Page 180 of Terror at the Gates

“Or they are very real, and you’ll just fuck up our chances of confirming it?” I said.

Hadn’t he just said his goal was to locate all seven blades?If I lost the Order’s trust right out of the gate, we were screwed.

“No matter how capable you are, I won’t send you into the unknown alone,” he said.

“I’m not saying I want to go alone,” I said. “But if I walk up to Saira with you at my side, she’ll likely not even try to lead me to the Order.”

“I’ll figure something out,” he said. “I’ll follow you or rig something up so I can listen in on your conversation.”

I wasn’t so sure the latter would work. Since the demons had overloaded the power grid, none of our technology had been the same. Not that it was great to begin with, at least in Nineveh.

We were quiet for a moment, and Zahariev lit another cigarette.

“Have you decided what you’re going to do about the families?” I asked.

He expelled a stream of smoke, scratching his brow with his thumb.

“Right now, I’m going to act like they didn’t stab me in the back.”

“Can you do that if they decide to go to war over Hiram?” I asked.

“Yeah,” he said. “I’ll just offer an ultimatum. Unless you want me to fight for it.”

“What’s the ultimatum?”

He held my gaze as he took another drag. This man smoked like a fucking freight train.

“They can have it,” he said. “So long as I can have you. Only if you agree, of course.”

I licked my lips to keep from smiling as I stared at him, though his proposal made my heart feel like it was aboutto explode.

“Do you really think that will work?” I asked.

“I think I can be pretty convincing,” he said. “I imagine they will give me what I want for now, knowing they plan to kill me later.”

He sounded so casual despite the morbid theme of our conversation. I wondered if his ease was confidence or rather that he did not fear dying. I hoped it was the former, because I couldn’t handle losing him.

“What does it mean? To be yours?” I asked.

He smiled softly. “Whatever you want,” he said. “I’ll always be here, following in your shadow. I am not afraid of your freedom.”

I held his gaze and closed the space between us.

“I’d take you over Hiram any day,” I said. I let my hands smooth up his chest, wrapping my arms around his neck. He tossed his cigarette and pulled me close. “Just promise me you won’t die.”

He laughed quietly, eyes trained on my lips.

“Wasn’t planning on it,” he said.

Then he kissed me.

Zahariev

When I opened the back door of my SUV, all I could smell was stale sex. It was not pleasant, which is why I’d decided it was best to clean it before everyone piled in for an evening of surveillance.

“What are you doing out here?” Cassius asked.

I hit my head trying to back out of the SUV and hissed.