Hired Gun #4 (5 page)

Unrestrained power coursed through him. 

There was a strange calmness in the fog of war, a flow in battle, a dance it could be called. Even though there was complete chaos going on around him, it was as if he had tunnel vision. The noise was background noise; his focus was on his next kill. And the three kills after that. 

Thorne lashed out with an explosive movement and decapitated one of the daemons before he drove his sword through the other’s chest and twisted. The daemon cried out in pain and shook before crumbling to the floor. 

They kept coming. No matter how many Thorne took out, there were more. It was as if the floodgates from Hell had been opened … and perhaps they had. 

 A cry of fury rang out from Benny, and as Thorne turned to see if he was in need of help, a sword entered his flesh, barely missing his ribcage. The sudden, sharp pain as the blade was removed caused him to gasp out. 

Before turning, he instinctively knew it was Thanatos. Just the man Thorne wanted to see. His eyes were glowing red in his true form. He was massive, his chest heaved up and down, and blood coated his chest. 

Swiftly raising his sword, Thorne let out a battle cry as his sword swept like the crack of a whip toward Thanatos’s neck, but the daemon ducked just in time. 

He stood half crouched with his gaze on Thanatos, whose face was twisted in hate and rage. This man was all that stood between him and Kataya. He pressed forward, their swords clang loudly throughout the room. Back and forth with lightning strikes they went, each meeting the other with every move. It would seem they were evenly matched. Each move was fluid and full of malice. 

They fought fiercely—a few times the blade hit its mark, slashing muscle and bone—but neither was willing to give any ground. Thorne wasn’t sure how long this went on; it seemed like hours. His arms were heavy and his body exhausted, but it would be over his dead body that he would give up. 

“Enough!” Nike yelled. 

Suddenly it was quiet except for their heavy breathing. The silence after the storm was deafening. 

Sweat dripped between Thorne’s shoulder blades as his heart hammered in his chest. 

Both panting, Thanatos dropped his sword to his side first and then Thorne followed. 

For a brief moment no one moved. Thorne cast a glance around the room at all of the dead bodies littering the floor. Every last daemon was dead … other than their leader of course. 

“Well that was fun,” Nike said sarcastically. Her gown was drenched in blood and the tangy smell of copper hung in the air. 

“It seems we’ve come to an impasse,” Thanatos declared, turning back into his human form. “I suppose we could continue to go about this all day, but it appears the three of us are hard to kill.”

“You don’t say,” Thorne muttered wryly. 

“And I have an engagement I have to attend.” 

Thorne blinked.
Was this guy for real?
 

“So what do you propose as a solution to our little dilemma?” Benny asked, wiping his brow. 

“That’s completely up to you,” Thanatos tilted his head in the direction of the carnage, “but it seems you won’t win this battle with a sword. And neither will I,” he conceded with a sigh. 

Before Thorne could reply, the door creaked open. 

Chapter 6

“What the hell is going on in here?” Kataya demanded, looking incredulous. Her face grew paler when she took in the dead daemons littering the floor. 

Standing in her middle-aged form, she gawked at the carnage that was left lying on the Persian rugs. Piles and piles of bodies. 

The pungent smell of sulfur hung in the air. 

Thanatos’s chest rose sharply up and down as he continued to catch his breath from the bloodshed. “Just having a little fun, love. Nothing to worry about.” 

Her eyes widened as round as saucers. “Nothing to worry about?”

Thanatos tilted his head a little to the left and closed his eyes while he conjured up his magick. Instantly the dead bodies vanished. All that were left was the stains of crimson blood on the floor. “You see, dear, you’re not the only one with hidden talents.” 

“Kataya, meet Thanatos,” Nike declared with a wave of her hand. 

“No!” Kataya shook her head. “It’s not true. Geoffrey. Tell me it’s not true.” 

Looking down at his wrist, he straightened his sleeve and brushed off some gore that had landed on him. “Oh, but I’m afraid it is. How much longer do we have until our interview?”

Kataya’s mouth opened and closed like a little fish out of water. Her eyes met Thorne’s and he lifted a shoulder. He had no advice to give. But he was glad she’d seen with her own eyes what a monster the man she’d thought she knew was. 

Thorne’s shoulder and side ached where the blades had gone through him like butter. Thankfully he was already healing. Unfortunately, healing hurt like hell. 

Strangely composed, Kataya said, “The interview is in thirty-five minutes. I was coming to tell you that we had to leave right away if we were going to make it.”

“They’ll wait. I need to shower.” Thanatos brushed a wayward hand through his hair, which was barely out of place. Slowly, he turned toward Thorne. “I take it I don’t need to show you the way out?” 

Thorne glanced at Benny, not sure what to do at this point. Were they just supposed to walk away? Fight another day, as the saying goes? It was obvious the three of them combined didn’t have a chance in hell of taking Thanatos. 

“You three are quite impressive. I must admit,” Thanatos said, his voice holding a bit of respect. And Thorne was pissed to feel himself appreciating the praise. 

“We aim to please,” Thorne replied bitterly. 

“I’m sure we’ll meet again, but for now I need to speak with my wife and make my way to the interview.”

Thorne shook his head in disbelief. The daemon had a lot of nerve, he’d give him that. Thorne leaned closer to Thanatos and lowered his voice. “There’s been something that’s bothering me. Why did you sic your wife on me?”

Thanatos stared at Thorne for a good long beat before his eyes flicked over to Kataya. “What are you talking about?”

Interesting. Kataya lied. Well wasn’t that just something.
He could hear the blood pounding in his ears. Once again the little witch had thrown him off his axis. When was he going to learn she was not what she seemed? A chameleon through and through. 

Unable to stop the words from tumbling out, Thorne asked, “You weren’t aware your wife had been warming my bed?”

As his face flushed red with anger, a vein pulsed in Thanatos’s forehead. Thorne could tell he was fighting for control. 

Kataya stood frozen. All eyes were on her now. 

“You need to leave my home. Now,” Thanatos demanded with a steely edge to his voice. 

Thorne wasn’t sure what to do. He didn’t want to leave her there alone with Thanatos, but she’d also been yanking his chain … yet again. Perhaps she deserved whatever he was about to dish out. “What are you going to do to her?”

Thanatos raised a brow. “Do you really care what I do to my wife?” The last word was empathized. 

Unsure of his feelings, Thorne looked over at Kataya. She glared at him, none too pleased he’d spilled the beans.
Well screw her, next time she should come up with a better cover story
. 

With his heart in his throat, Thorne’s frown deepened and he shook his head. “No. I guess I don’t,” he growled with contempt. 

Nike reached for his shirt and tugged at his sleeve. “Let’s get out of here.” 

Do you think he’ll hurt her?

No, he needs her by his side to win the election. He won’t do anything to screw that up. Thanatos’s powers are beyond that of a mere god. He’s dark and light at the same time. He has access to either magick at his choosing. If I had to guess, I’d say he’ll make her forget she saw anything as soon as we walk out the door.

Glancing over his shoulder, he saw their eyes were locked on each other, as if they were having a private conversation much like him and Nike. Seeing their intimacy brought a pain to his chest, making it hard to take in air. It felt as if his body had forgotten how to breathe. 

Images of her body beneath his were still fresh in his mind, but it was becoming clear to him that it was not him she belonged to anymore. Pissed off, Thorne called forth his magick and sent a bolt of fire through the air straight toward Thanatos. A grin flashed across the daemon’s face as he held his hand up and conjured a shield, deflecting the blow with ease. “I’d leave now if I were you.” 

“Let’s go before he changes his mind.” Benny cast him a meaningful look. 

Thanatos’s power was stronger than his. Oh sure, in a battle one-on-one they were equals. However, Thanatos was not only a full god but also a daemon. 

“Kataya, come with us.” Thorne held out his hand. 

At first she showed no reaction, but then she shook her head no and threaded her arm through Thanatos’s. Clearly, making her decision. 

Kataya’s gaze defiantly rose to meet his, and she visibly swallowed. “Like my husband said, see yourself out.” 

Her words cut deeper than the sword. A part of him had hoped she’d want to leave with them, that she would be mortified by the revelation of Thanatos. He’d envisioned her running into his arms. 

Not so much. He rubbed his fingertips across his forehead. 

He took a step forward, and her eyes pierced his. “My husband and I have somewhere to be,” Kataya stated with finality. 

Thorne’s thoughts were in chaos but his gut told him to leave. Without another word, the three of them moved into the hallway and out the front door. The butler was nowhere to be seen. Perhaps he was one of the bodies that had been laying on the floor. 

Thorne didn’t realize how exhausted his body was until, without asking, Nike reached over and touched his shoulder. Instantly his reserves were filled and he was full of his normal power. His wounds immediately healed. 

“Thanks,” he muttered.

She flashed him a smile before turning to give Benny the same treatment. 

As they pulled out of the driveway, a sense of dread washed over him. What the hell had he been thinking leaving Kataya there with Thanatos? He should have insisted she left with him. His calm frustration quickly turned into panic. 

“She wouldn’t have come with you,” Nike said in a sympathetic tone, as if she’d been reading his mind. 

“I could have forced her,” Thorne replied, a searing pain cutting through him. 

“Then none of us would have left. I’m telling you Thanatos did not have to let us go. He chose to. Sure, he couldn’t have killed us, but he could have contained us with a mere thought.” 

Thorne nodded reluctantly.

Benny turned in his seat. “Why do you think he let us go?”

He looked as frustrated as Thorne felt. 

Nike sighed. “I’m not sure. Thanatos is a difficult man to understand.” 

“He’s not a man,” Thorne said through gritted teeth. 

Nike laughed without humor. “If he wasn’t a man we wouldn’t be in this position. Think about it. He wants to revenge his family, which he loved. True he’s a daemon now, but he was once a god. And emotions are enhanced. As you both know. You’ll do yourself a disservice if you only think of him as a daemon. Daemon’s have no conscious. He would have never let us go if he was merely a daemon.”

Thorne mulled over her words as he made his way onto the highway. As much as he hated to admit it, he could understand where Thanatos was coming from. A small part of him admired him for defending the loss of his family. He knew all too well how deep the loss of loved ones cut. 

He just wished he hadn’t pulled Kataya into the deal. Frowning, he wondered if that were actually the case. Had Thanatos come to her, or had it been the other way around? Once again, Thorne had numerous questions and very few answers. 

Chapter 7

After a night of restless sleep, Thorne awoke with an idea. How does the saying go? If you can’t kill ’em, join ’em. Kataya had clearly made her stance yesterday when she’d chosen Thanatos. 

Unfortunately, there was more at stake than his bruised ego. He’d lived this long without Laurie, and he would manage to live the rest of his life alone. Sure the allure had been appealing, but deep down he knew he didn’t deserve that kind of happiness. He wasn’t worthy of love. Hell, it was a miracle he’d had it even for a short time in his life. And that would have to be enough. At least he still had his memories. 

Kataya was a distraction that he couldn’t afford at the moment.

Thanatos had the power to kill all of mankind. Hell, it was nothing more than a push of a button thanks to the idiots who thought it was a wise idea to make nuclear bombs. And with Kataya’s gift of changing forms, she could easily portray anyone to get the mission accomplished for Thanatos. They were a dangerous combo that’s for sure. 

If an all-out nuclear war took place, it wouldn’t be long before mother earth was nothing more than a waste land. Without the vegetation and humans the earth’s soul would cease to exist. He’d seen it with his own eyes on other dimensions. A blink of an eye and total destruction. 

No, he couldn’t allow that. He owed it to his mother to at least try, even if it meant giving up the only thing he’d ever loved. It was a sacrifice that needed to be made.

Stumbling into the shower, Thorne turned on the water as hot as it could go, stepped in, and thought about how he was about to sell his soul to the devil. Perhaps that was a little melodramatic. Because if things went as he hoped, he would be welcomed back into his old realm with open arms. Something he’d always dreamt about. 

After he was dressed, he willed himself to Thanatos’s house. The butler looked up in surprise. “How did you get in here?”

Thorne ignored him and started walking through the house, yelling out, “Thanatos, it’s time we had a chat.” 

His words echoed in the large house. Any closed door Thorne kicked open. The house was eerily quiet. Maybe they weren’t home after all. No matter, he’d find them. 

A thought struck him and Thorne closed his eyes and summoned Thanatos. Zeus had opened up all channels to Thorne when he’d ask. And Thanatos was one of those.