Total pages in book: 117
Estimated words: 110802 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 554(@200wpm)___ 443(@250wpm)___ 369(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 110802 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 554(@200wpm)___ 443(@250wpm)___ 369(@300wpm)
She sighed. “I was dealing with the guy just fine on my own. If I’d thought I needed your help, I would have called for you.”
Knox slowly splayed his hand around her throat and circled her pulse with his thumb. “Really?” His tone called her a liar.
“Yes. I’m stubborn, not stupid.”
“Then you’ll have no problem making me a promise here and now.”
She didn’t like the sound of that. “Oh yeah?”
“Promise me that if you ever need my help, you’ll call for me.”
“I told you I will. I meant it.”
“Then this will be an easy promise for you to make.”
Damn, she’d walked right into that one. “Fine, I promise.”
“Good girl.” He kissed her, boldly licking into her mouth. The kiss was as aggressive as it was possessive; she could taste his anger, his concern, and his determination to keep her safe. He ended the kiss with a sharp, punishing bite to her lower lip. He wasn’t quite calm yet.
A car horn honked, and Knox said, “Time to go. We need to get you warm.” He guided her to the end of the alley where a sleek, top-of-the-line Bentley waited. Well, that was the kind of thing you could afford when you were a billionaire who owned a chain of hotels, casinos, restaurants, security firms, and bars.
Like all demons, Knox hid in plain sight, blending in easily with humans. Their kind often sought jobs that granted them power, control, challenges, and respect. Many were entrepreneurs, stock brokers, CEOs, politicians, bankers, surgeons, lawyers, police officers, and celebrities. Harper wasn’t so big on power, but she did enjoy the challenges of co-owning a tattoo studio.
Knox was as influential in the demon world as he was in the human world. He was a powerful Prime of a fairly large lair that spanned most of Nevada and a good portion of California. In addition, he owned a subterranean version of the Las Vegas strip known as the Underground. It was a busy place, given that demons were impulsive, forever restless, suffered from instant gratification issues, and had a bad habit of trying to deal with their oppressive boredom using cheap thrills.
Levi, one of Knox’s sentinels, opened the rear door of the Bentley for them. He didn’t look much happier with her than Knox did. “What the fuck happened to your face?” he growled, gun-metal gray eyes flaring with anger.
She gave the tall, powerfully built reaper a bright smile and slung her wet jacket at him. “Never say I don’t give you anything.” As she and Knox slid into the backseat, she turned to her mate and said, “You’re back early from your trip.”
His expression didn’t alter at all, but his hesitation to answer her spoke volumes.
“Something happened. What is it?”
He took her hand in his. “It’s Carla. She’s missing.”
Harper’s stomach rolled. Carla Hayden was a sphinx and a member of their lair. She was also Harper’s mother.
CHAPTER TWO
Using a bottle of drinking water to wet a handkerchief, Knox then dabbed the healing wound on her cheek; wiping away the excess blood. He’d bitten her. The bastard had bitten her. Pointed a gun at her head. Slammed her into a wall. Tried to r—
The Bentley rattled a little, and she gave him a sideways glance. Knox took a deep breath to cool his anger, reminding himself that she was there with him, alive and safe. But it wasn’t easy when his demon’s rage heated his blood and buzzed through his veins. They’d seen through the human’s memories exactly what he’d done to his mate.
Knox and his demon were doubly possessive and protective of Harper because in addition to being their mate she was their anchor. Demons came in pairs, but they didn’t have soul mates. They had predestined psi-mates who would anchor their demon, make them stronger, and give them the stability that stopped them from turning rogue.
When a demon fused their psyche with their anchor’s, it forged a binding link between them. The link wasn’t sexual or emotional; it was purely psychic. Still, anchors often become close friends since they found it mentally uncomfortable to be apart for long periods. They also instinctually protected and supported each other, and they were unswervingly loyal.
Being anchored didn’t stop the inner demon from occasionally surfacing – nothing could completely control it – but it did stop the entity from taking over. And if a demon lost its anchor and the link between them broke, the demon often broke right along with it.
As his anchor and his mate, Harper was indispensable to Knox in more ways than one. He needed her alive and safe. He didn’t need her being fucking shot at by a junkie. It didn’t surprise Knox that she hadn’t called out for help when the human attacked her. Harper was used to being alone and taking care of herself. He knew she was fully capable of doing so. He just didn’t want her to have to. Knox wanted to be for her what she’d never had – someone to rely on, someone to turn to, someone who would deal with her problems for her. He wanted to make up for the things she’d never had. He definitely didn’t want to find her injured and bleeding.