Flirting with Death

Flirting with Death ORION’S DAUGHTER A.J. MORAN Copyright © 2023 by A.J. Moran Editor Jenni Gauntt This book was created for Amazon e-book any other uses are against copyright. All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without written permission from the author, except for the use of brief quotations in a book review. Created with Vellum For my readers. Contents Content Warnings 1. Samantha 2. Lex 3. Raiden 4. Samantha 5. Tyler 6. Alastor 7. Lex 8. Samantha 9. Bellamy 10. Samantha 11. Alastor 12. Samantha 13. Raiden 14. Samantha 15. Samantha 16. Bellamy 17. Raiden 18. Samantha 19. Lex 20. Bellamy 21. Alastor 22. Raiden 23. Samantha 24. Bellamy 25. Lex 26. Samantha 27. Lex 28. Raiden 29. Alastor 30. Samantha 31. Raiden 32. Bellamy 33. Samantha 34. Lex 35. Samantha 36. Alastor 37. Raiden 38. Bellamy 39. Samantha 40. Alastor Dear Reader About the Author Acknowledgments Also by A.J. Moran Content Warnings This book is a work of fiction. Things that are not acceptable in reality are contained inside of these pages. Including a scene that ‘could’ be viewed as non con and is definitely dub con. Torture, darkness, betrayal, graphic sexual situations, and kidnapping are also included. CHAPTER 1 Samantha Two weeks. No contact. No apology. And no demon fighting. Lex didn't question my decision to hide in Alastor's penthouse. Nor my decision to stomp my phone onto the bathroom floor. He stayed with me and grieved Bellamy's loss right beside me. Let me rant at the absence of Alastor, who made me feel something for him—some kind of hope had blossomed like the flowers he could create, only to be crushed when he left and didn't come back. Lex even stopped Raiden from entering the penthouse the single time he had tried. I flicked through the television channels for something that had no romance in it because I was done with that part of my life. Well, except for Lex; he could stay. I pulled the soft white soft blanket from the couch around my legs, tucking the edges below my feet. Some action movie I'd never seen before played on the screen. I couldn't say I was really paying attention, because the window held all of my focus. The sky was darkening. Something inside me had enough of the hiding and was ready to face my life again. "Lex, I think it's time." He tapped his fingers on his well-fitting jeans and nodded. He knew what I meant. I was ready to face the unforgiving world and take my place in it. The demons still on the loose should be wary, because if they stepped a single foot out of line, that would be the end. I knew now that not all of them were pure evil, so if they behaved, they could stay. I didn't care about The Order's rules; they didn't apply to me now. Not with my newly broken heart. Ironic since I had built such a thick wall around it. I kicked the white blanket off and went into the bedroom. My clothes from that night, still folded neatly on the stool at the end of the enormous bed after coming back from cleaning, were ready for me. My dagger laid across them. I gently placed the blade on the bed and then got my outfit on. If I was going to play the part, I had to look it too. With my leather pants and skintight shirt in place, I strapped my dagger into its holder on my thigh, followed by all the smaller weapons in hidden pockets I always carried as a just in case. When I turned back toward the living area, Lex was leaning against the door frame, a soft smile on his handsome face. He uncrossed his arms, revealing the two tattoos that moved around his body. Tattoos I was pretty positive were the shadow creatures that helped us fight. "I'll come with you." He pushed off the frame to follow. I returned his smile before shaking my head no. "You need to check in at the club, make sure Fantasia is still standing. I'll be okay." He nibbled on his lower lip and watched me for a moment before giving in. "You're right. The calls and texts aren't enough to really know." I strolled over to him, feeling powerful now that I had my armor on, not that it was actually armor, but it felt the same. "I'll drop in for a nightcap after I'm done hunting." His chest was warm as he pulled me to him. He was my safety in this storm I had just weathered. It was hard to leave the penthouse we had shared for the past couple of weeks. And knowing that I would do it alone, by my choice, was almost too much for my heart to handle. "I'll see you soon." I shrugged into my jacket and headed for the elevator. Taking a last look at the place that had become a haven for me, I sighed. I'll probably never see this suite again. With Alastor gone and probably never coming back, I know I won't have enough money to rent it on my own. He watched me go, our eyes not leaving each other until the elevator doors shut between us. Would our relationship stay the same? He hasn't talked about loving me still and, although we cuddled, there had been no sex. It was uncharted waters between us. The lobby looked foreign to my eyes. People milled about on their vacations, unaware of the fact that a demon had sacrificed himself for their safety. I wanted to shout at them that they were only safe because Bellamy had loved me. Because that was the truth, wasn't it? He never used his ability on me fully. I knew that now. After being hit with it right before