Page 91 of Married to the Devil

It feels… good.

Really good.

“I’m starving,” he murmurs, breaking off the kiss. “I want to have dinner with you.”

“So long as there’s no screaming.”

“I promise I won’t make you scream until after we’re done eating.”

“Sounds like a deal.”

I kiss him again. I linger, thinking, this room was a hellish mess for dozens of people today—while for me, with him, it’s heaven.

27

RAFE

Blood’s such a pain to get out of concrete.

I blast it with the hose. The water runs pink as it rushes to the drain. Kellan uses a broom to scrub more of it out of the cracks but it’ll take weeks to make it disappear.

“You know, all things considered, this went well.” Kellan stops to wipe his brow. “Only one person died.”

“He was probably innocent.”

He concedes with a gesture. “But maybe not?”

I look at the garage doors grimly. One guard got a little too mouthy and had to be handled a little more roughly than the others. He didn’t survive.

All the others are fine and mostly intact.

But I don’t know who the rat is.

That’s the worst part. All this work, all this pain spent, and for nothing. I’m no closer to knowing who left that photograph on my desk than I was the moment I picked it up.

“You know what’s messed up?” Kellan helps me finish cleaning up. I wrap the hose and put it away. “You seem like you’re happy for once.”

“You mean from all the beatings?”

“Don’t be a prick.”

“I am happy.” I say it simply. I don’t do emotions and feelings, especially not with my brothers, but this feels easy because it’s true.

“And I’m happy for you. God knows if anyone deserves some joy, it’s you.”

“That isn’t true.”

“Come on, Rafe.” Kellan hesitates as he wipes his hands dry on his jeans. “You saved our lives.”

“I didn’t.”

“Yes, you did. You kicked open that door. You dragged us out. If you hadn’t shown up, we would’ve burned.”

“Leanna—“

“She was already dead. Let her go.”

“I can’t.” I close my eyes and swear I can still hear the roar of the fire eating my childhood home. In my dreams, my little sister is screaming. “I should’ve been there.”