Darkest Sinner Read online

  Set gripped his throat with both hands as sores appeared up and down his arms. At this point, I wasn’t sure who was doing what, just that he was getting quickly stripped of everything that made him a god.

  More ash and smoke wrapped itself around Set’s feet, pulling him into the floor like he was getting drawn into the depths of Hell or maybe being trapped between two planes for an eternity.

  Timber jerked him back to his feet and slammed his fist into his chest, pulling his still beating heart from his body as he held it in his hand.

  “Cassius,” Timber growled. “A feather, if you don’t mind.”

  “No!” Set screamed. “You can’t!”

  “My pleasure.” Cassius chuckled and handed Timber one purple feather.

  “King Set…” Timber’s body shook and then morphed into the jackal, all sleek black fur, pointy ears and nose. “The truth of your heart is black. I condemn you to death.”

  “I am a god!” He wailed in pain as something lifted from the dark mist.

  A woman in all black with razor sharp teeth, green skin, and red hair. “Anubis, it has been an age.” She winked.

  “Mania.” He nodded. “I brought you a snack.”

  “Like I said…” Mania grinned seductively at Set. “I knew I would be entertained when I gave you that borrowed soul. Worth every penny.” She pressed a claw against Set’s head. “You ready for a feast, King Set? Because I’ve been watching you for centuries.”

  “No.” Set shrieked. “No!”

  “Be gone, goddess of death,” Cassius snapped. “And take your pathetic snack with you.”

  “Angels,” she huffed. “So demanding. Do put in a good word upstairs.”

  With that, the dark mist consumed them both leaving nothing but a mark of ash where they stood and a black stone heart in Timber’s hand.

  I exhaled in relief and threw my arms around his neck. “You did it!”

  “Who knew I’d grow up and become a team player?” Timber shrugged.

  “Literally none of us.” Alex yawned. “Literally.”

  “Alex.” My father went over to him and patted him on the shoulder. “I’m curious, how did you find your travels?”

  “Boring.” Alex grinned and then shrugged. “Kidding, I was quite entertained by Kyra here and the way she spoke to Set, though it nearly got us killed it was worth it, because now dipshit’s back, yay!”

  He was pointing at Timber, who just rolled his eyes and held me close.

  Horus slumped against one of the barstools. “Tell me every Tuesday night isn’t always like this.”

  Complete silence and then…

  “Never!”

  “Totally boring.”

  “We garden!”

  “Look, my tomatoes are coming in.” Mason started moving to the window while a quiet Tarek sat town next to Horus and grinned.

  Horus narrowed his eyes. “Why are you looking at me like that? Why is he looking at me like that?”

  “He likes to make friends.” Timber laughed. “He’s your problem now, brother.”

  “I’ll grow on you.” Tarek slapped him on the back. “Plus I see some very interesting times in your future, Prince of Light. How do you feel about cougars?”

  “The animal?”

  “The woman.” Tarek nodded slowly. “You better bring your A game. She’s feisty.”

  “Fantastic, just what I wanted,” Horus said dryly. “Feisty.”

  I turned in Timber’s arms and pressed a kiss to his mouth. “Worth it, it was worth it, wasn’t it?”

  “Yes.” His eyes glowed a warm gold. “It was.”

  I suddenly didn’t want to be in that room anymore, or anywhere near other people. I was already imagining clawing his clothes from his body.

  He growled low in his throat and pulled me against his chest, kissing me soundly. “Bathroom.”

  “But I don’t have to—ohhhh, yes, bathroom, now, to er, clean up the…” We both eyed the black heart still in his hands. “Ash?”

  “Let’s just go with ash,” he agreed as we snuck away from everyone, even though they had to know what was happening. My own father blushed and looked away.

  I didn’t care.

  He was mine.

  I was his.

  And our moment had finally arrived.

  After centuries of searching.

  Our journey had led us home.

  TIMBER

  I locked the bathroom door and immediately pulled every stitch of clothing off of her and tossed it to the floor. Her skin was positively glowing. Her smile was an addiction I could get used to as I nipped her lips and held her body close, just needing a few minutes with her, a few minutes to hold her there, frozen in time while the reality of what had just happened settled over us.

  “I have searched for you for thousands of years,” I rasped, my voice heavy with emotion. “Don’t make me wait any longer to be inside you again, to feel your legs wrapped around me. I don’t think I could survive it.”

  “That,” Kyra said, pulling my shirt over my head, “makes two of us.”

  Our mouths collided as she pulled open the button to my jeans, freeing me.

  I hooked her legs around my waist, grabbing her at the knees to angle deeper. “One day there will be a bed.”

  Her head fell back against the glass as she laughed. “As long as I have you, I don’t really care.”

  “Good answer.” I slid my mouth across hers and bit down on her lower lip, swirling my tongue across the swollen pieces of skin that I couldn’t stop sucking and tasting.

  “Now, Anubis.”

  “You keep calling me that.” I didn’t admit that I liked it more.

  “Because…” Her eyes flashed gold. “In this world, Timber was my boss, my friend, the demon who protected me even though he had no reason to. But Anubis? He’s the other half of my soul. And since you’re one person I figured, in this moment, when I’m baring body and soul to you—you deserve to be called, not Timber, but my Anubis, Prince of Darkness, Keeper of Souls—mine!”

  “Say it!” I thrust into her, slamming my hand against the glass behind her head as it cracked beneath my fingertips. “Say it again!’

  “Anubis, Keeper of Souls.” She panted in my arms as I strained to keep focus. “Mine.”

  “Yes!” I growled as our bodies slammed together and hit the glass again and again until nothing but shards remained around our feet. “Seeing your pleasure is everything to me, holding you—even better.”

  “Mmm,” She drew a small circle around my chest and then a tiny blue tentacle reached out and grabbed her finger. “I think you like me.”

  “No. I love you. With every part of me.”

  Tears filled her eyes. “I’m so sorry for not trusting you, for not remembering.”

  “Shhh.” I cupped her chin with both hands and winked. “At least now we have time.”

  “No. No you don’t,” Ethan growled from the other side of the door. “If you break anything, I swear I’ll—”

  I snapped my fingers as a dark mist curled beneath the door.

  “Son of a bitch, Timber! Why am I seeing my worst nightmare come to life? Horus! Horus!”

  I shrugged and kissed Kyra again.

  “We owe him a mirror,” she pointed out.

  “He’s rich, he’ll be okay.” I sighed in contentment. “But if it makes you happy, we’ll go to Home Depot and find him a stupid mirror. Damn vampire likes to look at himself too much.”

  She laughed as I slowly helped her put her clothes back on. Kyra was just reaching for my jeans when she gave me her back and turned on the shower, then looked over her shoulder. “Can’t break much in here.”

  I took her word for it.

  Our bill at Home Depot was twelve hundred dollars.

  And as I handed over my card, all I kept thinking was… worth it.

  Worth it all.

  “How do you feel about kids?” She asked as we climbed into my Maserati.

  “I think they better ha
ve more light than dark or those toddlers are going to be a nightmare.” I tried to keep the excitement out of my voice.

  And as we drove off, literally toward my house and the sunset, I heard a familiar chuckle.

  “So, bloody entertaining, Anubis. I’ll be back for your brother.”

  Rachel Van Dyken is the #1 New York Times Bestselling, Wall Street Journal, and USA Today bestselling author of over 80 books ranging from contemporary romance to paranormal. With over four million copies sold, she's been featured in Forbes, US Weekly, and USA Today. Her books have been translated in more than 15 countries. She was one of the first romance authors to have a Kindle in Motion book through Amazon publishing and continues to strive to be on the cutting edge of the reader experience. She keeps her home in the Pacific Northwest with her husband, adorable son, naked cat, and two dogs. For more information about her books and upcoming events, visit www.RachelVanDykenauthor.com.

  Kathy Ireland & Rachel Van Dyken

  Fashion Jungle

  Eagle Elite

  Elite

  Elect

  Entice

  Elicit

  Bang Bang

  Enforce

  Ember

  Elude

  Empire

  Enrage

  Eulogy

  Exposed

  Envy

  Elite Bratva Brotherhood

  RIP

  Debase

  The Bet Series

  The Bet

  The Wager

  The Dare

  Seaside Series

  Tear

  Pull

  Shatter

  Forever

  Fall

  Strung

  Eternal

  Seaside Pictures

  Capture

  Keep

  Steal

  All Stars Fall

  Abandon

  Waltzing With The Wallflower

  Waltzing with the Wallflower

  Beguiling Bridget

  Taming Wilde

  London Fairy Tales

  Upon a Midnight Dream

  Whispered Music

  The Wolf's Pursuit

  When Ash Falls

  Renwick House

  The Ugly Duckling Debutante

  The Seduction of Sebastian St. James

  The Redemption of Lord Rawlings

  An Unlikely Alliance

  The Devil Duke Takes a Bride

  Ruin Series

  Ruin

  Toxic

  Fearless

  Shame

  The Consequence Series

  The Consequence of Loving Colton

  The Consequence of Revenge

  The Consequence of Seduction

  The Consequence of Rejection

  The Dark Ones Series

  The Dark Ones

  Untouchable Darkness

  Dark Surrender

  Darkest Temptation

  Darkest Sinner

  Wingmen Inc.

  The Matchmaker’s Playbook

  The Matchmaker’s Replacement

  The Bachelors of Arizona

  The Bachelor Auction

  The Playboy Bachelor

  The Bachelor Contract

  Curious Liaisons

  Cheater

  Cheater’s Regret

  Players Game

  Fraternize

  Infraction

  M.V.P.

  Liars, Inc

  Dirty Exes

  Dangerous Exes

  Cruel Summer

  Summer Heat

  Summer Seduction

  Summer Nights

  Red Card

  Risky Play

  Kickin’ It

  Covet

  Stealing Her

  Other Titles

  The Parting Gift

  Compromising Kessen

  Savage Winter

  Divine Uprising

  Every Girl Does It

  Co-Ed

  A Crown for Christmas

  www.rachelvandykenauthor.com