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“In addition to leading this crew, I oversee the management of multiple strip clubs, bars, eateries, and a few hotels throughout the city. We also manage some of Satan’s moreunsavoryenterprises, which is a huge reason why we want him out of power. I tend to handle the financials, whereas Bash, Ares, and Mal are more hands on. I have to be organized and exercise control in all aspects to be successful.” He eyed me, as if to assess whether or not he could control me. Most likely not. I hated following, and would rather do my own thing. Nonna called measino testarda–stubborn donkey–growing up because of how headstrong I was.
“Control in all aspects? That seems rather conceited. You can’t control other people.”
“I disagree, I control other people often. While you live here, I’ll be in control of your education and safety. You’ll have to follow the ground rules I set forth. Every day, I’ll educate you about magic and guide you in strengthening your powers. You’ll do as I tell you, or suffer the consequences. So, actually, I will control you.” His smug face was incredibly sexy, even though it irked me. The thought of suffering these consequences he’d dole out if I mistepped made me feel warm and needy in all the wrong ways.
“Aside from my safety and education, are there other topics you’ll guide me on?” I realized how loaded that comment sounded, but I didn’t care. Desmond had flirted with me before, and I would be lying if I said I wasn’t curious about how he felt.
“Let’s get a few things straight, Diana.” He leaned back in his chair as he ran his hands through his beard. “Think of me as your professor and of our relationship being strictly teacher-student. I wasn’t interested in you before, I just needed an in for recon, and you seemed to be the type that would fall for a flirt.”
“Seriously? That was fucking low. You didn’t have to flirt with me or lead me on, you could have just struck up a regular conversation with me like any of my other customers if all you wanted was information on me.” My tarot reading from yesterday told me to trust my gut, and my gut told me he was lying.
“Don’t take it personally, dollface. You’re just not my type.” I crossed my arms as Desmond perused my body.
If he wasn’t interested in me, then why had he been staring at me during breakfast? Why was he looking at me like that now? Unfortunately, I did take it personally. Desmond’s do-gooder Daddy act had faded, and this new Douchey Desmond wasn’t doing it for me.
“Good point, why would I be?” I tried to keep the offended tone out of my voice and failed miserably.
“This has nothing to do with you or the way you look. I meant what I said before, Diana. You’re a beautiful woman. But I have very specific tastes.” He raised an eyebrow, then schooled his expression.
“I respect that. I doubt you could handle me anyway. It seems like I’ll have my hands full with Sebastian, maybe Ares too.” Call me petty spaghetti, but I wanted to ruffle him a bit.
He rounded his desk and sat on the edge of it, right in front of me. His large frame crowded my personal space. I wanted to push my chair out and give him space, but I knew his style. Men like him got off on a reaction, on being the big dog.
“Dollface, I could do more than handle you. I’d destroy you…We all would. I saw your reaction when Mal kissed me earlier.”
I could feel my face heat. I didn’t think he’d noticed me staring. Even though Mal was an asshat, I would be lying if I said I didn’t find the thought of him and Desmond together scorching hot. Like scotch bonnet pepper hot.
He leaned over, inches from my face as he put his thumb under my chin, tilting my head up to look at him. “All of us love to share our toys and play well together. The only reason I’m choosing not to play with you is because killing Satan is more important to me. A good time isn’t worth all of us getting annihilated.”
He dropped his hand, leaning back like he didn’t just drop a huge bomb on me.They all play well together and share their toys?Great, now I was going to imagine them all fucking each other and me while he was teaching me magic.Did they all have orgies? Oh my Betty White, would Desmond, Sebastian, and Ares have an orgy with me? Would they take turns or all fill me at once? If their dicks are anything like Sebastian’s, I’ll never be able to sit down again.
“Diana?” Desmond asked, cutting through my daydream of getting sandwiched between three huge, handsome men. “We need to arrange terms.”
I nodded, trying my hardest not to think my deeply perverted thoughts.
“As your magic is still coming in, you’ll notice yourself getting stronger everyday. If it ever seems overwhelming to you, your magic develops new powers, or causes side effects that worry you, let me know immediately. You’ll attend daily lessons with each of us until you’re ready.”
“Each of you? Malcolm, too?” I didn’t want to have any lessons with him. Even the thought of being near that smug bastard and his stuck up fuckery was enough to make me sick to my stomach.
“Yes,” he said with finality. “I’ll have a discussion with him about his behavior. Mal’s powers are one of the few you don’t have to be born with. Any witch or warlock can have the power of telekinesis, and the extended powers, if they are powerful enough and can learn it.”
“So Mal is a warlock. Does that mean I can turn into a furry gremlin creature, too?” If I could, I’d love to look like Furby.
“Hewasa warlock.” Desmond’s cold stare settled on me, demanding my full and undivided attention. I instinctively sat up straight. “That’s not my story to tell, and I suggest you don’t ask him if you want to get along with him.”
So Malcolm had a tragic backstory? Boo fucking hoo, give me a break. I couldn’t stand guys like him, who thought they had the right to treat everyone like dirt because they had it so bad growing up. My father ditched me before I was born, and my mom died when I was nine years old, but I didn’t walk around acting like a smacked ass to everyone. I didn’t want to talk to him if I could help it and only planned to speak to him so I could learn telekinesis. Watching him transport all of those people in The Cellar was impressive, and I wanted to be able to do that. Then I could teleport his head into a toilet when he was giving me a shit attitude.
“Given what happened at brunch, you’ll have your own room while you’re staying here, although it’s your choice where you sleep at night. Also, unless you’re accompanied by Bash or myself, you are not allowed to leave this compound, which includes the mansion and the surrounding grounds up to the fence. You’re dead in the real world, and our plan rests on you staying that way, at least until Satan is dead.” Desmond said those words with a finality that left no room for arguments.
I had the feeling that unless there was a good reason, I would never leave this house until the job was done. Part of me felt safest here, surrounded by powerful magical beings who would protect me. But another part of me felt like a prisoner, stuck in a place I didn’t choose to come to, even if it was the best move for me.
“So you’ll all be my demonic version of witchcraft school, teaching me the magic I’ll need to take out the big, ugly bad guy?” I didn’t miss the way Desmond’s brow raised like an exasperated parent.
He sighed, cracking his neck. “Yes, and I expect you to take it seriously.”
“I would hope so, because I’mdeadand stuck living here for my own safety. Wait, isn’t Satan immortal? Bash said last night how Satans get replaced if they step down or die, but how can we kill someone who’s immortal?”
“So immortal means you can’t die of human diseases and most injuries. For example, I can’t die if you slit my throat, or if I get hit by a bus. What I can die from is a being with stronger magic using it to kill me.” He raised a brow, gesturing with his hands. “If the five of us combine our magic together, we would be more powerful than Satan, thus able to kill him.”
