I stepped inside and tried to remember how to breathe.
Dominic stood in the entryway. If looks could kill, I’d have been dead before I took a step.
“How dare you!” he spat.
“Dom,” Adam interrupted. “This is between Morgan and me. Go home. I’ll call you in a little while.”
The dismissal seemed to hurt, though Dominic tried to cover up the expression immediately. He strode toward the door, shoving me out of the way with his shoulder.
Adam caught him by the arm as he reached for the door. They didn’t say anything, but something passed between them, some communication that relieved the tension in Dominic’s shoulders.
Then Dominic was gone, and I was left alone with a dangerous demon who had every reason in the world to hate my guts.
“They have Brian,” I said, reaching into my bag and pulling out the hateful videotape.
Adam raised his eyebrows, a look of mild curiosity on his face.
“My boyfriend,” I clarified, and my throat tightened up. “They’re torturing him.” My voice wobbled, but I wasn’t about to let myself cry, not now. If I let go of the tight reins on my emotions, I wasn’t sure my sanity would survive.
Adam didn’t look particularly moved by my plight. Not that I expected him to be. I forced myself to meet his eyes.
“I’d say I’m sorry, but that’s so inadequate…”
“Quite,” he agreed. His was a cold, marrow-chilling anger, not like Lugh’s hot rage of last night.
“But you’re all right?” I asked. “They didn’t…find anything?”
“No.”
Okay, we were into monosyllabic answers today. I forced myself to soldier on. “They’re going to keep torturing him, send me a new tape every day until I turn myself in.”
“Which, of course, you’re not stupid enough to do, though you’re pretty monumentally stupid.”
I couldn’t help wincing, thinking I liked the mono-syllables better. I shook my head. “I don’t know what to do. I can’t let them keep hurting him. I just can’t.”
“If the alternative is giving yourself up, then yes you can. If Lugh dies-if Dougal takes the throne-your people are doomed. Not immediately, because Lugh still has supporters who will fight for you when he’s gone. But one day, Dougal will turn you all into empty vessels, with no purpose in life but to host whatever demon wants you.
“I’m a demon-hunter because I’m one of Lugh’s lieutenants. I’m here to help send as many of Dougal’s people back to the Demon Realm as possible. I’m genuinely sorry that an innocent civilian has to suffer for the cause, but the cause is more important than any one person.”
Nothing there I could argue with, though I was tempted. However, I wasn’t about to give up on Brian.
“Then I’m just going to have to find a third choice, aren’t I?”
He just looked at me, a dead, ugly stare that told me he’d definitely made the transition from disliking me to full-out hating me. I deserved it, but that didn’t make it easy to swallow.
“I have to find him,” I said. “I have to find where they’re keeping him and get him out of there.”
“And just how do you plan to do that?”
“With your help.”
He laughed, but it was a bitter, brittle laugh. “You think I’m going to help you after what you did? Woman, you’ve gone mad! I’ll shelter Lugh and do whatever it takes to help him. You, on the other hand, can go to Hell.”
He grabbed my arm and started dragging me toward the stairway.
“I promise I’ll stop by every couple of days to feed you,” he said as I stumbled along behind him. “ Lugh won’t let you starve to death, but I doubt he’ll be able to do much about your discomfort. Such a shame.”
“Adam, please-”
“Shut the fuck up, Morgan.” We’d reached the stairs. He took them two at a time. I was practically airborne in my attempt to keep up.
“Brian doesn’t deserve to suffer for my sins!” I cried.
Adam didn’t answer me-why should he care what happened to a complete stranger when his king’s life was at stake? Certainly he didn’t care about the pain Brian’s capture was causing me. We’d reached the top of the stairs. The door to the black room stood gaping open like the mouth of Hell. My stomach did a back-flip. Adam wouldn’t help me out of the goodness of his heart, but I knew with a sickening certainty what might tempt him to change his mind.
“What if I gave you my consent?” I choked out as he dragged me past the black room.
He came to an abrupt stop, turning to face me. “What?”
“You said once you wanted to hurt me, and you said you needed consent.” My voice shook, and I doubted there was a drop of blood left in my face. I had to focus on saving Brian. I couldn’t let myself think about what I was offering. “So what if I consent? Will you help me find Brian?”
Adam’s gaze filled with speculation, even as he played hard to get. “You think your noble sacrifice will move me? If I felt so inclined, I could play with you to my heart’s content and there wouldn’t be anything you could do to stop me.”
Despite the dread that suffused me, I forced myself to meet his eyes. “But that wouldn’t be the same, would it?”
His eyes darkened noticeably, and my instincts insisted I should run for my life. Maybe I would have if he hadn’t still been holding my arm. A fine sheen of sweat glowed on his upper lip, and I knew I had him. He wanted what I was offering. And I think he would have wanted it even if he didn’t have so much anger to work off. How often had he and Dominic indulged in their sick “games” when Dominic’s demon could heal him? And how badly did Adam miss what they used to have? I was betting it was pretty damn bad, judging by the expression on his face.
“You’re right,” he finally said. “It wouldn’t be the same.”
His gaze shifted to the black room, then back to me. He smiled, but it was a predatory expression. “Lady, you’ve got yourself a deal.”
Oh dear God, help me! I prayed as, heart thundering, breath coming in gasps, I let him lead me into his chamber of horrors.
CHAPTER 20
Adam pulled me into the black room, then left me there with a terse “wait here.”
He closed the door behind him, leaving me surrounded by the blackness. I shivered and crossed my arms over my chest, wondering how on earth I’d come to this. My mouth was parchment-dry, my heart thundered in my ears. I felt small, and weak, and terribly, terribly alone.
I’d never been so afraid in all my life.
After what felt like an eternity, Adam returned, carrying a large box. I didn’t want to know what was inside. There was a flush to his cheeks. Anticipation radiated from him. I wracked my brain for any other way I could gain his cooperation. None leapt to mind.
Adam set the box, unopened, on the floor, then turned to me. I must have looked really pathetic. He blinked a couple of times, visibly trying to control his excitement.
“You’re not in danger here, Morgan,” he reminded me. “This is going to suck, but there’s nothing I can do that Lugh can’t heal.”
I guess he meant that to be reassuring, but I don’t think anything short of an unequivocal reprieve would have reassured me at that moment.
“You’ll need to take off your shirt and bra,” he continued as he approached me.
I crossed my arms over my chest and swallowed hard, stepping back from him.
He stopped and raised his eyebrows. “Come now, love. You know I need bare skin for this.”
But I just hugged myself more tightly, unable to bear the idea of being even partially nude in front of him. He cocked his head and regarded me curiously.
“I told you before I’m not into rape,” he said. “If that’s what you’re worrying about. I’m sure your breasts are stunning, but I assure you I can resist the temptation.”
Honestly, I didn’t think my virtue was in danger. It was certainly possible that Adam liked women as much as men, but I strongly suspected he was faithful to Dominic. Don’t ask me why I was so sure, but I was.