Unchained

Chapter Sixteen

Lily busted out laughing. “Whatever. You tell me to ask you anything and then you lie.”

The skin between Julian’s brows puckered. “I’m not lying.”

Her smile faded. Either he had an awesome poker face or he was telling the truth. But there was no way he had not fathered a Nephilim. It was just…what they did. Like over and over again. But he stared at her with this serious and somewhat offended expression on his face.

“You can’t be serious,” hissed Lily.

“Why would I lie about that?”

They had stopped walking. Underneath an old stone bridge that was no longer in use, she withdrew her hand from his. “Not a single Nephilim?”

He sighed. “If I had known you would’ve been disappointed by that, I would’ve lied to you.”

“No.” She bit her lip. “I’m not disappointed. I’m just surprised. I mean, what Fallen doesn’t produce a Nephilim? We’re like your first ‘in your face’ to God.”

Julian actually laughed. “I guess I’m a very poor Fallen.”

“Wow,” she murmured. He was full of surprises, and this latest one was rather telling. She had thought his inexplicable fondness for her and flippant manner of destroying the creatures his kind created was strange, but this was beyond that. “Are there others like you?”

He reached down, unfolding her arms. “I imagine there are some who’ve grown tired of this path we have chosen. Who have carved out a different life, leaving what made them fall behind.”

That didn’t sit well with Lily. All the years of training and education on the Fallen started to unravel. The lines between them were always an issue of black and white. Yet Julian was proof that wasn’t always the truth. And there could be more like him? Out there? Fallen but not completely evil? And her kind was killing them?

She needed to get away, to think. All of this confused her.

Julian rubbed his hands over her arms. “It bothers you, doesn’t it?”

“What does?”

He smiled slightly. “Knowing everything you’ve been taught isn’t always the right thing. That no amount of training could prepare you for the knowledge that there are a lot of gray areas.”

Damn, he was good. It didn’t mean she would admit to it, no matter how right he was. “Why aren’t you like them?”

A dark look flickered across his face as he stared up at the sky. “Who says I’m not?”

Okay then. Deciding it was well past time for her to get back into the city and hunt, she pulled herself away. “Julian, I have to get back—”

Her words were cut off by the sheer intensity in the way he claimed her lips with his. Sliding his arms around her waist, he lifted her against him. Damn, it was so incredibly hot when he did that.

He raised his head. “I know. Just give me a few minutes.”

“A few minutes?” she murmured, dazed by his passion. She had a few minutes. A few minutes wouldn’t hurt anything.

Then he started kissing her again. I guess no answer is a yes answer. Who the hell was she kidding? She liked when he kissed her like the very taste of her was enough for him to live on. Julian was so wrong yet so right for her.

He turned and pressed her against the rough stone blocks. Not the most comfortable position, but there was something about the cold bricks at her back and the warmth of Julian at her front. Fire and ice—that was what he was.

One arm tightened around her as he slipped a hand under the hem of her skirt. Up and up it went until his fingers skimmed the curve of her buttocks. She moaned into his mouth, the need his touch brought on was sudden and powerful, but when he slipped his fingers under her panties, her eyes flew open.

“Julian!” she hissed. “Someone will freaking see us!” She wasn’t a prude, but she didn’t feel like giving the homeless people and the park rangers a free show.

He chuckled deeply, pressing her further against the wall. “No one will see us.” He worked his fingers back to where they had been.

“Julian!” It started off as an order to let her go, but ended in a moan as he slipped one finger over her wet cleft. Lily jerked against his hand as he lowered his mouth to hers. His kisses were intoxicating. Timing the thrusts of his tongue with the gentle plunge of his finger, her protests evaporated. Screw the moral outrage.

When his thumb pressed against the little bundle of nerves, she rocked against his hand. He was relentless, and it didn’t take long. Not when he shifted and brought his knee between her thighs. The pressure between the thick cord of muscles and his hand brought her over the edge. His mouth swallowed the sounds of her orgasm.

Shaken and breathless, it took quite a few minutes for her to come to her senses. When Julian eased her back to her feet, she felt his arousal. She shifted, pressing against him.

His head dipped to her neck. “You little minx.”

Her fingers sifted through his soft hair. “I want to do that for you.”

He groaned. “Keep talking like that and you will.”

It may have made her a really bad person, but his words turned her on nonetheless. Her hand snaked between them, cupping him through his pants. “I wouldn’t mind.”

He lifted his head, pinning her with a feral look. It nearly knocked the air from her lungs. She was snared in his molten gaze. The liquid fire that ran through her body was too potent to be ignored. Her sex swelled with anticipation. She’d do anything he asked—anything he demanded.

Something darkly possessive flickered over his features, sharpening them. “Then do it.”

Breathless, she watched him unbutton his pants and pull out his manhood. He was thick, fully engorged, and her heart leaped into her throat.

“Touch me,” he ordered roughly.

A wicked thrill went through her as she reached for him.

“No.” He stopped her. “Not like that.” He cupped her cheek, leaning down to place his mouth over hers. The kiss was deep, intense. He sucked her tongue into his mouth expertly. “Like that,” he said, voice gruff and leaving no room for disobedience. “Suck me.”

A sharp swirl of tingles sped over her. Would she do this, out here where anyone could see them? Wicked excitement filled her. Legs wobbly, she dropped to her knees in front of his towering frame. A deep groan of triumph radiated from him as she wrapped her hand around the base. He jerked in her hand as she ran her fingers to the tip, running her thumb over the liquid beading there.

She inhaled his musky scent as she took him in her mouth, scraping her teeth all the way to his root. He groaned, balling his hand in her hair as he flexed his hips. Working him hard and fast, she was amazed by how he trembled before her, fascinated by how he swelled inside her mouth, ready to explode. Then he was thrusting so deeply, his movements becoming more erratic as her mouth drew him in deeper.

He made a hoarse noise and tried to pull back, but she held on, unwilling to let him go. She raked her nails over his ass, and that did it. His release came, and he growled her name as his hand clenched the back of her head. The grip was almost painful, but something primitive rose in her, reveling in the feeling of him spasming endlessly. When he finally broke her hold, he staggered a bit.

Still on her knees, she darted her tongue over her lower lip.

Staring down at her, his blue eyes blazed. “Sweet Jesus,” he said. Then he reached down, grasped her shoulders, and hauled her to her feet. He pressed her back against the wall, kissing her with such ferocity that his teeth cut into her lower lip.

She tasted a bit of blood as she grasped his head, kissing him back with just as much hunger. Julian lifted her again, wrapping her legs around his hips. She felt him, already hard and thick again, pressing against the center of her damp panties. Locking her ankles together, she ground her pelvis against his. Small whimpers escaped between kisses. He could take her right here, and she wouldn’t stop him. She was so close to begging. She wanted him, wanted him so badly she ached in ways that went beyond the physical.

Her back hit the wall again, and she felt his hand go under her skirt, slipping under the band on her panties. Her blood boiled. She wanted him to rip off her panties and rip into— She stiffened, eyes popping open and going wide.

Julian pulled back, his eyes swirling with lust. “Lily…”

There was no mistaking the feeling sliding down her spine. A human had just been possessed, and it was somewhere close. “You’ve got to be kidding me.”

He stared at her like he thought the same thing.

Flushed, hot, and ready to strip off her clothes and jump him, she closed her eyes. “I’m sorry. Really, I am. I have…I have to go.” Oh dear God, she didn’t want to go.

Pulling from what was probably centuries of restraint—which she was completely lacking—he disentangled her legs from his hips and set her down gently. “I understand.” His voice was rough, husky. “I made you a promise. Go.”

Adjusting her skirt and shirt, she had no idea what to say now. So she settled on the lame, “See you around?”

“Lily,” he called out. “Be careful. Please.”

She threw a cocky grin over her shoulder. “Now, I think you’re beginning to like me, Julian. Don’t worry, I’m always careful.” Then she raced off toward the front of the park.

Hoping the run would somehow clear her heated thoughts to the point she could successfully fight, she pushed hard and fast. The soul was somewhere on the road leading to the park. It didn’t take her long. Besides the fact she felt like she ran in one giant circle, she was feeling good. Okay, she was feeling pretty damn fine. Even after she dealt with the deadhead, she hadn’t lost the afterglow.

Damn, she actually felt alive. Her skin tingled, blood buzzed.

Her good mood lingered after the ensuing cat-and-mouse game began between her and the minion she had glimpsed near the Verizon Center. She chased the coward through DC and back. She’d give the little bastard one thing: he sure could run like a minion.

Halfway through the chase, Luke called and wanted to chat, even after she explained she was kind of busy. Then she had to explain exactly why she was busy. He proceeded to laugh. Apparently, chasing a runt of a minion around the city was hilarious if it wasn’t his ass doing the running.

She finally hung up on him.

Once she cornered the minion, it only took her thirty seconds to dispatch him. Vanquishing deadheads bothered her more than minions did. The poor body that the soul had crept down into didn’t have a choice. Their life had been stolen. The minion, on the other hand, made the choice to go to the dark side. Lily couldn’t work up any pity when it came to minions.

Would she take pity on a Fallen who’d blended in with humans? Her lips pursed. She couldn’t answer that question, and that troubled her. She picked up her pace.

Freaking starving, she was happily surprised when Luke appeared with two bags of fast food. She nearly threw herself at him. “Oh my God, I love you.”

He chuckled. “I figured you earned it after all that running.”

She fell into step beside him, eagerly prying open the bag. All her happiness faded, and her voice became shrill. “You got me a Happy Meal?” Simply unacceptable. This girl had an appetite, and a Happy Meal wasn’t going to cut it.

He hooted with laughter. Several people stopped to look at them, and she wanted to punch him. He opened his bag for her. “Hey, I got you a Big Mac, too.”

Lily narrowed her eyes at him. “Food is not a joking matter. How many times do I have to tell you that?” She snatched the carton from him. “I love you, Mr. Big Mac. I’d marry you if you’d promise me an endless supply. Do you think I’d get an endless supply if I dated Ronald McDonald? The clown makeup scares the shit out of me, but it would be worth it.”

“Maybe if you gave him head.”

Her cheeks flushed, but she forced those other thoughts away. She tipped her head to the side, staring at the wonderful creation. “Doable.”

Luke made at face at her. “You’re bizarre.”

“But you love me,” she reminded him around a mouthful of burger. Lily attacked her food with the same ferocity she displayed in her battles. And apparently other things. She ate the Big Mac, the cheeseburger, and the fries within three minutes. It wasn’t her best time, but given the fact she was walking, it was pretty good.

“How many kills tonight?” Luke asked as he grabbed her empty bag and rolled it into a ball. He tossed it on the ground, along with his.

“Luke!” She bent down, picking up the discarded bags.

“What?” he asked innocently.

She pinned him with look that said he knew better, then tossed the bags into a nearby trash bin. She decided she could count the one Julian had ripped the head off. Luke wouldn’t know the difference. “Six.”

“I got eight, slacker.”

Lily pushed him out into the busy road. He narrowly missed getting hit by a taxi. The driver blew its horn at him, and he flipped him off.

“I had to chase one through seven districts. That should account for two more at least.” She knew she was whining, but oh well.

He pushed her in front of some street thug. Something in the way she smiled at the teenager warned him not to have a problem with it. “The night is still young. Maybe you can catch up to me, but probably not,” Luke taunted.

“Douche,” she muttered.

“Tool,” he tossed back. “All right, check you later.”

“Hey, hold on a second,” she called out. “I found Micah in Nathaniel’s office. I think he was snooping.”

Luke frowned. “Why would he be doing that?”

She gave him a duh look. “Someone is betraying us.”

“So you think it’s him?” Luke’s frown deepened. “Shit, Lily. I don’t know. Micah is good a guy.”

“Whoever is betraying us is a damn good actor, right? If not, they would have slipped up.”

He stepped back as a young woman walked between them. She was a tall, pretty brunette. In her tight jeans and colorful blouse, she was a head turner. Luke did a double take. “Damn.”

The girl turned, flashing a smile at him. Of course she would. Lily rolled her eyes. Most women would pay good money to get that kind of attention from him. With his chiseled features and broad body, he turned a few heads himself.

“Um, pay attention to the important thing at hand,” she reminded him drily.

Luke tore his gaze from the brunette. “What?”

She sighed. “Someone is betraying us, blah blah blah.”

“I’ll mention it to Nate and see what he thinks.” Luke glanced behind him. “Good catch, by the way. I’m kind of proud of you.” He lightly chucked her on the chin with one meaty fist. “I gotta go. Be careful.”

“Peace out, home skillet.”

He rolled his eyes at her and disappeared down an alley. She headed toward the Washington Nationals stadium. She was sure to run into some deadheads, minions, or general bad folk on the way.

By the end of the night she’d gotten three more. Luke got four and the girl. He felt like sharing that, and in great detail. He was such a douche. As she headed back to the Sanctuary, her cell rang. She fished the thing out. It was Danyal. Sighing, she answered, “Yep?”

“I got that info for you.”

“Oh great.” She perked up. “Lay it on me.”

“Whatever suspicion you had, you’re on to something,” Danyal told her. “I don’t see how the coroner missed this. She had several cuts on her fingers and hands. There was also bilateral bruising around the wrists that occurred before death.”

“Self-defense wounds,” she stated as she dropped from the roof of the General Accounting building onto its lower ledge.

“Either the coroner was an idiot or he was paid off,” he said. “I don’t think Michael’s mom killed herself. I’ve never seen a suicide with that many hesitation marks, especially ones on the fingers.”

Unease formed little balls of ice in her belly. “So she didn’t kill herself?”

“Hold on.” He radioed in a command. “Sorry. No. My professional instincts tell me no.”

“Damn.” That was really weird.

“What made you check into this?”

“I saw some pictures of his mom,” she admitted. “You know how all our moms were, right?”

There was a silence. Then he answered, “Coldhearted and soulless.”

“Exactly,” she responded. “Except in every single picture of his mom, she was smiling. I mean, really smiling. I don’t know. It just struck me as odd.”

“I really don’t know what this could mean. If Michael’s mom was murdered, then were the Fallen behind it?”

Lily wished she could ask Danyal about Michael not showing up in the Book, but she wasn’t supposed to know that. “And why would they kill his mom?” she finished for him.

“You should bring this to Nate. You never know. It could be a coincidence, or it could mean something.”

Lily nodded and then frowned at herself. Not like he can see you nod, idiot. “Yeah, I will.” She pushed on the lobby doors. “Thanks, Danyal. Be safe out there.”

“Same to you,” he responded.

Once inside, she went in search of Nathaniel but wasn’t able to find him. She headed back to her room, digging out the file on Michael again. Scanning through it a second time, she still didn’t find anything that stood out to her.

Sitting down on the bed, she tried to piece together the connection between Michael’s mother’s death and the fact that his name never showed in the Book. Luke would probably tell her there was no connection at all, but she couldn’t shake the feeling there was, and she was missing it somehow.