Total pages in book: 57
Estimated words: 54626 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 273(@200wpm)___ 219(@250wpm)___ 182(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 54626 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 273(@200wpm)___ 219(@250wpm)___ 182(@300wpm)
She squeezed his hand. “You don’t need to say anything. I forgive you.”
It was good to hear, but not good enough for him. “I need you to know that I won’t stop until your sister and nephew are safe. I hired private security for them until all this is over. And the Brown brothers and Newberys won’t get away with what they’ve done.”
“The Brown brothers are already dead. They’re over at the roulette table.” She jerked her head in the direction of the doorway.
“Really?”
“Whoever blew up that house tied them up in the garage first.”
That explained the gasoline. “I need to speak with them.” They might be able to tell him more about that den of depravity. Who ran it? How had they hunted down the immortals in those cages? Who were their clients? This situation went far beyond the fool’s errand the gods had him working on. There were bad people out there doing bad things to helpless immortal creatures.
“I’m sorry, Damien, but there’s no time. You have to go back.”
Ah, his curse. He wasn’t allowed to die. Which was probably why he felt something pulling on him.
“Can you ask them who they worked for?” he asked hurriedly. “Find out who their clients were.”
“No. I—I’ve decided to travel back with you. You’re my anchor in the land of the living, so if I don’t go now, that’s it.”
What? No. He didn’t want to be her anchor. He didn’t want to be anything to anyone. “Sky, do not come back with me. You must…move on. Find peace. Let me handle the people who hurt your family.”
“I can’t. This is all my fault. I should’ve dropped the story.”
He cupped her soft cheek. “You were trying to do what was right.” Which was more than he could say for himself. His was a life of wrongs. Wrong choices, wrong people, and wrong feelings in his heart. Wrong, wrong, wrong.
“Sorry. My mind is made up.” Sky inhaled sharply, stood, and held out her hand to help him up. “Ready to go?”
Dammit, woman. She didn’t deserve to live in limbo as a restless soul. He knew very well what that was like.
Damien pushed his hands over his hair. “Sky, I’m guessing I won’t remember this conversation.” Since apparently he’d been here before and not recalled. “Just know if I act like I do not care about you, it is a defense mechanism. I cannot care about anyone without hurting them.”
He didn’t even truly care about Bonbon. The relationship was based on principle. The little demon had rescued Damien once (a long story having to do with the demon king Maury), and that was the basis of their relationship. But was theirs truly a friendship? No.
“Okay. I’ll remember that you’re not as big an asshole as everyone says.” Sky smiled, her face fading before his eyes. “Now hurry! Pet and Gorgonzolina need you!”
“Asshole? Wait. Who says I’m an…”
Lying on his stomach, Damien opened his eyes, his lungs filling with smoke. He coughed hard, trying to get his bearings. Flames encircled him, and debris covered his legs. From the looks of it, whatever explosive had been in that garage, it nearly leveled the entire house. He was inside a small pocket where the walls of the hallway had held up the roof.
“Pet! Demon! Where are you?” he called out, feeling around the floor, his fingers touching chunks of hot drywall and bricks. It would be impossible to find such tiny creatures in here. “Pet! Demon! Make a sound if you can hear me!”
Only the crackle of the fire and the distant sound of sirens reached his ears.
Slowly, Damien got to his feet. He blinked through the smoke and dust. “Sky? If you’re here, try to wake up Pet. Tell her to make a sound so I can find her. Tell the demon, too.”
He didn’t know if Sky could hear him, but he hoped.
A moment passed and then, “Raarrrgh!”
He lunged toward the sound, moving wood chunks and plaster until his hands found soft fur.
“Demon!” He pulled her into him, knowing that she’d already been so weak when he’d found her in that cage. With any luck, she’d survive if he fed her quickly.
He stroked her back. “You’re safe. I’ve got you.” A lie. Because the air around them grew more toxic by the second. “Sky, where is Pet? Tell her to make a sound!”
No one answered.
“Fuck.” He tucked the demon tightly against him and hunched down. The kitchen was straight ahead. If he could find the sink, he’d find his way out since it was next to a window.
He slowly pushed through piles of two-by-fours, fallen brick, and flaming materials. His linen pants caught on fire.
Shit. Shit. Hot! He pushed and pushed, finally bursting through what was left of the kitchen.
Blue sky came into view, and clean, beautiful air filled his singed lungs.