Demon's Mercy, page 29
“Yes,” Xeno said. “Brought me back, and I knocked him out. He’s irritating and whiny.”
“Interesting.” Dayne pulled a taser from the back of his waist, aimed, and hit Niall in the leg. Niall’s body jerked several times, and blood dripped from his ear. “Bet you forgot to tase him.”
Xeno lifted one white eyebrow. “You know, I did forget.” He looked at Mercy and smiled, his fangs glistening. “Though apparently others did not.”
Bollocks. Now Niall couldn’t get the president out of there. Mercy had dropped her knife in the blast of fire. She looked around for a weapon. Anything she could use to get free. The fireplace poker looked heavy. She could ram it through Xeno’s throat. Maybe?
Something exploded in front of headquarters, shaking the entire castle. The chandelier swung wildly, and Mercy’s heart jumped hard. Was Logan there?
Shouts and screams of pain filled the silence along with gunfire and several more explosions.
“Lord? You should take your leave,” Xeno said grimly, drawing his sword.
Two Cyst soldiers rushed inside and slammed the door, taking up defensive positions, guns in hand and swords at their waists.
Dayne nodded. “Let’s go. Bring her.” He waved carelessly at the president and strode for the back door, shoving it open to reveal a Blackhawk waiting on the wide lawn. The second he appeared outside, it lit up, revealing two pilots already in place and ready to fly.
Xeno looked at his soldiers. “No quarter. Kill anyone who challenges you.” He turned toward the president and ripped her bindings apart.
Mercy launched herself at the fireplace poker and swung it at his head as hard as she could. “Run!” she yelled at the president, hitting him again and trying to shove it through his throat.
The president scrambled for a letter opener, slicing it toward Xeno.
Mercy yanked the poker free and struck him again, simultaneously kicking at his balls. “President Dawn, please go,” she screamed, trying to hold Xeno off. “You have to survive.” The president was needed to lead their people, and she had to get her ass out of there. “Go. Please.”
The president faltered, then nodded, turning and running outside and away from the helicopter.
Xeno roared, his fangs dropping. He shoved Mercy in the shoulder, and she careened across the office to collide with the fireplace. Pain exploded down her side, and she fell to her butt. He ran outside after the president.
Mercy’s stomach heaved, but she forced herself to stand, facing the two Cyst soldiers.
The sound of a heavy boot hitting the door came right before the wood cracked in two. Logan Kyllwood burst inside and took one soldier down while Garrett followed in pursuit of the other. They were fast and brutal in their attack.
The helicopter rose outside.
Mercy remained still, unable to move. The immortals fought hard, but soon the Cyst soldiers were dead.
Logan rose, bloody and battered, his eyes a furious hue. “Hello, mate.”
Chapter 41
Logan helped Mercy into the private plane, his temper nowhere close to being appeased. “You flying?” he asked Garrett.
Garrett glanced from Mercy to Logan. “Yep. I’ll be up with the pilot.” He tapped his ear comm. “The Fae have been rounded up and are being flown to demon headquarters in a Realm 747. We should beat them there by an hour or so.” Then he made himself scarce.
Logan shut the door and nudged his mate into a seat. Every bone in his body hurt, but that pain was nothing compared to the raging ache in his temples. “You have one minute to explain to me how you ended up in a fucking hell world when I told you to return to my cabin.”
The plane rushed down the runway and he took the seat next to her before he fell on his ass. His strength was nowhere near back. But as her gardenia scent filled his head, his blood started to pump faster. He allowed her to remain silent until they had ascended and the plane leveled off. Then he waited.
She crossed her arms and looked straight ahead, at a flat-screen television big enough to be viewed from all six leather seats.
“We need to talk,” he murmured, feeling his legs starting to heal. Finally.
“No.” Her mulish response failed to amuse him this time.
He reached for her, lifting her with one hand to straddle him. She planted both hands on his chest and pushed, trying to jump off his lap. “Settle,” he ordered, keeping her in place until she stopped struggling. Now they could talk. He relaxed a fraction—and thus didn’t see the punch to the neck coming until she landed it.
Pain charged up into his head, and his temper roared. He grasped her biceps and partially lifted her, drawing her within an inch of his face. “Do that again.”
She blinked, her eyes flashing yellow and then back to the blue and green. Her nostrils flared. “No.”
“Smart choice.” Apparently they needed to start with the basics. “No hitting, no kicking, and no fucking teleporting into hell dimensions.”
She lifted her chin. “Don’t be stupid enough to get hit or kicked.” She leaned the final inch, her nose almost touching his. “And if I have to teleport into hell dimensions to be of use, then that’s what I’ll damn well do.”
Her words struck him. She’d said something similar before, and he thought he’d been clear with her. Awareness competed with the fury in him. “Sweetheart? You are more than enough just being you. You matter—without having a so-called use.”
She blinked. Then leaned back and away from him. Vulnerability shimmered for the briefest of seconds in her eyes. “I, but…” Her voice trailed off.
He could picture her as a little girl among those ten kids, needing to have a function. How could she not see her value lay in her kind heart and big brain? Not to mention her sense of loyalty and fairness. He’d need several lifetimes to prove her worth to her, and that was fine with him. But first, he had to keep her alive. “You’re more than enough for both your people and me, Mercy.”
A slight pink filled her cheeks.
He tried to find a gentle way to explain the rest. “You’re my mate. That means your safety comes above all else—and that’s nonnegotiable.” There. That was fucking gentle.
Her fine brows slanted down. “I disagree.”
He smiled, and by the widening of her eyes, it wasn’t a pleasant sight. Good. He was starting to feel unpleasant again. “How so?” he asked softly, his blood pounding.
She swallowed. “Well, if you’re in danger, then I am, too.”
Sweet. Very sweet. “Wrong.”
Her mouth opened and closed. Her frown deepened. “Right.”
Okay. They could go back and forth all day. The feel of her thighs against his and her core right above his suddenly aching cock was making polite discussion impossible. “I’m a soldier, you’re not. I’m trained, you’re not.” He kissed her hard on the mouth. “I fight, you don’t.”
“Me Tarzan, you Jane,” she muttered.
He barked out a laugh. How could she make him laugh when he was still pissed off? “God, I love you.”
Her chin dropped to her chest, surprise lightening her expression. It was completely unguarded for the first time. “You do?”
His heart rolled right over and gave up. “Yes. Completely. All of you.”
She smiled, delight on her entire face. “I love you, too.”
Yeah, he’d figured. She had come after him into a hell dimension.
She hopped happily on his lap. “Well then. I guess that gives me the power.”
Ah, she was cute. And about to learn different. He stood, his hands on her ass, and headed for the bedroom in the rear of the plane. “You think so?” he asked mildly.
* * * *
Mercy wanted to purr. He loved her. Actually loved her. The pleasure blooming inside her was only slightly dimmed by a warning in the back of her head. Should she have joked about power? They crossed into the bedroom, which held an ultralarge bed and not much else. He shut and locked the door, still holding her aloft. She nipped his chin, enjoying the salty taste of his skin. “You going to show me who’s boss?” Why the heck wouldn’t her mouth just be quiet?
“Yes.” He didn’t smile.
A quiver started in her abdomen and spread out, lighting her nerves. Her breath caught, and her body hummed. “Um.”
“Too late for um.” He set her down and tore off his shirt, revealing that wickedly strong chest. His front looked the same—big and powerful and badass.
She motioned for him to turn. “Let me see.”
He paused, and then turned around, revealing the intricate darkness of the shield that made up his back. It took her breath away.
As did he. He turned back around, his hands already going for her. “I want my sweater back.” The raveled fabric joined his shirt somewhere on the floor, leaving her naked.
Cool air brushed across her bare skin. Her nipples sharpened.
His inhale was quick and hot. “I can teleport now.” He reached out and ran a finger down the center of her chest. “Know what that means?”
The blood rushed inside her head. She palmed the ridges of his abs. “You’re gifted?”
“I can catch you if you run.” He twisted a hand in her hair, spiraling sparks of erotic pain all the way down her spine. “And you don’t want to run again. Tell me you get me.”
She didn’t want to give in, but she definitely wanted to have him. And since the guy loved her, she should probably reassure him. Nobody had loved her before, that she could remember. “All right. I won’t rush into danger unless necessary.” See? She could totally be reasonable.
He moved in, fast and sure, lifting her and swinging her around. Her stomach hit his thighs before she realized he’d put her over his knee.
“Are you kidding me?” She kicked out, more surprised than anything else.
His hand landed with a hard smack that vibrated through her entire lower body, making her even wetter than before. “What in the hell are you doing?” she groaned, not nearly as forcefully as she wanted.
He twirled her, setting her to straddle him. “Anything I want to. Are you understanding?”
Her hair flopped into her face, and she tossed her head, trapped by his gaze. She’d always been excellent at figuring out puzzles. Her tingling butt and throbbing sex made it hard to concentrate, but she tried. “You’re saying you’re bigger and stronger and more dangerous.”
“And?” Okay. A whole lot of arrogant, too.
She curled her nails into his shoulders, loving the feel of his warm skin. “And that your main goal, for some inexplicable reason, is to keep me safe.”
“Yes. How am I going to do that?” His lips were so firm and kissable—even when in a straight and rather bossy line.
She sighed. “Any way you have to. I get it. Safety first.”
He twirled her again, she landed on her stomach, he slapped her ass, and put her back into position facing him. The demon was truly economical with his movements. “Lose the smart-ass attitude,” he ordered.
She laughed, unable to help herself. He truly didn’t want anything from her other than for her to be safe and with him. For the first time in way too long to remember, she didn’t have to prove herself. She also had no doubt he’d do whatever he had to do to keep her safe. Logan Kyllwood didn’t bluff. Pushing him would be a mistake. “I’ll stay safe, Logan.” Unless he was in dire danger and needed her. Then she’d do what was necessary. She smiled.
His eyes glittered as if he saw right through her.
Butterflies winged along her nerves. He did see her. All of her. She’d run circles around people for so long, it was intriguing to be loved by him. “I’m not the obedient type,” she said, wanting to be honest.
“No shit,” he retorted, his hands caressing her flanks, gliding over each rib to her hips. “I’m not the bossy type.”
That was so untrue it was laughable. She bit her lip, amusement mingling with arousal. “Uh huh.”
“So on the rare occasion when I give an order, you obey it.” He nibbled along her jawline to nip at her ear. “Got it?”
She sighed, leaning into him.
He pulled back, his gaze on her, his face serious even with lust glittering in his eyes. “Tell me you get me.”
She saw him then. All of him. “You’re enough on your own, too.” Since he’d reminded her, it was fair she did the same.
“What?” His hands tightened on her hips.
“This shield thing you have going on. Protecting me, protecting your family, protecting the Realm. You matter just as much as everyone else.” She smoothed over a bruise on his rib cage. “I love you for you.” And she owed him a promise, even if he’d given her no choice in it. “I’ll be safe. But you have to be safe, too.”
“It’s a deal.” His gaze warm, he stood and set her down before kicking off his jeans. Then he covered her, his erection hot and full against her.
She lifted her knees, wanting him. All of him. So she grasped him, stroked once, and pressed him to her opening. “Don’t make me wait.”
He shoved inside her all the way to the hilt, shocking her with a fine pain edged by swamping pleasure. He began to move, and she dug her fingers into his shoulders, holding on tight. He kissed her, his tongue taking control as quickly as his body did.
This time, he wasn’t holding anything back.
Fast, deep, and hard.
He looked down at her, powering himself into her, his features tight with hunger. Nothing else existed except right here and right now. The marking on her back warmed, spreading tingles throughout her entire torso and straight to her heart. He pinned her in place with his glittering gaze as much as he did with his warrior’s body.
Her heart burst with a fierce warmth. He was the most amazing male in the universe, and he was hers. Intense and beautiful—protective and possessive.
“You’re mine, Mercy O’Malley,” he said, proving it.
She could only nod, holding on with all she had. Wrapping her legs around his waist, she tried to take even more of him. Lightning zapped through her, and she broke without warning. She came hard, her body shaking, her heart thundering.
Before she could catch her breath, he grabbed her butt and tilted her, giving him deeper access.
How was it even possible? She cried out as he took her higher, giving her no choice but to climb the pinnacle again. “Logan,” she moaned. “Too much. I can’t.”
“You will.” His fangs flashed, and he scraped them along her neck. The feeling was so wickedly decadent, so inherently dangerous, that a quaking started deep inside her. Again.
Then they pierced her, right where her neck met her shoulder.
He rode her hard, and that quaking turned into a full-out tidal wave. She cried out his name, shutting her eyes, trusting him to protect her. Only then did he let himself go, thrusting one last time inside her, so deep she thought she would die, then going still, shuddering with his release.
She wrapped her arms around his shoulders and held on with the small amount of strength she had left. Then, with him still inside her, she dropped right off to sleep.
Chapter 42
Realm headquarters was stationed about five miles from demon headquarters at a private lake in Idaho. Mercy paced a small waiting room in the main lodge after Logan had kissed her and left her, promising to be back shortly. She’d already showered, and Logan had found clothing for her. Gray pencil skirt, white shirt, and yellow wedges. Just her style.
Two soldiers were stationed outside the doorway, and added to the six others she’d noticed in the lodge, she figured she was damn well protected.
And not going anywhere.
She thought back to every interaction she’d had with Logan. He was always between her and danger. And when Garrett was around, she was always positioned between them. Protected by the most dangerous warriors in history.
Damn if that didn’t make her feel a little bit special.
The room held a sofa, two overstuffed chairs, a coffee table and a stunning oil painting of a mountain range. The door opened, and President Alyssa Dawn strode in.
Mercy rushed to her, enveloping the woman in a hug. “I’m so glad you’re alive.”
The president patted her back. “Of course. I owe you my life.”
Mercy released her, heat flying into her face. The president wasn’t an overtly affectionate person, although she was a hell of a leader. “What now?”
“I don’t know.” The blonde straightened her shoulders. She wore a blue suit, complete with dangerous red high heels, her hair up in a pearl clip.
“Well, they found us nice clothing,” Mercy mused. “So they can’t be planning on killing us.” Or rather, the president. No way would Logan leave Mercy if she were in any danger. “I have to think that the Realm nations want to ally themselves with us.” Man, she hoped so.
“Where is our king?” the president asked.
As if on cue, the door opened, and Logan shoved Niall inside. “Your king has an announcement,” he said, taking up the entire doorway.
Niall wore a perfectly cut blue suit, but his hair was mussed and his lip was split. He inched gingerly into the room as if every movement hurt. “I have decided that the monarchy will return to a figurehead type of position, and I would like to devote myself to research.”
Mercy’s chin dropped and she gave Logan a look.
“What?” he asked, looking devastating in faded jeans and a green button-down shirt that brought out the myriad of colors in his eyes and stretched intriguingly across his large chest.
She tapped her foot, trying to find anger. Nope. Just amusement and a lot of gooey love.
“He put his mouth on you,” Logan said, his gaze completely lacking in amusement. “The bastard, excuse my language, President, is lucky he’s still breathing. Right, Niall?” He slapped the king on the back, and Niall leaned over, coughing.
