He wrapped his arms around me, holding me tightly. “I’m sorry I worried you. Your dad said you’d be able to see whatever it was he did to me.”
“It was like Viktor was touching you. But a thousand times brighter. It lit up the entire room. That was after your emotions went crazy. Ivan said you likely were talking to someone. We thought your m om or Kostya. Then Bubba came upstairs and said Kostya had told Viktor you were fine. They offered to bring me breakfast, but I was suddenly really tired, so I just went back to sleep with you.”
His hands were roaming lightly over my body as we talked. “I’m glad you got extra sleep. You’re going to get benefit from this too. Your dad said because we’re so connected, your demon is going to grow stronger with mine. Ivan will get a boost through you, but you’ll get the most. The other three are also going to become connected to their demons very quickly,” he said. He felt me stiffen as I worried about Viktor. “Don’t worry, I asked about Viktor. He’ll be able to handle it. He needs Stephen to help him one more time and then he’ll be good.”
I let out the breath I was holding, making him laugh softly. I was quiet, thinking about everything he’d just told me. “I think we should stay one more night, then. Dario can wait until tomorrow, I think. We can ask Misha to be sure, but I think staying here another night is best,” I said.
“I will not argue with you on that one. I wouldn’t mind another night here either. If we go back, I’m going to feel the need to go to my office and 1 don’t want to just yet. I do, however, want to send someone for Vinny’s. I’m starving,” he said as he flipped me onto my back. I could hear his stomach grumbling as he did it.
“It’s like you love me or something.” I said, laughing.
He was smiling at me, but he stopped to think about something and his face turned serious for a moment. “I do love you. I always have. But as it turns out, my demon loves you as well,” he said, unable to stop the sly grin that was appearing on his face.
“Shut up.”
“No, he does. He very much does. I’ve never felt anything so clearly from him before.”
I laughed. “As it turns out, I love him too.” I could feel the happiness exuding from him when I said that, which made me laugh louder, “I just made him extra happy, didn’t 17”
“Yeah, like 12 year old boy who just saw a boob for the first time happy,” he said as he sat up to pull me up. I pulled my shirt up, flashing him my bo obs, just for fun.
“So much happiness he’s not going to be able to take it!” I said, laughing
He stood up, pulling me off the bed with him. His handsome smile was stretched across his face as we laughed together. “I love hearing your laugh. He does too. You’re much lighter lately. It’s infectious.
“I could say the same for you, you know. I think as everything gets even weirder, you, me, and Ivan have become anchors for the other three. There’s a quiet calm to you now, where before you always felt like your anger was always present just under the surface, threatening to burn anything in your way. That’s still there, but it’s quieter and more in control. It’s scarier, if I’m being honest,” I said.
He stopped walking to the closet and turned back toward me, surprise on his face. “It scares you?” he asked. The surprise on his face was quickly replaced with concern.
I put my hand on his cheek, loving his constant concern for me. “No, love. I don’t think it’s possible for you to scare me. I meant it’s scarier for anyone else outside of our little weird family. You make people nervous on a good day, but it’s to a new level now. Even Neal has noticed it. He’s tried to hide it, but he has to constantly remind himself that he hasn’t done anything to incur your wr ath every time he talks to you now.”
He was thoughtful for a minute. “I don’t even feel bad about that.”
I laughed loudly. “You shouldn’t. You don’t need to change a thing, either. People aren’t necessarily scared of you; they’re scared you can see something in them that they don’t want you to see. Even without knowing what’s happening, you’ve learned to shine your light on their darkest places. People don’t like that.”
“I learned it from watching you,” he said, leaning down and pressing his lips to mine. I reached up and pulled him closer to me.
How is it possible to love this man so much?
King of the UnderworldAdrik
I caught Sephie observing me as we got dressed to go downstairs. I could tell she was noticing new things, but she wasn’t sharing yet. Or the was talking to one of the guys and keeping me out of the conversation. It could go either way.
“Are you talking to someone else?” I asked before we left the bedroom.
She giggled. “No. You were right. I’m watching you. You feel different.”
“Different how?” I stopped her from leaving so I could hear her answer first before we shared everything with the guys.
She inhaled, thinking of how to word it. “Before, you were always hot. Like me. Even more so than me, I think. It’s one of my favorite things about you, if I’m being honest. Now, you feel hot and cold…”
“At the same time?” 1 finished for her. She grinned at me.
“You can feel it too?”
“I did when your dad zapped me. Normally, my anger is always present. It’s always hot, to varying degrees, like you said. But when your dad zapped me, everything got turned up. My fire was a raging inferno, but it felt cold at the same time. But the kind of cold that will burn you,” I said.
New Book: Back Home to Marry Off Myself
Loredana’s father left the family for his mistress, leaving them to fend for themselves abroad. When life was at its toughest, her father showed up with “good news” after 8 years of absence: To marry off Loredana to a paralyzed son of the wealthy Mendelsohn family.