He looked at the last one standing and shook his head in disgust. His knife had carved deeply into the side of its face, leaving the flesh gaping open. Copious amounts of black fluid poured out, and the demon was missing an ear.
“Damn,” Shayne said as his lip curled up in a sneer. “You guys just get uglier and uglier, don’t you? It looks like your face caught on fire and someone tried to put it out with a fork.”
He could see three more hellions spread out in the parking lot, but they paused at his words. They knew he was an endurer, with the full backing of Heaven behind him. The evil inside of them naturally recoiled from the purity contained within his daggers and sword. It didn't stop the demon in front of him, though. “What a great idea,” he growled at Shayne. “I'll have fun trying it out on you in Hell.”
Shayne beckoned with his hand as he said mockingly, “You I’m going to kill just to put you out of your misery.”
All pretense at humanity faded. The white skin darkened to a disgusting shade of dark green, and thick horns erupted from its skull. This was the true form of the minion, and it wasn't pretty.
Shayne glanced around the parking lot, but he didn't expect to see any witnesses. The remote location was one of the reasons he had chosen the motel. It was small and generally stayed vacant, and he wouldn't have to worry about human casualties.
He looked back at the demon, determined to goad him into an attack. It would just be one less evil to deal with in the future. “Well?” Shayne asked, beckoning again with his hand. “You going to stand there all day looking ugly? Let's get this over with. I've got more important things to do, like wash my hair.”
“You’ll never win,” the enraged demon said, his voice harsh and distorted. “There are millions of us and just one of you.” Giant black wings erupted from its back as it prepared to take flight. “The master is coming home to take his throne, and there is nothing you can do to stop it.”
Two red eyes settled upon Anna as it rose in the air. She recoiled back against the wall, panting in fear. His eyes were ancient, deadly, and full of pure evil as he said to Anna, “We'll be meeting again.”
With a sinister laugh he jumped into the sky and flew away, the other demons quickly following.
Shayne stood eerily still for a moment, breathing deep. His hands clenched and unclenched as he fought to get control of himself. After a moment, he bent over and collected his weapons before turning to face Anna.
IMMEDIATELY, ANNA FELT the heat of his gaze as it settled on her. It was hot enough to burn her, even from several feet away. Swallowing nervously, she didn’t have the strength to look away. A deep awareness passed between them, one she didn’t understand but her body obviously did. Her nether region began to flood with wetness.
Shayne stalked towards her, each long step filled with purpose and determination. There wasn’t any escape from the powerful male quickly approaching, and Anna couldn’t honestly say she wanted to. Her body trembled in anticipation, as heat spread like lava throughout her body.
He was the ultimate alpha male: strong, self-confident, and dangerous. Any woman would allow him to have her, even knowing it could never be for more than a night. Being with this man would leave a memory that would last a lifetime.
Shayne stopped right in front of her, his piercing blue eyes holding hers. They slowly traveled over her face with a predatory intensity before moving down across the rest of her body. It was like a sizzling hot caress, causing her nipples to harden and a wetness to seep into the seam of her jeans. He stretched his hands out, waiting for her to grab them before pulling her against him.
Anna couldn’t tear her gaze from his face, as he swept her into his arms. His masculine scent teased her nostrils, and she could feel the strength in his arms and the hardness of his body against hers. He quickly carried her to the passenger side of the SUV, opening the door and placing her on the seat roughly.
The fight had reminded them there were no guarantees for tomorrow. Once again, she had come so close to being taken. Fear had quickly changed to lust, her body begging to be satisfied. Instinctively, she knew he needed the reassurance they were still alive, in the most elemental way possible, just as much as she did.
Shayne breathed deeply, his chest expanding against hers with the movement. Was he struggling to control his lust just like she was? Their eyes met and held, an eternity passing in that brief slip of time. Swept up in a heat-filled explosion, Anna realized he was giving her a choice she didn’t want or need. Her lips parted as her eyes filled with all of the desire she felt for him
He growled as he accepted her unspoken invitation. His arms tightened around her body, crushing her to his hardness as he lowered his face to hers. All thought fled at the first contact of his firm lips. Anna had never wanted anything more.
The kiss seemed to unleash something inside of both of them. She moaned as desire shot through her like lightning. Grabbing the front of his leather jacket, she pulled him as tightly as possible to her body. Shayne groaned at her aggressiveness as fire swept through her veins, burning her to ash.
Sweeping his mouth down her face, chin, and throat, he growled, “You smell so good.” His teeth nipped at her neck, while
