Vienna, Austria, October 2014.
“THAT’S IT. Now you know everything that happened before we met. After he scattered me, I ended up in that godforsaken alternate universe with nothing but myself for company until you got blown up by Mica and ended up there too. I’ve never really thanked her for vaporizing you.”
Aisling’s eyes were dry with the telling. There wasn’t any point in crying now. It had been almost a century ago. She’d had more than enough time to come to grips with her sins and punishment. Cain didn’t have the power to get under her skin anymore, but he did terrify her. She knew better than to believe he wouldn’t hurt her. He would, and she’d end up begging for more. That’s what really scared her. She would lose control if he took her will. And she had no doubt that he’d take it if it served his purposes.
“Astral Plane 130 . . .” He muttered so softly the words barely registered. Sean’s eyes were guarded. It had been a dark time for him too. He’d suffered horribly. Like her, he didn’t talk about their time in that place. His mouth opened and closed twice before he crushed her to him with barely controlled violence. He fairly vibrated with rage, but he enfolded her in his arms, gathering her hair in his hands, his lips pressed to the top of her head. They sat like that until the church bells announced it was noon.
She ventured a light kiss on his throat, and murmured, “Say something. Please.”
Drawing back, he traced the shape of her mouth until it curled into a smile. He broke into a sexy grin. “The first thing we’re doing is calling Raphael to look at this mark. He can get rid of it if it’s still functioning. I’m not sure it is after you were scattered. Either way, you’ll rest easier if you know you’re not wearing his GPS.”
“Do you think Raphael knows what happened to me? There are a few details I’ve always wondered about. Do you think he’d tell me?”
He laughed with more cynicism than humor. “Oh, yeah, the crafty bastard knows everything about everything. If I didn’t know better, I’d swear he was God. I’m sure he’d be willing to answer your questions. He likes you.”
“I’m glad one of them does.”
“Right. After we kick Raphael out, I’m going to rip Gabriel’s fucking wings from his puny archangel body. Then we’re getting you a protective tat to keep sex-starved demons from getting into your pants. Today.”
Suddenly the future didn’t look as lonely. She leaned in to kiss him, but hesitated. Maybe it was still lonely. He was talking about protecting her, not loving her.
“What?” He lost his grin, but kept his hand on her leg, connecting them. “You’re in your head again.”
“After all I’ve told you . . . the way I acted with him . . . the awful way I’ve treated you . . . Can you ever look at me with anything close to love in your eyes? Do you think you can touch me knowing I . . .”
“. . . Screwed my enemy in shocking and scandalous ways? Well, if you put it that way . . .” Dipping his head, he nipped her lower lip, drawing her into a slow, sweet kiss that brought tears to her eyes. Pulling back, he said, “It was a century ago, babe. I’m over it. As to ever loving you, well, I’m not great at love as a rule. Women I love either die or leave me for my friends—or both. I guess since you’re immortal and my two best friends are taken, there’s hope for us.”
She sniffed and caught the tear that wanted to sneak out. Could it be possible? Was there a chance they could really be together? A couple? A family?
“Ah, hell, Ais. Don’t cry on me now.” He gathered her into his arms and reclined against the mountain of pillows. “You used to be so hard. Now you’re all wet and weepy. I think I liked the bitchy you better.”
Raphael poured himself another cup of Earl Grey and sipped carefully while Sean and Aisling filled him in on the latest exploits of their least favorite demon. Irku was as much of a pain in the arse as he’d been since God created the angels. Perhaps he should have a brother to brother chat with Lucifer. He could strap a leash on his buddy. Lucifer listened to Raphael when it suited him. Just because they were on opposite sides didn’t keep them from being civilized. Keeping cool heads and open communication ensured a much more palatable peace for all of them.
The two Primani kept him riveted. They had absolutely no idea they were throwing off so many pheromones he was getting a headache. They weren’t there yet, but the feelings between them were deepening into something fascinating. When Sean got to the demon’s mark, Raphael stood. Time for him to earn his keep.
“I’d like to look at your neck. Would you mind pulling your hair up and lying on the sofa?”
Smiling with grateful relief, she said, “Whatever you need to get this thing off of me. I’m on pins and needles that he’s going to walk in any second. This is too good to be true.”
“Let’s see what we’ve got here.” He inspected the area where the mark was supposed to be. He didn’t see anything alarming. He placed his palm over her skin and let his sight look more deeply. There. Just the faintest tingle of warning. “Very clever, my demon friend. Clever, but not foolproof.”
Sean peered over his hand, squinting at Aisling’s neck. “Well? You feel it, don’t you?”
Nodding soberly, he said, “It’s cleverly disguised, but I can make quick work of stripping its power.” Firmly cupping her nape, he ordered, “Hold still, please.”
It took but a split second to destroy Irku’s claim. “Done. You can sit up now.”
She graced him with a smile of relief that warmed his heart. This poor woman had been through so much due to the meddling of archangels. He was happy to give her some comfort.
“Thank you so much, Raphael. I am blessed to have your attention.” She reached towards him as though she might hug him. Uncertain, she glanced in Sean’s direction, lifting her brows in question. Ah. So it’s like that now? Resisting the urge to say I told you so, he breached the space and hugged her lightly. She squeezed him as though he’d blow away before dropping her arms and flushing prettily.
“Sorry. I know you’re not much of a hugger. I couldn’t help it.”
Sean barked a laugh. “How does it feel, Ais? Do you feel free now?”
Raphael shot him an amused glance, and scolded, “You know that’s not what I meant. Must you be so difficult?”
Aisling said, “Hmm. Free? I don’t know yet. I’m still worried he’ll show up when we aren’t expecting him. It’ll take a while to feel free. Maybe we’ll find this Spear of Destiny and banish him once and for all.”
“Yes, I think that’s exactly what you two need to focus on. No need to rush though. I’m enjoying my time with Sean Michael. He’s got potential we’ve only just begun to discover. Oh, and he taught me to play Call of Duty this week. I believe he’s beaten me each time we’ve played. So you see there’s no reason to worry about him. You two focus on this demon extermination and each other.”
Aisling blushed. Sean snorted and rolled his eyes.
Raphael kissed the back of her wrist, saying, “You heard me correctly, Aisling. It is my wish to bring you happiness after all of the pain you’ve endured. If this idiot brings that glow to your cheeks, then grab him with both hands and don’t let go. True love is a rare, rare state of being. So I’m told.”
He winked at Sean and dematerialized.
“Okaaaay. No pressure.” She couldn’t look at Sean without turning red again. True love? Geesh.
“Don’t let him get to you. He always talks like that. You should know that by now. He’s going for that proper British scholar sound without the boring English schooling.”
Nice way to ignore the giant elephant in the room.
“Sooooo, why don’t we go do some sightseeing? I can’t think of anything good that’ll happen if we stay cooped up in this room all day.”
He swatted her butt on his way by. “Now that sounds like a challenge. I’m sure I could come up with something to keep you entertained.”
“Mmm-hmm . . . Let’s go get me all tatted up. We can celebrate with dinner out and a walk along the Danube River. It’s supposed to be our second honeymoon, after all.”
Two hours later, she bounced to a blinding mirror that some stoned person had bedazzled with a gajillion crystals. Resisting the urge to pop on her shades, she squinted into the glass while Sean lifted her hair away from the fresh ink. Her shiny new tat was directly on top of the spot where Irku had marked her. Maybe it wasn’t necessary, but she wasn’t risking it. Better safe than sorry. The flowing black rune was elegantly drawn with an iridescent all-seeing eye in the center. The light-reflecting ink was only available in a very few special places; the magic needed to bind the protection was only available in one special place: The White Witch in Dublin. The name was designed to draw the locals and tourists to a funky crystal-laden store with a tattoo artist in the back. The owner was a working angel who catered to the needs of the rare supernatural being who wanted custom ink.
“Well, miss. How do you like it?” The artist waited confidently behind her. She was a busty female with a lustrous coil of deep chocolate hair piled atop her head. A delicately inked green vine flowed along her hairline from temple to jaw. Tiny star-shaped purple flowers dotted the vine. A tiny golden halo circled the far end of her right eyebrow like a permanent piercing. The effect was gorgeous. The angel was quite pretty too.
Giving the rune another fond glance, she replied with a beaming smile, “It’s perfect, Christine. I’m thrilled you were available today. This is exactly what I was looking for. I feel much safer already.”
Smiling warmly, Christine replied, “Well, you can never be too safe. Bloody demons are a plague these days.”
Sean passed a neat stack of bills across the glass counter as Aisling adjusted her sweater and pulled on her jacket. “Thanks, darlin’. Give my best to your old man.”
“You got it, love. Be safe.”
As they waved goodbye and headed into the blustery day, Sean took her hand. “Are you ready to get back? I’m starving, and there’s an awesome little bar that has the best schnitzel on the planet. Beer’s good there too. Are you in?”
“Sure. Why not?” She barely had a chance to catch her breath when he whipped her around the corner and dematerialized.
In an instant, they rematerialized in a narrow doorway on the side of the Parliament building on the Ringstrasse in Vienna. The elegant avenue was one of Sean’s favorite European choices for mindless wandering. Classic, quiet, tidy. It was Old World. The vibe was relaxing—there was none of the frenetic energy of New York or Rio. He liked the calm. Food was awesome too.
“I love this city. Have you been here since you came back?” Sean strode purposefully into the shadows, leading Aisling around to the front of the stately landmark. The Neoclassical buildings stood watch over the city’s populace with an air of reserved class. He liked to think of them as doting old grandparents.
“I used to love this city. I haven’t been here since 1922.” She sighed a little wistfully, and gazed around at the modern cars and people using cell phones. “It was different then.” Linking their fingers, she tugged. “Let’s walk to Peterskirche. It’s my favorite building. The place is a fantasy inside. I’d love to wander through it for a while.”
He shrugged. “Why not? We’ve got nothing but time today.”
Peterskirche, or Saint Peter’s Church, was a Baroque nightmare built for Roman Catholics in 1733. Like an overdressed matriarch, it held court at the end of the street. Crowded on all sides by other buildings, it was a holdout to a much earlier age—one he didn’t mind being over. There were a ton of cool and surprisingly thought-provoking structures in Vienna. This wasn’t one of them. The turreted dome was about the only thing he could stomach. The interior reminded him of the inside of some spoiled princess’s jewelry box after a temper tantrum. Gold shit flung everywhere.
She halted the second they entered the nave, her mouth hanging open in an O.
“You like?”
Nodding vaguely, she dismissed him with a little wave and drifted away. Guess she does. The rapt expression on her usually reserved face was something special to see. He hung back along the wall, content to admire her as she wandered deeper into the gilt and color. Dressed in slim black jeans and a loose silvery sweater, she was a wee glimpse of sanity in the chaos of Baroque excess. She’d twisted her hair into a sloppy knot that stayed out of her eyes, but made him itch to slowly pull out the chopsticks that kept it in place. He’d let the waves settle through his fingers before lifting them off her nape so he could press his lips right above her new ink. He closed his eyes and brought the image to 3D. Mmm . . .
A tingle of warning buzzed through his mind, just as he was dreaming of peeling that sweater over her head. Without moving, he cracked his eyes to scan the church, starting with Aisling. She knelt in prayer in front of the altar, her head bowed, back straight. To her right, a wrinkled old woman in a heavy wool coat and oversized hat crossed herself and stared blindly at Saint Peter. Turning to look behind him, he caught the faint shimmer of air moving against the side of the building across the street. Sharper focus brought the vision into an outline of trouble. Aisling was still hovering in a gilt-induced trance so he slipped from the doorway to check it out.
She’d missed this place. So many years ago, she’d hung about the periphery as the workmen raised the scaffolding to put the walls up. Late at night, she’d slipped into the empty chambers before they were decorated or blessed. Watching day after day as the paintings came to life, she fell in love. So much beauty! It was very different from any part of her life. The gilt and the statues and the brilliant hues called to her as old friends. She felt a sense of peace that she rarely found anywhere else.
Aisling knew the moment Sean left. His heady energy had pulled at her as she strolled through the gorgeous church. When she’d knelt to pray, she could almost feel his protective hand on her shoulder. The second he slipped through the doorway, that energy retracted like a tape measure. She felt a little naked with him gone. Closing her eyes, she breathed deeply, taking in the furniture polish, the candle wax, the holy water. The peaceful hush was ruined by the honking horns of cranky drivers. All right then. That’s her quota for the decade. Time to go.
Taking a last good look around, she headed for the exit.
She made it as far as the door before it slammed in her face, knocking her off her rhythm from the force. Staggering back, she yelped when someone latched onto her elbow to jerk her off to the side.
“Don’t scream! I’m not going to hurt you.”
Reacting automatically, she twisted his arm behind him until he cried out and dropped to his knees.
The man was middle-aged, balding, paunchy, and leaned toward vertically challenged. What hair he still had was thin and pale and hanging into his eyes as he gasped in pain at her feet. Nudging him with the toe of her boot, she demanded, “What do you want?”
“Would you let me up, please? We’re supposed to keep a low profile. This is going to attract attention.”
Good point. She shot her eyes around the room. The little old lady was nowhere to be seen. They were alone. She didn’t have any weapons. Wasn’t that just peachy?
Where are you, Sean?
Sean ghosted after his prey. Maneuvering through pedestrians, he had one thought in mind—Kill the demon. Now!
Easier said than done. The trail went cold when he rounded the corner. Where did he go? Standing perfectly still, he scanned 360 degrees. Nothing. What the fuck?
Where are you, Sean?
“What are you—” he started to ask only to find himself alone. Okaaaay . . .
The short, stumpy loser groaned as he lurched to his feet. Giving her an injured look, he smoothed his flyaway hair against his sweaty skull. “Look. Your partner will be back in a minute. He’s not stupid enough to be distracted for long. I have information for you.”
Sidling towards the door, she kept her eye on his hands in case he decided to get cute. Even without weapons, she could kick his ass and make a run for it. She really hoped it didn’t come to that. She wanted to do some more sightseeing. “I’m listening. Hurry up.”
Sean rematerialized behind the man before he could open his mouth. “Hi, honey, I’m home,” he quipped while slapping a set of plastic zip cuffs on the guy’s wrists. Pushing him roughly ahead, he ordered, “Move, asshole. There are too many eyes here. Let’s take this convo someplace more private.”
The shock and awe on her attacker’s face was priceless. She strove for a serious Primani expression, but a grin snuck out anyway. Poor guy looked positively miserable. They led him into the building across the street, passing two women in the lobby, and heading straight for an ancient elevator that no power on earth would get her into.
“Can we take the stairs?”
Sean arched a brow at the odd question, but agreed with a nod. Once on the second floor, he passed by several doors before shoving their prisoner through one on the right. Judging by the tarp-covered desks and stacks of paint cans along the wall, the space would be perfect for what Sean had in mind.
With a quick flick of a blade, he released the man’s wrists, crossed his arms, and stated, “You have five minutes.”
“But it’ll take longer than that.”
“Four minutes.”
The man grumbled under his breath and shot her another baleful glare. After realizing she wasn’t going to offer a different option, he took a deep breath and said, “Fine. You won’t find what you’re hunting in Vienna. Only false leads.”
Sean’s eyes lit with interest as he tried to get a read on the man’s intentions. After several seconds, he crashed the little man’s personal space. Lifting him by the shirt, he pressed him into the wall. “What do you know about this?”
“Put me down, and I’ll tell you. This isn’t very comfortable for me. I’m having a hard time remembering. In fact, I think I just forgot.”
Aisling swallowed as Sean’s mouth curled into a feral smile that bared his pearly white canines. The cheeky loser was in trouble now. Was there a way to avoid the splatter? Backing away, she put a table between them. She liked this sweater.
“Be very careful, Johann. You don’t want to piss me off.”
The man gasped, “How did you—”
“—know your name? I’m talented that way. I also know your address. So start talking while I’m still in a merciful mood.”
Aisling tossed out, “Tick tock.”
Slanting an amused glance, Sean said, “Thank you, darlin’. Now, Johann, you were saying?”
Johann wasn’t looking so good. She almost felt sorry for him. Almost. How did he know about the Spear? No one knew they were coming except for their Primani team in New York.
Johann wasn’t a happy camper. He flushed nearly purple, exhaled in frustration, and grouched, “The museum has a replica. It’s not real. The true artifact hasn’t been seen by the eyes of man since the early 400s.”
“So do you believe what Johann said?” Aisling curled her fingers around his belt loop and leaned closer to whisper in his ear. The museum was closed for the night, but was still patrolled by guards. Their counselor would be so proud. They found an enjoyable activity to do together: breaking and entering.
“Trust, but verify.”
Her throaty chuckle was nixed when he spun her chest first into the wall, shielding her with his body. Even though her heart slammed with nerves, she followed his lead. Good girl. They froze like good commandos when a security guard hesitated on the opposite side of the door. The man’s breathing came slow and easy; his heartbeat calm. He didn’t know they were there. Yet.
“Shh . . .” Sean breathed into the side of her neck. God, she smelled amazing. Frankincense and myrrh? Patchouli? Drawing her scent into his nose, he closed his eyes as she wrapped around his brain. She shivered, the sensation crawling between them as a living force.
The efficient little guard tested the door handle. Jiggled it once, twice. Though every muscle was humming with readiness, Sean didn’t twitch. Waiting patiently, he focused on inhaling soundlessly. His mouth hovered above Aisling’s throat, her pulse jumping against his lips. There was no way to resist the urge so he didn’t bother to try. With both ears trained on the hallway, he flicked the tip of his tongue back and forth over the carotid artery that twitched like a live wire. She stiffened in surprise, but didn’t cry out. Instead, she pressed her back against his chest, her butt arching against his crotch. Nipping her skin, he growled just under his breath. The sound vibrated along her skin, and she trembled.
Moving only his mouth, he traced her jaw, following the curve to her ear, nibbling the lobe before tracing it with his tongue. Her body jackknifed against him hard. He hissed, “Easy.”
The guard’s cell phone rang. Completely clueless, the helpful man stood right where he was to take the call. Groaning inwardly at the delay, Sean eased back to give her room to breathe. The guard wasn’t coming in.
Oh, don’t move away. I want to feel you.
What? Her cheek was still pressed lightly to the wall, her eyes closed. She hadn’t spoken. He wasn’t sure before, but now he was positive. He could hear her thoughts. Could she hear his? Only one way to find out.
I want you naked with your feet wrapped around your ears.
He sent the thought and waited. She didn’t reply. Before he tried again, she reached between them to stroke the bulge that was crying with wanting her. Leaning into her hand, he closed his eyes in pure friggin’ bliss. Playing carelessly, she squeezed and petted until he wanted to yank her jeans off and plunge into her exactly as they stood. With her face against the wall, one knee lifted so he could cage her within his arms and take them both to Heaven in any which way but missionary.
The guard’s voice trailed off. The phone call was over. Sean held his breath until the heavy footsteps faded away. They needed to get out of here—they had work to do—fun time was over.
“He’s gone,” she whispered with a smile in her voice before turning to unbutton his jeans. After nudging the denim aside, she released his aching cock. Her smile exploded from ear to ear.
“Oh, my God, I’ve forgotten how beautiful you are.” She palmed the bare skin, caressing up one side and down to the root, before skimming her nails over the sensitive head and dipping into the weeping eye.
Crushing her hand, he ground out, “You’re playing with fire. This isn’t the time or the place.”
She took his hand, flattened it against the wall with his other one. Trailing her finger straight down his happy trail from sternum to scrotum, she lowered herself to her knees. “Brace yourself.”
“Fuck, Aisling. You’re killing me.”
Smiling mischievously, she argued, “No, baby, I’m bringing you to life.”
Twenty minutes later, Aisling almost imploded with smothered giggles at the pained expression on Sean’s face. A minute earlier, he’d nearly bitten his lip off with what she hoped was a mind-blowing orgasm. Now he struggled to catch his breath without making a sound which mustn’t be easy since he was gripping the wall with both hands. Their timing was perfect. She’d gotten him to the finish line just as the guard strolled by on his patrol.
She might be out of practice, but she remembered a few things. It was like riding a bike. She wanted to do something for him, but now she was so turned on she could hardly walk upright. Despite what she’d just done, she knew this wasn’t the place for sex. When they came together, the walls would shake. So after he exploded, she’d zipped him up and dropped a long, wet kiss on his mouth. Taking his hand, she said, “Let’s go find that dud so we can get out of here. This place gives me the creeps.”
Yanking her back to his chest, he tilted her chin, and threatened, “I’m going to fuck you so hard your head will spin.”
In case she misunderstood, he ground his cock against her until she moaned and swiveled her pelvis to help with the dry humping. Oh, yes, please.
Nearly swooning as her belly tightened and her sex clenched in screaming demand, she bit her lip, batted her lashes, and purred, “God, I hope so.”
There are times when surprises are good. Like when a woman you’re hot for surprises you with a ball-wrenching blow job in the middle of a public place. Best. Surprise. Ever. His brain was still what-the-fucking the whole scene. Not to be out done, his cock was standing at attention, waving a white flag, yelling, “Take me, I’m yours!” He could ignore the angry soldier for now. Shit. He was a guy. He ignored half of his unsupervised hard-ons most of the time, or he’d be balls deep in a woman 24 hours a day.
Aisling snorted next to him. Good God. Your ego is bigger than your dick.
My what?
He gaped like an idiot. Digging his finger in his ear to pop it, he shut his trap.
WTF? He was totally losing his mind.
Aisling touched his hand to get his attention. With hushed voice, she asked, “Is this the right one? I see a little description that says Heilige Lanze on it.”
Holy Lance—probably the right place.
The so-called Spear of Destiny was doing time with two priceless crosses inside a heavy-duty display case. Just another Habsburg treasure, the brass and gold weapon was surrounded by similar cases all illuminated with soft lights. The printed description proclaimed the small cross to be the True Cross. It supposedly contained a piece of wood from the original crucifixion cross. Now, he hadn’t been around when Jesus was crucified, but he was pretty sure the relics couldn’t be real. There was no way someone kept a splinter of wood from the cross or snagged the spear tip from that poor Roman soldier. Wouldn’t that shit get lost over the past few thousand years?
He shook his head. Something didn’t feel right. If this Holy Lance, Spear of Destiny, or Lance of Longinus is really powerful enough to make the carrier invincible, why is it on display? Talk about tempting the devil! The Catholic Church should’ve buried this bad boy under 8 million tons of concrete.
That’s kind of a lot.
“Okay. That’s it.” He reached out to snatch her arm, but she swung away. Heading straight to the display, she ignored him completely in favor of pressing her cheek against the glass. Standing perfectly still for a few seconds, she frowned in his direction, shaking her head with doubt.
“I don’t sense any power. It’s just a hunk of pretty metal.”
“Stand back.” With that terse warning, he shattered the glass with his fist. Carefully lifting the artifact, he held it to his heart, closed his eyes, and murmured, “En visio sgaine ute. En visio.”
Nothing. No tingle of recognition. No supernatural heat. Definitely no surge of invincibility juice. The wussy Johann was right. Not the real thing. Whatever it was though, it was extremely old and delicate.
“Well?”
“Not it.” Reverently placing it back onto its red velvet bed, he held out his hand. “Let’s bolt.”
Life was good. Aisling savored the tang of apple and swallowed the wine. Life was better than good. She was optimistic for the first time in years. Thanks to Raphael’s kindness, she was finally demon free. Top that with her magical new ink, and she felt almost invincible. Everything was going to be okay. They didn’t have the Spear yet, but they were steps ahead of Cain now. It was only a matter of time before he was out of her life forever.
With a contented little sigh, she people watched and toyed with the glass’s sculpted stem. The city was still teaming with life. Not even 10:30 yet, the streets flowed with people out for drinks and dancing. It was festival time so there were plenty of tourists with nothing but time to kill. Thumping bass and strobe lights poured from the funky Club-With-No-Name across the street. She kept the beat with her toes under the table. When was the last time she’d been dancing? They didn’t have techno back then.
“Do you dance?” she asked Sean.
They’d been talking about the museum while they ate the famous schnitzel he’d wanted. Now that the food was devoured, he was lost in thought. He glanced in her direction and nodded vaguely before shifting his gaze to the window again.
“Do you ever dance naked?”
Another distracted nod, followed by a muttered, “Um, yeah, sure. All the time.”
Sitting back, she folded her arms and grinned. “Really? With or without a pole?”
“Pole?” He got that cute little crease between his eyes as her words finally sunk in. “What pole?”
His eyes darted to the window again. He tapped the table with his pinky finger.
“I was asking if you liked to dance naked. You said yes. I was curious about what size pole you had.”
Tapping stopped. His eyes twinkled. Leaning across the table, he murmured, “Oh, I’ve got your pole, darlin’. You can dance around it all night long.”
Whooping with laughter, she clamped her hand over her mouth when a stuffy old man at the next table hushed her. She mouthed sorry to grandpa before turning back to the plus-sized ego sitting with her.
“Could your ego be any bigger?”
Sean started to toss a smart ass answer back, but her words reminded him of the weirdness that happened earlier. If they were starting to mindmeld or some shit, he needed to know. He’d been able to hear Killian and Declan for years; well, forever, really. They’d been able to use telepathy since they were made. Ah . . . That’s it. Everyone on Raphael’s squad could communicate telepathically. That made perfect sense. They all answered to him. He was their protector. They shared each other’s lives and had each other’s backs so silent comm was a good thing—a tactical necessity even—but Aisling? She wasn’t one of Raphael’s Primani. She didn’t need to—
“Sonofabitch!” Pushing his chair back, he threw a wad of cash on the table, ordering, “Let’s go!”
With a startled, “What’s the matter?” Aisling rushed after him as he stalked to the exit.
As soon as they cleared the doorway, he ranted, “That sneaky bastard! I knew he was up to something! I knew it.”
Aisling grasped his arm to slow him down. “Hey! You’re dragging me here! What’s going on?”
Throttling back only enough so she wouldn’t have to run, he kept moving towards his favorite landmark. He needed to think. Nicknamed the Taj Mahal, Karlskirche, perched on the edge of a pond. The Church of St. Charles’ reflection shimmered on the water with mirror perfect detail. Modeled after another of his favorite buildings, St. Peter’s Basilica in Rome, the softly-lit dome beckoned . . . He hung a sharp right before turning his head to ask, “Did you notice that you heard my thoughts earlier? I was thinking about my co—, er, um, concrete, and you heard me. You responded to my thoughts. Do you remember that?”
“Concrete, huh? Yeah, sure, I do remember, now that you mention it.” She tugged him to a halt just inside one of the arched side entrances. “It seemed so natural that I didn’t really notice it happened. What’s going on?”
“I’m not positive, but I’d bet my left nut that Raphael has something to do with it though. It’s too convenient that this didn’t start until after he healed you.”
Maneuvering him closer to the wall with a sexy grin, she cupped his head to bring their mouths together in a probing kiss. He let himself slide into it, enjoying the glide of her tongue sweeping along his lower lip before it wrapped around his. Trailing his free hand down her back, he cupped her fine, round ass, groping it for any nosy spectators. God, he wanted to strip these jeans off and—
Still sucking on his tongue, she moaned with his groping and blew his mind for the second time that day.
It’s time to make my head spin, stud.
“Fuck that. I’m upping the damage,” he growled before thinking, We’re gonna blow this city up.
With that, she burst into giggles. “Now this is couples communication!”
Taking his hand, she skipped across the steps towards the water’s edge, and came to a crashing halt. He bumped her from behind and nearly knocked her down.
“What are you doing, crazy woman?”
“Wait!”
Tugging him along, she hopped two steps to stand in front of the sculpted angel who guarded the portico. One of the things he liked about this church was the griffins and angels that just kind of hung out here and there. Up on the dome, they sat with their wings relaxed, feet dangling over the edge. It was cool.
She linked her fingers with his and peered closely into the sculpture’s face with a delicate shudder. “In Rome, we thought the archangels used their likenesses to spy on earth. It was hard to tell who was who most of the time since they all looked like girls.”
Sean choked on a laugh. Take that, Raphael! “Those eyes look pretty empty of intelligence. Probably safe to say it’s just a stupid hunk of rock.” He grinned up at the dome and winked at the lounging angels. “Pretty, but just a hunk of rock.”
Easing up on her tiptoes, she kissed him quick and hard before skipping back down the steps. “Come on, let’s go,” she called over her shoulder.
He loved that she was playing with him. He would’ve loved it more if the nagging feeling of impending friggin’ doom wasn’t crawling down his neck. All night long, he’d sensed it—a whiff of evil like a note that doesn’t belong in a familiar song. He’d been searching for the cause, watching the streets, letting his sight roam the area. But no blips popped up on his Primani radar. Still . . . The crawling feeling was back. He didn’t have the heart to burst her happy bubble. She’d been miserable for so long. She deserved to be silly for a few minutes. And she’d better enjoy it because they would be back at the hotel soon. And he’d meant what he said. He was going to make her head spin.