Wasteland (4 page)

“Don’t keep me waiting again,
half-breed
.”

I resisted the urge to laugh in his face. A fight would prove counterproductive, though a contest would ease the tension of my knotted muscles. The woman from the bar and then Master’s phone call had unsettled me so deeply I needed an outlet. One that would sate my demon for a spell.

Gage released his grip on the doorframe and let me pass. Without a word, I barreled down the hallway. Closed doors lined the beige walls. The thick carpet dulled my heavy footfalls as I made my way to the open space in front of the elevators.

Still uncomfortable stepping into a box secured by mere cables eleven stories up, I veered in the direction of the stairwell. I needed the exercise anyway.

“I’m not taking the stairs,” Gage said.

I stopped, hand resting on the door handle. “I’ll meet you downstairs, then.”

The corner of Gage’s mouth cocked upward, and he pinned me with a stare. “Don’t be a baby. Get in.”

The metal handle groaned beneath my grip while I contemplated his directive. Damn him. He was right. If I was to assimilate, I should work to conquer the fear of confined spaces.

I joined him in the elevator. The doors rolled shut. Within seconds, the platform fell out from beneath me and my stomach roiled.

“So, since she is an orphan, I checked county records and conned one of the workers into letting me peruse some files,” he said.

The calming music piping through the ceiling was of no aid to my tense stomach. I stared at the blinking box that indicated which floor we’d passed. Level one couldn’t come fast enough. “Conned?”

Gage’s tongue swiped over his lips, and a wicked snicker leaked out. He resembled a miniature devil when he did that. Only missing the horns. He relished being a demon way too much.

“Just turned on my charm, took her out to a fancy dinner, then warmed up her bed real nice.” He laughed. “She was putty after that. Too bad I found nothing on Jessica.”

“Gage.”

“Hey, anything to help a brother out.” He turned and studied his reflection in the mirrored wall beside him. “Take the final step and you can do little things like that. Anything you want you can do.”

“Back off. Four hundred years you’ve been telling me that crap.”

“Just give in, David. You don’t know what you’re missing.”

“No.” The claustrophobic box stopped with a jerk. The doors rolled open, and I marched out with Gage close behind.

“Your momma was a whore, signing a contract for her first born just to get rich.” Gage laughed. “And she died during childbirth. How fitting.”

I gave the lobby a peek. Empty enough. With blurring speed, I backhanded Gage’s face.

“Hey.” His voice echoed off the vaulted ceilings and bounced off the tiled floors. He pinched his nose to stop the crimson flow. Tears welled, and he grumbled.

“Told you not to ever mention my mother.” I strode to the valet and handed him my ticket. When he eyed Gage, I said, “He is fine. His disease is no longer contagious.”

The overweight valet’s mouth curved downward, and he shuffled back.

Gage moved in my path, one hand on his nose, but the other pointed, his finger aimed at my chest. I jerked it backward, crackling knuckles. His dark eyes flared with a challenge.

My demon stirred. “Are you sure you want to issue challenge to me, Gage?”

He held my gaze a long breath but diverted it to the slick, marble floor.

“Wise choice.” I released his hand and sidestepped him, my heart strumming. What my mother chose to do wasn’t up for discussion with anyone.

It hurt too much.

Ten minutes later, I maneuvered the SUV, into a parking lot four blocks from Club Noir. We made our way to the establishment, bathed in the golden rays of the setting sun. The feverish heat, however, had not receded with the sun. Trickles of sweat slithered down my spine and dampened my neck beneath my hair.

“You look more comfortable tonight than last.” Gage stared straight ahead, his jaw tight as we walked past the empty stores near the club.

“I was not very productive yesterday, but Master’s plan to tempt me didn’t work. He’d rather me be demon fully or in solitary, wouldn’t he?”

“Indeed.”

“Why?”

“You cannot be killed. Yet you choose not to join him.”

“My contract demands I be his runner. Collect his demons for him. Not join him.”

“What you are doesn’t make sense, but your mom made the deal with Lucifer himself. No one can override that. Not even Master.”

No wonder Master threw me into solitary so quickly
.
I scare him
. I didn’t try to hold back a smile.

Gage pocketed his hands and threw a glance my way. “Is it terribly painful if you don’t gather the Mark you’re assigned to get?”

My spine straightened like a rod had been shoved down my back. “Put it this way, I’d rather be in solitary a millennia to avoid the burn.” I pointed to the right. “Turn at this light?”

“Yes. You’re learning the town.”

“I went exploring during the day. It is very small, but relatively easy to navigate.” We turned the corner, following the sidewalk past a dimly lit hardware store. Cars buzzed by, and we passed an elderly couple strolling down the sidewalk.

“I heard the first fifty years your flesh melted off, except for your brand, of course.” Gage laughed.

I glared. “Glad to amuse you with my suffering.”

“Your flesh truly burned off?”

“Not literally. But yes. It felt like it was ablaze.”

“I was in France at the time, but I heard gruesome stories.” He grimaced. “I didn’t believe it at first. But with Master, you never know.”

I huffed.

“And you didn’t grab the demon because . . . ”

“She was killed in a fire before I could get to her. It wasn’t even my fault, but still, I didn’t get the demon in to Master, so I paid the price.”

Gage reached for my chest. I snatched his hand before he made contact. “Why do you insist on touching me?”

“I wasn’t going to. I was just pointing to your chest, where your brand is.”

“And.” I shoved his hand to the side. “Your point?”

“I can’t believe you’ve held out so long.”

“There has to be some way to be freed of my contract.” Now that I had my wits about me more this evening, I would find answers.

“Still on that pointless quest, are ya’? You know Master’s aware of your sneaking around, don’t you?”

“Again, your point is. . .”

“He just laughs. There is no hope for you, David. We’re all damned. You in particular.” He tossed me a sideways glance. “You should just accept your fate.”

“Never.”

CHAPTER 4

At least tonight the women grinding to the music didn’t trigger my beast so easily. I’d been out of the darkness long enough to tolerate the assault of stimuli on my senses better.

Although the fair-skinned females still brought my body to a scalding level more times than I would have liked, I remained focused, searching for the Mark of Elpida. I had to. Something deep inside me told me finding this Mark meant more than a soul for Master. Gage hovered, like the annoying peon henchman he was, but proved useful helping me assimilate as Master said he would.

I rested my elbows on the round table, staring at the sea of swaying people on the dance floor and ran my finger across the top of my cool glass. Most women wore shirts exposing their backs, but I had yet to see the Mark of Elpida.

“So, you enjoy babysitting?” I asked Gage.

He grunted, sat straight, and peered over my shoulder. “Hmmm. I think I see my next bathroom rendezvous.”

“You’re sick.”

He ran his fingers through his hair and patted down the front of his t-shirt. “Horny is more like it. I’ll go check and see if she’s got a tattoo on her back or anywhere else.” He gulped the last of his drink and stood, tucking in his shirt. “Enjoy your time of
solitude
, watching what you can’t touch.”

Gage paraded away, parting through a ring of three young females toward a tall, raven-haired woman who wore an equally dark leather outfit. A silver zipper ran from the point of her cleavage and followed a curvy path to the hem of her short skirt.

I studied the ice cubes floating in my caramel-colored drink. The table wobbled when I shifted my weight to the side and the candlelight flickered. I stuck my forefinger in the frigid drink and dunked the ice, fighting to hear my thoughts through the thumping bass pounding around me.

I should be searching for Jessica, but with Gage distracted, I’d rather sit for five minutes and not worry. Get lost in the music I was becoming familiar with.

“Want to dance?”

I turned and met the sultry-eyed stare of the blond beauty from the previous night.
Beka.
I clutched my glass and focused on my breathing to keep my heartbeat steady and the demon’s claws at bay.

“It’s not as busy as last night.” She strode behind me and stood next to the table, leaving a subtle scent of lilac in her wake. She was so tall I had to look up, and I wasn’t a short guy, even sitting. Her long, ivory legs ended in sparkling stiletto heels. Each muscle flexed as she shifted her weight to her right leg.

My body tensed. “No. It is not as busy.” I focused on my glass, trying to wipe her short, skirt and snug tank top from my memory. Long, muscular arms and pale skin went on for miles. Master must have sent her to tempt me. To see if I would give in. He’d done it before.

From the corner of my eye, I saw her move. She eased into Gage’s vacant seat and rested her elbows on the table. The ends of her shiny hair settled on the smooth surface. She clasped her fingers together and fixed her emerald gaze on me.

“You were in the alley last night.” She angled forward, her plunging neckline exposing the top of her breasts.

I diverted my focus to my drink, wiping the sweat from the glass with my thumb. The pounding bass resonated through my mind, scattering my thoughts.

“I knew it. Where did you go? I tried to see you.”

“You were safe, so I left.”

She raked her teeth across her bottom lip and leaned forward but stopped. “I’ve never seen you in here before yesterday. New to town?”

I stared into her eyes. She inclined her head as if encouraging me to speak. The blood in my veins flowed hotter than the Mohave Desert sands. Her long, slender fingers circled the rim of the cup holding the flickering candle.
What would it be like to twine my fingers with hers?
To feel them touching me as we—

“Are you okay?”

I coughed through the bundle of nerves choking me. “Yes. I am new to town.” I scooted my chair back. “I should be leaving now.”

“Why? It’s early.”

“I’m sorry. I need to leave.” Actually, I should stay since I hadn’t located my Mark. I’d guessed the other women here weren’t Jessica by their age alone. Not sure how a fifteen-year old girl got into a dance club such as this. But I followed Master’s instructions, hoping to avoid the flesh-burning consequence of missing my Mark.

“At least dance with me before you leave,” she said.

Temptress
. A trap planted by Master, himself. I had to stay strong, yet I could
not
stop staring at that graceful female.
Above the scent of sweet liquor and human sweat hanging thick in the establishment, a trace of her lilac scent wrapped around me. The demon demanded I draw her close and taste her lips. The sting of my fingernails biting into my palm dragged me back to the moment. I should learn more about her, so I knew my enemy.

So I told myself.

If Gage asked, I would tell him my suspicions of her. I dipped my head, agreeing to a dance. Her eyes went wide, and she stretched for my hand. I jerked it back and stood, gesturing for her to lead. She rose to her feet, her eyes meeting mine.

My pulse strummed in my head louder than the bass thumped. I wasn’t sure I knew how to dance to this type of music, but I’d been watching people for over an hour. Hopefully something sunk in.

She led through the crowd with the grace of a swan. People often patted her shoulder and said hi while we made our way to a space for us to dance. She turned toward me, a smile filling her face. Her eyes shone beneath the probing lights, and her body began to sway to the music.

I followed her motions, keeping two feet between us. Didn’t matter, though, the sizzling heat radiating from this beauty had tripped every nerve in my body. It was Sunday night, so the diminished crowd made sense. Fewer people to bump into and aggravate my demon. Beka’s gaze fastened on me and everything else faded from existence. Her eyes moved slowly, as if taking in every detail of my face, but paused at my mouth. She grazed her teeth over her bottom lip.

The demon stampeded within my chest, and I physically tensed to restrain him. Her gaze continued to sweep down my body before making eye contact with me again.

Within a minute of beginning our dance, the song blended into a slow harmony of subtle tones and pitches. Partners stepped close to one another. Two hands slid up my chest, encircled my shoulders and clasped behind my neck.

That elicited a shudder and a gasp.

“One more dance?” She focused on me, her lips puckered out. “That song was half-way through, so it doesn’t count.”

“I should g—”

“Just one.”

She gathered me to her, flattening her breasts against my chest. So close she had to put one of her feet between mine so we could move. Her warmth seeped through her thin shirt into mine. Hunger for her forced the air from my lungs. The demon demanded to be let out.

“So, do you have a name?” Her minty breath washed over me, and I put my hands on her hips.

“What is yours?” I asked.

“Rebeka, but everyone calls me Beka.”

“You frequent this establishment?”

Her inner thigh skimmed my leg as she leaned into me more. My hold on her hips tightened, keeping her core from mine. The prickle of my demon sliced at my heart, urging me to pull her close. My heart pounded and body tightened. I couldn’t handle much more touching before I lost control.

“Yes. I’m here often.” She held my gaze. “Tell me your name.”

“I am David.”

We swayed in silence, her body dangerously close to mine, yet I absorbed every touch. I played with fire remaining in her embrace, but for unknown reasons, I dove in further.