His lips twitched. “I’ve faced more than my share of killers, Mercy O’Malley. You’re not one.”
Oh yeah? She moved for the sword and lifted it. It was solid and pure, and the balance was perfect. She hadn’t spent much time learning sword fighting, and cutting through a guy’s throat would be difficult, especially for a novice. The blade was razor-sharp. She moved toward him and pressed the tip to his throat. “I’m stronger than I look.”
He met her gaze evenly, his lids half lowered. “You think you have time to slide it in before I stop you?” The innuendo in his words wound between them, and she clenched. A trickle of blood dripped down his skin.
Her stomach dropped. Could she? The male didn’t even look worried. More like slightly interested and possibly sleepy. “Yes,” she bluffed. With the stun gun in one hand and the sword in the other, she should feel a lot more in control of the situation than she did. “Why aren’t you attacking my mind?” Demons could mentally slash through brains like a crop reaper if they wanted.
He lifted one massive shoulder. “Meh.”
“Meh?” she snapped. Seriously? The insult was just too much. Pressing the button on the stun gun, she let the charges attach to his chest with a powerful jolt. The smell of burned cotton filtered up.
His eyes darkened, flashing black and returning to that intriguing green. “Ouch,” he said, his voice mild.
She took a step back, her hand trembling. “Your body has already figured out how to counteract the charge.”
“Yep.”
Okay. That was fast. Much quicker than her scientists had said it would happen. This was no ordinary demon, a fact she’d already figured out. “I don’t want to kill you.” She let the tip of the sword drop to the pavement.
“Yeah. I got that.” The small nick on his neck healed and closed. “Am I your first job as an assassin?”
“I’m not exactly an assassin. We were just trying to get your attention with the threat.”
“Oh, baby. You definitely have my attention.”
She shivered from the rough tone and then started to calculate scenarios in her mind. “In fact, I’m going to get in some serious trouble for warning you to stop this nonsense with the Seven. My people don’t want to work with you, and they’re more powerful than you can believe. I don’t suppose you’d lie low for the next couple of decades until I can figure this out?”
“I don’t suppose I would,” he said, too agreeably.
“Well.” She bit her bottom lip. Why wasn’t he buying her bluff? “If I let you live, my people won’t stop coming for you. Ever.”
His expression lost the lazy amusement. “Let them come, Mercy. Unlike you, I have no problem killing.”
She shuddered before she could stop herself. “You’re really not giving me a choice here.”
His eyebrows rose. “You’re going to try to kill me?”
“No,” she sighed. “You’re right about that. I don’t want to kill anybody.” She tossed the sword and stun gun across the cement and they clattered away. “There’s only one logical conclusion, and it’s risky, but you’ve left me no alternative.” Moving toward him, she walked alongside his extended legs then dropped to straddle him, pressing her hands to the burn marks on his shirt. She couldn’t afford the loss of energy this would cost her, but there was no choice.
His smile was more wolf than demon. “I like where this is going.”
She rolled her eyes and tried to look calm, even though his thighs were warm and so damn hard. The guy had sleek, strong muscles everywhere. “Have you ever teleported? With somebody who could?”
Interest crossed his expression. “Can you teleport?”
“Yes.” She closed her eyes and drew on the forces of time and space, the power in the universe. She’d take him somewhere he couldn’t escape. Power trilled through her, and she concentrated. Something detonated in her solar plexus, and the power sputtered out and dissipated. She gasped and opened her eyes, still in the damn warehouse.
Green eyes drilled into hers. “You’ve got some gifts there.”
Her mouth gaped open. She snapped it shut and lowered her chin. “How did you just stop me?” It was impossible.
He shrugged, nearly dislodging her. “I may not be able to teleport yet, but I can sure as shit stop anybody from teleporting me.”
Huh. She hadn’t realized demons could do that. Must be a state secret or something.
“Where did you think you were taking me?” he asked, his thighs tightening just enough to give warning.
“Somewhere you’ve never been,” she said, not willing to reveal any more information than she already had.
