It's been weeks since we last saw Aiden. Weeks since that morning my life came crashing down around me. It has been one week since I accessed Aiden's memories and seen for myself that he hadn't cheated on me. Just when I was ready to talk to him to try and fix things. He shattered my cold black heart all over again. It nearly killed me when I linked into our bond only to find out he was thinking about going to her. I gave up. I didn't fight Remi or lash out. I didn't have to because Remi did. Then she put up a shield so strong; that even if I wanted to take a peak at what he was up to. I couldn't. I've come to the conclusion that even if I can't have all the things I wanted out of life. I still have Remi. And she has me. All we need is each other to get through this. Yeah, she keeps me locked away most of the time. But she does it for our own good. My need for violence and vengeance seem to have tapered off. The anger that's always brewing and storming inside my veins is calmer. I'
Two guards stand at the end of the hallway. I thank my lucky stars that my feet don't make a sound as I hurry down the hallway. I'm standing right behind the two guards. I'm so close they should feel my breath on their necks. Static comes over their radio. "Be vigilant. The Dragon King and his crew have made it onto the property." The guard closest to me twirls around to face me. My smile widens at the fact he can feel me, but can't see me. Goosebumps coat his arms. The succubus takes a deep breath. He inhales my essence. His smile widens when it coats his tongue. I pull out my mother's angel blade and swing. The succubus' head rolls towards his companion. I just over his body and slice at the second guard before he can fire a shot. Shots ring out in a farther section of the warehouse. Payne, get out! Right now goddamnit! Blaze yells in my head. But the pleas of the Fae girl are louder. I'm not leaving without the girl. She's the one we were sent in to retrieve. Hold on sweetie! I
A bomb goes off on the east side of the warehouse. The ground shakes beneath our feet. Kallista screams and clenches at my hand tightly. I run faster. I'm practically dragging the child behind me. I try to at least partially shift, but it's a no go. I try to cloak us both, but that doesn't work either. My magic well is running on fumes. It will have to build back up. Payne, where are you? Mendoza's men are getting ready to set off another explosion. Blaze yells in my head. Between his yelling and the explosion my ears won't stop ringing. As we take a right down the hallway that will leads us back to the hallway for the rear entrance; another smaller explosion goes off. We duck and dodge the falling debris and struggle to breathe through the dust and smoke. Just as we enter the hallway to the exit a fist collides with the side of my face. I fall to the ground bringing Kallista down with me. "Run to the end of the hallway the door will be unlocked. Blaze and my mate Aiden will be wait
Aiden stumbles into view and lifts me into his arms. I'm weakened. I've been beaten, shot, and blown up twice. I snuggle into his chest and close my eyes. I just intend to rest them, but sleep pulls me under. I wake up in the hospital. They had to remove two silver rounds from my body. It wouldn't kill me. However, it's what drained my strength and magic. It's been two weeks. Two weeks of still not feeling like myself, but I've been training and working out. Kallista at my side; at Payne's penthouse. Aiden and I still have yet to talk about our issues. But he calls or texts me everyday. I guess neither of us knows how to bridge that gap. My father and Gunner are on my shit list. I knew the female we were going in after was royalty. I knew this was a special request. Never did I imagine; I would be going in after my younger aunt. Apparently, Lucifer and my grandmother Illiana; had another child. Lucifer used some kind of magic to keep who she was hidden from me.Kallista didn't get t
"Oh you know how it goes. Woman goes to therapy and meets a sexy Latino man on the elevator. Body guards cock block her. Same ole! Same ole!" Remi says as she flops her hand back and forth. I growl. As she goes to pass me, I pull her to me. "You're mine!" I claim her mouth with my own. Everything we feel passing between us as sparks of electricty zip and zap over our skin. It's heated and passionate. Blaze clears his throat killing the moment. "Before this goes any further maybe you two would like to go inside. Or at least wait till we're not present." Blaze tells us. He's holding the elevator doors open. I pull a dazed Remi behind me. The entire ride up to Payne's penthouse is filled with the aroma of her desire. Kallista is standing by the island in the kitchen of the open floor plan of the penthouse. "Hiya, guys. How's...." She looks at Remi then at me. She hot foots it to her room and slams the door. I pull Remi over to the couch and sit her down. "Remi, it's time we talked."
Lucifer and his mate; my grandmother, queen of the Fae realm; Illianna stand in front of the fireplace holding what looks like Fae wine. Gunner and Aiden sit on the leather chairs on either side of the fireplace. I'm stuck. My feet won't budge. All eyes are on us. Until the pair move across the room towards me and Kallista. Kallista steps into the open arms of her father and mother. They release her and pull me into them. I'm frozen. I don't know what to do. I don't do hugs with people that are practically strangers. So, I do what my mother would want me to do in this moment. I give them a light hug. Then quickly pull away. It's ackward to say the least. It gets more ackward when I spot Axel and Xavier in the corner and everyone else watching the scene play out. Guess they are waiting for Payne to lash out. Jokes on them. She's been pretty docile lately. My father steps up to me and everyone tenses. Kallista steps back to my side and holds my hand. It's funny how this little being c
I watch Remi closely as Lucifer begins to speak."You died at birth. Actually, you never took your first breath. For three days I listened to your mother's crying and pleading for someone to bring you back to her. I couldn't take the pain my only daughter was feeling away. I had to do something. I would do anything to ease my only daugther's pain. So, I did the only thing I knew. I called upon my brothers for their help. I was warned not to do what I was thinking about doing. That it would alter you in some way. But I didn't listen. On the third day I had my brothers help me give you a piece of my soul. I thought being as it was a selfless sacrifice; you'd get a part of the archangle side of my soul. However, you didn't. You got a part of my soul that created Hell. Your mother and father assured me they would do everything in their power to keep you from becoming a dark soul. Then Romeo was killed. No one knows how you did it, but you entered Hell. I had to go in and find you. You wer
I catch up to Remi in her office. She's sitting behind her desk drinking a bottle of tequila. "Wanna talk about it?" I sit in the leather chair across from her desk. She shakes her head."You know, both of you trying to take the blame for what happened to Romeo, to Yanessa, and to you; isn't going to help anybody. You're two sides of the same coin. There's no Payne without Remi and vise versa. I know life has knocked you down more than a few times. But you always manage to pick yourself up, dust yourself off, and live to fight the bad guys another day. Payne, is magnificent. She's not a monster. She's not a demon. If she were either of those things she would've left Kallista and the others in that warehouse to die. And she wouldn't have given a damn about all the others she has helped to save."Remi snorts her disbelief in my words. "Answer a question for me. Has Payne ever hurt an innocent being?" Remi shakes her head with a sigh, and takes a swig from her bottle. "That just prove