Chapter 9

Chapter

Nine

GRIFF

T he warehouse was a storm of chaos, dark energy swirling as the hooded cultists chanted, their guttural voices rising in intensity. The demon loomed in the center of the room; its red eyes gleaming with malevolent hunger. Every blast of magic, every swing of a blade seemed to barely keep the creature at bay. Griff's muscles burned with the effort of keeping the demon from breaking through, but it wasn't enough.

Phoenix was beside him, her magic blazing in golden arcs, struggling to keep up. The cultists were relentless, their dark magic fueling the demon's strength. The warehouse walls shook with each roar the creature let out, its massive claws scraping the ground as it tried to step out of the summoning circle.

"Phoenix, we've got to cut off their power!" Griff shouted over the noise, glancing at the glowing pentagram that pulsed beneath the demon's feet. "It's tied to the circle!"

She nodded, her eyes glowing with determination as she threw her hand out, sending a blast of her magic directly at the cultists. The force of her attack was enough to knock several of them back, breaking their chant for a moment. The demon faltered, its form flickering like a shadow caught in the wind.

"Now, Griff!" Phoenix yelled.

Griff surged forward, the sword he'd brought with him raised as he cut through the nearest cultist, the dark energy dispersing around the body. With each one they took down, the demon's strength ebbed. Ash darted between them, his twin blades flashing in the dim light as he cut down one cultist after another. But even as they pushed back, the demon let out a deafening roar, its red eyes locking onto Griff.

For a moment, everything slowed.

The demon lunged, and Griff braced himself, but Phoenix was faster. She unleashed a wave of magic so powerful it sent the demon staggering back into the pentagram, its form beginning to break apart as it retreated into the dark void from which it had been summoned.

The air crackled with dark energy, the cultists scattering in all directions as their leader fell, the summoning failing. The warehouse was still vibrating with leftover magic, but the battle was won—the demon retreating into the black hole that had birthed it.

Griff exhaled sharply, his chest heaving from the exertion. He turned to Phoenix, who was panting beside him, sweat trickling down her brow. "You good?" he asked, his voice rough from the battle.

Phoenix nodded, wiping her face with the back of her hand. "Yeah. We did it."

But before they could fully relax, Griff heard a grunt of pain behind him. He turned just in time to see Ash collapse to one knee, clutching his side. Blood seeped through his shirt; the result of a deep gash Griff hadn't noticed in the heat of the fight.

"Shit, Ash!" Griff rushed to his side, kneeling next to him. "How bad is it?"

Ash winced, giving a half-hearted grin despite the pain. "Bad enough, but I'll live. Just a scratch."

Phoenix knelt beside him, concern etching her face. "That's more than a scratch. We need to get you stitched up." She pulled out her phone and quickly dialed Geneva. "Geneva, we need you to meet us at Griff's place. Ash has been hurt."

Griff could hear Geneva reply, though the words were muffled. Phoenix hung up and helped Ash to his feet. "She'll be there. Let's get him back."

B ack at Griff's home, they practically had to drag Ash inside. He was bleeding heavily now, the adrenaline from the fight wearing off. Griff set him down on the couch, watching as Ash slumped back, wincing with every movement.

"Hell of a night, huh?" Ash muttered, though his voice was strained.

Griff poured a stiff drink and handed it to Ash, who downed it in one gulp. "This'll help," Griff said, then poured him another. "You're going to need it."

"Damn right I do," Ash groaned, leaning back as the alcohol started to dull the pain. He knocked back two more whiskeys. "Hey, Phoenix, if I die, will you tell Geneva I always thought she was special and that we could have had something."

"I tell you what, lover boy, how about you live and tell her yourself?"

"Do you think she'd believe me?"

Phoenix was saved from answering by Geneva's arrival. She entered the house, took one look at Ash, and looked stricken, but only for a moment. Her expression once more professional, she approached Ash, peeling back the blood-soaked towel. "Let's see the damage."

Ash gave her a lazy smile, clearly feeling the effects of the whiskey. "Hey, baby, if you wanted to see me with my shirt off, you just had to ask." Some demons just couldn't hold their booze.

"He's drunk," explained Phoenix.

"Ya think?" asked Geneva.

"Do you have any feelings for me at all, Geneva?"

Geneva ignored his comment, kneeling beside him to inspect the wound. He didn't flinch as she used antiseptic sponges to clean it, revealing the gash across his side. "It's deep, but nothing I can't handle. Griff, can you grab me some towels and a needle?"

Griff did as she asked, watching as Geneva worked with the quiet efficiency he'd come to expect from her. Ash, meanwhile, was getting drunker by the second. By the time Geneva started stitching him up, he was slurring his words.

"You know, Geneva," Ash said, his voice thick with alcohol. "You're kinda sexy, you know that?"

Phoenix, standing off to the side with her arms crossed, snorted. "Oh boy. Here we go."

Geneva didn't miss a beat, calmly threading the needle through his skin. "You must be really drunk if you think that's going to work on me."

Ash grinned, though it quickly turned into a wince as she tugged on the thread. "I'm serious. We should… you know… be together. You, me. Could be fun."

"Mm-hmm," Geneva said, her expression flat as she tied off the last stitch. "And here I thought you were supposed to be charming."

"Charm is overrated," Ash mumbled, his head lolling back against the couch.

Geneva straightened, wiping her hands. "There. You'll live."

Ash blinked up at her, his face slack with a goofy smile. "You're a goddess."

Geneva rolled her eyes, standing and turning to Phoenix and Griff. "I'll take him back to the house. Someone's going to need to keep an eye on him. It's serious, but he'll recover. He'll need some rest, and I don't think he'll be in any shape to fight anytime soon."

Phoenix raised an eyebrow. "Are you sure? I could stay?—"

"No need," Geneva said, her tone innocent but with a slight edge. "Ash will be fine with me. You can stay here. I'm sure Griff won't mind, right?"

Griff opened his mouth to respond, but Geneva didn't give him the chance. She was already pulling Ash up to his feet, wrapping his arm around her shoulders as she headed for the door.

"Thanks for the hospitality," Ash called over his shoulder, his voice a lazy drawl. "And don't do anything I wouldn't do, Detective!"

The door clicked shut behind them, leaving Griff and Phoenix standing in the middle of the living room in a thick silence.

Phoenix shifted awkwardly, glancing at Griff. "I can go home, you know. Or… I could sleep on the couch."

Her words were barely out of her mouth before Griff closed the distance between them, his hands reaching out to grab her by the waist and pull her against him. His lips crashed into hers with a ferocity that made her gasp, her hands instinctively gripping his shirt to steady herself.

The kiss was fierce, raw, filled with the pent-up tension that had been building between them for days. Griff's hands roamed her back, pulling her closer as if he couldn't bear to have any space between them.

Phoenix's resolve crumbled in the heat of the moment. Her fingers threaded through his hair as she kissed him back with equal passion, her body responding to the need for his touch. Every inch of his skin burned where she touched, the intensity of the kiss sending a shockwave of arousal surging through his system.

Griff pulled back just enough to look into her eyes, his breath ragged. "Stay," he said, his voice low and filled with hunger.

Phoenix didn't say anything, and he thought she was going to push him away, but instead, she whispered, "Okay."

And then Griff's mouth was on hers again, and there was no turning back.

PHOENIX

F rom the moment his lips locked onto hers, Phoenix was sure the temperature had gone up by a thousand degrees. They clung to each other like two magnets being forced together until they began ripping off one another's clothing as Griff maneuvered them to his bedroom.

Griff tipped her back on the bed, his eyes devouring her like a famished predator, and she could feel the heat radiating off his skin.Phoenix reached up between them to unfasten his belt, the metal jingling as she pulled it free from the belt loops of his jeans. She reached for the top button of his fly, opening it so his cock could be free of its confinement. His cock seemed to be straining toward her lips, begging for her attention. She closed her lips around his length, making him groan as he fisted her hair. He tasted like a mixture of whiskey, brimstone, and vanilla. As she began to suck his dick, his hands explored her body, tracing her shoulders, neck and head.

Panting heavily, Griff pulled her off his cock and tilted her head back so he could look deeply into her eyes. He looked so hungry, almost as hungry as she was. Griff leaned down, licked his lips seductively before continuing to press fairly chaste kisses along her skin. As his tongue plunged into her mouth, his free hand reached down to tweak her nipple, and she gasped, arching her back and pushing her breast deeper into his hand.

He pushed her onto her back as he knelt beside the bed, his tongue circling her clit and toying with her sensitive nub. Tremors of pleasure coursed through her body. Griff was relentless, seemingly determined to bring her to the ultimate pleasure.

Phoenix was lost in the rhythm of his mouth, his hands exploring her skin, but ensuring she remained where he wanted her. His tongue flicked and circled her clit, never missing a beat. She could feel the wetness that had pooled in her core beginning to seep from her body. He pulled her thighs apart, opening her up so he could have more. Phoenix ached for release, for the satisfaction of his touch.

The more he toyed with her clit, the closer she got to the edge...but she didn't want to come yet.

Her heart pounded in her chest as her breathing grew more ragged, and her moans echoed in his bedroom. Griff never broke his concentration, continuing to pleasure her with his mouth and tongue. He lifted his head, grinning as he gazed at her. She could see the satisfaction in his eyes, knowing he was bringing her the utmost pleasure.

Phoenix reached down and pulled him up her body, their lips meeting in a passionate kiss that seemed to prove that the two of them had always been meant to be connected in this way.

"I want you," she confessed.

"Baby, if you can't tell you have me, I must be doing something wrong," he teased.

He licked his lips and lifted her more fully onto the bed before covering her with his body, lining up his cock, and thrusting up into her, hard. Phoenix cried out as she came. He was so long, so heavy that he stretched her wide, and she felt as though she could feel every inch of him taking up every inch of available space. Stretching her inner walls with every successive thrust, he plowed into her as deeply as he could.

His eyes never left hers, and he found that same rhythm from the only other time they'd made love, sending tremors of pleasure through her entire body. Phoenix threw her head back against the mattress, gripping the bedsheets, her nails digging into the fabric as she struggled to hold on to her composure. Griff was a man who knew how to use his cock, and he rocked her world for what seemed like forever, fucking her through not one but two orgasms—one coming on the heels of the other, so she had no time to recover.

Griff picked up the pace, thrusting harder and faster, each stroke sending her desire through the roof. Her moans became louder, escalating into cries of pleasure until everything became too much again. Phoenix was hitting her breaking point, and he was fucking her like they were stars in a porno film. Suddenly, she went careening into a free flight of pleasure as he gave a final, ferocious thrust deep inside her, and she screamed in ecstasy, her pussy spasming as it clamped down, milking his cock as he spent himself inside her.

Griff groaned loudly as he collapsed on her, giving her his full weight for a moment before rolling to his side and bringing her with him. Before she knew what he was up to, he reached across her body, grabbing a pair of handcuffs from his nightstand and cuffing them together.

"This time, you're not going anywhere," he growled.

"Possessive bastard, aren't you?" she teased dreamily. Phoenix knew she should be pissed, but somehow, that just seemed to require a lot more effort than curling up close to him, listening to the beat of his heart.

Phoenix knew this wasn't the answer to all their problems—either with this case or with this thing that existed between them, but she couldn't seem to summon the will to care. For tonight, they were safe, and the demon had been banished back to whatever hell had spawned it. Tomorrow was another day, and they could deal with all of the repercussions then.