Chapter 13

The moment her lips touched his, Reina knew this kiss was different.

Jarvis was on the edge, like he had been in the woods. But that time he’d been violent, spiraling, a stranger plunging into a magical spring in hopes of finding abatement from the violence within.

This time, there was a raw need within him, but it was more personal.

This time, he was kissing her and not simply something that could give him relief.

She could feel it in the way he held her so tightly, protecting her even as he kissed her with a fierceness that made her whole body scream for more.

She kissed him back. His body was crushing her against the mattress. He was a heavy, well-muscled warmth shielding her from the world. She slipped her hands under his shirt, felt the strength in his shoulders and the scars on his body.

He growled under his breath, then ripped off his shirt. His eyes were black, pulsing with dark energy as he grabbed the hem of her jersey and tugged it upward.

Her heart began to thud as he pulled it over her head. Was she really going to give her body over to him?

His eyes flashed and he pushed her back down, covering her body as he kissed her again. A slow, luxurious kiss now, with less frenzy and more precision. A man who was coming back into his mind, who was beginning to think again, a man on a mission to seduce.

“Yes,” he whispered, breaking the kiss to work his way down her neck. He licked the swell of her breast, and she couldn’t suppress her gasp.

Dear God. What was she doing? She couldn’t open herself like this to him. What would she do when he died? “I can’t—”

He pulled back, searching her face. His eyes were no longer solid black. There were flecks of blue. Dark, midnight blue. His face was serious, no humor. It was the face of a warrior preparing to go to battle.

This was who she needed. He was here. Holding her. Touching her. Making promises to her. And just like that, the fear that had been dogging her for a lifetime dissolved. Her body shuddered, a thousand tensions in every cell finally letting go. She didn’t have to fight. Didn’t have to fear. Didn’t have to swallow down the terror eating away at her. Because somehow they became so much more together than they were by themselves.

Jarvis pulled her bra to the side. His mouth closed over her nipple, and she arched her back at the intense sensation rippling through her.

She wanted the feeling of strength he gave her, and she wanted to empower him the way she’d never been able to empower anyone who mattered to her. So what if he was going to explode? So what if he was going to die?

This moment wasn’t about the future between them.

This moment was about how they could join together to could create their separate futures they both wanted. They were a team, for now, and that was more than she’d ever had before.

Jarvis nipped at her breast, and she closed her eyes as his hand went to her jeans. The button flicked open, and his fingers slipped beneath the waistband, moving closer to—

The tunes of the song “I Believe I Can Fly” exploded through the room, and Reina jerked upright, nearly upending Jarvis onto the floor. “My phone!”

Jarvis shoved her back down. “I’m not done,” he said. “I need more.”

Her heart thudded with excitement at the dark expression on his face, at the bulge of his triceps as he pinned her shoulders to the bed. His need for her, his determination to have her, and his raw, manly attitude were all evident in the aggressive stance of his body. A man who would not accept less than he wanted. And she had the power to soothe that savage beast in a way no one else could?

She was sheer, magnificent power. It was the most incredible sensation to feel that strength pulsing through her. She could help him. She could handle her own life. She was strength. And he gave it to her.

She grabbed his shoulders and yanked him down. “Then take me now, and make it worth both our whiles.”

Heat flashed in his eyes. “I never do anything that’s not worth my while.”

And then he yanked off her jeans.

***

Jarvis stared in disbelief at Reina’s naked body, momentarily overwhelmed by the beauty on display for him. So much skin. An oasis of salvation. She could save him. Not for good. Nothing could stop that. But she knocked his beast on its ass long enough for him to find Cam and save the world.

She held up her arms in invitation, and he kissed her. Deeply, with all the passion and fire racing around in him. She tasted like angels and sunshine, like all the nourishment his soul needed.

With a growl, he yanked off his pants and tossed them aside. Boxers followed, and then he eased himself down on top of her. The moment his thighs hit hers, soothing warmth pulsed through his soul, taking the edge off the monster. The beast was still inside him, still fighting to get out, but Reina was giving him the tools to hold it off.

He hooked his knee between her thighs and shoved her legs apart. He should do foreplay. It was proper. It was the manly thing to do. But he was so desperate for relief, his mind was screaming for the clarity that was teasing him. Seduction would come second. First, he needed to survive, he needed both of them to survive beyond this moment and—

“Dammit!” Reina jerked upright. “That’s the second time!”

He stared at her, totally confused. “What is?” Had he already made love and not noticed it? Was he so fucked up in his mind that he couldn’t even tell? Or was she on her second orgasm? He was good, he knew that, but that good?

“My phone.”

“Your phone?” He became gradually aware of that same damn song blasting again. “You need to answer the phone? Now?”

“Yes.” Reina wriggled out from under him and raced across her room, her beautiful, amazing, fantastic body moving in the wrong fucking direction. “If it’s an emergency, we always call back a second time.”

Jarvis face planted into the bed, groaning as the overdose of blood to his cock was crushed beneath him. Frustration, disbelief, and dark fury raced through him. “Reina. Get back here—”

“It’s Trinity!” She grabbed the phone. “Trin? What’s wrong?”

Jarvis fought to regain control of his body, of the hate now dancing gleefully in his soul, laughing at his desperation. Chaos was descending on his mind—

Reina went sheet white, and she fumbled for the back of the chair. “Oh, God. What happened?” She missed the chair and started to fall.

Jarvis grabbed her before she hit the floor, swearing at how cold her skin was. Shit. Right back where they’d started. Both of them a mess. He swept her up, sat down on the bed, and pulled her onto his lap so her legs were around his hips.

She grabbed onto him, as if as desperate for his touch as he was for her. He pressed his face to the curve of her neck, breathing in the feel of her body against his. Any relief was good. Any relief was better than none. Jesus. He was fucked without her.

“Where is she?” Reina’s voice was wrought with disbelief, with agony, with fear. He wrapped his arms tighter around her and pulled her close, trying to infuse her with his strength.

“I’ve got your back,” he said quietly.

She sat back, and trust evident in those big blue eyes.

The moment he saw her expression, a smugness smacked him upside the head. He might be a big ball of the ugliest, most destructive, most immature emotion on the damn planet, but he could rock her world.

Reina punched the speaker button on her phone, and Trinity’s voice echoed out in the room for him to hear.

“Natalie went out the bathroom window,” Trinity was saying.

“The window is only six inches in diameter,” Reina replied with a frown.

“Not anymore.”

“Oy.” Reina leaned her forehead against Jarvis’s chest. “She’s getting too strong. We’re not going to be able to keep her.”

“Yeah, well, you got any big strong men who could wrestle her to the dirt around you?” Trinity asked. “Because that’s what we need. I can’t hold her anymore.”

Jarvis flexed his arm, showing his muscle.

“Yeah, I do, actually.” Reina cocked her head and tapped his biceps thoughtfully, a spark of hope gleaming in her eye. “She didn’t happen to leave a note as to where I could find her, did she?”

“She’s with the Godfather.”

“The Godfather?” Reina’s fingers dug into his arm. “Where?”

“I Googled him, and it looks like he’s on the list of VIPs who are attending that Elton John fund-raiser tonight. It started a half hour ago.”

“Dammit! She could have found him and left already.” Reina swung her leg off Jarvis and he felt a ripple of aggression at the loss of her contact as she raced across the room. She set the phone on the dresser, pulled a pair of black lace underwear out of the drawer, and slipped it on. “I’m going to head over there now—”

“Oh…” Trinity paused, her fingers clicking across a keyboard. “Augustus is also on the guest list.”

Reina paled. “Augustus?”

Adrenaline surged inside Jarvis. “Son of a bitch.” He yanked his jeans on. “My brother will be there looking for him.”

“Jarvis?” Trinity’s voice crackled over the phone. “You’re there?”

“Yeah.” He shoved his boots on, his mind racing. If Cam was there, this could all end now. Cameron could contain the hate when it exploded, protect the world. Hot damn.

“Reina’s not ready to face Augustus,” Trinity said. “Don’t let her go.”

“Don’t be ridiculous.” Reina tugged a light blue shirt over her head, moving as quickly as Jarvis to get dressed. “Of course I need to go after her.”

“You can’t put even a butterfly to sleep, let alone Augustus. Let Jarvis take this one, sweetie. If you get yourself killed, you can’t save Natalie.”

Jarvis saw doubt flicker in Reina’s eyes, and he got pissed. Here was a woman strong enough not to be poisoned by his touch. A woman so full of love that she was immune to the hate spewing from him. “Fuck that.” He walked over and picked up the phone. “We’re coming in together. Reina’s a warrior, she’s not going to shy away from her opportunity to make things happen.”

A brilliant smile flashed across Reina’s face. “I can do it, Trin. I swear. I won’t screw up again.”

“Oy, I can’t let you deal with this by yourself. Maybe I can help. I’ll see you there.” She hung up.

Reina bit her lip nervously. “I—”

“I’ve got your back. And in case I do detonate, I’ve got friends.” He pulled out his phone and hit the speed dial for his team leader.

Blaine answered on the first ring. “You find your brother?”

“Symphony Hall. Cam’s there, in the protection of Napoleon. Augustus may be attending as well.”

Blaine swore. “Ever since Augustus tried to kill my woman, I haven’t liked that man. I don’t know if I can be polite.”

“Well, your fiancée is on her way there as well.”

There was a crash from Blaine’s end of the phone. “Exposing herself to that assassin is not part of our agreement. Shit, man, don’t fall in love with a woman. They’ll break you. Too independent.”

Jarvis grinned. “How soon can you be there?”

“Twenty minutes. Christian and Nigel are in the sick ward with the warriors we rescued, but I’ll see if I can grab them.” He paused. “You find Reina? She helping you out?”

Jarvis looked across the room at Reina, who was down on her knees, searching under the bed for something. He could see black lace peeking up from her jeans and a small mole on her lower back. “Yeah, she is.”

“Nice job.” Blaine paused. “How are you?”

Jarvis knew what Blaine was asking, but he couldn’t give his teammate the answer he was seeking. “Gotta go. See you shortly.” He disconnected over Blaine’s protest as Reina scooted backwards, dragging a metal case out from under her bed.

She dropped it on the quilt and flipped the locks.

“What’s that?”

She lifted off a purple velvet covering and set it on the bed. “My sickle.”

Inside was a gleaming metal blade with a black onyx handle. “It’s what I’m going to use to cleave Augustus’s soul from his body.” She tentatively brushed her fingers over the handle, as if testing to see if it would blow her hand up. When it didn’t, she grasped it and lifted it out with so much trepidation he half expected the thing to burst into flames and consume them all. “Only Death gets a scythe. Supposedly, sickles are easier to handle with the shorter staff, but they’re also slightly less powerful.”

Jarvis watched her flip the blade into the handle, compressing it down to a weapon about the side of her forearm. He was too used to seeing women with weapons of pain, torture, and violence, and he didn’t like seeing Reina with one.

Made her seem too much like the women he hated.

Then he saw the worry in her eyes, and suddenly all he wanted to do was protect her from the very thing she held in her hand. From the task she had in front of her.

But if he did, he’d be taking away her one chance to save the person she loved most. She would never forgive him. He had to let her become the woman she didn’t want to be.

She tucked the blade into the back of her jeans. “Trinity was right that I don’t have a great track record with successful reaping.” She grabbed a set of car keys off the computer desk. “You don’t have problems with violence do you?”

He laughed as he took the keys from her hand. “Can’t say I do.”

“So, will you help me get in the mental mindset I need to succeed? I need help.”

He palmed her back to guide her out the door, copping a quick feel. Teaching a woman violence didn’t sit well with him. Nothing like a couple centuries of in the Den to make a guy appreciate a woman with a soft side, like Reina. He didn’t want her to become like the women in the Den. Fury began to swirl inside him, anger at the choice she was making, at the one she was asking him to back.

“Jarvis?” She glanced back at him as she ran down the hall toward the front door. “I thought we were a team.”

He saw the question in her eyes, the first hint of distrust. Shit. She was the first woman who’d looked at him as something worthy, and she was the only one who didn’t hate him.

He couldn’t take any kind of negative vibe from her. She was all he had to make him feel there like there was a shred of decency inside him. He grabbed her hand and let the feel of her touch ease some of his anger. “Yeah, sure, I’ll help you become a murderer.”

She let out a breath of relief. “Thank God.”

Yeah, that.

***

Natalie couldn’t focus on the tinkle of piano keys, or the melodic tunes drifting across the hall toward her. She really didn’t care what brand of suit Elton was wearing, or who his date was for the evening, unlike some of the other gossiping patrons.

All she could think of was the Godfather.

The way his arm was resting against hers. The way his black hair was slicked back. The strong set to his jaw. The way her body tightened every time he looked at her—

He turned his head slowly, caught her looking at him, and something darkened in his eyes. Without a word, he took her hand, stood up, and headed down the floor-lit aisle, right in the middle of Elton’s song.

She followed him. She’d never been caught in a man’s spell like this. The way his body eased across the wood floor, the firmness of his grip against hers. He hadn’t asked her to leave. He hadn’t requested. He’d simply taken her and she’d gone.

They reached the maroon leather doors and he shoved them open, his silent gaze intent on hers.

They stepped out into the hall where staff were lingering or rushing past with trays of wineglasses. He leaned close, his cheek brushing against hers. “I think it’s time to leave. Unless you wanted to hear more singing?”

Her cheeks felt hot. Burning. “I wasn’t listening.”

He smiled. “Excellent.” He led her down the hallway, toward the front doors, toward his limo, the car that would take them back to his hotel and—

A tremendous bouquet of pink roses was on the table beneath a portrait of a past conductor. Pink flowers, like the one on Nigel’s cheek. Nigel.

She stopped. She became aware of the voice in her head screaming at her to run. To hide. Run, Natalie, run.

But she couldn’t make her body respond. She was in a murky haze, a bastion of confusion, hooked by the siren’s call. All she could do was feel the longing for this stranger.

The Godfather suddenly pinned her to the double brass railing. Her body began to tremble in anticipation of what this magnificent specimen could give her.

“I don’t want to kill you.” He nuzzled her neck. “The chocolate must work. You have it, right?”

No, no. That wasn’t right. She wanted to be tested. To prove she was all that. “No chocolate.”

He swore and stepped back, his face pinched with fury and tension. “No chocolate? You were going to make it safe.”

She set her hands on her hips. Safe sex? What was the point? Wasn’t she here for the opposite? To push all boundaries? To see how far she could fly? “You can’t hurt me.” Something in the depths of her mind shouted that yes, actually, he could hurt her, but she ignored it. Little whiners weren’t meant to be acknowledged.

“Yes, I will.” The Godfather shook her lightly. “I’ve sent hundreds of souls to heaven, and I’m done. I won’t be that playboy anymore.”

“What?” His words should make sense. She should listen. She should walk away. But she couldn’t remember why. Nigel would know. Why wasn’t he here?

Not that it mattered. She didn’t need him. “I want you to make love to me. I want you to rock my world.”

His eyes darkened. “Natalie—”

“Look at me!” She held out her arms. “Do you really think you can kill me?” She felt brilliant. She felt marvelously strong. “Sex can’t kill me.”

The Godfather swore. “You don’t understand what I’m like—”

“And you don’t understand what I’m like.” She grabbed the front of his tuxedo and tugged him close. He melted toward her like a man in a trance. “I can handle you.” She knew she could. She was the wind. She was the mountain. She was the mother earth. “Do you really want to learn to hold back, or do you want a woman who can handle all you have to give?”

Longing flashed in his face, and she knew she’d struck his truth. He didn’t want to fake who he was. “Oh, baby, you have no idea what I have to give.”

“Try me. You can’t hurt me.”

His hands tightened on her hips, and he pulled her so close she could feel his erection pressing against the front of her jeans. Heat convulsed through her, and a sudden orgasm shook her to her core. He didn’t take his gaze off her, didn’t release her as the tremor wracked her body.

He just waited.

It subsided, and she took a breath. Her heart was racing, her blood thudding through her veins, but she felt strong. Stronger than she ever had. Nothing could stop her. Nothing at all.

One dark eyebrow went up. “You’re okay.”

“Of course I am.”

Anticipation suddenly gleamed in his eyes, and he fisted her hair. “Be careful what you offer, my love, because I’m unlike any other man you’ve ever encountered.” And then he kissed her, and she knew he was telling the truth.

Her entire body was on fire, and tremors were racing through her. His mouth was magic, a seduction of fairy tale lore. His hands on her back, the heat of his body melting the T-shirt from her body. She gripped his upper arms, felt the hard core of his muscles flexing beneath her hands, and her body lurched with excitement.

He cupped her breast and bit the side of her neck. Another orgasm was coming. Like a tsunami building within her. Dear Lord, what would it be like to make love with him? How many times could he make her cross that threshold?

“Excuse me, sir.” A cultured voice was suddenly right next to her. “But I’m afraid you’ll have to relocate this activity.”

The Godfather swore and pulled back, and the wave halted, poised at the crest, ready to tumble. She pressed her face to his chest, fighting the intense pressure rushing through her, desperate for release.

“My apologies.” The Godfather hooked his arm around her waist. “We’ll be on our way.” His touch sent her over the edge, and the orgasm rushed through her like an electric shock.

“Dear God.” Her legs gave out and she started to go down.

The Godfather caught her and guided her to the floor as the tremors hit her.

“Is she okay? Shall I call an ambulance?” The young man who spoke was wearing a black suit and a white tie. He had an aura of authority about him. He was attractive, with broad shoulders and a strong jaw.

But his eyes were cold. Calculating. A man’s face that belied the youthful appearance. Raw fear rippled through her, and she felt her neck throbbing where she’d been lethally bitten so many years ago. “It was you,” she whispered. “You’re the one.” The deedub had come back to enjoy her death. “Bastard!”

He grinned and saluted her as he stepped back. The Godfather caught her chin and forced her to look at him. He searched her face. “You okay?”

“Let me go! We have to stop him!”

“Stop who?”

“Him!” But when she sat up, the man was gone. Just a few patrons sipping wine by the draperies. “But—”

The Godfather grabbed her shoulders and shook her. “I need to know if you’re okay!”

“Of course I am! Don’t I look okay?” Shit! What was she doing? She was walking willingly to her death? She leapt to her feet and started to run for the front door.

“No!” The Godfather slammed her against the wall. He was radiating excitement. “You’re the woman I’ve been searching for my whole life. You’re coming home with me. Now.”

Raw terror rippled through her. He was no longer resisting her. He was going to take her, and he was going to kill her. “No, no—”

His mouth crushed down over hers. She fought him off, trying to picture Nigel in her head. A man who didn’t want to kill her. A perceptive artist who would see past this crazy persona and feel her truth—

And then Nigel was gone from her mind. All that was left was a screaming need for completion. For pushing the boundaries. For becoming the powerful woman she’d never been before. Her hands softened on the Godfather’s shoulders, no longer fighting. Inviting.

“This is so exciting.” The Godfather was grinning like a kid who’d just gotten a new puppy. “I can’t believe I’ve found you! They say there’s a partner for everyone, but I’d given up.” He grabbed her hand and led her out the front doors.

Oh, yes, this was what she wanted. This was right.

“I’ve tried immortal women, vampires, incubi, succubi, fairies, angels, you name it. No one could handle me. And look at you! Two orgasms in less than a minute, and you didn’t even pass out.” He yanked open his limo door and tossed her on the seat. He was on top of her instantly. “I cannot wait to ravage you.”

She touched his face, her heart swelling with appreciation. “No one has ever treated me like I’m tough. Thank you.” After a lifetime of being afraid to walk to the mailbox, she felt as if she could fly. He was looking at her as if she could withstand a hurricane, and it made her feel like she actually could.

“And never in my life have I met a woman who enabled me to be who I really am.” He kissed the flat of her palm. “Thank you, my dear Natalie, for embracing who I am. There’s no fear in your eyes when you look at me.”

She smiled. “And there’s no worry in your eyes when you look at me.” It felt so right to have him seeing her as strong and powerful. The Godfather saw her the way she had always wanted to be, and it made her almost believe it was true.

“Just raw, unadulterated appreciation and desire.” The Godfather locked her hands over her head. “And now, it is just about us.” His mouth descended on hers—

He flew out of the car and landed on his ass on the sidewalk.

Natalie jerked upright. “Did I do that?” Dammit! She’d thought he was man enough to handle her—

“Nope.” An ostrich cowboy boot slammed down in the doorway, and a wide leather belt with a spur for a belt buckle came into sight. “I did.” The intruder grabbed her ankle and hauled her out of the car. She hit the pavement and skidded across it, landing next to the Godfather, who was coughing and trying to pry a pink star out of his throat.

A pink star? She whirled around as a hunched man in tails and a sleek, black fedora slammed the car door shut and turned to face her.

He might be clean.

He might smell of Polo instead of rotten bananas.

And he might be wearing an Armani tuxedo instead of crusty jeans.

But those merciless black eyes were the same, and the way they cut into her drove chills through her spine. “Well, if it isn’t my idol, Natalie Fleming, the gal with the best attitude on the planet.” Augustus bowed deeply. “Welcome to my game, princess. You’ve just become a player.”