“How did you come by this?” he demanded, pressing the hair to his nose and taking a deep whiff. “Answer me!”
As it had so many times before, Sebastian’s total lack of emotional restraint gave him away, and for the first time since I’d traded away the ability to touch the woman I loved for a chance at keeping her safe, a spark of hope flickered to life inside my gut.
Hope that the Prince of Hell might actually agree to this.
Hope that tonight, rather than sleeping next to Ash as he touched her, rather than listening to her soft moans and Darius and Emilio brought her to the edge, rather than seeing her shy smile and swollen lips as she crept out of Liam’s bedroom just before sunrise, rather than dousing myself with icy showers as I replayed the images she’d implanted in my mind, I might be able to share her bed again without burning her alive.
“How we came by it is irrelevant,” Gray said. “What’s important is what we’re offering—ifyou’re willing to negotiate.”
Sebastian placed the items back inside the bag and set it on the table, feigning indifference, but it was too late for that. He couldn’t hide the desperate desire smoldering in his eyes.
“You’re bargaining with me, Silversbane?” he asked.
“There’s nothing in my contract that prevents it,” she said. “Besides, aren’t you the king of the deal?”
“Get to the point.”
“Ronan and I share a deep love you couldn’t evenbeginto understand,” she said, surprising me. I hadn’t expected her to get so personal there, but Gray was on a mission, and wherever the hell she was going with this, I trusted her. “You had no right to take that from us.”
“Oh, but I did,” Sebastian said, condescension dripping from his voice. “It’s all there in black and white. Ronan agreed to my terms, no tricks, no take-backs.”
“You left him no other options, and you did it all for sport,” she said. “You gain absolutely nothing by keeping us apart—nothing but your own sick amusement.”
“What you call ‘sick amusement,’ Silversbane, I call managing my assets, which I’m free to do as I see fit.” Sebastian folded his hands over his belly, offering a smug grin, assuming he’d gotten the upper hand.
But Gray wasn’t done yet. Not even close.
“When I first met you,” she continued, “I thought you’d never loved anyone in your life. How else could you be so cruel? So casual about destroyingourlove?”
Sebastian rolled his eyes. “In case you haven’t noticed, girl, I’m the Prince of Hell. Love is not my primary motivator.”
“It was once though, wasn’t it?” she asked, her tone softening. “A young witch at the crossroads, a favor here, a favor there, and before you realized it, you’d given away your heart.”
Bullseye.
I’d never seen the Prince of Hell turn so white. Gray had hit him right where it hurt.
Sebastian exploded, jumping to his feet in a rage. “I didn’t come here to be manipulated and cajoled by—”
“Ronan and I know of Trinity’s whereabouts,” Gray deadpanned, once again hitting her target.
Sebastian’s mouth dropped open. He tried to recover, reclaiming his seat and smoothing his hands over his pants, but once again, she’d tricked him into showing his hand.
“We know where she’s been hiding,” Gray continued. “We know who’s been protecting her, we know who’s given her an army, and we know about her plans for a major power grab that—if successful—will leave you unemployed and homeless.”
“Are you suggesting she has the power to claim hell?” he asked, incredulous.
“Oh, I’m not suggesting it, Sebastian. I’m straight-uptellingyou. But if you’d rather bury your head in the sand and pretend your power and position come with an immortal guarantee, be my guest.”
I coughed into my hand to hide my damn smile.
Fucking Desario.She had him by the balls, and all three of us knew it. I’d never been so proud of her.
When he didn’t respond, she pressed on.
“My team and I intend to capture Trinity, decimate her army, and return her to your care, at which time you may deal with her as you wish.”
He narrowed his eyes, but it was clear Gray wasn’t bluffing, and he damn well knew it.
