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
I head straight to the bar so that I can wash away my shame with a shot of tequila. Summer the newest bartender passes me a shot as soon as I walk up to the bar. After knocking back my shot; I head back to the rear of the club. I make my way to the third door on the left guarded by Spence. Casino night at 318 is invitation only with a plus one. All guests have to be cleared by security before the event. "Good evening, Spence." I say as he opens the door to let me and my security detail through. Blaze leads the way and Kane follows behind me. "Good evening, Remi." He says as he closes the door behind us. We slowly climb down the black metal stairs. I look over the room as we descend. Shade is tending the bar in the back of the room. She hands are waving around as her mouth moved ninety to nothing. Two bartenders stand there looking thoroughly chastised. Eight waitresses move about the room. Four cashiers tend to the guests in a booth to the right of the bar. Ten security guards move
I head over to the bar to help Shade with the asshat that won't pay his tab at the bar. He's swearing his tab can't be that high. That we got his tab mixed up with someone else's. I call security over to help us with the issue. I'm handed a drink and I chug it back, as the guy finally hands over his credit card to pay the tab. I'm walking across the floor headed back to Aiden at the craps table. All of a sudden a sharp pain hits me in the back of the head. My head is pounding and it feels like someone has stabbed me with an ice pick. I feel around the back of my skull then pull my hands in front of me to make sure there is no blood. Then my breathing changes. It's as if the air can't make it into my lungs. I forget about walking over to Aiden. I need to get out of here. I need fresh air. Then I stumble. Aiden's eyes shoot up in my direction. I begin to sway, and he starts shoving and moving people out of his way. Blaze is running across the room. My knees buckle, but before they hi
I pace back and forth until I have myself under control. Blaze calls Kieran. Then he calls my father. I sit beside the bed holding onto Remi's cold clammy hand. Her skin now has a sickly green tinge to it. Kieran and Gunner come shouting down the corridor. "Where is she? Where's Remi?" The door to Remi's room opens with a loud bang. I can't even lift my head to acknowledge they've come into the room. Kieran runs to the opposite side of the bed. He kisses her forehead. Gunner's knees hit the floor as he cries. "She's gonna die thinking the worst of us. Thinking we didn't value her.""She's not gonna die! Fate couldn't be so cruel as to take another person I love." Kieran whispers against Remi's forehead. The only man I have ever looked up to besides my own father; stands there with tears rolling down his face. He runs his hand over her small delicate face. The machine Doc hooked her up to is monitoring her heart rate, oxygen levels, and blood pressure. The machine is beeping too slo