The Darkest Torment
Page 97
“You’re right. I’ve never cared about anyone but myself.” Galen straightened his collar and brushed an invisible piece of lint from his shoulder. “Do you want to know where I was the day of the assassin’s attack?”
“Not anymore. Tell me where Taliyah has taken Katarina!” Before I snap.
The warrior pretended not to hear him, saying, “I was in town talking to a therapist about the best way to help Legion.”
“I don’t need to know—”
“Yes, you do need to know. You don’t want to change your opinion of me. You don’t want to believe I’m trying to be the right man for her—the right friend for you. To you all. I would have brought you here, would have helped you, without any incentive, but you offered the one thing I couldn’t refuse. Now I’m going to help you whether you want me to or not.”
“The only way to help me is to tell me where Katarina has been taken.”
Galen’s smile was cold. “That, I can’t do. Not because I don’t want to. Taliyah isn’t sending me updates.”
He scrubbed a hand over his face. This was his fault, not Galen’s. Katarina had wanted to be an equal with her man, as any sane person would, while he’d expected her to cave to his desires. As if her desires were somehow less important than his.
It hadn’t taken long to see his own stupidity. She was his most precious treasure. Why would he treat her—any part of her—with anything other than reverence?
“Go away,” he muttered. “I hate you, but I don’t want to hurt you.”
“You don’t hate me. You’re just a fan in denial.”
A flash of light erupted behind Galen, who turned swiftly, withdrawing a dagger from the sheath at his waist. Baden was at his side a split second later, his own trusty daggers in hand. But it was Keeley who appeared, not an enemy. She wore a matching bra-and-panty set and had rollers in her hair. Had she forgotten her clothing? This wouldn’t be the first time.
“Hey, guys.” She smiled and waved as if they’d bumped into each other at the supermarket. “Wait. I forgot you two even existed, so how did I—”
“Because of me,” Galen interrupted. “I’ve made sure to send you daily reminders. So. Why are you here? Alone?”
“Oh! Right. Taliyah left her with the Sent Ones, thought it’d be funny to send Baden on a wild-goose chase while Katarina was where he assumed she wasn’t, but the warriors called me back because of an emergency. I mentioned the emergency, right?” Keeley flashed to his broken nightstand and with a wave of her hand, fixed it. “I’m afraid I’m the bearer of bad news, fellas. Something marginally horrible has happened, but we’ll overcome it together. Because we’re family and that’s what families do. Or so I’ve been told by Torin.”
Destruction clawed at Baden’s skull.
“If the Sent Ones harmed a single hair on Katarina’s head...” They would be dead by sunrise.
“There’s a vein throbbing in your forehead,” Keeley remarked. “Are you having a stroke? Or did I not mention the situation is only marginally horrible?”
“Keeley.” Galen’s mouth curled at the corners. “Concentrate.”
“Right. The emergency. Lucifer offered to make Katarina immortal in exchange for her soul and—”
“What!” Baden roared. Such a bargain would come at too high a cost, no matter how much he wanted her to live forever. She would most likely become Lucifer’s slave, the way Baden was Hades’s slave. The vile deeds such an evil male would order her to do...
“Will no one allow me to finish?” Strands of her hair lifted with a breeze he couldn’t feel.
“Please,” Galen said, ever the gentleman. “Continue.”
“And the smart girl refused. I’m so proud of her!”
Only then was Baden able to breathe properly. “Tell me the horrible part.”
“Well. Lucifer has put a price on her head. She’s being hunted.”
Was she in danger even now? “Why are we still talking? Take me to her.”
“Wow. No wonder she left you. You think you’re king of everyone’s castle.” Keeley’s grin put Galen’s to shame, far colder than ice. “Good luck with that.” A second later, both Keeley and Galen vanished—and Katarina appeared.
Relief bathed him, a shower that washed away his anger. Even Destruction calmed. She had no cuts, no bruises, and was still in possession of each of her limbs.
Her anger clearly remained, however. Her gaze met his and slitted. “You!”
“Me.” He took a step toward her, but she swiped a dagger from the nightstand to ward him off. He dropped his own weapons, the ensuing thud echoing through the bedroom. “Where are our dogs?”
“My dogs are with Kaia.”
“They are mine, just as you are mine. Though I’m not commanding it be so. I’m simply hoping.”
“Oh, no! You aren’t—”
“I’m sorry. So very sorry. I missed you with every fiber of my being, Katarina. Your opinions matter. I will defend them with my life.”
She raised her chin and waved the dagger. “Interrupt me again, and see what happens. I dare you.”
A bolt of lust slammed into him, completely surpassing his previous anger. Her unwillingness to back down...her show of strength in the face of a dangerous situation...my beautiful female.
“I can take care of myself,” she said. “Today, I’ve proven it.”
He forced himself to admit the truth. “You don’t need me.” She could survive the world without him. She could thrive in the world without him. “But you still want me, and I’ll prove that.” He cupped his growing length and stepped toward her. “If you’ll let me. Please, let me.”
“No.” The tremor in her voice betrayed her. “No!”
He took another step toward her. “I’m begging, Rina.” He offered the words with ragged desperation. “Cut me if you must. Hurt me. But make love to me, too. I’m nothing without you.”
Her eyes sparkled. “How long will this sweet man remain with me?”
“Forever.”
“Because you still expect eternity, despite what I’ve said?” She hissed at him, again waving the dagger. “Kretén! You’re right. I do still want you. You made my body hunger for you.”
“Not anymore. Tell me where Taliyah has taken Katarina!” Before I snap.
The warrior pretended not to hear him, saying, “I was in town talking to a therapist about the best way to help Legion.”
“I don’t need to know—”
“Yes, you do need to know. You don’t want to change your opinion of me. You don’t want to believe I’m trying to be the right man for her—the right friend for you. To you all. I would have brought you here, would have helped you, without any incentive, but you offered the one thing I couldn’t refuse. Now I’m going to help you whether you want me to or not.”
“The only way to help me is to tell me where Katarina has been taken.”
Galen’s smile was cold. “That, I can’t do. Not because I don’t want to. Taliyah isn’t sending me updates.”
He scrubbed a hand over his face. This was his fault, not Galen’s. Katarina had wanted to be an equal with her man, as any sane person would, while he’d expected her to cave to his desires. As if her desires were somehow less important than his.
It hadn’t taken long to see his own stupidity. She was his most precious treasure. Why would he treat her—any part of her—with anything other than reverence?
“Go away,” he muttered. “I hate you, but I don’t want to hurt you.”
“You don’t hate me. You’re just a fan in denial.”
A flash of light erupted behind Galen, who turned swiftly, withdrawing a dagger from the sheath at his waist. Baden was at his side a split second later, his own trusty daggers in hand. But it was Keeley who appeared, not an enemy. She wore a matching bra-and-panty set and had rollers in her hair. Had she forgotten her clothing? This wouldn’t be the first time.
“Hey, guys.” She smiled and waved as if they’d bumped into each other at the supermarket. “Wait. I forgot you two even existed, so how did I—”
“Because of me,” Galen interrupted. “I’ve made sure to send you daily reminders. So. Why are you here? Alone?”
“Oh! Right. Taliyah left her with the Sent Ones, thought it’d be funny to send Baden on a wild-goose chase while Katarina was where he assumed she wasn’t, but the warriors called me back because of an emergency. I mentioned the emergency, right?” Keeley flashed to his broken nightstand and with a wave of her hand, fixed it. “I’m afraid I’m the bearer of bad news, fellas. Something marginally horrible has happened, but we’ll overcome it together. Because we’re family and that’s what families do. Or so I’ve been told by Torin.”
Destruction clawed at Baden’s skull.
“If the Sent Ones harmed a single hair on Katarina’s head...” They would be dead by sunrise.
“There’s a vein throbbing in your forehead,” Keeley remarked. “Are you having a stroke? Or did I not mention the situation is only marginally horrible?”
“Keeley.” Galen’s mouth curled at the corners. “Concentrate.”
“Right. The emergency. Lucifer offered to make Katarina immortal in exchange for her soul and—”
“What!” Baden roared. Such a bargain would come at too high a cost, no matter how much he wanted her to live forever. She would most likely become Lucifer’s slave, the way Baden was Hades’s slave. The vile deeds such an evil male would order her to do...
“Will no one allow me to finish?” Strands of her hair lifted with a breeze he couldn’t feel.
“Please,” Galen said, ever the gentleman. “Continue.”
“And the smart girl refused. I’m so proud of her!”
Only then was Baden able to breathe properly. “Tell me the horrible part.”
“Well. Lucifer has put a price on her head. She’s being hunted.”
Was she in danger even now? “Why are we still talking? Take me to her.”
“Wow. No wonder she left you. You think you’re king of everyone’s castle.” Keeley’s grin put Galen’s to shame, far colder than ice. “Good luck with that.” A second later, both Keeley and Galen vanished—and Katarina appeared.
Relief bathed him, a shower that washed away his anger. Even Destruction calmed. She had no cuts, no bruises, and was still in possession of each of her limbs.
Her anger clearly remained, however. Her gaze met his and slitted. “You!”
“Me.” He took a step toward her, but she swiped a dagger from the nightstand to ward him off. He dropped his own weapons, the ensuing thud echoing through the bedroom. “Where are our dogs?”
“My dogs are with Kaia.”
“They are mine, just as you are mine. Though I’m not commanding it be so. I’m simply hoping.”
“Oh, no! You aren’t—”
“I’m sorry. So very sorry. I missed you with every fiber of my being, Katarina. Your opinions matter. I will defend them with my life.”
She raised her chin and waved the dagger. “Interrupt me again, and see what happens. I dare you.”
A bolt of lust slammed into him, completely surpassing his previous anger. Her unwillingness to back down...her show of strength in the face of a dangerous situation...my beautiful female.
“I can take care of myself,” she said. “Today, I’ve proven it.”
He forced himself to admit the truth. “You don’t need me.” She could survive the world without him. She could thrive in the world without him. “But you still want me, and I’ll prove that.” He cupped his growing length and stepped toward her. “If you’ll let me. Please, let me.”
“No.” The tremor in her voice betrayed her. “No!”
He took another step toward her. “I’m begging, Rina.” He offered the words with ragged desperation. “Cut me if you must. Hurt me. But make love to me, too. I’m nothing without you.”
Her eyes sparkled. “How long will this sweet man remain with me?”
“Forever.”
“Because you still expect eternity, despite what I’ve said?” She hissed at him, again waving the dagger. “Kretén! You’re right. I do still want you. You made my body hunger for you.”
