Page 50 of The Curse of Blood and Silenc

“Balthazar.”

His eyes widened. “Here at Crescent Manor?”

“No. I had a vision, like I did with you. He’s nearby. Not in the bayou. North of here. I can sense him. Evil. So full of hatred.”

“Are you sure?”

I nodded. “Yes. Angelo, I created a shield around me. I can protect us when we go into battle. We won’t be defenseless.”

He stretched out beside me, his body warm and solid against mine. With a gentle hand, he tilted my chin up to meet his gaze. His eyes were intense, filled with determination and something else I couldn’t quite place. “You’re not going into battle,” he said firmly.

I opened my mouth to speak, but whatever protest I’d planned died as his lips found mine. His kiss was soft yet demanding, and I melted into him despite my best efforts to resist. His arms wrapped around me, pulling me closer as the kiss deepened, until there was nothing left in my world but him—his warmth, his touch, his taste. Everything else faded away like smoke in the wind.

As always, he had a way of possessing me completely and igniting a passion that burned hotter than any battlefield.

Chapter

Twenty-Six

Serenity

I should have stoodmy ground and begged him to listen to me, but Angelo had a way of sweeping me up in his fervor. His touch ignited a fire within me that was more than just desire. It was pure energy surging through my veins. My depleted powers sparked back to life wherever his skin met mine, filling me with a dangerous mix of strength and need. My heart raced as I let him take control, lost in the chaos of it all, knowing I should fight this but craving both his touch and the restoration of my power.

The smooth strands of his jet-black hair cascaded down onto my cheek, tickling it ever so slightly. His lips trailed along my throat and the hollow of my neck, sending shivers down my spine. I moved my leg against his, aching for more contact. He brushed his sharp fangs against my skin, causing me to gasp with pleasure. Fire burned bright within me, ignited by his touch.

I slipped my hands under his shirt hungrily, desperate to feel the warmth of his bare skin against mine. The low growl that escaped from his throat only fueled my desire further, and Icould feel his body tensing as our bodies pressed together. The feel of his hard, throbbing cock against my thigh sent waves of arousal through me, mixing with the heat already coursing through my veins.

As his lips brushed against the sensitive skin of my neck, his low voice rumbled through my body like a warm caress. “What were you researching, little one?” he murmured.

My mind struggled to keep up as his hand slowly slipped down to trace a path over the curves and planes of my body. I slipped my hands into his pants and squeezed his firm buttocks. My research felt very unimportant now, overshadowed by the searing pleasure that radiated from his touch.

His fingers reached their destination, igniting every nerve ending in my body. I could barely form words as I gasped out, “Powers...angel powers.” All thoughts and desires had melted away except for the exquisite sensation of his hand stroking my secret curls so expertly.

With a gentle yet insistent touch, he lifted my shirt up and placed feather-light kisses down my chest. As his warm lips traced their way across my skin, a trail of fire followed behind. Anticipation built within me as he pressed his mouth against the fabric of my bra, sucking harder with each passing moment. My heart raced as I pulled him closer to me, feeling the heat and desire between us.

His voice broke through the haze of pleasure, reigniting my mind. ‘What kind of powers?’ His words were like sparks, kindling a flame within me. Was he interrogating me? If so, he was doing it with such prowess and elegance that it felt more like a seduction than an interrogation. He directed me toward his desires without even uttering them aloud, leaving me wanting more with each passing moment.

“I… I wanted to see if I could protect you and the others...from demons.” It wasn’t exactly a lie. I couldn’t tell himabout trying to expel demons, though. He’d lose his mind if he knew I was thinking about confronting Balthazar.

“That’s not quite true, is it?” Angelo’s voice went dangerously soft. “We’re connected, remember. I can read your mind.” His grip tightened. “You can’t expel a demon, Nephilim. You’re not that powerful—Balthazar would only toy with you. Break you.”

He swirled his tongue down to my belly button, sucking it, driving me crazy. I thrashed on the bed as he made his way lower. He pulled down my pants and underwear, then tossed them onto the bed.

Cool air brushed over my hot skin and I stared down at his dark head. He glanced up at me as he kissed my mound. “Mi vita, listen to me. Your power, your fierce fire—they’re what made me fall for you. But Balthazar is not just another demon. He harvests souls like others collect trinkets, and the thought of him getting anywhere near you...” His voice turned rough. “Promise me you’ll be careful. I can’t lose you.”

My throat tightened at the raw emotion in his voice. This was the Angelo few people ever saw—the one who could be tender, who loved with the same intensity he ruled. His fear for me was real, and it made my own deception cut deeper. But how could I turn my back on Steve and Joy when they needed me most? When every moment I delayed could mean losing them forever?

His hot tongue flicked against my sensitive clit, and I couldn’t help but cry out in pleasure.

“I promise, I promise,” I panted, even as my heart ached with the lie.

“You can’t save them on your own,” he murmured against my skin.

I stiffened. I kept forgetting he could read my mind.

“I know what you like, Nephilim. Not just saving the people you love, but how you want me to pleasure you.”

His words sent heat racing through my veins. Even now, with Steve and Joy in danger, Angelo could make me forget everything but the feel of him, the need for him. It wasn’t fair how well he knew me—both my desperate need to protect and my desperate need for him.

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