Page 41 of Trust the Fall

His forehead rests against mine as his hand caresses my cheek. “Everything has changed. You know that, right?”

He doesn’t have to elaborate. I know exactly what he means. There’s no coming back from this. All thoughts of getting back into Heaven someday are gone.

And I’m fine with that. It’s no longer my dream. He owns every piece of me.

He’s all that matters.

“I know.” It’s all I say, leaning up and placing a kiss on his lips.

“Are you two done?” a female yells up the loft stairs, and I go still.

“Who is that?” I whisper, and Luke grunts.

“Leeanna. We got a bit carried away, and I sort of forgot my promise to Heaven.”

My brow lifts as I sit up, forcing Luke to sit back on his heels. “What’s happening?”

“Come on, you two. This wasn’t part of the deal,” she yells up.

He ignores her. “Get dressed. The archs want a meeting with you. They have some information you’ll want to hear.”

I don’t miss the shift in Luke’s demeanor. It’s as if everything that just happened between us has been forgotten. He’s cold. Aloof. And it pisses me off.

“Don’t do this. Don’t push me away.”

His shoulders sag as a heavy breath rushes from his chest. He drags me into his chest. “My attitude has nothing to do with you, Victoria. It’s them. I’ve … had to agree to a truce of sorts with them in order to get you back.”

“You were locked out of Hell,” I say, mostly to myself. “Why?”

“Get dressed, and they’ll explain everything.” He stands from the bed, pulling on his pants and turning his back to me.

“No,” I shoot back. “I want to hear it from you.” I cross my arms over my chest, feeling a coldness sweep through me.

Something is wrong.

Luke looks back at me, appearing resigned. “I only know a portion of it. You know Heaven; they’re on a need-to-know basis and I am the devil, after all.”

I shake my head. “Just … out with it.”

He takes a steadying breath. “They claim that you’re the heir to the reaper kingdom.”

My head jerks back, surprise and shock at his mention of the reapers.

“Queen Camille’s missing daughter? They think that’s me?”

“They claim it is you, love.”

All the information that River shared with me floods my mind and lands on one very troublesome piece.

I push it down, unwilling to even think it, for fear Luke is reading my thoughts.

His eyes narrow, confirming my suspicion.

“What are you hiding, Victoria?”

I roll my eyes, jumping from the bed and heading to my dresser to snatch something more suitable to wear.

“I’m not hiding anything,” I lie. “I figure we might as well get this conversation over with. I’m no reaper princess. You and I both know that.”