Page 23 of Torn Between Two Worlds

Closing the door behind him, he frowned. The office was empty save for his furniture. No sign of Leather Jacket anywhere. He was annoyed enough with everything and this ass wipe playing with him wasn't going to work. Attempting not to betray his anger, he went and sat at his desk, tapping his fingers on it.

“Well?”

A chuckle filled the room, and Leather Jacket appeared, sitting in the chair across from the desk. “I have a flair for the dramatic.”

“You have a flair for fucking lying.”

Leather Jacket scowled and stood at the insult, but Jonathan was past caring. People were dying because the guy wasn't open and honest.

“Don't look at me like that. I'm not a fucking idiot. You can crush me like a bug. I know that. I also know you damn sure aren't working for or with the angels. They don't withhold shit. Twice now that I can identify, you've left out information. Information that has gotten Initiative operatives killed. That stops here and now. Either you answer the questions I have, or you go right ahead and kill me.” Though Jonathon hoped that he was too valuable to kill. The person next above him in rank was so evil, he'd ignore the man in leather, just because it would annoy someone powerful.

“Do not mistake your place, human. I'll answer three questions. Only because three has power, and if I don't answer something, you'll wind up killing too many people. I frankly don't have time to mind control people to do what I want. I have more important things.”

Mind control?He tucked that bit of information away for later. All in good time, the more information, the easier it would be to figure out how to take the guy down. He nodded and interlaced his hands, placing them on his desk. “First things first, I want a list of all the Word Speaker's abilities. I don't care if Ciara Miller has them or not, I want them. Go ahead and just dictate to me, I'd rather not have some excuse you'll get it to me later.”

“Very well. Though I can assure you, there is no chance Ciara will possess even half of these, as many come from the Guardian they are with. Asking me to list that would be ridiculous, considering, as you very well know, Guardians all come from make believe.”

He gave Jonathan an evil grin that showed his too perfect teeth and sickened him. A reminder he was a nobody.

“The primary powers are quite simple, and I assure you that Ciara has them all, even if she doesn't know it yet. Catch and release. She can block out anyone she wants for some time, and she can force people in and out of their books at will. She can walk through the doorway and exist in both planes. Something she isn't aware of yet, and you'll do well to hope she doesn't realize it. You don't want her coming here and attacking you.”

He paused again, almost as if letting it sink in would change Jonathan's mind. If he could go to a world foreign to demons, with demon soldiers, he could control two whole worlds, not one. No fucking way was he giving up that power.

“As for the blasts at you earlier. Why she had that after the departure of her witch Guardian is beyond me. She's strong, and therefore, probably able to retain powers for a while, if not permanently. So my advice to you, watch out for energy blasts, water, fire, wind, and anything of the sort. And you'd do well to figure out every power War's Second can command.”

“Fuck. He can command War. Their DNA being the same, he can summon him through blood.” He let out a whistle. “That explains his aggression earlier. We thought they couldn't do that shit at will.”

“Time to pray Ciara doesn't get that handy dandy power, or you're looking at two issues instead of one, and I assure you, I will never bail you out. There will be plenty of books to be read by her before she's twenty-seven. Plenty of others who will want to kill her for a chance at her demon-free world.”

“Threats won't work. In case you missed it earlier, I told you to kill me, so clearly I'm loosey goosey with the idea of living.” He had been since his wife was taken, actually. Power was his only love, and he had no problem with that. Losing his wife made him weak for too long. “Question two, just what do you get out of this?”

“Everything. You see, I have a brother. And if I win, he loses. That is all the information you need to know.”

Not that it answered anything, but he knew better than to ask again.

“Why kill Ciara? If she can do these things, why not just bring her somewhere and use her for her abilities?”

“You wasted another question with a ridiculous one. This isn't about you and your struggles. I merely offered you something you want in exchange for getting something I want. Ciara has to die because, if she lives, my brother will win. Plain and simple. There is nothing that would motivate her to do what I want. I've seen others like her before and letting them live it never works. So skip the step and the dramatics it brings. Kill her outright, and my brother has one less ace up his sleeve.”

The answer didn't unsettle him. He understood killing for killing's sake. A good kill sent a rush through him that typically sent him on a hunt for more demons. What did unnerve him was the guy’s tone. It was decidedly darker than usual when he talked about his brother, and he was afraid that not knowing whatever the competition was could spell danger for them all.

“Now, if we are done playing twenty-one questions, I have far more important things to do than chit chat with you. Like passing along this warning. Fail again, and you'll find yourself down quite a few men and women. No sense going after the combatants, but the pathetic office workers scurrying around? Well, it would sure throw a wrench into your plans if, suddenly, you all had to book your own coffee dates.” With a final smirk, he vanished.

Letting out a breath of air, he sighed. That had and hadn't helped. All they knew now was that his section of the Initiative might not be big enough to do this alone. Picking up his cell, he called the office in Germany. “Andres, prepare for war.” Without waiting for a response from his partner, he ended the call and gently tossed the phone to the desk.

This was tricky. He really didn't care about the office workers, but without them and the scientists, the organization couldn't function. He had to make sure they didn't underestimate the pair again.

13

Her eyes opened, and she felt warmth behind her. Yawning, she stretched her arms up in the air and pushed herself backward into the heat. A low moan from behind her made her smile. Rolling to face Stryder, she pushed him so his back was flush on the bed.

“You know, you can continue to be asleep, or you can open those beautiful eyes of yours and show me just how randy you really are, according to Demarcus's book.” To further her point, she let her hand trail down his chest and clasp around his hot erection.

“Sweetheart, if you do that, we're going to be in bed all day because there are things I plan to do to you that will have you boneless.” His hand brushed over her clit, and she groaned, pushing her hips toward him.

He was splendid in the morning, and she couldn't think of anything better. Everything from before the previous night felt so far away. She wanted that connection again, but that didn't mean she was going to let him tease her like that and not deliver. Straddling over his body, she continued to thrust her hand along his shaft.

“Promises, promises, War.”

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