Chaya stood in the doorway of Deluca Gym and checked out the large room. In the middle, padded mats covered the floor, and exercise equipment had been set up on the outer edges. A group of females stood in the middle, moving in unison as another barked out drills, kicking and punching the air in a kind of synchronized dance. She guessed it was some kind of martial art or combat fighting.
Chaya took in the female at the front, the one instructing them. She was lithe and tall, her hair pale blond, almost white, and she had it pulled back in a long ponytail.
This was obviously Grace, her contact.
There was a seat close to the door and Chaya sat to wait. They were amazing to watch, and the longer she sat there, the more she worried that she wouldn’t have anything to offer this group of demi. Because that’s what they were, she realized. All of them. Females who were strong and skilled, brave and determined.
She’d never been in a fight in her life. Did she really think she could face off against actual demons, ones determined to take over her world?
What the hell was she doing here?
The class ended and Chaya quickly stood. She’d made a mistake. What could she possibly contribute here? She slung her bag over her shoulder and turned to leave.
“Chaya?”
She stopped in her tracks and turned.
The female standing there frowned a little. “Do you have to go?”
Chaya shook her head. “No, I…” She met the other female’s direct stare, who Chaya was now positive was Grace going by the description James gave her. “This was a mistake. I can’t fight like that…”
Grace took her hand and stopped her from taking another backward step. “Not everyone in this war is fighting it in the physical sense.”
“No?”
Grace shook her head. “Why don’t we have a chat and go from there?”
This female had a strength that could not be missed, a determination that drew you in. She was also extremely beautiful, and her striking mahogany eyes were almost hypnotic. There were no powers at work here, though, just a female, a leader, who was determined to save her kind.
“I’d like that.” Chaya followed her across the room and into a small office.
Grace took a seat and motioned for Chaya to do the same. A smile warmed her perfect features. “I know your sister.”
That surprised her. “You know Mia?”
“Oh, she had no idea what we were doing here. She took my self-defense class a while back. I sensed she was powerful, but there was also a giant demon hunter sniffing around her so I decided she might not be the best candidate to recruit for our cause.”
Chaya didn’t see any reason to keep secrets. “That giant demon hunter is Zenon and they’re now mated. He’s family. Also, like all demi, my father was a demon, but unlike most, I know him. We have a relationship. He’s a good male, Grace. Which is another reason I want to help in this war. Not all demons are created equal, and I want to make sure demons like my father aren’t persecuted. Is that going to be a problem?”
Grace stood and took two bottles of water from a small fridge by her desk. “No.” She offered Chaya one. “Not if you keep our identities a secret, at least for now. And I agree, not all demons are bad or evil. We don’t go around killing indiscriminately. As for your father, the relationship isn’t a problem; may even be helpful in the future.”
Chaya took the water. “I would never reveal your identities. And not just because it’d be a dick move. No one would be happy about me joining forces with you, especially not my family. Zenon would lose his shit and Chaos would probably lock me in one of the holding cells.”
Grace stilled, her expression flattening. “No, I’m sure Chaos would be pissed that he’s being shown up, but maybe if he did his goddamn job we wouldn’t be where we are now.”
Okay, so no love lost there. Still, she asked, “Have you thought about approaching them, working with them?”
Grace shook her head then took a swig of her water. “Not possible. And besides, it’s our lives on the line. We should be able to defend ourselves without asking permission to do so.”
Fair enough. And that was kind of how she was feeling, how she’d been feeling for a long time. “So how do you think I can help?”
Grace sat again. “We have eyes and ears all over this city, some demi, some human, some other. The humans don’t know what we are, of course, but they don’t mind giving information for a fee.” She rested her forearms on her knees. “We’re pretty sure the knights suspect a high-level demon is behind the strange activity in the city. Someone powerful.” Her gaze leveled on Chaya. “I understand you have a wide and varied clientele at Toxic?”
Chaya straightened. “Well, yes.”
“We know there are powerful demons in this city who have grown in strength since they came to Earth but, to anyone watching, appear to be toeing the line, following the rules set out by the knights. We think it’s one of them.”
“Okay,” Chaya said, a nervous twist in her stomach.
“We don’t just need fighters, Chaya, we need eyes and ears on the ground floor. Toxic is the kind of place they frequent.”
Chaya knew exactly what Grace was asking.
“Being those eyes and ears, is that something you’re willing to do?”
“Yes,” she said instantly. “I just want to help.”
Grace nodded and stood, grabbed her phone off the desk, and came back to Chay. Grace tapped at the screen and showed Chaya three photos. “These are the demons we’re most interested in. All I need you to do is look out for them. First and foremost, you need to be safe, but if one of them comes in, watch them, who they’re talking to, who they’re with.”
Chaya reached for the phone. “Can I take another look?”
Grace handed it to her. She’d never seen either of the males in the first or second pictures, but the third— “I know him,” she said, holding up the phone to Grace. “His name’s Victor.”
“That’s right,” Grace said, moving closer.
Chaya quickly rummaged around in her purse and found the card he’d given her. “I spoke to him a couple of nights ago when he came in. He gave me this.” Chaya quickly explained what it was for.
Grace’s eyes flashed with excitement. “You game?”
The elevator opened, and Brent walked out and into the control room of the knights’ compound. He hadn’t been here since he left four years ago. Incubi were one of the rare breeds of demi, for some reason, and the whole process after he’d been found and liberated had been humiliating and time consuming.
So although this was the place where he’d learned to regain his control, it held no happy memories for him.
The door opened and Rocco walked in. The knight grinned. “You’re late.”
“I’m sure you’ve been watching the clock in anticipation,” Brent drawled.
Rocco walked up, took Brent’s outstretched hand, and tugged him in, giving him a rib-rattling back thump. “Brother, good to see you.”
“You, too.”
“Been meaning to come by the club, check it out, but shit’s been…” He paused like he was searching for the right word. He settled on “fucked.”
“So I hear.” Brent followed him through the doors and into the stairwell. “Anything I can do?”
“As soon as we nail down who’s behind it, yeah, possibly. Right now, we’re not entirely sure what we’re dealing with. But I have a feeling things are only going to get worse. Like all-hands-on-deck kind of worse before this shit show is over.”
Brent was surprised to hear this. He’d offered help a lot, but never had one of the knights accepted it, not to that level anyway. He knew things were bad, but he thought they had them somewhat under control.
They reached the landing and Rocco led him to the cafeteria doors. Through them he could hear people talking and the clatter of cutlery.
Rocco turned to him. “Brace, brother. The females got a little excited about this family dinner idea. Eve banned weapons and Meredith went and got one of those cloths for the table.”
“A tablecloth,” Brent said, biting back a grin.
“Yeah, one of those things, and napkins, the kind you don’t throw away,” Roc said, looking genuinely bemused.
“The horror. Real napkins. What in God’s name is she thinking?” Brent said, chuckling because there was no holding it in now.
Rocco scowled at him. “Dick.”
“Just wait until the rest of you find mates. You won’t stand a chance.”
Instead of scowling harder, the male’s face actually lit up. “Yeah, I guess not.” He pushed the door open and Brent followed him in.
Fuck knew what that was about.
He took in the room. In the middle, several tables had been pushed together to make one large one, and, yes, it had been covered by a tablecloth. It was beautifully set and everyone—the knights and their mates, James, Mia and Chaya’s father, Marcus, and near the end, Chaya herself—was seated.
He’d kept himself busy the last couple of nights, kept to his office, made sure they didn’t cross paths. And here she was. Of course she was here. Every part of him homed in on her like he hadn’t seen her in weeks not days. He started toward her, his feet taking control and guiding him right where he wanted to be.
“You can sit here,” Eve said, her voice cutting through the haze surrounding him, controlling him.
Shit.
There wasn’t even a seat beside Chaya. What did he think he was going to do? Tug her out of hers and pull her onto his lap?
Kneel on the floor beside her?
He inwardly groaned. That’s exactly what he wanted to do. Instead, he took the seat next to his friend and did his best to ignore his hunger for the female a short distance away.
They ate and talked, and as the night wore on people got up and moved about, changed seats. Except Gunner, since the male had already left. Brent couldn’t put his finger on it, but the male didn’t seem himself, seemed distant, and as soon as the meal was finished he’d excused himself and strode out. His departure was noted by his brothers and Brent hadn’t missed the concerned looks.
“We’re close,” Chaos said, breaking through his thoughts.
Brent was sitting at the end of the table with Laz, Chaos, and Rocco.
“There are demons in this city who’ve been here a long fucking time, almost as long as us. Okay, yeah, that’s a fucking long game, but you can’t tell me some of them haven’t grown in power, that they couldn’t somehow now be in league with Diemos.”
Diemos, Lucifer’s son and the current head asshole of Hell, since Lucifer was AWOL, wanted Earth and he wouldn’t stop until he got it. If anyone was behind the unrest in the city, it had to be him, but there was only so much Diemos could do from Hell. Finding out who’s strings he was pulling here in Roxburgh was top priority.
Chaos glanced meaningfully at Brent. “We know there are powerful demons out there.”
Brent shifted in his seat, fought the heat rising from under his shirt collar. “You have any leads?”
“Several,” Rocco said. “We’re watching. But with the block they have covering their tracks, it’s a slow fucking process. And while we try to figure this shit out, their army is growing.”
“If that’s the case, you’re going to need help.”
Chaos’s fingers tightened around his glass. “I’ve been in talks with the Hell hounds.”
“Yeah, and how’s that going?” Brent said.
“Could be better.”
Rocco snorted. “Now there’s an understatement. Our last talk ended with more than one black eye and a dislocated shoulder.”
“Still better than the meeting before that,” Laz said, resting his forearms on the table and smirking at Roc. “I forgot how much noses bleed. At least yours is straight again.”
Rocco flipped Lazarus off.
Brent bit back a laugh at the disgruntled look on Rocco’s face, then said, “My line of work brings me in contact with a lot of different beings. Some could be very useful. If there’s anything I can do. Anything at all, I’m here…”
Chaya’s scent hit him a second before she spoke.
“Me, too,” she said. “I want to help.”
The knights stilled and all eyes shifted to her.
“We won’t be needing your help, Chaya,” Chaos said. His voice said don’t even think about arguing with me. But this was Chaya, and she didn’t give a shit about warnings.
“Why? Because I’m a female?” she said, arms crossed, expression defiant as hell.
“No,” Chaos said. “Because you have no training and no idea what we’ll be up against.”
“You need more than just fighters,” she said. “This has gone far beyond that, hasn’t it? You need eyes and ears. You need people all over this city. We’re here and we’re ready to help. All you have to do is ask. Brent’s right, you need us. You have an army already right under your nose, ready and waiting.”
Brent stood. “That’s not what I said—”
She ignored him. “Diemos is clever enough to know how useful we could be, that our powers could be used to take this city. We’re hunted by his demons, targeted from the moment we transition. This is our fight as well. Use us, Chaos.”
The whole room had gone quiet, everyone around the table watching the exchange.
Chaos stood as well. “I won’t send a group of untrained civilians into a fight to be slaughtered.”
Her back straightened. “Hang on a minute—”
“We were created, put on this earth, to protect you,” Chaos said, voice hard. “We will not use you as weapons. It can only end badly, Chaya. For all of us.”
Chaos was being patient, not something he did often, but if Chaya pushed this, he wouldn’t be so kind.
“Use me. Use us. We want you to,” she said, voice getting more forceful.
Hearing her say those words—use me—every muscle tightened. Christ, it felt like his skin was too small for his body. He wanted her to use him in any and every way she could dream up.
“We?” Chaos said, voice deceptively soft. “Who’s we?”
Chaya stiffened. “I just mean demi, all of us. We want to help ourselves.”
“And you speak for them? All of them?”
Chaya growled. “Of course not, but—”
“That’s enough, Chaya,” Brent said beside her.
She turned to him, eyes flashing. “You don’t tell me when and when not to speak.”
“Okay,” Rocco said with a clap. “Who’s for dessert?”
Everyone started talking again and heading for the desserts on the table. Chaya shoved past and headed for the exit. Mia followed.
Brent caught up to Mia at the same time as Zenon did. “Let me go after Chay. I can give her a ride home.”
Brent thought he’d come up against protest, but Mia had obviously worked out her sister wasn’t in the mood to be around any of the knights, not even Zenon, because her mate would definitely not entertain the notion of either his mate or his mate’s sister taking up arms against some unknown demon force.
Mia thanked him and he strode after Chaya.