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I shifted my attention toward each person coming toward the shop. Most of them were dismissed quickly for the mere fact that they weren’t attempting to conceal themselves. There wasn’t an ounce of concern haunting their bodies. Annoyance quickly grew within me, leaving me to press my lips impatiently. Waiting outside of a coffee shop wasn’t my favorite idea of how to pass the time when Quinn was back at the house.
My cock immediately hardened. There was a slight trace of her juices still on my fingers and the aroma was just strong enough to remind me of the promise I’d made to her. All we’d had to do was get through the surprise dinner and see what my father wanted to ask of me. I would heed his commands, certainly — after I buried myself in her pussy all night long. Gods, how much I wanted to be back home and doing just that.
“I think the dinner went quite well,” Archer remarked. “Aside from Calianna calling you and asking you to leave said dinner. Quite nerve-wracking to leave Salvatore back there with your pet.”
The noise that escaped my lips was nothing short of an annoyed one. I didn’t need to be reminded that I’d had to duck out in the middle of a meal where my father seemed eager to continue with his little tests while he pondered the idea that my pet might just be something more where the bloodline was concerned.
The demon lord responded with soft grumbling that the unspoken insults weren’t necessary.
Flexing my jaw to help work out the pulsing pains, I lifted my jaw and continued to study the shop. “I don’t need the reminder, Archer.” Hell, it seemed every time I lost control and knotted inside Quinn, someone else deemed it appropriate to interrupt the intoxicating moment. With my own demon lords, I could threaten violence should it happen again. Didn’t mean that I couldn’t go that far with my own blood, especially when my father was still king.
He exhaled sharply and shifted in his seat. “At least Santino seems to be quite invested in helping her through them all. Your pet is quite observant, catching onto those little cues he was eager to give her. Didn’t think she’d remember to taste the wine first after the whole club incident.”
It was certainly quite interesting to see what tests Salvatore threw Quinn’s way — and if Santino was still paying enough attention to help guide her along. I just wasn’t thrilled that I was now almost an hour away to meet with a wayward little sister who believed that I could help with the shit storm she’d caused.
Before I could finally draw the words together to respond, movement off to the side of the property attracted my attention. I narrowed my eyes as a small figure made a beeline for the coffee shop with their face concealed by a white hood. Most of their skin was completely covered by a combination of the jacket, gloves and other winter weather attire. That didn’t stop the sleeve from riding up their arm when they reached out to tug open the front door.
All it took was a brief second for me to spot the small rose tattoo on the back of their left hand for me to know Calianna had arrived.
I turned my head slightly without tearing my gaze off the coffee shop. “Remain nearby in case I need you.”
“Expecting an ambush, boss?”
Once Calianna disappeared inside and made her way toward the bookstore tucked into the back, I finally glanced back at the demon lord. “We’re on the verge of a war with the angels, Archer. Marcillo has now recruited the Nephilim to aid his cause. I wouldn’t put it past my own flesh and blood to act as bait on their behalf.”
The demon lord clicked his tongue, his purple eyes flickering to the coffee shop. He reached into his suit pocket and tugged two small necklaces out. “One of the boys dropped this off before we headed out. Naria installed a tracker inside both of them. Far too tiny for someone to know it’s there unless they know to look for it.”
“What makes you think Calianna will accept a gift from me when we’re nothing more than estranged?” I inquired softly as I reached out to tug it from his fingers. Faint chills trickled down my spine as I studied the small lion hanging from a dainty silver chain. There was no way in hell that I could argue with Archer. The fact he’d just admitted it had a beacon built into the damn thing was the only way I knew it was there.
“You’re the prince of the demon kind.” Archer snickered. “I don’t think you’ll have much of a problem convincing Calianna to take it.”
I arched an eyebrow at him. “You just handed me two. What explanation are you expecting me to give?”
Archer shrugged. “You know your sister better than I. I’m sure you’ll think of something. Just spin those little webs that you do.” Relaxing in his seat, a coy grin spread across his face. “Hell, you seem to have done that extremely well if that pet of yours is no longer wearing a collar and there’s no desire to escape. None of us expected you to break her in for a good while. Feisty spirit, that one.”
I didn’t realize how much I had grown fond of Quinn until the demon lord’s word choice caused me to utter a deep growl that had even my driver flinching. Flexing my jaw, I tucked the necklaces into my own suit pocket. The way she could get under my skin like this — having me wrapped around her finger to where I couldn’t function without her touch — was quite unexpected. It was a huge weakness where a prince like myself was concerned, yet I had no desire to remove her from my life. It took me a moment to get my riled rage back under control and a weary sigh escaped me. “Perhaps it would be best if you stopped referring to her as such.”
“Guess that means no more playboy lifestyle, eh?” Although my eyes swung toward him, still mirroring the rage that pulsed through my veins, his grin grew. “That’s not necessarily a bad thing. More unexpected, really.”
I scoffed and tugged the seat belt free. “Don’t go far. I want to ensure the trackers are working before she’s out of my sight.”
“Understood, boss.”
Archer’s body shimmered away by the time I shoved the car door open and eased out. As soon as my feet touched the ground, I paused long enough to button my suit jacket together. “Patrol the block for half an hour. This won’t take long.”
The driver turned his head slightly. “Yes, sire.”
The SUV started pulling away from the curb as soon as I slammed the door shut behind me. I lingered long enough to ensure the driver heeded my command and started driving the requested path. As soon as it turned the corner, I ventured across the road. I tucked my hands into the pants pockets, ignoring the eyes that soon drifted my way.
“Hello, welcome to—” The young cashier behind the counter seemed to lose her voice once she realized just who had stepped into the coffee shop. Her blue eyes widened. Even her body no longer seemed willing to cooperate while her mind reeled at what she needed to do.
The petite blonde moving behind her, gathering ingredients to mix as she went, paused. “You can’t forget the rest of the greeting, Carly,” she hissed. Setting a styrofoam cup, she shifted so that she could peek at the cashier. “It’s ‘Welcome to Marlee and Karlee’s, would you like to try our pumpkin spice latte?’ See? Simple. Easy—”
The fact that Carly had yet to acknowledge the criticism — and the rest of the shop going eerily quiet — seemed to draw her attention toward the front of the shop. I came to a halt just inside, my skin still crawling from the high pitched bell that had been set off over me. There wasn’t an effort on my part to break the silence.
Having every single set of eyes in the room firmly locked on me was nothing out of the norm. Except this wasn’t a scene that the prince of demons would willingly walk into. My pleasures revolved around the clubs and gambling casinos that I had helped build the family empire through. Hell, I’d even invested into some underground fighting that usually paid out well. So it didn’t surprise me in the least that walking into the coffee shop had threatened to stop the world from spinning.
“P-Prince Asher!” the blonde rasped. She quickly ducked her head. When the others didn’t follow suit, she snapped her fingers at them until the remaining women lowered theirs immediately. “What a pleasure to have you here in Marlee and Karlee’s! Would you like a cup of coffee or our new latte? Completely on the house, of course!”
