His cock flexed in agreement and he willed the unruly part of him to behave. She was right about one thing. They should have already left this place. It was dangerous for them to be here. By having sex with her to sate his physical needs, he’d put her in peril. It had been selfish of him, but he didn’t know if he could have done things any differently. The need to claim her had overridden all fear.
“Give me your key.” He held out his hand in expectation, but he should have known it wouldn’t be quite that easy.
“Why?” She held the small white card closer to her chest.
He sighed in mounting frustration. The next twenty-two hours or so were going to be extremely long if she fought him on everything. Still, he liked her independence and her spunk. He just hoped they didn’t get her killed.
“I don’t want you exposed to danger. You’ll wait in the elevator with the door open until I come back for you.”
She swallowed hard, her slender throat rippling. He wanted to stoke his lips over her pounding pulse, to soothe her fears, but knew he couldn’t. The threat was real. The faster she accepted that fact the better it would be for both of them.
She reluctantly handed him the plastic rectangle that opened the door to her room. The bell chimed and the doors silently slid open. Leander placed himself in front of her as the doors parted. Every muscle in his body tensed, and within him the lion paced and growled.
He took a deep breath while his gaze tracked all around the large area. He didn’t smell or see any demons. The coast was clear.
The lobby was fairly open with the elevators tucked into a dead-end nook. “Keep the doors open and watch for my signal.”
Araminta nodded and pressed one of the buttons on the brass elevator panel marked Door Open. Satisfied she was as safe as he could make her for now, Leander stalked toward the desk.
A single male sat tapping away on a long plastic board with keys. A computer, he reminded himself, his brain automatically conjuring up an image from memory. The man looked up as Leander approached. The man’s eyes widened and he swallowed hard, but he offered a tentative smile. “Good evening, sir. Can I help you?”
“We’re leaving early.” He tossed the keycard on the counter and turned away, his duty done. His senses were wide open, scanning for potential danger. There was only the human male here at the moment, but that could change at any time.
“Wait, sir. There’s paperwork to be signed.”
Leander whirled around and glared at the man. “Deal with it.”
He heard footsteps behind him and cursed under his breath. He should have known she wouldn’t stay where he’d put her. He caught Araminta’s arm and kept her next to him.
She smiled at the desk clerk. “I’m Araminta Davidson. The room has already been paid for. I have to go home early. A family emergency.”
The clerk’s gaze went from Leander’s hand where it was wrapped around her arm and back to Araminta. He reached for the phone. “Are you all right? Is there anything I can do for you?”
It didn’t take a lot of brains to know what the clerk was thinking. He thought Leander was coercing Araminta into leaving.
“Everything is just fine.” She patted Leander’s naked chest where the vest parted. “I’m giving him a ride home. It’s on my way.” She pushed her suitcase toward him. “Be a dear and carry this for me, will you?”
Leander wanted to keep his hands free for fighting but had little choice but to grab the handle and follow Araminta as she strode toward the front entrance of the hotel. He admired the sway of her curvy hips and the way the soft material of her jeans cupped her sweet ass.
He growled when she started to step outside and managed to shove her to one side and put himself in front of her. Streetlights lit the area. The coast was clear, the streets fairly empty. Only the occasional car passed by and several taxicabs were parked farther down the street.
It was quite a rush for him to be outside in the modern world, trying to match his knowledge to actual objects. The sounds of vehicles were continuous and the lights and colors brilliant. He took a deep breath, but his nose immediately wrinkled in disgust as it was assailed by the foul odors of gasoline and garbage. Still, he enjoyed the cool air brushing against his face and caressing his body. But there was no time for him to soak any of it in. He had to protect Araminta.
“My car is in the parking garage next door.” She waited patiently beside him, not trying to get past him. She rested her hand on his arm and gave it a squeeze. “I know this must be very overwhelming for you. You’ve been in captivity for so long.”
His lion roared within him. Did she think less of him for his captivity? He didn’t want her to see him as weak in any way. “I am fine. I am not without knowledge of your world.” He thrust her suitcase toward her. “You must take this. I need my hands free to fight.”
She wasn’t quite fast enough to hide the flash of hurt in her eyes. “Of course.” He wanted to curse and roar but did neither. She grabbed the handle and started to roll the suitcase behind her. “It’s this way.”
He stayed by her side as they hurried down the sidewalk and into the dark parking garage. The security lights were dim, but he didn’t need them in order to see perfectly. Cars were parked in long rows. There were plenty of concrete pillars and steel posts where anyone could conceal themselves while they waited to attack. Leander didn’t like this. Not one bit.
When he caught a faint whiff of sulfur and death, he thrust her behind him. “They’re here.”
The light in the distance was growing brighter and the voices louder and more distinct. Even though she knew it was safer not to draw any attention to herself, the Lady drew on some of her power to bolster her flagging strength.
Mordecai had been the first of the warriors released, but that had been decades ago. She’d been wandering this realm lost and alone ever since, searching for a way out. It made her legs weak to think she could actually be close to escape. But she didn’t allow herself to think beyond putting one foot in front of the other.
Energy hummed through her limbs and she all but threw herself to the top of the cliff she’d been climbing for what felt like weeks. She landed with a heavy thud on the hard ground but pulled herself to her knees. She had to be nearing the edge of Hell.
The perimeter between Hades’ realm and the Earth was like a solid steel wall, completely impenetrable. But there were a few places where there was a break, a crack, a small passageway between worlds. Most demons would never think to leave Hell, knowing Hades would discover their actions and punish them severely. Nobody left Hell without Hades’ permission.
And on the other side of the barrier, most humans would naturally shy away from the negative energy pulsing outward from such passageways. She didn’t know how safe it was to try to escape through one, didn’t know if Hades would send an avalanche of rock down to block her way at any moment, but she had to try.
Up ahead, the Lady could see light. She pushed to her feet and hurried toward the opening, running as fast as she could, her burst of energy flagging. She was weak but determined. She would escape Hell or she would die trying. The resulting blast of energy from her death would bring the other gods and goddesses of Hades’ pantheon running to see what was going on. One way or another, Hades would not succeed in his nefarious plan to take over the Earth and enslave humans.
She prayed this was not another deception by the dark god, a trap of some sort to break her spirit. The Lady didn’t know how much more she could take before despair swallowed her whole. The warriors had had one another to gain strength and comfort from these long years. She’d been totally alone.