Naturally, his gaze slid lower to said behind. He had to stifle the urge to slide his palms over those tempting mounds. His hand tightened on her luggageinstead.
Penthouse secured, she stalked past him, and as they entered the elevator, he said, “Pain in the ass or not, I’m all you have right now, littlegirl.”
“Little girl?” The scowl returned. She stabbed a finger at the button for the ground floor. “I’m nearly twenty-five.”
“So?” He leaned against the metal wall as the doors slidshut.
“So? What do you meanso?” Those feline-tipped eyes glowered fiercely. His entire nonchalant attitude appeared to rub her the wrong way. Something he couldn’t help but savor when aroundher.
His gaze drifted over her striking features, spotting twin splashes of red on her cheekbones. Hell, if he was honest, her compressed lips made him want to slowly suck them back to a quivering softness. Instead, he lifted a shoulder in a careless shrug. “I call it as I see it. The scratching, the biting, need I goon?”
“God!” She spun away and glared at the receding floor numbers on the side panel, one booted foot tapping impatiently. “Can’t you go any damn faster?” she growled at the elevator. The door glided open, and she stormedout.
Mission accomplished, he thought wryly, following her. At least she hadn’t panicked from claustrophobia and let loose her abilities while trapped in a confined space. He frowned. Powers it appeared she had no idea she possessed. He grabbed her arm when she headed for the front of the building. “Not that way. Backentrance.”
Pulling free, she marched in the opposite direction. Moments later, he stepped out into the cool alley, scanned the street, and found the double-cab, elevated truck parked a short distance from TheTower.
Dagan dropped her bag and knapsack onto the back seat. An icy sensation crawled over his skin, followed by a bile-inducing sulfuric stink. He wheeled around, pushing Shae behindhim.
“Hey—” A sharp gasp followed, then she whispered, “What isthat?”
Yeah, she’d sensed it, too. “Trouble.”
* * *
Shae cautiously examinedthe shadowy backstreet. The dim lamp affixed to the looming building cast a small circle of light over the back entrance. The prickles on her nape grew. Familiar with this eerie sensation, she knew what it meant.Demons.
“Maybe they’re the Earth ones?” God, she hoped so. This night was turning out to be the third worst of herlife.
“No.”
One single word, and her shaky hope crumbled. A smoky shimmer in the night air caught her attention, and a sword took form in Dagan’s left hand. Strange symbols glowed briefly on the black blade. If she hadn’t believed he was immortal before, she sure did now. Heck, in a dark street, none would know he palmed a deadly weapon. But his eyes, they blazed like a predator’s in thenight.
Two figures stepped out of the gloom, their irises sparking red. “Give us the girl,” one of them lisped, stopping several feetaway.
At the guttural demand, fear swamped her. Crap, she didn’t have her blade with her—wait, she had theotherone, but she kept that in her knapsack. Then everything happened as if in fast-forward. Dagan leaped at the demons, sword swinging. He decapitated one. The head fell with a sickening thud to the asphalt and rolled toward her. Her heart in her mouth, she jumped back as the body and head shriveled andvanished.
The remaining demon’s hand glowed red. “Did you think we’d come in pairs?” He flung a deadly hellfire bolt atDagan.
“I’m surprised you can think at all.” Dagan ducked the fiery red missile that blasted a dumpster to smithereens. A cacophony erupted. Several more scourges took form, swarming the backstreet like insects, grunts filling theair.
“You. Come.” A demon darted for her, eyes gleaming like neon redmoons.
“No, you fucking don’t!” Dagan flew in front of her like a deadly force of nature, his hair flying around him like whips. He beheaded the demon with a single swipe of hisblade.
“Get in the truck,” he snapped, pulling her out of her frozen state. He spun back to the remaining demons fanningout.
Her breath hitching, she smacked a hand on his back. “Give me a switchblade or something. I can’t stand heredefenseless.”
“Don’t have one. Just get in the damntruck!”
Rely on someone else to keep her ass safe? Not happening. She wasn’t totally helpless. Harvey had been a goodteacher.
Keeping one eye on the fight, she eased backward and opened the truck door. As she reached for her knapsack, a slant of moonlight gleamed off a length of black metal lying on the floorboard. She grabbed it instead—a dagger. ThankGod!
Shae wheeled around, weapon braced. Oh, shit! Her heart thundered in her ears. So many of them surrounded Dagan. He fought hard and bled from several cuts on his biceps. Damnmonsters!
Furious, she dartedforward.
