Page 47

Rune grinned wider, flashing his fangs again.“Penis measuring, huh?”

“Yep.I’m not sure I factored at all, honestly.Jagger doesn’t want me, but he doesn’t seem to want anyone else to have me either.”

“Then perhaps we’ll let him stew for a bit?”

I nodded and yawned.“Sounds good.”

“So, lovely, how about you tell me why you’re here?”

I blinked, and my eyes felt heavy.“Right, of course.The reason I’m here.”

Rune sat back and waited, and I forced myself to sit up straight before I fell asleep.“Well, I’ve got myself in a bit of trouble with a not very nice demon.His name’s Tarrant.Do you know him?”

Rune’s gaze sharpened.“Oh, yes, I know him.How about you tell me what’s been going on?”

I spilled, telling him everything.What Luke did, about Poe and Lars and all the drugs I’d been making for them.I couldn’t stop talking even if I wanted to.When I finally finished, he said nothing, just stared at me for a long time, a look in his eyes that made me squirm.

He looked…angry.Really, really angry.

“I’m sorry,” I choked out.

His head tilted to the side.“What are you sorry for?”

“I—I don’t know.You just look really angry.”My stomach was in knots, the vibes pouring off Rune made me want to hide under the nearest piece of furniture and curl into a trembling ball.

“I am angry, but not at you.”He rubbed his hand over his jaw.“Do you know my fee for those who come here for favors?Serious ones, like yours?”

I shook my head.

“I’m in the business of collecting souls, Sutton.”

My entire body froze.Of course he was.He was a freaking soul collector.

“But I offered you the friends and family rate remember?”

I nodded, while my heart thumped wildly in my chest.

“So instead of your eternal soul, I need you to do something for me.”

“What do you want me to do?”I rasped.

He studied me, and I bit my lip to stop the whimper from escaping.“You’ve already been associating with Tarrant, you’re already on their payroll, they think you’re one of them.”

“They’re blackmailing me.”

He shrugged.“You’re still on the inside, as it were.”

“Not really.”

“There’s only so much I can do when it comes to Tarrant.He isn’t your average demon.He’s connected, closely related to one of the lords, Beelzebub to be exact.Accusing him of something without proof would not be good for my position here in this city.I’m close with Lucifer, yes, but I’m not a lord.That puts me in a precarious position.I need proof of his wrongdoing before I can make a move, and that’s where you come in.”

“Proof of the drugs?I can do that easily.I can just?—”

“No.Not the drugs.In the eyes of Lucifer, what he’s doing isn’t grounds for punishment.It’s not forbidden.The only criteria for staying aboveground is leaving humans alone.You’re not human, and neither is your friend.This isn’t something I can get involved with.If I had evidence that humans were somehow involved in his business, though…”

“You think that they are?That he’s somehow messing with humans?”

He studied me again, his gaze sliding over my face as if he were looking inside me, assessing if I was worthy of the truth.“I do,” he said.“I’m not sure in what capacity, but I think Tarrant has decided he doesn’t need to play by the rules.I just don’t know what he’s doing and since he and I are…well, we’re not exactly the best of friends, I can’t get close.But you, lovely, might be able to help me with that.You get the proof, and all your troubles will be over.”