Dev held her hand as Fang took them not to Sanctuary or the Charonte Club as she expected, but to a room she'd never seen before. All the windows were shuttered closed and there was a massive plantation style bed in the room with an antique styled blue silk comforter over it.
She looked at Fang with a frown. "Where are we?"
Before he could answer, Nick Gautier materialized in front of them. The dim light cast an evil shadow over his face. His whiskers were thickening--like he'd gone several days without shaving and his eyes held a wicked gleam to them. "Welcome to my nightmare, Princess."
By the look on Dev's face she could tell he wasn't expecting to be here anymore than she was.
She scowled at Fang "Why did you bring us here?"
Fang shrugged. "It's what Ash told me to do when I talked to him before we went questing for you. I figured Mr. Omniscient knows best about keeping his people safe--" those words were interrupted by Nick giving a rude scoff that Fang didn't even pause for--"so I didn't argue." He inclined his head to her and Dev. "Now if you'll excuse me, I have a Lady Bear I haven't seen in a day and I don't want her to kick my ass for leaving her high and dry."
He left before anyone could say another word.
In the silence that followed, Sam felt suddenly awkward. True it hadn't been the real Nick who'd tried to kidnap her out of Sanctuary, but still.
There was an aura of pure evil around this man and it set her hackles on edge. Whenever Nick looked at her, she had the feeling he was sizing her up for a body bag and it made her blood run cold.
"Relax," Nick said in a soothing tone as if he felt her unease toward him. "I don't want your blood. Since it's a rogue demon after you, Ash and I decided this would be the best place to hide you where the fewest lives would be threatened by your enemy." He gestured to the room. "Make yourself at home. Everything's been sanitized so it shouldn't give you nightmares or images to touch it." Something Nick knew about since she'd told him that when she'd started guarding him. How ironic for the tables to now be turned. "If you need anything, there's an intercom on the wall." He gestured to the unit that was just inside the door. "Call and I'll answer. And..." he pointed to the nightstand. "Ash sent over your cell phone so that you wouldn't be without it. There's a message from Chi who's been worried about you and pissed off that the guys didn't invite her to rescue you. I don't envy them. Ethon in particular was promised a major ass-whipping."
Sam frowned. Nick didn't look well. When she'd first met him on this assignment months ago, he'd been well coifed and gorgeous--except for the bow and arrow mark on his face. Now he looked pale and exhausted. Shaken. Like something had him in a vise grip and he couldn't breathe for the pain of it.
If not for the fact that Dark-Hunters couldn't get sick, she'd think he was about to hurl.
"Are you okay?"
"I'm always okay." His bitter tone denied those words.
Sam wanted to touch him and see what the truth was, but her inner alarm told her that she didn't want to see what ever demon had its claws into him. When you stare into the darkness, sometimes it stares back....
And those mirrored images were often the most terrifying and threatening.
Nick paused in the doorway to look back at them. "By the way, I should warn you. It's almost noon here and Stryker's mounting his attack to take you into Kalosis. I don't know when he's planning to strike, but I'm sure it'll be before dark since you'll be at a disadvantage in the light. My house is technically shielded, however Stryker's powers are such that I don't know if it'll hold against him."
Sam narrowed her gaze dangerously as her suspicions about him mounted. "How do you know what Stryker has planned?"
When Nick answered, it wasn't with his mouth. She heard his voice loud and clear in her head. The same way I know you love Dev, little girl. And if you do, send him home before nightfall. He won't survive otherwise.
And with that he walked out of the room and closed the door without touching it.
Chapter 17
Sam watched as Dev went over the room making sure nothing would harm her even though Nick had assured them it was safe--neither of them trusted him.
The care Dev took as he reviewed it all was adorable and it reminded her so much of the image she'd seen of him protecting his sister when they were young. He was so protective and sweet....
Worst of all was the compunction she had to brush his hair back from the nape of his neck and nibble his skin until he made that little growl in the back of his throat that sent shivers over her. She wanted to walk into his arms and just have him hold her until everything else vanished.