Total pages in book: 163
Estimated words: 154735 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 774(@200wpm)___ 619(@250wpm)___ 516(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 154735 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 774(@200wpm)___ 619(@250wpm)___ 516(@300wpm)
It was time to get the males off the mountain. Even though all of the shellans, young, and doggen of the household, along with Sahvage, Murhder, and Payne as guards, were safely down in the training center, the trespassers were still too close for comfort. And then next up on the to-do list was figuring out why the mhis had failed to protect the landscape.
Maybe it was an angel thing.
“Let me leave a number,” the Eddie guy said. “Please.”
“If you are what you say you are, I’m sure you have ways of reaching out to Lassiter. And if he’s shutting you down, that’s your problem, not ours.” Wrath started to smile again, and this time, it wasn’t about a fangs flash. “But yeah, before you ask, a couple of my boys will take you to where Devina was last seen.”
He imagined some flavor of male recoiling in surprise: “So you read minds?”
“Lil bit. Consider that demon a consolation prize for the lack of Lassiter you’re leaving with. Although good luck with her. You’re going to need it.”
“I’m pretty sure you’re wrong.”
“See for yourself. Either way, don’t come here again.” Wrath pivoted on his shitkicker and started for the vestibule. “Oh, and give me my fucking cat back.”
* * *
“Are you feeling better now that we’re outside?”
As Lassiter asked the question, he already knew the answer. Rahvyn was perking up as she strolled down the restaurant’s sidewalk next to him, the color returning to her cheeks, her balance good, her breathing nice and even. Though they were side by side, she was the one leading them, and when she stopped in front of the golden arches and looked up, he just kept staring at her.
In the artificial yellow glow, it was as if she were in the sunlight, and how lovely was that.
Yet she was troubled. He could tell by the way she crossed her arms over her chest. And when a breeze came in and blew strands of silver hair into her eyes, she lifted a hand and swept things away with impatience.
“What happened back there?” he asked.
“I do not know.”
Yes, you do, he thought to himself.
“What did you see,” he said grimly. “In your mind.”
Somehow, he wasn’t surprised as she slowly shook her head, and did he really need to know the details? She had been terrified as she had shot out of that bench seat, sure as if the Grim Reaper had rushed up to their table with his scythe and a Diet Coke.
“Why did you leave me back in that meadow full of flowers,” she asked in a low voice.
When he didn’t reply, because he had no intention of telling her a goddamn thing about his time with Devina, she lifted her chin. “ ’Tis all right, you can keep your privacy. Just tell me that is why you say nothing the now. That is all I ask. No lies between us. Ever.”
As her eyes shifted over and met his own, he blocked all of his thoughts. “I have no privacy to protect.”
A sadness crossed her expression. “Lassiter.”
He put his hands up and backed away. “I’m sorry. We can’t… do this.”
“Why? There’s no harm in talking.”
But that was the problem, wasn’t it. As he stared at her, he didn’t want to talk. He wanted to pull her in close and hold her. He wanted to stroke her silken hair. He wanted to breathe in the scent of her arousal, and ease her head back… and stare into her eyes as he dropped his mouth to hers and—
An image of Devina rammed into his brain. He saw the demon straddling him, her breasts bobbing as she fucked him, her eyes boring into his with the kind of evil glee that came when a person enjoyed cruelty.
Why was it that even though that female had been the thief, he felt the guilt of having stolen something? It was as if the void created by her lack of conscience had been filled with his shame.
Helluva way to maintain the essential balance of things.
“Lassiter, say something.”
As he tried to figure out what kind of syllable salad he could toss her, a little car went by out on the road and his eyes shifted over to it because he couldn’t bear the tension—except then they stayed on the Mini: Just as the pocket-sized pod passed by the streetlamp at the McDonald’s entrance, the illumination penetrated the driver’s side window.
It was just a flash, a mere instant where the profile registered, but the identity was concrete and conclusive.
Adrian?
What the hell was that fallen angel doing back on the planet? And this far upstate?
As implications started to swirl, Lassiter wanted to groan. Like his life couldn’t get any more complicated?
Reaching up to the nape of his neck, he tried to massage some of his WTF away. “Ah, Rahvyn… look, I’m sorry. I have to go now.”