Wicked Burn (2 page)

 

Fury
wasn’t a strong enough word to describe the heat coursing through Simone Brightston as she strode out the front door of her Seattle penthouse building, a too-calm demon on her heels. Even through her anger, instinct whispered that a calm demon was a hundred times more dangerous than any raging warrior—which only pissed her off more.

And this demon . . . she didn’t know. The devoted suitor of a century ago had been replaced by the cold and deadly warrior behind her.

“This way.” Without waiting for her to acquiesce, Nicholai Veis wrapped one warm hand around her arm and turned her toward a black Ducati, sleek and sparkling, waiting by the curb in the morning hour.

She jerked free and arched one perfectly manicured eyebrow. “You’re riding bikes now?”

His lids lifted in a curiously deliberate way to reveal those black as midnight eyes. “When in Rome.” Low and cultured, his voice gave no hint as to his baser nature.

But she knew. Oh, she knew him and the animal he barely kept in check. He’d broken her heart once without a hitch in his stride, but that was nothing compared to the horrendous things he’d done in the name of the demon nation since. “Seattle is hardly Rome, and this has gone on long enough.” In the building, she’d left family who needed her help. Family who’d pretty much betrayed her by asking Nick to secure her somewhere safe.

“Get on the bike, Simone, or I’ll put you on the bike.” His tone didn’t falter a bit, remaining rough and harsh.

She paused and turned to more fully face him, curiosity winding through her anger. Could she take him? As a witch, a powerful one, she could reshape matter by applying quantum physics, and she could burn his ass with plasma. For well over a century, she’d trained.

Yet so had he. Demons could attack minds, and this one could fight physically with the prowess of a shifter and the precision of a vampire.

He waited patiently, that gaze knowing. A killer more than comfortable in his own skin. “Is this really the place?”

“Excuse me?”

“The battle coming. Witch against demon, your powers against mine. You against . . . me.” He leaned in, and the scent of an oncoming storm came with him. “Are you sure you’re ready?”

“Oh, I’m ready.” She let her voice go husky and threat fill her eyes.

He smiled then. A quick flash of teeth against his bronze face, turning harsh angles into masculine beauty. He had the blond hair, black eyes, and mangled vocal cords of a pure-bred demon, but even among his own people, Nick Veis was something . . . more. He’d done it all, he’d seen it all . . . hell, most folks thought he’d planned it all.

From the downfall of dictators to the protection of fate’s chosen ones . . . Nicholai Veis was the male to call. He fought with no remorse and killed more easily than he breathed.

Even though she was a tall woman, he looked down several inches at her, somehow not towering. Nick had the rare ability to seem peaceful, when he was anything but. He ran his hand down her arm to her wrist. “If we fight here, your cousins will come running, and they have enough going on.”

She drew in air, her mind spinning. “That is exactly my point. Demon Prince Logan Kyllwood has been kidnapped, and as advisor to the Kyllwoods, you should help save him and not worry about me.”

There it was. A flicker of the boiling feelings that must be ripping Nick apart showed in his eyes before being quickly veiled. “Zane Kyllwood can get his brother back, especially with your cousins assisting in the rescue.”

Aye. Witch Enforcers and demon soldiers working together? The kidnapper didn’t stand a chance. Yet Simone lifted her chin anyway. “I do not require your assistance.”

“That’s unfortunate.” Keeping his grip on her arm firm, he threw one leg over the bike. “Get on, Simone. We’ll go to the mat later.” His phone buzzed, and he used his free hand to retrieve it from his pocket to read the face. His eyebrows lifted. “The Guard will be here in two minutes.”

“Good.” She set her stance. The Guard, an elite Irish force tasked with policing the witch nation, was arriving to take her into custody, and as a member of the Coven Nine, she was prepared to state her case to the ruling body of witches; after all, she was one of them. Of course, she’d known at some time she’d have to face charges, just not the ones being issued at the moment. “I’m not running.”

“I’ll fight them, and I’ll win.” Arrogance, hard-won, stamped his face.

Aye, he probably would win, even though the Guard were some of the best Irish soldiers the Coven employed. “You’ll start a war between our peoples.”

“Yes.” His hold tightened. “Not only that, but if the Guard catches you here, right outside of your building, where the witch Enforcers are currently preparing for battle to help demons, the Guard will know the Enforcers disobeyed orders to contain you. Your cousins will face treason charges.”

Dread slammed into her abdomen. She swallowed. “I’m a self-centered bitch, and you know it. My cousins created their own demise.”

He chuckled then, easily zeroing in on her weakness. “Oh, I agree you’re a bitch, Simone, but you’re so far from self-centered it isn’t in the ballpark. You’d do anything for those cousins, and your façade doesn’t fool me now any more than it did last time we met.”

She tried to eye the area around them for some escape, but nothing was apparent. The male was right in that she’d give her own life for Kell, Daire, or Adam, who were her cousins and three of the Coven Enforcers. “Just let me go.”

“No.” Apparently finished with the conversation, he swung his torso and lifted her, landing her squarely behind him.

Her ass hit the leather seat. Damn it. How in the world had she forgotten his strength? Even for a demon, his was unreal. To lift her with one hand, and he wasn’t even breathing hard. Before she could protest and burn his ears off, he ignited the engine and roared into the street.

She yelped and grabbed his dress shirt with both hands, leaning in for balance.

Nick Veis handled a Ducati like he did everything else in life . . . using control edged with a hint of violence. The contrast between the elegant demon official that he showed the world and the primal being lurking inside him showed just how far he’d come since this latest war had ended. The elegance was merely a mask for the cold predator lurking beneath.

She wasn’t the same wide-eyed girl he’d played with before. It had taken years, but she was as tough as they came, and she could handle him. “Let me go.” She leaned up to hiss in his ear while allowing plasma to course along her hands. Creating flames out of oxygen calmed her.

The fire bit into the back of his dark shirt, and smoke rose.

“Dammit, Simone,” he bit back, swerving to avoid a school bus.

She allowed the fire to dissipate. Burning him held little appeal at the moment, with him driving and her life in his hands. But the sight of the perfect handprints burned into his shirt made her smile.

Leaning into him, she allowed herself just one moment to feel. The chill of a Seattle morning, still misty and damp, had no power over the warmth from the demon. Firm lines and smooth muscle filled her palms. It had been over a century since she’d touched him, and if anything, he felt harder than ever. Streamlined and tough.

As a soldier, he was unbeatable . . . but his true strength lay in strategy. Zane Kyllwood now ruled the demon nation because Nicholai Veis had protected, groomed, and then defended him until it was time to take over.

There was a moment, centuries ago, when she had believed that Nick would sacrifice his entire future for her. How wrong she’d been, and there was no going back. Even now, with peace ruling, Nick was one cold bastard.

“You’re out of my life,” Simone whispered, more to herself than to the warrior.

He stiffened and turned his head to the side, deftly driving around a series of potholes. “No, I’m not, and you’d better get used to that fact right now.”

Why the hell was he doing this? She opened her mouth to say something, anything, when a flash of silver caught her eye, and a black SUV careened out of the nearest alley.

The Guard had found her.

 

Nick hit the brakes, dodged around a honking compact car, and gunned the engine. The bike leaped forward with a growl of power.

His nape tickled, and he focused on the moment.

The SUV veered left behind him, fully visible and making a move.

Not good. Totally not good in a fucked way. Witches were masterminds at dropping nets on prey, and if they were showing themselves, they’d already created a nice little trap in downtown Seattle.

He’d rushed right into it the second he’d gotten the call that Simone was in danger.

He increased his speed, and a woman with an armful of shopping bags screamed and jumped out of his way. The tension from the woman holding him so tightly ratcheted up his heart rate, so he took a deep breath and allowed his body to relax, banishing all emotion.

Another SUV tore away from the curb, nearly clipping his back tire.

He sped up, and towering buildings blurred together on both sides of the street. Not one of his sources had reported Guard members entering the country, so they’d flown in under the radar. The witch Enforcers were unaware of their presence, and there was no way to interpret that as a good thing, considering the Enforcers and Guard usually worked in tandem.

Nick allowed adrenaline to flood his system, effectively sharpening his reflexes and senses. A whir above him stiffened his shoulders. A Black Hawk? The Guard had gone all out.

The helicopter maneuvered gracefully through the buildings, keeping above him, tracking easily.

Honking cars and screeching brakes pierced the day behind him as the SUVs kept pace.

“Pull over,” Simone hissed into his ear. “We can’t outrun them.”

No, but perhaps they could get to safety of a sort. Even the Guard wouldn’t risk a full immortal fight with human witnesses. So he kept driving, avoiding a wreck, knowing full well the risk he took.

The skyscrapers turned to three-story buildings. Then homes. Finally, trees began lining both sides of the road and filling the air with the scent of pine.

“Where are you going?” Simone whispered against his ear, her breath hot.

A shiver wound through his body to his groin. Jesus. He was about to take on a cadre of witches, and his cock wanted to play? Simone Brightston had always destroyed his system.

It was a relief to know that she still could. In his darkest moments, he’d wondered whether he’d ever find his way back to warmth. “I have a cabin prepared for you.” At least then, they’d have a chance.

The roar of pipes echoed through the trees, and within seconds, men on careening Harleys and dirt bikes surrounded them.

Nick hunched over the bike. “Hold on,” he yelled.

Her thighs tightened on his, and she slipped both arms around his waist to hug tight.

Two men moved in on either side of them, and he smelled shifter. What the hell? Turning, he eyed the closest threat. Lucas Bryant? A grizzly bear lieutenant? What the fuck?

Lucas narrowed his dark eyes and jerked his head toward the rider on the other side.

Nick glanced the other way to see another man draw a gun from his jeans. The shifter smiled.

Nick shook his head.

The shifter lowered the gun toward Nick’s front tire.

Damn it. Nick leaned to the left and kicked out with his right leg, hitting the guy in the ribs. The male’s eyes widened, and he flew off his bike with an animalistic bellow, his bike dropping and spinning around in his wake.

Nick yanked to the side, swerved to avoid the shifter’s head, and drove straight into the forest.

Simone screamed and tucked her face against his neck, her hold tightening until his ribs protested.

Branches whipped into them, and the bike skidded on wet pine needles. Instinct guided him as much as his enhanced senses, but he didn’t know these woods. The bear shifters careening through the trees in his wake certainly did.

His only hope was to outrun them and find shelter. The Guard’s helicopter was visible through the treetops, but at least he’d lost the SUVs.

The bike hit a patch of tree roots and shot up in the air. He held tight and corrected when they came down, jerking the handlebars before opening the throttle again. The trees thickened, providing cover but less visibility.

“Where are you going?” Simone yelled into his neck.

There were more weapons at his cabin, if he could just outrun the shifters. He turned right, barely missing a sapling, and then snapped around another tree. Branches scraped his cheek, and his left eye watered, so he used his right.

Lucas Bryant flew out of a bunch of cottonwoods, his bike in the air and his gun already firing.

Nick tried to jerk away, but a bullet sliced into his front tire. The explosion was deafening.

Panic swept him. They pitched into the air. He turned, enfolded Simone, and wrapped himself around her as much as possible, protecting her head with his arms. They flew through the forest, hitting trees and branches.

Pain exploded through his back.

His head impacted with a tree, and stars flashed behind his closed lids.

Something shattered in his shoulder a second before agony ripped through his neck. Simone’s screams echoed in his head, gravity took over, and his skull cracked.

Unconsciousness took him before he felt the ground.

Simone wiped blood off of Nick’s forehead, wincing at the gash across his left temple. Her entire body ached as if put through a meat grinder, and she could only imagine the damage he’d sustained in shielding her.

His sprawled body overwhelmed the leather couch in the Grizzly Motorcycle Club’s main recreation room. The tingle of healing tissue wafted up from his still-unconscious body as his skull no doubt repaired itself. Hopefully. His right femur protruded from a rip in his jeans, and his left shoulder appeared misshapen, as if the bones had shattered.

For now, his body seemed to be concentrating on healing his brain before he awoke. She’d caught a glimpse of his demolished Ducati before the Grizzlies had loaded them up on bikes in the forest.

Man, was he going to be furious.

She looked around, trying to find an escape route.

The biggest plasma television she’d ever seen stretched across one wall, while a pool table, dartboards, and video game consoles were strategically placed around a bar loaded with liquor. The place smelled like leather and wood polish.

Windows took up the north wall, allowing gray Seattle daylight inside. Guard members were stationed at each corner of the room, stances set, their concentration solely on her.

Outside, several more Guard members were strategically placed to contain her as they waited for transport back to Ireland.

She worked within their system, but she’d always done things her own way. When the Coven Nine hadn’t wanted to move forward, she’d moved them, and when she couldn’t, she’d broken more than one rule. Aye, she’d face up to that.

But not today.

She could sense bear shifters also patrolling the area outside. Where was their leader? He hadn’t been among the shifters on bikes. She needed to find him.

Nick gasped and sat up. “What the fuck?”

Simone winced and planted a hand on his good thigh to keep him still. “Don’t move until you fix your body.”

He leaned over and exhaled. “Holy fuck.” Pain cascaded off him. “Next time, we wear helmets,” he groaned.

She nodded.

He leaned back and shut his eyes. “Is there anything immediate I need to do?” His voice emerged weak but determined.

“No. Heal your body, and then we’ll figure everything out. We’re at Grizzly headquarters.”

“Is Bear around?”

“No,” Simone whispered. “I haven’t seen him, and when I asked for him when we first arrived, Lucas said he was out of town.”

“Lucas is his second in command?” Nick gasped. His leg snapped back into place, and he grunted.

“Yes.” Simone allowed plasma to heat down her arm to her hand, concentrating on keeping the level low before placing her palm on his newly healed leg.

He groaned in pleasure this time.

“Work on your shoulder, and I’ll finish healing your thigh,” she said, altering oxygen molecules into healing heat and weaving it through the muscle and ligaments. Right now, as much as she hated it, he was her only ally.

He breathed out. “This would go faster if you let me in your head.”

Hell to the absolute no. Once a witch loosened those mental shields and let another immortal in, especially a mind attacking demon, she’d be vulnerable for life. Simone would never trust a man that much. Ever. “Not a chance.” She heated his thigh.

“With you so close, I ache a little farther up. Heat there?” he mumbled, his lips nearly forming a grin.

She bit her lip. He did not get to flirt with her. Ever. “No.”

“Jeez. I did save you.” His shoulder changed shape and realigned itself.

She moved her hand over his cracked ribs. “You shouldn’t have tried to protect me from the Guard in the first place.” The Guard was well trained and powerful, and as tough as Nick was, he couldn’t beat ten of them. Beneath her hand, his ribs healed.

She leaned back, her energy draining. “You okay?” Not that she cared about him, but he had to be able to fight if they got the chance.

“Yes.” He extended his right hand, revealing three broken fingers. His chest moved as he inhaled and exhaled evenly, and one by one, the fingers snapped back into place. Pain blazed from him, but his expression didn’t alter.

Man, he was tough.

A ruckus started up outside, and the door flew open to bang against the wall.

Nick leaped in front of Simone, covering her.

“What the holy fuck is the Irish Guard doing in my rec room?” Bear stepped into the room, irritation sizzling from his honey-brown eyes, and his square jaw set hard. His shaggy brown hair appeared as if he’d been pulling on it, and his clothes looked well worn to the point of being older than the shifter. He paused. “Simone?”

She stood and angled to Nick’s side. “B-Bear. Hi.” Shit. She’d almost used his real name.

Nick stiffened. “I take it you know each other.”

“You could say that.” Size-sixteen motorcycle boots clomped as the leader of the entire bear shifter nation entered the room. “Lucas?” he bellowed.

Nick glanced down at Simone, and she shrugged. “Long story.” One she had no intention of sharing. Nobody knew about her connection to Bear. Sometimes the truth needed to remain buried.

A door off the bar opened, and Lucas stalked into the room. “You’re back.”

Bear growled and sounded like the grizzly he truly was. “All I wanted was a few days to catch fish and relax, and instead, I get a frantic call that I have an injured demon leader and a witch from the Council of the Coven Nine held captive in my headquarters.”

“I’m not the demon leader,” Nick said evenly. “Zane Kyllwood is.”

“You’re close enough, which makes this a fucking problem. What’s going on?” Bear asked Lucas, his hands on his hips.

Lucas crossed around the bar. “The Coven Nine called and asked for assistance in detaining a rogue witch. We didn’t know it was Simone until we, ah, captured her in the forest.” He frowned, puzzlement stamping his rugged features. “We’re allies with the Coven Nine, right?”

Bear slowly nodded. “I thought we were.” He glanced at the Guard soldiers standing at obvious attention. “Simone? What’s going on? You are still a member of the Nine, right?”

She nodded. “Aye, but somebody has manufactured a lot of evidence against me, trying to prove that I’ve committed treason in a few different ways.”

Bear snorted.

“I know, but apparently the evidence is good enough that the Guard has been sent to fetch me for trial.” Her mind spun, but the only way out of the current disaster was for her to go peacefully. “I’m ready and willing to face the charges, Bear.” So long as she could finish up a couple of Coven Nine projects first. She kept her gaze direct and her voice level. If she asked him to intervene, he might, and she couldn’t have that. Not right now. And if he said no, she’d understand, but it’d still hurt. So it was better not to ask.

“And the demon?” he asked softly.

“Misguided attempt to save her ass.” Nick crossed broad arms. “I take it you two, ah . . .”

Simone nodded. Better for him to think that.

Bear’s eyes widened. “Me and Simone? No. Ewwww.”

Simone shook her head. God. He was such an ass sometimes. “Shut up, both of you.”

Nick wiped more blood off his forehead. “I don’t understand.”

Bear looked at him, then at her, and then back at Nick. “We go way back, have worked together, and that’s it. We’re friends.” He grimaced on the last word. “As much as I have friends. I mean, if I have to have them. It’s not like—”

“Bear,” Simone snapped. “Shut up.” The Guard soldiers were watching him, curiosity and suspicion obvious in their expressions. No mission on record had Simone working with a bear shifter. Or any shifter, for that matter.

“
Zaychik moy?
” Nick eyed the guards. “You have some explaining to do.”

Bear barked out a laugh. “Little bunny?” His eyebrows arched. “Um, that’s an interesting nickname. You’re not exactly bunny-like, now, are you? What the heck?”

She rolled her eyes. Why did Bear give two craps about a silly nickname? “I like rabbits.” There was a time, a century or so ago, when she’d raised them. They liked her, too. Although she definitely regretted sharing that information with Nick during a vulnerable, postcoital, forever-together moment. Those sure as hell didn’t last.

“Bunny. You like rabbits.” Bear rubbed his chin, his gaze inscrutable. “Did you tell him that during sex?”

Now wasn’t the time. “Shut. Up. Bear.” Simone allowed morphing blue plasma to dance down her arms.

The soldiers stiffened around them.

Bear held both hands up, not even remotely appearing harmless. Even wearing faded jeans so old they were more white than blue and a T-shirt with Harry Potter on the front, the animal in bear was more than evident. “Okay. Back to business. What does a trial entail?”

“Just a normal trial,” she said, not liking the calculating gaze Nick was shooting her way. “The prosecution will present evidence, and I’ll defend myself. It’ll be fine.”

Nick coughed. “Bullshit.”

“Excuse me?” Simone snuffed out her plasma.

“A conviction for treason means your powers are blasted out of you, or it can mean death.” Nick flashed his teeth. “Bear, if you want your
old friend
to survive, you’ll help us out of here before her transport arrives.”

The soldier guarding the door shook his head. “Any action to prevent our mission is tantamount to a declaration of war.”

“Like I give a fuck.” Bear kept his gaze on Simone.

Nick gave the equivalent of a demon growl. “I concur with Bear.”

The soldier snarled. “Unless Zane Kyllwood condemns your actions, demon, the Coven Nine will declare war on the entire demon nation. Again.”

Unfortunately, the soldier had a good grasp on the political situation.

Nick set his stance. “Zane Kyllwood has no idea I’m with Simone, and he certainly did not approve my actions. This is all me and not the demon nation.” He studied Bear. “You in or out?”

Bear lifted one dark eyebrow. “Simone?”

“I need to face these charges.” She tried her damnedest to keep panic from her voice. “We just finished a war . . . Let’s not start another one quite yet.”

“True.” Bear shrugged. “Yet, I’m in.”

He’d barely gotten the words out before the lead guard hit him with a plasma ball in the center of the chest. Bear flew through the air and slammed into the bar. He rose, beginning to shift, and the other three guards pummeled him with plasma until he dropped unconscious.

Lucas ran forward and faced the same attack to save his boss. One of the guards drew a gun and shot him several times in the chest. He clutched his arm and fell, falling on his face, out cold.

Nick growled. Vibrations of air from him, dark and menacing, pierced the oxygen. The Guard soldiers cried out, two of them grabbing their temples. One fell to the ground, his body convulsing.

Simone panted, her eyes widening at the nightmarish scene. Turning, she watched Nick’s eyelids droop as he managed the demon mind attack and ripped through their brains. “Stop it,” she whispered.

“No.”

She glanced over at Bear, who was out cold and bleeding freely. Thank goodness the wounds were in the chest. Shifters had a hard time recuperating from head shots. And politically, he was all right. No matter how the day ended, at least he’d be protected because he hadn’t had a chance to do anything amounting to a declaration of war. But man, was he going to be pissed.

A second soldier dropped unconscious to the ground from Nick’s attack.

The third tried to form plasma down his arms, but the flames sputtered.

God, Nick had gotten even more powerful through the years. Most demons could perpetrate mind attacks, but not to this degree. They shot both images and pain into their victims’ brains, which could be destroyed forever. “Nick. Stop it.” Even though the Guard was after her, these were her people, and they were just doing their jobs.

He ignored her, his chin lowering.

A helicopter set down outside the wide block of windows, and several Guard soldiers jumped out.

There was no escape, and they’d kill Nick.

Simone sucked in air and drew on all her power. Nick was concentrating hard on the soldiers and didn’t turn her way. The bastard wasn’t leaving her a choice. She concentrated, drawing on the power of the universe and the molecular compounds around her, creating plasma out of oxygen. Taking a breath, she threw a ball of plasma at his back.

The fire hit hard and knocked him into the sofa.

He jumped up and spun around, red spiraling into his face. “What the hell?”

Winding her arms, she propelled ball after ball at him, burning his clothes, but stopping short of a truly damaging shot, just in case she needed his help getting out of there. She hit his arms, his shoulders, his legs. He growled, twisting and turning from the blows, but not attacking her mind.

She’d counted on him not harming her. Physically, anyway.

Bootsteps pounded outside the building. Damn it. To keep him alive, she had to knock him out before they entered the room. Not for one second did she question her need to save his life.

So she twisted her aim for his face.

He ducked, and the fireball smashed into the door, throwing it off the hinges. Bellowing, he lunged for her, hitting her mid-center and taking her down with a tackle that stole her breath. He landed on top of her, his furious face an inch from hers. “Do not make me hurt you.”

Hurt her? He’d just bruised her entire body. She sent flames down her arms.

“Damn it.” He flipped her over, planted a knee in the small of her back, and clasped her wrists together, ignoring the fire. Seconds later, something strong wrapped around her wrists and up her forearms.

He stood and jerked her to her feet.

Her mouth gaped open. He’d tied her hands behind her back with his damn belt. Then she smiled. Idiot. She changed the oxygen and increased the heat of her flames, burning the leather completely away.