Burn

  Silas shrugged casually, though he no longer looked so relaxed. “I’m simply having a friendly chat with the little she-demon here.”

  Tanner glanced at her briefly. “She doesn’t look like she considers you a friend.”

  “I think I offended her by walking into the room without waiting for a ‘come in.’ I suppose it was kind of stupid.”

  At that moment, another demon breezed inside. “Stupid is coming here in the first place.” Just like that, the atmosphere snapped taut with tension. How Knox got there so fast, she didn’t know. Some kind of teleportation, maybe…She didn’t care to figure it out right then.

  As his dark eyes locked on hers, her body immediately responded – heating, burning, longing. Her inner demon perked right up, excited to see him, despite the circumstances. He scrutinized her from head to toe, as if checking that she was fine. Then his eyes slammed on Silas, instantly hardening.

  “Knox,” mumbled Silas nervously.

  When Knox arched a questioning brow at Tanner, the hellhound said, “Silas here claims to be having a friendly chat with Harper.”

  Knox narrowed his eyes at Silas. “Just why would you concern yourself with my anchor?” He was so composed, it was chilling. Harper actually felt the room temperature lower.

  “Anchor?” echoed Silas.

  Tanner tilted his head. “You haven’t heard the rumors about Knox and Harper? Strange.”

  Strange? More like doubtful, in Harper’s opinion. Knox had made it public, and news traveled fast in the demon world. But why would Silas play this weird game if he knew Knox was her anchor?

  “I’m going to ask you a question,” Knox rumbled as he advanced on Silas. His inner demon wanted nothing more than to rip him apart, and Knox found the idea particularly tempting. But he needed something from the little shit, and he’d get it. “It would be good for you to answer me honestly. I don’t like it when people lie to me. It’s very disappointing.” Silas swallowed hard as Knox halted in front of him. He didn’t cower, to his credit. But his fear was easy to see, and it satisfied Knox’s demon. “Did someone put you up to this, Silas? Or was this little test your idea?”

  “Test?” repeated Harper.

  Knox didn’t move his gaze from Silas as he explained to Harper. “A test to see just how important you are to me. Just how protective I am and just how quick I’ll act on any issue you might have. The answer to that, Silas, is that she is very important to me. And it would be the height of stupidity to harm her by word or deed, because I will eviscerate anyone who dares to do so.”

  Picking up movement near the doorway, Harper noticed that Raini was fanning her face; it was typical that she would find the dominant, protective routine arousing.

  “This is the part where you assure me that you are no threat to Harper,” Knox told Silas.

  “I’m no threat to her,” Silas swore.

  “Good. Before you leave, I want the answer to my question.”

  “This was my idea. It was wrong, and I apologize.”

  Knox narrowed his eyes as he invaded the demon’s personal space. “I told you that I don’t like it when people lie to me. Why would you want to disappoint me so badly, Silas?”

  Harper eyed Knox curiously. He looked merely mildly irritated, but his rage pulsed around the room, unnerving even her inner demon despite that it believed he wouldn’t harm it.

  Silas, on the other hand, was sweating with fear. “I can’t tell you,” he mumbled, licking his lips nervously. “I would if I could, but I can’t. I’m under a compulsion.”

  There was a long pause, so Harper asked, “Is he telling the truth?” That was when Silas fell to his knees, crying out in sheer agony. He rocked back and forth as he cradled his head, and she instantly knew what was happening. “You’ve thrust your mind into his,” she accused Knox. And that scared the shit out of her.

  “The compulsion is strong,” commented Knox, withdrawing from Silas’ mind. “I sensed it. You are unable to give us a name. But I also learned something else, Silas. Do you know what that was? I learned that you were eager to do this. So eager that you volunteered.”

  “He didn’t expect you to come,” Tanner theorized. “Did you?”

  Silas got to his feet. “You don’t have loyalty to anyone outside your lair,” he said to Knox. “You don’t exactly keep people around you. I didn’t think you’d care.”

  It was true that although Knox protected his lair fiercely, he only kept his sentinels around him. And now Harper.

  “I didn’t think she’d be important to you,” continued Silas. “You’re too powerful to need an anchor.”

  “Do you think flattery will get you out of this?” chuckled Tanner.

  Drawing on every bit of strength he had, Knox resisted killing the bastard. His inner demon wanted it badly, reminded Knox how effortless and satisfying it would be. But Knox had to be smart about this. “There’s only one reason I’m allowing you to live…for now…and that’s that I need you to go back to whoever sent you and tell them just how suicidal it would be to harm my anchor. You should also let them know that if they or anyone else ever considers using her against me, they’ll pay in ways they don’t want to imagine.”

  A paling Silas nodded and, after one last look at Harper, quickly scampered.

  Devon stepped into the room with Raini. “That was really all a test?” Her face suddenly scrunched up and she hissed at Tanner, looking ready to pounce.

  Pure male amusement took over the sentinel’s face. “What’s wrong, kitty?” Yeah, hellhounds and hellcats had an instinctive aversion to the other.

  “Tanner, follow him,” ordered Knox. “I want to know who sent him.” The sentinel swiftly left and, taking a deep breath, Knox held out his hand to Harper. “Come.” He needed to get out of there, and he needed her with him to keep him calm. Levi should have arrived in the Bentley by now, considering the expertise of his driving skills.

  “I’m at work,” she pointed out.

  “But she can totally leave early.” Raini was such a bitch. “I’m Raini, by the way. That’s Devon.”

  Knox gave them a simple nod of greeting before gripping Harper by the wrist. “Let’s go.”

  Harper was impressed by how easily Knox shrugged off Raini’s succubae allure. Tanner, too, seemed to have withstood it very well. As Knox hauled her outside where Levi waited and practically shoved her into the Bentley, she cursed. “You might find this surprising, but I don’t like being dragged around.” He didn’t respond. “Where are we going?”

  “My home.”

  His ‘home’ turned out to be a goddamn mansion. Holy fuck.

  They had barely reached the door when it opened wide, revealing a tall, elegant demon who nodded respectfully at Knox. “Evening, Mr. Thorne.”

  “Dan, this is Harper Wallis, my anchor.”

  Dan presented her with a polite smile. “I’m happy to meet you, Miss Wallis.”

  Unaccustomed to gentility, Harper merely responded, “Um, you too.” No sooner had Dan taken her jacket in the marble foyer than Knox urged her into a high-ceiling living area that was like something out of a magazine. With its mahogany walls and light pine flooring, it might have looked plain if it wasn’t for the blue-tinted windows, the incredible paintings, the ocean blue Persian rug, and the spotlights in the ceiling and on the walls.

  At Knox’s gesture, Harper gingerly sat on one of the two beige half-moon sofas that circled a pine coffee table, feeling completely out of place and unable to relax.

  A few moments later, a small Hispanic woman appeared. “Mr. Thorne, dinner won’t be ready for another hour. Can I get you and your guest anything?”

  “Meg, this is Harper Wallis, my anchor. Harper, this is Meg – the best cook you’ll ever have the pleasure of knowing.”

  Flushing, Meg smiled at Harper. “It’s a pleasure to meet you. Is there anything I can get for you?”

  “I’m good, thanks.”

  “We’re both fine for now, Meg.” With a respectful
nod, the woman scurried away. When Knox saw Harper open her mouth – most likely to castigate him for not asking in advance what she’d like to eat – he said the one thing guaranteed to distract her. “I had a visit from Carla today.”

  She blinked. “Really?”

  “She wanted to know if there was any truth in the rumors that you’re my anchor. I confirmed that you are.”

  “Did she cry?”

  Her expression was so hopeful, he had to smile. “No.”

  “Damn,” she muttered. Knox moved to a little bar behind them that she hadn’t even noticed until then.

  “Drink?” She shook her head, so Knox simply prepared himself a small glass of gin and tonic. “What did your family tell you about her over the years?”

  “Not much, actually. Just that I should never think there was anything wrong with me simply because my mother dumped me; that some people are just too selfish to care about anyone but themselves.”

  “She claims she tried to see you over the years, that Jolene and Lucian kept her away.”

  Harper snorted. “They probably would have kept her away if she’d tried. But I’m pretty sure she didn’t.” Knox’s expression was inscrutable, but she suspected, “You believe her.”

  Knox lounged on the sofa, directly opposite her. “What I believe is that it’s important for you to have the facts about your life.”

  “The fact is that the woman doesn’t, and never has, wanted me.”

  “She asked me to tell you that she’s always loved you, thought of you often.”

  “I’ll bet she did.” Carla was, according to Jolene, as cunning as they came. “She’s taking preemptive steps, worried I’ll switch to your lair and request for her to be cast out.”

  Knox did want Harper to join his lair, but they’d get to that at a later point. He had to do things one step at a time with Harper or she’d withdraw from him rather than accept his place in her life. “You’re very sure she doesn’t care for you?”

  “Since moving to Vegas, I saw her a couple of times. She dismissed me with a haughty look. So, yes, I’m very sure.”

  That had anger bubbling inside of him. “Knowing that makes me want to cast her out.”

  “Nah, it’ll be more fun to have her stick around. She likes to pretend I don’t exist. But you can’t pretend someone doesn’t exist if they’re being paraded in front of your entire lair, can you?”

  Her impish grin made him smile. “You have a lot of Jolene in you.”

  “I’ll take that as a compliment.”

  “You should. Your grandmother is strong and a good Prime.” He took a swig of his gin and tonic.

  “So…you can crash right through people’s mental shields and invade their minds.”

  He could see that it concerned her. “Even if your shields weren’t impenetrable, it’s not something I would ever have done to you. You never have to fear that I’ll harm you.”

  “Because you’re one big, cuddly bear, right?”

  “Cuddly? Definitely not. But you’re my anchor, you’re safe with me.” He took another drink of his gin and tonic. “Have you thought any more about attending the conference with me in New York?”

  “So you can introduce me to all the other Primes as your anchor?”

  “The sooner your importance to me is well-known, the sooner you’ll be considered untouchable.” And the sooner people like Silas and his friends would think twice about bothering her to ‘test’ him.

  “I don’t see the point in you introducing me to everyone.”

  “I’ve already told you, whether we bond or not won’t change anything. I’ll still be in your life. I have rights to you that no one else will ever have.”

  At the sound of approaching footsteps, Knox turned his head to see three of his sentinels striding into the room. He knew them well enough to sense something was wrong. Rising, he asked, “What is it?” When Keenan slanted a glance at Harper, Knox assured him, “You can talk freely in front of her.” One way to get Harper to trust him would be to show her that he was willing to give her that same trust. “Harper, you already know Levi. This is Keenan and Larkin, two of my sentinels. Keenan, Larkin – this is my anchor, as I’m sure you’ve already guessed.”

  The moment Keenan’s hooded, blue eyes met hers, waves of need assailed Harper, bringing her senses to life. Incubus, she knew. Like succubae, they oozed sex and stirred a person’s lust with a mere look. Still, it was nothing compared to the effect that Knox had on her body.

  Keenan was what someone might call cutely hot with his boyish face, adorable smile, and tall, defined body. Larkin was, in a word, stunning. She had a warrior-type figure, and her wide eyes were an unusual blend of gray and green. She was also the female who, with Tanner, had escorted Harper to Knox’s office in the Underground. Harper wasn’t sure what breed she was.

  “A whole building of strays has gone missing,” revealed Keenan. “You know how they sometimes group together for protection, right? Well, every single stray in that building has gone.”

  “Where did this happen?” asked Knox.

  “In a neighborhood close to where Harper lives.”

  Knox stiffened. “No witnesses? No sign of foul play?”

  “None,” said Larkin, lounging on one of the sofas. “They just disappeared.”

  Harper spoke. “Strays have been going missing?” Knox merely nodded, his gaze suddenly burning with intensity as it focused on her. “What? Why are you looking at me like that?”

  “Your current address isn’t a safe place. It’s in a high crime area.”

  “I’m aware of this. But you say it like this makes me a special case. Lots of people live in that area and similar areas.”

  “Their lives aren’t important to me. Yours is.”

  As understanding hit her, she shook her head. “Hell no, you are not setting me up in another apartment.”

  “You heard what’s happening. Strays near you were taken. I know you’re not a stray, but you can’t deny that it would be better for you to be in a more secure building in a safer area.”

  “You installed a security system at my building, remember?”

  Keenan suddenly spoke to Harper, wonder in his voice. “You’re not an imp, are you? I figured you were the same breed as the rest of your family.” He studied her closely as he and the other male sentinels took a seat. “What are you?”

  Harper didn’t answer, too intent on making Knox see reason. “A better apartment doesn’t equal safety. People from all walks of life are targeted by criminals.”

  “Moving away from there would dramatically reduce your chances of being targeted. If you’re worried about rent, don’t. I own the building I have in mind for you.”

  “Of course you do,” she muttered. “I’m not accepting any grand shit from you.”

  “Is this about pride? Pride won’t keep you safe, Harper.”

  “Come on, tell me, what are you?” Keenan begged her as he pulled a flask out of his jacket.

  Again, she ignored him. “I can protect myself just fine. I’ve been doing it for a long time.”

  The reminder that she’d pretty much raised herself didn’t lessen Knox’s frustration. Just as agitated, his demon pushed to the surface – making Knox’s eyes bleed to black for a second. Knox pushed it back down. “I don’t doubt that you’re capable of protecting yourself. But those strays were probably capable of it too. Yet, they were all taken.”

  Keenan interrupted, “Seriously, what are you?”

  She sighed at him. “I’m a sphinx.” Seeing that Knox was about to speak again, she held up her hand. “I appreciate the gesture, but no. I don’t want expensive things from you, and I don’t want to move away from my lair. It’s not going to happen.”

  “So damn stubborn.”

  “I believe I did warn you about that.”

  “She did,” Levi verified, smiling.

  It took supreme effort to make Knox stop grinding his teeth. The she-demon drove him insane. It was a wise person
who acknowledged their strengths and their weaknesses, and Knox was smart about many things. He was good at reading people and what they wanted, at predicting how people would react to situations, and at figuring how to get what he wanted from them – and then at getting it. Harper, however…she left him stumped. “Then we find a compromise.”

  “What kind of compromise?”

  “Something that enables me to ensure your protection without requiring you to change address. You can come with me to the conference.”

  Taking a swig from his flask, Keenan’s brow furrowed. “It might not be a good idea for Harper to be there.”

  “Why?” asked Larkin.

  “Isla might be offended by Harper’s presence,” Keenan pointed out. “Might even try to harm her.”

  “Isla Ross?” Harper turned to Knox. “Is she some kind of jealous ex? Did you two shake the sheets in the past?”

  Knox frowned. “No.”

  “Then why would she have an issue with me?” When Knox didn’t respond, she sighed. “Fine, you don’t have to tell me.” Harper refused to believe that it was disappointment that hit her on the realization that he didn’t trust her.

  If he hadn’t spent the past week studying Harper so intently, he might have missed the hurt in her tone. “It’s not that I don’t trust you with this information. But much like you, I don’t like sharing details about my personal life.” Especially anything related to his past. Seeing that she looked mollified, he relaxed. “But…I won’t have you walk into a situation blind, and as I fully intend to take you to the conference, I will trust you with the facts.”

  “I won’t repeat them,” she promised.

  “I know you won’t. When I was twelve and my parents died, I was placed in a sanctuary for stray demon children. That’s where I met my sentinels. Isla was also there. We all watched out for each other.”

  “So, you’re all kind of close?”

  “Yes.”

  “Then why would she wish to harm your anchor?” At his shifty expression, she narrowed her eyes. “What?”

  “Isla convinced herself I was her anchor. I knew she was wrong, but she refused to listen to me. She was angry with me because she believed I was rejecting her. So she left us and joined the lair that she was made Prime of only a decade later.” Knox shrugged. “It could be that she’s realized she was wrong. We’ve come across each other over the years and she never mentioned it. Hoping that it could be forgotten, I never raised the subject. Maybe it has been forgotten. After all, it’s been a long time.”