Devil Take Me (7 page)

“I need to go buy clothes,” she mumbled against his mouth, but he could hear her reluctance to move from his arms in every word. “And a toothbrush and toothpaste.”

“Yes, you must,” Namtar agreed, unable to keep his hand from sliding between the folds of her robe and capturing one pebbled berry-colored nipple in his fingers.

She gasped. “Are you saying my breath is that bad?”

“No, your breath is sweet. I will crave the taste of you for eternity.”

She moaned in response and intensified her efforts at his mouth, her teeth nipping at his lip before she suckled his tongue with enough force to draw a groan from his own mouth.

“Enough, woman. Go, I shall await your return at which time I suggest we find alternate dwelling arrangements. We must find a secure place where Roger will not find you, and we will have need of food and sleep eventually.”

“And talk,” she reminded him, though she didn’t look as stern as she sounded with her lips parted and her face flushed with desire.

“Yes, talk, and hopefully other, more enjoyable activities as well.” Namtar smiled as Annie’s cheeks burned an even deeper red. His temptress was also amazingly shy of her desires, a fact that enflamed him even further. He was becoming more infatuated with her every passing moment.

As Annie left the car and scurried into the store with the large red sign—shaped like a target for shooting practice, thusly explaining its name—Namtar prayed the talk she insisted they have would go well. Surely she would be able to see there were many advantages to becoming his human consort. A soul was a precious commodity indeed, but so was soul-shaking passion, a thing his sweet Annie had obviously had too little of in her life if she was so eager to keep a strange man with stranger powers by her side. Perhaps he would be able to convince her that entrusting her life and her future to him was the wisest course of action.

And hopefully convince himself in the process.

How had she forgotten to call in sick to work? She must be losing her mind! In eight years of teaching she’d never simply failed to show up to a class. She deserved every nasty word Marion was hurling her direction, but that didn’t make them any easier to hear.

“As I said, I take complete responsibility, I just—I just—” Annie swallowed hard, struggling to focus on the conversation, not the hundred other concerns swirling through her head. Her fiancé might actually be trying to kill her and she had an alien who could cause wasting death in her car. For some reason one missed English class wasn’t at the top of her list at the moment.

“You just didn’t think, Ms. Theophilus, or take your responsibilities seriously. That much is obvious.”

“Listen, Marion, I—”

“No you listen, Ms. Theophilus. I’ve had it with your scatterbrained ways. I tried to turn a blind eye when you kept returning to work to fetch this or that, but this time you’ve gone too far. I feel it is my duty to—”

“Hold on a minute, Ms. Kettle,” Annie said, her tone sharper than any she’d ever used with another adult. “I just found out last night that my fiancé was being unfaithful with a woman from my complex, I was attacked on my way into my apartment by a vagrant, and now I’ve learned my-my-my grandmother has died.”

Annie knew her eyes were as round as saucers and was thankful Marion couldn’t see her face. She was a horrible liar, probably because she had way too little practice. She’d always been honest to a fault, only bending the truth when it was necessary to spare someone’s feelings. Annie had never told a falsehood to save her own skin. Ever. But then she’d never had a one night stand or been shot at or gone shopping in her bathrobe either. It was a day for firsts.

“Oh…dear. Well, why didn’t you say something sooner? I’m so sorry to hear about your…losses.” Marion cleared her throat, and when she next spoke her voice was markedly sweeter. “I hope you’re all right, dear.”

“I am. Just flustered after making the police report last night and arranging to go to my grandmother’s funeral this morning.” Annie considered sending up a quick prayer for forgiveness for her sin, but then remembered she’d told every god in the universe to go to hell last night. It was too late for forgiveness, and if she was in for a penny she was in for a pound. She rushed on before she could think better of it. “Unfortunately, I’ll be needing tomorrow and all of next week off as well, Marion. I hope you can arrange that for me. I would really appreciate the help in this trying time.”

Well the last part was true enough. She would appreciate the help, especially coming from the old bag who had done her best to get Annie fired two years ago so her niece could claim her position in the English department.

“Of course, and don’t worry about today either, Annie. I’ll talk to Mr. Snelling. I’m sure he’ll understand and remove any remarks he might have made on your employment record.”

He might have made. Right. As if they both didn’t know Mr. Snelling hadn’t handled his own paperwork for going on fifteen years.

“Thanks so much, Marion. You really are such an asset to the school. I’ll be in touch.” She hung up the phone, knowing she should feel horrible, wicked for telling such lies. And a part of her did, but the other part felt…triumphant. Damn, who knew sinning could feel so fabulous?

You did, starting last night. Surely some of what you two did is expressly outlawed somewhere in the Bible.

Annie grinned at the direction her thoughts were taking and made her way back to the car with a bit of a wiggle in her walk. The little sundress she’d found on sale was way shorter than anything she’d usually wear, revealing not only her knees but quite a bit of thigh as well. But for some reason she hadn’t thought twice about dressing more provocatively than usual. She felt more provocative. Despite the strange and, at times, terrifying turn of events this morning, she was still experiencing the positive effects of what she and Namtar had shared the night before.

She’d needed to get laid like that, needed to see a man lose his mind and self control with lust for her. In fact, she had realized as she brushed her teeth and combed a bit of water and mousse through her hair in the bathroom, she’d never been happier. Crazy or not, if today proved her day to die, she’d go with a smile on her face.

Of course, she’d prefer not to go at all, which meant she might want to seriously consider what the hell she was going to do next. Calling the police still seemed the logical choice. She could check Namtar into a hotel and then go alone to the station, that way he wouldn’t have to risk touching anyone. The last thing she wanted at the moment was to make another trip downtown, but she didn’t see she had a choice.

Someone had shot up her house and tried to kill her. If she honestly didn’t want to end up dead, she was going to have to take a few precautions, whether Namtar thought it was a good idea or not.

“Right, and no time like the present.” While Namtar changed into his new clothes, she’d get her cell phone and call the number on the card one of the officers had given her last night.

Annie’s breath come faster as her car and the man in question came into view. Namtar had rolled down the windows and had one large arm hanging out in the sun. It seemed he’d also appropriated the sunglasses Roger had left in her glove compartment. Even with his long hair tangled around his shoulders and a bit of scruff on his face, he looked…delicious, sexier than any man she’d ever dreamed she’d see in real life, let alone have in her bed.

And he had a thing for her. This man, who looked like some gladiator movie hero come to life, thought she was attractive, sensual, desirable. It was obvious in the way he looked her up and down when she stopped outside his window, his hand coming to tug at the bottom of her dress.

“Lovely.” His fingers trailed down the inside of her thigh before he pulled his hand away. A rush of heat dampened Annie’s brand new underpants and a shudder ran through her body. Sane or not, that hotel room was sounding like a really good idea—the sooner they could get there the better.

“Thanks, I got these for you.” She handed him the bag containing the shoes, boxer briefs, jeans, shorts and three pack of black T-shirts. She’d purchased the largest size in each, hoping they would be a decent fit, at least until they could get to a store specializing in larger men’s clothing. “Do you want to go into the store and change or wait until we find a place to stay?”

“I will wait. In a crowded store it might prove difficult to refrain from touching one of the humans. In the past, females of the species have been known to touch me of their own free will.”

“I bet they have,” Annie muttered, thinking back to last night and the irresistible urge to rub her entire body all over him.

“Perhaps it is an aspect of my magic. Not having spent much time among humans, I can’t be sure.”

“Could be.” Annie smiled. The man obviously didn’t realize it didn’t take magic to make a woman want to run her hands over a body like his. For now, she decided not to enlighten him.

“Very well, let us seek lodging. I fear you are not safe here in the open.” He placed the bag in his lap. For the first time, Annie realized how uncomfortable he must be. His knees were bent at an odd angle and his head nearly touched the ceiling. Her car was a compact and Namtar was anything but. She might have to think about renting something larger if they were going to—

Going to what? Annie, get a grip, this man is not boyfriend material. He’s an alien or a magical creature or…something. You aren’t prepared to handle him, whatever he is. Just get him to a hotel, help him get on his feet in this world and then get busy attending to your own problems. Of which you have several.

Annie slammed the driver’s-side door a little harder than was necessary. Damned voice of reason. But it was right.

While Namtar started the car, she plucked her cell phone from the cup holder and dug the card she’d received last night from her purse.

“I’m going to call one of the policeman I spoke with last night, just to ask him what I should do next.”

Namtar scowled. “If you feel you must, though I am prepared to protect you, to ensure you are never threatened by this villain again.”

“Thank you,” Annie said, his words sending a shiver of apprehension up her spine. She might have enjoyed her sin a few minutes ago, but telling lies and accepting what seemed like an offer to “do away” with her ex-fiancé were very different things. Seemingly nice man or not, she would do well to watch herself around Namtar. Anyone who appeared so comfortable with murder was not a person she should treat lightly.

Though, if Roger really were responsible for the shooting, she had lived with such a person for three years, and been engaged to marry him for two. God, her life was getting complicated. She wished she’d taken the time to go down the medications aisle and score a bottle of ibuprofen. She sensed she was going to need it before the day was through.

“I won’t mention you to anyone, don’t worry,” Annie assured Namtar as she punched numbers into the phone.

Detective Stephen Peters had seemed like a nice guy, although he might have simply been assigned the roll of “good cop” for the evening of Annie’s interrogation. But when he’d given her the card, she was pretty sure she’d seen compassion in his eyes, as if he knew this was not the first time Roger had done something horrible enough to deserve to be run over with his own car, only the first time she’d reacted the way any average person would.

He’d told her to call him if she needed any help. Only now, after spending the night and morning with Namtar, did Annie realize the detective probably suspected she was in an abusive relationship and was offering to help her find a way out. If that were so, he hopefully wouldn’t mind the personal call. Annie didn’t know much about police protocol, but assumed she should have just called 911 after the shots were fired, not the private number of the officer who had interrogated her the night before. Especially considering the poor man probably worked the night shift and had been asleep before she called.

“Hello, Peters.” The voice was low and rough, sleepy sounding. Annie winced.

“Hello, this Annie Theophilus…from last night? The woman who had the, um, accident with her fiancé’s car? I hope I didn’t wake you.”

“You didn’t. Where are you Ms. Theophilus?” He instantly sounded more alert, and a prickle of unease made the hairs rise on Annie’s arms. She turned down the air conditioner.

“I’m at the store,” she said, deliberately vague, though she didn’t know why. She had nothing to hide, no reason to be afraid of the police. She’d been released and no charges had been pressed. So why did she suddenly feel like this phone call was a very bad idea? “I drove here because I thought I’d be safe. Someone shot at my condo this morning. I think it was Roger, but I can’t be sure. I didn’t see anyone.”

“Where are you, Ms. Theophilus?”

“Why…um, why do you want to know?”

He took a deep breath and let it out in a rush. “A call came in thirty minutes ago. Your fiancé reported he’d been fired on while in your condo. He said you hadn’t come home last night and he suspected you were responsible for the shots.”

“What?! That’s insane! I was at the condo last night. He was the one who didn’t come home.”

“Do you have anyone who can verify that, Ms. Theophilus?”

Annie shot a panicked look to where Namtar sat, his muscles tensed as if he prepared to do battle with whatever it was that had upset her. “No, I…no. I was alone.” She couldn’t mention Namtar, it was too dangerous. But Roger couldn’t have known that. What the hell was he up to? “But, I swear, Roger didn’t come home. I was there, I—”

“He has a witness who will swear he was at the address last night.”

Carla. Annie was sure of it.

“Well, his witness is lying. I’ll swear to that.”

“The witness also saw a woman with dark black hair shooting a gun from a parked car outside your address. We’ve only just started calling your neighbors, but we’ve gotten two more positive I.D.’s on a woman with curly, dark hair.” Detective Peters sounded sad, disappointed in her. Tears welled in Annie’s eyes. Nothing got to her like disappointment. She hated letting people down.

She hated being framed for attempted murder even more.

“I swear to you, Detective, I didn’t shoot anything. I’ve never shot a gun in my life. I wouldn’t know how even if I wanted to. You have to believe me. This has Roger written all over it. He was mad at me for calling off the engagement last night, and now he’s trying to get back at me by ruining my life.” Her voice broke off on a hysterical sob. She couldn’t help herself. She wasn’t equipped to handle something like this. She was an English teacher for God’s sake, not a criminal.

“I’m willing to hear your side of the story, Annie, but you’re going to need to come in for questioning. I can meet you at the station in thirty minutes.” The line went quiet, Peters obviously waiting for her response. Unfortunately, Annie’s mouth was hanging open in shock, unable to form words. “Or I can send a car to pick you up. Where are you shopping? In the Santa Clarita area?”