Demon’s Little Lamb: Chapter 7

The retreat Azriel brought her to wasn’t what she’d been expecting. They all four shared a three-bedroom bungalow oceanside. When they said “ocean side,” they literally meant on the ocean. It was built on a man-made island offshore. Privacy was a hundred percent assured. There was a pier with a covered deck and a sun deck with lounge chairs, a full bar, and freshwater showers for rinsing off the salt water if one decided to swim.

Azriel had driven them to the island in the little speed boat they’d been given and tied the craft to the pier. Soon after, they’d been met by a very handsome man in a crisp, tailored suit. He had a British accent, but had Latino coloring. He wasn’t as tall as Azriel or Alexei, but seemed to be more muscular. And so charming that, though Lamb’s internal alarm was pinging all over the place, she found herself unable to fully distrust him. Without a doubt, she knew he was into some shady shit, but he had such charisma, Lamb found she didn’t care.

“Security is as you specified,” the man drawled in that accent. “With a few modifications of my own. No one can get on or off this island without me knowing. You’ll find enough food and drink stocked for your entire stay, so no one will disturb you.” The man turned to Lamb then, extending his hand. “Who is the lovely lady, Azriel? Please tell me she’s not with you. I’ll gladly take her back with me and show her the sights.” His smile was wolfish but didn’t reach his eyes. Though Lamb found herself automatically taking his hand, she had the feeling there was more going on with him than she realized.

“She’s not for you.” Azriel snagged Lamb’s other arm and pulled her close. The man had to let go of her hand or risk a tug of war.

“I see.” He winked at Lamb. “Another time, then. I’m sure the lady would enjoy my… company.” There was an intensely sexual vibe coming from him, but dark with a hint of violence. It was like the cultured civility he presented to them was just a shell, and the man underneath was poorly hidden. Probably because he didn’t care who saw him, but it suited him to confuse people and keep them off balance.

“Just do your job.” Azriel’s voice was mild, but there was an underlying whip of command. The other man obviously didn’t like the tone, but grinned at him anyway. There was a promise of retaliation in that showing of teeth, but if Azriel saw it, he didn’t back down.

“I suppose it’s what you pay me for.” He turned to Lamb. “I sincerely hope you and I get officially introduced. Playing with you would be a pleasure. No matter the nature of the play.”

There was no way to take that as anything but a threat. Lamb shivered and inched closer to Azriel before she realized it. The smirk on the man’s face told her he’d only been half serious. The undertones were massive. Obviously he was making a point to Azriel since Azriel practically growled, putting himself between Lamb and the other man.

“Bastard,” Azriel hissed.

“I believe it’s time for you to leave.” Alexei Petrov, though he’d been quiet up until now, asserted himself. His wife, Merrily, moved solidly to Lamb’s side. Lamb had never met the woman, but her reputation preceded her. Merrily was a genius with a computer. She was the last line of testing when a security protocol rolled out. If she couldn’t break it, they were given the green light to start the final coding. “We appreciate the hospitality and the lodgings, but now’s not the time for this.” Which implied… what? That there would be a time for him to threaten Lamb?

“On the contrary.” The man waved Alexei’s statement away. “I learned many things from the exchange. Some will help you in my investigation. Other things will help Azriel.”

“You’re overstepping.” This time, it was clear Alexei was done with the conversation.

“I’m even more dangerous than you, Demon,” the man said mildly. “Don’t try to intimidate me, because you will fail. You paid me to do a job, and I’m doing it. This was free.” He gave Lamb a slight bow of his head before turning to leave.

“Who was that?” She asked the question as she eased a little closer to Azriel, not feeling any safer as she watched him walking away from them. “What’s he talking about?”

“Nothing,” Azriel said as he tightened his arm around her. It wasn’t until then that Lamb realized she’d relied on Azriel to protect her when she had no idea if he would. “He’s working for Argent during this mess.”

“But why –” She was cut off when Alexei clapped his hands together.

“Who wants burgers? It’s been forever since I’ve grilled a burger.”

“You can’t cook,” Merrily said mildly. “Which is why it’s been forever. Literally. I’m pretty sure you’ve never used a grill.”

Alexei pulled his wife into his arms and kissed her soundly. “I’m sure you’ll help me, won’t you?” He grinned at Lamb. “We’ve got a guest to impress. Besides, I’m hoping to make a mess so I can get you to skinny dip with me and clean me off.”

Merrily’s laughter was like music. Despite her earlier trepidation, Lamb found herself relaxing once again. She hadn’t missed the fact that no one had called the stranger by name. She also realized they’d successfully changed the subject. She was willing to let it go because she really needed this. Just relaxing in the sun by the water. While she had no illusion there was more than an infatuation between her and Azriel — she wasn’t here as his girlfriend by her own insistence — she now thought he might just protect her to the best of his ability while she was with him. She’d seen that when the stranger had given her that veiled threat.

“I’m not skinny dipping with you, Alex.” Merrily ruined the admonishment by giggling, which meant Lamb should probably enter the water around the pier with caution if she hadn’t seen the other couple for a while.

“Maybe you should,” Azriel said, looking serious. When Alexei turned and raised an eyebrow, Azriel shrugged. “I just mean that if you two did, I might be able to coax my date to skinny dip with me.”

There was a silence around them. Alexei and Merrily hid grins and ducked their heads. Lamb just gasped, her mouth open.

“You… you brought a… a date?”

Two emotions overwhelmed Lamb at the thought. Confusion and anger. First, the bastard had lied to her. He’d said he’d invited her to come with them because Merrily would be more comfortable with a woman around. Which implied she’d be the only woman without Lamb. But if Azriel had brought a date with him, wasn’t that another woman? If not, was it a man? Was he gay? If he was gay, why had he kissed Lamb? And what was she doing here in the first fucking place?

Without thinking, she launched herself at him, throwing a punch that he neatly caught and following it up with several open-handed slaps with her other hand. Azriel erupted into laughter, not really needing to do much to defend himself because, as far as she could tell, none of her blows connected.

After a few moments, Azriel wrapped her up in his strong arms, pulling her close against his body. Gradually, her struggles ceased, and she registered his body shaking with laughter. Then she realized one more, very important thing. She’d felt more than anger or confusion. There’d also been hurt. And a seething jealousy she had no hope of controlling. That was when she’d realized her cheeks were wet with tears, and her throat was raw from screaming at him.

“Looks like you’ve got a fierce little kitten there, Azriel,” Alexei said.

“She’s not a kitten. She’s a lamb. My little Lamb.”

“Not your anything,” Lamb muttered from his chest. His arms were securely around her, one hand stroking up and down her back. She even felt his lips in her hair and shivered in reaction. God, he was so potent!

“I think you might just be,” he said softly. “We’ll see.”

“You let that girl go,” Merrily said, gently tugging at Lamb. “And if you bait her like that one more time, Azriel Ivanovich, I will change your legal name to Pussywillow Snodgrass.”

Lamb couldn’t help her sharp bark of laughter. Once she started, she couldn’t stop it. Her laughter triggered everyone else’s until they were all hanging off each other as they shared their merriment. Perhaps Azriel had been right. This was something she needed. The only problem was, she thought she might need him too. In her short life, she could never remember anyone making her feel the way Azriel did. She’d moved to him to protect her when that man had threatened her. She’d been blinded by a sudden, sharp jealousy and pain when she’d thought he’d brought another person with him as his actual date. He was the one man she could never have. Yet she recognized in herself the yearning need she had for him. Even if it was just for the weekend. She had no doubt he’d take her up on an offer of sex. No man kissed a woman the way he did and didn’t want to fuck her. The question was, could she do it, then let him go?

He had her. Azriel knew he had her. The moment she relaxed in his arms and started giggling, he knew she was his. Which made this whole fucking situation impossible. There was no way to keep his true motivations from her once this was over. He’d have to tell her he was pumping her for information, and that getting her secluded with him and his brother in the Shadow Demons was the quickest way to do it, and that would be the end of any relationship they had. She’d see him as no better than Luxemberry, and he wouldn’t blame her.

El Diablo had wanted to just take Luxemberry and question him with a delicate touch, but Alexei wanted to make sure they got the very top. None of them believed Luxemberry had the brains to attempt something like this on his own. There had to be someone pulling his strings. As far as he knew, Luxemberry had been seen in medical, then escorted off the property. He’d threatened to sue, but Alexei had pointed out he was the one trespassing, and he was sure he could find a reason to have him arrested and spend at least one night in jail. Giovanni had a handle on the security breach. No matter what they’d told anyone, Luxemberry and Lamb included, Giovanni had been aware of the security breach the moment it had happened. Those men were now unnecessary and had been flagged for no entry and fired. They’d only been hired in the first place because Giovani had known Luxemberry was trying to gain entry to Argent. They’d wanted to see what would happen, and if the two men could give them anyone beyond Luxemberry.

Despite all the obstacles he had to overcome with her, right now, she was his. He’d treat her as such and maybe, just maybe, he could convince her he was worth a second chance later.

“Go inside,” he said, pushing her away and turning her toward the bungalow they all shared. “Your luggage is in the room you picked out. Change into swimwear and come back outside.”

“You’re not my boss this weekend. You do realize that, right?”

“Honey, I’m always the boss.”

“You’re also bossy. One I can deal with. The other? Not so much.”

Merrily giggled. “I can relate. I’ve got one the exact same way.” She looked up at Alexei with so much love Azriel groaned.

“You two need to get a room.”

Alexei scooped his wife up in his arms. “Now, that’s the most intelligent thing you’ve said all day, Azriel.” He stalked off with Merrily in his arms with her clinging to him as she nibbled at his ear, continuing to giggle as she did.

Lamb glanced back at him, a speculative look on her face. “You planned this all along. Didn’t you.”

He shrugged. “Does it matter? You’re a beautiful woman. What man wouldn’t use any means necessary to be alone with you if he could get you in a receptive mood? Hell, just being in your company gives me a thrill.”

“You’re full of shit, but I think I might be game. First, though, you know I have to ask. Do you have a woman somewhere I’m going to run into at a party?”

Azriel strode the two steps separating them and reached out to cup her face. “Absolutely not, my little Lamb. There is no woman anywhere who has any kind of claim on me. I’m not married, nor have I ever been. I’ve had my share of women for pleasure, but never for long and never for anything other than sex. As a result, I’ve never had sex without a condom. No reason to give a woman a chance at getting her claws into me when she’s not who or what I want.”

“I’ve never had sex without a condom either.” She sounded small and shy, but probably knew this had to be done. Azriel hated seeing her uncomfortable but knew it would be worse before it was over.

“Not even Luxemberry? He seems like the type who’d use the possibility of you carrying his child to control you.” He was fishing. He wouldn’t actually call it subtle either. But it was a place to start.

“He tried to, but I always insisted.” She frowned slightly as if just realizing something that she didn’t like. “Those last couple of days especially. He really pressured me to let him go without a condom. It had been an issue from the first time, but he actually tried to force the issue once. One of the last times we had sex. I was honestly afraid I couldn’t stop him.”

Azriel frowned. Not only did he not like the thought of that bastard assaulting her like that, but he was just one more small piece of the puzzle. He wanted to fuck her bare… why? The only explanation was so he could possibly get her pregnant. At the very least, he’d have used that as an excuse to see her more and, quite possibly, to get her to let him fuck her again without a condom because the deed was already done. Which would make sense if he’d kept in touch with her. But he hadn’t. Not until he’d seen her at the party. Which meant he probably had a backup plan. Since he was now actively chasing Lamb again, his backup must have fallen through.

“While I can understand why any man would want to secure you for himself any way he could, he and I will have words over that the next time we meet.”

She shook her head. “There’s no need for that. It’s done. Over. I’ll never willingly sleep with that swine again.” Her delicate features scrunched slightly in distaste.

“Just so we’re clear,” Azriel pressed. “When we have sex, we use a condom.”

“Yes. I’m sure you’d have more reason than me to insist on protection, but I have no desire to get pregnant.”

Azriel couldn’t help but push her. Just a little. “Oh, really? I’m a billionaire. Part owner of a trillion-dollar tech company. If I got you pregnant, you’d come away with a sizable chunk of money, no matter if you kept the baby or not. All it would take would be a good lawyer and a paternity test.”

She stepped back, looking for all the world as if he’d slapped her. Azriel winced, bracing to take the onslaught he’d just brought down on his own head.

“Do you honestly think I’d use a baby as a payday? Besides, since you obviously didn’t listen to my story, I was the one to insist on protection. Not him. By your way of thinking, shouldn’t I have been the one to try to not use protection?”

“Easy there, little Lamb. I was simply telling you a man in my position doesn’t take a woman without protection unless he intends on keeping her. James Luxemberry intended to keep you.”

“But he’s married? Did he think he could keep me as some kind of plaything?”

“Good question,” he hedged. The man wanted her in his pocket. Likely wanted her dependent on him so he could get the information he wanted. Assuming they didn’t already have an arrangement. Azriel was beginning to believe his gut telling him Lamb was entirely innocent. “One for another day. Right now, I want you out here in a swimsuit that shows plenty of skin. If we’re going to play tonight, I want you feeling the burn before we start.” He gave her his best wicked grin. “Which means teasing you the rest of the afternoon. By the time the sun sets, I want you so ready for me that you’re the one making a move.”

She sighed. Her smile was slow in coming but when it did, she seemed to light up the world. “I guess that’s only fair since I’m the one who said I wasn’t sleeping with you.”

“Was that you? I thought it might have been my other date.”

Lamb giggled. “You’re such a cad. Fine. I’ll go change. But I expect you to be shirtless when I get back. I want to see what I’ll be getting later.”