All of it. From being a demon, to his line of work, what Bowen had done, and the threat Carisio had made. Caine had even told him about the bounty on his head. It kind of felt refreshing to talk to someone about it—the stress, the looking over his shoulder all the time, and never being able to trust anyone.

  Caine felt like a weight had lifted while Abel had a strange twitch under one eye. He’d fucked around and broken the human.

  “Are you going to say anything?” Caine kept waving his hand. “Hello?”

  “What…the hell…am I supposed to say to that?” Abel moved backward and just fell. Caine suspected Abel was aiming for the couch, but he’d missed. He sat on the floor, one arm leveled on the cushions. “You’re completely insane.”

  “I know it’s a lot to take in.”

  Abel slowly looked up at him. “A lot to take in is finding out one of your parents is terminally ill. What you just dropped into my lap is outside the realm of possibilities.”

  “Now do you see why we have to leave?” Caine wanted Abel to snap out of it so they could get going. He needed to find Bowen and stop the shifter’s path of destruction. In Caine’s form, Bowen could do a helluva lot more damage.

  Caine was already on the demon warriors’ shit list. The last place he wanted to be was the underworld. He shivered at the thought of being locked up for eternity, reliving his worst nightmares. Caine would rather be killed than be handed that fate.

  Abel finally pushed to his feet. “I’m not going anywhere with you. You show up here talking about demons and guys who can shift into different forms. You’re nuts!”

  Caine lifted his hand.

  Abel narrowed his eyes. “You blow that smoke at me, and I’ll…I’ll scream my fool head off! My neighbors know my brother’s a cop. They’ll call him.”

  “And we’ll be long gone by the time he gets here.” Caine didn’t have time for this crap. “Deal with the facts and get over it. We have more pressing problems.”

  “It’s always a pressing problem with you, isn’t it? Your life is filled with drama, and insanity. I’m not gonna be a part of that.” Abel walked to the door and opened it. “While I appreciate your effort to help me, get out.”

  “Are you serious?” Caine walked to the door and slammed it shut. “You think this is some kind of game?”

  “I think I made a mistake calling you in the first place. What was I thinking? I saw what you could do in the gas station. That should’ve been a huge warning sign. How do I keep getting myself mixed up in crazy?”

  Caine wasn’t known for his patience or negotiating when his mind was made up. He was giving Abel more leeway than he’d ever given anyone else. Why was this pint-sized human getting to him? Why was Caine standing there arguing with Abel? They were wasting precious time.

  “Believe me or don’t believe me,” Caine said with mounting frustration. “I don’t give a shit, but you’re leaving with me because I’m done arguing. I’ve never had to work this goddamn hard convincing someone how much danger they’re in. You’re an infuriating—”

  “Buzzing gnat?” Abel crossed his arms. He looked just as angry as Caine felt.

  He also looked adorable.

  Wait. Where had that thought come from? Caine was letting Abel get to him, fuck with his mind. It’d been awhile since he’d gotten laid, and Abel was hot, but Caine never mixed business with pleasure.

  “I’m taking my bath, and you’re leaving.” Abel walked away from the door, and Caine had to stop himself from tossing the guy over his shoulder and leaving.

  He’d rather have Abel come willingly, but Caine saw that wasn’t going to happen. He shot his arm out and yanked Abel close, so close that their noses were almost touching. Then again, Caine had to bend just to get to Abel’s level.

  “You’re coming with me.”

  Abel opened his mouth as if to scream. Caine clamped a hand over it. He picked Abel up and walked to the bedroom. Daylight was already creeping through the windows. Caine needed total darkness. He opened the closet door and stepped inside.

  Then moved his hand away from Abel’s mouth.

  “Let me go!” Abel tried to fight, but his elbows were ineffectual when Caine stepped backward, keeping his hand on the guy’s arm. The sense of falling washed over him, and Abel screamed, clutching Caine with both hands.

  Caine had latched onto the faint connection he felt with Bowen. When they landed, the link felt stronger. He looked around and cursed at their location.

  Abel clung to him like a spider monkey, curled around Caine’s torso. “What the hell just happened? Where are we? How did we get from my apartment to here?”

  Caine didn’t bother prying Abel off him. He wanted the human to stay as close as possible as he made his way home. What the hell was Bowen doing back in Remtin?

  “What kind of place is this?” Abel tried to let go, but Caine curled an arm around him, keeping him in place. The streets were barren, like they always were, but Caine felt eyes on him. He had a bounty on his head, and there were plenty of motherfuckers who would love to cash in on him.

  “Just keep quiet.” The city was dark, which was always the case in the demon realm. A slight wind blew, reminding Caine of a ghost town. The eeriness, the racing heart, and that feeling of having to look over his shoulder were back.

  “I can walk on my own,” Abel quietly argued.

  “Trust me, clinging to me is your safest bet.” Caine didn’t want to admit how much he liked holding Abel, how good it felt having someone in his arms.

  Getting home had been too easy. No one tried to stop him, which made Caine think heading to his apartment was a trap. But he had nowhere else to go. Not when he had Abel with him, an innocent human who wouldn’t last five seconds alone in this city.

  The vultures would be all over him if Caine set him down.

  Caine would normally welcome a good brawl. He lived for them, relished the fight, but Abel was a weakness Caine had to protect. He was also leverage that could be used against Caine.

  As soon as he got home, and as badly as he wanted to find Bowen, Caine needed to use the shadows and get Abel out of there. Even the demon warriors were hesitant to come to Remtin.

  Abel wouldn’t stand a chance.

  “I wanna go home.” Abel’s nails dug into Caine’s back. “I think I’m about to freak out.”

  “Don’t,” Caine said in a harsh whisper. “Don’t draw any attention to us.” Although they already had plenty of attention. Eyes were on them. Abel just wasn’t able to detect anyone’s presence.

  “But no one is around. Can’t we hail a taxi or order an Uber? Where the hell are we?”

  “Would you stop with the questions?” Caine ground his teeth as he cut the corner.

  Almost there. Almost home. Just one more block. If Caine could get to his apartment, they would be safe. As safe as anyone could be in Remtin. But he’d cast powerful spells over his home, protecting him from the monsters that dwelled in this city.

  Caine’s arm tightened around Abel. Up ahead was a group of men hanging out in front of some rundown building. They were talking amongst themselves but went quiet when they spotted Caine.

  Fear pumped through his veins when they turned and looked at him, their gazes dropping to the human stuck to Caine’s chest like Velcro.

  “You got some brass balls showing up here after what you just did,” one of them said as he pushed away from the wall he’d been leaning against. “Tremblay is looking for you.”

  Fucking Bowen. This was why Caine had to catch the shifter. “What do you think I did?”

  They looked at each other then back at Caine. “You hit your head and suddenly get amnesia?”

  “What’s he talking about?” Abel whispered.

  “I already explained that to you. The shifter pretending to be me.”

  “I thought you were making that up.” Abel swallowed tightly. “Oh my god, this is all real. You were telling me the truth.”

  “Now you want to believe me?” Caine rolled his eyes. “Just keep your mouth shut and don’t let go.”

  Abel nodded, burying his face in Caine’s chest. “I think I’d rather deal with my stalker. This is much, much scarier.”

  “I thought I told you to shut your mouth,” Caine snarled.

  “Shutting my mouth,” Abel whispered.

  Caine doubted that. Abel hadn’t been able to stay quiet since he’d met the guy. He’d probably be rambling in his grave.

  “Tell me what I did,” Caine said to the one who clearly ran the group. He let his powers flow through him, allowing his horns to show, letting his eyes glow red. He could have wiped the ground with these fools if he didn’t have Abel with him.

  Even so, he wasn’t going to let them get the better of him. Not today, not ever. Caine rolled his shoulders as he walked forward, raising his hand.

  The men backed away, their eyes wide. Caine’s reputation preceded him. He could turn all their minds to mush if he wanted to, and they knew it.

  Still, Caine was cautious as he walked by them. His apartment was two buildings down. He’d make Abel run to it if Caine had to fight his way out of this.

  “This ain’t over.” The leader narrowed his eyes. “Tremblay is gonna flay skin from bones when he catches up with you.”

  Caine had no doubt about that. Tremblay was a demon who’d escaped from Hell and had caused nothing but havoc in Remtin. He was an oversized gorilla who threw his weight around, intimidating others and killing anyone who got in his way.

  Before ripping Bowen’s heart out, Caine was gonna choke the fuck out of him for going up against such monsters and making them think Caine had done them wrong.

  He made it to his apartment steps and hurried inside, keeping his arm wrapped around Abel as he climbed to the twelfth floor. Caine unlocked his door and stepped inside, finally able to take a breath.

  Abel wiggled until Caine released him. When Abel’s feet touched the floor, he shoved his hands into Caine’s chest. “What have you gotten me into?” He waved a hand at the windows. “Did you see the size of those men? All five of them looked like they wanted to taste the iron in your blood! Where am I? How did we get here, and how do we get back to my place?”

  Caine was getting a migraine. He just wanted five minutes of silence, but Abel was relentless.

  “I can’t believe you were telling me the truth. And those horns on your head! They were never there before. I think I’m gonna pass out.”

  Caine wished he would.

  When Abel kept talking, Caine lost it. “Just shut up and sit down for five fucking seconds!”

  Abel retreated to the recliner and sat, tears filling his eyes. He wouldn’t look at Caine, and Caine felt like shit for scaring the guy, which flared his anger even higher.

  Caine walked to the kitchen, leaving Abel in the living room. He curled his fingers around the edge of the counter and exhaled. This situation was getting messier and messier, and Caine didn’t see an end.

  He had to find somewhere to stash Abel so he could go after Bowen, but there wasn’t anyone he would trust with Abel’s life. Those men outside had gotten a good look at the human. Now Abel was in even more danger.

  The shit just kept getting deeper and deeper, which made Caine feel cornered. And cornering someone like him would result in chaos of epic proportions. Still, life had a funny way of slapping you in the face sometimes, and maybe all of this was payback for the shit Caine had done over his lifetime.

  If that was happening, he needed to get Abel far away from him.

  * * * *

  As Abel sat there, he looked around the living room, surprised how homey it felt in a place like this. He was still spitting mad that Caine had yelled at him, but he was also terrified. Abel had a feeling he was someplace he didn’t want to be.

  Sometimes Abel’s libido got him into a world of trouble, and he wasn’t going to deny he’d hadn’t put up that much of a fight because he was attracted to Caine.

  And see where that’s gotten you?

  But didn’t his father always tell him to open himself up to new experiences, to never settle in life? Though Abel seriously doubted his dad had this in mind.

  He stood, took a deep breath, and squared his shoulders. This was just another adventure. Abel could either embrace it or lose his sanity. He mentally pulled his boots straps up and walked into the kitchen.

  Caine was bracing the counter, seemingly lost in his thoughts. His head was lowered, and his eyes were closed, the horns gone.

  “I’m sorry I’ve been such a pain in the ass.”

  Caine sighed but didn’t open his eyes or move. “You have every right to act the way you do. I was selfish thinking you could handle all this. I shouldn’t have lost my temper. I shouldn’t have laid all that in your lap at once.”

  Abel had a feeling Caine didn’t apologize often, if ever. He didn’t seem the type. He was far more likely to kick ass and snap necks than admit he’d done anything wrong.

  This would be the perfect opportunity to gloat, but that wasn’t Abel’s style. According to the men who’d dumped him, Abel was too forgiving, too naïve, and too nice. How they’d ever thought that about him was anyone’s guess.

  “So what do we do now?” He leaned against the counter, a strange need to get closer to Caine. Abel’s hands itched to touch Caine, but he refrained. “How do we get out of this mess? Do you know where to look for Bowen?”

  “I have a way of connecting with him.” Caine went to the refrigerator and grabbed a bottle of water. “I’m not gonna try while you’re here. It’s too dangerous.”

  “Too dangerous? I think we’re way past that.” Abel was trying not to lose his patience. There Caine went again, trying to protect Abel but ultimately shutting him out. “You’ve already gotten me involved. Now, what’s our plan?”

  “Not happening.” Caine walked out of the kitchen.

  Abel balled his hands into fists and silently screamed. No one had ever infuriated him this badly. Not even Aaron. He stormed from the kitchen, ready to lay into Caine.

  “I’ve had enough of overprotective men,” he snapped. “We’re in this together.”

  “There is no together,” Caine argued. “This is my fight, and I’m not gonna let an innocent get hurt because of my problems.”

  “But you had no problem demanding that you take me from my home,” Abel reminded him. “You were ready to get me involved then. What’s changed?”

  Before Caine could answer him, the living room window shattered. Caine grabbed Abel and dropped to the floor. “That shouldn’t have happened. I have spells covering every inch of my place.”

  Abel covered his head and scooted closer to Caine when he heard rapid gunfire. Someone wanted to make sure Caine was dead. “Can you get us out of here?”

  Caine pulled Abel damn near all the way under his body. Oh, this was nice. The guy’s body was firm but soft. What? Abel shouldn’t be thinking that right now. Was this how he handled stress? Horniness? He should be trying to get away from Caine, away from this bizarre and deadly situation, not try to covertly inhale his dark scent or enjoy the way Caine’s muscles pressed against him.

  Abel couldn’t help it, though. When was the last time he had someone this stunning lying so close to him? The answer would be never. Was Caine’s dangerous vibe a turn-on? Abel had never been attracted to bad boys before. In fact, he’d steered clear of them his entire life. He’d always done vanilla—safe…boring.

  He was sick of safe and boring, but now he was at the other end of the spectrum.

  Caine got up and pulled Abel’s arm, sliding Abel across the floor and down the hallway as the bullets started flying again.

  “The closet?” Abel asked when Caine pulled him to his feet.

  “Yep.” Caine pulled him inside the closet and walked backward. Abel gladly went with him. He didn’t like the nauseating feeling of falling, but he’d get over that if it meant getting out of there.

  But nothing happened. They were still in the closet.

  “Caine?”

  “Someone has stopped me from transporting.” Caine cursed. “We’re stuck here until I can figure this out.”

  Abel gasped when he heard something that sounded like someone was breaking the front door down. Was it too late to go back to safe and boring?

  Chapter Five

  “Not a single fingerprint,” Sheriff Grayson Copache said. “Not even touch DNA. The guy was careful, Aaron.”

  Deputy Aaron Mills was only half listening to his boss. He’d called Abel three times now. Abel was a light sleeper and should’ve picked up by now.

  Something wasn’t right.

  Grayson snapped his fingers in Aaron’s face. “Did you hear me?”

  Aaron got up from his desk. “Abel isn’t answering. That’s not like him.”

  His brother should’ve gotten plenty of sleep by now. It was well after three in the afternoon.

  “Something wrong?” Deputy Weston Crosby, who’d just been hired a month ago, asked. Aaron was still feeling him out. Weston seemed like a nice, wholesome guy. Everybody seemed to like him, but he was new and wasn’t part of the family at the station yet.

  “Go,” Grayson said. “Let me know what’s going on.”

  Aaron nodded and got up, heading for the door. He hadn’t told their parents what was happening. Aaron didn’t want to worry them. Abel was a levelheaded guy who’d always steered clear of trouble, and it gutted Aaron that he couldn’t catch the person stalking his baby brother.

  He drove to Abel’s apartment, thinking the worst. He should’ve strapped his brother to his side until the stalker was caught. Aaron had told Abel to lock his door and had heard the lock engage. Had someone broken in after he’d left?

  Aaron would never forgive himself if anything happened to Abel. His brother wasn’t exactly the kind of guy who could protect himself. Lord knew he had a stubborn streak, and at times, Abel had a mouth on him. But physical fighting wasn’t his strong suit.