Soul Avenged (Sons of Wrath, #1) (15 page)

No.

Ties, costly
to someone like her, were best unmade.

***

Kane tugged at
the chains on the bed.

His arm had
gone completely numb, enough to drive him insane. He willed it to
straighten, his finger to push the buzzer. The dead weight turned
his stomach—he needed to release it quick. He kicked the sheets off
his legs and raised them up over his head to the bedpost.

Holy
shit.
He couldn’t have done that a week ago if he’d tried.

His stomach
muscles burned as he kept his legs hoisted and used his socked foot
to search for the buzzer.

“What the hell
are you doing?” The familiar voice came from the doorway.

His feet
slammed back onto the mattress and his gaze trailed toward the
door, where Ayden stood with her hands on her hips. “Not that you
give a damn, but my arm fell asleep. It’s driving me nuts.”

Ayden
snickered, walked into the room and stood astride the bed. Using
the back of her hand, she knocked his arm around.

The batting of
his numb hand incited a tickle in his chest, and he shifted beneath
the sheets.

She dug into
her coat pocket, pulled out the key. “I’ll give you a quick
bathroom run, only because I don’t want Bennett to have to clean
your piss off the bed.” She unlocked the cuffs and his arm fell to
his side.

He let out a
sigh of relief. “Damn,” he said, shaking it out. “That’s the
nastiest feeling in the world.”

“Get used to
it. Your whole body’s going to feel that way by the end of the
week.”

He rubbed his
wrist and stretched his fingers, working blood and sensation back
into them. “What the hell’s your deal? Do you hold a degree in
black ops training, or something?”

Ayden
shrugged. “I can’t help it if I’m enthusiastic about my work.” Her
lip curled into something that might have passed as a smile if it
hadn’t disappeared so quickly. “Now hurry up and piss before I
change my mind.”

He rose out of
bed and made his way along the walls as before. Unlike his last
trip to the bathroom, his movements came easier. Strength had
returned to his legs, though they were still a little weak beneath
his upper half.

After
relieving himself, Kane took a moment to splash water on his face,
stretch out, wipe his body down with a warm washcloth and swish
some mouthwash he’d found in the cupboard. No sense in losing the
humanity inside him, even if the creature was slowly beginning to
take over.

Ayden, arms
crossed over her chest, stood on the other side of the bed as he
hobbled back along the wall and the chair with a towel in his
hand.

She scowled.
“What’s the towel for?”

He continued
toward the bed. “I’ve been lying in my own blood for the last
twenty-four hours.”

“So now you’re
requesting clean sheets? What the hell do you think this is, the
Hilton?”

“I didn’t
request a damn thing from you. Sorry if human comforts turn your
stomach.” He unfolded the towel directly over the patch of blood on
the bed then climbed over it, positioning himself on it as he lay
back and stretched his arms above his head.

Ayden stared
hard at him. “You’re seriously working my nerves right now, lycan.
And, after the day I’ve had, I’d be cautious if I were you.” She
stepped toward him and clicked the cuffs back in place.

“Right.” Kane
stretched out his fingers like the exercise would keep them from
going numb later. “Because cordiality is going to win me some bonus
points with you in the end. Perhaps you might opt against the dull
blade when slicing my throat?”

She leaned
over him; her breath tickled his ear. “I understand you’re in for
incredible pain tonight,” she whispered. “Keep in mind, when you’re
lying helpless and writhing, that you still have six more days of
hell.” She straightened. “Try to have a good night.”

~

With a smug
expression, Ayden made her way down the stairs to the foyer. She’d
taken a quick nap and felt pretty damn good for the first time in a
while.

All four
brothers stood at the bottom as though waiting for her, a handsome
brood—every one of them dressed in black like some gothrock band.
Calix hiked his leg up, placing a dagger into the sheath inside his
biker boot. Zeke stood with his feet set apart, arms crossed over
his chest, like some kind of hell-spawn bodyguard. Gavin loaded his
gun into a dual holster that crossed over his body. Undoubtedly
spoiling for a fight, Logan paced as though unable to keep
still.

“Heard you
took on a Saevious today, slayer,” Calix said with smile. “I’m
impressed.”

“Not easy for
a girl trying to build a reputation.” She grinned. “Are we ready to
go?”

“Locked and
loaded.” Gavin tucked his second gun into its holster.

“This isn’t
going to be easy.” Ayden crossed her arms. “They’ll be
inconspicuous at first. So, keep your eyes open. Watch anyone who
leaves the basement.”

“Hells, yes!”
Zeke broke from his stiff stance, like a statue that’d suddenly
come to life. “You never said we were hittin’ the underground scene
this time.”

Ayden shook
her head. “Don’t even think of it, Zeke. We’re here on business.
Not pleasure. Stay focused.”

Zeke swaggered
toward her. “Ayden, you need to lighten up. Get laid. It’ll do you
some good.” He glanced at Gavin. “When was the last time you two
got it on? The contract?”

Gavin shot
Zeke a look of death then walked out the front door.

Logan knocked
Zeke’s shoulder as he passed him. “Learn when to keep your mouth
shut, fucktard.”

Bennett closed
the door behind them as the group made their way to two vehicles
waiting in the circle drive.

The brisk air
blew harsh against Ayden’s face as she opened up the door and
slipped inside the passenger side of Logan’s silver McLaren.

Of all the
brothers, Logan looked the least exotic with his brown hair and
brown eyes—boyish good looks, like something out of an Abercrombie
ad. Deceiving, considering his anger could flare like a tempest and
wipe out half the city in one night if he allowed it. He seemed to
have a soft spot for Ayden, though, always treating her like a
sister. She suspected it had more to do with his admiration for her
fearlessness. Logan could be like a wild animal in that
respect.

“So, how did
Calix find out they were going to be here tonight?” Ayden asked,
already knowing.

Logan fired up
the McLaren, revved the engine, and followed slowly behind the
Mercedes down the drive toward the manor gates. “Don’t let him fool
you. Even
classy Calix
has friends in low places. Some shady
ass character named Ryke.”

She shook her
head. “Just doesn’t feel right. We never go by someone’s
word
.”

Logan glanced
at her. “You’re not backing out, are you?”

“No. Of course
not.” She stared through the windshield at the darkened sky. “I
just wish I’d have done some of my own scouting first.”

The
underground scene had grown pretty popular. Parties were typically
held in the basements of run-down buildings in the city. With so
many businesses going to hell, plenty of buildings offered places
to hop to if one happened to get busted by the cops. Drugs were a
staple at the parties, making the underground a favorite over the
bar scene.

The latest
drug of choice: Shine—named for its silver capsule. Its effects
were similar to ecstasy but without all the cottonmouth and heart
racing crap. Better yet, it was rumored to be the best during sex,
with hallucinations so real a user could virtually live out a
fantasy. Touching became an amplified sensation and could put a
Shiner right over the edge. Lost in their own world, they often
masturbated in public, and rape was at an all-time high.

Most took the
drugs and left the party, slipping into cars or behind buildings to
experience it. The drug didn’t last long in the system and the
after-effects were minimal.

Going off in
pairs, though, proved dangerous.

Shiners were a
big bloody bulls-eye—a walking rack of ribs with a hambone for
dessert. Which meant Underground parties guaranteed lurking wolves.
They never attacked inside. One or two often took their human
forms, selling Shine on the inside while their brothers stalked
from the outside.

The McLaren
and Mercedes pulled up to the curb about two blocks away from the
party, a shady area, dark, with one single streetlight flickering
from above. Trash cluttered the streets in the adjacent alley, the
smell of sewer gas already drifting through the air vents of the
car, as Logan came to a curbside stop.

The gullwing
doors of both vehicles ascended, and sounds of a domestic fight
carried from one of the houses on the next block.

Three brawny
demons climbed out of one car; Logan and Ayden slipped out of the
other.

“How the hell
do you get away with leaving these things parked anywhere you want?
Aren’t you afraid someone will steal them?” Ayden swung the door
closed.

“What would
you think if you saw two sport vehicles parked in a shitty area of
town?” Logan closed his door and leaned against the roof of the
McLaren. “Think you’d mess with them?”

“I get your
point.”

He tapped the
hood. “But just to be sure, we typically summon one of ghouls to
guard it. Anyone who comes within twenty feet gets the shit scared
out of them.” He mumbled a quiet chant.

A brush of
wind swept past her—not like an atmospheric breeze but one that
left goose bumps across her skin. “Whoa.”

Leaving the
cars, the five of them trekked down the block. Ayden kept her eyes
peeled for anything that moved in the dark.

One of the
side effects of the Lywa antibody: perfect night vision.

Of course,
demons came standard with the feature, too.

“Gavin,” Ayden
said as they walked, “I don’t suppose you have any foreboding
thoughts about this party?”

“Nothing.” He
spoke over his shoulder.

Still, that
twist in her gut persisted in spite of his words.

On the second
block, they began to converge with smaller groups that arrived from
different directions. Young girls, guys, and women who looked too
old to be part of the underground scene, all sported the same Goth
style of boots, fishnets, leather.

Ayden and her
demon escorts would fit right in, aside from the fact that all four
brothers looked like they’d jumped right out of an air-brushed
magazine cover. She didn’t worry too much about that, though. It’d
be dark inside, and within no time, half the crowd would be so
hopped up on drugs, a troll would look good enough to lay.

A small flock
of twenty-something girls waited in front of them to get in. They
trembled and bounced, as if trying to keep warm in their skimpy
clothes. That or hoping someone might notice their bobbing breasts.
Amidst the crowd, Ayden and the demons were the only ones who
seemed unaffected by the cold.

Three of the
girls stole glances behind at Ayden, glaring at her and whispering
while taking long looks at Calix and Logan. A skinny thing of a
brunette bit her lip, eyes ravenous as if she’d contemplated the
possibilities of having both brothers at once. She rolled her
shoulders back and a shelf of perfect breasts too big for her
petite frame peeped over top of a demi corset, nipples hard beneath
the patches of soft fabric. Her eyes drifted back to Ayden, gave a
once-over, and she grimaced.

Ayden leaned
in toward the brunette. “Yes, I’m sleeping with all of them. At the
same time.” She inhaled deeply. “And they’re fucking wild fun,” she
said on an exhaled breath. “Do you like whips?”

A horrified
expression crept across the girl’s face.

Ayden grinned
and winked at her.

The brunette
and her friends turned to face forward, but continued to sneak the
occasional glimpse at the demons.

All four
brothers seemed oblivious to their admirers. As usual.

A crowd
outside of the building would draw too much attention, and the
partygoers filed in fast, shortening the line pretty quickly The
orchestrators of the party typically set up shop earlier in the
day, cleaning up, arranging the lights, constructing the DJ
platform. It had to be the creepiest job in the world, hanging in
basements of abandoned buildings but it paid decent money in the
end. At twenty bucks a head, they made out like bandits. And all
they had to do was supply the music.

The basement
of the building, so packed they could hardly move, carried a moldy
smell, muted only by the mix of colognes and perfumes. A red light
provided limited visibility for the humans, so they’d remain
obscure to
them
at least.

“Let’s split
up,” Ayden said over the blaring speakers. “Remember, eyes on
anyone who sells or leaves.”

“Logan,”—Gavin
spoke low to his brother—“you and Zeke take the outer perimeter to
keep watch.”

Logan nodded
and cracked his neck.

“Are you
shitting me?” Zeke threw his hands in the air. “That’s twenty bucks
down the toilet.”

Gavin frowned
at his brother. “We meet back at the vehicles.”

The party
picked up as the drugs began to flow. Trance music pumped a steady
bass through the speakers. Girls danced seductively to the effects
of the Shine, which inevitably drew the guys out of hiding. Before
long, bodies were sweating and gyrating against each other.

Ayden moved
through the crowd with stealth.

Please let
them stay focused.

The smell of
sex could be a demon’s undoing. Her eyes trailed over the throng of
bobbing heads and rubbing bodies. There was a suffocating feel to
the crowd, claustrophobic, as more partygoers arrived.