Unchained

Page 29

She stood there, face flaming. “Sweet baby Jesus.” Spinning around, she waited a few minutes, then took off for the spot she’d been meeting Julian.
Five minutes later, she landed on the balls of her feet atop the Hilton Hotel, a little grin playing over her lips.
“You took long enough.”
She crouched, perched on the ledge. “I had to work, unlike some.”
“I don’t think work is what kept you.”
Lily frowned. “What do you mean…oh God, don’t tell me you heard Gabe and me? I didn’t feel you.”
He walked up to her. “The Nephilim wants to sleep with you.”
She busted out laughing. “Gabe? Gabe wants to sleep with a lot of people.”
“But you’ve—”
“Are you jealous?” She laughed again.
“Never,” he said, though not in an entirely convincing way.
Lily leaned forward, clasping his smooth cheeks in her hands. Bringing his lips to hers, she kissed him softly. “You have nothing to be jealous of.”
“Of course not.” Julian scowled. “Anyway, I do work.”
Not believing it for one second, she took a moment to appreciate the sensual tilt to his lips, the overtly male swagger, and how the shirt hugged his upper body. God, she could drink him up all in one gulp. “Convincing the young socialites of DC to do naughty things isn’t work.”
Julian looked offended. It wasn’t believable by any means. “I would never do such a thing.”
“Really?” she snickered.
“Well, there was this nun I convinced to leave the church to pursue a career in pole dancing.” He flashed a wicked grin. “That was fun.”
“Seriously, Julian, what do you do all day?”
He rested his hands on her bent knees. “I don’t think you want to know.”
They were back to the one topic Julian wouldn’t budge on. No matter how many times and how many ways she asked him, he refused to tell her what he did, as if doing so would be handing over his trade secrets. Lily was still curious, not thwarted. “Try me.”
He looked down at her, arching one eyebrow. “I slept till noon, if you must know.”
She curled her lip. “Lucky.”
He grinned. “Then I observed a young man who was following this little girl far too closely.”
Ugh. She didn’t like where this was going. “Um, what do you mean?”
Julian slid his hands over her hips. “What do you think I mean? I believe his name was Larry. Anyway, Larry likes little girls.”
“You didn’t…I mean, you didn’t put that in him did you?” She was afraid of his answer. It wouldn’t be unheard of. The Fallen made humans do things they normally wouldn’t conceive of doing. It was a way they sought to cure their boredom.
He made a face at her. “Give me some credit, Lily. No. I could sense his…tastes. So I watched as he followed her to this alley where she waits for the bus to take her to her grandmother’s. I simply suggested the urge to leave.”
“To the girl or the man?” she asked.
“The man,” he said, lifting her off the ledge and placing her on her feet.
She eyed him. “Where did he go?”
Julian shrugged nonchalantly. “Oh, out in front of one of those big trucks that pick up garbage,” he explained blandly. “I figured that was fitting.”
She winced. “I don’t really know how to feel about that.”
He took her hand, guiding her across the rooftop, and led her into the shadows, far away from prying eyes. “You did say you probably wouldn’t want to know. After that, I simply people-watched.”
People-watching after urging a man to walk in front of truck? How utterly…what? How could she really sum that up? She glanced over at him. He was watching her curiously, waiting for her reaction. She sighed. “Okay, I probably shouldn’t have asked.”
Julian chuckled. “Do you want me to tell you I told you so?”
“Well, it could have been worse.” She decided tentatively. “At least it was a wannabe pedophile.”
“Oh no, he was a pedophile. He just hadn’t been caught yet.”
She swallowed, sickened by how some people could be so evil all on their own. “Okay, well, I can’t say I am totally displeased with what you did.”
“Aren’t you bloodthirsty?”
She grinned. “It kind of comes with the job. What about the little girl?”
“She made it to her grandmother’s house safe and sound.” Julian reached down, catching a piece of hair in his fingers. He twirled it around his index finger. “What did you do today, my Lily?”
She untangled her hair from his finger. “Training and more training,” she told him. He reached for the hair again, but she slapped his hand away. “I’ve never had to train someone before. It’s a cross between extraordinary boredom and complete lack of patience.” She paused, adding thoughtfully, “On my part, that is.”
“You impatient?” he teased. His hand closed around her much smaller one, bringing it to his lips. He kissed her palm. The touch sent shivers all the way to her toes. “So how is he coming along training-wise?”
She shrugged, deciding a truthful answer couldn’t hurt. “He picks up things remarkably fast.”
“And you are still impatient?” he asked. “You’re very hard to please.”
She observed the hand wrapped around hers. Pressing against him, she gazed up into his striking blue eyes. “Not really. Not when it comes to you.”
“Oh really?” he murmured. Julian slipped his arm around her waist, pulling her up to the tips of her toes. He brushed his lips over hers once, then twice. Lily immediately softened against him. “I’m thinking that perhaps you wish to put that to the test?”
“Perhaps,” she agreed. No longer exhausted, she wrapped her arms around his neck. “Maybe we should try that out?”
Julian’s lips curved into an indulgent smile. “Insatiable.” He lifted her up like she weighed nothing, holding her at eye level.
His strength always gave her pause. She was strong, but he was supercharged. It reminded her of how fragile she truly was compared to him. The girl in her loved it—that girl was foolish and easily wooed. The Nephilim side of her was uneasy, knowing that power could end her life in an instant. It was like being split in two when she was with him.
He placed his lips against hers, and those thoughts simply vanished. It didn’t matter how many times Julian kissed her; she could never quite prepare herself for the onslaught of feelings. It was like every nerve in her body fired at once, overwhelming her senses and leaving her breathless.
“Lily. Step back.”
She froze against Julian, her eyes snapping open. So lost in him, she hadn’t sensed another Nephilim.
Oh…oh crap, this was going to be bad.
“Step back now.”
She would’ve done so because of the sheer malice in the voice, but Julian’s arm tightened around her, making it nearly impossible for her to move. He slowly lifted his head to look over her shoulder. What she saw in Julian’s face filled her with dread. From the tight line of his mouth to the dangerously narrowed eyes, Lily recognized how hazardous this situation was about to get.
“Julian,” she whispered. “Put me down.”
He inclined his head toward her. “Who is this Nephilim that you would allow to order you so?”
“The Nephilim that will kill you,” answered Micah coldly.
Her heart jumped. “Julian, please put me down.”
He stared at her for a moment before he released her. “Of course,” he murmured.
She straightened her halter top with quick motions before facing Micah. Her cheeks burned and her heart beat so fast nausea rolled through her. How was she going to explain this?
Micah stood several feet in front of them, his legs spread wide and a wicked blade ready in his fist.
“Micah,” she began awkwardly. “I’m not sure…”
“Shut up, Lily,” Micah ordered.
“Excuse me?” she sputtered as Julian stiffened beside her.
Micah’s eyes danced over her before returning to the seething Fallen behind her. “I’ve followed you.”
She wasn’t sure she heard him correctly. “What?”
“I followed you,” he said again, louder. “I’ve been following you, but the last couple of nights I lost you. Now I see why you run off so quickly.”
Rage swamped her as she stared at him. “Who in the hell do you think you are to be following me?”
He sneered. “Who in the hell do you think you are? I’m not the one screwing the enemy. Come on, Lily, I used to respect you.” Micah clenched his fists. “You have given yourself to him like some street whore—worse than any minion.”
Before she could utter a word, Julian had the Nephilim by his throat, dangling him over the edge of the hotel. Below was a dark alley. The drop wouldn’t kill Micah, but it would do massive damage.
“Julian!” Lily screamed, rushing after them. “Stop it!”
“What did you say to her?” Julian demanded in a low, deadly voice.
“You heard what I said, you damn freak!” Micah raised his arm, intent on stabbing him.
Julian caught Micah’s arm and twisted until the blade slipped out of his hand. Micah yelped as the dagger fell into the darkness. “I think you need to apologize right now.”
Micah gripped Julian’s forearm. “Over my dead body.”
Julian’s smile was cold. “That can be easily arranged.” He moved Micah farther away from the safety of the ledge.
She grabbed Julian’s arm, but he didn’t budge an inch. “Knock it off. Both of you need to stop!”
Neither of them listened. Julian thrust Micah out farther while the Nephilim struggled against him. The situation was quickly spiraling out of control, and Lily didn’t doubt that if Micah called her a name one more time Julian would indeed drop him.
She pulled on Julian’s arm again, desperate. When that didn’t work, she slugged him in the stomach. “Julian, listen to me. Let him go. Now,” she begged. “Let go of him for me. Please.”
Julian peered down at her. “For you?”
“Yes!” She forced a smile. “Put him back down—on the ground, gently.” She felt the need to clarify her request.
He stepped away so that Micah no longer hung over the edge. Lily nodded reassuringly, praying Micah would remain quiet. The last thing she needed was him to say something antagonizing. But then Julian tossed Micah to the roof. “He still needs to apologize,” he grumbled.
She nearly laughed with relief. Julian would destroy the Nephilim if push came to shove. She glanced at Micah.
Julian exhaled heavily, seeming to collect himself. “He should apologize.”
She kept a wary eye on him just in case he had a change of heart. “Why were you following me?”
Micah straightened his shirt. “Someone is feeding info to the Fallen. My guess is the one who is sleeping with them.”