Soul Resurrected (Sons of Wrath, #2) (17 page)

He triple-blinked, fighting the competing blackness filtering into his consciousness. “What … touch …?”

“Very good. Do you love me?”

Gods, he could barely comprehend her words, as if she spoke at a distance. Did she say the L-word? If she did, he’d never believe it—so odd, coming from her, like the devil sucking on a lollipop. “Love … you?”

A smack across his face brought her back into focus. She grabbed hold of his chin. Her silhouette seized his attention as he fought waning consciousness.

She spoke to him in Demonic. How? Humans weren’t privy to the language.

Why could he suddenly not understand the words he’d known all his life? The language that had been embedded in his mind long before he’d understood what humans spoke.

“Repeat these words, Logan.” Sounds echoed through his head.

Words tumbled from his mouth as the small circle of vision began to shrink.

His body jostled and the circle widened a little until, at last ... she disappeared into blackness.

Logan’s finger trailed down to the sensation still lingering on his skin.

Her touch
.

He stroked it, as though trying to make it last longer, trying to remember the cool softness of her fingertips, like a junkie desperate for that very first high. He needed to feel it again, to know it’d been real.

Fuck, he’d hurt her. Made her cry.

Not that he felt bad for what he’d done. Getting her hands on him was his only motive—and she’d have done it, whether she wanted to, or not.

He burst through the doors and down the hall, his fingers still smoothing the spot on his neck. Gods, what it would feel like to have her lips on his? And on his …
goddamn,
he couldn’t move fast enough—like his first time being with a female.

She’d be pissed at him, no doubt, for the way he’d spoken to her, but he’d use his pheromones—again.

She’ll be ready to ride
.

He reached the foyer and skidded to a halt at the sight of his brothers gathered by the door.

All of them—except Zeke.

CHAPTER 13

Lungs burning, Draven ran in senseless directions, the cries from behind urging him faster as the Alexi were taken down one by one, by lightning white flashes.

Like black chess pieces getting knocked off the board.

The lights along the river shone a beacon of hope, and Draven swerved that way—until a force from behind knocked him face-first into the cold dirt.

In a breath, Draven twisted beneath his captor, punching its fang-baring skull to the side and gaining enough seconds to kick back up on his elbows.

The creature crawled over him, and Draven grasped its throat but trembled under its force bearing down on him.
Shit
. If those fangs pierced his flesh, it’d be over; the others seemed to have been helpless in their grips.

Giving one forceful thrust, Draven threw it back just enough to allow him to level his Glock and shot a bullet through its skull before it could push back again.

Waves of relief swam through him as the bullet exploded out of the back of the creature’s skull in an impressive burst of red.
Thank the fucking gods!

Some seemed to be susceptible to the bullets while others weren’t. Draven didn’t spare a moment to sit and ponder why, but scrambled to his feet, glancing up in time to see Deuce and Jenna booking it toward him.

Three paleskins flashed behind them.

Draven shot his gun at the streaks of white. A blossom of red indicated a dead hit and one of the bodies met the floor.

Jenna stumbled, and Deuce yanked her arm. Tiffany trailed the two of them, clutching Paul’s hand.

Paul’s body flung backwards into the air.

Draven shot at the paleskin but missed, as Paul’s body came down on the gravel. As the creature climbed atop his prey, Draven paused with a singular thought:
Leave.

Still running toward him, Deuce’s brows furrowed, and he slowed his pace to a jog, turning his head toward where Paul cried out as he batted at fangs.

Draven backed up.

“Shoot it!” Deuce called out. “Draven, shoot!”

Instead, Draven spun around and jogged toward the entrance. He peered over his shoulder long enough to see Deuce race back for Paul, his dagger slicing into the throat of the paleskin until he’d removed its head from the body.

Both Alexi soldiers pushed to their feet and ran, chasing behind Draven.

One by one, they slipped through the entrance, ran parallel to the river, and scaled the fence.

All five soldiers hit the streets running.

Without a single glance back.

* * *

Logan’s muscles burned with tension.

“We looked everywhere.” Gavin’s eyes, with their heavy eyelids beneath the deep crease in his forehead, looked grim and weary as they settled on Logan. “A ten-mile radius out from the building. Found blood. Nothing else.”

Logan strode toward the door, knocking Gavin and Kane in the shoulder. When a hand grabbed his arm, he swung around with a growl.

“Where are you going?” Gavin asked.

“To look for my brother. And annihilate the piece of shit holding him captive.”

Gavin’s hand squeezed tighter. “You think we didn’t look in every possible place in that goddamn city? We didn’t put our fucking hearts into finding him just now?”

Logan wrenched his arm from Gavin’s grip. “I think you give up too easily on things you put your heart into.”

Gavin’s fist came out of nowhere.

The impact to his jaw exploded inside his head. A rush of adrenaline surged through his body.

Yes.

Another blow chased the first, knocking his head back.

Logan drilled Gavin in the gut with his fist—following it with another, and a third, backing him up against the wall with punch after punch. His brother’s throaty grunts pounded in his ears, triggering his need to knock him out.

Arms gripped Logan from behind and yanked him away.

Calix slipped into the gap, arms outstretched. “Cut this shit out!” His head whipped back and forth between the two. “You think this is helping? Whatever guilt bullshit is going through your heads needs to quit.” He anchored his stare at Logan. “What the fuck’s wrong with you, man?”

Snapping free with ease from Kane’s grip, Logan issued the lycan a onceover, and Kane backed up a step, his gaze dropping like he’d realized how stupid he’d been.

Demons broke up demon fights—anyone else crazy enough to get involved just got hurt.

When Logan turned back to Gavin, both brothers’ chests heaved as they stood staring at one another.

Gavin dragged a hand down his face. “Sorry, Brother. I don’t know what came over me.”

Logan scratched his jaw. “We’d all like to beat the shit out of something right now. That’s what came over you.”

Gavin reached out a hand. “Kiss?” he asked with a smile.

“Fuck you.” Logan gripped his hand and pulled his brother tight to him, giving a hard pat on the back.

“I’m going to make some calls.” Gavin spun around to face Calix. “I want you to see if Ava knows anything about this bounty hunter.”

Calix’s gaze averted. “I doubt Ryke’s told her anything.”

“It’s worth a shot. Right now, we don’t even know if Zeke’s alive.” Gavin’s level voice didn’t match the upturn of his brow.

Worried?

“He’s got me hexed, Gav. Can’t even cross the threshold to get to her. I’m banished.”

“Forgot about that.” He rubbed a hand down his face. “I’ll think of something. Maybe we can break the hex on our side, somehow. Give me some time.”

With a nod, Calix walked past him, up the staircase.

“Kane, I want you and Ayden to hit up some of the shady spots. Ayden’s got friends. Lycans played some part in baiting us. See if her contacts know about the hunter.”

“Sure.” Kane headed off, too, probably in search of Ayden.

Gavin ran his hands through his hair, entered his office, and poured himself a drink.

Logan leaned against the office doorframe. “So, what’s the game plan? I’m not sitting here with my finger up my ass.”

“I’m calling Ferno and Mad Dog.” Gavin tipped back the drink and poured another. “We may need to prepare Zayne for their return.” He sighed heavy. “Sit tight. We’re gonna need you in tiptop shape by the time this is over.”

“For what?”

“Crushing a bounty hunter’s skull.”

Logan nodded and brought his fists together. “I want to feel that shell of his crumble in my hands.”

“You ever fight an Enforcer?”

“Once.” He didn’t dare say that it was one of few fights he’d lost, and one of few to leave permanent scars on his body. Enforcers were the only beasts in the underworld and human realm that knew the most effective means of doling pain.

Gavin nodded. His pupils had dilated, giving a sort of crazed look to his eyes. Sure, the rest of the brothers had that look from time to time. Not Gavin, though. Mr. Calm and Logical never seemed on the brink of popping the heads off baby rabbits, until then.

Logan’s smile tugged at the corner of his mouth. “Nice to see you embracing your inner psycho these days.”

“Gear up.” He set the glass on the bar, beside the liquor. “You and I will hit the streets again in about an hour. I can’t sit—”

As if a knife had been thrust into his back from behind, Gavin’s body stiffened, his irises swirling into a milky white.

A vision.

Ordinarily, he got them in his sleep, or in private, but Logan had seen it once before.

He didn’t interrupt. If he pulled Gavin from the vision, whatever was there might be lost, and the bastards so rarely struck. Instead, he watched as his brother trembled and fell to his knees.

The creepy swirl to his irises gave way to their usual blue. He brought his arms down to his side and fell forward, catching himself with one hand and grabbing his temple with the other.

“What did you see?”

“Zeke. Alive, although …” Gavin shook his head and sat back, lifting a knee.

“Although
what
?” Logan’s voice portrayed the urgency turning in his gut.

Gavin buried his head into his arm folded across his knee. “Ah, fuck. He’s messed up. Bad.”

Logan’s fingers curled into a fist. “Did you see where he’s at? Anything familiar?”

“Nothing.” Gavin shook his head. “He was laid out on a bed somewhere.”

“We can’t sit here and do nothing. I say we track down Ryke. This time, I’ll fucking kill him.”

“You won’t take him by surprise again, Logan. I say we try to reason with him. Cut him a deal.”

“I don’t make deals with assholes.”

“He wants Calix to stay away from Ava.”

“Look, I don’t get in the middle of these fucked up love triangles. Kicking his ass was a personal matter for me, after the attack at the underground party.” Logan straightened and folded his arms. “I don’t believe for one second that this is all about his sister, either.”

“Nor do I.”

“You ever been wrong on your visions. Ever?”

Gavin nodded. “Of course. Every decision we make affects the future course of events. Which is why I have no fucking idea where to go from here.” He ran his hands through his hair. “I need another clue.” He glanced up at Logan. “Xander’s fallen. He might have visions. I’ll pay him a visit.” He nodded as if convincing himself of the decision.

“You’re looking kinda pale. Want me to talk to him?”

“No. Xander’s tricky. Let me deal with him. In the meantime, don’t do anything stupid. We’re on some shaky ass ground right now and the slightest twitch could …”

Get Zeke killed.

Logan gave a nod and left the office. What the hell would he do instead? Not like he could just sit there, waiting on Gavin. Had to do
something
. Clean his guns, maybe.

When he reached the top of the stairs though, his gaze drifted down the hall, toward the room in which Calla slept.

He raised his hand to touch his neck again; it tingled like the shit taunted him. The reminder of her fingers on his skin had him thinking things that just didn’t belong in his head at that moment.

He strode quickly to his room, nabbing his clothes from a bedside chair as he headed straight to the bathroom, where he dropped the clothes to the floor, clutched his dagger and made three long cuts over the lingering sensation.

Deeper than the first two, the third slice forced a hiss from him, and the blade fell into the sink with a clang.

Logan gripped the edge of the countertop, and sucked in a breath as he concentrated on the burn that sealed the wound. On his exhale, the cool sensation returned and stole away the pain, as if her fingerprints had some tangibility and had imprinted into his flesh.