Hellbound Warrior: (Dark Warrior Alliance Book Five) (22 page)

“The flames,” he observed, “went away when we had sex. I think it’s tied to us…our relationship.”

Her brow furrowed as she considered his words. “You’re right. They are nearly gone now. But, how are they tied to us. We aren’t in a relationship,” she protested and the flames flared outside. A gasp escaped her mouth and she suddenly felt very awkward with him still inside her body and scrambled off his lap.

The roar of the flames continued, as they quickly dressed, telling her there was indeed a link. One that she would rather ignore. “Did you see that?” she hedged, wanting to know what he thought.

She trusted Rhys to tell her the truth, even if she didn’t want to hear it and the mere thought that she believed a demon was capable of being honest threw her for a loop. Her belief that all products of the Underworld were manipulative liars was no longer accurate.

Rhys and his colleagues were more like her brothers than any creature she had encountered during her captivity. They were honorable warriors who fought to protect the innocent no matter the danger to themselves.

“Yes. Like, I said. The flames are tied to our relationship. Before you protest, hear me out,” he muttered, holding up his hand to stall her automatic rejection. “I know you have a choice in the matter, unlike me, but trust me, Angel, there is something between us. What just happened and has happened each time we have been together has never happened to me before and I know you feel it too. As much as I’d like to think we will leave this place and complete a mating, I understand it might not happen. And, even if you don’t choose me, I will do everything in my power to always keep you safe. Starting with making sure you leave this place.”

She gazed into his eyes and heard the truth in his words. He was one of the most selfless men she’d ever met. Not to mention the sexiest. It was impossible to deny what lurked in the dark part of her soul. “You’re right, there is a connection between us,” she admitted, enjoying how he drew her into his embrace.

Without warning, the world went black and spun out of control. She had no idea what was happening, but his arms wrapped tightly around her waist kept her panic at bay. She was safe with him.

Santiago sat around the large conference table in the war room, barely containing his irritation. He and Orlando hadn’t been home from their Seattle PD job for more than thirty minutes and they were already being called into resolve realm issues. He and his partner were the only ones who effectively straddled the line between the humans and supernaturals. Sure, Jace worked in a human hospital and did his time in the realm medical clinic, but that had nothing to do with keeping the innocent safe and ensuring realm secrets remained hidden.

Orlando didn’t seem to mind that they had to defer to realm police for most issues not having to do with demons and skirm. Dark Warriors were the only ones qualified to combat those particular enemies, but Santiago didn’t have faith that the realm police were able to contain the other dangers. Case in point, the way
Angel’s Kiss
was spreading like wildfire.

The drug posed as much danger to the realm as the demons did. The deadly mix of hallucinogens and angel’s blood was systematically eating away at the lower class of their society. Like the human world, the Tehrex Realm had its derelicts and bums, and if the drug had stayed with those individuals it wouldn’t have been as devastating, but it was encroaching on the working class with alarming speed.

The realm population was already low having gone seven hundred years without Fated Mate blessings. It was a poignant reminder that most supernaturals couldn’t procreate without their mate. Everyone knew it was going to take time, now that mate blessings had resumed, rebuilding their numbers. They didn’t need anything else decimating their numbers.

This drug threatened their stability and as a Dark Warrior, that wasn’t something Santiago could tolerate. The increased strength the drug gave users was one thing, it was the high that lasted days at a time that was truly destructive. Users tended to be violent and sloppy. It was only because of his and Orlando’s efforts that the realm had remained a secret. He couldn’t count the number of times he’d been called in lately to cover up the rape or murder of a human because of an
Angel’s Kiss
addict.

Zander should be thanking him for his efforts and tasking him with finding the manufacturers, not questioning him about his actions. He wondered if Gerrick had told Zander about the fight club. Santiago glanced at the surly warrior, noting the way his demeanor had softened since finding his Fated Mate. Shae had been the best thing to happen to Gerrick and Santiago was glad the male was happy. For a brief moment, Gerrick met Santiago’s gaze, but nothing in his demeanor told Santiago if he had disclosed his activities.

Santiago refused to give up the fight club and didn’t see why it was illegal. Most supernaturals were hotheaded creatures that needed an outlet, if you asked him. He believed Zander should be organizing the fights, making it a safe release for those who were close to the edge. Maybe then
Angel’s Kiss
wouldn’t be so attractive to users.

Santiago tuned out the meeting that was going on around him and considered the evidence he had gathered. There might be realm detectives assigned to the case, but he didn’t have faith that they were going to be able to find the sorcerer or witch that was binding the hallucinogens to angel’s blood. He had found evidence of Dark magic on the vials of the last guy he’d taken out. It wasn’t surprising that whoever was making the drug for Von was using Dark magic.

If Santiago had learned anything from going to the fight club, it was that Von was the maker’s right hand male. Santiago had no doubt Von had direct contact on a regular basis with whoever was responsible for
Angel’s Kiss
.

“Are you listening to me?” Zander barked, pounding a fist on the table to get Santi’s attention. He shook his head, embarrassed that he’d let his mind wander so far off track.

“Sorry, Liege. I was thinking about who could be responsible for the drugs,” Santi explained, leaning forward, resting his folded hands on the table.

Zander stood straight, his black shirt puling tight over his muscular chest. “Good, because I was just telling Orlando that I want you two looking into the latest incident. The victim is in the hospital and Jace is on his way to intercept the blood before it reaches the lab. They can’t get a look at that sample. I need you guys to take the case from Vice. This case could potentially reveal the realm. It’s your job to make sure that doesn’t happen.”

Santi nodded his acceptance and watched Zander run his hand through his hair, frustration clear. “Consider it done,” Santiago replied.

Orlando must’ve picked up on his urgency to get moving. He clapped Santi on the shoulder and gave him a rueful smile. “Ready partner?” Orlando asked.

That was one thing he appreciated about Orlando. They had gotten into an argument and Santi had said some things he regretted, but Orlando wasn’t holding it against him.

Orlando was an easy-going male, often cracking jokes. Santi should apologize, but he wasn’t quite ready. Orlando had different opinions than Santi and he had no desire to hear what the male thought about his activities of late. He’d heard enough.

Besides, he had Orlando’s back no matter what went down between them and trusted that Orlando did, as well. They’d become as close as brothers in the past two hundred years and Orlando understood him better than anyone else, and vice versa, which is why he knew the male was head-over-heels in love with the Vampire Queen.

“More than ready,” Santi replied honestly, standing to take their leave. “Catch you guys later. Save us some veal, motherfuckers. Don’t eat it all,” he told the group of males at the table. All of the Dark Warriors stationed in Seattle, except Rhys, who was on a mission in Hell at the moment, were present, along with some of the Dark Alliance council members.

“Don’t take too long or you’re gonna be assed out,” Bhric, the Vampire Prince, retorted with a chuckle as he sipped a glass of whiskey. It was only ten in the morning and the male was already hitting the bottle.

Stepping into the large entryway, the aroma of meat and garlic met his nostrils, making his stomach growl. Elsie was always cooking for them, and now that she was pregnant, cooked even more often. She had already made homemade bread and a spicy Panang curry that morning. Not the typical breakfast meal, but none of them complained. She was an excellent cook.

“Let’s get this over with. That food smells off the charts and I want to get back in time to eat,” Orlando said, leading them out of the house.

*****

“Meet Miguel Castillo,” Jace murmured when Santiago and Orlando entered the hospital room.

“What are we looking at?” Orlando asked, crossing the room.

“I’ve already tried healing him and have had no response. It’s like all the other cases of
Angel’s Kiss
overdose. What is concerning is his heart rate and blood pressure are far lower than I usually encounter,” Jace explained, as he lifted his stethoscope from the piece-of-shit dealer’s chest. Jace lifted his hand, stalling further discussion and turned off one of the machines that had begun to beep.

The door opened and a nurse walked in, replacing the bag of fluids. They all remained silent as she worked, not wanting to give away any sensitive realm information. Santiago hated being in the human hospital. The astringent smell of cleaner burned his nose and the noise gave him a headache. Not to mention the aura of death that surrounded the place. He didn’t know how humans dealt with so much sickness and loss. Humans were such fragile creatures he understood why the Goddess tasked the Dark Warriors with protecting them. After checking vitals, the nurse left.

The male lying in the bed was a threat to humans and supernaturals alike.
Angel’s Kiss
dealers often sold to humans, not caring the drug was fatal to them. As for supernaturals, their lives were over the instant they took the drug. Addiction was instantaneous and users would never regain normal functioning. Realm doctors had been able to help addicts end the cravings, but they lost their minds in the process. Santiago didn’t need to know if this male had sold directly to humans, but he had gotten what he deserved for dealing drugs in Santiago’s city.

“Have you tried the serum on him?” Orlando asked, referring to the concoction realm scientists had developed to counteract drug.

“I administered it right before you guys arrived and he hasn’t woken up, yet. If anything, his vitals continue to decline. I sent his blood to FINA for further testing,” Jace explained, referring to the realm lab. “There’s something different about this one. Initial testing of his blood showed higher than normal levels of the drug. Did you guys convince your Chief to assign you to the case?”

Orlando crossed his arms over his chest as he contemplated the vampire lying in the bed. “Yeah, we did, but it wasn’t easy. Vice was bitching that it was their case so we had to have Bhric go in and implant the suggestion in the Chief’s mind.”

Santi chuckled. “Serves those bastards right. They think they’re the shit around the precinct when truth is they don’t hold a candle to us.”

Both males looked sharply at him. He shrugged, not caring how it sounded because he was being honest. Humans couldn’t protect themselves. The door opened before either could deliver a scathing response. It was Charlotte from the Department. “Here’s the file you asked for,” she murmured, handing it to Orlando with a smile.

Orlando returned the smile and accepted the file. “Thank you, you’re the best, darlin’. I know this was out of your way.”

Charlotte blushed and glanced away shyly. “Oh, you know I don’t mind. You guys work so hard.” The two exchanged a few more pleasantries before she left.

Santiago was looking over Orlando’s shoulder when he opened the file. “Have any other witnesses come forward?” Jace asked as they read the information. Jace may have been a medical doctor, but he was a Dark Warrior through and through, and their first thought when dealing with humans was about exposure.

If humans learned about the existence of supernaturals there would be mass hysteria and mayhem would ensue. Santiago understood the reason behind the Goddess’ mandate that the realm be kept secret. Supernaturals may be stronger, but humans outnumbered them. Supernaturals had weaknesses and could be killed and Santi had no doubt that humans would exploit those weaknesses and eliminate what they perceived as a threat. Not to mention, scientists would want to study them like lab rats.

“No,” Orlando responded to Jace’s question, “there was only the male who called 911.”

They were getting nowhere standing in the hospital, Santiago thought impatiently. “Keep us posted on his progress. We need to get more information before his supplier is tipped off and covers his tracks,” Santi interjected.

“Will do,” Jace replied and headed out of the room.

“Why do you assume he’s a dealer? Dealers of
Angel’s Kiss
don’t typically use,” Orlando said, looking at him sideways.