Rainerio was going out of his mind with want. He had been enchanted with the little human since laying eyes on him. Dillon was feisty, sexy, compact, and driving him crazy. Especially his dirty little mouth. It turned Rainerio on big time.
Dillon tensed for a moment and then a slow, seductive smile crossed his lips. “You don’t scare me, Rainerio. I can handle you, I think. I hope. If not, I’m sure as shit gonna have fun trying to.”
Dillon never ceased to amaze Rainerio. He kept his face stoic, refusing to allow the human to see how much he really was affecting him. “You need to get it out of your head. It’s never going to happen between us.” He released Dillon while every nerve ending in him screamed to haul the man to his apartment and fuck him until neither of them could walk properly.
Dillon pointed up at Rainerio as his foot rose to scratch his calf.
“I’ll have you, Rainerio, if it’s the last thing I do. You are going to be in my bed. Mwuahaha.” He walked off and slammed Snooke’s apartment door.
The human was off his fucking rocker. Rainerio stared at the door for a moment before he jogged upstairs to his apartment, wondering what he was going to do with Dillon. It wasn’t that he didn’t want him. Hell, Rainerio was itching to fuck him into next week. But he had seen Chris and Snooke be used against their mates.
Dillon wasn’t his mate. There was no way he could be. He was human, after all. Did fate pair demons with humans? Rainerio shook his head at his straying thoughts. He knew one thing for sure, though.
It would drive him crazy if someone tried to use the human against him.
The warriors had enemies that would stop at nothing to harm or kill them. Rainerio couldn’t understand for the life of him how Hondo let Chris work in such a public place. And now Dillon was going to work there, too? That didn’t set well with him at all.
Rainerio took a shower and then headed upstairs to Panahasi’s apartment. He took a seat as he listened to the leader tell them about the dead man they found down at the Black River. He had no clue who the guy was, but he could see Kane’s lips had thinned. “The man was someone that had frequented Diablo’s Club.”
“Did you know him?” Rainerio leaned over and whispered to Kane. The warrior gave him a short nod.
Rainerio left it alone for now. He would find out after the meeting who the victim was. His mind went back to Dillon. Admittedly, he had been shocked when Dillon had placed the box of condoms in his hand. They were in his dresser drawer in his bedroom now. Not that he needed them. Demon Warriors couldn’t give or get human diseases. They were there as more of a keepsake.
He sat there listening as visions of tying Dillon down played in his mind. Rainerio could feel his cock growing at the mental picture. He remembered sitting in Kane’s apartment and watching the love-struck fool daydream about his mate. Now Rainerio knew how Kane felt.
But he wasn’t trailing behind Dillon with his nose wide open, not like Kane’s had been.
Rainerio glanced up at Panahasi when the leader began to speak again. “I’ve been working with Diablo. From what we’ve gathered, the guy who was killed was working for Marino Malone. It seems he doesn’t like to pay for completed jobs. He kills his hired help off instead. The troll fought to keep the mystery dead man away from the Black River and paid the ultimate price.”
Kane spoke up. “He wasn’t a mystery man.”
“You knew him?” the leader asked as everyone’s attention focused on the warrior.
“I didn’t know him personally, but he came on to me a few times at Diablo’s. I even took him to one of the back rooms,” Kane replied.
Rainerio heard the resentful way Kane was speaking, as if he blamed himself. Sparks of anger practically shot from the man’s eyes.
“I’m sorry to hear that, Kane.” Panahasi nodded toward the warrior and then turned back to the rest of the group. “Marino’s attempt at using the river to free those locked in the detention cells failed, which tells me he’s close to unlocking the crystal he stole from Falcon’s Fortune Bank if he took a chance at using the river. We need to find out where he is and get the crystal back before the creatures locked in the underworld escape.”
“How do we find him?” Takeo, another demon warrior, asked.
“We’ve searched every known and a few unknown places he frequents.”
“I have the keeper working on a solution to our problem.”
Panahasi sat at the bar, picking up the newspaper. “And as usual, the story was front page news.”
“I don’t get how Sexton is finding things out. He couldn’t possibly know what’s going on every second of every day,” Rainerio said.
“I agree. There’s something more to that man than we know. I just haven’t figured out what, yet.” Panahasi began to glance at the newspaper, the Daily Demon.
It pissed Rainerio off to know that someone was getting one over on them. They were warriors, able to use powers to fight harder than any other, help the citizens of Serenity City with their everyday lives, and save most from having their damn souls sucked out of them. They were an elite group. So why in the fuck were they sitting here on their collective thumb?
There had to be a way to find out why chaos was breaking out all over their city. Rainerio knew for a fact that every single warrior was angry as hell that Marino had the crystal—the one thing that had the ability to unlock the cells besides the keeper—and all kinds of strange occurrences were happening.
It felt like the old times, before the keeper was made judge and jury, and when criminals caused havoc and mayhem throughout the city. The demon warriors were born from those dark times, the need for the bad guys to be reined in. It wasn’t as bad as back then, but if they didn’t get a handle on things, it would be.
“One more thing before you go.” Panahasi poured a glass of whiskey, his favored drink, taking a sip before continuing. “Maverick, the Alpha of the Timber wolves, called me to his realm. He said that humans were coming up missing. The reason he thinks demons are taking them is because he witnessed a human being taken and the kidnapper walked through a portal.”
“How?” Takeo jumped up as if his ass had caught fire. “Only warriors can use shadows.”
“Whoever it was must have used the Black River to get to the human realm and then marked his entrance close by. And used that same portal to get back here, if this is where he took the human.”
“But we haven’t seen anything unusual,” Rainerio interjected.
“Not as far as an explosion in human visitors.”
Panahasi sipped his whiskey, studying everyone in the room. “I’m sure whoever is doing this isn’t allowing them to walk around freely.”
Rainerio watched Takeo take off at lightning speed, heading straight into Panahasi’s hallway and disappearing.
“Where the hell is he going?” Hondo asked.
“He has a human friend he is helping out. I’m sure he is going to check on him,” Panahasi answered.
“I knew he was knocking boots in the human realm.” Hondo chuckled.
Rainerio waited to see if the leader was going to correct the warrior, but Panahasi seemed to ignore the outburst.
Panahasi adjourned the meeting, telling them to keep their eyes and ears open for any possible leads on Marino or the missing humans.
Rainerio walked out of the leader’s apartment and found himself standing in front of Kane’s apartment door. He wasn’t sure why he was letting the little human get under his skin.
Dillon was outspoken, sassy, and crude. Everything he avoided in a bed partner. So why was he so damn fascinated with the man?
Dillon was like a car accident. Rainerio couldn’t watch, but couldn’t look away. As much as he tried to stay away from the little loudmouth, he kept coming right back to him.
He wanted to pull his hair out in frustration. Rainerio kept to himself, liked his solitude—other than when he was working—and Dillon would blow the recluse in him away if he allowed the human into his life and bed.
He was jerked out of his thoughts when Kane’s apartment door opened and Dillon walked out with his dog, Tulip.
“I see you came to knock on my backdoor.” Dillon giggled as he closed the apartment door. “It’ll have to wait, though. Tulip has to tinkle.”
“How were you going to get back in?”
Dillon twisted his lips as he looked deep in thought. “Guess I forgot about that part. Looks like you’re coming with me.” Dillon turned and began walking the dog down the steps.
Rainerio cursed but fell into step beside him. He didn’t like being alone with Dillon. The human would feel a need to converse, something Rainerio wasn’t looking forward to.
“So, did you throw the condoms away, or do you have one in your pocket?” Dillon asked as they exited the apartment building. He slowed, allowing Tulip to sniff around. “I can’t be up too late. I start my new job tomorrow at Jake’s. So we may have to indulge in just a quickie.”
How did they go from walking a dog to talking about sex? “We’re not sleeping together, Dillon.”
“Oh my, say my name again. It sounds so sexy coming from you. Is that an Italian accent I hear? We’ll have sex. It’s only a matter of time, my sweet.”
This damn human was impossible. No matter how many times he shunned Dillon’s advances, the short human kept coming back for more. Rainerio looked around, wary that they were being seen together. He didn’t want the little loudmouth to pay for being seen with him. “Is she finished yet?”
“Nope.” Dillon walked on. They walked across the street to the park while Tulip tended to her business. Rainerio watched the young men shooting hoops just on the other side of the brush. There was a basketball court that seemed to stay occupied by players.
He glanced down as Dillon bent at the waist, picking up Tulip’s droppings in a small plastic bag. His face screwed up in disgust.
“That’s gross.”
Dillon shrugged. “It’s part of being a responsible pet parent.” He carried the tied-off bag over to a trashcan and dropped it in. Rainerio could feel his body shudder at the idea of picking anything up that came out of a dog’s rear end.
Tulip began barking, pulling at her leash when a two-headed poodle passed by. The vampire walking the dog smiled at Dillon and walked his poodle closer. “I’ve never seen a one-headed dog before.”
His fangs gleamed as he smiled.
Rainerio’s hackles rose as he stepped closer to Dillon. “And I’ve never seen a two-headed one before,” Dillon said with delight. “Do they have two separate personalities, or is it one dog with two heads?”
Dillon bent over and scratched behind the poodles’ ears, all four of them, as Tulip sniffed every inch of the damn dog.
“Mitzy and Mickey are two separate personalities,” the vampire stated proudly. “I’m Peter.”
Dillon straightened and shook the vampire’s hand. “I’m Dillon, and this is Tulip.” He pointed down to the terrier, who was licking both the faces on the poodle. Rainerio watched Peter closely. Being a demon warrior, he had enemies aplenty and he trusted no one besides the demon warriors.
“So is your poodle a he or a she?” Dillon asked.
“Both.” The vampire looked surprised. “Isn’t Tulip?”
“Holy guacamole. You have a transgender dog?” Dillon walked around the two-headed pooch, trying to peek at the dog’s underbelly.
Rainerio wanted to laugh. He had to admit, Dillon’s manners were refreshing to see. He was used to everything in the demon realm.
Looking at things through Dillon’s eyes made him see the world as if he were a new spectator as well.
Living as long as he had, things had become mundane and stale.
That was why Rainerio enjoyed his hermit status. There wasn’t anything new out here. But being around Dillon was changing that, and the change was making Rainerio uncomfortable.
Peter stared at Tulip, tilting his head sideways, trying his best to be nonchalant about his curiosity. He straightened when he saw Rainerio watching him, his pale face turning slightly red.
“This is so cool.” Dillon giggled. “Maybe we can make a playdate for them.”
“A play what?” Peter asked.
“You know, get together so the three can play together.”
Peter nodded as he smiled. “I think they would like that.”
Rainerio didn’t. He stood there fighting the protective and possessive feelings that were making him want to step in and grab Dillon, showing the vampire who the human belonged to. Rainerio took a step back, exhaling slowly. First Jake, and now Peter. Why the hell was he feeling so jealous? Dillon wasn’t his and he had no right to feel this way.
“I have to work tomorrow. I start my first day at Jake’s Java. If you come by, I can let you know my schedule and we can set up their date from there.” Dillon looked pleased as punch…and so did Peter.
“I’ll do that,” the vampire practically purred.
Rainerio felt a growl trying to rip from his chest. He placed a hand on Dillon’s shoulder, something out of character for him. Since when did he try to show ownership over another?
“See you tomorrow, Peter.” Dillon waved as he walked Tulip from the park. “Okay, hottie. Take me back in.”
Rainerio slid his hand around Dillon’s, taking him back to Kane’s apartment where he temporarily lived until it was safe for him to go back home. Rainerio was still fuming that two of Marino’s men had found out where Snooke lived and tried to go after him. When Dillon witnessed it all, they had no choice but to bring him here.
Until they knew Dillon was out of danger, he was stuck here, under watch and protection.
Rainerio wanted to argue about Dillon’s new job, about the human being out in public, but Dillon had gone to Panahasi about it, and the leader said he didn’t see a problem with Dillon working there. Jake would protect the human and Chris, Hondo’s mate.
Once again Rainerio felt the green-eyed monster trying to break free when he thought of how Dillon and Jake had hit it off. He released Dillon’s hand when the little guy’s cheeks puffed and his hand slammed over his mouth. His complexion was viridescent as he ran to the bathroom.
Lightweight.
Rainerio knelt by Tulip, scratching behind her ears while Dillon came out of the bathroom and sat down, taking deep breaths to still his queasiness. “I have ears as well. Want to scratch behind mine? I’ll even tap my foot out as you do it.”