Total pages in book: 106
Estimated words: 98961 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 495(@200wpm)___ 396(@250wpm)___ 330(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 98961 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 495(@200wpm)___ 396(@250wpm)___ 330(@300wpm)
“What the fuck was that all about? Going out into the sun before being sure you wouldn’t crumble into a pile of ash?” She looks more annoyed than mad.
“If I started to burn, I would have made it into the house on time,” Lucas replies, his tone level.
“Still, you should have opened the door first and stood inside to be sure. And you could have fucking let me know you weren’t on some suicide mission.”
“Why would I be on a suicide mission?” he deadpans, purposely not reacting just to irritate Eliza. They have an interesting dynamic to say the least, and it took me a while to fully figure it out.
“Because who the fuck knows what becoming a Horsemen did to your head?”
This time, Lucas stiffens. I didn’t want to even allow myself to think it, but I did as well. I was terrified the version of Lucas I got back wasn’t really him. People can lose their shit after being possessed by a demon. Who knows what becoming one can do to your mental health.
“I’m fine,” he says shortly.
“You were very fine just a few minutes ago,” I mumble under my breath and Eliza huffs.
“I will never unsee that, thank you very much. Though I do have a good minute long clip of you two going at it to sell.”
“Do it,” I say with a snort of laughter. “But you have to leak it as Senator Martin’s daughter.”
“Didn’t I just say you’re for my eyes only?” Lucas leans over and kisses me. A sense of peace washes over me, and I rest my head against his shoulder. Maybe half an hour later, I’m asleep, and the next thing I know, Lucas is pulling me down onto him.
“Where’s Juliet?” I ask, slitting my eyes open.
“Eliza has her.” Lucas pulls me against his chest and covers us back up with the blanket. I feel so safe, so comforted, and loved when I’m wrapped in Lucas’s embrace. I doze off again, getting a good half hour nap in before I wake up to Binx jumping on me.
Lucas is dead asleep under me and I sit up, blinking.
“What is it?” I ask Binx, reaching up to stroke his fur. He’s sitting on the back of the couch, tip of his tail curled in and shaking a bit. Something is wrong, and I sense the weird shift in energy right before Binx tells me there’s a demon standing right outside my property line, and he knows who sent him.
Paimon.
Chapter
Twenty-Eight
“Lucas,” I rush out in a whisper, anxiety and fear rippling through my body. My throat feels tight, and my fingers shake slightly. “Lucas, there’s a demon outside, sent from Paimon.”
Lucas’s eyes open and he sits up, fangs already drawn. “Where?” he growls.
Binx shadows off the couch. “In the front yard, but he can’t get through the first warding.”
“Which means it’s here to hurt you.” Lucas’s eyes flash with anger and he gets up off the couch. “I’ll rip it’s fucking throat out.”
“Wait,” I say, holding out my hand. “Let’s question it before we kill it.”
“Question it? It came to hurt you,” he snarls and speeds to me, pushing me up against the wall. He presses his hips against mine and he leans in, nuzzling my neck. “And no one hurts you and gets to live.”
“Lucas,” I breathe, wanting to relent to his touch, to push him down and not think about danger and demons and just feel him working my body like magic. But I can’t, and my hands press his hips away slightly. He’s always been overly protective of me but usually listens to reason. “Paimon sent this demon to spy, I’m sure. It’s watching us. You need to stay in the house because not knowing you can go out in the sun puts Paimon at a disadvantage if he were to attack again.” In my heart, I know it’s not an if but when.
“You’re right,” he says, sounding not very happy about it. His hands slip from my waist and he steps back, tearing himself away from me. “Bring it in the house but be careful. Paimon did send the demon for a reason and it could easily be a trap.”
“I can do one better.” I pat my leg calling Scarlet to me. She bounds through the house as I look at Binx, telling him to go find Eliza and Juliet, making sure to protect them both. Binx gives me a nod and then shadows out of the room. I take Scarlet’s collar off, feeling the air shift before she turns into her real form.
“Bring the demon to me,” I tell her, speaking in Enochian. “Alive.”
Lucas and I both rush through the house behind her, and I step onto the front porch as Scarlet takes off, moving so fast she’s just a blur. Fuck, hellhounds are terrifying.