AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Misery made a throaty sound and released the zombie, letting him collapse to the floor. “I’ll shield all your rooms,” he said, turning to meet my eyes. “I believe there’s a conversation you need to have.”
Ah. Byron was staring at the zombie, then at me, then at Honey, his eyes widening when we didn’t run away screaming at the sight of a zombie.
“Yeah, By, there’s something you should know.”
CHAPTER THIRTY-FIVE
TORMENT
Istartled awake some time around three a.m. when my bed dipped and a shivering body crawled under the covers, arms and legs wrapping around me.
“Miz?” I murmured, rolling over and pulling him into my arms. “What’s wrong? You’re shaking.”
“I’m fine,” he breathed, but he clearly wasn’t. I came fully awake, alarm lancing through me. Miz came to me for sex and friendship, and humour on his bad days, but it was Death he sought when he needed comfort and reassurance.
And if he was lying about being okay, he must have been in a state.
“The castle’s safe,” I reminded him gently, tucking his head under my chin and marvelling at being able to. Standing, he towered over me, but curled up here in bed he seemed small, and my protective instincts kicked in hard. “Nightmare can’t get in.”
He flinched at the name. I tightened my grip, tangling my legs with his and making sure the duvet covered him completely. “You’re safe here with me,” I promised, an ache starting in my chest. “You know I’ll rip her apart if she even tries to touch you. I’ve done it before.”
“I know,” he murmured, a nod moving his nose against my throat. “I know that, fuck, but—she lives in my fucking head. I can’t get the memories out, can’t ever forget—”
“Shh,” I soothed him, squeezing him to me, fingers knotting in his long hair. “It’s over. That time is over. She lost, Miz, and she’ll lose again.”
“She got to Cat,” he said quietly, rapid breaths moving over my throat. “She forced her to kill that girl.”
“That will never happen to you again,” I swore, a growl entering my voice.
He shuddered, a hitch in his breath. “I want—I want to get her a duck. Cat.”
“Not a live one,” I said gently, carding my fingers through his hair.
“Fine.”
“Get her a plushie. Littles love plushies.”
He made a throaty sound, soft and doubtful. I feathered kisses across his head.
“Tell me what happened.”
“No.”
“Miz, please.”
“No.”
I bit back a sigh and just held him, and I was clearly a bastard because even as worried as I was, I fucking loved getting the chance to hold him like this, to be his protector for once.
He gradually stopped shaking, his arms squeezing me tight to his body, and eventually those arms slackened and his breathing turned deep and even.
I wouldn’t let Nightmare hurt either of them. Hell, any of them. This whole fucked up crusade was for revenge, and she’d unleash that revenge on Death, too.
Over my dead fucking body.
It took me a while to calm down, to soften the anger that filled me like lava, but I brushed a final kiss to Miz’s head and slipped into sleep just as the sun began to rise.
God help anyone who fucked with the people I loved.
