Despite knowing that about him, Harper didn't fear him. She couldn't deny that he unbalanced her. And she had to admit that she found him a little overwhelming. But even before she'd known he was her anchor, there had been none of what would be considered very rational, plausible fear. So either she'd sensed who he was to her on a subconscious level, or this was just part of her not being smart.
Still, she couldn't say she was eager to bond with him. Not just because of all she'd heard about him, but because there was no doubting that Knox Thorne would be hard to have as an anchor. Just fifteen minutes in his company was enough to tell her that he was controlling, authoritative, and wanted what he wanted exactly when he wanted it. He'd interfere in her life and dictate to her. Being that she was stubborn, willful, and contrary – traits she was proud of – she'd drive him insane.
Having spent most of her life traveling with an emotionally immature nomad for a father, she'd taken most of her leaps in life all on her own. She had become so independent that she found it both difficult and uncomfortable to have people do things for her. Being alone was her comfort zone, it was what she knew. That kind of thing didn't go hand-in-hand with having an anchor like Knox Thorne.
There was also a little complication she would bet that Knox wasn't aware of; something that could mean he would decide not to accept her as his anchor anyway. She supposed she'd find out soon enough.
In the meantime, she needed to know more about him. Settling on the sofa, she pulled out her cell phone and dialed a familiar number.
"Hey, Grams."
"Hello, sweetheart." Jolene Wallis might be a bossy, meddling, master manipulator that even Lucifer found hard to deal with, but she loved and protected her family ferociously. She had also trained and prepared Harper to take over as Prime one day, but it was a position that held no appeal for Harper.
"How are you doing?"
"Fine," replied Jolene. "You sound tired."
"It's been a long, busy day at work." And an even busier night.
There was a heavy, frustrated sigh. "I teach you to lie, steal, extort, embezzle, commit identity theft, and hack into bank accounts. And what do you do? Get a job."
Harper rolled her eyes. "Anyway…I called to tell you that, um…I found my anchor."
"Really? Who is the lucky bastard?"
"You've actually met him."
"Well, don't keep me in suspense. You know I don't like that."
"It's Knox Thorne."
Total silence greeted that announcement.
"Grams, you there?"
Another heavy sigh. "I suppose I should have anticipated that your anchor would be someone strong-minded and powerful. They would be no match for you if they weren't."
"You don't disapprove?"
"Knox Thorne is a powerful demon who will do whatever he has to do for those under his protection – and that now includes you. How can I disapprove of that? Quick warning: he won't accept any of your 'I don't want an anchor' shit if he wants the bond bad enough."
"Yeah, I know. But there's a lot I don't know. I've heard rumors about him, but that's all. I need some facts."
"Well, he has one of the largest lairs and, from all accounts, is a very protective Prime who polices his demons well. He runs a pretty tight ship. I've heard many tales of his versions of 'punishment.' Not so long ago, one of his demons was kidnapped by vampires. Knox hunted the vampire responsible, subjected her to gruesome torture, placed her in a solid brass coffin and then set a fire beneath it."
"I heard a little about that."
"He can be merciless and brutal. And if you ask me, he's even more powerful than we believe. But he's never caused our family any problems. He doesn't war with other lairs. He could have abused his power by trying to rule at least the U.S., if not the world. But he hasn't. Not like this Isla-bitch who's been making plenty of noise lately – she's cold and greedy for everything that represents power. Knox isn't like that, which says a lot about him."
"What do you think he is?"
"I don't know. Some think he's simply an extremely powerful incubus, given his incredible allure."
Harper didn't believe that. He was something…more. Something she instinctively knew she'd never encountered before.
"In any case, don't let Knox or his demon bully you. Any weakness you show will be pounced on. I'm not saying provoke him or lose your wariness of him – anything that dangerous should be watched carefully. But don't be afraid to stand your ground."
"It's likely that I'll piss him off."
Jolene cackled. "Of course you will. You're a Wallis. That's what we do."
A pause. "It's safe to say that Carla isn't going to like you being Knox's anchor, whether you form the bond or not."
"Don't think I don't know that you're smiling right now."
"Anything that causes that bitch upset is worth smiling about. If she gives you any trouble, you call me."
So that Jolene could turn the woman's house into rubble? It was tempting, but it would only cause problems.
"She's not worth it, Grams."
"Oh come on, allow an old woman her fun."
"Your ideas of 'fun' tend to attract the attention of humans."
A huff. "I don't know why you have to be so judgmental."
Harper shook her head. "You're unbelievable."
"Thank you." She sounded genuinely pleased with the comment.
Amused despite herself, Harper chuckled. "I gotta go, I'll see you soon."
"I'll hold you to that, sweetheart. Remember, stand your ground with Knox."
She would. Because Harper never folded. Not even to a guy who could scramble her brain and play her body without even touching her.
"Either you've got your tampon in too far or something's bugging you. Which is it?"
Looking up from where she was cleaning her tattoo station, Harper sighed at her fellow lair-member.
"Like I already told you a hundred times, I'm fine."
Devon gave her a reassuring smile. "Of course you're fine." There was no sarcasm there, only total faith in Harper. "But that doesn't mean something isn't playing on your mind. Share it. You've been like this all day, and I can't take the suspense anymore."
That was the thing about hellcats, they were unbelievably and annoyingly curious. "I even waited for Khloë to leave in case it was something you didn't want to discuss with your family. I know they're meddlers."
It was true that there were no worse meddlers than Wallis imps.
"Your sour mood isn't because of Royce, is it?" asked Devon, her cat-green eyes wary. "I mean, honestly, you can do a lot better."
"No, it's not Royce. Although it's definitely not fun working across the street from my ex." Particularly since said ex was being an asshole, despite that he was the one who did the cheating.
Raini, another member of Harper's lair, appeared. "What are we talking about?"
Both she and Harper were not only senior tattooists but owned the business together. Devon was an apprentice and also specialized in piercings while Khloë worked as their receptionist.
The place had a rock/art/Harley Davidson vibe. The she-demons had treated the white walls that ran throughout the office and work area as one big canvas. The metal wall art on display were actually enlarged copies of tattoos – flames, swirls, animals, and Chinese dragons to name a few. Framed photographs of tattoos also decorated the walls.
The reception area had a large L-shaped sofa and coffee table on either side. There were also some glass display cabinets of various types of jewelry here and there. The chrome reception desk was almost a full circle, leaving plenty of workspace and was kept obsessively tidy by Khloë, who guarded her territory like a bulldog. Khloë was a total contradiction. She was obsessively tidy – everything had a place, and everything had to be kept in that place or she would totally lose her shit. And yet, Harper had never met anyone who dressed less neatly than her cousin.
"Harper was just about to tell me what crawled up her ass and died."
"Ooh, spill, spill, spill," encouraged Raini before taking a sip of her coffee. Somehow, she was able to make it look like a sensual experience.
"Did I tell you I love this new look?" Harper asked Raini, admiring the soft pink highlights she had added to her white-blonde hair. It made Harper think of strawberries and cream.
Raini held up a hand. "I will not be distracted."
With a resigned sigh, Harper told them, "I found my anchor."
Devon's face lit up with excitement, but then she frowned in confusion. "Why is this bad?"
Raini seemed just as puzzled.
"Because even if I did want an anchor, this guy is the last person I would choose."
The intrigue that flashed in Devon's eyes was expected. "Ooh, why?"
"It's Knox Thorne."