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The lines moved quickly as the staff worked to clear the shop, yet it didn’t stop the repetitive glances in our direction. It was one thing for me to make a surprise visit, but it was another thing entirely for me to have a woman on my arm. I was normally only seen at my own places of business with the club as my fixed point. It wasn’t long until the last one was ushered out the door and the staff clocked out to follow.
Emersyn locked the front door once the final demon left. Returning the lanyard to her neck, she turned on her heel and flashed Quinn a wide smile. “Before we get into this, I would like to make it clear that you shouldn’t feel any shame for what your past may have held. It doesn’t matter to me why this…type of setting might leave you baffled. We’ll start out with a few random things until we start uncovering what you like and what you simply can’t stand. Sound good?”
I knew it had been a wise idea to bring my pet here when my cousin’s comforting choice of words helped drive the tension away.
Quinn responded with a small nod. “That sounds great.”
“Fantastic!” My cousin clasped her hands together with a pleased grin. Those pale eyes shifted toward me. “Do I have a deadline to be concerned about?”
I shook my head. “We’re not in a rush. We flew out as early as we did so that I could show Quinn some of the hidden gems that I’m rather fond of.”
The fact that I had dropped by the shop out of the blue like this — especially when Emersyn catered more to the female sex rather than the male, leaving me with no reason to come by — had certainly been surprising enough. Yet I had chosen those words carefully to help clarify why I was doing this. Her eyes misted, leaving her scrambling to maintain that bubbly demeanor. The smile that spread across her face was a pleased one mixed with a tweak of sorrow. “Very exciting, cousin. I still have some wine stashed away in my office if you’d like to help yourself to some. Won’t have that angel blood, though.” She wrinkled her nose.
Quinn cocked her head to the side, a quizzical look leaking out across her face. “Do you not like it?”
“Oh, sweetie, I enjoy working six days a week with one day off.” My cousin plopped a hand on her hip and flashed the best smile she could manage with the emotions still swirling within her so strongly. “The last time someone managed to convince me to add that shit to a glass, I found myself waking up two days later with one hell of a hangover. The amount of texts I got from employees broke my damn phone.” She gestured for Quinn to join her. “Come, come! Let’s get started.”
My pet’s piercing eyes found their way toward me. While Emersyn was family and it was clear we had a decent relationship, it seemed she still needed that final confirmation that she could completely unwind. All it took was a small nod from me for her to ease off the bench, shrugging my jacket off while she went.
I relaxed against the bench, watching her trail after Emersyn. Her uncertainty was part of the reason why I had chosen the locations that I had today. The Council wouldn’t be arriving for a few more days and I was determined to help Quinn realize she had every right to be in my world. All the tormented memories of her childhood could be left behind.
Just because humanity had turned its back on her didn’t mean demon kind would do the same.
QUINN
“So, let’s start with what you know you’re comfortable wearing.” Emersyn led the way toward the back corner of the shop, her pale silver eyes straying along all the racks hanging from the wall. “Is there anything that we should keep away from simply because it irritates the hell out of you?”
I nibbled on my lower lip, my steps far less eager. “I-I really… I don’t…”
I could feel all the frazzled nerves within me building up that energy again until parts of my body were starting to shake. It certainly helped when the shop had been emptied like it had, leaving me with less prying eyes while I struggled to figure this out. Still, that didn’t mean that I would be able to open up like she was hoping for.
The demon turned on her heel, facing me so quickly that I almost ran straight into her. She seized me by the shoulders while she trained those beautiful eyes on me. “Let’s get one thing straight before we spend the next hour with awkward tension, Quinn. I don’t care how things started out for you. It doesn’t matter if you grew up in the demon world or you were born into another one entirely. Hell, I don’t care if you grew up with a regular metal spoon in your mouth instead of a golden one. My family doesn’t give a damn, which I’m sure is why Asher brought you here.”
My lips parted, but I couldn’t bring myself to respond. Was I really that easy to read? She’d managed to hit the nail on the head as to why I was so nervous about this outing. It was one thing to be a hybrid at birth, but who could overlook the fact that much of my childhood had been spent in a dog cage with a cigarette burning my flesh? That didn’t mean that I wasn’t willing to try and find the confidence Asher was determined to help me obtain.
Emersyn shifted a hand to cup my cheek. “How about we grab a few random things for you to try and we’ll go from there?”
I managed a grateful smile. “I like that idea.”
“Fantastic.” She winked at me before turning to grab different things off the racks. It wasn’t long until she had a nice stack draped over her arm, yet she still managed to weave her free arm around mine to guide me toward the back.
My steps faltered as soon as we reached the changing room. I watched her trail down all the stalls, her spare hand pushing against each door to ensure that they were all empty. It wasn’t until she’d checked the last one before gesturing at me to approach that I finally moved. “I don’t know if I’m ever going to get used to the fact that there’s always the chance of a threat against Asher,” I confessed.
The demon held up a shirt for me to take in as I passed by her. “If you’re not accustomed to living the life of royalty, then yes. It can certainly be overwhelming for a while. Although it’s normally not this stressful. The two of you just happened to cross paths when the tension between angels and demons hit a high,” she scoffed. “I knew it was only a matter of time before Marcillo got desperate. He despised handing over territory to Asher.”
I tucked the shirt against my chest, the material brushing against my skin sending a wave of chills down my spine. I didn’t dare start pulling off my own until the demon had tugged the door shut behind me. “So…it won’t always be like this? With everyone always looking over their shoulders?”
She released a small chuckle. “Not if Asher has his way. He doesn’t tolerate the type of behavior Marcillo is portraying. Which is why he aimed for the critical states so early in the negotiations. It’s also why Salvatore had no problem with allowing his son to come over here and live the lifestyle that he did. Asher still gets shit done in a timely manner.”
Nibbling on my lower lip, I mused over her response while I worked on unbuttoning the soft top. Once my skin was free from the tight material, I tossed it down onto the small stool tucked into the corner and worked on pulling on Emersyn’s first choice. While I didn’t mind the way it dipped so low in the front, I found my skin crawling from how revealing it was in the back. It took everything I had to force myself to finish.
“How’s it look?”
I reluctantly tugged the door open and came out to do a quick spin. “I…don’t think I care for it.” Bringing an arm against my chest, my eyes found their way toward the sole mirror hanging on the back wall. It was comforting that most of the cigarette burns had faded, leaving me to hunt for those that were even the slightest bit noticeable. Still, the fact they were still there left me nauseated.
Emersyn approached, peering at me in the mirror. “Want some that covers the back for the time being?”
My eyes dropped immediately. “You can see them.”
