Genesis Queen (The Road to Hell Series) (22 page)

Chapter Twenty-One

Thank God Zen had offered himself as her punching bag. She’d been teetering on the brink of stupidity, with a whole lot of liquor in her immediate future. Not the best means of escape, but with the Locks confining her, options were limited. Madison’s best guess…a drunk Lynx could get out of hand too fast.

Moments after she exited the den, the immortal located her and suggested combat. She’d jumped at the chance. Anything to blow off steam and regain her equilibrium. After a quick shower to wash off the blood and a change of clothes, they met to spar until she dropped. At least, that was her intention.

Panting and sweating an hour later, she slashed her blades at Zen. He deflected each of them with ease. Not a single kick went his way. She’d learned her lesson not to lift a leg against him. He’d knock her flat before she elevated the limb at the proper angle.

Nix was off playing with Amos. That should’ve been Micah’s role as father, but instead, he’d entered the room minutes ago and surveyed her brawl with Zen. Concentrating on the fight grew difficult as the moments ticked off the clock. She could feel her husband’s focus and his arousal.

Damn her succubus for the ability to read his libido!

Madison slashed with her left hand and stabbed with her right. The immortal blocked both, wrenched the blades from her, and flung them across the room. They clattered on the floor and she sensed more than saw Micah retrieve them.

“I disarmed you. I win. Again.” He typically always won. Her wins could be counted on one hand. She didn’t mind losing since he prepared her to face off against demons and other creatures she could actually hold her own against.

“So you did.” She moved in closer to him. “Another round?”

“If you’re not too tired. We can take a break if you need one?” Of course, his breathing hadn’t increased
at all
. She envied his stamina.

“Demon’s never gonna ask that.” Madison rolled her eyes, took one step forward, and put the heel of her palm into his chin. Zen’s head snapped backward with a crack. She never attacked with her bare hands. It was the only reason she managed to clock him. As she went to twist away from his reach, his foot tangled with hers and tripped her.

She landed on her back with an
oomph
, and air refused entry into her lungs. Damn, he recovered much too quickly.

“Nice trickery, Madison.” Zen worked his jaw back and forth. He glanced at his arm and frowned, ran his finger over the spot she’d clawed on her way down. Eyes widening, his gaze rocketed to hers.

She showed him her hand and waggled her fingers.
His
blood smudged her fingertips. If she licked just a smidge of the substance off, she’d enthrall him with her succubus, turn him into her slave that’d do her bidding with zombielike mindlessness. “I win this time, my friend.”

She should’ve been bragging about her victory rather than simply preening like an idiot with a thousand-watt smile. Flat on her back no less. Pretty win or an ugly one, it was
still
a triumph. Against Zen, her undefeatable mentor.

Normally his bland expression offered no real insight to his thoughts. At present, it was like looking at a different man. With his slack jaw and narrowed eyes, coupled with the deep gouges that raked across his forehead, the man was astonished to have been defeated. Quite possibly a bit freaked, as well.

“Well played, kitten.” Micah clapped his hands. Her knives were tucked into the waistband of his tailored charcoal gray slacks. They looked so out of place.

“Indeed,” the immortal agreed, snapping his jaw shut with an audible click. He offered his hand and she accepted.

“Cheer up, Zen. I rarely beat you. You’ll be prepared next time for that move. Besides, I thought you’d be delighted I thought outside the box.” He always encouraged her to think beyond her normal range. Today she had, and he wasn’t pleased.

He snagged the wrist that held all her bloody fingers and used his shirt to wipe the substance off each digit.

“You know I wouldn’t actually enthrall you.”

“Not taking the chance of being enthralled ever again.”

Understanding his nervousness, she patted his cheek. A year after they’d met, a succubus enslaved him and he’d damn nearly killed Madison at the succubus’ command. Petra had thankfully been present to reverse the effects. A few months later, with Nix’s aid, Madison executed the same demon.

I would
never
do that to you, Zen
. He nodded, but she’d clearly rattled him.
Thanks for working off my anxiety
.

Always here for you
. He inclined his head toward Micah.
I believe he wishes to speak with you
.

She’d guessed as much, too.
Don’t leave
.

No plans of it
. The immortal perched on a chair.

Beliel prowled closer, his confident swagger interesting her demon. His flirty arrogance had reeled her in during her youth. Her Lynx was just as susceptible to his charm.

Her husband shot her friend a suspicious examination. “I’m guessing you’re not leaving me alone with her?”

“No.” That was her Zen, a man of few words.

“They’re really not your style.” Madison nodded at her blades and held her hand out for them as he neared.

Micah withdrew the knives from the waistband of his trousers and offered them, hilt first. “You’re sexy wielding them.”

Her heart stuttered, and she bit the inside of her cheek as punishment for allowing him to affect her. Steeling herself against him was the only way she’d survive his presence.

“My only advice. If you ever need to enthrall Zennyo Ryuo, don’t show him his blood before you ingest it. He’s fast enough to have stopped you.”

Madison flashed a grin at Zen and took her time tucking her blades back into their holster on each thigh. “I’m aware of his speed.” Cowardice wasn’t her style, so even though her husband’s presence made her libido swoon a little too crazy for her comfort, she wouldn’t put off looking at him any longer. “You’re not here to give me advice about sparring. So what do you want?”

He canted his head to the side and studied her a long while. She couldn’t glean his thoughts, which unnerved her.

“Amos’s birthday draws near.”

That comment startled her. Amos would celebrate his eleventh birthday in two days. “I’m surprised you remember.”

Cheap shot
, Lynx chided, shaking her head to express her displeasure.

He flinched. “I’ve never forgotten either of your birthdays.” Cheap shot or not, she acknowledged neither her succubus nor Micah’s comment, just elevated her eyebrows and waited for him to continue. He didn’t make her wait long. “Have you something planned?”

“I bought him the Alienware gaming system he’s been dying for.” Purchased before her descent into Hell to save Nix. “Since we’re on lockdown, I’m kind of limited on planning anything else.” And he wasn’t three, so an inflatable bouncing castle wouldn’t suffice.

“With my magic I can arrange something a boy of his age would enjoy. We’ll have no need to leave the premises, but the scope of the Locks will require expanding. Will that be a problem for you, Zennyo Ryuo?”

Even though the question was posed to her friend, her husband’s scrutiny remained honed on her. The way he watched her and the potency of his aura, vibrant and warm, undulating with waves of pheromones, unsettled her. Whatever his thoughts, he swayed her physically, with moisture pooling between her legs. She should’ve been humiliated that he influenced her so easily. Instead, she was intrigued.

Dear God, what a nightmare situation she found herself in.

She’d have rubbed her thighs together to alleviate the ache, if it wouldn’t be a dead giveaway to her body’s hunger.

“No. I can have the Locks intertwined so everyone can move about freely.”

Madison blinked, recalling Micah had asked Zen if expanding the Locks would be a problem.
Focus
. She bit the inside of her mouth again. Shit, she needed to freakin’ focus!

“Madison, do you have a problem with me doing this?” Micah swiped a hank of hair behind his ear and lowered his arm, his thumb hooking in his belt loop.

Madison’s heart rate slowed for the scope of a few seconds, then spiked into overdrive, pounding against her chest. Her husband wore his wedding band, announcing to the world he remained taken. She’d bet her soul it was the original one, the one she’d slid on his finger twelve years ago swearing her devotion to him and
only him
. The one inscribed on the inside with ‘I love you beyond lifetimes.’ If she’d only known then how accurate the ‘beyond lifetimes’ would become.

“Madison?” That hand elevated again, the metal of the ring glinting in the light as he touched her chin. “Kitten, you okay?”

Far from okay. That show of commitment touched her in ways she wasn’t comfortable investigating too closely.

He wore the ring in Hell
. Even her succubus didn’t get the sudden softening of her heart.

He’s always worn the ring
.
Every time I saw him, he wore his commitment to me
. She’d pawned her engagement ring for a good bit less than its value and flushed the wedding band down the toilet. What’d that say about her pledge to him? But, God, she’d been devastated when he left, her hero abandoning her like a worn-out blanket. Discarding the emblems of their love had sufficed as cheap therapy.

“Madison, kitten, have I caused the pain in your eyes?” His hand cupped her cheek. She blinked, realizing he’d moved into her personal space during her silence.

“I’m fine.” She cringed at the sting to her tongue. Second time that’d happened when she lied. Was that her Lynx’s perverse way of keeping her honest?

A twisted smile from Micah, insinuating he knew she fibbed. “Liar.”

Yep, confirmation.

“Amos is your son, also,” she said quickly, getting them back on topic as she stepped out of his reach. “So long as you’re not advocating his magic being mobilized against demons or humans as target practice, I’m cool with whatever.”

But a tiny part of her worried this would give her son the wrong impression. Like his father planned to hang around later.

We could keep him, and then there’d be no wrong impression
.

So freaking
not
happening! And her succubus’ idiotic statement didn’t require a reply. Her Lynx knew better than to suggest reckless behavior.

“I could use magic to make fake demons and humans.”

“No,” she and Zen said in unison.

Micah’s full-blown smile turned her knees soft and she had to lean against a chair before they went out and she ended up kneeling in front of him. Not the impression she wanted to give him.

The twinkle in his eyes, coupled with that sexy grin, gave her the sense he screwed with her. “That wasn’t my intention anyway, kitten.”

Confirmation, once again. “Do whatever. I’ve gotta start dinner.”

“It’s eleven in the morning.”

Madison paused. What the hell was wrong with her? She was acting like the tongue-tied little girl who’d met him for the first time. “Then I’ll shower first.”

She walked out of the room to Micah’s soft chuckles. And wouldn’t you know it; they were like vibrations against her clitoris. Slamming the door behind her, she halted with her hand on the doorjamb, willing the throb between her thighs to recede.

So unfair
. Usha sulked.
We could’ve harnessed that as power
.

Not from him and damn sure not that way
.

***

Dinner turned into a tense affair. The Birminghams ate little, glared a lot, and said even less than they ate. Madison was pretty sure James and Gage kept their hands on the hilts of their weapons throughout the meal. Not that they could’ve harmed either of the Kings with the tools of their trade.

Alessa, who’d remained along with the Birminghams for safety reasons, dropped the word ‘angel-jelly’ more than a dozen times, but Micah kept to his manners, ignoring the reference. Actually, he seemed to find her amusing often and flashed frequent grins. He oozed charm, not that anyone seemed to be buying his honey routine.

The only time Madison worried things would get out of control was when Elias asked, “If Micah’s angel-jelly, what am I?”

“Scary-jelly,” Alessa had quipped.

“I prefer sexy-jelly.”

Alessa had halted with her fork almost to her mouth and met his gaze across the table. “I’m sticking with scary-jelly.”

He’d shrugged and Madison had breathed a sigh of relief, thankful things hadn’t escalated. Her brother-in-law had risen from his chair with his plate in his hand. After placing it in the sink, he’d come up behind Alessa and yanked her head back by her dark ponytail. “I could make you want to fuck me until you drowned in need.”

Gage and James launched to their feet, weapons drawn, confirming her earlier suspicion that they were packing heat within reach beneath the table.

“Elias! Amos is present.” After glancing in her son’s direction, Madison had withdrawn her dragon blade from its harness and placed it on the table as a subtle warning. She caught Micah’s tight smile from the corner of her eye.

Golden angel-eyes flashed in her direction. If Elias thought his demon eyes would intimidate her, he couldn’t have been more wrong. “I’m not tame like my brother.”

“Now isn’t the time, Eliel.” Her husband had quietly encouraged Amos to depart the table since he had finished eating his meal. With his eyes wide and gaping at his uncle, their son had opened his mouth to argue. After catching Micah’s expression, he’d wisely snapped his teeth together and quickly left.

As soon as Amos had exited the dining room, Madison swept from her feet and pressed the dragon blade to Elias’s jugular in the next heartbeat. Their stares padlocked. Neither of them blinked. “You must be referring to another brother, because Micah isn’t domesticated.” Not by a long shot. “Release Alessa.”

“Oh, you’ve tamed him. Disgustingly so.” He angled his head back, granting her liberal access to his neck. “You’re bluffing.”