Soul Avenged (Sons of Wrath, #1) (9 page)

Gavin cleared
his throat. “Believe it or not, my motives aren’t based on what
might upset you.”

Ayden smiled,
sipped her coffee and held the cup to her chest. “What’s going on
at the casino?”

“Dealer.” He
sighed. “She’s stealing from me. Had to hear it from my pit
boss.”

“So what do
demons do with thieves? Take them out back and cut their fingers
off?” She snickered. “Cast their souls into hell?”

“Not a
succubus.” Behind the newspaper, his expression must’ve been grim
by the sudden change in his voice. “Wish I’d have known that when I
hired her.”

“Why? What
does that mean?”

His forced
exhale fluttered the paper. “It means I have to be very careful in
how I handle her or risk the consequences. So I’m going to do what
any
human
would do. I’m letting her go. And she’ll be lucky
if she finds another job in Detroit.”

“You’re
firing
her. That’s being careful? I’d be pretty pissed if I
was her.” Ayden tapped her fingernails on the outside of her cup,
stopping only when Gavin cleared his throat again. “So you actually
plan to show up tonight for the hunt?”

He finally set
the paper down. “Did you miss me last night?”

She narrowed
her eyes. “I don’t like being ditched on a job. I was attacked by
three of them at the same time.”

“You’re a
slayer. And if my vision serves me correctly, my brothers handled
the other two.”

“So, “—she
waved her hand back and forth—“you’re just going to come and go as
you please with this contract?”

“Ayden, I have
other obligations in addition to yours.” He rubbed his eyes,
pinched the bridge of his nose. “I’ve committed three of my six
brothers to this case.
And me.
What more do you want?” His
fingertips released his nose then entwined with his other hand, and
his eyes focused on her.

Ayden swung
her boots from the table to the floor and straightened in her seat.
“I want a commitment from you that you’re going to be there when
these things go down. The entire pack chased us.”

“You walked
away from it.” His interlaced fingers splayed as if to shrug it
off. “And besides, you’re one to talk of commitments?”

Ayden opened
her mouth to speak but slammed it shut instead and frowned. Another
sip of her coffee drowned the smartass remark begging to come
out.

Gavin
disappeared behind his newspaper again.

Her jaw
hardened. “When will the others return?”

“Zayne returns
tomorrow evening. Maddox and Ferno won’t be back for another couple
of weeks. Apparently, Ferno needs a bit more time. Rightly so.”

Ferno was
short for
Inferno
, so nicknamed after his brand of
pain—hellfire His real name was Kennet, but no one called him that,
lest the poor ignorant sap who made that mistake would be in for a
serious ass beating. The Wrath Brothers often took assignments in
other parts of the globe for both business and pleasure. In Ferno’s
case, Gavin had urged him to leave. He’d been responsible for
killing Zayne’s mate in a freak accident that left Ferno
permanently scarred, both physically and emotionally. Maddox had
accompanied Ferno on his trip for support of his brother.

Following his
mate’s death, Zayne had left for the House of Bereavement, or
Mortuadium, a sacred underworld tomb of silence and meditation for
demons who’d lost their mates. He’d had to be forced, preferring
his own dark and dreary bedroom over anything else.

“It amazes me
that Zayne and Zeke are twins,” Ayden said. “Zeke is such an
asshole and Zayne is so … level-headed. I mean, ya know, even in
spite of what happened with Shey.”

“Zeke just
likes to give you shit. I’m happy to kick his ass for you, if you’d
like,” Gavin said.

Ayden smiled
at the thought. “As much as I’d love to watch the two of you fight
each other, I’ll pass. I’ve got my own ass-whooping to deal
with.”

“How is it
going with the halfling? Has he survived you so far?”

“Yes.” She
slouched back into the chair. “I’m looking forward to the next few
days. You did say the pain gets more excruciating, right?”

“Yes, of
course.” Gavin set the newspaper on the table. “I understand your
distaste for his wolf brethren, Ayden. And I have my own reasons
for wanting to kill him myself. But why do you? He’s done nothing
wrong yet.”

“Are you
serious?” His words couldn’t be any more opposite to what she’d
expected to tumble from his mouth. “Why are you asking me
this?”

“Humans have
always amused me.” Gavin half-smiled. “How little you act on your
own volition.”

“Why do
you
want to kill him, Gavin? Is it
not
for the same
reason as I do?”

His gaze
shifted away from her. “Some visions are better kept to
myself.”

“What
visions?” She couldn’t even fathom what would make him question her
motives.

“Never mind.”
He straightened the newspaper into perfect alignment. “If you’ll
excuse me. Perhaps I’ll make use of my
guest
one more time
before taking her home.” Gavin knocked on the wood as he pushed up
from the table. “Be good.”

“What visions,
Gavin?”

He didn’t
answer as he left the room.

His remarks
tangled in the mess already swirling in her head—as if she needed
more to sit and ponder over. Did it matter if the lycan hadn’t
killed yet? He’d become one of them.
A monster.

Her blood
burned at the thought. She glanced down at the table. An image on
the front page of the newspaper flashed out at her like an
agreement to her thoughts.

Another
suburban home attacked.

Ayden closed
her eyes.

Another
one.

For centuries,
the wolves had existed alongside demons and humans, and thanks to
the self-screwing system of killing themselves off, their numbers
were kept in check.

Seven days was
a long time for a halfling to change.

Mature lycans
were often loyal to their pack brothers, but during the transition
phase of a halfling’s change, even a seasoned lycan could grow
impatient. Tortured screams and a body writhing in pain would
probably look like a juicy T-bone calling out for a merciful
devouring.

If not for a
strong alpha, the wolves would often end up consuming the
halfling.

And yet, it
seemed their numbers remained steady, maybe even growing in spite
of the rising factions that threatened their existence.

So what kind
of alpha is leading this pack?

***

Specks of dust
drifted along the miniscule rays of sunlight filtering in through
the sheer curtains.

Kane
sighed.

Would’ve been
nice to get in a little daylight before I die.

Six days,
Ayden had given him. After which, he’d apparently turn into some
raging killing machine.

His stomach
flipped.

I don’t want
to be one of the fucking monsters that did this to me.

He pulled his
knees up and rested his elbows atop them.

And that dream
…

He winced at
the memory of it.

No way I’d do
that shit.

The desire to
punch something shot like electricity up his arm. He ran his
fingers through his hair, squinted his eyes then palmed his
face.

Why me? Why
the fuck did this have to happen to me?

A soft knock
at the door interrupted his thoughts. A silver-haired podgy woman
wearing an apron entered the room. The tray she carried gave off a
delicious aroma that had his nostrils flaring in instant
appreciation.

He
straightened his legs beneath the sheets and pushed up to a sitting
position.

“Miss Ayden
requested that I fetch you some breakfast, sir.” The woman wheeled
a silver table behind her and pushed it right up against the bed.
She removed the silver plate dome atop it, revealing a piling mound
of bacon, eggs, toast, sausage and potatoes.

Kane closed
his eyes, inhaling the scent.
Heavenly.

He probably
should have thought it odd to be so preoccupied with food after
having just received his date with death, but the growl in his
stomach spoke far too loud for question.

Starving.

The smell
taunted his restraint. He shifted on the bed, patiently waiting for
her to set down the silverware. “Thank you, miss …?”

“Annabelle.”
She dropped a napkin onto his lap and smiled. “And might I say you
are a handsome gent. Beautiful green eyes! I can see why Miss Ayden
fancies your company!”

Kane frowned.
“Miss Ayden? Is this the same creepy woman with the
gray
eyes and weapons arsenal dangling from her hips?”

“Why yes, sir.
Although, she’s not so scary, once you get to know her.” Anna
backed away and clasped her fingers together. “Bit of a sweet spot
she has.” She winked.

“Yeah. I
noticed.” Reaching for a slice of bacon, Kane cleared his throat
then bit into it. He groaned and his eyes nearly rolled back in his
head as the savory flavor coated his tongue.
Goddamn, this is
delicious.
“How long have you known her?” Affected by the party
going on in his mouth, his voice arrived at a slightly higher
pitch.

“Miss Ayden’s
been around for quite some time now. She’s a client of the
brothers.” Anna pointed a finger at him. “But you didn’t hear that
from me, see? Masters like to keep their clients under wraps.”

“She’s a
client for the
demons
? What exactly do they do?” His gaze
trailed back down to the mound of meat on his plate. Saliva pooled
in his mouth as the smell pervaded his brain and detonated his
senses.

“Well, by day
they run their casino, Sanctuary. By night, they’re vengeance
dealers.” She gave a quick nod. “They’re Wrath Demons, ya
know.”

A strip of
bacon fell out of Kane’s hands and hit the plate. “Vengeance
dealers?” He gulped as he swallowed the bite. “Wrath Demons? Like,
wrath, as in extremely violent?”
What the hell is this
place?

“As in, the
demon prince, Wrath. They’re his sons. If someone has been wronged,
they can summon the Wrath Demons for vengeance. If the Masters are
willing to take the case, that is.” She tipped her head forward and
peered at him over her brow. “They’ve been rather picky about their
contracts as of late.”

“So Ayden’s
been … wronged. I’ll assume by lycans, considering how
fond
of me she is.” He rubbed his non-greasy hand down his face. “And
she’s sicced the prince of violence and all his sons on me.
Fantastic.”

Annabelle
shrugged. “I’m afraid I don’t know the details of her contract.”
She pointed a finger at him. “But don’t you worry, love. If they
wanted to kill you, you’d already be dead. They’re quick about it.”
Her eyes diverted away for a moment. “Well, except for maybe Master
Logan. But he really is a sweet boy beneath all that”—she motioned
to her face—“whatever he’s got on the outside.”

“Oh, I have no
doubts.” Kane rolled his eyes. “Demons exist.” He shook his head.
“To think, two days ago the most horrific creature known to man was
my neighbor’s dog. Today, they’re werewolves and demons.”

A tittering
laugh tipped Annabelle’s head back. “Oh, not all demons are
monsters.” She patted the bed beside him and winked. “I’m not
frightening you, am I?”

“You’re a
demon?” His eyes widened. “Jesus, hell doth not discriminate, does
it?”

“I’m a Gambis
demon.” She nodded. “Pleased to make your acquaintance, kind
sir.”

“Gambis? Is
that another demon prince?”

“No, no.” Anna
grinned. “We’re thieves. And gossips, as you can see. But don’t
worry, master Gavin placed a spell on the house.” She shook her
head and gave a warm smile. “Sweet dear. Couldn’t steal a thing if
I tried. So nice not to be seen through suspicious eyes for
once.”

“Believe me,
I’m not worried about what you’d steal.” He bit off another piece
of bacon. “Do you have any idea what Ayden wants with me?” The
chewing of food while he spoke garbled his words. “I mean, why she
brought me here?”

“Don’t know
that either, sir. Miss Ayden’s never brought home one of your kind
before. She must like you quite a bit to bring you back here. Well,
with her and Master Gavin’s history, and all.”

“Gavin, Logan,
Calix. Was there a sale on trendy names when they were born, or
something?”

Annabelle
smiled. “I don’t think the master’s real name of Gavius would go
over too well these days. They try keep with the times and not draw
attention to themselves.”

“So what’s
their history? Ayden’s and Gavin’s?”

“I’m sorry,
I’m afraid I’ve said too much as it is.” She gave a quick flutter
of her hands through the air. “Enjoy your breakfast, sir.”

Kane nodded
and raised the slice of bacon in the air. “Thank you,
Annabelle.”

She smiled and
rose from the bed, closing the door behind her once she’d puttered
out of the room.

Much as his
mind begged to absorb their conversation, Kane’s stomach won the
battle for his full attention. He dug into his breakfast as if it
was the first time he’d eaten in months. It seemed that way,
anyway. Everything tasted so good.

What if she
poisoned the food?

The fleeting
thought escaped his mind as soon as it’d entered.

Does it
matter? Have eggs ever tasted so damn good?

The bacon and
sausage carried a delicious smoked flavor that lingered on his
tongue. He savored every bite of it, forcing himself to eat
slowly.

Hell, it could
be my last meal.

When he
finished, he pushed away the bed table.

Though his
muscles ached, his body felt alive, like the bittersweet sensation
after a hard workout. The idea of lying in the bed all day
threatened to steal his vigor. Blood had soaked into the satin
sheets where his wound had gaped at the back of his neck.