might need the information in his hunt for Dar. She’d give Calan anything she could to help him.

“I don’t understand.”

Raul took a step closer. She tightened her grip on the blade.

“Once you bind us, it’ll fix this”—he touched his head—“and join us for all time.”

“Bind us?” She trembled, hating the sign of weakness but unable to stop it. What he described sounded too similar to what Calan had done for her. “I have no idea what you’re talking about.”

“That’s okay, Harley. Love is a powerful force. Underrated too. But wielded by those who know how to harness its potential, it can accomplish impossible feats, including claiming a soul.” He dragged his gaze from her lips to her eyes. “I would know. Your mother bound my soul to hers enough times that I’ll have no problems showing you how it’s done. You do carry her genes.”

A chill ran down her spine. The odd exchange Raul and her mother had engaged in before he killed her rushed back. “You knew her?”

“Yeah, I knew her. Loved her too. I sought her out lifetime after lifetime.” He snorted. “She was my soulmate.”

His soulmate? Harley didn’t know whether to call him crazy or ask how he’d known they were connected. A more important question demanded an answer, though.

“But you killed her.” A lump lodged in her throat. “Why?”

“A thousand years ago, she refused me. It broke her connection to me, but it didn’t sever mine.” He balled his hands until white knuckles showed. “She left me in fucking limbo where I yearned for her. Every goddamn minute of my many lives.” Raul focused enraged eyes on Harley. “I was never at peace. Could never love anyone else. She did, though. She married other men, loved them, had their damn babies.”

“And she deserved to die for that?”

“She had to in order to free me. Now, I can move on”—he swept his gaze over her once more—“with you.”

“Me?” Her voice cracked.

Raul gave a single dip to his chin. “Yes. You’re going to be my new soulmate, but we won’t have to worry about death separating us. We’ll have eternity together.”

“Like hell. I’ll never claim you.”

A grin spread over his face. “It’s getting harder to resist, isn’t it?”

The change in topic caught her off-guard. Harley took a step back. “I refuse to be a replacement for my mom.”

“It’s getting harder to resist, isn’t it?” He repeated.

Obviously he wasn’t going to reveal anything else about her mother tonight. She took another retreating step. He followed her, keeping the distance between them the same. She froze.

“It’s nothing I can’t handle.” With Calan’s help, anyway.

“Dar doesn’t think you’ll last the week.”

Hearing her father’s name set her heart to racing. “He knows about me?”

“Oh yeah, he knows about you. He’ll be coming for you soon. You are his favorite child.” Raul grinned. “And he’s giving you to me.”

A shudder ran through her. “How did you find me?”

“I’ve taken your blood. My tie to you has strengthened as you’ve grown, and now that you’ve reached fairy adulthood, I feel you here.” He thumped his chest. “There will never be a place you can hide from me. It’s why Dar has handed you over to me, and why I’ve kept the others from killing you or your brother and his friend.”

With Raul’s one statement, Harley had her answer to why the redcaps and sluaghs never engaged Ian or Trevor. The knowledge didn’t comfort her, however. Raul had played her. Why?

“You stopped the other redcaps?”

He cringed as if he didn’t like the term. She filed the information away to dissect later. “And their slaves. I’m the strongest.” Raul flashed her a smile that showed off his pointy teeth. “You’ve made me the most powerful. I rarely even have to kill now.”

Raul moved so fast, she didn’t have time to react. He grasped the wrist of her hand holding the blade and wrapped his other around her throat.

“For you, I only killed the ones already dying, and I made sure they didn’t feel pain. Only fear.” He leaned close enough to kiss her. Hot, minty breath bathed her face. Her stomach churned. “But that can easily change.”

She pushed against his chest with her free, gloveless hand. She’d forgotten to cover Calan’s mark. Curses danced through her mind. Thoughts of what she and Calan would share once she released him had messed with her head. Regret left a bitter taste in her mouth.

Harley did the only thing she could. She dropped her hand to her side and curled it into a fist.

“You can’t force me.” Because if he could’ve, they wouldn’t be talking. He’d be raping her. Unless she was lucky and caught him with her blade, she had no hope of fighting him off. Raul had a good hundred pounds of muscle on her.

“Come to me before the sun rises, Harley.” He slanted his mouth over hers and kissed her. She refused to open. He pulled back with a chuckle. “If you don’t, you’ll learn just how cruel my sluaghs can be.”

He slid a keycard down the front of her shirt, then stepped back.

“Touch those I love, and you die. Understand me?”

Raul nodded. “Why do you think they’re still alive? Think of it as my mating gift to you.”

Gaze on hers, Raul backed up until he disappeared around the edge of the building.

She dug the offending hotel key from between her breasts and ran for the SUV. With a click, she locked the doors. She dug out her phone and dialed Ian.

“Raul’s in town.” She pressed the button to start the vehicle. It roared to life in a deep grumble. “Get to Cynthia now. Trevor was right.”

“Fuck, are you sure?” Ian’s panicked voice made her anxiety and anger worse.

“I just had a nice little chat with Raul. I’m sure. Now go. Warn Trevor too. I’m going to free Calan.”

More curses filled the line. “Be safe, Sis.”

“You too, Ian.”

After what Harley had just learned, she didn’t know if she ever would be.

Chapter Eleven

A

Вы читаете Betrayed
Добавить отзыв
ВСЕ ОТЗЫВЫ О КНИГЕ В ИЗБРАННОЕ

0

Вы можете отметить интересные вам фрагменты текста, которые будут доступны по уникальной ссылке в адресной строке браузера.

Отметить Добавить цитату