Ashes(8)

Knox had also discovered that he'd already killed one of the Horsemen …  or Horsewoman, really. Isla had wanted to not only have a US Monarch, but to be the Monarch. When her plan failed, she'd attacked Harper. Naturally, he'd killed the bitch.

 

Isla's death hadn't made the other Horsemen back off, though. Instead, they had tried and failed to cause a political war between the Primes, hoping they would turn on each other. It was only when Harper was bound to a table while Crow stood over her with a scalpel that another of the Horsemen waltzed in – a demon, Roan, from their lair. He was also Harper's half-brother, and he was now as dead as Crow.



It meant that two Horsemen were still out there, and Knox had to wonder if they were behind the attack at the studio.



"They were going to take my rings too," said Harper. "They were going to sell them."



His demon snarled at the idea. "Most hunters sell things on the black market. Sometimes they're hired to obtain something specific. We knew there was a risk that hunters would come for your wings if people were to find out that you could now call them to you." Sphinx wings were widely coveted. Until some of his power had poured into her mind and given her wings whatever push they'd needed to surface, she'd been known as the sphinx without wings. "We kept them a secret for that very reason, so what I want to know is how the fuck someone outside our close circle of people could have found out about them."



"The hunters mentioned a guy; it sounded like they were hired by someone." That suggested the hirer was either stupid or suicidal, in Harper's mind – and not just because Knox was a powerful Prime of a lair that spanned most of Nevada and even some of California. No, it was also because harming the mate of a demon who was thought to be the most powerful in existence wasn't advisable – especially when it was rumored that said demon could also call on the flames of hell.



If the hunters' employer knew just what breed of demon Knox was, Harper strongly doubted they would have fucked with her, no matter how dumb or tired of living they'd become. But very few people knew what Knox was. That only increased the fear that their kind already felt. And since fear and awe came hand in hand in the brutal world of demons, Knox was widely respected and admired.



Being a billionaire who owned a chain of hotels, casinos, bars, restaurants, and security firms, Knox was just as respected and influential in the human world. He hid in plain sight, just like most of their kind. It was hardly surprising to Harper that he was such a powerful figure. Demons loved power, challenges, and control. As such, many were CEOs, politicians, entrepreneurs, bankers, stockbrokers, lawyers, surgeons, police officers, and even celebrities.



"Well, we have someone who can give us the answers that we seek," said Knox. The hunter was currently in the boathouse on the grounds of the estate. Knox was raring to get his hands on the little fucker.



"You're going to talk to him now, aren't you?"



"Talk" wasn't quite the word Knox would use, but there would be a little talking involved. He sifted his fingers through her hair, watching as the hazel irises of her glassy, reflective eyes suddenly swirled like liquid before turning into a deep ocean-blue. He suspected that no matter how many times he watched their shade change like that, it would always fascinate him. "Not until you've fallen asleep. You need rest."



Harper didn't want him to go, but she also didn't want to have to walk him through the rest of what happened tonight, step by step. He was torturing himself enough as it was. "Thank you for somehow hearing me and coming for me."



He kissed her, savoring her taste. "Thank you for being strong enough to make me hear you. I'll always come for you." He held her gaze as he added, "If somebody hired them, I will find out who it was, and I will kill them. I swear that to you."


      ///
       
         
       
        



She smiled. "You don't have to swear it. I already know you will."



As always, her instant faith in him touched Knox. Before Harper, no one had ever looked at him with utter trust – and they'd been right not to do so. He was as ruthless, unforgiving, and merciless as he was rumored to be. He was loyal to very few people, and the only person on Earth who was completely safe from him was Harper. What amazed him about her was that she didn't doubt that she was safe from him. Not even a little.



Truly, no one – not even Knox – could have blamed her if she did have doubts. She'd seen him at his worst, knew the level of chaos and destruction he could cause, and had watched him conjure the flames of hell. There was only one thing that was impervious to the flames; it was the very thing that was born from the flames. An archdemon. And that was exactly what Knox was.