defeat them.
And then had come the shattering knowledge that they’d been betrayed, the horror on Nico’s face as the spell hit, the bloody sweat rolling down his face as he’d fought with every ounce of magic he possessed to counter the spell to save them, his brothers.
“I will find you.” Nico’s voice drifted through his mind as it had every day since he’d been trapped. It was that vow that had kept him sane, the absolute certainty that Nico would never give up.
The thin sound of plastic against the door’s electronic lock had him turning, mind alert, muscles tensed and ready. But the moment the door cracked open, he knew it was Cassandra. He knew her scent by now, a combination of her soap and shampoo. Clean and feminine. It made his cock twitch, reminding him once again that he hadn’t had a woman in far too long.
She looked up in surprise as she came through the door. “You’re up!”
“You thought I’d lie in bed the entire morning? Your television isn’t that interesting.”
“I’m sorry,” she said, seeming sincerely contrite. “It took longer than I expected. I’ve never bought clothes for a man before, and I wasn’t sure about the sizes.” She dumped two large bags on one of the unmade beds. “I ended up buying too much, but anything that doesn’t fit we can donate. I saw a thrift store right down the road that benefits a homeless shelter.”
He had no idea what she was talking about, but he liked the sound of her voice, the crackle of energy as she moved around the room.
She swung her small backpack onto the bed, along with yet another bag, this one with boxes in it. “The boots were the hardest. I hope one of these fits.”
Damian eyed her in amusement. “And Nico?” he asked. “What did he have to say?”
Her eyes widened in surprise and maybe a touch of fear, before she replaced both expressions with a blank face.
“You have nothing to fear from me, Cassandra,” he said as gently as he could.
“What makes you think I talked to him?” she said defiantly.
He grinned. “It was a guess, but your reaction tells me I’m right. What did he say?”
She gave him a narrow look, probably more pissed with herself than him at this moment. It only made him grin harder.
“He was . . . happy. Nick’s usually a pretty controlled guy, but this. . . . It was genuine emotion. He’s on another job, but it’s not that far from here. About an hour’s—”
“He’s coming here?” Damian’s heart lifted at the thought of soon seeing Nico again, but Cassandra was shaking her head.
“I told him not to, but he didn’t listen.”
He stared at her in disbelief. “Of course, he didn’t listen. But why would you do that?”
“Because I don’t know you or what your intentions are. Who knows better than Sotiris what the terms of your curse were? Maybe you were put in my path just so I’d take you back to Nick and you could kill him.”
Damian was furious, but underneath the fury was respect. She was trying to protect Nico. He understood that. And in any other situation, she might even have been right. But not this one. There was no way in hell he would ever betray his brother, no spell strong enough to twist him against something so intrinsic to who he was.
“He’s fully capable of defending himself, you know,” he said tightly, unable to resist arguing, though he knew her actions came from a lack of understanding. “He’s quite powerful.”
“But not against you,” she snapped. “He loves you. He said to tell you that. If you could have heard—” She stopped whatever she’d been about to say, but the emotion in her voice told him everything.
“You love him,” he said, wondering why it irritated him to know this.
She shook her head. “I’m loyal to him. He’s my boss, but he’s also a friend. He was the first person in my life to believe in me. He showed me I was unique rather than weird, that I could actually help people.”
Damian understood
And then had come the shattering knowledge that they’d been betrayed, the horror on Nico’s face as the spell hit, the bloody sweat rolling down his face as he’d fought with every ounce of magic he possessed to counter the spell to save them, his brothers.
“I will find you.” Nico’s voice drifted through his mind as it had every day since he’d been trapped. It was that vow that had kept him sane, the absolute certainty that Nico would never give up.
The thin sound of plastic against the door’s electronic lock had him turning, mind alert, muscles tensed and ready. But the moment the door cracked open, he knew it was Cassandra. He knew her scent by now, a combination of her soap and shampoo. Clean and feminine. It made his cock twitch, reminding him once again that he hadn’t had a woman in far too long.
She looked up in surprise as she came through the door. “You’re up!”
“You thought I’d lie in bed the entire morning? Your television isn’t that interesting.”
“I’m sorry,” she said, seeming sincerely contrite. “It took longer than I expected. I’ve never bought clothes for a man before, and I wasn’t sure about the sizes.” She dumped two large bags on one of the unmade beds. “I ended up buying too much, but anything that doesn’t fit we can donate. I saw a thrift store right down the road that benefits a homeless shelter.”
He had no idea what she was talking about, but he liked the sound of her voice, the crackle of energy as she moved around the room.
She swung her small backpack onto the bed, along with yet another bag, this one with boxes in it. “The boots were the hardest. I hope one of these fits.”
Damian eyed her in amusement. “And Nico?” he asked. “What did he have to say?”
Her eyes widened in surprise and maybe a touch of fear, before she replaced both expressions with a blank face.
“You have nothing to fear from me, Cassandra,” he said as gently as he could.
“What makes you think I talked to him?” she said defiantly.
He grinned. “It was a guess, but your reaction tells me I’m right. What did he say?”
She gave him a narrow look, probably more pissed with herself than him at this moment. It only made him grin harder.
“He was . . . happy. Nick’s usually a pretty controlled guy, but this. . . . It was genuine emotion. He’s on another job, but it’s not that far from here. About an hour’s—”
“He’s coming here?” Damian’s heart lifted at the thought of soon seeing Nico again, but Cassandra was shaking her head.
“I told him not to, but he didn’t listen.”
He stared at her in disbelief. “Of course, he didn’t listen. But why would you do that?”
“Because I don’t know you or what your intentions are. Who knows better than Sotiris what the terms of your curse were? Maybe you were put in my path just so I’d take you back to Nick and you could kill him.”
Damian was furious, but underneath the fury was respect. She was trying to protect Nico. He understood that. And in any other situation, she might even have been right. But not this one. There was no way in hell he would ever betray his brother, no spell strong enough to twist him against something so intrinsic to who he was.
“He’s fully capable of defending himself, you know,” he said tightly, unable to resist arguing, though he knew her actions came from a lack of understanding. “He’s quite powerful.”
“But not against you,” she snapped. “He loves you. He said to tell you that. If you could have heard—” She stopped whatever she’d been about to say, but the emotion in her voice told him everything.
“You love him,” he said, wondering why it irritated him to know this.
She shook her head. “I’m loyal to him. He’s my boss, but he’s also a friend. He was the first person in my life to believe in me. He showed me I was unique rather than weird, that I could actually help people.”
Damian understood
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