Wrong Side of Hell (8 page)

Chapter Twelve

 
T
HIS WAS MADNESS.

Dimly she was aware of the noise from outside—the dog, the trojans, the thing who wanted her dead—and yet it meant nothing. In this moment—in this room, in this place that existed on another plane entirely—the only thing that mattered was the man who held her.

He was something she’d never had before.

Logan kissed her long and hard, his lips sliding across hers with a boldness that electrified her. His tongue plunged deep and the feel of him inside her mouth drove her crazy. She took from him with aggressive abandon, her tongue stroking, sucking, exploring with equal fervor.

His taste was primal, his scent wholly male, and Kira’s head spun. Never in all of her imaginings had she thought it would feel like this. She clung to him like a weakling, as if she would lose herself if she let go.

Her body was hot and cold, heated and wet. The ache that erupted between her legs was intense—a pounding dance of desire—and she clenched her thighs together, trying to ease the pressure. But it was no use. Her hands dug into him, pulling at his shoulders, wanting to imprint her body along the hard length of him. Her tongue danced along his, tasting and teasing, as they locked together in a passionate embrace that left them both breathless.

Was it the danger? The absolute knowledge that she was about to jump headfirst into an unknown that she might never recover from, that made this so thrilling?

Logan broke away first and she looked up at him, across the harsh light that flickered along his jaw and left half of his face in shadow. His chest heaved and he thrust her away from him, swearing in that freaky language that she didn’t understand.

Her hand crept up to her lips, swollen from the passion and fury of his kiss. Every single cell in her body tingled with an awareness that she’d never felt before. It was everything she’d wanted and so much more.

It was the perfect first kiss.

A crash sounded from below, followed by a roar that echoed through the house. The hair on the back of Kira’s neck stood on end and her heart nearly jumped into her throat.

“We’re out of time.” His eyes morphed into deep crimson and she shivered at the furious look that graced their depths. “Move back. I need to shift. It’s the only way I can take you through the portal.” His voice lowered, the timbre gruff and dangerous. “When I’m ready, grab hold of me and don’t let go.”

She could only nod.

“It’s gonna be tight and there are no guarantees. I hope a kiss was worth it.”

Her fingers crept up to touch her lips once more.

Mist crawled along Logan’s legs as his clothes disappeared and his body elongated and shifted. Time slowed into long seconds of bones popping, rumbling growls, and eyes that burned red. It was fascinating and horrifying to watch, but Kira was riveted.

Another crash sounded, this time much closer. She swallowed thickly and tried to ignore the lump that sat in her stomach like a stone, as she turned toward the door to her bedroom. It was on its hinges, splinters of wood strewn everywhere, and the large, gaping hole was filled with trojans.

A blinding light emanated from the space between them, flickering along the ceiling in a kaleidoscope of golden rainbows that slowly engulfed the entire room. She blinked and nearly fell over as a large furry head shoved her back toward the closet.

A snarl escaped the hellhound and for one second Kira’s gaze was caught and held by Logan’s fiery red eyes. He bared his teeth and the rumbling that sounded from his chest was terrifying to hear.

Move back!

Startled, she froze instead, shaking her head at the weird sensation of hearing Logan’s voice inside her brain.

But she had no time to process what she was seeing or hearing, for the light spoke. No form fell from inside the shower of gold—there was no person to see. Just a voice. A disembodied voice that held not an ounce of emotion.

“A dog from the underworld thinks to challenge me?”

Logan’s powerful hindquarters shoved her back, deeper into the closet, as he turned to face their attackers. Logan’s sides heaved and his long, powerful legs were spread as if ready to pounce.

The trojans shouldered each other restlessly, jockeying for a better position. Their mouths agape, they emitted a sharp hissing sound that hurt Kira’s ears. She moved back, her chest tight with fear and the knowledge that this might be her end. Her eyes moved to Logan and a sob caught at the back of her throat. Was it to be his as well?

The light shimmered so brightly that Kira had to close her eyes, and even then she felt the burn behind her retinas. “I’m curious as to why such filth is interested in the human?”

The voice grew louder and Kira stumbled as she moved backward, deeper into the closet. Logan’s tail slapped at her shoulders. She had no choice.

“Who sent you here? Who protects this human?” The voice was louder now, angry.

Heat seared her backside as a cloud of intense pressure tugged at her clothes. Kira yelped and almost fell to her knees, but she grabbed onto Logan instead, her fists sinking deep into the fur at his haunches.

Mist moved ever faster, gray swirls of cool, icy fog that coated both her and Logan in a cloud of energy. For a blessed moment the intensity of the mysterious stranger’s light was gone and they were sucked toward the back of the closet. A roaring filled her ears and the pressure inside her head ramped up big time. It felt as if she were in the middle of a powerful vortex, one that if allowed, would rip her into pieces.

Kira had never felt so insanely alive and so very, very frightened. It was a weird dichotomy that left her full of adrenaline. The cells in her body felt as if they’d been seared from the inside out, and she clenched her teeth, pulling herself up onto Logan’s back as the pressure behind them built.

All hell broke loose as Logan snapped his great jaw, taking off the hand of one of the trojans that had managed to get close enough to them. Dark liquid spewed everywhere, and the pain of it as it splashed onto her cheek ripped a scream from her throat.

It drove the point home. This was real. This was happening.

And these might be the last seconds of her life.

Kira’s arms grabbed hold of Logan’s neck as she positioned herself atop him, and she buried her head in his thick fur. He smelled of animal and anger and violence and protection. She closed her eyes and whispered, so softly she knew no one would hear.

“Just so you know—it was absolutely worth it.”

The sound and chaos magnified, and Kira closed her eyes as tightly as she could and held on with the last bit of strength that she had. Every part of her screamed in pain, and she cried out, afraid and sad.

She was dying and there was nothing to do but meet her fate head on. The rush in her ears was near deafening, and it felt as if her head was going to explode.

Kira forced her eyes open—if she was to meet her end, she would see it coming. But the light was blinding and though she tried, she couldn’t see anything. There was only the touch and feel of the animal she clung to. His warmth seeped into her bones, and for a second the sensation of floating drifted over her bones.

The pain disappeared. She sighed. And then there was nothing.

S
ILENCE SURROUNDED HER. Nothing but white noise in her ears. No screams from down the hall—Maggie-Mae freaking out because it was time for her meds; or Hank, the deaf giant, protesting his food choices. There were no messages over the intercom or the sound of shuffling feet.

No heavy breathing in her ear, or cold, clammy hands on her skin. There was nothing.

She liked it that way. Adrift on a sea of ignorance where a blanket of nothing meant the monsters in her head, the ones who populated her dreams, were slayed—however temporary.

Of course it couldn’t stay this way—not in the world she inhabited. Slowly Kira became aware of a sound, like a plane drifting across a robin-egg blue sky on a hot summer afternoon. It droned a sad lament that was more of a nuisance at first, like a bee buzzing around her head, and then it pressed down on her. Hard.

She tried to inhale but realized she wasn’t breathing. Had she ever been?

Her arms flailed and she tried to open her eyes as the pressure in her chest mounted. As terror punched her square in the gut. She felt as if she was underwater. Everything was distorted. Everything
hurt.

Where the hell was she?

Suddenly her lungs expanded and she inhaled great gulps of air. Her rib cage ached as if bones were broken, and it was cold, so very cold. Kira shuddered as she tried to understand all the sensations that slipped over her body and burrowed beneath her skin.

Images fell into her brain. A beast. Red eyes. Mergerone. Hands. Fists. Pain. And then him . . . the savior.

Logan.

The droning in her ear exploded, and she screamed as the pain inside became too much to bear. Her eyes flew open and she clawed at whatever it was that covered her—a blanket or something of the like. It was harsh and heavy and she kicked her legs as she wrestled with the shit-beige covering.

Whatever she lay upon moved as she rocked back and forth, and with a groan she shoved aside the covering, only to fall over the edge flat on her face. Nose against cold, hard tile. Every bone in her body ached, and it took a bit for Kira to steady her shaking nerves.

For several moments she stared down at the puffs of mist that fell from her nose. They reminded her of a cartoon she’d seen as a child. The one with the bull, scraping its hooves against the ground as it readied to charge. She raised her head and winced as the sounds that had been in the background erupted and filled the air around her.

It sounded like a bloody war was going on and she was caught in the middle of it. Kira counted to three and then pushed herself to her knees. A growl sounded, the proximity of it suggesting whatever it was was close by. Was it Logan?

She stared down at the scars on her wrists, at the pale skin untouched by the sun for years. She rested back on her haunches and ran her hand through the short hair that barely touched her shoulders. It felt dirty, less than ordinary.

She was back. And unless this was some cruel illusion, she was alive.

Carefully Kira got to her feet and pushed the gurney out of her way as she stumbled forward. Overhead, fluorescent lights flickered, casting a surreal shadow over the carnage beyond. Blood, guts, and pieces of the creatures from the gray realm were scattered everywhere. It looked like a bucket of crimson had exploded over the walls and pristine tiles of what she now knew was the morgue at the Institute.

In the middle of all of it stood a tall man, his face in shadow, yet the dim recesses of his eyes glowed crimson.

Logan.

He was naked, his powerful frame bathed in a fine sheen of sweat and blood that emphasized the cut of his abs, the taut belly, and—her eyes lowered—everything else.

Kira had never seen anything so terrifyingly magnificent.

Logan nodded toward the mess on the floor. “Two of them made it through the portal.”

She swallowed, not knowing what to say. Her mind was a mess of images, colors, and thoughts she didn’t understand.

And God, she was so cold.

“We have to go. There’s no time.” He stepped into the light and she shivered at the savagery that clung to him. “I managed to close the portal behind us, but their master will be close on our heels. That bastard isn’t governed by the same rules as the rest of us.”

“I . . .” She shook her head, confused . . . uncertain.

The red of his eyes faded, a wary look replacing the fierceness of moments before. “I know you’re scared, Kira, but you have to trust me.”

She glanced at the mess that surrounded her. “That’s a lot to ask. I don’t even know you.”

“I will keep you safe.” His eyes were intense, his expression fierce. “I swear on all that matters to me. No one will hurt you again.”

They stared at each other for several moments, and inside Kira, something stirred. Something broke. Melted. She believed him.

The door crashed open behind Logan and he paused, hands fisted.

“What the hell?” It was Mergerone. His nasally whine echoed into the sterile air and even with her hellhound close at hand, the fear inside Kira erupted. She whimpered and took a step back.

Logan’s brow arched and he smiled, a cruel bent to his mouth as he turned.

The doctor stood frozen in fear and confusion, his pale, pinched features seeming larger than life as he stared at the floor. His white lab coat was pristine, with “Mergerone” sewed into the chest pocket, the scarlet letters in bold print. When he spied Kira he made a sound—half sob, half scream—and tried to grab hold of the door, but he slipped on the blood that spilled over the tiles and went down hard.

“You’re dead!” The doctor screeched as he rolled on the floor.

Logan was on him in an instant, his large body pinning the smaller man to the floor as his hands went around the doctor’s neck.

Mergerone struggled, but it was no use, and his cowardly begging rang out between sobs as he ceased to move. “Don’t hurt me. Please don’t hurt me.”

Logan bent his head and whispered harshly. “Nothing would give me greater pleasure than to rip your head off and shove it up your fucking ass.”

“Oh God! Please, I’ll do anything you ask.”

“There’s a special place in hell for filth like you.” Logan’s fingers glowed as he dug his right hand deep into the man’s neck. The scent of burning flesh wafted into the air. Mergerone’s scream ended on a yelp as the pressure became too much and he struggled to breathe.

“I’ve no time to deal with you myself, but make no mistake.” Logan pushed away and stood swiftly. The air around him blurred and for a second the beast shone through. Kira saw it reflected in Mergerone’s wild eyes.

She loved that he was scared shitless.

A dark stain appeared between the man’s legs and when Mergerone mouthed “
please,”
Kira wanted to smash her hand into his face.

“That’s my mark, you son of a bitch.” Logan spat.

Kira saw a red and raw crescent-like burn on Mergerone’s neck.