Curse of the Fallen by Eve Archer
Chapter Twenty-Two
Ella
My feet were frozen in place as I took in the people who were oblivious to my shocked gaze. Sara had always said that I was too sheltered, but I’d never imagined hell being like this.
I gave my head a small shake, finally pulling my gaze from the partially naked bodies cavorting on sumptuous furniture, the dim lighting of the room putting everything in shadow. Scanning the area, I realized that there was no visible back exit. I glanced over my shoulder. The only way out was the curtained doorway and the two guards flanking it. Still, I stood a better chance with them than with Anthony in here. I did not want the guy getting any ideas.
“I don’t see any place to sit,” I said, careful not to speak too loudly. While the main nightclub above hummed with loud, pounding music, the private area played trance songs at a much softer level. Low enough so that it didn’t mask the breathy moans of the VIPs and the occasional ass slap, which I suspected was part of the turn-on.
Anthony’s eyes were dark with desire as he hungrily eyed the couples and threesomes, licking his lips as the woman reclining on the chaise lounge beckoned to him with her finger as she spread her legs. If I wasn’t mistaken, she was a succubus, and Anthony was being lured into her sultry web. It would explain why he seemed to forget about me as he dropped to his knees between her legs.
I’d take my chances with the guards, and even Mateo Solano upstairs, thank you very much.
Before I could use Anthony’s distraction to make a dash for the door, screams came from outside the room. Even Anthony’s attention was drawn to the curtained exit, where it sounded like a fight was erupting.
“Dominick,” I whispered to myself. It had to be him. My heart soared as I thought of the fallen angel, my pulse fluttering with anticipation. It didn’t matter how angry I was with him. I couldn’t control my body’s reaction to the man, or even my body’s reaction to the idea of him.
“Must be a bar fight,” Anthony said as he stood, but I could tell he didn’t believe his own words.
The bellows grew louder, accompanied by the sound of punches being thrown and bodies hitting walls. Even the most dedicated hedonists inside the room stopped their activities and sat up, their heads swiveling to the heavy curtain. The woman on the swing slowed her arc through the air, twisting her head toward the sounds of battle. The beautiful creatures clad in leather stood; their faces transformed into masks of determination as they whipped out hidden weapons.
“What the hell?” Anthony muttered, as half the room suddenly armed themselves and assumed battle stances.
Unless I was mistaken, they weren’t normal club guests. I’d seen enough fallen angels to know they weren’t part of Dominick’s brethren, either. That left one possibility.
“Fucking demons,” I said under my breath, backing away from the creatures that suddenly reminded me very much of Jaya. How many demons were there in the club, and were they all going to do battle against Dominick and his Fallen?
I edged myself to the back wall. The one advantage I had was that none of them knew about my connection to Dominick, or that I was who he was coming for. Heat skated across my bare flesh as if my body could sense his proximity, and a pulse throbbed between my legs as I kept my gaze fixed on the curtains.
When they flew open, everyone inside the room inhaled a collective gasp as a body soared through the air. Instead of hitting the floor with a crash, the black-haired woman landed in a crouch. My stomach roiled with both fear and anger. Jaya.
Dominick and Rami burst inside after her, each tossing a demon to the floor as they were rushed. The well-armed demons surged toward them, with Jaya leading the charge, blades flashing.
Screams shattered the air as regular club patrons dashed for the exit, arms over their heads to block any blows. The woman on the swing jumped down and shrieked as she fled, her arms crossed over her bouncing breasts. I didn’t know where Anthony was, and I didn’t care. My gaze was locked on Dominick as he deftly fought off the attack with Rami by his side.
The two fallen angels battled in tandem, their movements seeming almost coordinated as they dodged and parried. It was clear from watching them that they’d done this a lot in the past, and I could almost imagine them fighting side by side in ancient times, their black suits replaced by armor. They didn’t speak as they cut down demon after demon, the creatures either running off wounded, or falling dead to the floor.
Jaya had melted into the pack off demons, and it was hard to pick her out among the preponderance of black leather. But I knew she was there. I could sense her malice almost as clearly as I could sense Dominick.
After a few minutes of intense fighting, most of the demons scattered, darting out the door with terrified glances behind them at the two fallen angels unleashing their wrath. Jaya must have gone with them, because I no longer felt her or saw her. The she-demon was like a cockroach who always seemed to slip away and survive to fight again, I thought, shivering at image of cockroaches as much as from the idea of her.
After tossing a demon to one side and pulling another off Rami, Dominick straightened, his gaze scouring the room and landing on me. Even without touching him, I felt a jolt as our eyes met, his dark ones burning into me.
Without a word, he closed the distance between us in a few long strides and swooped me into his arms, crushing my body to his. I choked back a sob as I buried my face in his chest, savoring the spicy scent of him and the delicious hardness of his body. His arms wrapped around my back, and he lifted my feet off the ground, murmuring unfamiliar and exotic-sounding words in my ear.
“I knew you’d find me,” I whispered when I’d recovered the ability to speak.
“I will always find you, Ella.” He let my feet touch back down on the floor and loosened his grip on me enough that he could peer down at my face. “You are mine.”
I swallowed hard at this, wanting to believe that his feelings for me were about me, and not about some ancient prophecy that I might or might not have a part in, but I was too happy to see him to question him now. All the hurt I’d felt had evaporated at the sight of him, his face fierce as he’d fought off demons to get to me. How could I believe Jaya over him, when my heart told me that what we had was real?
“You’re unhurt?” He scanned my body quickly, his eyebrows lifting as he took in the barely-there dress I wore.
“I’m fine. Grateful to be free from the Solanos.” I smoothed a hand over the silky slip of fabric that served as my dress. “I’m not a fan of their wardrobe choices.”
The corners of his mouth twitched, and he ran a finger underneath one of the thin straps of the dress. “You do look breathtaking, although I don’t like how much of you everyone else gets to see.” He emitted a rumbly growl and tugged me flush to his body. “You are only for me.”
“That goes both ways,” I teased.
“I could never want anyone but you,” he husked, brushing a soft kiss over my lips.
The intensity of his words thrilled me, even as the featherlight touch of his lips made heat flare in my core. I smiled up at him, glad to be back in his arms and only his. Being with Dominick felt right, like nothing else ever had before, prophecy or not. I gazed up into his molten eyes, melting into him, the last remnants of doubt evaporating like smoke.
“Ella!”
The screech slammed me back to reality, and it took me a few moments to place the familiar voice that didn’t fit here. I blinked hard at Sara, who’d pushed her way into the room and was being held back by Rami.
“Sara?” I shook my head, as if to dislodge the hallucination as I stepped back from Dominick. “What are you doing here?”
“Saving your ass. You did call me, remember?”
Rami released her, and she rushed forward, pulling me into a hug.
“I thought you’d contact Dominick and that would be it.” I hugged her back, still shocked that she was in Marbella. “I didn’t think you’d come looking for me.”
Sara leaned back and cut her heavily lashed, almond-shaped eyes to Dominick and then Rami. “You didn’t think I’d leave this up to these two, did you?”
I had, actually, but I held my tongue. Despite my shock, I was happy to see my best friend. I blinked back tears at the sight of her. “I can’t believe you’re here. What about your job?”
She waved a hand dismissively. “They owed me a few days off. Besides, how often do you get to fly in a private jet and hang out in Marbella?” She sighed. “I could do without all the demons, but nothing’s perfect, right?”
I gaped at her, glancing at Dominick. “She knows?” I turned my attention back to Sara. “You know?”
She nodded, swatting my arm lightly. “I can’t believe you didn’t spill the tea to me earlier. Then again, I guess it isn’t something you say over the phone.” She held me at arm’s length. “I can’t believe how much has happened to you since you left New York. You’ve never looked so good, Ella.” She frowned slightly. “Or so happy.”
“Thanks, Sara.” My throat tightened. Sara was the closest thing I had left to family, and it felt great not having to hide my new life from her anymore.
She leveled a finger at Dom. “This doesn’t mean I won’t come after you if you hurt her.”
He held up both palms. “Understood.”
Rami cleared his throat. “Dom, we should go. The polizia are on their way.”
We left the VIP room and were ushered upstairs swiftly. When we reached the main club level, the crowd had dispersed, and the multicolored lights no longer swept across the dance floor. The pounding music was gone, replaced by the sounds of demons groaning on the floor. Dark-suited fallen angels fell in step with us, as we moved toward the wide doors.
Then a striking man—another Fallen, no doubt—approached and said something to Dom and Rami in a language that was foreign to me, although I thought I heard the names Anthony and Jaya. Dom nodded sharply and pivoted to me. “There’s something I need to attend to before I leave.”
“I’ll take the women to the car,” the man I recognized as Dan said.
He smiled at me, and I smiled back, trying not to remember that the last time I’d seen him had been before I was abducted.
Dominick leaned down and let his lips brush my cheek as he whispered into my ear. “I’ll join you soon.”
I watched him walk away with Rami and his fellow Fallen. I should probably feel some pity for Anthony Solano, but the asshole had abducted me. I felt no pity for the she-demon.
Sara and I followed Dan through the back of the club and out a side entrance. A shiny, black SUV waited in the alley, but the men who stepped from it weren’t fallen angels. They were demons.
I looked to Dan, expecting him to fly into action and fight them off, but he only stepped over to join them, giving a shrug of one shoulder. “Sorry, Ella.”
