Cody lay on his back, arms behind his head, watching her. The tiny rows of symbols on his chest fascinated her. They reminded her of an ancient scroll she once saw in a museum. “Now I know why you wouldn’t talk about your tattoos.”

“They’re called battle marks.”

“Yours are different from Marcas’s and Lachlan’s.” And Jamie’s.

“No two are the same, just like our talismans. They’re sacred, like a written prayer of protection and blessing. We get them when we accept our duty as a warrior.”

“You have a choice whether to accept?”

“A warrior can choose to walk away.”

“Were you ever tempted?”

“Only once.” He didn’t elaborate, and she didn’t ask. No one could get answers out of Cody MacBain if he didn’t want to give them.

“I’m sorry about your truck.”

“I don’t care about the truck, I’m just glad you and Bree are okay. I don’t want you hurt. That’s why I handcuffed you to the bed. You still mad at me?”

“Yes.”

He folded his arms across his chest. “Well, get over it. I’m not going to let anything hurt you, and that includes you. You’re smart, and you’re the toughest girl I know, but you can be too brave for your own good. You can’t go up against a demon. He’ll rip you to shreds.”

“I’m not going to sit back and do nothing. This threatens everything I love.”

“Let us handle the demons.”

“Are there female demons?”

“There are, and you don’t want to tangle with them either. They’re as bad as the males. Sometimes worse.”

“You didn’t tell me you’d destroyed an ancient demon.”

He yawned. “We take our assignments as they come.”

She’d brought him nothing but trouble. He got in trouble once already with the Council. What would they do if they found out he told her the whole truth? “What did the Council do to you for telling me about my past?”

“You’ve been talking to Bree. They just… reminded me of my priorities.”

“Thank you for helping me.”

He pulled the covers up to his chest. “That’s what we’re here for.”

“Your duty, right?”

“It’s not duty when it’s someone you care about.” Cody looked at the rose again. “Get some sleep, pip-squeak.” He closed his eyes and curled his long legs on the sofa.

He had to be exhausted, and it was her fault. He was too busy chasing stalkers and trying to protect her to sleep. “Cody, if you want to sleep on the bed, you can.”

His eyes stayed shut. “If I get in that bed, I’ll do more than sleep.”

***

The servant parked his car across the road and crept through the dark woods, trying to shake the feeling of being watched. He caught a flash of something off to the side of the house, but it disappeared. He wasn’t scared of the dark. It soothed him, quieted the gnawing in his head. The gnawing was strong now. Nothing was going according to plan. The warrior should be dead; instead, Shay almost died, and the warrior got to play the hero by rescuing her. If the warrior hadn’t followed her, she would already belong to the servant. She did anyway. She just didn’t know it yet. Neither did his master. Malek didn’t know everything about his servant. He didn’t know about them. His treasures.

He climbed a sturdy maple and propped himself against a thick branch, settling in to wait. He had to get that book, or the master was going to get rid of him. He searched the house while she was at the hospital, no great feat for a security-systems expert, but the book wasn’t there. She must have hidden it somewhere else.

He swung his binoculars toward Shay’s house. A light went off downstairs. She was going to bed. He would wait until she fell asleep, then sneak in and grab her. He let the anticipation build, planning all the things he would do to her. Three lights appeared upstairs. He sat up so fast he almost lost his perch. Did she have company? He couldn’t see her driveway. It was probably him. He should have died today, like that piece of scum in Scotland had, after the servant had caught him spying on Shay, messing with his plans.

The anger started a slow burn, growing stronger, until it gnashed at his insides. He had to release it, or it would eat him alive. Bloodletting was the only way to control the fury. He took off his jacket and pulled the knife from his pocket. It clicked softly as the blade released, glimmering in the moonlight. He set the sharp edge against his skin, the metal cold, hard, biting. He pressed until soft flesh gave against the greater strength of the blade. He gave the knife a slow pull, welcoming the sting. He closed his eyes in ecstasy, imagining it was another arm, another throat.

Chapter 7

A scream sent Shay shooting off the bed. She collided with Cody.

“Lock the door. Don’t leave.” He pulled a gun from somewhere and was gone before Shay could blink.

She took off after him to Matilda’s room. Matilda was clutching the edges of her fuchsia robe, red hair stiff as a ball of wax. Nina rushed in behind them. “He was peeking in the window,” Matilda said, “his eyes filled with lust. Hurry, before he gets away.”

Neither of the older women seemed concerned or surprised to see Cody in the house, wearing only underwear and carrying a gun.

“Don’t leave this room,” Cody said, running out the door. “Please.”

Matilda grabbed the phone and called to alert Marcas and Lachlan. Nina and Shay watched from the window as Cody made his way across the backyard, moving like a whisper. “Oh. There’s someone beside the barn.” She screamed for Cody to watch out, forgetting he couldn’t hear through the glass. Cody lunged, and the two figures went down in a tangle of shadows. They moved out of sight, and Shay raced from the bedroom, followed by Nina and Matilda.

Seconds later, the back door crashed open. Cody stomped in, followed by another man, voices raised.

Jamie.

“I wasn’t looking in the windows. I was guarding the house. What the hell are you doing here?” His eyes narrowed, taking in Cody’s underwear. Jamie moved closer to Shay.

“Why is he guarding the house? Is something wrong? Is Shay in trouble?” Nina asked.

“Oh no,” Shay said. “This is my friend, Jamie Waters.”

“Jamie? This is your Jamie? Oh dear.” Nina glanced at Matilda, who was putting on her bifocals.

“Look at him, Nina. He’s a dish. Much better looking than the one we—Holy Mother of—you stepped on my bunion.”

Nina made some gestures with her eyebrows.

Matilda frowned, trying to interpret, and then settled into a look of dawning comprehension. “Oh… Cody’s a dish too. In fact, they look like they could be brothers. Cody has a nice job. He’s a PI. What do you do, Jeremy?”

“His name is Jamie,” Nina said. “Shay, you’re pale. Is it your head?”

“Just tired.” Shay looked at the two men standing side by side, both well over six feet, longish dark hair, both handsome. Until that moment, she hadn’t noticed how much Jamie resembled Cody, in fact how much all the men she dated resembled Cody.

“It’s lovely to meet you, Jamie,” Nina said. “We wanted to before, but we were traveling. You’ll excuse us if we get back to bed. I think this has been too much excitement for Matilda. Shay, you should get some rest.”

“Too much excitement? It’s just getting good,” Matilda huffed, still peering at Jamie and Cody as if inspecting turkeys for Thanksgiving.

“Matilda, we have things to discuss.”

Matilda’s eyes widened. “Of course, well good night, everyone. Nice meeting you, Jeremy.” They left in a flurry of whispers, much louder to everyone else, since both had terrible hearing. Shay caught the word plan.

Lach appeared from the hallway. “What happened?”

Where had he come from? Shay hadn’t even heard the front door open.

“Your brother can’t tell the difference between a prowler and a guard,” Jamie said, scowling.

“What was I supposed to think? Matilda said she saw someone looking in her window,” Cody said.

“I asked him to guard the house,” Lachlan said, rubbing his eyes. “I’m going home. I’d just fallen asleep when Matilda called and said a rapist was coming in the window. Marcas is right behind me. He can take the next guard. You coming, Jamie?”

Jamie looked from Cody to Shay. “I’m staying here, if that’s okay,” he said to Shay.

“There’s a bedroom across the hall,” she said, which didn’t make Cody happy. She shrugged at him. “You did say I needed protection.”

Lachlan started back down the hall.

“Lach.”

“Yeah?”

Cody nodded toward the back door.

“Ah.” Lachlan gave Shay a kiss on the cheek and went out the back. “Don’t let them kill each other.”

Shay settled Jamie in the bedroom near the sitting room. He helped her put fresh sheets on the bed. “I miss you,” he whispered, catching her fingers as she brushed by. He pulled her into a hug, lips brushing the soft hair at her forehead.

Standing close to him brought back a flood of intimate memories. She’d spent almost a year with Jamie, even considered marrying him. Turning him down might be the biggest mistake of her life, but it was clear she had too many unresolved feelings for Cody. Jamie deserved a woman who loved him for himself, not because he subconsciously reminded her of someone else. She needed to settle things between Jamie and Cody before someone got distracted and died.

“We have to talk, Jamie,” she said, pulling out of his hug. He left one arm around her shoulder, keeping contact.

“Talk?” he said, the question hopeful, until he saw her face. “I’m sorry I didn’t tell you I’m a warrior, but I couldn’t.”

Why did everyone keep saying that? They could have told her, but that wasn’t the point.

He dropped his hand, capturing hers. “I didn’t mean to fall in love with you, if that makes any difference. By the time I realized it, it was too late. You were in my blood. I would have told you before we married, but I kept it a secret so long I wasn’t sure how to say it. I was trying to work up the nerve when you broke things off.”