Синтия Иден - Midnight's Master

Vengeance never was.

“You lose a bit of yourself every time you cross the line.” Her gaze held his. “If you keep going this way, one day, there won’t be anything left.”

Niol shook his head. “He went after her.” No choice. He couldn’t risk another attack. Hell, how many more attacks could Holly survive? “He’s killing demons in my city, doing things you don’t want to know about.” He’d bet the cop hadn’t told her about the hunter’s organ-snatching. “He has to be stopped.”

But first, he had to be found.

The faint scent of lavender.

Niol’s head jerked up. Holly, pale, with wide eyes, stood in the doorway. The same spot Cara had held moments before, but-

So different.

Not built for temptation like the succubus. Her hair was a wild curtain of fire around her face. Her lips were still, all color gone from them. Borrowed scrubs covered her, and her slim hands twisted in front of her.

The most beautiful thing he’d ever seen.

Niol went to her. Pulled her tight against him, felt the thud of her heart and the fragile strength of her bones.

He wanted her then. Wanted to kiss her and take her and make sure she was all right .

And he wanted to just…hold her. To keep feeling the soft vibration of her heart. To know that she was safe.

“You’ve got to stop doing this to me,” he grated, and pressed a kiss to her forehead.

“I’ll try,” was her response, so quiet and calm, just like Holly. Just like his Holly.

His lips tried to curve.

Lost . So very lost in her.

He caught her chin. Lifted her head. And kissed her.

It should have been an easy kiss. Gentle. Delicate. She deserved that now.

But he wasn’t a gentle man and he needed to taste her too much.

Wild and hard-it was his way.

And hers-because she kissed him right back with the same fierce need.

The silence in the room behind them thickened.

His hold tightened on her and she made a soft sound in the back of her throat. A moan, a sigh and he wanted her even more.

When he lifted his head, Niol had no idea how much time had passed. Didn’t really care. Color was back in Holly’s face, staining her cheeks, and her eyes sparkled with life again.

Better. So much better.

A cough behind him.

Niol turned but kept Holly in his arms.

“Baby, are you all right?” Her mother asked.

“Yeah, Mom, I’m fine.” Her smile didn’t look too convincing.

Kelly’s gaze turned to him. “You’ll stop him?” There was knowledge there, and Niol realized that Holly and her mother must have had one big revelations night.

“I will.”

“The police will-” Brooks began.

But Niol cut him off. “Find him first,” he challenged.

Kelly gave a nod. “Good. Good.” Then she pushed Niol’s arms aside and hugged her daughter.

“So she’s why.” Cara. Soft and almost sad. “Be careful, Niol. You know your weakness.”

His weakness stood right beside him. Yes, he knew.

The succubus turned to her lover with a shrug. “You’d better find him first.”

“Damn.”

And Niol knew the cop had brought Cara in to calm him down. Pity he wasn’t in the calming mood.

But he was in the killing mood.

Let the games begin.

Niol took Holly home. He wanted her by his side, where he could be certain that she was safe.

But he also needed to be on the streets. Because no one could put the fear of the devil into the lowlifes he needed to talk to quite like, well, he could.

But being with Holly-that came first.

He took her to his house and up to his bed. He stripped her, being careful not to touch her wound.

She watched him with her emerald eyes. So quiet and close, but seeming so far away.

“You…never slept with Cara, did you?”

Not the question he’d expected.

Holly rubbed a hand over her face. “Ugh! I can’t believe I just asked that! Don’t tell me, it doesn’t matter, I-”

“No. I never did.” It mattered or she wouldn’t have asked. “I was involved with her sister, but I think you know that.”

And she knew the way that story ended.

A hard exhale. “I do, I know. But when I came in there and saw the two of you…”

“What?”

Her head fell back against the pillows. “I was jealous, okay?”

More than okay with him. “Good.”

“What? No, not ‘good.’ Good isn’t wanting to yank another woman’s hair out right after you’ve had a doctor shoving stitches in your side.”

The woman could make him smile.

“Hell of a day.” She covered her eyes with the side of her arm. “And it’s only gonna get worse from here on out, isn’t it?”

Yes, it was.

“I have to…go out.” He couldn’t delay any longer. She’d be completely safe in his house. He’d doubled her guards, but in the house, she wouldn’t need them. No one could get past his security.

Her arm slowly lowered. “What are you going to do?”

So far, he’d played this game by human rules. For her. He’d tried to be good, tried to rein in the monster inside.

And all he’d gotten for his trouble was her pain.

“Whatever I have to do.” If he had to rip into minds-human or Other -to find the bastard out there, he would.

This shit ended tonight.

“Niol…”

He put his fingers to her lips. Such soft lips. “I don’t have a choice anymore. He’s come too close.” To you .

He wouldn’t tell her any more. She didn’t need his plans on her conscience.

“Stay here. You’ll be safe.” He kissed her because he had to. “I’ll be back before you know it.” Niol started to rise.

Holly caught his arm. “I heard what Cara told you.”

Cara was like family to him, but right then, he could have easily kicked her curvy ass from the city.

“Don’t do this for me. Don’t hurt innocents for me. I don’t want that-dammit, Niol, that’s not who you are-”

“Isn’t it?” Maybe it was time they both stopped pretending. Nice little fantasy, but here’s ugly reality. “You need to see me, Holly. All of me.” Before it was too late for her.

Maybe it already was. He stared into her eyes and saw straight to her soul.

I don’t deserve her.

But he’d fight like hell on fire for her. “Stay here, Holly-”

“While you go out and fight the monster in the dark?”

He was the monster in the dark. “You can’t come with me this time.”

She pushed up on her elbows. “I thought we were partners on this case, remember? The whole point was that you were supposed to give me access to your world.”

Not this part. “Is that what we are now?” He asked softly. “Partners, just working on the case?”

Her pupils flared at that. “You tell me.”

Stubborn woman. He even liked that. “I agreed to help you because I wanted you in my bed.” Couldn’t get more stark and honest than that.

She wet her lips. “I came to you because I wanted your help…and because I wanted you in my bed.” Her chin was up. “After the shit hit the fan-”

Not delicate, his Holly. He didn’t want delicate.

“I stayed around because I wanted you .”

Good that, he liked-

“But we’re still partners, Niol, and partners don’t abandon each other.”

He stiffened. “I’m not abandoning you.”

“Let me come with you then, let me-”

His gaze fell away from hers. Because when he admitted this, he couldn’t stare into her eyes. “You make me weak.”

Silence.

“I think of you too much, worry about you. I-I can’t do that when I hunt.” When he used his powers, like he planned tonight, when he went into the darkness so far, there was no room for inattention.

“Niol…”

His stare returned to her. “You’re hurt, Holly. You have to heal, and I can’t hunt tonight with you.” No more to say. She might be pissed at him, but there was no choice.