Octavian's Undoing (Sons of Judgment) (31 page)

Riley laughed, unable to contain it any longer.

Gideon’s gray eyes turned on her, glinting with their usual impish amusement while narrowing in that way that made Riley wish for an exit sign. Her laughter died on her lips as he rose and sauntered over to her.

“You know exactly what I’m talking about, don’t you?” His arm was around her shoulders before Riley could think to protest and she was dragged helplessly into his side. “You act all sweet and innocent on the outside, but on the inside…” His grin became wicked. “On the inside you’re a very bad girl aren’t you, Riley Masters?”

Mortified, Riley could only sputter incoherently as she fought to untangle herself from his embrace, her face inflamed.

Gideon burst out laughing, still holding fast to her. “Oh Octavian is going to have fun corrupting you.”

At the mention of his name, Riley’s attention darted to where Octavian stood systematically wiping glasses and watching her with half lidded eyes. There was a slight tilt in his lips that was both quietly laughing at her predicament and predatory. That latter seized her ability to breathe properly. She felt the familiar ripple of heat washing up her body like the ocean rolling over warm sand. He smirked, fully aware of his power over her. Damn it! How did he do that?

“That,” Gideon murmured straight into her ear, “is the look of a man who would move heaven and earth for the woman he loves.”

The truth of those words reflected in the velvety depths of Octavian’s eyes, in the intensity of his posture, like he’d leap over the counter at a moment’s notice to protect her. Men like him didn’t exist outside of fairytales and never in her world. She still couldn’t fathom how she went from having nothing and being no one to having someone like him and being part of his world, as dangerous as it may be. She half expected to wake up at any moment and… no! She shuddered at the thought of waking up to find all of it a dream and Octavian nothing more than a figment of her imagination.

Her gaze shot back to him, taking him in and reassuring herself he was still there.

“All right?” Gideon asked.

Fighting to control the chills, Riley nodded. “Yes, I was just—”

The front door flew open with the brute force of a hurricane. It slammed into the wall behind it with a resounding bang that made everyone in the room flinch.

“You lazy son of a bitch!” The girl charged into the restaurant, a gorgeous tornado clad in sleek, soft leather and hair the most delicious shade of chocolate. She marched to the counter and slapped both hands on the surface as she leaned in to snarl at Gideon. “Where the hell were you last night? I waited for over an hour for you.”

Next to her, Gideon had gone rigid all over as he stared at the girl. “I got held up here,” he replied, making Riley frown; she’d helped close the night before and Gideon had not been there. It had just been her, Octavian and Reggie.

“You’re full of shit!” The girl spat, flicking a wisp of hair over her shoulder.

She wore a midriff baring halter in blinding red under a leather duster that strained over her generous chest and left a whole lot of skin bare between her low riding leather pants and the hem. On her feet were heels that made Riley feel a rush of vertigo just looking at them. The boots went up to her knees, making her pants appear to be painted on. Altogether, she reminded Riley of a hot spread in one of those biker magazines that mechanics and teenage boys kept on their walls, and she couldn’t have been very much older than Riley. It was a serious kick in the ego standing in the same room as her.

“Where were you, Maxwell?” There was warning in those words, a pure threat not to bullshit her or suffer the consequences.

Determination crept into his eyes and edged his words. His spine stiffened and his shoulders squared as he stared back at the fierce Amazon glowering at him. “I had things I needed to do.”

Mentally, Riley winced. Those were dangerous words to say to a woman that looked like she could smash you under her heels.

“You had things to do?” the girl said slowly, punctuating each word carefully like he’d spoken in Russian and she didn’t quite understand him. “What the hell was more important than—?” Eyes as blue as laser beams locked on Riley and narrowed. “Oh, I see. You stood me up for a two bit tramp.”

“Hey!”

Gideon untangled himself from Riley and carefully stepped between her and the girl staring at her like she was filth. “Leave Riley out of this, Valkyrie.”

Valkyrie’s eyebrows migrated north, nearly touching her hairline in a gesture that dripped with manufactured amazement. “Riley, is it? Well, isn’t that sweet. You actually remembered one of your whore’s names.”

Outraged and mortified, Riley stiffened. Her muscles tensed as she stepped around Gideon to face the girl fully. “Do I know you?”

Valkyrie’s attention journeyed away from Gideon to fix on Riley with only a trifling interest. “I don’t associate with Underworld trash.”

“Surprising.” Riley cut her a vicious grin. “I would think you would fit right in.”

Gideon sucked air in through his teeth, doing a much better job of suppressing the laughter than Magnus, who all but nearly upended his chair as he pounded the table with his fist and howled.

Rage, sharp and potent burst behind Valkyrie’s electric-blue eyes. “What did you say to me?”

Riley didn’t budge, not even when everything in her wanted to dart behind Gideon and cower. Instead, she offered an indifferent shrug. “Sorry. I thought we were playing the assuming game.”

“What?” Valkyrie hissed. “You have no idea who you’re dealing with, bitch.”

“Sheath the claws, Val.” Gideon placed a gentle hand on Riley’s arm and gently maneuvered her back.

Valkyrie looked nowhere near ready to do any such thing. If anything, the mere suggestion had her nostrils flaring and her hands balling into dangerous fists at her sides. “You might let demon scum talk to you that way, but I’m Valkyrie Devereaux, daughter of Arild Devereaux, Ruler of Armies and Harvester of Souls. I will not be disrespected.”

“Respect is earned, not given,” Riley countered.

Gideon’s hand tightened on her arm, maybe in warning, but Riley wasn’t bowing down to this girl. She didn’t care who her father was, or how scary her boots were.

Valkyrie took a domineering stride forward. Her small, capable hand went up to the collar of her leather coat. She jerked it down her right arm to the elbow. On her beautifully toned bicep, six angry welts were burned lengthwise across her flesh. They glowed a near white. Riley had no idea what they stood for, but it must have been a big deal. Why else would one flash burn scars at a person?

“I have earned it,” Valkyrie growled. “Have you?”

“Stand down, Valkyrie.” Octavian stepped around the bar and moved with a graceful gait in their direction. “Gideon wasn’t with Riley last night.”

Valkyrie faced him. “And I’m supposed to believe you when the proof is standing before my eyes?”

Octavian stopped on Riley’s other side, his shrewd gaze never wavering from the Amazon glowering back at him. “Yes, because Riley is my mate so I would be very carefully about what you say next.” The warning was given in a quiet voice, but only a fool would mistake the calm for indifference. There was danger lacing each word, a serrated warning to take care.

Valkyrie’s face twisted into one of absolute disgust. “A demon?”

“I’m not a demon,” Riley burst out, getting fed up with the stupid assumptions.

Valkyrie’s eyes narrowed as she stared harder at her, seemingly trying to gauge her race. “You can’t lie to me.”

Riley threw up her hands. “No, evidently not. What was I thinking?”

Valkyrie was even less impressed by the mocking tone. “Either you’re a Caster or a demon and
you
.” She raked Riley with a disgusted sneer. “Are not a Caster.”

“I’m human,” Riley defended with a defiant tilt of her chin. “But that was your third guess, right?”

Valkyrie snorted, flipping a glossy strand of hair over her shoulder with a dainty flick of her wrist. “You expect me to believe that?”

“I don’t care what you believe,” Riley said with an unconcerned shrug.

Valkyrie glanced at Octavian, one eyebrow raised questioningly.

Octavian never so much as batted an eyelash. “It’s true.”

“That’s impossible.” Valkyrie glanced from Riley to Octavian. “How is she here?”

“Riley is my mate,” Octavian replied evenly. “The shield doesn’t work with her.”

Riley would have smirked in smug satisfaction at the absolute horror and confusion crinkling the other girl’s beautiful face, but it seemed like a bad time, when Valkyrie whirled on her heel and confronted Kyaerin.

“We are forbidden to mate with humans. We are forbidden to interact with them at all. The Summit will not be pleased when they hear about this.”

“Valkyrie—” Kyaerin’s soothing response was interrupted by Gideon, who marched forward to stand in Valkyrie’s face with a mask of blazing rage.

“Who’s going to tell them?”

Valkyrie may have only come to Gideon’s chest, but she had an aura of someone much larger, someone that didn’t back down from anyone, especially a threat.

“It’s my duty as it is your duty to uphold your oath.”

“Family always comes first,” he bit out through clenched teeth.

Valkyrie’s eyes narrowed. “You are not my family. I have no allegiance to you at all, Maxwell.”

“You’re wrong.” There was more than anger in Gideon’s face now, more than annoyance. He stared down at Valkyrie as though willing her to see something, but whatever it was, Valkyrie was either ignoring it or honestly had no idea what he was talking about. “You—”

Magnus was on his feet and at his twin’s side in the blink of an eye. He had Gideon’s arm in a vice like grip. “Stand down,” he hissed into his brother’s ear. His lips moved as he spoke rapidly in a whisper no one but Gideon could hear, but whatever was said had Gideon’s jaw muscles twitching.

He looked away from Valkyrie. “I’m fine,” he muttered, shaking Magnus off.

Magnus seemed less inclined to believe him, but relinquished his hold.

Gideon faced the stunning Amazon one final time, face carved from granite. “If you bring harm to Octavian or Riley, I’ll make sure you regret it.”

Valkyrie’s eyes narrowed, her teeth flashed between curled lips as she closed the single foot separating them. Her head fell back as she peered up at Gideon with a look that screamed for blood.

“You don’t scare me, Maxwell. I have faced bigger things then you.”

Gideon’s eyes narrowed, becoming thin, gray slits. “Don’t be so sure.”

With a snort, Valkyrie stormed from the restaurant, letting the doors slam behind her in farewell. It resounded through the silence.

“That did not go well,” Magnus said at last.

“I will contact her father,” Kyaerin said at once, wringing her hands. “We’ll make him understand.”

“Arild is not the understanding sort,” Magnus reminded her. “He’s the one who killed his own mother because he had a
feeling
she was cheating on his father.”

“Well, we have to do something.” Kyaerin expelled a lungful of air. “If Valkyrie tells anyone…”

“She’s the one we need to talk to,” Octavian chimed in. “If we can just convince her to wait a few days… Gideon?”

Everyone turned as the blond started for the door.

“Where are you going?” his mother called after him.

With one hand on the doorknob, Gideon glanced back. “I’m going to convince her, one way or another.”

Then he was out the door.

Magnus cursed, running after him.

Riley turned to Octavian. “Who is she?”

“Valkyrie Devereaux,” Octavian replied. “She’s a Caster, but different level. We hunt together sometimes.”

Riley’s eyes widened. “There are other Casters?”

He nodded. “Yes, but for different parts of the country. We’re the Casters for the north district. Valkyrie’s father is the leader of the west.”