Where Darkness Lives Read online

  She shivered, telling herself it was outrage at being manhandled and not white-hot excitement at the brush of his warm breath over skin or the feel of his body pressed so intimately against her.

  “I’ll let you two play.” Troy chuckled, wiggling his fingers as he moved past them. “Ciao.”

  “Troy,” she snapped in disbelief. Surely the imp didn’t intend to leave her alone with this . . . psychopath?

  Evidently he did.

  “Don’t worry, I’ll send you my bill,” he assured her, sashaying out the door.

  “Idiot,” she muttered, her wolf prowling restlessly just below the surface. It wasn’t angry, it was . . . on edge. As if it sensed something momentous was about to happen. Which was as disturbing as the ease with which he’d captured her.

  “Can we talk now?” he asked softly.

  “Not until you let go of me.”

  “If you insist,” he taunted, his lips brushing against the pounding pulse at the base of her throat before he slowly released his grip.

  Holding her head high, Sophia refused to glance in his direction, instead heading across the crimson carpet.

  “We’ll finish this in the privacy of my office.”

  She sensed him fall into step behind her. “You’re the boss.”

  “Actually, that has yet to be decided.”

  * * *

  Despite his bulging muscles and impressive fighting skills, Luc wasn’t stupid. Hell, until this moment he’d always prided himself on being the most intelligent Were in the room.

  Now he had to wonder if he’d left his brain back in Miami.

  Not that it was entirely his fault, he swiftly assured himself, his gaze trained on the finest ass he’d ever set eyes on as it swayed across the room. A man would have to be a saint to think clearly when face-to-face with Sophia.

  Even warned of her lethal beauty, he’d been stunned by his first glance at the delicate features that looked as if she was barely out of her adolescent years and her slender body that was shown to advantage in her leather pants and tiny halter top.

  He’d expected a hard, jaded female who would turn him off with her bloated conceit. Not an exquisite woman who attempted to hide her vulnerability behind a brittle shell. Or one whose emerald eyes held a haunted fear.

  The man in him wanted to haul her into the nearest bed and teach her the true meaning of howling at the moon. The wolf in him wanted to toss her over his shoulder and take her to the safety of his lair.

  It was his wolf’s reaction that was most troubling.

  Lust he could handle.

  But possession?

  It was addling his wits and jeopardizing his mission.

  Grimly he shoved aside the disquieting thought.

  He was here with a purpose. It was time to get on with it.

  Following her into the private office, he reached to pull out the folded sheets of paper he’d tucked into his back pocket. His first order of business was making sure he was hired as Sophia’s bodyguard.

  Of course, he wouldn’t say no to an invitation for a more . . . intimate arrangement, a voice whispered in the back of his mind.

  It would certainly make it easier to keep an eye on her.

  His eye and so much more . . .

  His cock hardened and with a muttered curse he turned his attention to his surroundings. Anything to keep himself from pouncing on Sophia and spreading her across the wide walnut desk.

  The room was spacious with wooden shelves along one wall that held a stunning collection of priceless Fabergé eggs. Across the room a marble fireplace was framed by two cream leather wing chairs that matched the low sofa beneath the window. The floor was covered by a Persian carpet. And the drapes were a soft peach velvet.

  He wasn’t surprised by the muted elegance of the room.

  Although Sophia was currently dressed like a biker chick, she possessed an air of sophistication that was as much a part of her as the smoldering sexuality.

  A lethal combination.

  Directly on her tail, Luc smiled wryly as she hastily moved to put the desk between them, turning to send him a glare of frustration.

  He wasn’t the only one battling an unwelcome attraction.

  Idiotically pleased by her reaction, he tossed the papers on the desk.

  “Here.”

  With a frown she leaned forward, studying the papers without actually touching them. Did she fear they might bite?

  “What’s this?”

  “My references.”

  She skimmed the top page, her head abruptly lifting. “Miami?”

  “Fun in the sun,” he murmured. “You should give it a try.”

  “I’ve been to Miami.”

  “Not recently,” he said with absolute confidence, his gaze gliding over her milky white skin. Would it taste like cream? “I would have known if you were in my city.”

  “Your city?”

  “Mine.”

  She studied him with a blatant suspicion. “If you’re such a big shot in Miami, why would you want to travel to Chicago to become a hired thug?”

  He shrugged. “It suits me to be out of Florida for a few weeks.”

  The emerald eyes hardened. “Female trouble?”

  “Does it matter?” he demanded. “The imp put out the word that he was willing to pay top dollar for a seasoned bodyguard. I’m the best there is. End of story.”

  “No, it’s not the end.” She tossed his glowing references in the trash. No doubt where they belonged. He’d forged them on his way to Chicago. “I’m a long way from hiring you.”

  He moved to perch on the corner of the desk, folding his arms over his chest.

  “What’s the problem?”

  “You aren’t what I need.”

  A small smile curved his lips. She sounded . . . petulant. “Do you even know what you need, Sophia?”

  Her jaw tightened. “I know what I don’t need. A conceited ass who pisses me off.”

  He battled back his wolf. Now wasn’t the time to prove he was a dominant male who was worthy of her respect.

  He needed Sophia to believe that she was in charge.

  “The imp wouldn’t have chosen me if I wasn’t the best at what I do, would he?”

  Her lips thinned. “There’s more to being a bodyguard than just muscle and fighting skills. I need someone who can blend into the background.”

  “I can blend.”

  “Is that a joke?” She threw her hands in the air. “You look like you should be invading a small country.”

  He glanced down at his black T-shirt and pants. He’d deliberately left his Glock and two Uzis in the car. Of course, he had his handy-dandy S & W tucked in a holster at the small of his back.

  “What exactly does that mean?”

  “It means that you’re not right for the job.” With a lift of her chin, she rounded the desk and headed for the door. “Sorry.”

  With a speed that was shocking even for a pure-blooded Were, Luc reached out to snag her arm, twirling her around so she was standing between his spread legs.

  They were nose to nose, electricity crackling in the air between them.

  A heady combination of aggression and pure sex.

  “You know what I think?” His voice was husky.

  She could have broken his grip. He might be physically stronger, but she wasn’t helpless. Everyone knew there was nothing more dangerous than a pissed-off female Were.

  Instead she met him glare for glare.

  “I don’t care.”

  “I think you’re scared.”

  She stiffened, her eyes glowing with emerald fire.

  “Let. Go.”

  “You’re scared because you want me.”

  She wanted to deny the truth of his words. He could read it on her exquisite face. But she wasn’t stupid. Even if he couldn’t feel her telltale shivers at his touch, or see the way her eyes dilated when they slid down his body, he could scent her arousal.

  “I’ve wanted—and had—countless
men over the years,” she informed him. “Big deal.”

  He growled, his wolf not pleased at the thought of her with another lover.

  “You’ve never had a man like me—” he started to assure her, abruptly freezing as he caught the flicker of light out of the corner of his eye. A scope reflecting in the sunlight. “Mierda.”

  Acting on pure reflex, Luc shoved Sophia to the ground and landed on top of her, covering her with his larger body.

  She cursed, but before she could try to throw him off, the sound of a gunshot echoed through the room, followed by an explosion of splintering glass.

  Luc remained motionless, waiting for another shot. When nothing happened, he at last pulled back to run a searching gaze over Sophia’s pale face.

  “Are you hurt?” he growled.

  She gave a shake of her head. “No.”

  “Good.” With one fluid motion he was on his feet and sprinting to leap through the broken window. “Stay here.”

  CHAPTER 2

  Stay here.

  The damned Were was delusional if he thought he could order her around like a pet dog, Sophia told herself, swiftly rising to her feet and following him through the shattered window.

  Okay, he’d saved her life. And while it annoyed the hell out of her that she’d needed his protection, she was willing to offer her gratitude.

  But that didn’t mean he was going to go around snapping out commands and expecting her to obey.

  Some bastard had just tried to kill her and she was going to find who the hell it was.

  Then she was going to rip out their heart and feed it to the vultures.

  Or at least that was the plan.

  Managing to get through the window without slicing open a major artery, Sophia paused as she realized that Luc had already crossed the street and entered the three-storied brick office building.

  Holy shit, he was fast.

  And wicked strong.

  And so gloriously, spectacularly male that he made her ache in all the right places.

  Which, of course, was why she was so twitchy when he was near. And why she was so reluctant to hire him as her bodyguard.

  Even if she would rather bite off her tongue than admit it.

  Realizing that the gunshot had already attracted unwelcome attention, Sophia forced herself to walk at a steady pace across the street and into the building where the shooter must have taken aim at her. Humans were always so easily spooked. A few gunshots, even when they weren’t the target, and they were ready to panic.

  It made her long to shift and really give them something to fear.

  Muttering beneath her breath at the realization that her attacker could be halfway to St. Louis by now, she pulled open the glass door and entered the empty lobby.

  Cautiously she sniffed the air, catching Luc’s enticing scent that blended with the humans that filled the building. But there was no hint of another demon in the area.

  Could it have been a mortal who had taken a shot at her?

  Puzzled, Sophia ignored the bank of elevators and pulled open the door to the stairwell. She hesitated only long enough to make certain nothing was lurking in the shadows before moving up the metal steps tucked against the wall.

  She had only a second of warning before Luc was vaulting from the top floor to land directly before her.

  Show-off, she silently muttered, even as her blood stirred at the grace of his movements and the power of his male body.

  Then, reluctantly lifting her gaze from the impressive width of his shoulders, she met his burning black glare.

  “What part of ‘stay here’ don’t you understand?” he snapped, his voice pitched to ensure it wouldn’t echo.

  She slapped her hands onto her hips. “I’m the boss here and I don’t take orders from you.” Her expression hardened. “Or anyone.”

  “Surprise me,” he muttered.

  “What?”

  “It’s my job to protect you,” he growled, stepping so close that his heat seared over her skin. “And if that means giving you orders then you’ll obey them. Got it?”

  “Why you . . .”

  Brushing past him, she headed up the stairs. She bypassed the second floor, knowing from the angle of the bullet currently lodged in her desk that it must have been fired from the third floor. Personally she preferred her kills to be up close and personal, but she was a trained marksman.

  Continuing upward, she sensed Luc directly behind her.

  Hell, she more than sensed him. The pinpricks of his anger were biting into her skin, warning that his wolf was prowling close to the surface.

  A powerful wolf, she inanely acknowledged.

  One that was more than a match for her own.

  Trying to shake off her distraction at his proximity, Sophia halted on the top floor landing. Before she could reach for the doorknob, however, there was a faint squeak on a stair below them.

  The sound had barely reached her ears when Luc had her shoved up against the wall, caging her with his larger body. At the same time there was the deafening crack of a gunshot followed by a nerve-shredding screech as a bullet pierced the thin sheet of metal exactly where they’d been standing less than a second before.

  “Por Dios.” Pushing back, Luc ran a searching gaze over her tense form. Once assured she was injury-free, he moved to glance over the railing. “Stay here.” He turned his head back to glare at her with eyes that were more wolf than human. “This time you’ll do as I say or I’ll handcuff you to the door. Got it?”

  Without bothering to wait for her response, the idiot was leaping down the stairs, pursuing their trigger-happy attacker with a reckless disregard for sanity, self-preservation, and the basic laws of gravity.

  Not that she should bother being worried.

  Luc was obviously a trained thug who probably spent a large portion of his day chasing after crazies. If he wanted to take a bullet or two to prove he was a big, strong Were, then let him.

  Except he had saved her life, a tiny voice whispered in the back of her mind.

  Twice.

  She at least owed him a thank-you before he got himself offed, didn’t she?

  That was the only reason she was pacing the cramped landing instead of returning to her club and getting on with her day.

  “Pain in the ass,” she muttered beneath her breath, her head snapping around as Luc jogged easily up the stairs.

  “Were you saying something?” he asked, a faint smile toying at the edges of his mouth.

  She ran a swift gaze over his magnificent body, refusing to allow herself to linger on the rippling muscles and the broad shoulders that were displayed to perfection by the tight T-shirt.

  He was unharmed.

  That was all that mattered.

  “Did you find the shooter?”

  “Nothing.” His jaw clenched with frustration. “Whoever it was managed to enter and leave the building without leaving a trace.”

  “A witch?”

  “Impossible to say without further information.” He shrugged. “I’ll do a more thorough search when the building closes for the night.”

  She cleared her throat. “I haven’t thanked you.”

  Expecting him to gloat, Sophia was caught off guard when he abruptly stepped forward, grasping her upper arms as he regarded her with a fierce glare.

  “I don’t want you to thank me, Sophia. I want you to let me do my job.”

  She shivered as the heat of his hands seared against her bare skin, her wolf growling in low approval.

  Traitor.

  “I haven’t given you the job.”

  His eyes narrowed. “I’ve heard any number of rumors about you, but none of them mentioned that you were stupid.”

  She stiffened. Until this moment she’d never given a damn what people said about her.

  Who cared if she was known as an immoral, heartless slut?

  Now she scowled at the thought he might be judging her without ever knowing the truth.

  “What ru
mors?” she growled.

  “That you’re the Queen of Bitches.”

  “True.” No point in trying to deny that. Not that she wanted to. “What else?”

  The dark gaze skimmed over her face. “That you’re exquisite.”

  “Also true.”

  “That you were blessed with four pure-blooded daughters. An amazing gift to our people.”

  She lowered her gaze. Although the word of Cassie’s talent of prophecy, as well as her recent disappearance, weren’t state secrets, they hadn’t yet become common knowledge.

  The fewer people who knew, the better.

  “Yes.”

  “And that you’re a survivor,” he continued, ignoring her sudden wariness. “Which was why you were smart enough to seek help when you needed it.”

  She lifted her head with a wry smile. “Slick.”

  “Skilled,” he corrected, frustration still simmering in his magnificent eyes. “And unfortunately late to the party. Take me back to the beginning.” His brows drew together as she hesitated. “Sophia?”

  She ground her teeth. Dammit. He was a wolf on the hunt.

  He wasn’t going to let this go.

  “I’m not really sure,” she muttered.

  “Something spooked you or you wouldn’t have felt the need for a bodyguard.”

  “It’s all been so . . . childish.”

  His hands loosened their grip so he could run his fingers lightly up and down her arm, sending a series of pleasurable quakes through her body.

  “Childish?”

  She struggled to keep her mind on track. Not easy when her thoughts were being consumed with how quickly she could have him stripped of his clothes and pressed against the wall.

  The things she could do to that fantastic body.

  Mmmm.

  His eyes dilated as the spice of her arousal filled the air, his body tensing with an answering hunger. With a low curse, she wrenched her mind back to the conversation.

  Where were they?

  Oh yeah, her murderous stalker.

  She shrugged. “It started with spiteful notes left on my door.”

  “What did they say?”

  “The usual. ‘I hate you.’ ‘Go away, bitch.’ ‘Whore.’ ” Her lips curled in disgust. “Something a juvenile human would do.”