The Darkest Pleasure

squeeze. 'Actually, there's some in the kitchen—Maddox stocks it by the truckload these days just in case—so I'll be right back.'

The bed bounced and footsteps sounded. Hinges squeaked. I'm in deep. So deep. Destroying Ashlyn's life was not a possibility she'd considered, and the thought of doing so sickened her.

But Danika had no opportunity to think of a way to meet her objective and prevent Ashlyn's downfall. The bedroom door swung open a second time, slapping into the wall. Her eyelids pried apart as a warrior she didn't recognize stepped inside the bedroom. He was tall and muscled like all the others. Yet while they had appeared harsh, savage, he had an all-American face, square jaw and puppy-dog brown eyes.

She jumped to her feet, wet hair dripping down her arms. 'Who are you? What do you want? Where's Reyes?'

'I'm Sabin,' he said, and she'd never heard a more cocky man. He punted the door shut behind him but didn't move any closer to her. 'I came to ask you some questions. And I don't have any clue where Reyes is.'

'Well, you can leave.' Her fingers itched to grab one of the daggers. Steady, hold your ground. No reason to reveal her secret. Not yet. You've been trained. You know what to do if he attacks: go for the throat, eyes and groin. In that order.

Rather than leave, Sabin pressed his back against the door and folded his massive arms over his middle. He was a handsome man, in a rough sort of way. Women probably melted for him. She'd rather cut out his heart. 'You're one of them.'

He stepped toward her, caught himself and backed off. Why? 'One of who?'

She was surprised by his calmness. His gaze was sharp enough to slice her in half. 'The demons.'

'Did Reyes tell you we were demons?'

'Yes.'

Dark eyes gleamed with menace. 'I doubt he'd be such a naughty boy. Want to know what I think? You recently spent some time with Hunters. I bet they told you.'

'So?'

'So. Interesting that you don't have to ask me who and what the Hunters are, or what their purpose is.'

Damn it! She raised her chin all the higher. 'Again, Reyes told me.' And he told you never to repeat what he'd said. Grr! I will not feel guilty for ratting him out to his friend. And this demon will not make me feel guilty for having been kidnapped by Hunters.

'What did they ask you to do to us, hmm? Tell me and I might let you live.'

Her blood instantly chilled, ice chips crystallizing in her veins. Surely she paled. 'They asked me to kill you,' she said, sticking to the truth as much as possible. Less chance of slipping up that way.

His anger softened into surprise, as though he hadn't expected her to admit such a thing. 'Do you plan to try?'

Her eyes narrowed to tiny slits. 'Depends on what I learn about my family.'

Expression unchanging, he withdrew a dagger and a rag from his pocket. Slowly he began polishing the sharp sliver with practiced strokes. 'I won't allow anyone to hurt my friends. Ever.'

Acid burned in her chest. 'And I won't allow anyone to hurt my family.' Please, let them be all right. 'Is the weapon supposed to scare me?' Well, it worked. Bastard. Not that she'd back down. 'You'll have to try harder than that.' Please don't.

'You're on their radar now, you know?' he said casually, as if she hadn't spoken. 'The Hunters will never leave you alone. And if you betray them to help us, which I doubt you're willing to do, they'll hunt and torture you. If there's anything left of you after I'm done, that is.'

'So I'm screwed either way?' She laughed, another of those ugly sounds. The happiness she'd felt at seeing Ashlyn already seemed a distant memory. 'News flash. I had already figured that out, moron.'

His lips twitched. In amusement? Irritation? 'You should know that the Hunters' torturing will seem like child's play compared to what I'll do to you if you so much as look as if you're going to fight my friends. They aren't evil, they aren't the source of the world's problems and they deserve to be happy.'

Something in his flat tone struck her. 'And you don't?'

Again, he ignored her. Reyes and company were masters at evasion, she was coming to realize. They answered those questions they wanted to and discarded everything else as if it had never been uttered.

'You should know that my family means everything to me and I will decapitate any immortal who even thinks about hurting them.'

'Spoken like a true Hunter,' he said with a shake of his head. 'Well, guess what. Cut off their heads and you can kiss your pretty world goodbye. Their demons will be loosed, a source of havoc unlike any you have ever seen.'

'Saving my loved ones is worth any price.'

'I feel the same about mine.' There was another warning in his voice. 'I protect mine, though.'

My family is on the run because of me. The stray thought slithered through Danika's mind, and she blanched. Was she completely responsible? Maybe she could have done more, fought harder during the abduction.

If they die, it will be my fault.

Tears suddenly burned her eyes. Tears of shame and horror. She was responsible. She'd been so scared the night Lucien and Aeron had come to her hotel room, she had frozen. She hadn't screamed. She had let them bundle her up, gather her family and cart them here.

How could she have been so…passive?

Sabin gave her a look of total understanding. 'Perhaps you'll take care of matters on your own, huh? Save me the trouble.'

Meaning, perhaps she would kill herself. He didn't know her very well. Suicide would never be an option for Danika. Too vividly she recalled the strain her grandmother's attempt had placed on her family. She remembered her mother's tearstained face, remembered seeing her quietly sob in a darkened corner. She remembered the lies everyone had told her, shame whispering in their voices and glowing from their eyes. Your grandmother had an accident. She's going away for a few months to recover.

Behind closed doors, they'd said something else entirely. Why would she do something like that? She has a great life, no reason to end it.

Now that Danika thought about it, that was funny coming from her dad. He'd had a great life, but not long after her grandmother's breakdown, he'd packed up and moved on to a new one. God, where were these depressing thoughts coming from?

The door suddenly banged closed, jolting her. A scowling Reyes had entered the room, the scarred Lucien on his heels. Seeing her beautiful nemesis, her breath caught in her throat and her traitorous heart skipped a beat.

Enemy, she reminded herself. How many times would she be forced to do so? Why could her mind not get the message? She tried to look away from him, but her gaze snagged on an ugly cut decorating his cheek.

The two men must have fought. Both of them sported bruises on their faces, bleeding scratches and savaged lips. Mud streaked their skin. There were crimson splotches on Reyes's T-shirt, as though he'd taken the brunt of the beating.

I will not be concerned about Reyes.

They carried the scent of roses and…old eggs? Her nose wrinkled in distaste. Ugh.

Reyes spied Sabin and his scowl intensified. He glanced from the warrior to Danika, from Danika to the warrior. Fury blazed over his expression as he stalked to Sabin, his hands fisted. 'What are you doing here?'

The two men faced off.

'Someone needed to question her,' Sabin said, brows dancing into his hairline. 'You refused to do it, so I got it done.'

'You were not to come near her.'

Their muscles bulged, their bodies tensed. If Danika hadn't been so torn between fear and disgust, she would have enjoyed the view.

'She's alive, isn't she? So what's the problem?'