Hellfire (39 page)

Alton merely shrugged. They’d
never quite figured that one out. “Somehow, they can be sucked back to Abyss or
sent to the void without a portal, but they can’t get back into Earth’s
dimension until they can find a functioning gateway. At least regular demons
can’t. The demon king seems to have his own rules.”

“That’s no good.” Dawson took
a sip of his beer.

Alton traced the condensation
along the neck of his brew. “No kidding. Especially since he’s targeted Dax,
and with all the other problems we have to worry about, the demon king is the
last thing we need. We still have to figure out how to deal with the mess in
Lemuria. Taron’s going to have the replicated swords ready in a week, according
to DarkFire, which means it’s imperative that we get my father under control
before then.”

Dax shifted in his seat. He
was still obviously hurting, but at least he was able to move around since
Willow and Dawson had treated him. “My suggestion is that we heal first and
then worry about Chancellor Artigos. Eddy’s covered in bruises and still has a
pretty deep gash in her thigh, BumperWillow isn’t any better, you’ve got a
frickin’ hole in your side that needs to close, and Ginny’s a mess of
contusions from that damned bull kicking her.”

Dawson finished his beer and
stood up. “I agree. You’re all
walking
wounded right
now, though it looks like you’ve got everything under control. At least no one
appears to be bleeding.” He chuckled softly. It was obvious he felt a bit like
Alice after falling down the rabbit hole. “I hope you all have a good night and
get some rest. You need it.”

Alton stood up to walk him
out. Dawson paused in the open door. “If there’s anything I can do to help,
anything at all, please call me. It appears this is more than just a battle
between a few demons and a small army of demon fighters. You hold the future of
worlds in your hands. It’s a cause that affects more than any of us can
imagine.”

Alton nodded. “I know, and
believe me, we will call on you. We need everyone we can trust. Thank you.”

He stood in the doorway and
watched as Dawson’s tail-lights disappeared in the darkness. Then he softly
closed the door and went back inside to Ginny.

It was barely dark when Ginny
and Alton crawled off to bed. Alton decided on another shower. His puncture
wound had closed and no
longer bled
, but dry blood
streaked his belly and thigh.

Plus, he insisted he had to
wash off the last of the demon stink. He seemed convinced his first brief
shower hadn’t done the job. Ginny couldn’t smell any sulfur on him at all. She
wondered if he was trying to wash away the fear they’d all experienced this
afternoon, the risks they’d faced, the dangerous attack that had almost cost
lives.

She watched him leave the
room, but the bedroom felt horribly empty with him gone, so she quickly stood
up and followed him into the bathroom. He was just reaching for the faucet to
turn the water on when she softly closed the door behind her.

“Ginny?” He turned and his
eyes were troubled.

She didn’t want to know what
thoughts filled his mind. Not now. Instead, she reached for his hand. “You’re
hurt. I don’t want you to shower alone. I worry about you falling.”

He paused with one hand
resting on the shower rod and reached for her. She clasped his hand and stood
there, feeling slightly self-conscious in her worn flannel pants and stretched
cami top.

“I don’t particularly want to
shower alone, either.” He watched her with such intensity that she felt herself
blush.

Then, before she lost her
nerve, she let go of his hand and slipped out of her clothes.

“Nine
hells!”
Alton moved toward her so quickly she almost jumped back.

“I had no idea. Ginny…love,
you’ve been hurt worse than I realized.” Lightly he brushed his fingers over
the ugly contusions covering her ribs. The bull’s hoof had caught her square in
the chest. The dark and bloody bruise covered most of her torso between her
breasts and navel in a horrible map of black and blue and red.

“Ah, Ginny.
This is awful.” He raised his head and gazed at her with troubled eyes. “Are
any of your ribs broken?”

She shook her head. “No.
Nothing’s broken. It doesn’t hurt. Not that much.” She felt embarrassed for
some reason and stared at her toes.

Alton lifted her chin with his
fingertips. “Why won’t you look at me? Ginny, what’s wrong?”

She felt her throat close up,
fought the burning in her eyes, and cursed the tears that suddenly spilled down
her cheeks.

Alton wrapped his arms around
her and gently hugged her close. “Why are you crying, sweetheart?”

“I thought you were dead.” She
sniffed. “I tried to reach you and there was nothing. No sense of you. Only the
demon and the smell of blood and Dax so badly hurt and Eddy crying and
BumperWillow lying in the dirt. I’ve never felt so alone in my life.
Never.”

“I’m sorry. I must have been
unconscious for a few moments. Not for long. I came to in time to watch you.”
He leaned away and stared at her.
“My gods, Ginny.”
He
tilted her chin up with his fingertip. “I wish I had that battle on video. You
were amazing.
So powerful and self-assured.
Absolutely magnificent!”

She gazed up at the wonder on
his face, but all she could think of was how frightened she’d been.
Frightened and angry at that damned bull for hurting Dax and Eddy,
for goring Alton.
She’d wanted to kill the bull and the demon inside, even
though the bull was innocent. The demon wasn’t, though. Damn him, he was still
out there.
Still trying to figure out how to steal Dax’s
energy and how to kill the rest of them.
Was there any way to stop him?

Alton kissed the top of her
head. Then he reached inside the shower and turned on the tap, stepped in, and
carefully dragged Ginny under the warm spray with him. The warm water soothed
her aches and washed away her tears. She ran a soft cloth over Alton’s side and
rinsed away the dried blood still caked there.

Even though he was healing
quickly, she felt like crying again when she saw the size of the healing wound
and knew how badly it must have hurt.

Alton gently dried Ginny with
a soft terry towel before he toweled himself off. When they went back into the
bedroom, there was no question of what bed they’d sleep in. No hesitation when
they pulled back the covers and crawled in together.

And even though they both were
hurting, there was no question of what they wanted.

Alton fluffed the pillows
behind him, leaned against the soft pile, and reached for Ginny. He drew her
close and she went to him with the certainty that this was where she belonged.
At his side, no matter what was to come. There was trouble ahead. She knew that
as well as she knew her name. Unseating his father wouldn’t be easy, but it
would have to be done. She’d be there beside Alton, no matter the risk.

He cupped her face in his
hands, drew her close, and kissed her. Then his fingers traced the swell of her
breast and she felt his lips turn up in a smile against her mouth. “Ah, Ginny…I
knew you were going to be trouble.
Nothing but trouble from
the start.”

She ran her hands over his
chest, and carefully rolled and twisted until she straddled him without
brushing against his injured side. His erection was trapped between them, held
in place by the soft, damp folds of her sex. She leaned over and pressed a kiss
to his perfectly shaped nose. “I bet you forgot the condoms.”

He chuckled and her body
bounced with the soft rise and fall of his chest. He reached for the table
beside the bed and held up a shiny foil packet. “Not me. I never make
mistakes.”

Ginny grabbed it out of his
hand and tore the edge with her teeth. “I knew you were arrogant, right from
the start.
Arrogant and cocky and such a bossy know-it-all.”
She rose up on her knees until his erection sprang free. Carefully she sheathed
his full, hot length. Then she lowered herself, but this time she positioned
his shaft against her sex and slowly, so slowly took him deep inside.

They both sighed as she
settled herself down over his full length. Alton wrapped his arms around her
slim waist, nuzzled her neck, and kissed the side of her throat. “Did I ever
tell you how much I love troublesome women?”

“No.” She sighed as she
adjusted to his size, to his heat and the amazing connection that linked
them—body, heart, and mind. Then she slowly moved her hips in a gentle rhythm
with his. “But I’d really love to hear.”

Smiling, touching, kissing,
laughing, and loving, he told her.
In great detail.
Over and over again.