Page 78 of Sunshine

There was a filthy mattress shoved into the farthest corner, and Thad was kneeling on it next to Remi, a large knife in his hand pressed against Remi’s bared throat. He could just barely make out the twins cowering behind his mate, their soft crying tearing at his insides.

“You got here faster than I thought, dog,” Thad sneered at him, and Jeremiah forced himself to meet Remi’s eyes, braced for his panic.

But his mate was staring at him with determination, barely a speck of fear in his lavender gaze.

Gods, he loved this man. How could he not see how fucking brave he was?

“That’s okay,” Thad was saying, laughing in a way that said he wasn’t really as sane as he’d been pretending. “This way, you can watch your precious little halfbreed die.”

“How do you plan on getting out of here?” Storm asked, trying to play the voice of reason. “Huh? Why don’t you put that knife down, and we can all walk out of here in one piece.”

“I have two more tiny fishes to use as leverage,” Thad said, reaching back with his free hand to poke at one of the twins until they screamed around their gags.

Remi’s eyes began to heat, his fury pouring into Jeremiah through their bond.

Burn him.

Jeremiah took a step closer instinctively, cocking his head to the side. Had Remi just told him to burn Thad? He was too close to Remi and the twins—Jeremiah would kill them all with his hellfire.

It’s too dangerous.

Thad was saying something, but Jeremiah stayed focused on his mate and the knife by his neck. It wasn’t pressed against his skin anymore, Thad’s inattention loosening his grip. Even as he was trying to figure out if he could close the distance between them before Thad slit Remi’s throat, Remi took a deep breath, his chest rising and falling, and fell to his side, away from Thad.

Thad cursed and reached for him, but Remi was already slamming his foot into his junk and then throwing himself on top of the twins.

Do it! Now!

He was gathering his fire in his hands almost before he thought about it, his hound’s trust in their mate complete.

“Oh fuck!” Storm yelled, sprinting back out into the tunnel and slamming the metal door shut behind him. “Are you crazy?”

Maybe, but he had to believe Remi knew what he was doing. Thad was already scrambling to grab onto Remi, knife still glinting in his hand, so he didn’t have time to doubt him.

He released the flames, shooting them toward the mattress and sending a prayer to any gods willing to listen. Thad didn’t even have a chance to scream, the fire consuming him from one breath to the next, and Jeremiah quickly pulled it back inside himself and scrambled forward.

The mattress was burned and smoking under Thad’s crispy body, but Remi looked… fine.

Completely unharmed.

Weak with relief, he untied Remi’s hands and then unbuckled the belt wrapped around his head holding the gag in his mouth. They worked together to free the twins, who were crying hysterically and clinging to them both.

Jeremiah wrapped all of them in his arms as tightly as he could and rocked back and forth, barely able to believe it was over and they were safe.

Thank the fucking gods.

21

REMI

Remi was pretty sure he was in shock, his body feeling heavy and floaty at the same time as he looked back at the sleeping twins as Jeremiah led him out of the second bedroom. He was glad they’d left the bed in there so he could keep his brother and sister close until he could get them home in the morning. He met Priest’s eyes, the Demon lounging in Jeremiah’s desk chair, but his unwavering stare said he wouldn’t be getting any rest until the twins were back at the palace.

He’d talked to his parents on the phone a little while ago, both of them so overcome he could barely understand them. He just reassured them over and over that they were all okay and that they didn’t need to come to Hillsland.

He was coming home.

For good.

As soon as their bedroom door shut, Remi sagged against Jeremiah, wanting his warmth and comfort but finding resistance instead. For the first time in hours, Jeremiah didn’t wrap his arms around him as soon as he leaned into him, his body stiffening against the door.

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