ValiasVillain Page 5

  “Valia, the door,” he reminded her.

  She stopped and turned back. “Oh yeah,” she said. No enthusiasm only resignation.

  He didn’t like it. He pulled her in for a quick, demanding kiss and when he pulled back he noticed her dilated pupils. He disengaged the rod and handed it to her.

  “Remember. Left engage, right disengage. Even I won’t be able to port in with it engaged. Don’t let anyone in but me. It’s not safe.”

  “Okay,” she said in a small voice.

  Did she look pale? Dammit, he didn’t want to leave but he did—had to. He ported to an alley behind the restaurant. A dirty man, obviously drunk, dropped his beer can and stumbled backward in shock.

  * * * * *

  Valia engaged the nifty, glowy rod thing and made her way back to the bed. Weakness was quickly overtaking her. She’d hoped to seduce Rydin out of his semen soon, but now she had no idea when he’d be back.

  No matter what he believed she’d done to him in the past, his aura didn’t show the kind of malice that would lead him to actually kill her. She was certain of it. She had to be certain of it or she’d panic.

  Lying around wasn’t doing anything to ease her mind so she forced herself off the bed and decided to snoop some more. If she couldn’t find the handcuff keys, maybe she could find something to pick them with.

  She rifled through the two drawers in the dresser she hadn’t already dug through. Nothing but clothes. There was nothing helpful in the bathroom either. She grabbed a knife and a fork from the kitchen and bent one of the tines back and jammed it in the keyhole. She’d never learned to pick a lock but how hard could it be?

  She twisted it around inside the hole, took it out and shoved it back in and wiggled it around. Nothing. Damn it. She continued the process for thirty minutes before the tine snapped off the fork.

  Okaaay. Time for the knife.

  Four hours later, Valia was exhausted and had broken every fork and knife in Rydin’s kitchen as well as stabbed her wrist several times.

  She didn’t have the energy to mess with the cuts, instead she fell onto the bed and fell into a deep sleep and dreamed.

  Rydin strode into the room and stripped off his shirt letting it fall to the floor, his muscles flexing. She’d never seen such a gorgeous male. No one’s touch had ever enlivened her body as his did.

  He joined her on the bed, kneeling over her, and kissed her. Her soul burned for his touch.

  “Sempire,” he whispered against her lips. “Take me to the cell.”

  “What cell?” she asked, confused.

  He kissed her again and slid a hand between her legs. She arched into his touch, encouraging him.

  “You know the one. Close your eyes. Remember for me. Take me to where we first met.”

  Valia closed her eyes and when she opened them, they were lying on a bed in the club where she’d first seen Rydin. Where he’d somehow called to her.

  “Concentrate.” His lips brushed against her ear and his fingers worked magic between her legs. “Take me to the cell. The cell where we first fucked. I want to experience it again, my sweet.

  “We met last night.” She tried to focus, wanted to tell him he was crazy, but his fingers were working her into a frenzy, fogging her brain.

  “No,” he whispered. “Think back. Open your mind and remember.”

  His voiced lulled her, compelled her. Valia’s mind raced. Images, fuzzy at first, flickered behind her eyes. Pain exploded in her temples. Then, there she was. In one of her mother’s porn cells sucking Rydin’s cock, fucking him, riding his face. Colors swirled around them and melded together, weaving an intricate pattern. What the hell was that? His aura. Her aura. Oh shit. What had she done?

  He’d been powerless to fight her with the collar around his neck. He’d been powerless to resist her after she’d bound his aura. She watched in horror as time after time she’d visited the cell and taken what she wanted, what she needed, from him. He’d been hers to use as she’d pleased, and pleased she’d been, but he’d been furious.

  A maniacal giggle brought her out of her haze. Looming over her was not Rydin but someone else. Her eyes blurred as her pupils dilated as a warning signal sounded in her mind. Incubus.

  She scrambled backward in the bed trying to escape him.

  “Come to me,” he commanded.

  The urge to obey tugged at her. Her hunger. Her need, drew her to him even though she was repulsed at the same time.

  “Come to me,” he urged.

  Valia’s eyes flew open as she sat straight up in bed.

  Oh my holy fucking shit balls. She sucked in a deep breath and tried to sort fact from fiction. The things she’d seen… The images that had flashed before her… Were they real? They felt real. She knew they were yet she only remembered them in the dreamlike reality.

  Rydin was right. He had been locked in a cell and she had taken advantage of him in the worst way. She’d used him—fed from him over and over. She couldn’t comprehend it. She didn’t even know how she’d done it, but now she knew what she’d done to him and it was worse than he thought

  She’d bound his aura to hers. Something she hadn’t even known she’d known how to do. Unholy fuck. No wonder she’d been drawn to him in that club. She’d tied him to her, against his will, no less. Maybe that’s why he hadn’t beaten her when she’d brutalized him in his home. Maybe she’d manipulated his aura without even knowing it.

  No wonder he wanted revenge on her. Although she still didn’t know what the fifty-year thing was about, she’d want revenge if he’d done the same to her. She’d want the kind of revenge that ended in his slow, super-painful death.

  But how? She had no real memory of the event until now. How had he gotten there? Wait, he said thirty years ago. Thirty years ago, she’d gone through her transition to full Sempire. That’s a time when Sempires need more semen than usual. She’d never had any memory of it. Her mother had mentioned her having a difficult time due to her father’s Sensus demon DNA. Apparently, the Sensus demon DNA was tough to conquer, but her mother had never gone into detail and Valia had never thought it important enough to ask about.

  She’d awakened one day and been ready to embrace the life of a Sempire. It’d been easy for her. Simple. She hungered. She sought. She experienced. She fed. Now that she thought about it, she realized she’d never felt fulfilled. Not until meeting up with Rydin in the club. That must be why she’d been drawn to him and why she felt so complete when he was near. She’d bound his aura to hers. In a sense, their essences were one.

  If he thought he was pissed at her now, he’d really be pissed and hate her when he found out what she’d done to him. No wonder she’d always been extra exuberant about her lifestyle, feeding more than necessary. She’d been trying to fill a void she hadn’t understood. She thought it was only her natural need for semen, but it was also a need for him.

  Had he felt that way too? That longing? That feeling of being incomplete? Always trying to fill a void?

  Guilt racked her as she paced back and forth, unsteadily as she weakened more, around Rydin’s home. Her Sensus demon abilities were usually minimal at best but the aura binding explained why Rydin’s aura was so clear to her. She had to undo it and she swore she would find a way once he released her. Then maybe they could both find some peace.

  She doubled over and clutched her stomach as a pain speared through her. She needed to lie down. What she really needed was to feed but there was no way to make that happen until Rydin returned. After remembering what she’d done to him, she didn’t even feel right taking nourishment from him but she either had to talk him into it or talk him into letting her go early.

  She was afraid to go back to sleep, afraid of what else her dreams might show her, so she sat in the large, shabby chair beside the bed and tried to get comfy but still keep her eyes open. But she was too tired and sleep overtook her.

  * * * * *

  Rydin sat on a bench outside the pizza joint, Navie’s
Pizza. A few other stores sat in a horseshoe-like configuration in the plaza. He sat on a bench that rested in a grassy area at the open end of the horseshoe. The sun shone brightly and the urge to close his eyes, lean back and relax was overwhelming. Rydin loved the sun and there was no sun in the demon realm.

  He pictured Valia sitting next to him, the sunlight glinting off her red hair, casting an orange glow over her soft skin. Did she love the sun as much as he did or did she prefer the light of the moon? Was she snooping through his things or lying on his scratchy sheets? He frowned at that. She thought him poor and lacking class. Hell, maybe by her standards, he was.

  He examined the other shops around the pizza joint. Van’s Linens and Lingerie, Shay Jewels, Perfect Perk, The Donut Hole, Yum Subs. He didn’t know how long he’d be waiting here and he’d only have one more full day with her after tonight. Too bad there wasn’t a grocery store. He’d love to see the look on her face when he brought her fresh kiwi and pineapple.

  He shook his head. He didn’t need to be thinking of her. He needed to take care of business, but who knew how long he’d be waiting around for this mystery demon. He didn’t dare port away to a grocery store, but he could at least make use of the linen store. He’d show her he wasn’t poor and classless.

  He found himself striding toward the linen store before he realized he’d made up his mind. He stopped at the double glass doors and marked his view of the front of the pizza place. Clear. He stepped inside. There were only a handful of shoppers inside. Good. He didn’t dare go farther into the store and lose his vantage point.

  Shit. What was he doing? This was ridiculous. Just as he was about to leave, a petite saleswoman said, “May I help you with something, sir?”

  “Sheets. I need sheets,” he said only sparing her a sideways glance before returning his gaze out the door.

  “Okay. If you’ll follow me—”

  “No. I’m waiting for someone. Pick some out for me. The softest you have.”

  “Um, well… I’ll need to know size and if you prefer Egyptian cotton or satin and thread count. There are so many choices.”

  “Queen. The best you have.”

  “Well, that’d probably be our fifteen hundred count Egyptian cotton. Do you have a color preference?”

  “Green,” he said without hesitation. He loved the way she looked in green. “Light green.” He spared a quick glance around the store and at the bewildered saleswoman. “And one of those dresses in green.” Without looking, he pointed to the left wall.

  “The lingerie?” At his nod, she asked, “What size?”

  Hell, he had no clue. Size sexy-as-hell. He glanced at the saleswoman again. “Your girth, larger breasts, six inches taller.”

  In his peripheral vision, he saw her blush before she walked away. She returned five minutes later. “Sir, will any of these work?”

  She held up three items for him. He quickly scanned them and chose the short shiny one. He was shocked when the woman announced his purchase totaled $257.14. He was out of his element. Luckily, he always carried at least one thousand dollars with him when on assignment.

  With his purchases stowed in a handled, brown bag with Van’s Linens & Lingerie printed in curly script, he made his way back to the bench to watch and wait. He supposed the shopping bag helped him blend in. Just another shopper.

  A sense of unease crept through him and he had the almost uncontrollable urge to port to the demon realm to check on Valia. There was no way for him to know if she was in danger, but he would swear he felt her fear and it ate at his guts. He fought it, tried to stay focused, ignore the tricks his imagination was playing on him and within ten minutes, the unease lessened. She was safe as long as the rod was in place. His desire to continue his revenge must be making him delusional.

  After the sun went down, Rydin entered the pizza place, picked a table that gave him the best view of people coming and going, and ordered a beer and a slice of pizza. He was shocked that all of the employees were demons of various kinds.

  Three hours and five beers later, his target walked through the door and headed behind the counter where he greeted employees and disappeared through another door that read “office”. The male wasn’t dressed as the other employees and he assumed he must be a manager. Fifteen minutes later, the male had not reappeared and Rydin grew impatient.

  He walked to the counter and asked to speak to the manager, hoping his assumption was correct. The mixed-breed demon scooted away to do Rydin’s bidding without question. A moment later, his target appeared.

  The demon’s eyes widened as he spotted Rydin. Not an uncommon reaction considering his enormous presence.

  “What can I do for you?” he asked cautiously.

  “I need a word with you. Privately.”

  The demon leaned over the counter and looked from side to side before speaking. “Are you him?”

  Not the reaction Rydin expected. “Him who?”

  “Give me one minute,” he said and walked back into the office.

  What the hell was that about? It wasn’t often that Rydin was surprised on his assignments. This demon obviously had been expecting someone else and it looked as if it would work in Rydin’s favor.

  The demon strode out of the office holding a large envelope, told the employees goodnight and looked at Rydin while nodding toward the door. Rydin grabbed his bag and followed him out.

  Once outside and down the walk away from the shops, he turned to Rydin and handed him the envelope. “I need your help.”

  Rydin reached out his hand as if to take the envelope, but instead grabbed the male’s arm and slapped one end of the gold cuffs on him. “You’ve mistaken me for someone else. I’m not here to help you.”

  The cuffs didn’t faze the demon and he still held out the envelope to Rydin. “Please. There’s fifty thousand dollars in the envelope and I can get more. It’s yours if you’ll help me rescue my sister. That Incubus has her.”

  Okay. Now he knew why the guy looked familiar. He hadn’t put it together when Debol had handed him the picture. “Your sister is a Sempire,” he stated.

  The demon shook his head. “Yes. That bastard has been holding her for six months. Help me get her out.”

  Rydin couldn’t imagine Valia being at Debol’s mercy for six days much less six months and it sickened him. Regardless of what she’d done to him in the past, she didn’t deserve that sort of punishment. For the first time, he sympathized with his mark’s plight but he would carry out his task regardless. Sympathy changed nothing, but he felt compelled to explain.

  “You know she can’t survive without him now. She must be addicted to his semen.”

  The demon scowled, a vein ticking at his temple as he spoke through gritted teeth. “I’m aware of her situation but I won’t leave her there to suffer at the hands of that thing. I’ve been searching for a cure.”

  Rydin scoffed. “There is no cure.”

  “I have to try. Help me.”

  The desperation in the male’s voice would not sway him. “How did you know I was coming for you?” Rydin asked.

  “Navine, my sister, told me. Described you. She wanted to warn me. Wanted me to hide.” He shook his head.

  The Sempire was under Debol’s constant watch so how the hell could she have gotten a message to her brother in the human realm? Was Debol setting him up? “How?”

  He shrugged. “Astral projection is my ability. With a twist. My physical body still functions when I project and I can project to two places at once.”

  Rydin had never heard of that but he definitely saw the benefit and why Debol would want him on his side, but he didn’t see how it would be helpful in freeing his sister from Debol. No, he couldn’t help them. He couldn’t believe he’d even entertained the idea.

  “And you thought you could buy my help?”

  “I had to try.”

  “I cannot help you.”

  “I know you can’t harm him because he holds your contract, but you could distr
act him or something. Work with me,” he pleaded.

  Rydin shook his head. “It’s time to go.”

  Pain exploded in Rydin’s nose and the metallic tang of blood coated the back of his throat. Damn it. Nose broken twice within two days. He shook off the punch and grabbed the male by the throat. He was strong, but he was no match for a Ferox demon.

  “Do not try that again,” Rydin warned. “I am going to deliver you to Debol. I have twenty years left on my contract. Perhaps, one day…”

  “Twenty years?” the demon exclaimed. “We won’t last twenty years.”

  “It’s not my problem,” Rydin said harshly and ported to the steps of Debol’s home.

  The demon fought him with fervor now that he knew Rydin was a lost cause in his attempt to rescue his sister but Rydin subdued him and cuffed both hands behind his back and then took him in a chokehold into Debol’s home. A guard collared the struggling demon before they were allowed inside Debol’s office.

  Once inside, the Sempire jumped to her feet. “No!” She cried as she ran and threw her arms around her brother. She turned to Rydin, the look of hatred on her face causing a strange sensation to course through him. Guilt? He’d never felt guilty about his jobs before. It was what he had to do and he did it.

  Debol sneered at Rydin and said, “Bad timing.” He then stood and called Navine to him while pointing at the floor beside him. “In your place, Sempire,” he said cruelly.

  She snarled at him and turned back to her brother. “Baden, are you hurt?”

  “No. I’m sorry, Navine.” He looked despondent. “I’ll figure something out.”

  “Sempire!” Debol yelled.

  She jumped and returned to her knees beside him.

  “You will pay for your defiance, Sempire,” Debol promised her.

  “I’ll fucking kill you,” Baden spat at Debol, then turned his gaze to Rydin. “Both of you.”

  Rydin wanted to get away from this scene and get back to Valia. He’d been away for eleven hours and he had that sense of her being in danger again. “If I’m done here…”