CHAPTER TWO

Viper's pulse did a little jump as both relief and anticipation seeped into him. Reaching the door that separated the private area from the public section, he shoved it open. His gaze roamed over the space. And there she was. His woman. A beautiful, sensual, willowy sight.

She walked to her usual table on those long legs, moving with the grace and lightness of a dancer. She'd pulled her striking hair back into an intricate knot and wound little white flowers into it—they stood out against the rich ruby red mass. A mass he wanted to stroke. Fist. Toy with. Bury his fingers in.

As Everleigh, she'd been brunette. Small and curvy. A default-smiler. But no less beautiful than she was now.

Or any less fierce.

In terms of her soul's core character, she made him think of a swan. She was smart. Elegant. Calm. But she could be vicious if the situation called for it.

Even as he made his way back to his other brothers, Viper continued to watch her. Recognizing her, his entity sat up straight, its mood instantly improving. Even before falling, it had never seen those in this realm as equals. Merely toys. Ella was no exception, just as she hadn't been in her past life. But the entity didn't view her as an interchangeable toy the way it did others.

Even now, despite being twisted from the fall, it didn't consider her disposable. It didn't want to hurt or break Ella. She was its favorite.

It wanted to keep her. Hog her. Squirrel her away. Ensure that no one else played with her.

There was no denying that the woman had marked both him and his entity. Not physically, but inside . She'd left some part of herself there, buried so deep they'd never get her out.

"Aren't you tired of only fucking her with your eyes?" asked Jester, sidling up to him. "Other parts of your anatomy must be feeling left out."

Viper shot him a hard look.

"Well, as the proud owner of her favorite hangout and the dive bar next to her store, what're you gonna buy next? Because you've already bought her apartment building, so that's out. I'm thinking you—"

"Don't," said Viper, retrieving the beer he'd left on the table.

Jester arched a brow. "Don't, what?"

"Start rambling about how I need to make a direct move already."

"I never said that."

Viper tipped his bottle at the Sgt at Arms. "But you're thinking it."

"Of course I am. We're all thinking it."

"Don't speak for me," Razor cut in, his brows drawing together.

Jester lifted his shoulders. "So I'm wrong?"

"No. But I don't need you to be my voice." Razor potted the black ball, ignoring Ghost's curse. "Instead of getting on Viper's case, convince that asshole over there not to buy a goddamn superhero suit."

His eyes dancing, Ghost twirled his pool cue between his fingers. "You're just jealous that, unlike you, I'd look good in spandex."

Razor gifted him a flat look. "Yeah, that's exactly it," he deadpanned.

"Can we focus, please?" Jester demanded.

Ghost's brow pinched. "On what?"

"Me," Jester replied.

"Uh, okay, narcissist." Ghost turned to Darko. "He'd make a good cult leader, too."

"You know, I was thinking the exact same thing," said Darko.

Jester ground his teeth. "I hate you all."

Ghost smiled. "That's nice."

Shaking his head, Jester refocused on Viper. "I get that you'd rather see to our current problem first so she doesn't get caught in any crossfire. But I don't see a need for it; she's unlikely to get touched by it. It's humans who are being snatched, not demons."

Viper guzzled down some beer. "I don't want to take any chances. Not with her."

"But you can't keep chasing off every guy who shows interest in her."

Yeah? Watch me .

"She hasn't noticed it's happening yet, but she will."

"Probably." Viper found his attention zipping back to Ella. Their gazes clashed, making his insides seize. Her inky blue eyes narrowed slightly as a line creased her brow. Probably because he was blatantly staring at her. But fuck if he could avert his gaze.

She didn't look tired today, which was good. Too often lately she'd seemed fatigued. He didn't like that she might not be getting the sleep she needed, but it wasn't his place to do anything about it yet. At least not in her view.

The waitress materialized at her table, blocking his view of Ella; breaking their connection.

"You sure you're not just stalling because you've got it in your head that you don't deserve her?" asked Omen. "Because that'd be dumb."

Viper frowned at him. "I'm no martyr. And I'm not stalling. I'm simply intent on not risking her. I've waited this long—I can hold out a little longer." Maybe.

His entity snorted, confident it could tempt him into acting much sooner. Honestly, it probably could. Viper supposed they'd soon see.

Placing her food order, Ella beat back the heat that tried rising to her cheeks. It wasn't so easy to ignore the way her skin tingled in awareness, however. Having that compelling blue gaze drilling into her—something that had happened on a number of recent occasions—seriously messed with her composure.

Once the waitress melted away, Ella lifted the bottle of beer that her sister had earlier ordered for her. "He reminds me of someone."

Leaning back in the chair across from her, Mia slanted her head. "Who does?"

"Viper, the president of the Black Saints." Ella had seen him from a distance many times. Each occasion they made eye contact, she had that nagging sense of familiarity. "I can't think who he reminds me of," she groused, planting her elbow on the table as she put the tip of her bottle near her mouth. "It's probably a celebrity."

Mia hummed. "Dark and dangerous generally doesn't get my engines running, but it must be said that he's hot as a motherfucker."

"Actually, you do like ‘dark and dangerous'."

"Correction, then: I tend to avoid guys like that because I've had bad experiences with them in the past."

Ella's eyes unconsciously tried straying back to him. Ugh, it was his fault. The big, indecently attractive bastard loped around dropping a sexual candy trail of pheromones, testosterone, and unbridled alpha energy. Ella was not immune to it. Or him. Which she very much blamed on her obsession with biker romance novels.

Dominant alpha males, a badass brotherhood, tattoos upon tattoos, typical club chaos … Yeah, she was all there for those novel ingredients. Viper was a real-life dark, gritty, I-am-who-I-am-and-don't-give-a-fuck biker.

He was almost frighteningly beautiful in a savage sort of way, his face harshly masculine. Every part of him sang with a power that pulsed around him. Power that showed in his solid build, roped muscles, compact shoulders, and flat abs she'd seen peeks of through his tees. That same power even somehow came across in his penetrating eyes that shimmered like blue diamonds.

"I'm kind of partial to one of his brothers," Mia went on, idly fussing with her tight braid. She and Ella were similar in many ways. Same eye color. Same hair. Same tall build. But Mia had enviable curves, longer lashes, and her eyes were slanted rather than wide like Ella's.

Knowing her sister's type, Ella guessed, "The blond who happens to be the club's VP?"

Mia smiled. "It's his eyes, mostly—they grab hold."

Unlike his president's, Dice's eyes were a very pale blue that were no less striking.

Ella tipped back her bottle and gulped down some beer. "All the Black Saints are pretty to look at."

They sure got around, because she often spied a couple of them hovering here or there—including in the Underground. Which was surprising, since the subterranean location was generally exclusive to demons. It seemed that Viper had managed to form an alliance with Knox Thorne, the demon who founded and owned it—the billionaire was exceptionally powerful, but no one seemed to know just what breed of demon he was.

Another thing that surprised her was Viper purchasing the pool hall. This place wasn't exactly a money maker, though it had become more popular since the club took it over. Hence why it was currently on the rowdy side. The sounds of the tournament playing on the TV blended with the chatter, laughter, cursing, cheering, balls smacking balls, beer bottles clinking, and gaming machines bleeping and blooping.

Leaning forward, Mia planted her lower arms on the table. "I'd give you shit for sneaking looks at Viper—don't think I haven't noticed you do it—but I figure it would be criminal to not admire someone that hot, even if they are an angel." She paused. "Do you think he could really be an archangel like the rumors say?" she asked, lowering her voice. "Maybe even one of the Seven?"

Pulling a face, Ella set down her bottle. "I do think he may be an archangel, what with how much power he oozes. But one of the Seven? Surely none who'd risen so high in the ranks would want to fall."

"Maybe he was kicked out of the Seven and, ultimately, out of heaven itself. His brothers could have followed him in a show of support, or maybe they were kicked out, too."

"It's possible, I guess."

"Considering how often he glances your way, I think we can safely conclude that he seriously wants to nail you."

"So aptly put." Ella probably shouldn't like that she might have caught his attention. Since almost the beginning of time, angels and demons had been foes. There was a lot of ugly history there. More, there had been instances where angels who'd regretted falling had subsequently killed random demons in a bid to please those in the upper realm and, thus, earn their way back up there.

A few of her ancestors had been victims of such crimes, so incantors generally weren't among the demons who flapped a dismissive hand about it all. But Ella personally saw no sense in holding crimes against people who didn't commit them. She certainly wouldn't let it stop her from admiring Viper from afar. He was such a visual wonder …

"But even if you'd be willing to look past the fact that he's one of the Fallen, Luka would never let such a person near you," Mia went on. "He's hyper protective of you."

That was because he and Ella were anchors. Demons came in pairs, meaning they all had a psychic mate who would anchor them and their inner entity, ensuring said entity never turned rogue. A demon gone rogue was no joke, and they were always hunted down to be executed.

"Is Luka any closer to identifying the mugger who flattened you with a psychic punch?" asked Mia.

"Nope, and it's making him crazy." Ella couldn't be of any real help, because she hadn't seen her attacker's face—he'd worn a mask.

"What did Luka make of the note you received?"

Ah, yes, the little note that someone had stuck under her windscreen wiper: Let sleeping dogs lie.

Such a silly, innocuous phrase. But there'd been power embedded in the ink. She hadn't noticed it at first. When she'd absently gone to read the note aloud, her magick had leaped up to spark the air like an alarm.

On taking a closer look at the note, Ella had spotted the glimmer of power in the black ink. A snare. Saying the words aloud would have activated it—she knew that much. But she had no clue what would have happened.

Its purpose could have been anything. To make her sleep. Make her hungry. Make her sad. Make her smell bad.

The possibilities were endless, so she had no idea whether the author of the note meant her real harm or was just playing some weird prank on her.

If the snare had been a work of magick, she could have read its intent. But it was infused with power—one she didn't recognize and couldn't seem to unravel.

Luka, too, had tried. So had Mia. Neither had had any luck.

The note had been typed, not written by hand. The paper it was printed on was standard paper you could buy anywhere. As such, there was no way to trace it back to a particular person.

"Luka agrees with you that it's likely from the mugger, which only made him more furious." Ella grimaced. "I'm still not convinced you're both right. The note wasn't addressed to me, it could have been an idiotic joke that was meant for anyone."

"Why would a prankster choose your car at random when it wasn't parked in a spot that would be easy for some passer-by to reach? They had to go through the trouble of smashing CCTV cameras just to get near it. Why go that extra mile?"

"Why would the mugger write that note?" Ella shot back.

"All the digging that Luka's doing has to worry him. I mean, who wouldn't be worried that a demonic crime boss was on their ass? Especially since they have to know that he won't let it go easily. They might be thinking you can convince him to back off, so they put a snare in their note that was designed to compel you to do it—I don't know. But you have to admit it's possible."

"Yes, it's possible."

Mia nodded, placated. "I have faith in Luka. He'll flush out the shithead eventually."

"Speaking of psi-mates, what's happening with you and Joe?"

Mia grimaced. "He's still being a tool. I should never have slept with him. In my defense, it was only supposed to happen once. I didn't think we'd topple into a full-on fling."

Possessiveness easily came into play with anchors, so it wasn't uncommon for them to do the dirty. In fact, Ella had years ago spent the night with Luka. It hadn't in any way tainted their friendship, but not all demons were so lucky.

"I texted Joe earlier asking how much longer he planned to be all weird and distant," Mia told her. "He hasn't replied yet, so I'm thinking it's gonna be a while."

Hating the hurt lacing her sister's voice, Ella gave Mia's wrist a supportive squeeze. "He cares for you."

"But not in a way that would sustain a relationship. It's the same for me. I love him, but not in a I need him to be mine, I can't live without him way. That's why I wasn't upset when he chose to end the fling. I would have eventually done it if he hadn't."

"Maybe he doesn't know that. Maybe he's avoiding you because he worries he's hurt you but doesn't know what to say."

Mia let out a haughty hmph . "I'm sure he'll enlighten me when he finally deigns to contact me. I'm not going to reach out to him again. He'll have to make that move."

Just then, the waitress reappeared with their food.

Ella and Mia talked as they ate, laughing at this or that. Despite herself, Ella repeatedly found her gaze flitting to the Black Saints. Or, more specifically, to Viper—she couldn't help it.

She almost choked on her hot dog when his eyes abruptly locked with hers, an intensity glimmering there that made the hairs on her nape stand up.

A loud shout made her look to her far right just as two males dived at each other, arms swinging, meaty fists smacking flesh hard. Not pretty.

Two of the Black Saints hurried over and dragged the brawlers apart, not hesitating to get up in their face. A few harsh words were exchanged, and then both fighters were ordered to leave. There were complaints and curses, but both fast-bruising demons stormed out.

"That's the third fight to have broken out since I got here," said Mia, before taking a bite of her burger.

It did happen a lot in the pool hall these days. In fact, it also occurred often at the dive bar that the club purchased. "It's almost as if the demons are sending a snarky, We were here first and we'll do what we want whether you now own the place or not message to the Black Saints. Or something like that." Ella shrugged. "Whatever the case, it's pretty reckless of them."

Mia nodded. "The Fallen are as dangerous as any demon."

They talked about lighter stuff as they finished their food. Fresh drinks in hand, they then claimed a pool table. Ella deliberately chose one that wasn't close to where Viper stood. He unnerved her enough from a distance.

Twenty minutes into their game, Mia frowned and asked, "Are we losing our touch?"

Ella bent over the table, careful not to knock her head on a low-hanging light. "What?"

"Once upon a time, we'd have guys come over, offering to buy us drinks, asking to play with or against us, and watching our asses each time we bent over to take a shot. They leave us alone nowadays. Those two goofballs standing at the ATM would always flirt with us. Now they won't even glance our way."

Ella felt her brow furrow as she studied the two men. "Yeah, they do seem to be making a point of not looking in our direction. Come to think of it, even the regulars we've known and indulged in playful shit talk with for years don't approach us anymore."

Mia bit into her lower lip. "Maybe we really are losing our touch. A dreary thought." She frowned when Ella potted two balls in quick succession. "And now I'm also gonna lose at pool. This day sucks."

Ella snorted. "Game's not over yet. You could still win."

But Mia didn't. Which she griped about even as they later left the building and walked into the dimly lit parking lot.

Her mouth curving, Ella said, "I'll see you in the morning."

"Whatever," Mia mumbled, making a beeline for her car.

Shaking her head with a smile, Ella began heading to her own vehicle. She was almost at it when she heard something. A rustle. And it was coming from the shadowy alley adjacent to where she stood.

Coming to a halt, she narrowed her eyes, able to make out two figures. One lay still on the ground, the other hovered over them in a way that seemed … threatening. He was lanky. Pale as death.

Her demon stilled as his head whipped to face her. Air got trapped in her lungs as blood-red eyes met hers, cruel and animalistic. Yeah, red eyes .

Ella's brows snapped together. "The fuck?"

He hissed at her. Like a freaking alley cat. His body tensed as his legs bent, as if he was poised to lunge.

Oh, the hell no. Ella called to her magick, letting it crackle against her palms, and then chanted under her breath as she sent ribbons of magick gushing through the air toward him. Before it could touch him—holy mother of God—he seemed to explode into a billion pieces … only to become a bat. A bat . One that promptly flew away.

Gaping, Ella could only stare after it. That was … She was … He couldn't have …

Fuck, she needed to sit down.

Instead, she cautiously walked into the alley and approached the figure lying on the ground. A human male, she quickly realized. It took no detective work to conclude that he was dead. He smelled it. The stench made her demon sniff in disdain.

Hinges creaked as the side door of the pool hall opened. Several people piled into the alley—all of whom were members of the Black Saints. They stilled as their gazes bounced from her to the human at her feet.

Ella lifted her hands. "Uh, yeah, it wasn't me. I just found him this way."