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“The creature you saved, the one nobody is supposed to know about. Just like Bonbon?”
She means illegal demons.Damien sat up, rubbing the back of his head and taking in the dark empty space around them. “So this is the Underworld.”
“K’ak says you’ve been here before, but you wouldn’t remember. This is some sort of waiting room.” Sky pointed to a doorway. “The poker tables are just through there if you want to see. Pretty amazing. They go on forever.”
He did not want to look at anything but her—the full lips, the long black lashes, and those soulful eyes.
Stunning.
He didn’t know if this conversation was real, but on the off chance it was, he did not want to miss this opportunity. “Sky, I need you to know that I never meant to run you over. It was—”
“K’ak explained about your curse.” She looked at the ground.
“He did?” Did the entire world know about it?
Sky nodded. “He also said you felt something for me—an attraction.” Sky took his hand. “For what it’s worth, I think you’re very attractive, too.”
That was unfortunate, because nothing would ever come of it. Not then. Not now. “I am very sorry. It was inexcusable, Sky. I-I don’t know what else to say.”
She squeezed his hand. “You don’t need to say anything. I forgive you.”
It was good to hear, but not good enough for him. “I need you to know that I won’t stop until your sister and nephew are safe. I hired private security for them until all this is over. And the Brown brothers and Newberys won’t get away with what they’ve done.”
“The Brown brothers are already dead. They’re over at the roulette table.” She jerked her head in the direction of the doorway.
“Really?”
“Whoever blew up that house tied them up in the garage first.”
That explained the gasoline. “I need to speak with them.” They might be able to tell him more about that den of depravity. Who ran it? How had they hunted down the immortals in those cages? Who were their clients? This situation went far beyond the fool’s errand the gods had him working on. There were bad people out there doing bad things to helpless immortal creatures.
“I’m sorry, Damien, but there’s no time. You have to go back.”
Ah, his curse. He wasn’t allowed to die. Which was probably why he felt something pulling on him.
“Can you ask them who they worked for?” he asked hurriedly. “Find out who their clients were.”
“No. I—I’ve decided to travel back with you. You’re my anchor in the land of the living, so if I don’t go now, that’s it.”
What? No. He didn’t want to be her anchor. He didn’t want to be anything to anyone. “Sky, do not come back with me. You must…move on. Find peace. Let me handle the people who hurt your family.”
“I can’t. This is all my fault. I should’ve dropped the story.”
He cupped her soft cheek. “You were trying to do what was right.” Which was more than he could say for himself. His was a life of wrongs. Wrong choices, wrong people, and wrong feelings in his heart. Wrong, wrong, wrong.
“Sorry. My mind is made up.” Sky inhaled sharply, stood, and held out her hand to help him up. “Ready to go?”
Dammit, woman.She didn’t deserve to live in limbo as a restless soul. He knew very well what that was like.
Damien pushed his hands over his hair. “Sky, I’m guessing I won’t remember this conversation.” Since apparently he’d been here before and not recalled. “Just know if I act like I do not care about you, it is a defense mechanism. I cannot care about anyone without hurting them.”
He didn’t even truly care about Bonbon. The relationship was based on principle. The little demon had rescued Damien once (a long story having to do with the demon king Maury), and that was the basis of their relationship. But was theirs truly a friendship? No.
“Okay. I’ll remember that you’re not as big an asshole as everyone says.” Sky smiled, her face fading before his eyes. “Now hurry! Pet and Gorgonzolina need you!”
“Asshole? Wait. Who says I’m an…”
Lying on his stomach, Damien opened his eyes, his lungs filling with smoke. He coughed hard, trying to get his bearings. Flames encircled him, and debris covered his legs. From the looks of it, whatever explosive had been in that garage, it nearly leveled the entire house. He was inside a small pocket where the walls of the hallway had held up the roof.
