Sin City Collectors Boxed Set: Queen of Hearts, Dead Man's Hand, Double or Nothing by Kristen Painter

Author:Kristen Painter [Painter, Kristen]
Language: eng
Format: epub, azw3
Published: 2014-12-14T06:00:00+00:00

Ares felt Seraphina’s muscles go slack and her grip loosen a split second before she fell. With his inhuman reflexes, he kept one hand on the rock above him and twisted around to catch her by the arm in time to keep her from plummeting into the chasm below. He squeezed hard, fearing her leather jacket would be all he’d have in his hand otherwise.

She hung like a rag doll, her head lolled back in the way of the unconscious. He swore softly to keep the panic at bay. He could do this. He would get them out of here.

He just wasn’t sure if he could do it before Gozer got back. As gently but as firmly as he could, he yanked Seraphina upward, throwing her into the air. A split second later, he snatched her around the waist. From there, he lifted her onto his shoulder.

Once she was settled and secure, he resumed climbing. The going was tougher now, impeded by the awkwardness of carrying her this way. He was careful to protect her from being dragged against the jagged rocks and picked his way upward slowly.

Being laid over his shoulder had caused her leather jacket to inch up, exposing a slice of her torso. A narrow ribbon of pale, vulnerable flesh right beside his face. Her perfume surrounded him, intoxicating him in a way that fueled his efforts and gave him wicked thoughts.

He dug the toes of his boots into a narrow crevice and found a sturdy grip with his right hand, then adjusted her slightly with his left. If he turned his head, he could plant his mouth on that sliver of skin. He could see if she tasted as good as she smelled.

He ground his teeth together, got her situated and returned to the ascent. No, he couldn’t see if she tasted as good as she smelled. Doing so would kill her. He knew that. Why his brain couldn’t remember that was beyond him. Being close to her was shorting out his mental wiring.

But why hadn’t the fall killed her? She hadn’t even broken any bones that he could tell. She might indeed be an immortal. A thirty-foot drop would have killed all but the luckiest of humans. He tried not to think about what would have happened if she hadn’t landed on that ledge.

She sighed and shifted. He stilled until he knew she was all right. Her breathing was soft but steady. He returned to climbing. A few minutes later, he reached the top. He hauled himself halfway over the edge, lifting her over the ends of the rotted planks that had once covered the abandoned shaft.

Once she was safe, he pulled himself the rest of the way up and collapsed next to her. The climb hadn’t been strenuous, but the stress of what was at stake had taken it out of him. He needed a moment just to be next to her and know she was okay.

He turned to look at her, the soft glow from the phosphorescence making her look very much the demigoddess.

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