head, emitted her scent. I closed my eyes and pictured her in my arms, snuggled close to me in restful sleep. Soft, blond hair draped over my bare chest, the sheets tousled from making love.
Mine.
The rumblings of my demon sliced through my fantasy, and I stood on shaky legs. I gave one last scan of the room, then backed out and closed the door. Three strides carried me to the last door. The handle didn’t give when I cranked it. I knew this to be the room with the tinted window since it was next to the living room.
I dug out my picking tools and tried, without success, to disengage the lock. If I forced my way in, Beka and Russell would know someone had been there. They would probably blame Gage because of his demon status, but I might be implicated because I knew him.
A risk to be taken to get the Mark.
I jerked the handle. It gave. I pushed the door open and a stale, metallic laced darkness met me. Black walls, ceiling and floor. My phone pulsated in my pocket, and I yanked it out.
Get out.
I stole a gander into the room. Small bed. Teddy bear on the floor. Nothing else.
“Shit.”
My heart pounded as I closed the broken door and burst out of the apartment. I shut the main entrance and engaged the lock, then hurried through the roof access door but stayed close to listen.
“Beka, I need your help tonight,” Russell said, following her through the doorway on the far end of the hallway. “Stacia called in sick.”
Beka strode forward, tall and confident, dressed in a white dress that ended above her knees.
“I can’t. I must locate David. I haven’t seen him this evening. I fear he’s in danger from his associate Gage. The demon left, and I couldn’t get away to try and vanquish him.”
“So, Gage was the one I sensed in the club before, not David.” Russell tilted his head to the side. “I wouldn’t have guessed. I thought I sensed it with him as well.”
“No. It was not David. Gage is after Jessica. We must find her quickly.” She shoved the key into the door. “But first, as Guardian, I must protect the human, David. Our paths crossed for a reason. I believe that.”
Russell curled his fingers around his sister’s elbow. “It’s more than that for you, Beka, I can tell.”
“No,” she whispered. “It’s not.”
“You love him.”
Electricity pulsed through my body at the word love. She could not love me.
She rested her forehead against the door. “I’ve never felt such an intense connection like this before, Russell. I can’t explain it, but there is something about him.”
“Fight it, Beka. We must find Jessica and get her to safety. You cannot get distracted from the mission.”
Beka thrust open the door. “You’re right. But—” She palmed her forehead. “You’re right, Russell. Thank you for your loyalty, for protecting me. But please, allow me leave to check on David first. The demon works with him somehow. He’s in danger.”
Russell squeezed Beka’s shoulder. “I understand.”
“Then I will be back to help you.”
They disappeared into the apartment. No shrieks or anything, so they must not have noticed my intrusion.
But they would eventually.
I shut the door and scrubbed my face with my hands. She couldn’t love me. She knew nothing of what I was. No way Light could be with darkness .
I had to find Jessica before Beka and Russell so I could finish this assignment and leave. But locating a fifteen-year-old girl at a dance club didn’t make sense. Something felt off.
Time to push Gage for answers, because if Jessica Hanks really could change the world, she might be powerful enough to get me out of my contract.
Yes. Definitely time to press Gage.
And I intended to press hard.
CHAPTER 9
“Please tell me you found something,” Gage said.
“I found something.” I strode by him and into the parking lot of a brightly lit gas station.
Two cars were parked near the entrance and one at a pump. A young woman propped against her car held the
Mine.
The rumblings of my demon sliced through my fantasy, and I stood on shaky legs. I gave one last scan of the room, then backed out and closed the door. Three strides carried me to the last door. The handle didn’t give when I cranked it. I knew this to be the room with the tinted window since it was next to the living room.
I dug out my picking tools and tried, without success, to disengage the lock. If I forced my way in, Beka and Russell would know someone had been there. They would probably blame Gage because of his demon status, but I might be implicated because I knew him.
A risk to be taken to get the Mark.
I jerked the handle. It gave. I pushed the door open and a stale, metallic laced darkness met me. Black walls, ceiling and floor. My phone pulsated in my pocket, and I yanked it out.
Get out.
I stole a gander into the room. Small bed. Teddy bear on the floor. Nothing else.
“Shit.”
My heart pounded as I closed the broken door and burst out of the apartment. I shut the main entrance and engaged the lock, then hurried through the roof access door but stayed close to listen.
“Beka, I need your help tonight,” Russell said, following her through the doorway on the far end of the hallway. “Stacia called in sick.”
Beka strode forward, tall and confident, dressed in a white dress that ended above her knees.
“I can’t. I must locate David. I haven’t seen him this evening. I fear he’s in danger from his associate Gage. The demon left, and I couldn’t get away to try and vanquish him.”
“So, Gage was the one I sensed in the club before, not David.” Russell tilted his head to the side. “I wouldn’t have guessed. I thought I sensed it with him as well.”
“No. It was not David. Gage is after Jessica. We must find her quickly.” She shoved the key into the door. “But first, as Guardian, I must protect the human, David. Our paths crossed for a reason. I believe that.”
Russell curled his fingers around his sister’s elbow. “It’s more than that for you, Beka, I can tell.”
“No,” she whispered. “It’s not.”
“You love him.”
Electricity pulsed through my body at the word love. She could not love me.
She rested her forehead against the door. “I’ve never felt such an intense connection like this before, Russell. I can’t explain it, but there is something about him.”
“Fight it, Beka. We must find Jessica and get her to safety. You cannot get distracted from the mission.”
Beka thrust open the door. “You’re right. But—” She palmed her forehead. “You’re right, Russell. Thank you for your loyalty, for protecting me. But please, allow me leave to check on David first. The demon works with him somehow. He’s in danger.”
Russell squeezed Beka’s shoulder. “I understand.”
“Then I will be back to help you.”
They disappeared into the apartment. No shrieks or anything, so they must not have noticed my intrusion.
But they would eventually.
I shut the door and scrubbed my face with my hands. She couldn’t love me. She knew nothing of what I was. No way Light could be with darkness .
I had to find Jessica before Beka and Russell so I could finish this assignment and leave. But locating a fifteen-year-old girl at a dance club didn’t make sense. Something felt off.
Time to push Gage for answers, because if Jessica Hanks really could change the world, she might be powerful enough to get me out of my contract.
Yes. Definitely time to press Gage.
And I intended to press hard.
CHAPTER 9
“Please tell me you found something,” Gage said.
“I found something.” I strode by him and into the parking lot of a brightly lit gas station.
Two cars were parked near the entrance and one at a pump. A young woman propped against her car held the
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