The Dark-Hunters (594 page)

She narrowed her gaze on Satara. “You know, my whole life I’ve taken pride in the fact that I’m Greek. But I have to say that after you and Artemis, I’m seriously beginning to hate some of my heritage. Is it congenital or is there something else that has made you such a bitch?”

Satara hissed at her like a cat who’d just had its tail crushed. “Don’t insult me, human. I’m not supposed to harm you. At least in theory. Though now that I think about it, a little ruffling of your feathers might not be such a bad thing.”

Maybe that should scare her, but for some reason she couldn’t fathom, it didn’t. “Seriously, why do you want to kill your aunt so badly?”

Satara scoffed. “You serve her spoiled-rotten ass for eleven thousand years and let’s see to what extremes you’d go to free yourself. I offered a deal to Acheron centuries ago to free us both and the bastard refused. He deserves the hell she gives him and then some. But I don’t. Unlike him, I didn’t bind myself willingly to her. I was forced into this and one way or another, I’m going to get free.”

“And when Ash comes for me—”

She laughed, cutting off Tory’s words. “He won’t come here, sweetie. He can’t. You’re in the Atlantean hell realm. If your lover sets one foot down here after you, his mother goes free and the world ends. He thinks too much of humanity to let that happen. So you are mine for a bit. And personally, I think we should have some playtime.”

*   *   *

Ash summoned Simi off his body.

Cocking her head, she studied him like a small child. “What’s the matter, akri? You look very sad.”

He didn’t answer her question since it would most likely upset her and that was the last thing he wanted. “I’m leaving you here at Sanctuary while I do something.”

“What are you doing?”

Going to commit suicide most likely, but that didn’t matter. Only Tory’s welfare did. However, if he was to enter a fight, which he was about to, Simi would come off his body to battle by his side and he couldn’t let her be hurt because of him.

“Humor me, Simykee. I’m going where you can’t.”

She wrinkled her nose in distaste. “You going to see that heifer, aren’t you? Fine. The Simi will stay so she don’t gots to hear no huffing and puffing or anything else that turns a demon’s stomach. Akri, have you any idea what it’s like to be sick as a tattoo? It’s not fun, believe your Simi when she tells you that.”

He shook his head at her, amazed that she could make him smile while he felt so bad. “I believe you, Sim. Now stay put.” He took her downstairs to where Dev, Angel, Kyle and the rest of the bears were having a powwow of some sort. Some customer must have made a pass at Aimee and they were contemplating making him tomorrow’s daily special.

“I’m going to leave Simi here for a bit,” he told Dev. “Will you guys watch her?” It was a rhetorical question.

At least that’s what he thought until Dev shook his head. “We’re going with you.”

Ash scowled. “What are you talking about?”

“We know what you’re planning,” Angel said, “and we’re going with you.”

He was completely stunned. And when he saw Valerius, Talon, Kyrian, Julian, Zarek, Sin, Vane, Kyl, Katra, Fang, Tabitha and Fury walking in, all he could do was scowl in confusion.

Why would all of them be here?

“What’s going on?” Ash asked them.

Kyrian gave him a droll stare. “There’s not one of us here that you haven’t put your ass on the line for—most of us more than once. Alexion told us what happened with Tory and we’re here to watch your back no matter what you have planned.”

Talon nodded. “Wulf is on his way, too. He’ll be here as soon as the plane lands and Otto can speed him over. And Otto plans to stand with us too.”

Valerius pulled Tabitha back. “Tabitha won’t be fighting. She’ll be going home very shortly, but she wanted to let you know she’s here in spirit.”

Tabitha made a face. “But for the baby, I’d be busting balls for you, Ash. You know that.”

He smiled at her. “I know, Tabby.”

“The other Dark-Hunters wanted to be here,” Talon said, “but since the sun hasn’t quite set yet, they couldn’t. However, once the blazing ball goes down, they’re here if we need them.”

Ash was amazed by their willingness to bleed for him. It touched him on a level he hadn’t realized existed. It was why he wanted to keep his past a secret so much. Would they be this willing to stand by him if they knew the truth of his past? Or would they be like everyone else and step on him?

Just like Merus …

But even so, this meant everything to him.

He looked at Kat. “I don’t want you in this fight.”

She growled at him. “Dad—”

“No arguments,” he said, cutting her off. “If Simi stays out of the fight, so do you.”

Sin gave a low, evil laugh. “I’m so glad he’s your father. And that for once we see eye to eye.”

Kat held her finger up to Sin. “You are out of my bedroom tonight. And you…” She turned to Ash. “Just irritate me. Tory is a good friend of mine. If anything goes wrong and you need me, you guys better call. Otherwise, you’re all in the dog house.” She looked back at her husband. “And you’re in it regardless.”

Sin shrugged her ire off good-naturedly.

Zarek ignored them with his habitual sneer. “This still doesn’t mean I like you, Acheron. But I owe you for my wife and son. I would lay my life down for yours because without you, I wouldn’t have shit and I know it.”

That was probably the closest thing to a declaration of love the man could muster and it honestly touched him.

“I wasn’t expecting any of you to stand with me. We’re not fighting just the Daimons in this. We’re fighting demons too.”

Sin snorted. “I live to tear demons apart. Bring the bastards on.”

Zarek nodded. “Agreed … bring on the rain. The one thing I learned from Astrid is that life isn’t about finding shelter in a storm. It’s about learning to dance in the rain. I don’t care what I kill as long as I get bloody while doing it.”

Talon smiled. “We’re here for you, T-Rex. Just like you’ve always been here for us.”

And to think he’d always thought of himself as alone. While he’d trained the Dark-Hunters and had fought with the Were-Hunters to help them, he’d never expected them to return the favor. “Thanks, guys. I’m not used to people standing at my back.” They’d always handed him over to his enemies or screwed him hard. It felt good to know he wasn’t alone. “I know you all have families who love you so if you want to leave—”

Vane scoffed. “We wouldn’t be here if we didn’t want to. You and Val fought to save my sister when no one else would have bothered. I haven’t forgotten it.”

“And I haven’t forgotten what the Dark-Hunters did for me and Maggie,” Wren said sternly.

Fury nodded. “Yeah, we’re family. Psychotic, bizarre and a hodgepodge of personalities that should probably never be blended, but here we are. Now let’s go kick some ass.”

*   *   *

Satara smiled cruelly at Nick as she faced him toward Tory. “Think about it, love. It’s the perfect revenge, isn’t it?”

Tory glared at the woman who had to be the most heartless of creatures. Someone really needed to give her a beating.

Satara left him to return to Tory’s side. “I know she’s not much to look at. But you can pretend you’re screwing me.” She stood directly behind Tory and reached around her to cup Tory’s breasts for Nick’s inspection. “Think of how much it’ll kill Acheron to know you raped his woman while he was powerless to stop you. Think of the guilt and agony he’ll live with every day, thinking of her crying and begging for mercy while there was no one to help her. Of her calling out for him when he couldn’t be with her. It’s the perfect revenge.”

Tory shoved herself back against Satara and slammed her head into the woman’s face. “You better be glad I’m tied up, you bitch.”

Satara buried her hand in Tory’s hair and snatched her head back. “It’s time to gag you.”

A cloth tie appeared around Tory’s face.

Satara cut her shirt open with a gold-handled dagger. She trailed it against Tory’s skin until she hooked the blade underneath Tory’s bra. “C’mon, Nick. The little whore humiliated you in Sanctuary. Take your revenge on her and on Acheron.”

He approached them slowly. Methodically.

Tory tried to scream through her gag, but no sound came. Terrified, she jerked on the chains and hated that she was so powerless to defend herself.

Satara sliced open her bra, spilling her breasts out. “She’s all yours.”

Nick took the knife from her hand.

Tory felt the tears of frustration stinging her eyes. How could any man worthy of the name do this to a woman? She would never hurt another being like this. The fact that Satara as a woman would orchestrate the rape of another made her the most repugnant of creatures.

And they better kill her after this, because once she had her freedom, she
would
kill them.

His features completely stoic, Nick fingered the edge of the blade.

Satara was all but glowing with satisfaction. “Go on, love. Make me proud.”

Nick paused his hand and looked up at her. “You know what, Satara? There’s only one person I’ve ever given a shit about making proud.” He gripped the knife tight in his fist. Pulling his sunglasses off, Tory gasped as she realized he had the same silver eyes as Acheron.

He met her gaze before he looked back at Satara, who was smirking in pride.

“And that person was never you.” The moment those words left his lips, he buried the dagger deep in Satara’s stomach.

Satara stumbled back, gasping as she covered the wound. Blood flowed between her fingers. Her face was a mask of pain and disbelief. “What are you doing?”

“I’m embracing my fate.” He snatched the keys from her pocket. Spinning around, he removed the thick silver bracelet from Tory’s arm and let it fall to the floor, where it landed with a loud thud.

Satara let out a shout for her brother as she ran for the door.

Nick threw the dagger at her fleeing form with a lethal aim. It slammed into her lower back and sent her straight to the ground.

Tory was too stunned to move as Nick opened the chains that held her arms in place. “Why would you help me?”

When he straightened up from freeing her feet, he pulled her shirt closed over her chest. Then he shrugged his jacket off and handed it to her. “Don’t get me wrong, I hate Ash with every part of me and I will kill him one day, mark my words. But I don’t have to imagine the pain he would feel if I tortured you. I live with that pain every fucking day because of him. I hear my mother’s voice crying out for me to help her. To save her life while she was tortured and killed. And because of her, I’m a better man than Ash is. I won’t let an innocent die to get back at him. You don’t deserve to die any more than my mother did.”

Tory shook her head, trying to understand him. “But you threatened me at Sanctuary.”

“No, I only wanted to rattle him. I would never hurt a woman. My mama raised me better.”

She looked to Satara’s lifeless body.

Nick scoffed at the pity on her face. “She wasn’t a woman, trust me. She more than deserved what I did and she’s done a lot worse to others, including me. I ain’t ever going to be a pawn to no one else again.” He left her to pull the dagger out of Satara’s back.

Tory followed him. “That’s Atlantean, isn’t it?”

He smiled evilly. “You make sure you tell Ash I have it.”

Then he took her arm and hauled her toward the door.

The instant he cracked it open, she realized that they were in a room that led out into a great hall filled with demons and Daimons.

She shrank back as Nick gave a low curse.

“We can’t go that way, can we?”

He shook his head. “Not unless you want to be eaten.” He was just about to pull back when the impossible happened. The bolt hole in the center of the room opened.

It flared bright and gold.

And when it dulled Acheron and Urian stood there, defiantly facing the Daimons.

CHAPTER NINETEEN

Still hidden behind the door with Nick, Tory blinked, then smiled at the sight of Ash standing tough and large in the middle of the Daimons. His stance said it all:
I’m here to clean your house and I won’t be merciful while doing it. Fuck with me and you’ll be nothing more than your mama’s bad memory.

His black hair was streaked through with dark red. The hem of his long, pirate-style double-breasted coat swung around those cherry-red Doc Martens that he’d worn the night they first met. The ruby stud was back in his nose and for once she adored the sight of the sunglasses perched on his face.

Man, Acheron was hot and her heart raced in gratitude that he’d come for her.

The tall, blond man beside him was much more sedate in appearance. With a black button-down shirt that was rolled back at his wrists and jeans, his clothes were plain in comparison. But he was almost as handsome with perfect features and white-blond hair that he wore pulled back into a ponytail. She also didn’t miss the fact that but for the blond hair, the man bore a remarkable resemblance to Stryker.

Like Stryker, he had a deadly air that was only surpassed by the one enveloping Ash.

“I thought Ash couldn’t come here,” she whispered to Nick.

“Apparently he’s willing to end the world for you. You should be impressed. I am.”

Her eyes widening, she definitely was. Why would Ash take such a risk?

And every demon and Daimon was frozen into place by his presence. Not a single word was said by the crowd outside. It was as if they were all holding a collective breath as they waited for Armageddon to begin.

All except Stryker, who glared at the blond man beside Ash with an expression that was best defined as pained hatred. “You dare to stand with my enemy?”

“Against you, Father, I’d stand with Mickey Mouse.”

Stryker curled his lip. “You worthless sonofabitch. You should never have been anything more than a cum stain.”

The blond scoffed. “I could definitely say the same thing about you. It would have saved the world and all of us a lot of misery now, wouldn’t it?”

The Daimons started forward, but they were thrown back by an unseen force.