And pain. Pain that cut deep.
When had she ever thought the guy was cold? Emotionless? He burned with feeling. So much feeling.
She wanted to touch him. To soothe him. Stupid, but-hell. Her hand lifted and brushed against his cheek.
“If you knew all I’d done, you wouldn’t touch me.” A growl of rage but one that held a ring of truth. A tone that told her Niol believed exactly what he was saying. “Wouldn’t let me touch you.”
She swallowed. Where they were, who was around them didn’t matter anymore. This, this mattered. She was seeing the man now, hearing him. “I know some of the things-”
A laugh, bitter and cold. “If you knew everything, you wouldn’t be able to sleep at night.”
Maybe she should turn away. Maybe she should run from him as fast as she could.
The sun seemed to burn her skin. The wind tousled her hair. No sweet touch anymore. A painful brush of air.
Maybe she should run.
And then maybe, maybe she should stay. Because when she looked at Niol, she didn’t see evil.
She saw only him. “You’ve killed.” Holly knew that. “More than-than once.” She only had proof of the one killing, but her gut told her there were more deaths.
“Yes.” A hiss like a snake from the mouth of a man.
So much power. What would it do? To know that you could kill with a thought. Control with a whisper.
She’d gone to church every Sunday when she’d been a kid. Sat in the pews and listened to the priest talk about temptation and walking the devil’s road.
“It’s so easy to walk that road.” She could still hear his voice, the tang of a southern accent rolling the vowels and softening the consonants. “The darkness is strong and strength-it is temptin’…”
How tempting?
“You don’t want to know.” His voice, gravel rough.
Her lips parted. He hadn’t-
“You don’t want to know the things I’ve seen, the things I’ve done,” he said. “Not really. Deep down, you want to pretend that I’m not bad. That I’m good.” A grim shake of his head. “Love, I’ll never be good.”
But he wasn’t evil, either. Her instincts screamed this to her. Niol, though, he was trying to make her afraid.
Of him.
Now why the hell would he be doing that?
“I never said you were a white knight, Niol.” She would have been blind to have made that mistake. “I know what you are. I knew exactly what, who, I was taking into my bed.” His past, no, she didn’t know all of his secrets, but one day, she would.
“You didn’t-”
“I wanted you.” Her chin rose. “Still do. Sins of your past and all.”
His nostrils flared and he turned his head to the left, then the right, searching the parking lot. “Too many humans here.”
Yeah, this was the last place they should be talking about secrets.
“Come with me to Paradise,” he said again and the words were low, whispered.
And Holly really, really felt like a tempted Eve right then.
Strength-it is temptin’…
Screw it. She’d always loved taking a bite of forbidden fruit. Her head moved in quick agreement.
Finally. Kim Went exhaled and unclenched her fists. Holly and her demon lover were finally heading toward their cars. Talk about having a lovers’ quarrel at the worst place and time.
She hunched her shoulders, feeling the harsh rub of the scrubs she’d snatched chafe against her skin. But her only choice of clothing had been the garish green scrubs or her paper-thin hospital gown, complete with ass-exposing window. So she’d chosen the scrubs. She’d grabbed them, then hightailed it out of the hospital while the oversexed cop had stopped to flirt with the nurses.
Her gaze shot across the lot. A busy intersection waited on the other side of the street. A few taxis idled near the far corner. She could get over there, jump in one and figure out how to pay the cabbie later.
Priority one-get the hell out of this town.
Her head pounded like a bitch, but Kim knew she’d been lucky. That crazy-ass woman who’d attacked her had meant to kill, not just bruise.
Talk about one lucky break.
But if she didn’t get out of there, right then, she might not be so lucky again.
The nutjob’s voice screeched in her mind. “I’ll fucking kill you, demon! Fucking kill you!”
How the woman knew Kim’s secrets, damn, she didn’t know. She’d always been so careful about using her glamour. Her powers were practically nonexistent, so she’d been blending in with humans, knowing they fit her more than demons, since she’d been thirteen.
But that screaming bitch had known.
How?
Many of the other demons she met didn’t even know what she was. Something she’d learned early on-the weaker demons were sometimes able to slip right past the radar of those on the more powerful end of the spectrum. Maybe that was just old Mother Nature’s way of balancing the system. You couldn’t hurt what you couldn’t see.
There were days when she thought her ability to blend in was her power.
And she’d be using that talent real soon. As soon as she got out of this city, she’d blend in and disappear.
I’ll be safe. Soon.
The minute Holly’s taillights left the lot, Kim ran, fast and hard, for the cabs.
Talking to Holly wasn’t an option. The chick would be pissed because Kim had broken into her office. Not like she’d go out of her way to help her, now.
And Niol-that demon wasn’t exactly known to be the helping sort.
Two cabs pulled away from the curb.
No.
One left. So close. Shiny yellow coat of paint. So damn close.
Kim reached out-
And saw the whirl of a long, black skirt from the corner of her eye.
She jerked her head to the left and met the bright stare of a smiling woman. “Oh, sorry!” The woman murmured, smile dimming. “Was this your cab?”
Kim’s throat dried up. She stared at those too-sweet features. Into the eyes that seemed to sparkle with good will.
No. Dammit, no.
She knew that face. The lighting last night had been dim, just a bit of a glow from the parking area trickling through the blinds, but no way would she ever forget that face.
“T-take it.” Kim stumbled back. The pavement bit into her bare feet. Hadn’t been able to find shoes to steal.
The woman glanced down at her toes, a frown pulling her brows low. “Are you all right?”
Get away.
“Hey!” The call came from the cabbie as he stuck his head out of the driver’s side window. “You ladies want a ride?”
Kim’s gaze shot to him. Help. Her lips parted.
The woman stepped closer to her and raised her hand as if she were going to hug Kim-
The hard prick of a needle shot into her arm.
“My friend’s not feeling so well,” the woman said, turning her head toward the man. “I think we’re going to sit out here for a bit. Thanks, though.”
The bright sunlight seemed to weaken. Kim shook her head and tried to speak. Help. Her tongue was huge in her mouth, swollen and twisted. She couldn’t talk. Could only stare-no, try to stare. Too dark.
The drumming of her heart filled her ears.
No.
“If she’s sick, I can help, I can-”
Help.
She barely heard his words over the slamming drumbeat.
“We’ve got a ride coming, don’t worry about us.” Sharper, now. “You can leave. He’s-he’s right there.”
No, don’t leave.
Please don’t leave me.
Maybe Holly was still around. Surely she wouldn’t let this crazy bitch take her.
Kim’s knees buckled.
Or Niol. She’d take him over this-
The woman’s arms caught her, held her tight. “It’s okay, I’ve got you.”