Her voice shakes. The darkness of her fear is overridden by a puff of red as my hips graze against hers.

“There’s hardly any room for fear when you’re so bloody turned on.”

A blade of near blackness slices through her lust. I’m making her mad. Good on me. Perhaps if she’s angry enough she’ll finally blurt out what she wants.

“Ah, there’s anger now . . . and a bit of embarrassment.”

“I know what we are now,” she says in a shaking breath. The sound of her voice rakes against my cold heart. What we are . . . is it truly possible she didn’t know? Obviously she knew she was different, but could she have been ignorant about being the daughter of a demon? Possible, but not probable. It has to be a bloody lie.

“Congratulations.” I consider kissing her, just to see how she’ll react. Just to see how those pretty little lips feel.

At that thought I push away from the wall, berating myself, as I send my small dagger flying at the dartboard with a hard throw.

Bull’s-eye.

I make it smoothly to the couch and turn, not wanting my back to her for too long. I sit and wait for her to explain why she’s come, but she simply stands there at a loss. Heavy doubt clouds my mind. Did she come here to talk to me about what we are? If she didn’t know before, how would she have found out? I want to ask, but if it’s all a wicked hoax, I can’t fall into her trap.

Something inside me twinges—I hear something outside, but everyone should be gone by now. I push my hearing through the house and down our curved driveway.

A smooth-engined car.

My father’s velvety voice as he talks on his mobile, schmoozing someone, chuckling.

Of all the bad fucking timing . . .

I look at Anna, but she doesn’t appear to be listening. Does she know he’s coming? Is this a trap? I wait for a smug look to cross her face, for the act to drop, but she’s the very same Anna, standing there in a cloud of hurt feelings.

Sudden clarity smacks me and I feel the strangest sense of protectiveness over my mysterious Nephilim girl. I know I’ve been contemplating whether or not she’s working with Father and the other Dukes, but in that moment my gut feeling overtakes me.

I don’t think she is. Deep down, I think she’s legit. Call me a damned fool, but the idea of keeping this girl in the room with my father is like putting a speckled fawn in the path of a wolf.

I have to hide her.

Father is saying his good-byes on the mobile now, and the driver is walking around to let him out. It’s likely that Father has already heard us, but if he was on the phone he mightn’t have. If I attempt to take Anna out a back way, he will hear both of our footsteps and wonder why I’m avoiding him. I have about one minute to dupe him into thinking she’s a hookup.

I jump from the couch and lunge at Anna, grasping her shoulders hard and pressing my lips to her ear. I whisper as softly as I can.

“My father is here.”

She stiffens under my hand. Yes, she knows what we are, therefore she knows Father is a demon. Be afraid, Anna.

I pull her to the couch and fling her down. Thank God for female blouses with buttons. I rip it open, needing the scene to appear real. When she sucks in a shocked breath I press a finger to her lips. Her aura is a swirl of gray tones, both fear and embarrassment. This is not the time for modesty. I can’t have her appearing terrified if we’re supposed to be going at it. So I toss a throw blanket at her and rip my own shirt over my head. I point to her shirt and she starts rolling her shoulders to get it off.

God, she is sexy. Even in that innocent white satin bra. Let’s just hope I haven’t been a fool and she doesn’t shove a dagger in my spine. I lower my body over hers and taste the skin at the base of her throat. I move upward to the curve of her neck and shoulder, and let out a low moan. Our skin touches and she moves underneath me in a sultry way, grasping the nearby pillows in her fists.

I suddenly want all her clothes off.

The sound of Father coming down the stairs erases that thought from my mind. He knows by now I’m with a girl, but he has no notion of privacy.

When the door opens, Anna’s body jumps under me and she lets out a squeak. I turn my head to the door where Father stands, smiling, inching farther to the side to get a better look at Anna. Damn. I can’t hide her any further without being obvious.

“My apologies, son. I didn’t realize you had company.” He is still moving casually across the room, staring.

Before I can say a word, the politeness slips from his features and his eyes flash red. I look down at Anna, who has foolishly allowed the blanket to fall enough to give Father a side view of her badge. I hold my breath. They definitely do not seem to know each other.

“I never imagined you’d care to entertain female Nephilim,” he grits.

Not good. Not fucking good. Neph can work together, but they are not to play together. Especially in the one-on-one way.

“I don’t normally.” I stand and move away, as if coming to my senses. “She caught me while I was bored and alone after practice.”

His face sours as he scents the air. “You will come up for tea. Both of you.” He leaves, and I ball my hands. Close my eyes. I want to punch something.

Anna is my problem. My mystery. I don’t want to share her with anyone, especially not the wolf upstairs. It’s clear now they weren’t working together. The blood has drained from Anna’s face as she clutches the blanket to her chest. I simultaneously feel sorry for her and want to shout at her. She’s a stupid, stupid girl for coming here.