Fury of Obsession (Dragonfury Series Book 5) (25 page)

Delight trickled down her spine. Evelyn clenched her teeth to stifle a sigh. “Stop it.”

“I’m not doing anything.”

“Yes, you are,” she said with a growl. “You’re trying to distract me.”

His lips twitched. “Is it working?”

Too well. Better than it should be. Not that she would admit it. “Let me go—right now.”

“No.”

His denial lit the fuse on her temper. Evelyn tamped it back down, banking it in favor of going the reasonable route. Antagonizing him wasn’t the best idea. Guys like Venom didn’t respond well to threats. All the hours she’d spent sitting around boardroom tables with bigwigs told her that much. Venom possessed that kind of stubborn streak. She could tell just by looking at him. And honestly, he held all the cards—along with her ass—in the palm of his hand at the moment. Needing the lay of the land, searching for a way to reason with him, Evelyn glanced over her shoulder.

Ah, crap. She’d just run out of time.

Exit door at twelve o’clock and coming up fast.

“Venom, listen to me,” she said. “I can’t leave here.”

“Sure you can.”

God help her, he didn’t understand. No way she could leave the quarantine area. Not without confirming the results of her blood tests first. It didn’t matter that she felt fine. Asymptomatic didn’t mean uninfected. It simply meant the virus hadn’t struck yet. Dr. Milford had warned her about the possibility of delayed onset. She was young. She was healthy. She’d never been ill a day in her life, s
o . . .
yeah. Being the last one to get sick made a certain amount of sense.

“Don’t worry about it,” Venom murmured, breaking into her line of thought.

“What?”

“You’re not sick.”

“You can’t know that.”

“I already do,” he said, reaching the end of the corridor. Without breaking stride, he leaned in, used his shoulder, and slammed into the twin panels. The doors flew open, then closed with a violent hiss behind them. “If you were, I’d have detected the sickness in your blood. You’re free and clear, Evie.”

His assurance made her heart skip a beat. She blew out a shaky breath.
Free and clear.
Both sounded wonderful right now. Like great news after a terrible scare, bu
t . . .

It didn’t make any sense.

Venom couldn’t know. Couldn’t be sure of her health any more than she could be sure of his motives. Everything about the situation pointed to crazy. Venom’s arrival inside the hospital. The unusual color of his eyes. Her reaction to him. Despite all the chaos, she didn’t feel threatened by him. Worried by the situation? Yes. Frightened by all the chaos? Sure. Off balance and headed into foreign territory? Absolutely. Even so, something about him settled her nerves. Made her feel safe and put her on solid ground.

She could trust him.

He wouldn’t hurt her.

Staring at his profile, Evelyn tested the theory, questioning its validity. Certainty rose up, then drilled down, giving credence to the idea. No rhyme. No reason. Not a shred of proof. And yet, in that moment, she picked up his vibe and read his intentions.

He had one objective—her protection.

“What’s going on?” she asked, her face close to his, her voice nothing more than a strained whisper. “Why are you here?”

Venom didn’t answer. Didn’t look at her either.

He pivoted toward a closed door instead. With a swift kick, he hammered the handle. A bang rang out against his boot sole. Reinforced steel groaned, then obeyed, flying open, allowing him to step over the threshold and into the stairwell. Releasing her bottom, he swung her legs around. One arm caught behind her knees, the other settled against her back. Cradled in his arms now, she expected him to go down, toward the main floor and the parking lot. He went up instead. Muscles bunching, handling her as though she weighed nothing, he took the stairs two at a time. Cinder-block walls sped past. A metal railing spun them around a landing and onto another set of treads.

“Venom, please tell me what is happening.” A death grip on his jacket, she jostled him.

Not that her attempt moved him. Tall, strong, built for endurance, he barely noticed the shove.

And didn’t slow a bit.

Worrisome, but for one thing. She’d already determined he was on her side. The why of it, though, still bothered her. She liked neat. Enjoyed tidy. Everything stacked in perfect piles on her desk. Logic equaled sanity, and knowledge precipitated power. He must have a reason for helping her. His appearance in the hotel, and now here, couldn’t be a coincidenc
e . . .
she pursed her lip
s . . .
could it?

Chewing on the question, Evelyn frowned.

Venom vaulted over the top step. As his boots thumped down, a new idea took form. Suspicion rose in its wake. She inhaled in sharp surprise. “Are you a cop? Have you been following me? Is this about Markov?”

The Exit sign to the roof flashed in her periphery.

His gaze sharpened on her. “Is he the one who put the marks on your arm?”

Evelyn opened her mouth to answer.

Venom cut her off. “You’ll tell me about him later.”

His harsh tone pushed a shiver down her spine. Not a question. A statement of fact. One he backed up with his eyes. The intense look gave Evelyn pause. Again. For the hundredth time since she’d met him. It seemed to be a running theme with Venom—gentle one moment, full of warning the next.

She swallowed past the lump in her throat. “I don’t understand.”

“I know you don’t,” he said, understanding in his voice. “I didn’t want it to be this way. I don’t want to frighten you, bu
t . . .
” Pausing on the top landing, Venom dropped her feet to the floor. Rough concrete chilled the bottom of her bare soles. Her dress fell back into place, flirting with the tops of her kneecaps. He shrugged out of his jacket. Heavy leather settled around her shoulders, pushing Venom’s heat into her skin as he raised his hands and cupped her face. “I’ll answer all your questions, Evie, I promise. For now, trust me a little further. We need to go. It isn’t safe here.”

He sounded so sincere. Beyond solid. More than trustworthy too.

It took her a split second to decide. Her life had seen better days. And crazier things than trusting Venom had happened. After the endless strife over the last year. After all the uncertainty. After being stuck in quarantine and caught in a firestorm. All she wanted was out—away from the chaos, far from the pain and the memory of Mema’s passing. Sorrow tightened her throat. She swallowed hard and buried it deep down, refusing to cry.

He said it wasn’t safe.

She believed him.

So no, now wasn’t the right time. Giving voice to her grief would have to wait. For a little while longer.

“Okay.” Fighting to control her fear, she held his gaze, then nodded. “Let’s go.”

Pride sparked in his eyes an instant before he dipped his head. His mouth brushed hers. A quick kiss. A fast taste. A gentle nip. Intimacy in under a second flat. Efficiency at its worst. Deprivation at its best, and then he was gone. Back to business, ushering her out through the open door and onto the rooftop. Chilly air made her shiver. Evelyn snuggled deeper into the folds of Venom’s jacket as sharp stones bit underfoot. Thunder boomed overhead. Lightning struck, lighting up the night sky and—

Something moved in the storm flash.

Evelyn’s focus snapped left. Her gaze collided with a—with
a . . .
incomprehension struck. Her mind went blank. Her eyes filled in the gaps. Black amber-tipped scales. Huge paws with razor-sharp claws. Golden eyes set in a horned head. A drago
n . . .
sitting less than one hundred feet away. Frozen in shock, Evelyn stared. The beast raised a scaly brow. Disbelief hovered. Terror shoved it out of the way. Adrenaline hit her like rocket fuel. With a yelp, Evelyn whipped around and fled toward the stairwell. Positioned like a linebacker behind her, Venom reached out. Using his arm like a bar, he curled it around her middle and lifted her feet off the ground.

“No!” Arms and legs churning, eyes riveted to the monster, she fought the lockdown. “Oh my God, are you crazy? Let go!”

“Easy, Evie. It’s just Wick.” The picture of calm, Venom carried her forward. She scrambled in full retreat, climbing him like a tree. Applying gentle pressure, he wrapped her up to keep her from wiggling free. “Sorry, love, but it’s about to get a whole lot weirder for you. It’s gonna be all right. Please remember I will never hurt you.”

She heard the regret in his voice. Saw the remorse in his eyes, but didn’t care as the air warped and Venom changed. As she watched in horror, he turned into a dragon. Dark-green scales replaced his golden skin. Hands and feet became huge paws with hooked claws. Massive wings with black webbing grew out of his shoulders. Ruby eyes aglow, he met her gaze as the spikes along his spine rattled in the rush of winter wind. His talons unfurled, then contracted around her. Ridged dragon skin brushed the nape of her neck. Evelyn screamed. Venom murmured her name, tone soothing, trying to reassure her.

But it was too late.

She’d trusted too quickly. Believed in him too fast. Put herself in his care without thinking through the consequences. Or demanding proof of what he intended. Now she would pay a steep price for her folly—no doubt with her life as Venom unfolded his wings and leapt skyward, away from the world she knew, into the bitter rush of danger she had yet to comprehend.

Chapter Sixteen

Clearing the top of a hospital smoke stack, Venom ascended into the sky. His night vision sparked. Prickles exploded over his horns. He angled his head and adjusted the pitch of his sonar, hunting for Razorbacks in storm clouds. Thunder rumbled above him. Humidity gathered on chilly air, preparing for Mother Nature’s hissy fit as he searched the horizon. Nothing yet. No flash of scales. No snarls of warning. Not even the flap of approaching wings in the dark. Just the soft buzz of awareness that told him he wasn’t home free yet.

A large pack was still in the area, playing hide-and-seek in the forest—between thick limbs of the dense foliage surrounding the town of Arlington. It wouldn’t be long before he caught sight of the enemy, though. Any second now, Bastian would pull the trigger. Smoke the assholes out of their hidey-holes. Go to town and unleash hell, killing multiple males in the process.

The thought should’ve made him happy. Hunting rogues always did.

But not tonight.

The higher Venom climbed, the worse he felt.

With a sharp shift, he banked hard and glanced down at his left paw. Tucked into a ball in the center of his palm, Evelyn shivered in the wind rush. The narrow gap between his black claws framed her face, making her look small, putting her on display an
d . . .
shit. No wonder she was scared. His conscience panged, kicking remorse into high gear. God. He hadn’t wanted it to go this way. Too bad circumstance didn’t care what he wanted. It threw up obstacles. Made him change tack. Frightened his female half to death. Now he didn’t know what to do, or how to help her get past her fear.

Another tremor rolled through her.

Desperate to keep her warm, he cupped one talon over the other, creating a pocket for her between his palms, and conjured a heat shield. The warm bubble settled around her. She blew out a choppy breath. He shook his head. Goddamn it. So much for doing it right and letting her acclimatize. Wooing her human-style was no longer an option. Neither was ignoring the fallout. No way around it now. He was in deep and sinking fast, stuck in iffy territory with a female who’d sooner leave him than look at him. So only one thing left to d
o . . .

Make it right for her. Fix it. Mend it. Glue it back togethe
r . . .
whatever. The method didn’t matter as long as Evelyn ceased to be afraid of him.

“Evelyn,” he murmured, hoping to calm her.

His voice reached her. Turning her face away, she compressed into a tighter ball.

“Come on,
mazleiha
.” Wind rattled over his scales as the street swung into a ninety-degree turn below him. Lamplight spilled onto the main drag. Taking his gaze off the human town, Venom tucked his head under to look at her. Eyes squeezed shut. Knees pressed to her chest and, yup, still looking petrified. Vice-like pressure squeezed his rib cage. What to d
o . . .
what to do? He wanted to soothe her. To reach out and somehow wipe away the last few minutes. To help the shock of seeing him in dragon form fade. He knew it was possible. His brothers-in-arms provided more than enough proof. Hell, the mated Nightfuries took their females on midnight flights all the time and, wel
l . . .
he’d yet to hear any of them complain. “It’s all right. You’re safe with me.”

“You’re not allowed to talk to me anymore.”

Her tart tone startled him. So prim and proper. Far too ladylike. He swallowed a snort of amusement. “I’m not?”

“No.”

“Well then, what do you want me to do?”

“I want you to turn this dragon around and take me back.”

This dragon.
Venom frowned. Seriously? “Evi
e . . .
I am
this
dragon.”

“Do I look like I care?” she asked, sounding on the verge of hysteria.

“Actually, yeah.” Reevaluating his flight path, Venom turned south. City lights flashed below him. He gave her another once-over. “You kind of do.”

“Shut up! Jus
t . . .
Oh God, I’m freaking out.” A hitch in her breath, she covered her face with both hands. “I’m talking to a dragon. A
dragon
! I’m losing it. I’ve totally lost it.”

Flying off his left wing tip, Wick snickered.

Venom threw him a dirty look.

“What?”
His friend shrugged, voice coming through mind-speak.
“You laughed at me when I found Jamison.”

“Did not.”

“Did so.”

Venom huffed in disgust.
“So what—you’re returning the favor?”

“Payback’s a bitch,”
Wick said, baring his fangs in a grin.

“You’re a pain in the ass.”

Wick smirked.

The sudden urge to beat the hell out of his best friend nearly overwhelmed him. He wavered a moment, debating the pros and cons. Pro—he’d get to put a dent in Wick’s face. Con—Evelyn would freak out even more. Venom growled. No way would he risk it. He refused to put her in the crossfire. Which meant tuning Wick up—having some fun—would have to wait.

With a sigh, he reached out with his mind and pinged his commander.
“B—we’re clear. Pull the trigger, but watch your six. Ivar’s in the mix.”

“Confirmed?”
Rikar asked.

“Yeah.”
Venom nodded, even though his XO couldn’t see him.
“Went head-to-head with him inside.”

Bastian cursed.
“You okay?”

“All good.”

Scales clicked as Mac moved.
“Smoke’s pouring out of the building.”

Venom grimaced. All right, so maybe
all good
wasn’t quite accurate.

A picture of the damage morphed in his mind’s eye. Venom clenched his teeth as he relived the heat, tasted the bur
n . . .
saw Evelyn pinned under a goddamn chair. Rage opened the valve on worry. Frigging Ivar. The bastard would pay for putting her in the line of fire.
“Ivar blew the shit out of a hospital room to evade me.”

“Fire’s out now,”
Wick murmured, his fire dragon half on-point, monitoring the situation inside Cascade Valley Hospital.
“The humans have it under control.”

“Good.”
The crackle of electricity sizzled through mind-speak. Bastian turned the dial, cranking the wattage, making Venom’s scales twitch from three miles away.
“Mac—you’re the bait. Forge—get ready. And Sloan—”

“All set,”
Sloan said, entering the conversation.
“South side.”

“Veno
m . . .
Wick.”
Setting up the play, Rikar finished delivering instructions.
“Stay clear of the east side. Get the female to safety. We’ll do the—”

A fireball exploded across the night sky.

Flames roared, streaking into an inferno-fueled tail over the forest east of town. Fire licked the treetops. Damp air crackled. A boom echoed. Ancient trees twisted in the blow back, then became tinder, flickering orange in the distance.

“Bloody hell.”
Wood groaned as Forge took flight.

Mac growled.
“Seven rogues inbound.”

“Make that twelve,”
Bastian said.

“Lovely,”
Sloan said, sarcasm out in full force.
“On my way.”

“Christ,”
Rikar muttered, joining the fray. Snarls rose. Cursing ensued, beating against Venom’s temples. Flipping into a sidewinding spiral, he glanced over his shoulder. Another stream of fire lit up the sky as Nightfury went claw-to-claw with Razorback. “
Ven, watch your six. We’re three rogues short over here.”

“Shit.”

Flipping up and over, Wick switched sides, setting up shop on Venom’s right.
“You feel that?”

Did he ever. The buzz clawed at his temples. His hackles rose. Evelyn flinched, squirming in his palm as his vibe went from calm to vicious. As she gasped his name, he murmured hers, but didn’t pause to reassure her. No time. Unwise too. He needed to concentrate—stay sharp, act fast, and be deadly. Otherwise, Evelyn wouldn’t make it out alive. And he’d never forgive himself.

Increasing his wing speed, Venom rocketed out of town. Not long now. Just around the corner. The bastards were setting up an ambush, looking for the best spot to inflict maximum damage. Big mistake. Time equaled distance. And space? He had more than enough now to make the bastards pay. The landscape rolled, moving from urban to rural. High cliffs rose on his right, funneling him into uneven terrain.

The buzz intensified inside his head.

Venom fine-tuned the signal. Three rogues lying in wait. Two hundred yards out and closing fast. He bared his fangs and flexed his talons.
“Wick?”

“Locked on.”

With a snarl, Venom spun into a sidewinding spiral. The quick change in trajectory put him on course. The rogues uncloaked. Wings spread wide, the trio left their hiding spots. Orange, yellow, and blue scales flashed in the gloom. Three targets, three different colors.

“Divide and conquer.”

Wick hummed.
“I’ll take the two on the right.”

“Perfect.”

And it was. Particularly since one rogue offered little challenge. Three against one usually made for better odds. At least, for them. Given a choice, Venom liked to take on four rogues at once. More of a workout that way. Tonight, though, it wasn’t about him. It was about his female. About keeping her safe. About treating her to his protective side—and showing her the difference between good and bad. And that he always landed on the right side of the equation.

Which put him in her corner. Every. Single. Time.

Speed supersonic, Venom rocketed into the valley of a deep gorge. Wick engaged with a snarl, cutting off boneheads number one and two behind him. Rogues shrieked in his wake. Venom snarled over his shoulder, baiting asshole number three. The enemy dragon hesitated, hanging in mid-air, trying to decide. Yellow scales blurred into a streak behind him.
Come on. Come on.
He needed the last of the trio to leave his friends and follow. Divide and conquer. Separate and kill. Always the best strategy and—

The rogue banked in his direction.

Fantastic. He had liftoff. One asshole giving chase. Idiots two and three busy with Wick—fighting to stay alive as his friend went to work, taking them apart scale by scale.

One eye on the male chasing him, the other on mountainous terrain, Venom slowed, allowing the rogue to close the distance. White jets streamed from his horn tips. Evelyn gagged as velocity yanked on her stomach. He wanted to apologize—for so many things. Causing her discomfort. Scaring her into emotional meltdown. Making her shiver in his grasp. But wel
l . . .
hell, no chance that would happen. Not right now. Distraction wasn’t a good idea. He needed to stay alert and on-task. Otherwise he’d make a mistake, and Evelyn would end up hurt.

The thought focused him.

Eyes narrowed, vicious nature rising, Venom drew her closer. She trembled, but tucked in, pressing her hands to the wall of his chest.
Atta girl
, he wanted to say. He rocketed around a blind corner instead. Banking hard, he dropped over a steep embankment. Jagged cliffs rose on his right. He dove toward the ground. The rogue followed him over the edge. Venom slowed more and waited. Timing was everything. He must drift in the moment. Allow the enemy dragon the illusion of victory while he rode the razor’s edge and held the angle. Yellow scales flashed as the idiot closed rank behind him. Venom counted off the seconds. One Mississippi. Two Mississippi. Three Mississipp
i . . .

The male took a swipe at him.

Sharp claws brushed the tip of his tail and—

Four!

He torqued into a brutal backflip. The move spun him up and pushed him over. Horned head an inch from the enemy’s spine, he lashed out. His claws caught scales, biting into the dragon’s tail. Warm blood splashed up his forearm. The male squawked in surprise. Without mercy, Venom dug in and whirled full circle. Using his wings, he rotated into a brain-melting spin in mid-air. Wind howled, rushing into the cliff face. Shale took a violent tumble. The mountain rumbled as large sheets of stone slammed into the ground. Idiot number three’s head whiplashed. Evelyn cried out, the sound so terror-filled it knocked against his heart, making it slam into his breastbone.

Venom spun around again, refusing to relent. He had one chance at a clear shot. A single opportunity to keep her safe. And like it or not, here, right now—this moment—was it.

Baring his fangs, he spun the enemy again. And again, gaining speed, increasing the mind-twist with each rotation. The male roared in pain, flailing to break free. Whipping around one last time, Venom unfurled his talon. His claws pulled out of flesh, dragged against scales, an
d . . .

He let go, throwing the male like a shot put.

Still spinning, the rogue sped toward the stone wall. Venom saw the whites of his eyes a second before the bastard slammed into the jagged wall. Shaped like a spear, sharp stone cut through the rogue’s back and came out the front. Impaled on rock, hanging from the cliff face, blood gurgled up the male’s throat, then slid down the yellow scales covering his chest.