Chapter Twenty

A t Ryder’s news, everyone woke up and sprang into action. It was time to get moving.

Shay and Nic hurried to meet the others at the entrance to the cave. The rains had stopped, thankfully, which meant that when they left the cave they could at least see where they were going.

“As long as the Sons of Darkness don’t have possession of the black diamond, we’re on equal ground with them.” Lou looked to Nic. “But I think our best bet at this point is to get into the diamond mines. We’ve delayed long enough.”

Nic nodded. “I told you I could get us all in there.”

Lou looked to Derek, question in his eyes. Shay knew that letting Nic into the mine meant taking a great leap of faith. Once Nic was on his home turf, he could turn the tables on them, have them arrested for kidnapping. Or something even worse.

If they were ever going to trust Nic, now was the time.

Derek turned his gaze to Shay. She knew what he wanted from her. She was closer to Nic than any of them right now, including Derek.

There was nothing Nic could say to convince them. But Shay could. She slipped her hand in Nic’s and nodded at Derek.

Nic squeezed her fingers. She glanced over at him and smiled. Yes, he had her confidence. And her heart. She hoped she was doing the right thing, because Derek and Lou were putting their trust—and the fate of all the hunters—in her instincts.

“Okay,” Derek said, “how do you get us in there?”

“That’s easy. First, I tell them we were out on a little diamond expedition. You’re prospective clients and wanted to see the area, do a little fun spelunking in non-restricted caves. I’ve done it before, so it’s not unusual. Second, I’ll indicate that while we were exploring, there was a cave-in and a couple of our people fell into the old mine shaft. Then we’ll launch a search within the compound and retrieve Ryder and Angelique. Trust me, they’ll get right on it. They don’t want anyone wandering unattended within the mines.”

“You’re pretty good at this,” Shay said, amazed he could concoct a plausible story so quickly.

Nic shrugged. “I’m in sales. Always need to have bullshit prepared.”

She laughed.

“Let’s get ready and go. Nic, from here on out, you lead the way,” Derek said.

Nic nodded and started to move away.

“And Nic.”

He paused at Derek’s words.

“Yeah?”

“Don’t make me regret this.”

Nic didn’t smile. “You won’t. This time, you’re going to have to trust me.”

They packed up and trekked to the SUV. After loading up, they headed toward the Diavolo Diamonds mines.

Anticipation and excitement soared through Nic’s blood. This was his chance to prove himself to the hunters, to show them he could be trusted.

The terrain grew more familiar, the valleys narrowing, each hill jutting up in jagged splendor like rust-colored monoliths. He remembered his first view of the strange-looking objects from the airplane when his father had brought him out here years ago. He’d never forget it.

“We’re close. The mines are centered within the valley surrounded by these hills. There’s an opening straight ahead if you stay on this road.”

Dalton nodded, and Nic looked out the window once again. With the departure of the rains, the heat had returned, making it unbearable, even with the air-conditioning going full blast. Waves of heat shimmered along the roadway like a mirage in the desert. It had to be in the hundreds outside, baking the landscape to a crisp brown. He longed to be back at the ocean, to smell the tang of salt in the air and feel the cool spray and whipping breeze across his face. He missed taking his board out and sailing through the waves, king of his domain, mastering the monster as it roared above him.

This desert shit wasn’t for him at all. Being landlocked sucked.

The mines came into view; tall fencing surrounded Diavolo land.

“Electrified?” Derek asked.

“Yeah. With camera surveillance and motion detectors around the entire perimeter, providing added security. With this many diamonds, we have to make sure the area’s impenetrable. The wall’s insurmountable except by air and the main entrance gates are manned by several armed guards at multiple checkpoints.”

The gated entrance loomed ahead, guards already spilling out, rifles held loosely in their arms. Nic remembered how ominous the scene looked when he was younger—like something out of a movie. Of course his father had flashed a grin, placed his thumbprint on the screen, and zipped them right through.

“You ready for this?” Shay asked.

Nic shrugged, affecting a calm he didn’t really feel. This had to work. He had the hunters to protect now, and it was up to him to get Ryder and Angelique out of the closed-up part of the mine. “Sure. Should go down easy.”

The SUV stopped and Dalton rolled down all the windows, allowing the guard to approach.

“This is a restricted area,” the guard said, then arched his brows as he spotted Nic. “Oh, Mr. Diavolo, I didn’t see you back there.”

“It’s okay, Dave. We need entrance. These are prospective clients, and we’ve had a bit of an accident in one of the caves east of here. There was a cave-in, and two of our people are stuck down in the tunnels.”

“Yes, sir. I’ll need your thumbprint first.”

Nic exited the SUV and the guard led him to the scanner. He laid his thumb on the screen and waited while the identification software pulled up his name and recognition information.

The guard nodded. “I’ll alert everyone at the house that you’re on your way up.”

“Thanks, Dave.” Nic slid into the seat and Dalton drove forward.

“Slick,” Derek said as moved through the gates.

Nic shrugged. “That part was easy.”

But at least they’d gotten inside. Now they had to find Ryder and Angelique, and figure out if the gem they were searching for was within the mines.

“You do realize it’s a high probability your uncle is here,” Lou said.

“It wouldn’t surprise me,” Nic said. “If what you say is true and he’s part of all this, he has to be expecting the Realm of Light to show up here at the mines, especially if he thinks you kidnapped me.”

If his uncle Bart was a Lord of the Sons of the Darkness, he was embroiled in this evil shit up to his beady eyeballs, the shifty fucker. Nic never had trusted his uncle. Bart had always been whispering in his father’s ear, hanging close and leering at Nic as if he knew secrets about Nic that even Nic didn’t know.

Nic hated that shit. He just hoped Bart wasn’t at the mines. They had enough to deal with right now.

 

The first thing Shay realized when the SUV pulled in front of the house was that her perceptions of a diamond mine weren’t at all correct. She had pictured dirt and more caves, not this sprawling paradise and huge mansion.

Nic had told her the mine and the house were at the top of the far hill. They were heading to the house first, a rambling drive along twisting roads that made her stomach pitch. But once they’d finished climbing, she felt the air change. There were trees and lots of them, dense, crowding out the heat and surrounding the house, providing a shady shelter as they exited the vehicles. Shay tilted her head back to survey the four-story structure, which stretched high above the treetops and as wide as she could see.

Wow. It was a gorgeous piece of architecture. Modern and angular, it signaled a cheery welcome to her weary body. They stepped up onto the expansive porch that wrapped around the entire front of the house and through the double doors leading into the entry.

The house was bright and open. Pale marble tiles spread across the expansive living area that splayed out toward floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking a deck out back. More greenery in the back, a pool, every possible modern convenience. Nothing like a little luxury in the midst of the desert.

“Disgustingly lavish, isn’t it?” Nic whispered over her shoulder.

“Unimaginable.” Shay’s gaze wandered over the antiques, the modern mixed with the old, wishing she could take the time to explore every room, every ancient piece of furniture that must be worth a fortune. Swords and daggers hung on the walls, their blades gleaming bright in invitation. Shay salivated at the thought of taking them down and inspecting them, of tracing her fingers along their gilded and jeweled edges and absorbing their history, because she didn’t for a second doubt their authenticity.

The first thing Nic did was grab the phone and make a couple calls while the rest of them stood around. When he hung up, he turned to them.

“The head of security for the mines is on his way here,” Nic said. “We’ll see what’s happening with the search for Ryder. My uncle Bart is on the mine property. He’ll show up shortly.”

Derek arched a brow. “Was he surprised to hear from you?”

“Shocked was more like it. We didn’t talk. He said he was coming right over and hung up.”

Derek crossed his arms and smirked. “This should be fun.”

Shay didn’t know if fun was the right word to use.

A spark of nervousness flickered to life at everything going on. Much was at stake, and this was a critical time. She could feel it churning inside her.

The front door opened and a tall, burly man in camouflage entered the room. He looked military. Close-cropped blond hair, beefy thick neck, and muscles to spare. Based on the monster-size gun in his belt, Shay assumed he had to be the head of security.

Nic walked over and shook the man’s hand, then turned to them. “This is Denton Luellen, head of security for Diavolo Diamonds.” He turned back to Denton. “Anything on our missing friends yet?”

Denton shook his head. “Nothing yet. Scanners are running the length of the unused tunnels, but our equipment isn’t set up in every abandoned shaft. We’re sending in search teams.”

Nic nodded. “Thanks. Keep me posted.”

“Aye, sir.” Denton swiveled and walked out of the room, closing the door behind him.

Derek approached Nic. “Can that guy be trusted?”

Nic shrugged. “Who the hell knows? Until I met you people I thought everyone here could be. Now I don’t trust anyone. But as far as security knows, you all are potential diamond buyers, and Ryder and Angelique are clients. They’ll hustle their asses to find them.”

“I wish we could go look for them,” Gina said, standing to pace the length of the room. “I don’t like sitting here doing nothing.”

“I agree,” Nic said. “But it would look suspicious for diamond buyers to crawl down into abandoned tunnels to hunt for missing persons when we have trained security staff for that. Let them do their jobs. They’ll find Ryder and Angelique.”

Nic allowed entrance to whoever knocked on the door. It opened and a man entered the room.

“Mr. Diavolo, I’m so pleased you’ve decided to visit us and that you’ve brought guests.”

Dressed in casual attire, the man who spoke nevertheless carried himself with authority. In his fifties, she would guess, with dark hair graying at the temples, he had lined, tanned skin and was very tall and lean.

“This is James Waters, manager of the estate here,” Nic explained to them. “James, these are my guests. Can you have rooms arranged for everyone? We’ll be staying a few days at most.”

James nodded. “Rooms have already been prepared for your guests.”

“Thank you, James. I knew I could count on you.”

James nodded and motioned to one of the staff standing by. “Take everyone’s things upstairs. I’ve taken the liberty of putting you in the master suite, of course, Mr. Diavolo.”

“Of course,” Nic replied.

Shay fought back a grin at the way Nic had shifted to an air of pompous, in-charge rich man. Even the way he carried himself changed. Shoulders back, chin high, and nose in the air, like he deserved James’s fawning all over him. If she didn’t know it was an act she’d be gagging at his attitude.

“You all might as well clean up while we’re waiting to hear about Ryder,” Nic suggested. “We can meet back downstairs afterward, get something to eat and see if there’s any word.”

“Good idea,” Derek agreed. “I’d like to get this ten pounds of mud off me.”

James had the staff hustling and showing the “guests” to their rooms, no questions asked. Shay was surprised to discover her things had been taken to the master suite along with Nic’s. That she hadn’t expected.

The other hunters followed, surely noticing her belongings being taken into the master suite along with Nic’s.

Frankly, she didn’t care what they thought. Her only thought was that Nic wanted her in his room. When she walked in and found him standing at the foot of the bed, she waited while the servant laid down her bags and closed the door.

“I wanted you to have the best room, and this one is it,” Nic said. “I hope you don’t mind.”

“No, I don’t mind at all.” The bedroom was phenomenal. The size of a small house actually, with a separate sitting area, an obscenely large bathroom with separate tub, shower, and two sink areas, all in the same pale marble. Windows everywhere, floor-to-ceiling, and a private deck overlooking the pool. The focal point of the room was the king-size bed, though. She could already envision rolling around on it with Nic. “Nice room,” she said when she finished walking around.

“I wanted you to be comfortable.”

She smiled. “I doubt there’s a bad room in the house.”

“All right. I wanted you with me. Is that a problem?”

She twined her arms around his neck. “Hell, no.” Just being near him made her temperature spike. Knowing he wanted her aroused her. The way he looked at her melted her feet to the cool marble floor.

She sighed, wishing they had time. “I need to take a shower.”

He smiled. “Go ahead.”

With great regret she untangled herself from his embrace and stepped into the bathroom, undressed, and turned on the water in the expansive stall.

A real, honest-to-God shower. Shay let the water pour over her head for a good five minutes before reaching for the shampoo to scrub the mud out, then worked over her body until it felt clean again. She groaned at the sheer pleasure of not feeling mud caked all over her.

“You look good.”

She shrieked and whirled around as cool air hit her skin and Nic’s voice invaded her shower. He was leaning against the shower door, naked and with an appreciative smile on his dirt-streaked face.

“I’m sorry I took so long. I hadn’t had a shower in a while and I was en—enjoying this one,” she stammered, tripping over her own tongue as she ogled his body. In the bright light she got a nice long look at his lean muscled abs, strong shoulders, and biceps, and as her gaze dipped below his waist…oh, my.

For the love of God. It wasn’t as if she hadn’t seen his body before, but he’d scared the hell out of her. She hadn’t expected him to pop in on her like this.

“I’m not here to complain about you taking up shower time. Scoot over.”

She moved and he stepped in, closing the door behind him.

The shower had just gotten a lot smaller.

“I hope you don’t mind.” He stood in the water, letting it spray over his head.

“Not at all.” Naked man in the shower with her? Hell, no, she didn’t mind.

“Give me a second to wash up.”

He washed. She watched, leaning against the wall and looking her fill of him as he raised his hands over his head to wash his hair. Perfectly proportioned in all the right places. All the right places. Her nipples tightened, as did parts south, remembering the feel of him inside her, the touch of his lips to her breasts, the way his hands felt when they skimmed over her body. Though she hadn’t set the water on hot, her body temperature rose. Every time she looked at him she was reminded of that first time she’d seen him, walking out of the ocean.

“Enjoying the view?”

She gazed into his eyes. He was staring at her, grinning, his hands planted on either side of the shower wall. Water rained over the back of his neck, rivulets pouring down the front of his chest. She followed the trail as the rivers snaked lower, over his flat abdomen and lower belly and between his legs, down his powerful thighs and onto his feet.

Shay realized she could admire his body like one would a sculpture, study it from all angles and look at it for hours on end, never tiring of the view. He was absolute perfection, at least to her.

“Yes, as a matter of fact I am.” She pushed away from the wall and moved closer to him. “You have an incredible body.”

“And here I thought you liked me for my sharp wit and sense of humor.”

She swept her hand over his shoulders and down his chest, following the trail of water. “Those, too.”

“I don’t believe you. You’re just using me for sex.”

He sucked in a breath when she mapped his abdomen with her fingertips. She liked knowing her touch affected him, liked it even more when she circled his erection and he surged into her grasp. “You think I’m using you for sex?” she asked, stroking him with long, leisurely movements.

“Oh, hell, yeah.” He palmed the side of the shower, moving his hips forward, thrusting into her hand.

“Hmm, you may be right. I’ve never used a man for his body before. This could be fun.”

She dropped to her knees. Nic shifted and the water sprayed over her head, against her face and in her mouth. She welcomed the sensation of being submerged as she captured his shaft between her lips and devoured him. She was drowning in sensation, in carnal delights. The pounding water against her, the sound of his groans as she tasted his velvet softness between her lips, the salty flavor of him spilling onto her tongue.

“Use me, baby,” he growled, pushing between her lips with more force each stroke, taking control away from her as he held her head and used her mouth.

And she loved it. God help her, she loved his mastery of her this way. She wasn’t submissive by any stretch of the imagination, but this position, the way he touched her, the look on his face as he drove between her lips, was so enticing she could barely stand it. His face was contorted into a grimace that looked like pain but which she knew to be the utmost pleasure. She reached underneath to cup the twin sacs strung tight and hard beneath his shaft, squeezing them with gentle pulses.

“No,” he said, withdrawing and pulling her to a standing position. His gaze was hot as he looked into her eyes. “I don’t want to come in your mouth, but goddamn, I’m close to it.”

He pushed her against the wall and drew one of her legs up, reaching down to cup her sex. She opened her mouth to cry out, but he swallowed her gasp with his lips against hers, kissing her with a force that slammed her head against the tile wall.

She didn’t even feel the pain, she was so lost in the sensation of his hand between her legs, doing magical, sinful things to her, things designed to take her to the brink and over. He knew just where to touch her and how—slow at first, then increasing the motions, circling the taut bud with his thumb just as he drove his fingers inside her, drinking in her moans of climax as she tore over the edge like quick lightning. She shuddered against his hand, spilling her liquid heat. He groaned against her lips, licking her tongue with his, making her absolutely insane with pleasure.

Relentless, he didn’t stop, just kept moving inside her, swirling the palm of his hand over her pulsing nub until desire blazed hot as fire again. His cock replaced his fingers, driving inside her with a quick thrust that left her breathless. He lifted her other leg, suspending her in midair while he pumped hard against her, slamming her back against the wall.

Shay opened her eyes. Nic’s gaze was dark, intense, as he thrust forward, pulling out of her only to drive to the hilt again. She sensed his desperation, as if this might be the last time they’d connect this way. For a while, possibly forever? She didn’t know, but the same sense of need wrapped itself around her. She tangled her fingers into his hair and met his mouth with fervor, kissing him with a longing she prayed showed him how she felt. Because she couldn’t say the words, couldn’t speak past the blinding pleasure he gave her. She could only feel, and hopefully give him in return.

When her orgasm gripped her he let go of her legs and she wrapped them around his back, squeezing him, trying to become part of him as she shattered and trembled and cried through intense waves crashing inside her. He stilled, then thrust deeply, shuddering, kissing her with a softness that belied the savage passion they’d just shared.

Panting, she let go, her shaky legs sliding down him until her feet hit the floor. Nic held tight to her until she was certain she could maintain her footing. She looked up at him and gave him a tentative smile.

He kissed her with gentle sweeps of his lips, then moved to her neck. “I see the bite I gave you didn’t leave any lasting marks.”

She smiled. “No, it didn’t. Guess you’re not a vampire after all.”

He didn’t let go of her for the longest time. Shay felt like he wanted to say something more, but he didn’t, eventually turning the water off and grabbing towels for both of them.

He grinned. “Now we really need to get downstairs.”

“I guess we do.”

But she was pretty sure that wasn’t what he was about to say.

 

Nic had been about to tell Shay he loved her.

Something stopped him. The words had hovered on his tongue, ready to spill. He’d been inside her, her body still quaking around him, and he hadn’t said the words.

He should have. That might have been his only chance. He had a feeling something major was about to go down, and it involved him. And the feeling had a lot more to do with just being on Diavolo property. A lot more. A gut feeling that told him whatever was about to happen was going to change him in a big way. Maybe that’s what stopped him. He didn’t want to risk Shay, to put her in the middle of whatever was going on.

Plus, he still hadn’t quite figured out this whole demon thing inside him, what part was good and what, if any, was bad. He couldn’t subject her to loving someone who had evil inside him. First he had to determine who and what he was. Then he’d get the love part out in the open.

Because he was pretty certain that she returned his feelings. She hadn’t said the words, either, so maybe she was as uncertain about everything as he was.

What a pair they made. Probably why he didn’t like being separated from her for even a short period of time, why he’d had her bags brought to his room. He wanted her with him.

Forever.

Pretty big turnaround for someone who’d never even had a long-term relationship. Now he wanted to bond with Shay in an eternity kind of way. But he couldn’t do that until this mission was over with—that much he knew. So first things first.

They dressed and headed downstairs to meet up with the others. Nic hoped they’d find Ryder and Angelique quickly. There were things to be done, loose ends to wrap up.

And he had his uncle to deal with, too.

 

“Did you hear that?”

Ryder stopped, listened, then shook his head. “No.”

“Are you sure? I heard pounding, I know it.”

“I didn’t. Let’s keep moving.”

Angelique blew out a sigh, but followed him. He hoped what she heard wasn’t the rumbling of another cave-in. As tight as this tunnel was, they wouldn’t survive it. There was nowhere to go if the roof started falling in on them. As it was, he’d had to prod her every step of the way, since she was now convinced they were standing in the middle of a diamond vein. After all that had happened, she still wanted to do her job and find the black diamond. Even knowing who her client was.

Maybe she didn’t believe him after all. Whatever. She could diamond hunt on her own time. After this mess with the Sons of Darkness was taken care of, and after the Realm of Light found the black diamond. Now that Ryder knew who Angelique worked for, there was no way she was going to be allowed to go free and secure the diamond for them. She’d have to come along with the hunters.

Or something. Hell, he didn’t know what Lou and Derek were going to do with her, but once they got out of this tunnel, she wouldn’t be Ryder’s problem anymore. And he could gain a little distance between them.

Which made rescue even more appealing. He didn’t want to look after anyone but himself. In the demon-hunting business, keeping yourself alive was a full-time job. Keeping an untrained civilian safe who didn’t know jack about demons or how to kill them was an added burden he didn’t want to assume.

Lou and Derek could handle her.

He stopped when he heard the pounding.

“You heard it that time, didn’t you?” she asked, coming up so close behind him her breasts brushed his back.

“Yeah, I heard it. Stay quiet.”

They’d long ago lost touch with Derek. Either the batteries were dead in Ryder’s comm or he and Angelique were too far underground for the system to make contact. Maybe the hunters were out of range. Either way, he had no way of knowing what was going on topside, so he had to rely on his own instincts.

“What do you think—”

He silenced her by raising his hand, wanting to listen to the sound, track its location, and see if he could figure out what it was.

The sound drew closer. Someone…or something…was definitely heading their way. He turned to Angelique, lowering his voice to a whisper.

“Back up around that corner and slip under that overhang we just passed through so whoever’s coming can’t see you. Until we figure out who it is, I don’t want you to be found.”

“Why?”

Because something bad could happen to her and he didn’t like the thought of that. Disgusted with the way his mind was working, he said, “Because I can’t fight and worry about protecting you at the same time.”

She frowned. “I don’t need protection. I can help. If you’d just give me a weapon like I asked—”

“Not now, Angie! There’s no time to show you how to use this weaponry. Just do as I ask. Please,” he added.

With a sigh, she said, “Okay.”

“If I holler at you to run, try to get past whatever’s happening and head for the exit. I’ll keep them engaged so you can get through.”

She nodded. After she’d moved around the corner, Ryder raised his laser, pointing it in the direction of the approaching sounds.

He was ready for whatever it was. Worst-case scenario—demons. Best case—rescue.

The rumble grew louder, closer still. Ryder’s finger rested on the trigger, ready to let loose with an array of UV light if it was demons.

He really hoped it wasn’t. Not when he had Angelique to protect. He didn’t have a problem dying doing this, but putting her life at risk wasn’t his call to make. He moved forward, toward the sound, putting distance between himself and Angelique. As he quickened his step and rounded a corner, he saw lights approaching.

Demons didn’t have lights. That could be a very good thing. He still maintained caution, though. When a flash hit his face, he froze.

“Ryder?” someone called out.

Whoever it was knew his name. “Yeah.”

“We’re with the Diavolo Diamonds security team. Mr. Dominic Diavolo sent us after you. Are you okay?”

He saw them now. There were five of them. Weapons strapped to their belts, not in their hands. He hurriedly bagged his laser as they drew closer. “Fine. We’re fine. Glad to see you people. We thought we’d be down here forever.”

“Let’s get you out of here. Where’s the woman?”

“She’s farther down the tunnel. I came up here to investigate the noise.”

They followed while he went to retrieve Angelique.

“Angelique,” he yelled as he made it halfway down the corridor.

She didn’t answer.

“It’s okay, Angelique. We’ve got rescue personnel here. You can come out now.”

He kept walking toward the corner where he’d told her to stay put, but she still didn’t answer or come forward.

Shit. An odd tingle rumbled in his gut. He had a bad feeling and hurried along the tunnel to the spot where he’d left her.

She wasn’t there.

“Angelique!”

Nothing.

Goddammit, where was she?

“Is there a problem?”

Ryder turned to the head security guy. “Yeah, there’s a problem. Angelique is missing.”

The man arched a brow. “Missing? Where would she go? I thought the cave-in blocked any exit.”

“It did.”

“Then how could she disappear?”

Excellent damn question. One Ryder didn’t have an answer to.

But Angelique was definitely gone.

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