Unchained

Chapter Six

Lily was exceptionally proud of herself. She’d tracked the minion clear across DC, and then practically threw herself at him. Once he’d gained sight of her, the chase was on, and she had led him right where she had wanted.

But then she jumped, landing on the balls of her feet, and everything went to hell the moment Michael called out her name. The emo minion let out his battle cry, whirling on her. She caught sight of the sharp blade poised high in the air. There were several feet between them, but the young minion scaled the distance with a single leap.

Minions were stupid, but they were strong.

She shook her wrists and the silver, icicle-shaped daggers released from the cuffs she wore. Inches from her, the minion came down with the knife clenched in one fist. Raising an arm aimed straight at his chest, she laughed. Only a blow to the heart from silver inscribed and honed in holy water would kill one of their own.

Nephilim had designed those blades. Minions would simply use anything to cut into the Nephilim until nothing was left or rip them limb from limb. It could be a bloody mess if caught unprepared, but she rarely missed. This time would prove no different.

Her blade made contact with the minion’s chest, sinking through the soft flesh and bone with a quickness that required little effort.

The minion’s transparent eyes widened. “Shit.”

“Sorry. You picked the wrong side, buddy,” she whispered, pulling out the blade. By the time the blades retracted into the cuffs, the minion trembled once, and then his skin started to flake off. Her shoulders slumped as apathy filled her. The young Nephilim had a choice. Like humans, they all had free will, and this one chose to turn minion. Within seconds, not much more than a fine layer of dust remained.

She glanced up and found her new targets. “Really?” she yelled, throwing up her arms. “You couldn’t keep him quiet for a few more seconds?”

Luke had the decency to cringe. “Sorry. He’s stronger than he looks.”

Disgusted with them, she shook her head. With a running start, she launched herself onto the balcony, landing on the railing in front of Michael.

His face paled. “Christ.”

She rolled her eyes and dropped in front of him. “That’s what we needed to show you.”

Michael was rubbing a spot over his heart as if it bothered him.

“You okay, man?” asked Remy.

Luke snorted. “I think he’s officially checked out.”

She smacked Luke on his arm. “Michael, are you here with us?”

He still didn’t answer. Hoping the fresh air would rouse him, they led him back through the abandoned school and into the night.

Once outside, Michael bent over and rested his hands on his knees, gulping the air as if he was starving for oxygen. Luke scowled before drifting off toward the front of the building, but Remy and Lily remained by Michael’s side, giving him as much time as he needed to come to grips with what he had just witnessed.

Lily tried to remember the first time she had seen a Nephilim who had gone bad. She’d been around ten, and Nathaniel and Luke had captured a lone female who had turned minion. In an attempt to somehow bring her back, they’d locked her in one of the cells at the Sanctuary. It was the first time she heard the horrific screams. She had been so frightened, and the sounds had been so horrible, that she had hurled. She’d spent the night latched onto Luke with a death grip, too afraid to sleep alone.

Perverted beyond saving, the minion eventually had to be put down. As terrified as Lily had been, it had been hard for her to understand that.

Michael slowly stood, scrubbing the back of his hand over his mouth. “What was that?”

“What they told you he was,” she answered gently. “A minion.”

He turned to her. “All that shit…is true?”

She smiled. “Every bit of it, and the part I told you about your father—especially that part.”

His eyes bored into her as he spoke. “I don’t…know what to say. I’ve never believed in that stuff, but I know what I saw was real.”

“As real as a minion-horde attack,” she quipped.

“Fuck,” he said.

Remy stepped forward, clapping the man on the shoulder. “How about we call it a night?”

He agreed weakly, and the bewilderment settled back on his face. “I want to go home.”

She turned to Remy wearily, and he nodded. Michael needed to go back to the Sanctuary where he would be safe. Now a minion plus a possessed human had spotted him. He had to already be the topic of discussion among the Fallen.

Remy whispered something to him she couldn’t hear. She trusted Remy with Michael. Of all of them, he was the most understanding and the least impatient. That brought her back to Luke and the conversation she needed to have with him.

She took one last look at the young cop and felt an odd stirring inside of her. Was it sympathy? Possibly even understanding? Pity? Pity got people killed. She pushed whatever it was back down, leaving to find Luke.

He was outside by the gate. She watched him quietly for a moment. His usually expressive lips formed a hard line. He ran a hand through his short, brown waves, cursing softly. Luke had changed since Anna’s death. Became harder and colder. She never really knew what their relationship had been, but she assumed it was more than a friendship. It made her death so much harder for him.

She stepped to his side, tapping his arm. “Hey.”

He glanced down at her, a wry smile forming on his face. “How is our newest recruit?”

Shrugging, she stared across the empty street. “He’s doing as expected.”

“Great,” he muttered.

She turned back to him. “I don’t like this, either. I think it’s foolish to try to train him now, but what can we do? They’ll get him one way or another if we don’t.”

He frowned but didn’t say anything.

She reached out, lightly wrapping her hand around his. “An order is an order. This is what Nathaniel wants. At least if he’s trained, he can protect himself.”

“I don’t give a shit what Nathaniel wants.”

She sighed. “Then care about what I want. I can’t do this alone. You know I’m terrible with the newbie Nephilim. I end up breaking them, and I need your help with this. Please, Luke. Be nice for me.”

He stared down at their intertwined hands. With a sigh that said he knew she was wrapping him around her little pinkie, he consented. “All right…I’ll try.”

Finally, something was going right today.

“But if he talks smack to me again, I can’t promise anything.”

“Okay. That’s a deal,” she agreed. Deciding to test out his new attitude, she asked for her first favor. “Can you make sure Remy gets him back to the Sanctuary? I’m beat.” She started to pull away, but Luke tightened his grip on her hand.

“Why don’t you stay at the Sanctuary?”

She rolled her shoulders. “I want to go to my place.”

“Nathaniel doesn’t like that you stay there,” he countered. “He doesn’t even like the idea of you having your own place.”

But it was her place, her little piece of the world, and she didn’t have to share it with anyone. It was she who remodeled the studio apartment, carving it into something uniquely hers. The small garden on the balcony she painstakingly worked on whenever she had time was her personal treasure. It was where she went to be at peace, and where she escaped to when she needed to be normal.

There she could blend in. Leave her apartment through the door, walk down the stairs and out into the ordinary world where angels just existed in the bible and on paintings. Outside her place, there were movie theaters, restaurants, and cafés. The busy hustle warmed her in a way the Sanctuary never could.

She wouldn’t give it up for anything. Not for Luke, not for Nathaniel.

“I thought you didn’t give a shit what Nathaniel wants,” she reminded him.

His lips curved into a genuine smile. “When it comes to you I do.”

And Anna, but she wasn’t ignorant enough to mention that. “Luke, I’m not going to cave.”

Jaw tensing, he let her hand slip free. “Be careful.”

She stood on the tips of her toes, and he leaned down. She placed a chaste kiss on his cheek and murmured, “As always.”

“I mean it.”

“You know you’re my favorite. Right?”

He blew out a breath. “Whatever. Go.”

Grinning, she pivoted and took off. A lot of the Nephilim preferred more normal modes of traveling, like taking the subway, but she favored the more solitary route to get to where she was going, which was not home like Luke expected. Instead, she went in the opposite direction. Hunting the minion and her subsequent kill had her blood all fired up. And okay, the run-in with Julian also had her wound up. She was antsy. There was no way she’d be going home like the good little Nephilim Nathaniel and Luke expected of her.

She darted between two apartment buildings. Making sure no one was watching, she crouched and pushed off the ground. She made it onto the fire escape on the seventh floor. From there, she easily jumped to the other building. Hopscotching across the old steel staircases, she reached the roof quickly.

Leaping from one shadowed rooftop to the next, she exhaled deeply. She loved the rush of air, the uncertainty of the fall, and the way the night reached down to her. As close to flying as possible, she was at her best. This is what a full-blooded angel must feel—weightless and free.

Here, Lily didn’t think about Anna. In the air, she didn’t worry about Nathaniel or Luke. As she flew over the buildings, she didn’t think of Michael and how hard it would be for him. It was just her.

Hopping rooftops like the people on the ground hopped trains, it took her fifteen minutes to scamper down the fire escape next to the club frequented by humans and Nephilim alike. Straightening her skirt, she rounded the squat, two-story brick building and gave the bouncer at Deuces Wild a saucy grin.

Bruno—probably not his real name—parted the rope, letting her dip past the very pissed-off patrons waiting in line.

The heavy beat of techno music infiltrated her blood immediately, adding to the agitation pooling inside her. People converged before an S-shaped stage, dancing together in something that loosely resembled a fully clothed orgy. On the stage, scantily clad club girls danced, though the ones dancing in the cages hanging from the vaulted ceilings fascinated her the most. How did those girls dance like that in six-inch platform heels?

Heading straight to the bar, she grabbed the first empty seat. Sammy, the bartender, came to her spot. Even in the dim lighting he recognized her immediately. She really needed to get a life. Or a hobby.

“The usual?” he asked, flipping a white towel over his shoulder with a heavily tattooed hand. Hell, every exposed piece of flesh—including his face—was tattooed.

“Yep. Rough night.” She propped her elbows on the bar as Sammy gave her a dubious grin, which looked funny considering there was a dragon on his cheek.

“Can’t be that bad, hon.”

“It’s always that bad.” It was the same conversation they exchanged whenever she came here. Sammy never asked what made her nights so bad. He probably thought she was a prostitute, for all she knew. Funny, but she doubted the truth would faze him.

She people-watched until Sammy returned. Mostly college-age kids filled the club, getting wasted, hoping to get screwed in one form or another. So was she…in a way. As her gaze flitted over them, she wondered how many would actually make it home tonight. And how many she’d be facing in the near future, shoving a blade into their chest. Shit. Now she was depressing herself.

“Here you go,” Sammy announced.

She whirled in her seat, clasping her hands together. “You’re the best, you know that?”

He slid the single-serving carton of Ben & Jerry’s and the Diet Coke toward her. Pitfall of being a Nephilim: no amount of alcohol in this world could get her drunk. A plant, when cooked and stewed correctly, could do the trick, but it was highly addictive. Nathaniel would have her ass if he caught her with Angel’s Triumphant…again.

Sammy ran a hand over his bald head as his gaze slid behind her. “One of your boys just arrived. Try not to destroy the laundry room this time.”

A fierce flush crossed her cheeks as she pried open the lid and dug in, waiting for the familiar sensation of another Nephilim to trickle down her spine. One of her boys really meant one person. Gabe. And they hadn’t destroyed the laundry room last time. Not really.

The chunky-chocolate goodness was almost gone by the time Gabe decided to acknowledge her, which was fine. If she was here, and he was here, it only meant one thing.

Gabe stopped behind the occupied bar chair beside her. It took one glower from him, and the drunk dude nearly fell out of the seat. Gabe slid into it, completely unrepentant, his full lips curving into a wicked, knowing smile. He was a twin, hot damn. Tall and with a crop of curly brown hair, muscular, and wildly mischievous, he was way more laid back than his silent and moody brother, Damon. He was also one of the few trusted to be in the circle, along with his brother.

“Hey,” she said, dropping her spoon into the empty carton. She faced him, letting her knee push into his. “What’s up?”

“Nothing.” He leaned in, his knee slowly pushing her legs apart until his leather-clad thigh pressed against her bare one. “I expected you’d be here after the night you had.”

She sighed. It figured all the Nephilim would know about her and the cop. It was like there was some kind of secret-squirrel message board she was unaware of. “If I’d known what he was, I wouldn’t have knocked him out.”

“Yes, you would’ve.” He grinned. “I ran into Remy. He said you guys showed him the…nightlife. Heard it wasn’t pretty.”

“He freaked.” She sipped her Coke, loving the way it fizzed on her tongue. “But what can you expect? The guy had no clue what he was. He’s going to be prime pickings.”

“Can’t believe Nate’s going to try to train him.” His large hand dropped to her knee, and his thumb slipped where the skin creased, smoothing back and forth idly. “It’s going to be a waste of time.”

“A waste of my time,” she corrected. “I have to train him.”

She got the momentary satisfaction of seeing his normally bored expression fade to surprise. “You’re shitting me,” he said.

“Afraid not.”

“You’re so going to break him.” He laughed.

“Or kill him accidentally, but we’ll see.” She placed her hand over his, sliding his hand up her thigh. Taking one last sip of her Coke, she stood, threading her fingers through his calloused ones.

Gabe bent his head to her ear, voice low and already thick. “Going fast tonight?”

Her insides tightened, and liquid heat replaced some of the agitation. She leaned into him, pressing her body against his. “You have a problem with that?”

“It’s the last thing in this world I’d have a problem with, love.”

“Good.” Turning, she led him around the bar. Sammy rolled his eyes and went back to cleaning glasses.

They didn’t talk as Lily led him toward the back of the bar and through the door clearly marked Employees Only. But when she stopped to let her eyes adjust to the darkness of the narrow corridor, she felt him against her back, rigid and thick. Nope. Gabe sure didn’t mind going fast.

Finding the laundry room took very little time. Getting down to business once the door shut behind them was even quicker. A second after she pulled on the metal string dangling in the middle of the room, throwing the room into complete darkness, his arms came around her waist, lifting her up onto the tips of her boots.

His hands then traveled northward, cresting over her breasts, finding the nipples covered by cloth and satin. She arched against his hands, biting back a moan as his thumbs slid under her tank top and teased the satin-covered peaks. She never made a sound. Never.

Gabe growled low in his throat, grinding his pelvis against her. The rush of heat flooding her core had her rocking back against him. One hand left her breast, slipping down the curve of her stomach and flare of her hip. His hand slid under her skirt, skimming over her thighs. When his fingers brushed her already damp panties, he growled again.

Just like Julian had predicted on the rooftop, the fragile barrier of clothing remained. Gabe palmed her covered sex, rubbing his thumb over her clit until she squirmed against his hand.

Desperation rose in her so sharply she almost cried out. The desire—the need to lose herself in nothing but sensation, even for just a few moments—took over.

Then, without any warning, the image of Julian flashed behind her closed lids. What the hell? She didn’t want him in her head while she was doing this. She focused on Gabe’s handsome face, and when that failed, she pictured other men. But once her mind provided the image of Julian, the forbidden fantasy took root.

It was him moving behind her, holding her in his strong arms, his fingers teasing her mercilessly. Heart racing, she gripped Gabe’s arms as the intense pressure began to build in her core.

Gabe pulled back, turning her and grasping her hips. He lifted her onto the edge of the washer, parting her thighs with his hands and legs. They were positioned like two lovers would be, fully ready to take part in each other’s flesh. But there were rules, boundaries between them that would never be crossed. No kissing. No penetration of any kind. Gabe never pushed it, never talked about it. And he never complained when it was done. Or talked about what they did. She knew he believed Luke would chop off his balls if he even suspected him of messing with her. So their private shenanigans worked for them.

After all this time—and damn Julian for somehow figuring it out—she was still a virgin. Barely. As messed up as it sounded, it was the only thing that was truly hers. The only thing she could give someone that didn’t belong to the Sanctuary and wasn’t controlled by her Contract.

She kept her eyes closed, her treacherous mind holding the image of Julian in front of her. No matter how many times she pushed him from her thoughts, he came right back with a vengeance. Damn him.

But oh—oh, my—the fantasy was driving her to new heights. Her skin was on fire as she reached down, unzipped his fly, and pulled him out. His free hand slammed into the washer, denting it as she wrapped her hand around his cock.

Sammy was going to be pissed.

“Damn,” Gabe groaned, thrusting into her palm as she worked him ruthlessly. “Really bad night, huh?”

“You have no idea.” She buried her head in his neck as she scooted closer, bringing their bodies so close he had to shift to keep his hand between her legs.

She wrapped a leg around his hips as the tension built deep inside her. The tip of his cock nestled just below his hand. Their bodies rocked together, but still apart. His cock was swelling in her hand, and she knew he probably wanted to bury himself deep inside her—but he wouldn’t. And then the tension was spiraling, breaking apart and shattering. She threw her head back, biting down on her lips until she tasted blood. Bliss washed over her. In those moments, as lightning zinged through her veins, she was free of the chains she wore. Her brain clicked off. It was just her body and the delicious feeling of her inner muscles spasming.

Gabe’s hoarse shout came, and he jerked back a little, spilling warm liquid over her thigh. His cock jumped in her hand as his body spasmed. They stayed like that for a few moments, breathing heavily and riding out the weak aftershocks. Then he groped blindly for the pile of clean white towels, cleaned her up, and then himself.

When he was done, he pressed his lips to the spot just below her ear. “Have more bad nights, love.”

All of her clever responses dried up and vanished. He was gone before she opened her eyes. Normally that wouldn’t have bothered her. They were two consenting adults, and they hadn’t even had sex. But as she sat on the edge of the washer and the pounding in her heart slowed, she felt a yearning for…something more than this.

This was what she was outside of the Sanctuary, driven to impersonal hookups in a dark—she sniffed daintily—funny-smelling laundry room with coworkers. Sure, there was fondness between them, but this wasn’t about love or even lust.

It was just two people working off stress and getting off.

Loneliness, the kind she’d never been familiar with, settled in her chest. This is my life, she realized dumbly. This was what she sacrificed for a higher calling. Hell, maybe she should’ve read the fine print in her Contract.