CHAPTER THREE

CHAPTER THREE

When Levi opened the car door and Harper slid out, her jaw almost dropped at the sight of the huge, luxurious hotel that she realized was on the Vegas strip. She found herself once again saying quietly, “Holy fuck.” She suddenly felt out of place in her jeans and t-shirt, particularly since she was standing next to Knox, who was looking rather edible in his dark tailored suit.

Seemingly unaware of her attack of self-consciousness, Knox took her by her wrist and led her inside the hotel. The interior was even more impressive; so grand and lavish it was intimidating. Several staff members, most of whom were demons, came to Knox to chat with him; he didn’t even break his stride or release her as he replied to their queries.

Realization dawned on her. “You own it, don’t you?”

“Yes. And stop panicking.”

“I don’t panic.”

His mouth twitched. “Of course you don’t. My mistake.”

Moments later, she and Knox were walking into a restaurant located within the hotel. It too was extravagant and classy – and crowded enough to make her even more nervous. “I’m not really dressed for this kind of place,” she told him. It wasn’t as if she could remain inconspicuous while she was being dragged around by Knox Thorne.

When Knox pulled her into a private dining room, she seemed to sag in relief. The conversation that’s about to follow wasn’t something I wanted to have in public.

Harper blinked at the unexpected telepathic contact. It was an ability most demons had, including her. We could have just had it in my office.

But then we couldn’t have eaten.

As they sat and the server offered a choice of different fancy-named wines she’d never heard of, Harper just shrugged. “If it’s red, I’ll like it.” Hearing that the starter was oysters, she almost died. No way was she eating an aphrodisiac around the demon opposite her. He was an aphrodisiac. “I’ll just skip straight to the main meal, if that’s okay.”

Knox shrugged. “Order whatever you want.” The last thing he’d expected a little thing like her to order was a 12 ounce grilled steak. She kept on surprising him. He found that he liked it. Having ordered his Italian beef stew and watched as the server left, Knox spoke. “What made you become a tattooist?” From what he’d heard, her business was quite successful and she was very popular among humans.

“It was my family’s idea. I’ve always loved art.” It was the one thing she was good at. The talent had been honed by years of creating counterfeit paintings for fun…but that was off topic and not something that he needed to know.

“Speaking of your family, I’d assumed Richie was your father.”

“Nope.” But Knox wouldn’t be the first to assume that was the case.

From what Knox had learned, Jolene only had three children. Richie, who’d bred over a dozen kids. Martina, who hadn’t birthed any despite that she had plenty of practice in the making of them. And…“It was definitely a shock to find that you’re Lucian’s daughter. I knew he had one.” Lucian’s daughter was apparently the only living being that the demon had any true attachment to. “I’d assumed she was an imp. But then, you’re very good at seeming like one.”

He’d said it like she was deceptive. “I grew up with imps, so I was hardly going to be any other way.”

“What about your mother?”

She was a selfish bitch who Harper hadn’t seen since—

She cut off the thought, determined not to waste time on the woman. “Look, I’m not really a fan of personal questions.”

Her guard had slammed up so fast and hard, Knox was surprised it hadn’t shook the room. “Personal questions in general or personal questions about your mother?”

“Both.”

Her glare almost made Knox smile. “Why do you look so offended by me asking you questions?”

Harper’s brow furrowed. “Why are you even asking me questions? I know you did your research on me.”

“I did,” he admitted unrepentantly. “I learned a lot about you. For instance, I learned that you’re responsible for the breakdown of an ex-boyfriend’s bank account—”

“Allegedly.”

“—that you hacked a human police database and messed up their filing system when your friend was unjustly arrested—”

“Hearsay.”

“—that you beat up a male demon who hurt your cousin—”

“I have an alibi for that.”

“—and that you infected an old teacher’s computer with a virus that caused clips of gay porn to pop up on his screen every thirty seconds.”

“Closet gays do the strangest things when the pressure gets too much.” As his mouth curved into a shadow of a smile, the lust pooling in her stomach seemed to thicken. His dark, direct stare probably should have unnerved her but – for some inexplicable reason – having his entire focus on her was a turn-on. She got the feeling that when Knox Thorne was interested in something or someone, it or they had his total and unbridled attention.

Just then, the server returned with their wine. Tasting it, Harper raised her eyebrows. “This is actually pretty good.”

Once he was alone with Harper again, Knox said, “Personally, I think your methods of revenge are very creative.” Demons always got even, one way or another. “I learned something else about you.” He was wondering how best to phrase his question, not wanting to seem insensitive, when she spoke.

“It’s true that I don’t have wings.”

He’d heard whispers of a sphinx without wings, but it hadn’t occurred to him that it was Harper. “You’ve never had them?”

Veiling her hurt, she replied, “No.”

“Do you have the marks?”

“Yes.” They looked like tattoos of wings on her back. They should become real wings at her command. But they’d never come. “Before you ask, it’s also true that I can’t throw orbs of hellfire. I can, however, do this.” She infused her fork with hellfire.

“I noticed you do it during your duel with Mona. In many ways, it makes you stronger than demons who can throw hellfire orbs. You can make anything into a weapon.” She was a walking, talking surprise to him. “Now, back to my question about your mother...”

“It’s not important.”

“Carla Hayden’s a member of my lair, and you’re my anchor, which means this is very important to me.”

“Why aren’t you even a little hesitant about this anchor business?”

“Why would I be hesitant? The vast majority of demons look forward to finding their anchor.” It was typical that his anchor would be one of the exceptions. But if she was someone he could steamroll, Knox had to admit he wouldn’t have found her half so intriguing.

“Yeah, mostly to stop them turning rogue and to become stronger. We both agreed you don’t need me for any of that.”

“Doesn’t matter. I’ve told you before; I don’t walk away from what’s mine.”

“Oh,” she drawled. “You like possessions.”

Actually, yes, Knox did like possessions. Having been deprived of those things as a child, he refused to do so as an adult. But she didn’t need to hear that story. Nobody did. So instead, he gave her a different truth.

Leaning forward, Knox said, “Since my mind brushed against yours, every instinct I have has told me that you’re mine and I should protect you and bond with you.” Of course, he also wanted to fuck her until neither of them could walk. But that had nothing to do with her being his anchor. “You are mine. Deserting someone I’m supposed to protect isn’t something I’m prepared to do. Now, tell me about your mother.”

After a long inhale, Harper replied, “Carla wanted my father to accept her as his mate. He didn’t want to. She wasn’t happy about it.”

“He didn’t want to or his demon didn’t?” In order for their kind to have a deep relationship, to take someone as their mate, both halves of the soul needed to choose the partner.

“Neither wanted her as a mate,” replied Harper. “So Carla left me on Jolene’s doorstep when I was two months old.”

Knox felt a low rumble begin to build in his chest as anger whipped through him. “Why Jolene’s doorstep?”

“Lucian Wallis doesn’t have a doorstep. He’s a nomad.”

“And he then took care of you.”

“Not exactly. Lucian convinced Jolene to take care of me, because he didn’t know what to do with a baby. She agreed because she knew he was out of his depth, and she wanted to be sure I was okay. But she made him promise to visit me regularly.”

“Did he?”

“He turned up every six months or so, which to him was the equivalent of full-time parenting. When I was four, Jolene forced him to take me.”

“She passed you to him like a parcel?” The idea made Knox’s blood boil.

“No. She wanted her son to learn some responsibility, and she thought it was wrong that I didn’t have either of my parents playing a big part in my life. She also thought it might make him settle somewhere.”

“But it didn’t.”

“No. We moved constantly.” She’d attended thirteen different schools before graduating. Being ‘the new kid’ over and over had been irritating in itself, just like repeatedly experiencing the cycle of curiosity, acceptance, and desertion got old fast.

“How did you end up here in Nevada?”

“After I graduated, I told Lucian I was moving here to be around the rest of my family.”

“You were sick of flitting from place to place,” Knox assumed, but she shook her head.

“My upbringing wasn’t horrible or something I’d change if given the chance. I liked traveling, it was an adventure, but I wanted to put down some roots.”

She’d wanted a real home, not a motel or a rental house or someone’s sofa. Wanted a place she could decorate and settle in. She’d gotten sick of repeatedly leaving her friends, her school, and her favorite places; sick of missing her family and all their special occasions.

“Do you see Lucian much?”

“He’s never out of contact for more than five months at a time. I know that doesn’t sound like much, but it’s a lot for him. He never really embraced the dad role. He had no behavioral expectations of me, and he allowed me to make my own decisions. He believed I should learn through experience rather than through rules. I’m grateful. It’s made me fiercely self-reliant.”

Knox didn’t understand how she couldn’t feel even a slight element of anger or bitterness. When she spoke of Lucian, there was even affection in her voice – the kind a parent would have for a clueless child. “But you weren’t raised. You were the adult.”

“You sound angry.”

“I am. He put his needs before yours.” At that moment, the server entered with their meals. Once he’d left, Knox asked, “Has Carla ever made any attempt to contact you?”

The piece of steak melted in her mouth, and she groaned. “Nope.”

As an almost orgasmic look flashed across her face, Knox’s body clenched. “You don’t seem in the least bit upset by it. Why?”

“I figure if that’s the kind of person she is, it’s better for me that she wasn’t in my life. Be angry at Lucian if you want, but at least he accepted and cared for me in his way. That’s more than she was ever willing to do.”

Thinking it was best that she knew, Knox said, “She has a mate and two sons now. The oldest is twenty-three. The other is sixteen.”

“Yeah, I know, I saw her with them a few times.” Harper sipped at her wine. “Enough about my life.”

Inwardly, he tensed, expecting her to start asking about his life. But she didn’t, she turned her total attention to her meal. And he realized it was because she didn’t see the point in getting to know him as she had no intention of forming the anchor bond. Knox had to wonder if – maybe even on a subconscious level – it was because she didn’t trust him not to leave her. She’d been abandoned by both parents, never had many fixed people in her life thanks to her years of traveling, and quite possibly lacked the ability to trust that anyone would want her bad enough to stick around.

It was then that he recalled what she’d said in the car; that he’d change his mind about bonding once he knew her. So it could be that he was right and she expected him to leave her – maybe not now, but eventually since, to her, people came and went all the time.

If that was the case, he would need to gain Harper’s trust before he had any hope of getting her to form the anchor bond. She would need to be certain she had his complete loyalty, confident that he would be a constant presence in her life. And he would be a constant presence. “You’ll come to know me. You’ll come to trust me. And you’ll see that I can be relied on. Then we’ll bond.”

“Yeah, in your imaginary world.”

Her unimpressed, flippant, elusive air was like a challenge to his demon, who was currently fixated on Harper – and not because she was its anchor. It liked her quiet confidence, her refusal to be intimidated, and the strength that allowed her to withstand Knox’s forceful personality. Knox could admit the demon had good taste, and he made his decision there and then – he’d have her. But one thing he could sense about the guarded creature in front of him was that she wouldn’t be easy to seduce.

He’d been around many women, had thought he knew her gender pretty well. He’d found that the majority had some sort of agenda. Some wanted him because they found a thrill in being so close to danger. Some wanted him because of his wealth and status. He’d also found that seduction itself was one big game. A lot of females played coy and hard to get, while others were very forward.

Harper, however, was like no female he’d met before. She didn’t have an agenda and she wasn’t playing a game. Not once had she flirted with him. He knew she was attracted to him – he could detect the lust building in her, could clearly see the glint of need in her eyes. A need he knew was in his own. But it was as though she’d dismissed their attraction as unimportant, meaningless. Something was holding her back from him. Neither he nor his demon liked it.

Pausing in his meal, he said, “You strike me as someone who prefers it when people are upfront.”

It was true that Harper had no time or patience for mind games. “So?”

Knox leaned forward, wanting her to see the resolve in his expression. “I want you.”

And Harper nearly choked on her steak. When she’d finally swallowed it down with the help of her wine, she shrugged. “Thanks for sharing.”

“You want me.” She cast him a glare but didn’t deny it, which soothed his demon slightly. “But you’re going to fight it, aren’t you?”

Every step of the way. It wasn’t that she had any hang-ups about casual sex – and that was all it would be if she got involved with Knox Thorne. Demons were very sexual creatures, so casual sex among their kind was pretty much the norm. But that was the thing. “I don’t get involved with our kind – not even for a single night.”

That was the last thing he’d expected her to say. His demon was just as shocked. “You don’t date demons? You’ve never been with one of our kind?”

She took another sip of her wine. “No.”

“Why?” He wasn’t all that surprised when she didn’t answer him. Shamelessly using his most compelling voice, Knox said, “Tell me.” But, of course, she shook off the compulsion.

“No.” Didn’t he understand yet that she was a very private person? Harper was also a person who preferred to avoid complications. Like parking tickets, speed restrictions, and red lights – which was why she no longer had a driver’s license. When it came to relationships, male demons liked to make things complicated. They were extremely possessive, annoyingly demanding, and incredibly intense. Human relationships, by contrast, could be simpler. Most human males wouldn’t demand everything from a girl, whereas demons would accept nothing less.

Of course, she could have simply settled for a series of one-night stands with her own species rather than stick to humans. But that kind of lifestyle held no appeal for Harper. Her father flitted from person to person, and he was never happy. Not to mention that human males were more accepting because, unaware of what she was, they didn’t see her demonic flaws. The lack of wings, the strange ever-changing eyes, and the inability to conjure a simple fucking orb of hellfire therefore meant nothing to them. She thought Knox would push her for an explanation, but although his mouth tightened, he shrugged.

Picking up his wine glass, Knox sank into his chair. “Okay, we’ll play it your way.”

“I’m not playing.”

“No, you’re not.” And that just made him want her even more. His cock was hard, heavy, and aching with the need to be in her. The dark predator inside him now wanted her more than ever; it wanted to be the first demon to possess her. “You’ll come to me.”

Harper narrowed her eyes. “Is that so?”

There was a taunt in her voice that made him arch a brow. “It will happen.”

“Do you think that sex will make me more inclined to bond with you, is that it?”

“This has nothing to do with us being anchors. This is about me wanting you, and you wanting me.”

“You’re very sure of yourself. And you mistakenly seem to think you can be very sure of me.” She pouted. “How sad for you.”

He gave her a pointed look. “I will have you in my bed, Harper. I always take what I want. Right now, that’s you.”

“But you also want the anchor bond. Adding sex into the mix would just complicate things.”

“Sex never has to be complicated.”

But of course he’d think that. He was a guy who approached sexual intimacy on a purely physical level. For him, it could never impact an emotional situation. “You like control in all things. You’ll never control me,” she reminded him.

No, he wouldn’t. And that should have dulled her appeal. But if anything, it made him want her more. Knox didn’t understand it. “You could never desire a man you could control.”

“Is that a fact?”

“It is. You’re a very strong personality, Harper. You would only be attracted to someone who’s either stronger or equally strong.”

It pissed her off that he’d read her so easily. “And you think you’re stronger, don’t you?”

“What I think is that when I’m deep inside you, neither of us will care.”

Harper shook her head. “It won’t happen.”

His eyes bled to black as his demon pushed for supremacy. “It will, little sphinx.” The voice was toneless, flat. “I promise you that.”

To Harper’s total frustration, their conversation had sent so much lust curdling inside her that she lost her appetite. Her food sat like lead in her stomach. Knox’s knowing look told her that he knew exactly why she suddenly didn’t feel so hungry – at least not for food anyway.

When they were done with their meal, he led her out of the room with a hand on her lower back; his touch seemed to burn her flesh right through her clothes. As they were nearing the restaurant’s exit, Knox ever so slightly tensed. Harper would have asked what was wrong, but then she noticed that the beautiful blonde heading toward them, arm in arm with a guy half her age, was glaring hard at Knox.

She stopped in front of him. “Knox.”

He sighed. “Kendra.”

If Harper was guessing correctly, this was an ex-bed buddy of Knox’s who wasn’t very happy about the ‘ex’ part. The she-demon spared Harper a brief, dismissive glance.

Feeling unusually protective as Kendra turned her glower on Harper, Knox slid his hand around Harper’s back to cup her hip. Kendra noticed the move and didn’t appear to like it.

She leaned into the male demon at her side, stroking his arm as she smirked at Knox. “Have you met Brandt?”

“I haven’t. Have you met Harper?” Seeing that Brandt was raking an appreciative gaze over her, Knox possessively flexed his grip on her hip.

Kendra’s smirk was quickly replaced by a sneer of distaste as she studied Harper’s appearance. “No, I haven’t had that pleasure. I expect that’s because she clearly doesn’t travel in our social circle.”

“This is Harper Wallis, my anchor.”

Kendra froze for a moment. Then jealousy briefly flashed across her face, and Harper understood why. A demon would often be jealous of their partner’s closeness to their anchor. Kendra clearly didn’t want anyone having any kind of claim on Knox.

“I see,” drawled Kendra. “Did you say she’s a Wallis?” Kendra chuckled, but the sound was forced. She was still too jealous to be truly amused. “You drew the short straw, Knox. Poor you.”

Used to the prejudice, Harper just smiled. “It’s good to see you’re not bitter.”

“Enjoy your evening,” Knox told Kendra and Brandt. Shackling Harper’s wrist, he then guided her through the exit, out of the hotel, and into a waiting car. “We’re taking Harper home,” he told Levi, who immediately pulled away from the curb. “I take it Tanner’s still dealing with some issues in the hotel.” Levi merely nodded in confirmation.

“What did you do to that woman to piss her off so much?” Harper asked Knox.

“My demon loses interest in its sexual partners very quickly.” It was probably better that his little sphinx knew that upfront. “Females tend to be offended by that.”

“Is this a warning?”

Knox shrugged. “It’s simply better that you know.”

“Since I’ve no intention of hopping into your bed, it’s not something I need to know.”

He pinned her gaze with his as he spoke only loud enough for her to hear. “I will have you, Harper. I don’t give up until I catch my prey.”

“I’m nobody’s prey.”

“We’ll see.”

No sooner had Harper stepped into her apartment than her cell phone rang. It was Khloë. “Hey,” answered Harper, locking the door.

“Why am I only hearing now that Knox Thorne is your anchor?”

Harper frowned. “Who told you about that?”

“I heard Jolene and Beck talking about it.” Beck was Jolene’s anchor.

“Eavesdropping again?”

“Why didn’t you tell me? You knew that night in the Underground, but you didn’t say anything.” Khloë sounded genuinely hurt.

“I was kind of in shock. It’s a big thing, and I didn’t really know how I felt about it. We both know what your reaction would have been.”

“If you’re insinuating that I would have interfered in any way, shape, or form—”

“You would have hounded me until I gave in and bonded with him, and if that failed you would have concocted some sort of plan with the rest of our family to make it happen – and we both know it. This has to be my decision, and mine alone.”

“But you told Raini and Devon,” she whined.

“Because although they’re full of opinions, they don’t believe it’s their right to mess with my life. That’s a Wallis thing.”

Khloë huffed. “Fine. You can at least tell me if you’ve bonded with him yet.”

“I haven’t.”

“You didn’t say ‘yet’, which means you’re considering refusing to do it. Look, I know you find it hard to trust and let people in. But you have the comfort of knowing that Knox can’t possibly be any less reliable than either of your primary blood relations.” Primary blood relations being Carla and Lucian. Khloë simply refused to refer to them as ‘parents.’

“That’s true,” Harper allowed with a sigh.

“You sound really glum. How about we go back to the Underground this weekend? Sunday night’s the best. It’s too hectic on Fridays and Saturdays.” As demons could go for days and days without sleep, they didn’t need to worry about staying up late on work nights.

“Sure. But no more duels.”

“We’ll see.”

It occurred to Harper as she ended the call that those were the last words Knox had said to her. If it turned out that Knox was just as mentally resilient as Khloë, then Harper would definitely have a problem getting him to do anything she wanted him to do – including walking away from her. Not great.