Page 49

Juniper frowned. “Your brother? Kind of figured that, since he’s like you–no boundaries, struts around like he’s a gift to the world, and handsome in that stupidly boring way.”

I jerked at that, and so did Lust, who recovered quickly.

“You think I’m handsome?” he purred, leaning into her from the edge of his desk.

“In that perfect, Disney-prince boring way that no one likes!” she fired back, trying to bury herself further into the paper files next to her electronic device. Her face turned red though, belying her emotions.

Lust looked like he’d just been given tickets to one of Adonis’s orgies. “Handsomeandperfect? All in one conversation?”

The way she sputtered and fidgeted was so adorable, I couldn’t look away.

“Uh, Juniper, would you excuse us? Family business,” Lust said, pulling her chair out from his desk, and slapping a crisp twenty in her hand. “Here, take a break and get some coffee, as an apology for the interruption to your schedule.”

Juniper looked like she wanted nothing more than to get away anyhow, but clutched the money in her hand and stalked out of the office, clinging to whatever shreds of dignity she had left.

The moment she was gone Lust and I spoke at the same time.

“What were you going to say–”

“She doesn’t know she died?—”

I froze, taking in what my brother had just said.

“She doesn’t know shedied?” I parroted, my voice going an octave higher.

Lust threw himself into his chair, running a hand through his hair. He gestured vaguely with the other to the open seat next to him.

We sat in silence for a moment.

“She thinks she just lost unconsciousness and woke up, buried alive,” Lust finally said.

I took that in. “Gods. Wouldn’t it be better to know the truth? That sounds just...traumatic.”

Lust shrugged, trying to appear casual. But I noticed the tension in his shoulders, and the hard tic in his jaw.

“WHAT DO YOU MEAN I DIED?”

My stomach dropped into my feet as Juniper stormed back in the office, fists clenched. If I thought her face had been flushed, it was nothing compared to the blood red rushing into her cheeks and ears now, her entire face turning puce, almost purple.

Like a fig,I thought wryly.

Magick sparked and curled in the office, like a smoke that we couldn’t see, only feel.

Lust laughed, but it was a nervous sound— not like him at all.

Oh no. Oh no, no, no. Did Lust have feelings for Juniper?

She was my mate. Mine. I saw her first. I gave her life. Lust got everything, especially when it came to women. Well, not this time! I would tell her just how much she owed me, and not him.

“I am Pride, and I am Undersecretary of Hell. As my brother so crudely put,” I shot him a glare, and he made a face at me. “You turned up in the Underworld some time ago. I re-animated you, and sent you back.”

She just stared at me.

I waited for the gratitude to come flowing forth, but...nothing. I cleared my throat, my collar feeling tight around my neck.

“I...brought you back,” I said again, unsure if she hadn’t heard me, or didn’t understand.

Her face stayed blank for another awkward moment, before twisting into anger. Puffing up, she strode right up to me and stuck her finger in my chest. “You think you’re funny, don’t you?”