Page 47 of Soul Redeemed

“Okay, then. Take me there before they find me.”

“You don’t have to fear the Sentinels. Not even they would set foot on our property.”

“I don’t. The ones who are after me are much worse.” She glanced back toward where Ivan still swung from his hook. “I don’t want to talk about them here, though.”

Zayne whistled for Xander’s attention. “Let’s wrap this up. We’re taking her back to the mansion.”

“You think Gavin will go for that?”

“My brother gave me a job. I intend to see it through.” And perhaps by the end of the week, he’d have found Denya, and all would be good again between them.

Because all Zayne wanted at that moment was another shot of Abyzz.

Of the red variety.

23

Calix thumped the heel of his hand against his temple, as he sat at his desk, locked away in his office. Idiot. Fucking idiot!

The knock at the door came as a relief, before Maddox peeked his head inside. “How goes it, Brother?”

“Thanks for taking watch. I’ve got some shit going on.”

“So I saw.”

Mack would undoubtedly have sent him the security footage that undoubtedly showed Calix chasing after those females like a goddamn wild beast. The guard had been the first to arrive on scene, when Calix came out of his spell, and he’d immediately contacted Maddox on his cell.

“Mack didn’t know what to make of it,” Maddox continued. “Said he’d never seen you so out of control before. You’re losing your touch with the ladies.” He chuckled, but if his brother knew what the hell Calix had to contend with, how close he’d been to ripping into those females as if they were fresh meat for the slaughter, he’d have had the same somber expression that Calix couldn’t help but wear.

“I’m becoming a danger.”

“You’re starving yourself.” Maddox strolled across the room, always looking like some kind of mafia Don, the way his steps carried a certain swagger. The slight Italian accent, courtesy of his mother, a very powerful Strega, only added another layer of suave. “Look, you found your girl. I say you take off a few days, fuck her ‘til she can’t see straight, and come back refreshed.”

Calix rubbed a hand down his face and shook his head. “I’d love to, but Ava … some bad shit happened to her. She can’t.”

“My man, you’re an incubus. I don’t need to tell you what happens when an incubus refuses to feed.”

“I thought just having her back would make it better. Make it go away. It’s gotten worse.”

“You starve a lion then dangle a fresh piece of meat in front of him, what do you think is gonna happen? Bastards gotta eat, Brother. I get that Ava’s got some stuff going on, but she’s going to have to be cool with you hitting the buffet somewhere else, if she can’t help you.”

Calix frowned, choking back the urge to clock his brother in the jaw for that. “I don’t want another. Only her.”

“I understand. I do. But what happened tonight? That’s going to be a regular thing for you, if you keep this up, and only one of two things will happen: you’re either going to take from Ava without asking, or your ass is going to be sitting in the pits of Obsidius for doing something stupid. Gavin would have me lock you up for what you did tonight, and maybe I should. I want you to promise me you’ll take care of this. You’ll do what you gotta do, because when it comes down to it, none of your brothers are going to stand by and watch you hurt others, or yourself.”

With a solemn nod, Calix stood from his desk. “I’ll figure something out. I promise.”

“Soon. Or I’ll be forced to figure shit out for you.” No wonder Gavin left Maddox as second in command. He carried himself with the same unflinching confidence as their eldest brother, and spoke with the same dominant, yet gentle tone.

“I won’t let you down.”

*

The drive back to the mansion served to tie Calix’s stomach into knots of pure agony. What had happened at the club had come on quick, with no warning. One minute, he’d felt fine, chatting with Pat, and in the next breath, he’d become a predator, outside of his own mind. Only the slightest glimmer of himself had remained intact as he’d chased after those females while completely overpowered by the hunger that urged him to take what he wanted.

What was to say he wouldn’t flip again? As Maddox had pointed out, he could end up taking from Ava, and what then? She’d hate him, fear, him, and leave him.

No. No matter what, he wouldn’t hurt her. If he had to stab himself with Demortis and commit the ultimate sin of sudeszx, he would not take from her.