“I have no idea. I’m not sure a mark has ever appeared and not been used.” Kane frowned. “If you truly want to deal with the demons, you’ll want my skills. I can block and attack—which you’ll need to do.”
She was tempted and not just on an intellectual level. The man was strong, sexy, and a huge-assed challenge. Could she get inside his heart? Instinct whispered she was already there. He needed her. Heck, he needed somebody to be there for him the same way he was there for everyone else. “I want love. Enough people believe in the emotion that you have to acknowledge its possible existence.” Logic was the key with Kane.
He shrugged. “Okay.”
“What if you tried to love? An experiment, so to speak.” She kicked an invisible pebble. “Or is there another reason you don’t like me?”
“I do like you.”
“I don’t have a zillion degrees in a drawer, Kane.” Finally, she’d said it. Better to get the full truth out there right now.
He started. “So?”
“So, I mean, I’m not smart like you.” Man, did she need to draw him a map?
His eyes crinkled when he smiled. “Amber—degrees have nothing to do with intelligence. They have to do with time to study. You’re plenty smart . . . don’t worry.”
Warmth flushed through her. Kane didn’t lie—he didn’t know how. “Thanks.”
He pressed the issue. “If you mated me, you’d have plenty of time and money to get all the degrees you wanted.”
The warmth receded. “That sounds like a business arrangement.”
“Most successful marriages, even among humans, are arranged. Good, solid, business arrangements.”
Man, she had her work cut out with him. “I want to go today. The only way to see if I can help shield other people is if demons are attacking. I’m going—you know you need me so you can fight at more than fifty percent of your abilities. Jase is in Arizona. You saw the rocks.” Yeah, she knew using his brother was a low blow. But if she could shield Jase’s mind, just for a moment, wasn’t that important?
“I seriously doubt Jase is in Arizona.” Kane drew in a deep breath. “I don’t like the idea of putting you in more danger, but we do need you, and since the place doesn’t seem fully staffed, it’d be a good place for more training. Besides, you’re the only real mental defense we have.”
Encouragement flooded her. “So the logical, smart thing to do is to take the one demon destroyer you’ve ever trained with you. Like it or not.”
Frustration curled his lip.
Slowly, he seemed to distance himself from the conversation, from her.
Finally, he gave a short nod. “You’re right. You can go. Let’s go suit up.”
What the hell was he thinking? Kane settled himself more comfortably against the helicopter seat, his arm sliding around Amber’s shoulders. The woman had actually fallen asleep within an hour of being in the air. She nestled into his side like she belonged there.
Hell. Maybe she did.
Talen flanked her other side as the bird flew through the cloudy night, his face grim, his fingers tapping on his dark pants. Dage piloted the craft while Oscar rode passenger. It seemed odd not having Max next to Dage, but he was needed at headquarters.
For the second part of the plan.
The part of the plan that would have Amber hating Kane’s guts.
Dage’s gaze met his in the mirror. “We didn’t have a choice,” he said through the earpiece.
Kane didn’t answer. There was always a choice. “We’ll see.” The idea of disappointing Amber had an odd feeling lodging in his gut. He didn’t want to hurt her. Worse yet, he didn’t want to lose her. And considering part B of tonight’s plan was allowing her grandmother to make herself bait to the demons, the little pacifist was going to be pissed at him. He couldn’t blame her.
His frown made his fresh bruise ache. Speaking of which . . . vampires had fast reflexes. Not one of his brothers could’ve caught him before his face impacted the counter? Assholes. He glared at the king.
Dage turned back to piloting the quiet craft.
They rode in silence the rest of the way until the Arizona desert stretched far and wide beneath them. Kane studied a heat signature monitor in his hands—one he’d invented himself. “Four demons in building one, three in the second building, eight in the third.” Demons burned hotter than most and were easily recognizable. He sat up straighter. “Blow the buildings to hell—anybody important is underground.” He shook Amber awake. “Get ready, sweetheart—let’s test your skills.”
She blinked twice, her pretty black eyes focusing on him, her face flushed.
His heart thumped hard. “Stay behind me at all times.” Jesus. He really couldn’t lose her. What was going on with him?
She nodded, her eyes widening as she sat up.
Not by one inch did she belong in combat. He was doing a piss-poor job of protecting his mate.
Not that she’d agreed to be his mate.
He shook his head, trying to focus. Now he was thinking of her as his mate. Damn Kayrs marking.
“Amber, take turns touching the arm of any soldier around you once we’re down. Everyone pay close attention to the result,” Dage ordered. “Engage missiles.”
All three helicopters immediately fired missiles into various compounds.
The explosions spiraled heat back at them. Huge clouds of fire rolled up, debris flying every direction. The helicopters set down with a hard thump.
Kane shoved the door open and leapt out, turning to assist Amber. Heat blasted them from the fire. He instantly pivoted to shield her. “We stay here until the first floors are cleared.” She clutched the back of his shirt, pressing her face into the cotton. Her “okay” came out muffled, but he felt the word against his skin.
Dage and Talen rushed through the rubble of the largest building while other vampire soldiers infiltrated the ruins of the other buildings. Talen kept to Dage’s left, protecting the king as usual. The king swept his weapon around, making a large arc, protecting his younger brother . . . as usual.
Some things never changed.
Kane could make out the bodies of the four demons who’d been in the building. His quick nod had two of his soldiers rushing to decapitate them while they were down.
Talen gave Kane the high-sign. Good. They’d found the basement.
Kane turned and tugged down Amber’s bulletproof vest. “Shield your face as much as possible so the heat doesn’t blister your skin. Stay behind me and slightly to the left—if you start to feel demons, protect your mind instantly. I want to know before you try to attack them back.”
She nodded, her face pale, her eyes huge.
Maybe he should leave her in the helicopter with a couple of guards.
Her small hands shoved at his chest. “Get moving.”
An involuntary smile lifted his lips. Bossy little mate. With a mental shrug, he turned away and jogged toward the demolished building. Not that she was his mate. Smoke attacked his eyes and nose, burning deep. He kept to the side of the fire as much as possible, acutely aware of the woman keeping pace with him.
Her bravery made him proud. The thought made him pause. Why did her actions reflect on him? Could Talen be correct? Was he falling in love with the little vegan? An explosion outside ripped him out of his internal debate.
They darted around rubble, ducking the still falling debris. Finally they reached Talen, who pointed to a set of cement steps leading down.
He coughed out smoke. “Dage already went down. You two go next, and I’ll cover the rear.”
Kane nodded, jogging down the narrow stairs. His flashlight illuminated the steps until they ended against a wall with a tunnel veering to the right.