Blood of the Demon Read Free Page B

cool, but I still don’t know what it has to do with you kidnapping me. And how the hell do you know that, anyway?”
    All right, here it went. Hopefully, she’d buy it. “Brynn, one of your ancestors was an Egyptian priest who lived about three thousand years ago. He created something, a book. When he died, he was buried with it. And now there’s someone who’ll stop at nothing to find it.”
    All true so far. But here’s where he had to start stretching the truth. “The man who’s searching for the book believes you can lead him to it. He’s not a good... person. If he gets his hands on you, there’s no telling what he’ll do.”
    Her confusion morphed into doubt. “But... but that’s ridiculous. I don’t even know anything about my great- grandparents, much less some obscure relative who lived three thousand years ago.”
    “Nonetheless, it’s true.” He kept his tone calm and flat. That, more than anything, seemed to sway her into believing him.
    “Who keeps track of their ancestry that far back? How could he even think I might lead him to the book?”
    “He’s insane.” Which was true. You didn’t get much crazier than Mammon. He knew that all too well.
    She crossed her arms over her chest, brows furrowed. “Yeah, well that still doesn’t tell me how you got involved.”
    “I... ” Fuck. He took a breath. “I work for a secret branch of the government.”
    What would the Council members think to hear themselves described that way? They were far more powerful than just one government—than just one world, even.
    “We’re trying to stop him,” he added, “and part of that means protecting you.”
    Unless it becomes too dangerous. Then we’ll have to kill you.
    “A secret government organization, huh?” Brynn’s tone was ripe with suspicion, and who could blame her? “Why did you bring me here? Am I supposed to believe this is some sort of safe house?”
    “In a manner of speaking.”
    She arched a brow. “Where’s your government identification, then?”
    Man, but she was cheeky. And the devil help him, he liked it.
    Yeah, well, don’t get too caught up in singing her praises. You still don’t know whether or not she’s playing a game.
    “We’re an unofficial branch. We don’t get identification.” Then, before she could question further, he asked, “Brynn, have you been contacted or followed by anyone unusual the past few days?”
    “Other than you?” She snorted with a slight shake of her head. “No.”
    Keegan straightened and pushed off the door. “I need you to be straight with me. You’re not helping anyone, are you?”
    “Who would I be helping?” When he took a step toward her, she lifted her hands in front of her. “Stay back.”
    He stopped, curiosity getting the better of him. “What is it that you can do with your hands?”
    She glanced down, appearing startled, as if she just realized she’d lifted them. “Hmm? Oh, nothing. It doesn’t seem to be working, anyway,” she murmured, so low that a human wouldn’t have been able to hear it.
    Another stirring of sympathy churned in his gut. This couldn’t be easy for her, having to deal with her loss of powers on top of being kidnapped. “Do you want to try it again?”
    “What?” She let out an uncertain chuckle. “You expect me to fall for that? I’m not getting anywhere near you.”
    “You have nowhere to go,” he pointed out. “I could overpower you at any moment if I wanted to. In fact, I could have hurt you while you were unconscious, if that was my true intent.”
    She bit down on her lip.
    “I can sit on the bed, if you like.”
    After a moment’s pause, she gave him a jerky nod. “Okay.”
    Keeping his movements even, he sat on the bed with his hands in full view at his sides.
    Brynn inched forward. “Lift up your shirt.”
    Keegan sucked in his breath at the unexpected arousal her words caused. It wasn’t as if she’d asked him to get undressed. She just wanted to make better