The Fury (26 page)

This made Abu smile. “I guess you have been around Dagan then.”

“You know it. I imagine you know him too. Hung around together have you?”

Abu snarled. “In a manner of speaking.”

Joe shook his head. “You don’t like him either, huh?”

“We have had our differences.”

“Hmmph—differences. I’ll bet.”

Abu turned his attentions back to Reese. “Would you care to dance?”

“You do remember what happened the last time we danced, don’t you?”

His eyes lit up and he offered her a perfect smile. “Of course. Would you care to dance?”

She shook her head but couldn’t help the slow smile from appearing. “You’re doing it just to piss him off, aren’t you?”

Rationalizing that it would be better to stay seated, she still rose and placed her hand in his. Maybe she could find out a little more about their relationship.

“Reese,” Joe called.

She waved him off.

The song changed and R&B music blared from the speakers. The tune was a slow, rhythmic combination of beat and heat. Rufus’s and Chloe’s bodies were so close together, you couldn’t see light between them. The way her hands were roaming over his body while he gripped her ass, they would need a room soon.

Abu pulled her closer, placing the hand he held on his shoulder and rested his hand on top. Snaking the other hand around her waist, he reeled her in tight against his swarthy body. Man, he was built for sin.

A devilish grin broke across his face. “Thank you.”

Confused, she said “For what?”

“It would be my pleasure to do any number of sinful things to you.”

“So you read minds? I’ll have to remember that.” His closeness did nothing to stir her emotions or cause the turmoil in her body. Only Dagan managed that.

Across the room, Dagan squared off with Flame.

“You have to do it.”

“No, I don’t.”

Flame surged forward. “Dammit, Dagan, they will torture you beyond measure. You can’t do this.”

“The Pantheon thinks in the old ways.”

“And your parents? They are part of the Pantheon.”

“My father agrees with the command, but I think my mother would side with me.”

“What will you do?”

“Whatever I have to.” He downed the tequila and beer. “Now will you help me or not?”

Flame ran his hands down his face. “What do you want from me?”

“I need you to go to Pyre and convince him to make this for me.” He handed over a drawing.

Flame stared at the paper. “What is it?”

“My business.”

“I can’t believe you would do this without the Pantheon’s approval.”

“I haven’t done anything yet.”

Dagan motioned to the bartender for another. “Things are changing for us, Flame. The longer we stay here the more the old ways do not apply.” He downed another tequila and beer. “She is mine in every way except the bonding.”

“You may end up dead.”

Resting his forearms on the edge of the bar, Dagan lowered his head. “My choice. Nevertheless, I need to do this. I don’t want someone else protecting her.”

Flame growled and downed his bourbon. “I get it.” He slipped the diagram in his pocket.

“Tell Pyre I need it as soon as possible.”

“I will have to ease him into it first. He won’t be thrilled about this decision either.”

Dagan grabbed Flame’s shoulder and squeezed. “Thank you.”

“Hey, what are friends for?”

Dagan’s gaze shifted past Flame and zeroed in on the dance floor where Abu and Reese were cuddled too damn close for his liking. He growled and barreled toward them.

Flame spun around and saw where Dagan was headed. “Hell,” he swore and took off after his friend.

The roaring started low in his stomach and worked its way up until it rushed out of his mouth. Everyone on the dance floor stopped, startled.

Rufus climbed his way out of the haze of lust he’d been in since he got there. “This isn’t good.”

He stepped in front of Dagan. “Don’t do it, Dagan. They are only dancing.”

“Out of my way, Rufus.”

“Well, well, looked what stumbled in from the street,” Abu’s silky voice jibed.

Rufus cringed. “Dagan, think about this.”

His black eyes shifted and he glared at the
doghume
. “You don’t want to get in the middle of this.”

Knowing the better part of valor, Rufus moved aside.

His control over the
fury
slipped a peg. Abu had one arm still draped around Reese’s hips and his other hand tangled in her hair, nuzzling her neck. His gaze locked on Dagan.

Dagan roared closer.

“It seems we have been here before.” His icy tone barely leashed his temper.

“Dagan,” Reese pleaded. “We were only dancing. I swear it.”

“Step aside, Reese,” Abu said in a low growl. “She has your scent imbedded in her skin, Time Walker. Seems you have been a bad boy.”

His fists clenched and released. He felt Flame at his side.

“Control it, Dagan. It will do no good to let loose. He will destroy you if you don’t keep control.”

“He only did it to piss you off, Dagan, and you know it.”

He turned his fiery glare on her. “And why did you do it, Reese?”

“Because this is an innocent dance and you have nothing to be jealous about.” Her face now marred with anger she yelled, “Plus, you have no say in the matter. I thought we had that out the last time.”

Abu reached his arms around her shoulders, clasping his hands in front and pulling her back to him. “Shall we see what else we can manage that he will have no say in, little flower?”

“Ooooh, men,” she screamed. Reese rammed her elbow into Abu’s ribcage, causing him to release his hold on her. She turned around and punched him in the jaw. He didn’t flinch.

Anger roiling off her, she stepped up and slapped Dagan hard across the face then glared daggers at Flame before storming off.

Rufus let out a whoosh of breath. “Damn, Dagan.”

Flame agreed.

Rubbing his jaw, Abu came up to him and leaned against Dagan’s shoulder. “For such a small female she has a powerful right hook.”

Dagan let a small laugh escape before he shoved Abu off him and planted his fist in Abu’s already aching face. “That’s for pissing me off.”

Abu stumbled back but didn’t fall. He shook his head as Dagan pursued Reese.

“Abu, that had to hurt,” Rufus said.

The tall warrior laughed and wiggled his jaw. “Nah, if he wanted to really hurt me, I would have ended up on the floor.”

At the table, Roberta slanted a you’re-too-stupid-to-live look at Dagan before saying, “She grabbed her purse and headed for the door.”

He heard Geoffrey quip, “Remind me never to get her mad at me. Ouch.”

Dagan flew out the door in time to see a large shadow of a man grab Reese and pull her toward the parking lot.

“Let me go. Let me go.” Reese screamed as she kicked him in the shin and slapped at his chest.

“Hey,” Dagan yelled and launched himself at the kidnapper. Before he landed on the guy’s back, the intruder released Reese and spun around. “Oh shit.”

Scion caught him mid-air and pushed him up against the outer building with his very large hand around his neck cutting off the oxygen.

“Scion,” he squeaked. “What the hell are you doing?”

Reese had fallen to the ground when he’d let her go and she stared up at what looked to be a statue. He had to be at least six-seven or six-eight. His hair was long and wild down his back. The arm extending from his body looked to be the size of a tree trunk. He would definitely be scary if you met him in a dark alley.

“As I understand it, I am supposed to take over the handling of this situation.” He ground his teeth. “It seems someone was attempting to keep me from doing my job.”

“Scion—” Dagan tried to speak but the other time walker squeezed his neck tighter.

“Stop!” Reese got up and went over to the giant. “Please, stop,” she pleaded. “Let him go.”

He turned his fierce gaze on her and sneered. His other hand reached out and grabbed her arm, pulling her closer to him. “I see now why you were attempting to keep me away, Dagan. She reeks of you.”

From out of nowhere, a maniacal scream rent the air. A body flew across the space and landed on the giant’s back. It wrapped legs around his torso, started pulling his hair and biting him.

“Ow,” he growled. “By all the gods.” He removed his hand and Dagan dropped to the ground in a heaving heap. Reese ran over to him and helped him up.

“What the hell is going on?” a female voice broke through the tirade.

With his arm around Reese’s shoulder, Dagan rubbed his neck and started toward the other woman. “Angelique?”

Reese stiffened. The tall, chic woman had long, dark, curly hair and wide brown eyes. In jeans that were skintight, you could see all her ample curves. She wore stylish snow shoes, had a perfect white smile, and flawless skin, though her nose and cheeks had turned red from the cold. Another woman Reese couldn’t see liking just on principle. They were crawling out of the woodwork.

“What the hell are you doing here?”

“Dagan, what is this thing attacking me?” Scion yelled. He reached around and pulled the tiny creature off his back, clamping it to his side.

Incredulous, Reese said, “Riley?”

“What?” Dagan spun around. Sure enough, Scion held Riley against him, her feet dangling several inches off the ground. She tried to sink her teeth into his arm and used some colorful descriptive words to describe his anatomy and his ancestry.

In her seductive French accent Angelique said, “She insisted on coming here.” She shrugged. “I could not keep her from sneaking out, so here we are.”

Scion clamped his large hands on Riley’s arms, held her in front of him and shook her. “Cease, female, afore I put you over my knee.”

“You wish, scum,” Riley spat. She lifted her knee and forced it into Scion’s ribs.

He grunted but didn’t release his hold.

Exasperated, and thinking she’d had enough for the night, Reese closed her eyes and counted to ten. “Riley, what are you doing?”

Her sister was still trying to catch hold of something but her arms weren’t long enough. “This brute attacked your Mr. Yummy and I saw him knock you down.”

“But, I’m okay and this is a…
co-worker
of Dagan’s.”

Riley stilled, but narrowed her eyes on Scion. She casually glanced at the axe hung across his shoulders, lying along his back. “What is he, a lumberjack?”

A small rumble like the beginning of a thunderstorm rolled out of Scion’s mouth until it turned into a full laugh. He pulled Riley close to him, wrapped his arm around her waist and held her to his side. She wound her leg around his to help hold herself up.

Scion walked over to where Dagan and Reese stood. “She’s small, but feisty. I like that in a female.” He nuzzled her neck and earlobe. “She smells good too.”

“Hey, watch it, Jack,” Riley warned. “I’m still within striking distance.”

He growled and swung her to the front of him, pulling her legs around his waist. “Be still, my little meerkat, or I’ll take you for a ride.” He thrust his pelvis forward, making her squeal.

Dagan put his hands up. “Okay, can we focus, people?”

Patrons from the club had filtered out into the parking lot to see all the activity.

“Seamus,” Dagan called to the bouncer who waded his way through the crowd. “Can you get everyone back inside?”

“Sure thing, Dagan.” He turned to the onlookers. “Let’s break it up, folks. Nothing more to see out here. Back inside, back inside.”

Dagan swung around after all the outsiders were gone. Rufus, Chloe and the others had joined them. He shook his head and raised his eyes to the heavens. “Would you put her down?”

Scion grumbled a little. Riley kissed his cheek before he set her feet on the ground.

“We need to go somewhere and talk,” he said to Scion.

Scion frowned. “This is true.”

“How about my place?” Reese recommended.

“Actually, I was going to suggest that Rufus take you home.”

“But…”

Dagan caressed Reese’s cheek. “I have to talk to Scion. We need to exchange information and discuss strategy.” He looked up to the sky. “It’s getting late and with you not in your house, the
galla
and Kur will be looking to take you again. I will be there later.”

Reese let out an irritated breath. “Fine!” She turned her back to him. “Come on, Riley.”

Her sister ran to catch up to her, but threw a come-hither look over her shoulder at Scion. He winked and grinned.

“Angelique, since you’re here now, how about you taking Riley to her father’s with Gideon. Then, you can split watches with Chloe and the others.”