The Darkest Pleasure (33 page)

Another happy camper was William—which made Anya happy, which in turn made Lucien happy. William had moved
in indefinitely and liked to flirt with Ginger, who pretended indifference but blushed every time he neared her. Neither was serious about the other, Danika could tell, but it was nice to see them so at ease.

Danika’s family was only staying another week before heading home. She knew they’d stayed this long because they didn’t trust Aeron and had wanted to watch her back, just in case. No wonder she loved them! She would miss them terribly, visit often, but her life was here now, with Reyes.

Gilly, her young friend from L.A., had moved into the fortress, too. Danika had made sure of it. She and Reyes had placed her in the bedroom next to theirs, hoping to ease her transition from normal life to life among demons. The men seemed to like her, treating her as they would a kid sister even as they continued to complain about the upheaval in their once orderly lives. Gilly was leery, but Danika knew firsthand that would ease in time.

Ashlyn had taken the girl under her wing, a fierce protector not even the warriors would challenge. Danika loved her all the more for it. The woman was going to make an amazing mother, whether she had a boy, a girl, a demon, or a half human, half demon. A chuckle escaped her. Maybe one day Danika would face the same dilemma. She liked to tease Ashlyn about making Legion the child’s nanny. That always made Maddox look ready to vomit, which always made Ashlyn laugh.

As for Danika and Reyes, they had spent most of the past few weeks in bed together, loving each other to utter contented pleasure. She hadn’t smiled like this since, well, ever. Morning, noon and night, this man loved to rock her world. Sometimes it was sweet and gentle, other times it was wild and naughty.

No matter how he took her, she loved it. She just loved him!

She still had nightmares, but she didn’t fear them any longer. She actually welcomed them. Reyes always held her afterward, something she looked forward to every time she opened her eyes.

In return, she liked to think she comforted him, too. His need for physical pain had returned somewhat, so he had to cut himself a few times a day—sometimes, she even helped. But less and less would he get that crazed look in his eye when she came at him with a weapon, and instead would sit back and simply enjoy. The amazing thing, however, was that he didn’t have to be cut during their lovemaking. Then, the demon was transported to another plane, just as she’d suspected.

“Come back to bed, angel, and I will believe anything you tell me.” Even as he spoke, his penis lengthened and hardened. He reminded her of the secret painting she’d done of him when he’d first asked her to paint her visions—the one now hanging over their bed. “I expect your family to burst inside at any moment. Ever since your grandmother had the casts taken off, she’s been dogging your every step, wanting to help you with your paintings. Let’s not waste any of this time together.”

Her mouth watered at the sight of him—would she ever get enough of him?—but she clutched his shoulders and shook him. “Come see, come see, come see.”

Catching her urgency, he jerked upright. Though she hadn’t seen him reach for one, a dagger was in his hand. “Is something wrong? Has something happened?”

“Nothing’s wrong. You just have to see this.”

He pushed to his feet, still unabashed by his nakedness. She grabbed his free hand and tugged him into the studio. As always, his touch filled her with warmth.

“Did you have a nightmare, angel?”

“Kind of.”

They passed the threshold, a bright canvas coming into view. She stopped in front of it and Reyes moved behind her, wrapping his arms around her waist. His erection pressed between the curves of her ass, and she smiled.

God, she loved this man. If only she hadn’t pulled on a pair of jeans when she’d gotten out of bed to paint.

“Pretty,” he said, leaning down and propping his chin on her shoulder.

She could feel his heart beating against her back, steady and sure. She rubbed her hands up and down his arms, unsure how he would take what she was about to tell him. “Look closely. I, uh, think I found the third artifact.”

“What?” He spun her around, expression shocked.

“Look at the bottom of the pyramid. See those men?”

His gaze moved around her and latched on to the canvas. “Yes. Galen and Stefano.”

She studied it, too. The pyramids of Egypt stared back at her, humans marching inside them. “In my dream, they were walking the corridors of this particular pyramid and muttering about a cloak of invisibility. They kept saying that when they had it, they were going to use it to sneak inside the fortress undetected.”

Reyes gathered her close and kissed the top of her head. “You are brilliant. We must tell Lucien.”

“Uh, you must dress first.”

He laughed, and the sound warmed her as surely as his touch. “I love you, angel.”

“I love you, too.”

“I have a feeling we will soon be traveling to Egypt. Can you handle another adventure?”

“I can handle anything as long as I’m with you.”

He leaned down and kissed her, a tender brush of lips. “How did I ever live without you?”

“You didn’t,” she quipped. “Not really.”

He kissed her again, lingering this time. “No, I didn’t. Until you, I was dead inside. You’ve given me everything. Love, life, happiness.”

“Just like you’ve given me. Who would have thought it, you know? You, me and that sweet little demon.” Slowly she
grinned. She just couldn’t help herself, she was so blessed. “We’re a ménage of bliss.”

“Now and always,” he said.

“Now and always.”

Aeron—Keeper of Wrath

All-Seeing Eye—Godly artifact with the power to see into heaven and hell

Amun—Keeper of Secrets

Anya—(Minor) Goddess of Anarchy

Ashlyn Darrow—Human female with supernatural ability

Baden—Keeper of Distrust (deceased)

Bait—Human females, Hunters’ accomplices

Cage of Compulsion—Godly artifact with the power to enslave anyone trapped inside

Cameo—Keeper of Misery; Only female warrior

Cloak of Invisibility—Godly artifact with the power to shield its wearer from prying eyes

Cronus—King of the Titans

Danika Ford—Human female, target of the Titans

Dean Stefano—Hunter; Right-hand man of Galen
dimOuniak
—Pandora’s box

Dr. Frederick McIntosh—Vice President of the World Institute of Parapsychology

Dysnomia—Greek, goddess of Lawlessness

Galen—Keeper of Hope

Gideon—Keeper of Lies

Gilly—Human female, friend of Danika

Ginger Ford—Sister of Danika

Greeks—Former rulers of Olympus, now imprisoned in Tartarus

Hera—Queen of the Greeks

Hunters—Mortal enemies of the Lords of the Underworld

Hydra—Multiheaded serpent with poisonous fangs

Kane—Keeper of Disaster

Legion—Demon minion, friend of Aeron

Lords of the Underworld—Exiled warriors for the Greek gods who now house demons inside themselves

Lucien—Keeper of Death; Leader of the Budapest warriors

Maddox—Keeper of Violence

Mallory—Grandmother of Danika

Pandora—Immortal warrior, once guardian of
dimOuniak
(deceased)

Paring Rod—Godly artifact, power unknown

Paris—Keeper of Promiscuity

Reyes—Keeper of Pain

Sabin—Keeper of Doubt; Leader of the Greece warriors

Sienna Blackstone—Female Hunter

Strider—Keeper of Defeat

Tartarus—Greek, god of Confinement; Also the immortal prison on Mount Olympus

Themis—Titan, goddess of Justice

Tinka Ford—Mother of Danika

Titans—Current rulers of Olympus

Torin—Keeper of Disease

William—Immortal, friend of Anya

Zeus—King of the Greeks