Blood of the Demon Read Free

another word, Ronin poked his fingers through the jagged slits in Keegan’s jacket and shirt, making contact with the bare flesh of his back.
    “Oh. Almost forgot about that.”
    “I had a feeling,” Ronin replied dryly. “Might want to change before she wakes up.”
    “Yeah, good idea.” If she didn’t settle for outright panic and screaming when she awoke, she was bound to have questions for him. He didn’t need to add any more to that list. Standing, he followed Ronin out of the room and clicked it shut, and then slid the lock on the outside of the door into place.
    §
    Brynn opened her eyes to taupe satin wallpaper, dark wood furniture, and the faint smell of fresh, clean linen. She turned her head to the side, confirming that she was lying on a bed. A soft, comfortable bed with silky, chocolate-colored sheets and a faux fur bedspread folded across the bottom. Where the hell was she?
    Wait. What happened?
    It all came back in one blinding rush. The gallery, the too-hot-to-be-real man. His fist shooting toward her face.
    Oh crap.
    Brynn jerked up off the bed. She lifted two fingers to touch the spot where he’d hit her but, amazingly, didn’t find even a hint of pain. He’d hidden behind his gorgeous exterior and managed to totally catch her off guard. Had knocked her out. And apparently brought her here. To his... to his... palace?
    “That asshole. ”
    The amazing skyline view from the tall windows on one side of the room, as well as the lush décor of the massive space, told her the word palace wasn’t too far off. She was obviously in an exclusive luxury apartment, one on the Upper East Side if she didn’t mistake the view.
    What kind of criminal brought his victim to a place like this? He was probably a rapist. Or a serial murderer. Well, it didn’t matter. Whatever his reasons, he might have caught her off guard once, but it wouldn’t happen again. And she wasn’t scared of him. Not with what she could do.
    “Once I get my hands on you, you’ll regret it,” she muttered. No doubt he’d regret it.
    The hollow sound of her heels clacking on the wood floor vibrated in her ear as she stalked over to the door on the far side of the room. She tried the knob. Locked. Great. Just great. She pounded on it. “Is anyone there? Hey, where are you? Let me out.”
    When there was no immediate response, she pounded louder. “Come on. Hello? Let me out!”
    Brynn was about to lift her fist for a fresh bout of knocking when the doorknob turned with a click . She scampered back as the door swung open.
    The hunk from the gallery stood on the other side, sans leather jacket. He wore an impassive expression on his face.
    Her fingers clenched into fists at the sight of the man who’d imprisoned her. He was about to pay. “ You. ”
    He opened his mouth. “Let me explain—”
    Without further thought, she rushed him, pummeling her fists into his chest. He didn’t flinch, didn’t even budge. He was like a freaking steel beam. But that was okay. She’d get him, anyway.
    She lifted her hand to his throat and dug into his bare skin. Giving herself over to her senses, she willed the flow of energy through her body, just as she’d done so many times before. Her arm grew hot with the familiar sensation of energy drawing through her fingers, working its way inside her with an electric sizzle.
    But instead of collapsing as she expected, the man merely lifted one perfect brow. “Ow.”
    That was it. That was all he said.
    “Ow?” Brynn repeated, going numb with shock. She’d felt it! She’d felt the familiar draw of energy. But instead of falling to the ground in an unconscious puddle, he just said, “Ow”?
    Ow?
    “Impossible,” she gasped.
    He tilted his head to one side. “What exactly are you trying to do?”
    This couldn’t be happening. It had never failed her before.
    She brought both hands to the bare skin of his muscular arm, right below the sleeve of his shirt, doing her best to ignore the spicy,