“Ihurt me.”He pressed my hands against his chest on either side of hisreddened skin. Already some of the blisters were fading. “And Iheal fast. Far faster since you’ve become a part of my life.”
My lower lip trembled. “Really?”
“Yes.” He wiped away the tear spilling downmy cheek before clasping the back of my head and drawing me downfor a kiss. “Don’t cry. I’m fine.”
“You still shouldn’t have done that.”
“Believe me, I won’t do it again.”
I couldn’t help but chuckle as he smiledagainst my lips. “Youknowyoubring out the force of life in me more than anything else.”
“And I thrive on that. I’ll fuel you for therest of our days.”
I flinched at the reminder that my days werefar more numbered than his were.
“Don’t think of it,” he breathed against mylips, guessing at the direction of my thoughts. “Focus on the hereand now. Onme.”
That was so unbelievably easy to do when histeeth were nibbling on my lower lip. “You’re injured.” I tried topull away, but he didn’t release me as he kept brushing his mouthover mine.
“I could be near death and I’d still craveyou.”
I glanced at his chest. His shirt still hadtendrils of smoke curling from the charred sides, but his skinwasn’t as red anymore.
“Don’t you know you can kiss it and make itbetter?” he teased.
His words made me laugh, but I resolutelypulled away from him and settled against his side. My hand fingeredthe still-warm edges of his shirt when he draped his arm aroundme.
“When you connected with me so you could seethe wraiths, was that the first time you’ve connected with someonesince your dream with Lucifer?”
“Yes,” I admitted and stifled a yawn. “Icouldn’t take the chance of connecting with him again in a dream soI worked to shut the ability down.”
“I don’t want you to fear any of yourabilities, River.”
“I don’t fear them, not anymore. I actuallyenjoy them, most of the time, but I don’t want to see himagain.”
“I understand,” he murmured.
“I feel like it’s inevitable that I will seehim again though, no matter what I do.”
Kobal didn’t respond. He didn’t have to; weboth knew I was right.
CHAPTER 31
Kobal
I watched River as she nestled against myside, her black lashes sweeping her cheeks. Even with all of thebumps and ruts we went over as we drove, sleep held her captive. Ibrushed my knuckles across her cheek before focusing on the roadagain.
In the back of the truck, the others bouncedaround and muttered curses, but they had all insisted on ridingwith us again. River had filled me in on what had occurred whilewe’d been separated, and I realized she’d made some friends, or atleast earned their loyalty and trust by trying to keep them safefrom Azote.
Some of the humans had finally stopped beingassholes and recognized she wasn’t an object of their fear and wasworth following to Hell itself.
My hand stilled on her face. She snuggledcloser and pressed her lips against my throat. I glanced over atHawk as he eased the truck over a series of potholes in the road.The angel on the dashboard clattered against the windshield,drawing my attention to it.
“I don’t like that thing either,” Hawksaid.
I stared at the small blonde angel with thegreen eyes. “Why not?”
“One, the room where she found it was creepy.Two, that angel at the truck stop was a bigger dick than youdemons.”
