ValiasVillain Read online

  He only had two more days left with her. The thought made him scowl and he toyed with the idea of keeping her longer. She did owe him fifty years.

  “Whatcha doin’, Rydie-pie?” she asked sweetly from behind him.

  He spun around. She stood naked, water dripping down her body pooling on the floor at her feet. He wanted to lick the water from her toes, her nipples, from that sweet apex between her legs. Damn, he had no control over his cock when she was near.

  Her seductive voice brought him back to the present. “What do I have to do to get a towel around here?” She sauntered up to him and traced a finger around his nipple.

  He grabbed her and set her away from him. “I see the shower improved your attitude. There’s a towel in the bottom drawer of the dresser.”

  Rydin wanted to laugh at the surprised look on her face. She pouted and swayed her hips in an exaggerated way making her perky, little ass call to him. He desired her and it had taken all of his willpower to set her aside, but he knew what she was doing and right now and he wanted her to eat. Besides, the sex was on his terms, not hers. He may not be willing to feed her with his semen, but he wouldn’t completely starve her.

  She strode back into the room wearing another of his tank tops, a light-green this time. “Sit. Eat,” he said. She slid into one of the wooden chairs and picked up a slice of the fruit popping it into her mouth.

  “Aren’t you eating?” she asked.

  He grabbed a dish from the counter and set it down on the table as he slid into the chair opposite her. When she saw what was on his plate, her eyes bugged and her mouth dropped open.

  “Ferox, please tell me you’re not gonna eat that.” She sounded incredulous and disgusted.

  He chuckled. He couldn’t help it. “You are a spoiled little Sempire demon, aren’t you?” he goaded.

  “If spoiled means not eating food that looks like that, then yeppers I am. By the way, you oughta laugh more often. It’s extra sexy-sauce on you.”

  He hadn’t expected that remark and tried to cover his surprise and his pleasure. He wasn’t sure what sexy sauce was but knew it was a compliment and he felt the sincerity.

  “This,” he said pointing to his plate, “is a stilio.”

  “It looks like a big, fat lizard. Correction, it looks like a big, fat, charred lizard.”

  “That’s what it is,” he agreed and took a hefty bite.

  She slapped her hand over her mouth and looked away.

  He chuckled again. “It’s not as if we have cows running around the demon realm.”

  “Why don’t ya just flash to a grocery store and buy something less…nastyfied?”

  He scowled at the reminder of his situation and took another bite of the stilio.

  “Well?” she prompted.

  “The stilio is tasty enough. Want a bite?”

  “Oh, but hell no.” She shook her head vehemently. “Is it because you can’t afford it?”

  He slammed his fist on the table making the plates rattle. Valia jumped, startled. “I am not poor, Sempire.”

  “For fuck’s sake, Rydin, call me Valia. And, if you’d simply answer my question, I wouldn’t make assumptions that piss on your parade.”

  He didn’t know why it made him so angry that she might think less of him but it did. Knowing his place in the demon realm was only temporary, until his contract was fulfilled, he’d never felt the need to do anything with it.

  “I am under contract and cannot enter the human realm unless my current task requires it or unless I am granted permission by my contract holder.” He couldn’t help but grit his teeth at the permission part.

  She looked fascinated as she popped another slice of fruit into her luscious mouth. “What kinda contract?”

  “Do you know nothing of the demon realm?”

  “I know I’m glad I don’t have to live here.”

  He snorted. “Spoiled.” When she didn’t take offense and instead only stared at him, he continued. “Because of our strength, many Ferox are contracted for a number of years by other demons who are considered upper level.” He sneered at that. “We are given no choice, taken when young and bound. They have money, assets that act as money here, and the power to grant us leave to the human realm.”

  “Wow. So, what kinda tasks?”

  Why not tell her? It might help put more fear into her. “I kill. I capture. I torture. I steal. Whatever is required of me.”

  She looked away and picked through the remaining pieces of fruit before choosing one. She bit off a small morsel, then focused on him again.

  “The demons you kill, capture, and torture, do they deserve it?”

  He shrugged. “Don’t know.”

  “You don’t ask why you do whatcha do?”

  “It’s not my concern. I’m given a task, I complete it.”

  “Hmm. You’re so…villainous.”

  “Don’t judge me, Sempire.”

  “I’m not. Really. Just sayin’. Kill, capture, torture, steal—pretty villainous.” A thoughtful daze settled on her face for a moment. “Do you want to do the things you do?”

  “What I want is to be free. To be free from the contract, free from this realm, free to live in peace. And I already would be if not for you.”

  She sighed, closed her eyes, took one deep breath and then another. He expected her to jump up, poke him in the chest, and yell at him again. He didn’t understand why she continued to pretend she didn’t know what she’d done to him. It was utterly infuriating.

  Instead she asked, “Who holds your contract?”

  “You ask a lot of questions.”

  She shrugged. “You interest me. So who is it?”

  “Debol. A deranged Incubus.”

  She shuddered and her pupils dilated at the mention of Incubus. He knew Incubus semen was irresistible to Sempires but dangerous to them because of its addictiveness.

  “Why not kill him? Wouldn’t that set you free?” she asked.

  He swallowed the bite of stilio he’d just bitten off. “Yes, but I am unable to.”

  She eyed him, grabbed his biceps with both hands and crinkled her forehead. Her touch on his bare skin sent sparks skittering up his arm. “Why? Looks to me like you could take out just about anyone.”

  The fact that she even considered for a second that he hadn’t yet killed Debol due to lacking physically ability, stirred his annoyance and he sneered. “The bond between contract holder and contractee prevents it, otherwise I would snap him in half”

  “Hmm,” she said, leaning back in her chair and her next question surprised the hell out of him. “Do you want me to kill him for you?”

  She was serious. He could see it in her eyes and feel it inside instinctively. An unfamiliar emotion struck him and he felt a sort of softening in his heart, as if her unexpected, selfless offer melted away a layer of anger. It was ridiculous. He wasn’t soft, didn’t do sappy emotions, yet she surprised him at every turn and made him feel. Made him yearn. Made him… He shook his head and reminded himself that regardless of her offer, this was the female who’d screwed him out of fifty years of his life. “Why would you do that?”

  “Because it would set you free. And bonus, one less Incubus in the world.”

  “But why would you care about setting me free?”

  She shrugged, her perky breasts bouncing beneath the oversized tank top. “I can’t quite put my finger on it but under your arrogant, bossy, delusional, abusive, dickwad surface, there’s something else. I feel your desire to be free and I feel…” She scrunched up her face and didn’t continue.

  Was it possible she felt the same odd connection to him as he did to her? He kept lying to himself about it, telling himself that it was only the thrill of finally obtaining vengeance, but she seemed to feel something too. He knew better than to trust her, she had to have an angle. “Are you playing me, Sempire?”

  “If you don’t start calling me Valia, I’m not gonna speak to you anymore.” Her sultry lips formed a pout.


  “Promise?”

  She laughed. “No. I like talking to you.”

  He smiled in spite of himself, but the smile was cut off by a stabbing pain over his heart. Fuck. Debol was calling him. He stood abruptly, practically knocking over his chair.

  “I have to go,” he said.

  Her gold eyes widened. “Go? Where?”

  “The deranged Incubus is calling.”

  She frowned and stood up. “The offer stands. Take me with you and I’ll take him out.” She poked him in the chest again while gazing up at him. “But you’ll have to feed me first. I’m not at full strength.”

  So that was her game. Damn. He’d allowed himself to think she might truly care about freeing him, that there might be something more to her, that he wasn’t a total pushover for going easy on her, but she just saw it as a way to get a feed.

  “Nice try, Sempire,” he snarled. He strode to his dresser and grabbed a black tank top from the top drawer, pulling it quickly over his head. “I don’t know how long I’ll be so I won’t cuff you to anything, but don’t go outside. It’s dangerous.”

  “Why don’t you take the cuffs off my wrist so I can flash to my home in the veil? I’ll come back. Just wanna pick up a few things.”

  “Pick up a few things? I’m sorry you think I’m stupid.”

  “Seriously. I’ll grab some decent sheets, some pineapple for me, and I’ll even get my buddy Fin to cook you up a steak. A change of clothes, my own clothes, would be nice too.”

  “Not going to happen. I’ll return as soon as possible.” He ported away from her and to the steps outside Debol’s home.

  Chapter Four

  Rydin, again, experienced that sensation of loss and had to fight the urge to return to Valia immediately. He tried to shrug it off as he walked up the steps to Debol’s home, but he couldn’t shake it. Two guards met him at the main entrance. They knew him well enough and knew he couldn’t hurt Debol so didn’t give him any grief and opened the door for him.

  Another guard met him inside and escorted him, without speaking, through the columns to Debol’s office.

  Debol sat behind a black, demon-wood desk. A female knelt on the floor beside him, her eyes cast down. “Ah welcome, Ferox,” Debol greeted him as he entered the room.

  “Debol,” Rydin said. “I was surprised to hear from you so soon.

  “Tsk, tsk. You know you’re my favorite.”

  “So, what’s the job?”

  “All business, Ferox.” Debol sighed. “Please have a seat. Let’s chat.”

  Shit. This couldn’t be good. Debol never just wanted to chat but he sat because there wasn’t much else he could do.

  “I heard a very interesting rumor.” He leaned forward, rested his elbows on the desk and steepled his fingers. “One of my watchers—”

  “Spies, you mean?”

  “I prefer watcher, but spy works too.”

  “So, what’s the rumor and how does it concern me?”

  “Oh,” the lunatic giggled, “it definitely concerns you. I hear you have a houseguest.”

  Rydin tensed. Why the fuck would Debol care about his private life? “Is that a problem?”

  “Oh, no, no. Quite the contrary. I’d almost decided to quit wasting watcher time on you. You never have anything interesting going on. Anyhoo… Is it true?”

  “Is what true?”

  “Is your houseguest a Sempire?” The bastard sounded giddy.

  The female’s head snapped up, her eyes wide. Wait, her gold eyes. Eyes like Valia’s. This female was a Sempire. Debol noticed and backhanded her.

  “Head bowed, Navine!” He barked at her and she obeyed but not before Rydin saw the flash of hatred cross her face.

  “Why does it matter what she is?” he asked cautiously.

  “You know how much I enjoy Sempires. And they’re so difficult to come by in the demon realm these days.”

  Rydin inclined his head toward the kneeling female. “Apparently, not too difficult.”

  “One of my other contractees failed a task. That very night, he found her and brought her to me as a bargaining chip. Ah, yes, that was a delightful surprise.” His eyes went dreamy before he continued. “So, tell me, is she the one? Is she the one who sealed you to me for another fifty years?”

  Rydin felt his fists clench uncontrollably at his sides. “Yes.”

  “Oh, that’s fabulous! Just fabulous!” Debol clapped his hands together. “I’d love to meet her and thank her for making sure you remained within my control.”

  “That’s not necessary considering she denies the event ever took place.” Rydin hadn’t told Debol the entire story. He only told him he’d been collared and held captive by a Sempire.

  “Really? Interesting. Very interesting.”

  “Debol, why am I here?”

  “I have an offer for you. Either take this job,” he held up a photograph, “or bring the Sempire to me.”

  “She is mine,” Rydin gritted out.

  “Yours?” Debol asked even more interested now.

  Damn it. Why had he said that? “She took fifty years from me. I’m entitled to revenge.” He corrected himself and hoped that explained away the possessive statement.

  “Yes. Agreed. How long do you expect your revenge to take?”

  “Three days,” he answered and instantly regretted it.

  “Hmm… And you won’t consider trading your revenge for, oh, let’s say, ten years off your contract?”

  What? That would leave him with only ten years before he could be free. But he only had twenty left anyway. So, hell no it wasn’t worth giving up his revenge. “No.”

  “I find it interesting, very interesting indeed, that you hesitated. I thought you’d jump at the chance to reduce your commitment to me, but I suppose you’re correct. A pet Sempire is worth much more than ten years.” Rydin saw the kneeling female’s shoulders tense. “You realize I can simply demand you bring her to me.”

  He reined in his anger as best he could and forced his voice to a reasonable calm. “I do, but I would ask that you allow me my revenge.”

  Debol leaned back in his chair, staring at the ceiling as if in deep thought. Finally, he said. “Go, do this job,” he handed Rydin the photograph. “He’ll be at this address,” he tapped the writing on the back of the photo, “sometime between noon and midnight this day. Bring him to me, alive.”

  Rydin blew out a mental breath of relief. He needed time to think. He knew that even though Debol was giving him a slight reprieve, it wouldn’t last.

  “That’s the best timeline you can give me?” That could take up his entire day with the Sempire.

  Debol narrowed his eyes. “Yes, it is.”

  Rydin attempted to keep the irritation from his voice after studying the photo. “What is he?”

  “He’s a mutt. A mixed-breed abomination. Nothing to worry about.”

  For the first time, he considered asking why. That Sempire was messing with his head.

  “Fine,” he agreed as he rose to leave.

  Debol stopped him and he tensed. “Take these.” He tossed Rydin a pair of gold cuffs. “These will prevent teleporting and should subdue any unique abilities he might have.”

  Rydin caught the cuffs. “I thought he was nothing to worry about.”

  “Ah, well, the mixed-breeds are always a mystery.” He shrugged.

  Rydin left Debol’s and looked at his watch. Shit. It was almost noon. He needed a hat to cover his horns for this assignment as he’d be in a restaurant in the human realm. He ported home and found Valia sleeping on his bed. He was surprised and almost disappointed he hadn’t caught her snooping again. He was also surprised to realize he enjoyed her spirit.

  He grabbed a pair of jeans and a black button-down shirt and shrugged into them quickly. He then donned a plain black baseball cap.

  He stood by the bed looking down at her. That ridiculously red hair splayed on his pillow in glorious disarray, lips slightly parted begging his to kiss them.
He checked the time and readjusted his straining dick. No time for that. He couldn’t risk missing his mark.

  “Female,” he said in attempt to wake her. She didn’t budge. “Sempire,” he said louder. Nothing. He bent down and whispered in her ear, “Valia, wake up.”

  Her eyes fluttered open and the corners of her lips turned up when she met his gaze.

  “Did you actually say my name?”

  “Come,” he said and pulled her out of bed.

  She grumbled. “I’m sleepy.”

  He took her hand and pulled her along behind him to the front door. “I have an assignment and I’m not sure how long I’ll be gone.” When he realized her eyes were half closed, he said, “Valia, listen to me!”

  She jumped. “Must you yell?”

  “Not if you listen.” He picked up the small rod that looked similar to a towel rod, and held it across the door and then took her hand and placed it on the rod. “Do you feel the button?”

  “Yes.”

  “Slide it to the left.”

  She did and the door was instantly covered in a silver glow that extended in a thin line around the entire house.

  “Ooh. Pretty,” she said.

  “It’s a barrier. It will keep just about anything from breaking through or porting in. Slide it to the right to disengage. As soon as I leave, engage it and do not disengage it until I return.”

  She pouted. “Your concern for my safety is sweet but why leave?”

  He gritted his teeth. “I have no choice. I’ll return as soon as possible. There is more cocinus on the counter.”

  She pressed her body to his and wrapped her arms around his neck. “Stay,” she said.

  Oh how he wanted to but there was no time. Damn Debol to hell. “I cannot.”

  “Take me with you.” Her wide gold eyes shone, pulling him into their depths.

  The fact that he considered her request for a second, surprised the hell out of him. “No.”

  She poked him in the chest and he readied himself to be bitched out but she seemed to lose her fight. She just waved a hand at him and walked away mumbling about his scratchy sheets. Not the reaction he expected from his fiery Sempire. He didn’t have time to contemplate it as he had to go.