armrest to gain access to the bastards inside that car, which meant she had to kick hard enough and right in the center or otherwise, it wouldn't break in one try. And if it didn't break in one try, they would know what she was doing and the element of surprise would be gone…and she needed the element of surprise. Everything had to happen so fast, they didn't have time to react, time to think. She had to take them out before they even realized what was happening.
Another deep breath…and his face was there, the sun beaming down on him, glistening in his grey depths. A treasured memory from their day on that beach.
No.
Stop.
Don't get distracted.
Swallowing away the pain, she braced herself, tensed every muscle…and kicked.
There was no time to pat herself on the back when the armrest cracked and crashed out of her way. There was no time to even process how lucky she'd been.
In a blur of limbs, she spun her body, kicked her feet and forced her upper body through the hole. As she'd calculated, her hips didn't fit…but they didn't need to, either. She only needed her upper body to fit. After all, she wasn't trying to escape. This wasn't about getting out. This was about justice.
Two pairs of wide eyes stared down at her from the backseat and as she'd hoped, both men instinctively reached for their weapons.
She beat them to the punch.
As soon as she'd noticed where their hands were going, her own hands had shot out, reaching their weapons faster than they could. The men barely had a chance to process they'd been disarmed before Adrianna had put the muzzles of their own guns against their chins and pulled the triggers. She could hear a scream come from the front seat, her eyes meeting a woman's in the rearview mirror. She was driving the car, the car that had taken her away from him…and she was wearing the diamond ring that had been on her finger only an hour ago. They'd killed the only man she'd ever loved…and then tried on her jewelry? Her anger almost distracted her from the fact that there was someone in the seat beside the woman, someone who was already reaching inside his jacket…someone she recognized.
It was him.
He'd shot Lucian.
The amount of adrenaline and rage that surged though her body then, gave her a strength she'd never experienced before in her life. Suddenly, her hips slipped through the hole without any effort, without any pain, even though there was no way she'd done that without hurting herself. She just didn't feel it. Her mind had only one goal.
Him.
In the blink of an eyes, she'd somehow forced herself over the backseat, over the slumped down bodies; and had then thrown herself into the front of the car to straddle the man who'd never gotten the chance to pull his weapon. She didn't shoot him, though. No, that would be too quick.
Letting out a primal scream, Adrianna just…lost herself, slamming her fists into his face over and over again. She could feel her knuckles tare and at once, her mind flashed back to that dark night in that alley, when Lucian had almost killed a man because he'd thought he'd killed her. She'd stopped him just in time…but there was no one here to stop her. Because unlike her in that alley, Lucian was dead.
He wouldn't come back, he wouldn't tell her everything was going to be alright.
He wouldn't do anything.
He was dead.
It was only when she felt the car swerve, that her fists dropped back by her side. The man had stopped moving seconds ago, but her rage hadn't cooled one bit.
"Oh, God!" the raven haired woman screamed, her eyes switching between the road and the bloody mess Adrianna was still straddling. "Oh God! Oh God!"
Without hesitation, she pulled out the weapon the man beneath her had abandoned in his jacket, the weapon that had destroyed everything she loved…and pointed it at the woman's head.
"You can't kill me!" she screamed, her hands tight on the wheel. "I'm going two hundred miles an hour! If you shoot me, this car will crash and at this speed, you'll die too!"
Adrianna sniffed…
…smiled…
…and fired.
Hades gasped for air, his lunges expanding painfully as he drew in oxygen. Blinking wildly, he tried to focus his eyes, but the world was a blur of darkness and vague figures. He had no idea what was going on, didn't know where he was or how he'd gotten there. All he knew, was that something was wrong. He could hear the monster in him screaming, clawing, trying to make him remember something.
But what?
"I know this must be disorienting," a voice he recognized said above him as hands pulled at his arms. "But you have to get up. We have to move."
Hades felt himself being dragged to his feet and when he finally stood, the world came back into focus.
And so did the man who was supporting him.
"Rellix?" he grated out, his voice disturbingly weak. "What's going on?"
"I'll explain later," he puffed. "Right now, we have to get out of here before the cops show up. Someone must've heard."
"Heard what?"
The warlock's eyes dropped and when he followed his gaze, he found a man lying there. Dead. He was clutching a gun with a silencer, but from the looks of it, he'd been the one on the wrong side of a bullet.
"Colin had to take him out," Rellix said, nodding his head at the man who was supporting Hades' other side. "He's my bodyguard and one hell of a hitman. That guy down there was about to put a bullet in your head when we happened to come by. I wouldn't have been able to help you if he'd shot you in the head."
"Help me?"
The warlock frowned. "You don't remember? You were shot. In the chest. Repeatedly. He hit your heart three times, dead centre. If I hadn't come along, you'd be a goner, with or without the additional bullet between the eyes."
Hades clutched his forehead.
"Don't worry, you'll remember in a few moments. It's probably a side effect off the spell I did. I had to hit you with a large dose of magic to get those bullets out of you and heal your heart. I basically had to reverse time in one specific place until those bullets came back out like nothing happened. I even saved your shirt. It's as good as new."
Hades felt memories push, shreds of images flashing before his eyes.
"You'll tell her, right?"
Hades looked at him, his head suddenly throbbing. "What?"
"You'll tell her I did this, right? You'll tell her I saved you? I don't want to be on her bad side and after tonight, I'm pretty sure Adrianna is not my biggest fan."
Hades froze, stopping in the middle of the road.
Adrianna.
The second her name had slipped from the warlock's lips, everything had come rushing back. Their fight, the men, the gun…and his girl, crying over his broken body…before being dragged away from him, drugged and shoved in a car.
He'd tried to fight, tried to get to her, but he'd barely been able to move. He'd heard the man who'd shot him order the guy who was now laying lifeless on the pavement to stay behind and 'tie up loose ends'. And then they'd driven off…with his woman in the trunk.
"Look, I know you don't feel well, but we have to go," the warlock said, pulling at him.
His mind racing, Hades shrugged them off, frantically looking around. There had to be some way to find her, to save her!
"Jesus…How are you standing by yourself right now? You shouldn't even be conscious," Rellix said, adding underneath his breath, "You're not entirely what you seem, are you?"
"They took her!" Hades snarled ignoring his question.
"Who took who?"
"Adrianna! They took Adrianna!"
Rellix sniffed. "No, you must still be delirious from the magic. No one would be dumb enough to kidnap a Salvatore."
"They were human! They don't know about the Salvatores! They don't know the repercussions of taking her!" Although, nothing the Salvatores could come up with, would be as gruesome as what he would do if they'd harmed her in any way…
"Where did they take her?" Rellix asked, looking around then, too.
"I don't know!"
"Do you know who they were?"
"No!"
"Who they could be working for?"
"No! I don't-" He trailed off as one face popped up in his mind. "Rodchenko."
"Dimitri Rodchenko?" Rellix cocked an eyebrow. "The guy who owns the club downtown?"
Hades growled, rage ravaging through his blood. "Did you drive here?"
"I did," Rellix said, gesturing at the car they'd been walking towards.
Not fast enough.
"Is that yours?" he asked the bodyguard, spotting the sleek, black motorcycle parked behind the vehicle.
The guy nodded.
"Give me the keys."
Colin shot his boss a surprised look, clearly not keen on handing over his bike.
"Give me the goddamned keys," Hades snarled viciously. "Before I take them from you."
Colin raised his chin defiantly.
"Colin," Rellix said in a commanding tone. "Do as he says."
A part of Hades had hoped that fucker would've refused to follow his boss' orders, the monster itching for a fight, to vent his rage…but a more prominent part of him was relieved when the keys dropped into his palm. There was no time to lose. She was out there, in danger and no one even knew it. No one but him.
Without another word, Hades straddled the bike and spat off into the night, heading for his only lead. His mind went mad the entire drive there, imagining things that made his blood run cold. What if he was too late? He had no idea how long he'd been unconscious. What if he'd been knocked out for hours and Rodchenko had been hurting her that entire time? Or worse, what if-
A car honked loudly, missing him by inches. Skilled, he forced the bike into another lane, never adjusting his speed.
Focus, before you get yourself killed! And then who's going to find her!
He turned into another street, heading for the bridge.
You know he's probably not holding her in his club, right? The monster pointed out.
I know, he snarled back. But he'll tell me where she is. I'll make him tell me where she is.
The monster stretched, preparing for what was about to come. He knew Hades was going to let him out. There was no more room for anything even remotely human.
They'd taken his girl.
He was going to take her back.
He turned another corner…and cursed. Hitting the brakes, he raised, trying to look over the traffic jam, trying to find a way through. But there was none. At least not with that bike.
Snarling, he dismounted the machine, breaking into a run, forcing his way through the maze of cars. Rodchenko's club was right by the water. He was almost there.
"Terrible accident," he heard a woman, who was standing beside her car, say to her passenger. "They were probably drunk."
Hades ignored the way his chest was suddenly tightening and continued his path.
He picked up the smell of burned rubber before he actually saw the black smoke. And then, for some reason, he found himself running towards it.
Towards the smoke.
Towards the blazing blue lights.
His feet slowed down the closer he got, as if his body was trying to stop him from continuing on; as if it was trying to protect him from what he would find there.
"-just a big mess," he heard one of the fireman say, his helmet clutched between his fingers. "I haven't seen a wreck this bad in a long time."
He reached police tape…and froze, everything inside him shutting down.
Right there, smoldering in front of his eyes, its nose buried into the concrete side of the bridge, was a car.
The car.
Completely burned out.
His hands shaking beside him, his eyes slowly slid to where the trunk used to be. It was just a twisted heap of metal now, destroyed by the flames.
No.
"Adrianna?" He'd whispered her name so softly, so broken that only the woman in uniform standing mere inches away from him, had heard.
"Sir, you can't be here," she said in a strict voice, moving in front of him, blocking his view. "This is the scene of a serious accident. It's not appropriate to stand here gaping-"
"Is she in there?" he asked, watching men in white suits reach inside the car, an empty gurney folded beside them. "Is Adrianna in there?"
"Adrianna?" she repeated, her face softer. "Sir, do you know who this car belongs to? Do you know the victims?"
Victims?
"I need to see her," he gnarled, pushing through the tape. "Where is she?! Where is Adrianna?!"
The woman stopped him, waving over her colleagues for help. "Sir, you can't go near the vehicle."
"Where is she?!" he yelled again as hands grabbed his arms, pulling him back. "Adrianna!"
"Sir," a male voice said behind him. "Please, calm down and-"
"Calm down?!" Hades snarled, turning in a blur, his eyes spitting fire as he towered over the cop. "You have no idea who you're dealing with, mortal! Tell me where my girl is! Tell me where Adrianna is!"
"Sir-"
He spun back towards the woman, pinning her down with a furious look. "Stop saying sir and tell me where-"
And then, time stopped.
Feeling every ounce of fight drain from him, his eyes found the men in the white suits, pushing a gurney to an ambulance. A gurney that now had a body on top of it. A sheet covered it…but everything inside Hades turned cold.
He knew people were talking to him, but he heard nothing other than the sound of his entire being breaking into pieces.
Panic raging in his chest, Hades threw himself forward again, desperate to see, to know.
It can't be her!
Please, not her!
He'd almost made it to the gurney when three men forced him to the ground. But he still didn't stop fighting. Not even when they tasered him and electricity shot through his body. It didn't even slow him down.
Frantically, he fought, slamming his fists into whatever he could reach, thrashing, growling…until the gurney was lifted into the ambulance and a hand slipped from underneath the sheet. It was burnt, blackened…but one thing had survived the fire.
Whatever fight he'd had left in him vanished the second he saw that diamond ring on her finger.
Her ring.
This sinking feeling overtook him, his stomach turning. He felt like throwing up, cold sweat running down his neck, his back.
No! It can't be her!
Denial rushing through him, he slipped from underneath the men, making a run for the ambulance.
Just when his fingertips brushed the sheet, hands grabbed his arms again, pulling him back. But the sheet had slipped. Only a little, but enough to reveal a tangled mess of raven curls.
And Hades screamed.
He screamed her name over and over again, his legs giving out. The cops' faces went from angry to compassionate as Hades dropped to his knees, staring at her, staring at the curls he'd never feel flowing through his fingers again.
She's dead.
My girl is dead.
Grief hit him, pain so deep there were no words to describe the destruction, the terror. Everything hurt. Not just his body, but his soul, every single corner of it. Because it had been hers. Since the very first moment, his soul had been hers. With her gone…there was nothing left.
Watching the doors of the ambulance close, Hades reached for the crystal that still hung around his neck. All he had to do was break it and he'd be back in that dark pit where he belonged. Maybe he'd even see Adrianna again, just for a moment, before her soul-that beautiful pure soul-would move out of the darkness and into the light. He could tell her how sorry he was; what an idiot he'd been; how much he loved her.
Fuck, he should've told her when he'd had the chance! He should've told her how deeply he loved her! How she'd saved him before she'd even been born! How she'd changed a monster into a man with one innocent smile! He should've fucking told her! And held her, kissed her, protected her!
You could still be with her, the monster whispered. Keep her soul with you, for eternity.
He shook his head, clutching his hair. He wanted to, God help him, he wanted to…but no one should have to spend eternity down in that cave, in the darkness. Especially not her. Not his girl.
He'd failed her in life; He wouldn't fail her in death.
Clutching the dark crystal tighter, he was about to rip it off and smash it against the concrete…until he heard the cop in front of him ask, "Sir, do you have any idea what happened here? Who the people in the car were? Where they were going?"
And suddenly, he realized he couldn't leave. Not yet. Not before the fucker responsible for this had paid. And he wanted to be the one to exact punishment, which meant he had to stay human. As a god, he wouldn't even be able to physically touch him in this world…but as a man, he was going to rip him apart.
His mind suddenly focused, Hades let out a primal growl. He would make sure that murderer suffered for what he'd done. Not just in this world, but in the next, too. As soon as that monster was dead, he would break the crystal and continue his torture in the Underworld. Rodchenko would suffer for all of eternity. He'd make sure of it. There wouldn't be a single second of peace for him and he would never forget the name of the angel he'd killed. Never. Just like he would never forget losing her…
An eerie calm falling over him, Hades slowly rose from his knees, ignoring the surprised glances the police exchanged.
"Sir?" the police woman whispered, watching him closely. "Are you alright?"
"Yes. I'm fine." His voice was calm, but underneath the surface, a storm was raging. Anger, hate, anguish, loss… Everything swirled inside of him, destroying whatever good she'd birthed in him.
"I was wrong," he added, his voice cool. "I don't know any of these people."
"You don't know these people?" The woman huffed, cocking a confused eyebrow. "But, you were just-"
"I can't help you," he cut her off. "I apologize for the inconvenience."
They protested, but they didn't have any grounds for keeping him there, so they couldn't do anything to stop him when he turned his back and walked away.
Focusing on the only thing he still had left in this world.
Revenge.
Everything felt wrong.
Pain stabbed from all sides.
Her lunges screamed out as they inflated.
Water poured from her mouth.
She tried to breathe in, but whenever she inhaled, she coughed instead, air scraping her throat like sandpaper.
"Is she alive? Is she okay?"
Adrianna looked up at the woman who'd spoken, her eyes stinging as they tried to adjust to the darkness.
"Miss? Can you hear me?"
She focused on the young man who was crouching over her, watching her with horror in his eyes.
Confused, Adrianna tried to sit up, but he held her down gently.
"I don't think you should move, miss. The ambulance is on its way."
Ambulance?
She pushed against the guy's grip again and this time, he let her sit up…although she almost wished he hadn't. Her entire body felt sore. Every muscle ached, her ribs felt wrong, her head throbbing. Confused, she glanced around, trying to remember what had happened…but drawing a blank. Why was she lying in a field by the side of a river?
"Where am I?" she asked, her voice raw. "How did I get here?"
"You're a few miles from the city, but I don't know how you got here, miss. My girlfriend and I were taking a walk and we saw you floating."
"Floating?"
"In the water," the girl said from above. "You were in the water."
What? Her mind panicking, she looked down at herself; at her dress that was now clinging to her body like a second skin; at her feet without shoes. What the hell happened to me?
"If we hadn't come along-"
The woman trailed off, but she knew. She knew what she'd meant to say.
I would've died.
It was the word died that clung to her mind; that bounced around in her head as if her brain was tasting it, swirling it in its mouth, trying to figure out why it felt so familiar.
And then, it hit her.
She remembered the car, the crash, her flying through the windshield.
She remembered falling. And falling. And falling.
And then, just when she'd thought it would never end, her body had hit water…and it had all turned dark.
And her last conscious thought, had been about him.
The cold hand of death clutched her heart, cutting of her breath.
Lucian.
Tears flooded her eyes as she remembered, her body and soul aching again in ways no physical pain could ever trump. And suddenly, she hated that man crouching down in front of her. Why had he pulled her out of that water? Why had he saved her?
Somewhere in the back of her mind, she knew it wasn't right to wish for death; she knew that her family would be devastated…but she didn't care. For the first time ever, Adrianna was truly and completely selfish. She didn't care about the consequences. She didn't care about anything, but making the pain stop. She couldn't deal with this kind of torment. She wasn't strong enough.
Her heart shattering in her chest, she scrambled up. She could already feel her body healing. She used to think of it as a blessing to have the Salvatore genes, to have her body regenerating much faster than a regular human's. But not now. Every physical ache she felt disappearing, took her further away from him.
"Where are you going?" the woman practically shrieked. "You're in no condition. The ambulance-"
"I don't need an ambulance," she croaked, wiping tears from her cheeks. "I'm fine."
"You're not fine," the man jumped in. "You need-"
"What I need is gone!"
The couple took a step back at her angry words, the man wrapping his arm around his girlfriend…and Adrianna felt more tears slip down her cheeks.
"I'm sorry," she whimpered, stumbling back. "I'm sorry."
As she walked away, she knew she should thank them for saving her life…but she couldn't bring herself to do it. It felt wrong. So, she just kept walking.
The night was already pitch black, not many souls still roamed the streets. Good. She didn't want anyone else stopping her, trying to make her go to a hospital. No hospital would heal her better than her own cells would. She was being betrayed by her own body.
Just like the night she'd held that dying woman in her arms, she had no idea where she was going…until she reached the iron gates. She climbed them without any effort, her ribs no longer screaming out.
The second she stepped inside the giant estate, this feeling washed over her. A feeling she'd never felt anywhere, except maybe in Italy as a little girl.
The feeling of coming home.
Her hand clasped over her mouth, but it didn't muffle the sobs. Her pain echoed in the hallway, bounced of the stone walls. How had she never realized before that this was where she belonged? Why only now, when the heart of the home was gone? When he was gone? What a cruel twist of faith was it, that at the moment she'd finally found her place in the world, the whole damned thing had come crashing down?
Her knees trembling, Adrianna dragged herself up the stairs, heading for the room at the very end of the hallway, the room she'd only been in once.
His room.
With shaking hands, she pushed open the door…and immediately, his smell enveloped her. Closing her eyes, she breathed in deeply, feeling everything inside tear apart. She made it to the bed before her legs finally gave out and her anguish overtook her. Curling up into a ball, Adrianna clutched his sheets to her chest, burying her nose in them, breathing him in; and it was then that she realized that even if her body healed, she would never survive this night. Not completely, anyway. A part of her would be left there, in his bed, lost forever. So, she cried. She cried for the life she would never have, the woman she would never become and most of all, for the man she would never get a chance to love.
Hades moved through the streets, countless images of her swirling through his mind. He tried to block them, tried to stay focused on his rage, but grief was hitting him from all sides, sneaking into his head, his blood, his heart. He could feel how close he was to breaking, how easy it would be to give in and disappear in his pain, to let it consume him until there was nothing left.
But if he gave up, Rodchenko would get away with killing the only thing that had ever mattered to Hades.
And there was no way he would let that happen.
Someone had to pay.
Hot rage burning in his stomach, Hades picked up his pace, his hands fisting by his side. He'd never felt this primal, this dangerous. He'd never been out for blood. Back in the day, he'd wanted Klaus dead for what he'd done to Elena, but this was something else entirely. He didn't just want Rodchenko dead. He wanted him ripped apart, suffering for all eternity, begging for his miserable little life.
When he turned the corner and saw the bright blue neon lights, the rage only grew.
Rodchenko's club.
People were lining up to get in, excited, happy. They had no idea what monster lurked between those four walls. But he'd show them. He'd gut that fucker with his bare hands and show them exactly what he looked like on the inside.
Feeling the darkness wrap around his heart, he imagined everything he wanted to do to Rodchenko in vivid detail as he crossed the street...and then, he noticed something that made his feet halt. Seeing red, he changed course, heading straight for the black car parked in the shadows of an alley.
Growling, his eyes found that fucker's through the windshield, watching them widen. When Hades reached the car, he didn't hesitate, immediately jerking open the driver's door and pulling out the idiot inside, slamming him back against the brick wall.
"What the hell man?" Vasquez barked, trying to squirm out of his grasp. But Hades kept a tight grip, putting his face inches from Vasquez', his lips pulling back over his teeth.
The PI froze, his eyes turning fearful as he raised his palms in surrender.
"Okay, okay," he panicked, swallowing hard. "What's going on? What did I do?"
"What did you do?!" Hades snarled, gripping Vasquez' jacket tighter, the leather squeaking underneath his fingers.
That moron just looked confused.
"Did I not tell you to leave her alone?!" Hades fumed, feeling blood rush to his face. "I told you this would happen! I told you she'd get hurt!"
Vasquez' eyes widened again. "She's hurt? Adrianna's hurt?"
Hades slammed him against the wall again, his muscles aching to do more, to destroy him, to pummel him...but for reasons he would never understand, Adrianna had considered this asshole a friend. He couldn't kill her friend. She wouldn't have approved.
"Is she okay?" Vasquez asked, his eyes switching back and forth between his. "Is Adrianna okay?"
"No, she's not!" He yelled, his rage and pain thick in his voice. "She's not okay! What did you expect?! You two, in a car, spying on a serial killer?! Did you really think that would end well? Did you think there would be no consequences?"
Vasquez frowned, shaking his head confused. "Wait, are you saying you think Rodchenko is the one that hurt her?"
Hades just growled.
"No," Vasquez said, shaking his head. "Rodchenko couldn't have."
"Because he's such a fucking stand-up guy?!"
"No, because he never left! I was here all night! He didn't move!"
"You have x-ray vision now?! You can see trough walls?! He could've gone out the backdoor!"
"No, look, just let me go so I can show you something, okay?"
Hades hesitated for a brief moment...and then let his fingers slip from his jacket. At once, Vasquez ducked inside his car again, pulling out a black box. When he turned a button, loud music rang through the night. And a voice.
Rodchenko's voice.
He was joking around with someone, laughing.
That fucker had just destroyed his entire world...and he was laughing?
Snarling, Hades turned, about to head for the club across the street, but Vasquez cut off his path.
"Listen to me Nox, whatever happened to Adrianna, it wasn't him!"
"Just because he didn't get his hands dirty-"
"-doesn't mean he didn't give the order? No, you're right. Generally speaking, he lets others do his dirty work...but not when it comes to Adrianna. If he made a move for her, he would've done it himself. He hates her. He would've wanted to be the one to make her suffer."
Which is why they didn't shoot her on the spot like they shot me, his monster snarled. They were bringing her to him.
Hades tried to get to the street again, but Vasquez didn't give up, snarling, "Fine, you don't believe that? Than believe this: if Rodchenko had anything to do with harming Adrianna or even had plans of harming her, he would've been bragging about it to his men every chance he got! He takes pride in being a sadistic bastard! And yet, so far, all night, not a word!"
Hades clutched his hands, hating the fact that the fuck had a point. But if it wasn't Rodchenko, then who? Who did he need to punish?! He wanted to leave, get out of this damned world, drown in the darkness but he couldn't leave before he'd taken his revenge…
"It has to be Rodchenko!" Hades gnarled, his skin tingling, his entire body itching to kill, to maim, to make someone pay.
"It wasn't him, Nox! Trust me!"
"Trust you?!" Hades laughed coldly, narrowing his eyes. "I would never trust you, Vasquez. Something about you feels…off."
The PI sniffed, narrowing his eyes as well. "Something about me feels off?! You are the one that came out of nowhere and started meddling in her life! If anyone's to blame for whatever happened to her, it's-"
Hades' fist flew out, striking Vasquez' jaw with all the anger that was surging through his body. He could hear something crack, could see the blood on that fucker's lips…and God, did it feel good.
"I tried to keep her safe, but you kept undermining me!" he yelled. "You kept encouraging her to go after Rodchenko; kept pretending like nothing bad would happen and now, she's gone!"
Vasquez' fingers dropped from his bleeding mouth, his angry eyes softening as he stared at Hades.
"Gone?" he whispered. "What are you talking about?"
Hades clutched his jaw, his cold eyes piercing his. He opened his mouth to tell him; to say the words…but he couldn't get them passed his lips.
"What did you mean, Nox?!" he snarled, panic roaring in his eyes. "Tell me!"
But Hades could see he didn't need to tell him.
The PI knew.
Staring into the night, Vasquez leaned back against the car, his face suddenly pale. "She's-"
"Yes," Hades cut him off, not wanting to hear it out loud. He couldn't take hearing it out loud…
"It wasn't Rodchenko," Vasquez whispered again when Hades moved to leave the alley. "You can go in there and work out your anger on him anyway, but he'll kill you…and then, you'll never get revenge."
Hades stared at the blue light, his monster begging to take the chance regardless, begging for a fight, for some way to get rid of all the rage and pain…but Vasquez was right. He had to be sure. If he died in that club and it turned out Rodchenko had nothing to do with his, then Adrianna's real murderer would go free. Who else was going to bring him to justice if not Hades? That spineless PI? The police? Even if they somehow found him, they would just lock him up, leave him to live out his days in some cell. It would be years before Hades would get his hands on him in the Underworld. He couldn't wait years. He wouldn't.
Aphrodite.
Her name popped up in his head out of nowhere, an idea forming. The goddess could help him. She could go to the oracles back at Olympus, ask them to look in the past and find her killer. With hurried fingers, he checked his watch. It was long past midnight now. Aphrodite wouldn't be human anymore. She'd already be a goddess again, which meant she could only appear in places with a large amount of supernatural energy. Luckily, Hades knew exactly where those places where located. He'd built properties on each and every single one of them. The closest being his home.
Without looking back, Hades left that alley and headed for his house; the house he'd shared with her. His insides clenching again, memories hit him from every side. Her face, her smile, her laugh, those beautiful blue eyes.
When he finally reached his home, his hands were shaking so bad, he could barely type in the security code to open his gates.
Just a little longer, he thought, walking up his graveled driveway. Just hold on a little longer.
Do you really thing you won't miss her once you're back in the Underworld? His monster mocked. Do you really think the pain will be any less?
Hades ignored the demon, knowing full well it was right…How was he going to spend eternity like this? Without her?
His legs feeling like rubber, he somehow made it into his house…only to be welcomed by a sick feeling in the pit of his stomach. This house was filled to the brim with memories. Memories of her. Even though she'd only been there for a few weeks, she'd brought a warmth to his house, a sense of…home. God, he'd been such an idiot! All that time, she'd been in the room next to his, right there, so fucking close…and he'd stayed away. He'd stayed away when they could've spend every moment together, making memories, making love, being happy. But what had he done instead? He'd hurt her, over and over again.
"Aphrodite?" he barked into the darkness. "I know you can hear me! Come down here! Now!"
No one answered.
No one appeared.
She had to know what was going on! She always knew! Why wouldn't she come and help him?!
Furious, Hades stalked to his study. He knew another way of getting her there, one she couldn't ignore. It was called The Fire Of Abaddon. If you mixed the right herbs, it would ball into an energy source so great it could summon a god. No mortal knew about it, but it was a well-known recipe on Olympus. And he just happened to have all the ingredients stashed away in his locked desk.
Not bothering with a key, he pulled open the drawer, the wood splintering all over the floor. Frantically, he began pulling out the odorous satchels of herbs, slamming them down on his desk. He knew this method of summoning a god hurt like hell for the god in question, but he didn't care. He didn't care who he hurt to get to the fucker who'd killed-
A creaking floorboard made his eyes snap up to the door…and his heart stopped.
For the second time that night, time stood still.
There, in the doorway, staring at him with tears in her eyes…stood his beautiful girl.
"Adrianna?"
He started to move towards her…but then, he caught himself. She couldn't be there. She was dead. This was just a phantom; a figment of his imagination; a way of his mind to stop itself from going mad. He didn't quite understand why his mind would conjure her up in a torn dress, her feet bare…but he was sure she wasn't actually there. She couldn't be. So, he stood in the middle of his study, waiting for her to vanish.
She never did.
Instead, she started walking towards him.
He could see her legs trembling, teardrops trickling down her pale cheeks.
It's not her.
She stopped right in front of him and God, his imagination was good. It had even brought forth her smell. Closing his eyes, he breathed in deeply, letting the memory of her scent fill his lunges. Tears pushed to break free as everything inside of him fell to pieces…
…and then, he felt it.
Her touch.
Snapping his eyes back open, he stared down at her while she stared in shock at the tiny hand she had pressed against his heart.
You can't feel ghosts.
Slowly, scared to believe, Hades raised his hands. The second he touched her cheeks, he let out a strangled breath. She felt warm. His girl was warm.
More tears fell from her eyes as she looked up at him with those blue eyes, her lips parted on a shaky exhale. "Lucian?"
That voice… Her voice…
And then, he gave up.
Growling, he cupped a hand around the back of her neck and pulled her full, succulent lips to his, swallowing her gasp. She tasted salty from her tears, but it was her. Her scent, her taste, her touch. It was really her.
She threw herself into the kiss with the same ferocity as him, her arms looping around his neck, her little fingers sliding through his hair. Her touch was gentle at first, but then rougher as he pressed her closer to him. He could feel her heart racing against his body, a body that was brimming with desire; a desire unlike anything he'd ever felt before. This wasn't just sexual. He didn't merely want her, he needed her. He needed to touch her, kiss her, bury himself inside of her and feel she was really there, alive and warm and safe.
Gripping her hair, he held her face to his as his tongue pushed against her lips, demanding access…and she gave it without hesitation. His balls tightened as he felt her tongue eagerly meeting him, stroking his, making every drop of blood rush southwards. Whatever had held them apart in the past, whatever had restrained their bodies before, was now gone. He wouldn't let go of her this time, he wouldn't stop. He couldn't. Seconds ago, he'd thought he'd lost her forever and now she was here, moaning in his arms, melting against him.
He would never let go again.
Dizzy with want, his hands roamed under the skirt of her dress, found that perfect behind of hers, and boosted her up. She instantly locked her legs around his hips, digging her fingers into his scalp as he carried her out of the room, up to stairs. Releasing his lips to breath, she leaned her head back, giving him a tantalizing view of her cleavage. Burning, he dipped his head down, seeing her nipples hardened under the silky material as he brushed his tongue over the swell over her breasts, licking her, tasting her. When he finally got to his bedroom, he maneuvered them far enough into the room that he was able to kick the door shut, then spun and pressed her back against the warm wood.
He pinned her to the door with his hips, grinding against her, moaning. She was wild in his arms, her hands tracing his back and shoulders, her lips devouring his. Holding her was like trying to harness a tornado. A hot, sensual, sweet tornado. There was nothing but obliterating sensation, thrilling and swelling, and the sound of fabric on fabric and skin on fabric as their limbs slid across each other in a restless, sensuous wrestling.
Christ, he had to be inside her. Now.
With steady fingers, he started working on his belt…until she broke their kiss and he noticed a new emotion swirling in her blue eyes; one he didn't like.
Fear.
You scared her, you fucking animal!
Trying to slow down his breathing enough to speak, he moved his hand from his belt to her cheek, moaning when she leaned into his touch.
"If you want me to stop, I'll stop," he whispered, his voice rough. "But please, don't go. I need you."
She smiled as she brushed her little fingers over his jaw, stroking his skin with warmth in her gaze.
"I need you too," she whispered and he closed his eyes. God, he'd missed her voice. He'd thought he'd never hear it again.
Never see her again.
Never feel her again.
He rubbed his erection against her core, dying to be inside her, to be one…but when he opened his eyes again, her was met by that same touch of fear on her face.
Fuck. She really is scared of something.
His entire body physically aching, he went against every instinct and moved to put her back down on the ground…but she stopped him, her hands cupping his neck, her legs tightening around his hips.
"Sweetheart," he groaned, feeling her warmth on his dick, seeping through his pants. "I can't control myself much longer. Tell me what you want and I'll give it to you, I promise. Whatever you want."
She moaned, her nails digging deeper into his neck. "I want you."
He growled, his hands on her thighs tightening. Christ, he'd dreamt of hearing her say those words so many fucking times…
"I'm here, baby," he rumbled. "I'm yours."
"So, you won't leave? No matter what?"
"Leave?!" He would've laughed, if he wasn't so focused on keeping his monster at bay; at stopping himself from ripping her panties clean off and fucking her mindless against the door… "Cara, the distance between us right now is already more than I can bear. Nothing in this world could tear me away from you right now. Noth-"
"I never slept with Alexander."
It took Hades' lust-filled brain a few seconds before he realized what she was saying.
"I'm still a virgin," she confirmed in a shaky voice.
Hades stood, frozen…and then, a roar of triumph filled his head. Maybe it even rumbled from his throat. He didn't give a fuck. Adrianna was still a virgin and even though that idea had made him push her away before, it now almost drove him past the point of civilized thought. She was his, his alone. Untouched, untasted, pure.
"Lucian?" she whispered, her hands dropping to his shoulders. "Did you hear me?"
"Yes," he growled, his entire being vibrating.
"And?"
"And-" His hands moved to her ass again, squeezing her soft cheeks. "Good."
He could feel her legs tremble around him in anticipation.
"But I'll have to adjust my plans."
"Plans?"
Hades smiled darkly before peeling her off the door and carrying her to his bed. If this was her first time, there was no way he was going to fuck her against a door. He had to take his time, stay in control. But how was he supposed to stay in control when each step he took pushed her warm centre closer against him.
Growling, he dragged her mouth to his, catching her lower lip between his teeth and tugging it gently. Her nails dug deeper into him as she moaned in his mouth, her heels digging harder into his butt.
She'd liked that.
His mind went blank of all but her taste, her scent, and a rising, pressing heat.
She's here. She's safe.
His monster kept chiming those words in his head, a softness to its roar that was new. And for the first time, he realized his monster loved her, too. She'd somehow tamed the beast.
His knees hit the bed and after one more long, savoring kiss, he gently laid her down on the mattress.
Rubbing the dark shadows on his jaw, he stared down at her, those blue eyes gazing up at him through impossibly long lashes with such want and trust his dick jerked against his fly.
Feeling overdressed, he shrugged off his jacket, his tie and then started to work on the buttons of his shirt. The second he dropped the fabric to the floor, she sat up straight, frowning. It was only when her tiny hand reached out and touched his heart, that he remembered he wasn't the only one who'd thought he'd lost someone tonight. She'd seen him get shot, she'd believed he'd died. And now, he was here, standing before her, not a mark on him. She clearly wanted an explanation and he would give it to here…but not right now. Right now, he had other things on his mind. So, instead, he just said one word that would tie her over until they could have a proper talk. One name.
"Rellix."
Her eyes widened, a little smile brushing her lips. And then, he continued to undress. His jeans went next. His shoes. His socks. And finally, his underwear.
Pulling down his boxers, his erection sprung free…and he couldn't help but grin arrogantly as he noticed her eyes drinking him in with a little twinge of panic in them. He knew what she was thinking. He was big and she was wondering if he would fit. He would. It would be a tight fit, but she'd love it. And so would he.
"Your turn," he rumbled.
Slowly, he maneuvered her to the middle of the bed, placing feather-like kisses across her jaw, her chin, the corners of her mouth until she leaned back. He followed her down, nestling between her legs, pressing himself against her in a little preview of what was to come. Kissing her languidly, he pulled down the zipper at her side, brushing his fingertips over her skin on its way down. He could feel her tremble in response, her body squirming underneath his.
Groaning at the growing ache in his crotch, he stood up again, smiling at the little murmurs of protests that slipped from her lips…murmurs that turned into moans when he grabbed two handfuls of her red dress and slowly slipped it off her body, dropping it on the floor without a second glance. At that point, nothing could tear his eyes away from the gorgeous, half naked woman in front of him. The only thing left on her was a flimsy pair of red lace panties…but those would soon be removed as well.
"So beautiful," he breathed, kneeling down on the bed between her legs, drinking her in.
Her body was voluptuous in all the right places, her belly flat and muscled, her legs long and smooth. And those breasts. God, those breasts. Unable to stop himself, he leaned down, sucking one of her taut nipples into his mouth, feeling her fingers dig into his hair again, tugging as she arched of the bed.
"God, you taste good," he groaned before moving to her other nipple. As he sucked, he stripped the panties off her legs until she lay before him, completely bare.
"You're the most beautiful thing I've ever seen."
She blushed, licking her lips.
Fuck, what man could resist that sight?
Edging her thighs apart with his knee, he held her gaze, slowly crouching over her. Kissing her deeply, he put the tip of himself against her entrance, slowly pushing inside of her.
God, so tight. He'd barely gotten the head of him inside of her, but he could already feel her muscles tightening, trying to stop him from going deeper.
"Relax, baby," he groaned, his voice raw. "It's just me."
Adrianna rubbed her forehead, her teeth finding her lip again. "I know, I know. I'm just a little nervous."
He smiled endearingly, even though his entire body was aching, begging him to thrust his hips and get inside of her, tight or not. But then he'd hurt her. Badly. He couldn't just rip through her virginity like some animal. She deserved better.
Grinding his teeth, he pulled his cock back, propping himself up on one arm beside her.
"No, don't go," she rushed, her face flushing. "Please, I'll be ready in a second. I'm sorry. I-"
"Sssshhhhhh," he breathed, running his fingertips over her smooth skin, down her neck, all the way to her peaking nipple.
"I'm not going anywhere," he whispered, feeling her shudder. "And you don't have to apologize, Cara, Not here. There's no wrong or right."
"No?"
He smiled, kissing her soft shoulder. "No, baby. Trust me, I'll never consider anything you do in bed wrong. Besides, if anyone should apologize, it's me. I want you so badly, I'm rushing things."
She touched his face, brushing a strand of hair from his forehead. "I want you too. I'm just…scared."
"Of me?" he growled, his heart dropping.
She grinned, like he'd just said the most ridiculous thing she'd ever heard. "No, not of you. Never of you."
"Than what is it that scares you?" He asked, relieved.
Her cheeks burned with heat. She was embarrassed…and God, it was the cutest thing he'd ever seen.
"Tell me," he pushed, fighting the urge to lick that blush, to feel it beneath his lips.
"You're going to laugh."
Laugh?
"Baby, trust me," he growled. "I'll never laugh at you."
She hesitated for another moment and then whispered in a rapid pace, "What if I'm not good at this? What if I can't please you? Or what if I can't do it at all? I've heard about woman who physically can't have sex! What if I've waited too long and now-"
He caught her words in his mouth, slowly kissing her until he felt her disappearing into him. When he pulled back, she didn't immediately open her eyes, but she instead laid back, smiling drowsily.
Swallowing away the animalistic impulses pounding in his veins, he brought his lips to her ear, biting it softly before whispering, "Cara, believe me, your body was made for this, for me. You will be more than able to do this. And please, don't ever think for a second that you can't please me. Just looking at you from across a fucking room makes me hard."
She turned her head sideways to look at him, her breath warming his lips. "But I have no experience-"
"I don't care."
"But you have been with other women-"
"None that I loved."
Her soft lips parted on a little gasp. "You love me?"
He sniffed, tucking a curl behind her ear. "Since the day you walked into my dark, empty existence and made it a life."
Tears gathered in her eyes. She believed him. He could see it. She knew he was telling the truth.
And then, her smile dropped and she suddenly sat up straight, her eyes wildly switching back and forth as she ran a hand through her hair.
He followed her up, his monster roaring. "Cara?"
She looked at him again, the tears now falling from her eyes down her soft cheeks. "This feels like a dream."
"And that makes you cry?"
"What if it is?" she croaked softly. "What if I died in that car and this is just some dream my dying brain is conjuring up?"
He grabbed her waist, pushing her closer to him, the urge to hold her overwhelming at her words. She wasn't dead. She was right there, in his arms. Warm and breathing.
"You didn't die," he growled, his words desperate. "You're here. You're safe."
She dropped her forehead to his shoulder, her fingers finding his hair again. "Or, what if I fell asleep in your bed and this is all happening in my head? What if you died? What if no one saved you? What if I wake up and you're not here? What if-"
"I didn't die," he said, kissing the top of her head. "I'm here. I'm alive. And I love you."
She cupped his cheeks, her eyes still unsure. "Promise me. Promise me this is real."
"I'll do one better," he rumbled, moving her to lie back down. "I'll show you."
She frowned…and then cried out as he cupped her between her legs. Instinctively, she pressed her thighs together tightly, trapping his hand against her heat.
"No, no," he whispered, marveling in the way her face was distorting in pleasure. "Open your legs for me, Adrianna."
She let her knees sag open a little and then gasped when he spread her feet wider apart with one of his own.
"Do you really think your mind could dream this up?" he asked, his voice rough as his fingers traced her wet folds. "That tightening feeling in your belly? That throbbing desire that's coursing through your body right now? Do you really think you could imagine a sensation like this?"
"No," she moaned, gripping the pillow above her head. "God, no."
"Exactly, so you better believe this is real, baby. And you better believe it right now, because I want you to experience this fully aware of what's happening. I want you to remember every moment of it."
She threw her head back, biting her lip so hard he feared she would break the skin. Growling, he kissed her again, suckling that bottom lip into his mouth, dragging his tongue over it soothingly. He didn't want her to hurt any more than was necessary.
His tongue finding hers, he waited until he felt her drowning in him again…and then slowly inserted a finger inside her.
She whimpered into his mouth, her body tensing, making the muscles inside her tighten around his digit even more.
"God, you're so tight, Cara. I'm going to try to loosen you up a little bit, baby."
She just nodded, the pillow she was still clutching close to ripping from the assault of her fingers.
Fighting the impulse to thrust his hips into the mattress, he slipped in a second finger, his animal roaring at the heat.
Just a little longer.
Slowly, he started stroking her inner walls, trying to get her used to having something inside of her. And it didn't take long before he felt her getting wet. With pride, he watched her go from tense and unsure, to relaxed and squirming; trying to find a release, but not knowing how to. He could feel the tension sharpening inside of her and when he used his thumb to stroke her clit, she almost flew off the bed, screaming.
"I gather you like this?"
"Yes," she moaned. "Lucian, please, I'm ready. Please, make love to me."
Even a god has his limits.
Kissing her deeply, he slipped his fingers out of her and shifted his position so he was back on top of her, putting his weight on his elbows beside her head.
"I'll be very gentle, all right?"
She nodded, still breathless.
"Wrap your legs around me."
She obeyed without a moment's hesitation. He could feel her shudder when his thick shaft nudged her, her warmth making a drop of pre-cum glisten on his head.
"If you want me to stop, stop me now," he groaned. "Once I'm inside you, I'll be lost."
"I don't want you to stop," she breathed. "Please."
Fuck, if she kept begging like that, he wouldn't last long.
Dropping his forehead to hers, he held her eyes…and then slowly pushed into her, stretching her tight until he bumped into her hymen. Feeling beads of sweat dotting his brow, he kept himself still. A voice inside once again told him he was about to take something he could never give back…but he didn't care anymore. It was his to take. She was his to take.
"Are you alright?" she asked, sweetly.
"Hard…to control," he grated out through clenched teeth.
"What is hard to—ack!" She stiffened as he pushed through her barrier.
He shouted too, burying his face in the pillow beside her head.
Hot. Slick. Soft.
Fuck, no fantasy had ever come close to the reality of being inside Adrianna. It felt so perfect, so right. He lifted his gaze to make sure she was really there. Nothing real could possibly feel this good, this perfect, this…painful. His heart dropping, he noticed that little crinkle between her brows, the way her teeth were biting down harder on her lip.
He was hurting her.
"Christ," he grunted. "I'm sorry."
He started to move out of her…but she cradled his hips tighter between her thighs. A small smile flitted over his lips as she shook her head in protest, her dark hair, smelling of water and her, brushing his shoulder with the gesture.
"I'm okay," she whispered, her tiny hands dropping to his forearms.
"Are you sure?"
"Yes," she breathed. "Please, I want you to stay inside me. Safe. Please."
His hands clutched the mattress on either side of her head, almost ripping through the damned thing.
"God, I need to move, baby," he said, his voice tight.
He didn't wait for permission.
He couldn't.
Groaning, he eased his hips back, closed his eyes and thrust into her again. She cried out, her nails digging deeper into his arms. He wanted to ask her again if he should stop…but she was too warm, too perfect.
"Fuck," he breathed, his voice raw. "More?"
"Yes," she whispered, her heels sliding down his calves, making her feel even tighter around him.
Growling, he pulled out almost completely and then slid back into her, cursing. God, this was heaven and hell at the same time. Being inside her was unlike anything he'd ever felt before, but it took all of his strength to keep control of his body; a body that wanted nothing more than to fuck her until she couldn't remember her own name.
"Again?" he croaked.
"Yes."
He frowned, his lips twitching. There was no more pain in her voice and this time, her answer had come quickly, eagerly. Like a plea.
He moved again, but he didn't stop like before. He moved slowly, in and out of her, his lips never releasing hers, kissing her, trying to express without words how he felt; how she made him feel.
And then, her hips started meeting his, her body no longer undergoing, but participating. Wholeheartedly. Her hands went from clutching his arms to roaming down his back as he continued to move inside her; her warm breath brushing his chest, the most delicious sounds ringing in his ear.
God, this felt nothing like making love to her in his dreams. This was-
"Perfect."
He didn't even realize he'd spoken the word out loud until she whispered "yes" and kissed him.
With each languorous thrust, with each moan slipping from her lips, he could feel her silken heat driving him to the brink. He managed to stave off his own satisfaction only by focusing every ounce of his thoughts on her. Her needs. Her wants.
Ignoring the heady scent of floral fragrance and warm woman, Hades concentrated on finding just the right touch that would please her and yet, not hurt her.
But it wasn't enough for her.
She dug her heels into his back, demanding more. Demanding hard, fast and dirty. There was no way she could know already that she liked it that way, like he knew. After all, this was her first experience; or at least the first real one, the first one she remembered. And yet, her body seemed to know what she wanted, what she needed. It was almost as if, even though her mind didn't remember him from her dreams, her body did.
But he couldn't do her hard. Not tonight. She was still too tight, too new. She needed to get used to making love before he fucked her.
Adrianna seemed to disagree, though…and if she kept writhing against him the way she was, there wouldn't be much more lovemaking to be had.
Grinding his teeth, he stilled between her legs, trying to think of anything but how good she felt and how fucking amazing it would be to unload inside of her.
"What are you doing?" she groaned. "Please, don't stop. Move."
"No."
She arched and stretched beneath him, sending him deeper inside her.
"I said no," He growled, pinning her down harder on the bed with his hips as he caught her wrists in one hand, stretching her arms up over her head. She had her eyes squeezed tight, and he leaned in to brush his mouth over her lids.
Her blue eyes opened, confused. "It doesn't hurt anymore. I promise. Move. Please."
With a frustrated cry, he dropped his forehead to hers, heat gathering in his lower back.
Christ, he was too close. He wasn't ready to come yet.
His balls tightened and he clenched his teeth against the urge to pound into her and finish. He'd waited too damn long for this to lose all control now and have it be over in mere minutes. Not to mention that he didn't want her first time to be over that quick. She might think that's how it would always be between them. He wouldn't let that happen. He'd be damned before he disappointed her.
"Please," she gasped. "It feels so good. You feel so good."
Her trapped fingers flexed as if she wanted to touch him, run her digits through his hair, dig her nails into his shoulders. He shuddered at the mental image, but didn't release her.
Next time.
This time, the first time, he had to be gentle, he had to make this last and that would only happen if he called the shots.
Curling his hips the tinniest bit, he found her ear with his teeth. "Stay still, Adrianna. Stay still or I'm going to come and this will be over."
He could feel her continue to fight his grip, a tortured smile flitting over his lips. "Stubborn."
He reached between them and found her clit, gave it a teasing rub and watched her eyes roll back in her head. She whimpered when he withdrew the pressure again, a sound that almost make him come on the spot despite his best efforts.
"Still."
She listened this time, shaking her head.
"Talk to me," he growled, trying to distract himself. "Tell me how you feel."
She huffed, biting her lip. "I don't know. I can't even think straight."
"Try."
She swallowed hard. "I feel…full. Whole. Like I've been waiting for this without even knowing it."
He moaned, his grip on her wrists tightening. Nope. Wrong question. This did nothing to distract him from coming.
"And every muscle in my body is contracting," she whimpered, squirming beneath him again. "And every cell is vibrating, racing towards something it desperately craves."
His dick swelled inside of her. She was feeling exactly what he was feeling. Sweet fucking torture.
"That's your body trying to orgasm," he growled. "Trying to find release."
"So, give it to me," she begged, her knees falling open wider, making him slip in deeper. "Please."
"Adrianna, baby-"
She cut him off with a kiss, catching his lower lip…and biting it.
And just like that…he came undone, that bite tipping him over the precipice.
"Fine," he growled, releasing her wrists. "You asked for it."
Letting go, he curled his arms underneath her, pressed his chest to hers and grabbed her shoulders, keeping her where she was as he hammered into her, forgetting about everything but the chaotic sensations coursing through him. She lifted her hips to meet each plunge, her breasts bouncing as he lost himself in her. The bed springs creaked, the headboard banging against the wall until Adrianna grabbed the iron bars to steady herself.
"Gawd," she moaned, her legs stiffening.
A primal satisfaction short-circuited his brain as he felt her body getting closer and closer to release.
"Who's inside you, Cara?" he growled. "Tell me who's fucking you. Tell me who's making you come."
"You!"
"My name!"
"Lucian!" she cried, heavy-lidded eyes staring up at him.
"Yes, that's right, baby," he grunted out possessively, the length and level of his arousal brutal as he pumped into her faster, deeper. "You are mine. Only mine. Say it! Say who you belong to!"
"Lucian!"
"Say it again! Louder!"
"Lucian!"
"Yes! Again, baby! Keep saying my name! I want it on those lips when you come!"
Oh, it was on her lips alright. She ignited a second later, screaming his name when he hit her deeper than he ever had. It was all he needed. He pumped his hips once, twice more, then found his own release in hard jets that left him shaking.
Hades collapsed forward, catching himself on his hands on either side of her head. She was breathing heavily beneath him, her hand pressed over her heart, her eyes closed. As he balanced himself over her, watching her, his sense slowly returned.
So much for staying in fucking control…
"How badly did I hurt you?" he growled, hating himself…until her eyes opened and that beautiful smile curled her lips.
"You didn't hurt me," she sang, her voice still raw. "God, I didn't think anything could feel better than being a cop, but this-"
He laughed as she trailed off; and slowly pulled out of her. He didn't miss the way her spine stiffened for just a moment when he exited her, though.
I didn't hurt her, my ass, he thought, laying down beside her.
He didn't call her out on it, though. Not yet. Instead, he curled an arm around her and rolled her over until he had her cradled against his side; her head resting in the hollow where his shoulder met his neck, her hand on his chest, her leg swung over his.
"Lucian?" she whispered.
Her voice was already sleepy and he wasn't surprised. She'd been through a lot tonight. Probably more than he knew. This wasn't the right time to ask her what had happened to her, though. What had happened in that car. He didn't want to ruin this moment.
"Yes, baby?"
"Say it again."
He smiled, combing his fingers through her hair. "I love you."
He could feel her hold him closer, her voice soft when she whispered, "I love you, too."
He stopped breathing for just a moment, his heart expanding. He'd heard her say those words before, once, in their dream. But hearing her say it here, in this world-after she'd seen the monster he was-was something else entirely. Something deeper. Something more. She'd accepted him into her life, into her heart, into her body, despite his nature. And if he hadn't heard her breathing slow right then, telling him she'd fallen asleep, he would've shown her exactly how deep her words had touched him.
But for now, he would just hold her as she slept, something he'd never been able to do before. Their dreams had always ended abruptly with one of them waking up. They'd never fallen asleep together; she'd never drifted off in his arms. And it was yet another thing many humans took for granted.
Burying his nose in her hair, Hades closed his eyes and marveled in her scent, until he drifted into oblivion after her, feeling whole for the first time in forever.
Sorry it took so long (again)! Working two jobs and trying to keep up a resemblance of a social life is making it hard to write quickly! Plus, I'm a perfectionist, so I refuse to deliver half-finished chapters! This one did take a ridiculously long time though and I apologize! I'll try to be better ;-)! That being said, I hope you enjoyed this chapter/short novel :-D! It was a hard one to write! So many emotions... Please, leave me a review so I know whether or not you liked it! After all, I write for you guys, so if you have any tips or guesses/wishes about where the story is going, let me know ;-)!
X LustAndLove
