Chapter Twenty-Four

O nboard ship, Derek closeted himself with Lou in one of the cabins. Lou listened while Derek revealed what he had thought about doing.

Lou leaned back in his chair and folded his arms across his chest. “Why would you want to die?”

“I’m a goddamned demon, Lou!” Jesus, didn’t anything rattle the man?

“You are still the same man you were before, just with more knowledge. You didn’t give in to the evil, you didn’t join your father. Instead, you fought the beast inside yourself and came out stronger. I’d say you had a good day.”

“For Christ’s sake, Lou. It wasn’t a good day. It was a shitty day. I could have killed Gina. Hell, I could have killed you or any of the other hunters. And frankly, I expected more from you.”

“Like what? You want me to be afraid of you now? You want me to be shocked that you’re a demon? Or perhaps you want me to kill you.”

Maybe he expected just that. For Lou to take the decision out of his hands. “I don’t know. Maybe.”

Lou smiled. “Not today, son. Not tomorrow, either. I know you. Sometimes better than you know yourself. I know your strengths and your weaknesses. I’ve pushed you harder than you ever pushed yourself, and I know your limits. I also know what you are capable of doing…and not doing. You could no more kill Gina than you could kill me.”

Derek looked at the floor, threading his fingers through his hair. “You have no idea how close I came. The urges inside me, they were so intense. The darkness, the hunger. I wanted to…God, Lou, it scares me how much I wanted to hurt her.”

“But you didn’t, did you? You battled it back, you controlled it. Have you taken the time to analyze your reactions, as I taught you?”

“Analyze? Hell, the last thing I want to do is think about it. I want to bury it and pretend it doesn’t exist.”

“And you know that’s the wrong thing to do. Do what I trained you to do.”

Sometimes he hated Lou. Especially when he was right. “I don’t know. I was kind of too busy for any self-psychoanalyzing.”

Lou’s lips lifted. “Then do it now.”

Derek straddled the chair across from Lou and scrubbed his hand over his face. How did he feel about it? “I was instrumental in the death of my own father, and yet that…thing wasn’t my dad. I didn’t feel a blood connection to Ben. Working with Gina to kill him felt like destroying a demon. Like any of the other demons I’ve killed. Should I feel so goddamned dispassionate about it?”

Lou shrugged. “Yes, I think you should. You never looked on Ben as a father figure. Why would you? Even as a child he never represented a parent to you. And meeting him down there and being told he was your father is no different from being introduced to a human male you had never met as a child and being told that man was your father. You had no emotional ties to Ben. Ben was a demon. Killing him should have no profound impact on you.”

“Well, that’s good to know.”

“And what about the power inside you?”

“I can feel it surging through me. But I can control it now. It’s almost as if I have the ability to summon it at will. It’s manageable.” At least for the moment, anyway. How long would that last?

“Good. Then quit worrying. You did what you had to do. You fought the demon side of yourself and came out on top. What happened to you down there has given you strength and power. Harness it and figure out how to use it to fight them. You’ve become a powerful enemy to the Sons of Darkness. That’s a very good thing to the Realm of Light.”

“But what if I can’t control it at some point? What if I feel it slipping?”

“Then talk to me, and I’ll help you. You forget you’re not alone anymore, Derek. And you haven’t been for a while now. You have always had me and the other hunters. Your brothers and sisters. Now you have Gina. Draw your strength from us and let us help you.”

Derek felt the warmth and affection that he’d never allowed himself to feel before. He supposed he had Gina to thank for that. Now he recognized that Lou had been more of a father to him over the years than Ben had ever been. He nodded, grateful for the comfort he had needed more than he could ever express.

“Thanks. I need to go blow up the tunnels now.”

Lou’s lips quirked. “All in a day’s work for a demon hunter, my boy.”

Gina leaned against the railing of the ship and looked at the island, waiting for Derek to push the button that would obliterate the rest of the demons. The sun rose, a perfect pink backdrop against the emerald green hills and crystal blue waters. Such picturesque beauty above, such ugliness below.

They’d found no more demons in the tunnels, tracking them back for about a mile. Then they were blocked off. Had the demons cut them off? Or had they appeared right where the tunnels ended?

More mysteries they didn’t have time to solve. Either way, Derek and Lou wanted the demon underground on the island destroyed.

“You ready?” Derek asked, looking down at her with a half smile.

He’d been quiet throughout all this. She wondered if part of him still felt like he should be down there in the tunnels. No matter how long it took, she’d make sure he never regretted his decision to stay alive.

“Hit it.”

He pressed the button and she heard a low rumble, like thunder off in the distance. The treetops shook on the island, but other than that, nothing.

“That was it?” Shay asked.

“That was it,” Derek answered.

“Pretty damned low-key if you ask me,” Trace said.

Derek turned to Gina and winked before answering Trace. “It’s supposed to work that way.”

Gina grinned. All the hunters stood at the railing, watching. She felt so much peace as she looked around at the others. They were her family now. Only this time, she wasn’t afraid to care. Derek had washed away her fears and taught her that loving didn’t necessarily mean losing. He’d come after her when she was taken by the demons, showing her that depth of love meant risking everything. He’d have given up his life for her. And she’d risk everything for him, and for the rest of her newfound family.

The end of this part of the journey meant the beginning of a new adventure for her.

“I wish this was the end of it,” Lou said, “but it’s not. We may have closed the portal on this island, but there are others.”

“So now what?” Trace asked.

“Now we hunt,” Derek answered. He’d already filled them all in about his brother and about his half-demon blood. And what it could possibly mean. He wanted to be straight with them. They had shown no fear of him, accepted him completely. Gina knew how important it was to him, even if he acted as if he didn’t care one way or another. As far as they were concerned, he was still the same Derek. Mandy even sniffed him and said as long as he didn’t stink like a demon, he was okay to her. Gina laughed, grateful to all of them for their acceptance of the man she loved.

Ryder asked the question no doubt on everyone’s mind. “Where?”

“We’ll start in Sydney. If Nic is there, chances are there’s a demon setup there, too,” Lou said.

“Ah, going home,” Trace said with a grin. “Any idea where in Sydney?”

“Not yet, but I’ve already got the Realm working on it. By the time we get there, we’ll know where Nic is.”

“Might as well relax for now,” Punk said, beaming a smile.

“I could use a beer or two,” Linc said.

“Game of cards sounds good to me,” Ryder said.

“I’m in,” Trace quipped.

Shay yawned. “I need a nap. A nice, long nap.”

“Sounds like a good idea. Gina, I need to talk to you.” Derek grabbed her hand and led her below to his room, shutting and locking the door behind him. He stared at her while she waited expectantly for him to come to her.

“Do you want to continue on with this?” he finally asked.

Gina tilted her head and frowned. “With what?”

“This whole demon thing. Because you don’t have to.”

“Huh?” What the hell was he talking about?

“You could go back to your life. To making movies, what you’re good at.”

“I’m not interested in making movies anymore.”

“You’re not?”

“No. When I started as a teen, it was a chance to get away from foster care, from any memories of my former life. I could be someone else. That was my escape from reality, from having to attach myself to anyone or any place. Hollywood and moviemaking is a fantasy land, a place where nothing real exists. For me, it was perfect. I could be anything and anyone I wanted to be. No one knew who I really was. I didn’t have to care about anyone. I played a role and when it was over, I was gone.”

“And you won’t miss it?”

She smiled at him. “Not a bit.”

He crossed to the porthole and stared out at the island.

She followed and placed her hand on his shoulder, turning him around to face her. “I don’t understand. Don’t you want me with you?”

“You know I do.” His voice was almost a whisper.

“Tell me what’s bothering you.”

“We’re going to Sydney, to hunt down Nic. It’s going to be dangerous.”

Oh. She was beginning to get an inkling here. “And?”

“There on the island, you did a great job taking care of yourself. We made a helluva team.”

“Yes, we did.”

“But that was before I found out…well, you know.”

“Before you discovered you were part demon. So what’s the difference?”

“I can help protect you against other demons. I can’t protect you against me.”

Now she understood. “I don’t need protection against other demons and especially not against you. You’re never going to hurt me.” She laid her head on his chest and wrapped her arms around him. He threaded his fingers through her hair, kissing the top of her head. Then he stepped back and pulled her away, keeping an arm’s-length distance between them. The hard evidence of his need for her was outlined against his jeans. She shuddered, her breasts heavy and warm, her nipples tightening at the thought of having him buried inside her.

God, she needed that joining with him. It had already been too long. She’d almost lost him.

So why was he pushing her away?

“What’s wrong?” she asked.

“Are you okay with this?”

“With what?”

He looked down at himself. “With me. And you.”

She frowned. “Huh?”

“You know what I am now.”

She sat at the foot of the bed, knowing what he meant. “And what is that?”

“Part of me is demon.”

“I realize that.”

“Aren’t you the least bit worried about what will happen?”

His gaze gravitated to the bed. Gina got hot just thinking about it, but she understood his concern. Funny, the thought had never occurred to her. Derek was still Derek. To her, nothing had changed. Now she had to convince him of that.

“So now that you’re a demon, does that mean your dick will get bigger, too?” She batted her eyelashes at him.

He frowned at her, then laughed out loud. “You mean it wasn’t enough for you as it was? Women. So hard to please.”

She snorted. “Can I help it if I’m insatiable?”

He took a step forward, his smile dying on his face. “Seriously, Gina. You know what I mean. I talked to Lou. I don’t know what’s going to happen to me. What I’m capable of. I might—”

She held her hand up. “I trust you, Derek. You’ll never hurt me. When you first realized your power, when the demon in you showed up, I saw what was in your eyes. If you were ever going to hurt me, you would have done it then. You didn’t and you never will. Now come over here and make love to me. I need you.” She opened her arms and he shuddered a sigh, then came to her, pulling her up and dragging her against him. When he planted his lips firmly over hers and took possession, sliding his tongue inside her mouth and licking against hers, she felt that familiar curling of her toes, a warmth in her stomach that told her she’d found what she was looking for.

Total and complete nirvana. She closed her eyes and drank in the feel and taste of him. He was no different now than he’d been before. His touch still possessed her completely and she wouldn’t have it any other way.

She dragged her lips away from his and tilted her head back. “You’re the same Derek. You feel the same, you taste the same.”

“It feels strange to me. There’s something different inside me.”

“How?”

“I can’t explain it. It’s like a churning. Unsettled. Like a nervous energy.”

Lifting a brow, she grinned. “Good. Use that. I like energetic sex.”

He shook his head. “Dammit, Gina, I’m being serious here.”

She reached up and palmed his cheeks, loving the feel of his dark stubble against her hand. “So am I. Don’t be afraid to be a little rough with me, Derek. I’m not a china doll. I’m not fragile. I’ve felt you holding back.”

“I did. I’m afraid of hurting you.”

“You can’t hurt me. Just love me, dammit.”

He growled low in his throat, the sound wickedly sensual, then took her mouth in a kiss that could never be described as gentle or sweet. She welcomed his passion, needed it as much as she needed to breathe. He tore their clothes away, paying no attention to buttons, taking no care whether they ripped or not. Every tear of cloth excited her. Now that was a ravaging she could buy into. Moisture trickled down her thigh and she rode his leg, letting him feel her desire for him.

“You sure you want it this way?” he asked, his voice tight with barely leashed restraint.

“I want the real Derek,” she replied, nearly out of breath from panting with need for him. She lifted against him, rubbing herself against him. “Show me what you’ve got.”

She loved the animal side of him, fed off his hunger and need for her. Desperate to be closer to him, she backed up to the bed and fell on it, taking him down with her.

He cupped her sex, teasing her with soft movements that belied the taut tension in the corded muscles of his arms. The incongruity of his restraint and the passionate need she felt within him only served to prove her point. He could control the beast within himself.

“Oh, you’re ready,” he whispered, then dragged her legs apart and entered her with a savage thrust. She raised up and bit down on his shoulder, rewarded with his primal growl. He reached underneath her and grabbed her ass, raising her up to meet him, powering inside her with everything he had.

The beast had risen, and she met him eagerly, greeting him with moans and growls of her own. This was the Derek she wanted. The true Derek, holding nothing back, giving her all that was inside him.

Gentling now, he tormented her with slow thrusts, torturing her with every delicious inch of his cock until she lifted her hips and teased him back, undulating against him.

“Wild thing,” he said, squeezing her buttocks to bury himself deeper inside her.

“Just like you,” she murmured, wrapping her legs around him.

Then no words were spoken as he took her mouth again, his tongue plunging in and out, mimicking his movements as he brought her to the edge and back again.

She still felt the wildness within him, but he controlled it, as if he’d found a way to master it, use it to maximize her pleasure. When he nibbled her neck, his tongue rasping against the soft flesh of her throat, she cried out with ecstasy.

Yes, there was a monster within him, but she loved that animal, clutching him closer to her, vowing she’d keep him safe no matter what.

With long, velvety hard strokes, he took her higher and higher, then crashed with her as she shuddered through a climax that rocked her senseless.

Afterward they held each other, not speaking for the longest time. Post-sex silence used to bother her, but not anymore. With Derek, she’d grown comfortable enough to hold him, run her hands over his muscled skin, and savor every second he held her in his arms, not knowing how long they’d have together. An hour, a day, an eternity—she’d take whatever she could get. It was all a gift.

And she knew why he was quiet. She knew what bothered him.

“Derek, look at me.”

He met her gaze and she was lost in the storm of his eyes. What used to be unfathomable to her was now clear.

“I have faith in your strength. You can do anything you set your mind to do. You are one of the most stubborn men I know,” she said, her lips curling in a teasing smile. “And I’ll be right by your side to help you and kick your ass if the demon inside you tries to break free. I love you.”

He pressed his lips to hers in a kiss so gentle it brought tears to her eyes. “I love you too, Gina. But I don’t deserve to say that.”

She touched his lips with her fingertips. “Yes, you do. We’ll fight this battle together.”

“What did I ever do to deserve you?”

“Something bad, probably,” she teased. “I’m not the easiest person to live with.”

“So I’ve noticed,” he said as he licked her bottom lip.

“See? And now you’re being punished.”

His lips quirked. “So are you. Are you ready for what being with me entails?”

She grinned and teased his chest with the tips of her fingers, then lower, over the flat planes of his abdomen and lower still until she surrounded his rapidly hardening length. “Yes. Are you ready for me?”

“You tell me, baby.” He laughed and dragged her on top of him, covering her lips with his.

As she melted against him, she didn’t even think what tomorrow would bring. In a short span of time her entire life had changed. Maybe this wasn’t what she’d planned for her future, but fate had a way of showing one the light in odd ways.

She’d used action and adventure as an escape her entire life. Hidden under the persona of Gina Bliss, never letting anyone see who she really was.

Turned out part of her really was Gina Bliss. Maybe the scared little girl from all those years ago was finally gone. She’d definitely proved she could fight creatures from the depths of hell and live through it, could face death and darkness and not cower or run in fear.

She’d even faced love, and the possibility of losing love, and come through it unscathed. She’d found someone to love her back despite all her faults.

If she could do that, she could do anything.

Bring on the demons.