Page 66 of Demon Dating Service

Dead?

They were going to kill them.

Luke jerked away from Azroth, the room seeming to spin as he staggered a couple steps to his left. “Wait!” He panted, and his heart raced as a chill spread through him, pushing aside all the warmth Azroth had gifted him.

He wanted them to pay for what they’d done to him, for what they’d done to Matteo. His only crime had been daring to associate with Luke. But to go to the extreme of killing them? It felt like it was too much.

“You don’t want us to kill them?” Mullmag’s soft question made Luke aware that the room had become suffocatingly quiet. Even the quartet had stopped whimpering and shouting. All the demons stared at him in different degrees of shock and disbelief. The future of these men hung on Luke’s next words.

But if he didn’t agree with the demons, would they turn on him?

“I just…” He whispered and swallowed hard. “I’m not sure…”

Azroth cocked his head to the side, watching him in such a way that it reminded him of Atticus and the other crows. In the blink of an eye, Azroth shifted into his human form, dressed in a neat, dark suit. Handsome as always and very pulled together. Yet, it felt so wrong in these surroundings.

“I understand your hesitation,” Azroth crooned, his voice so soothing. “You have a gentle, kind heart. You’re always so quickto forgive, but these vermin aren’t worthy of your forgiveness. Do you not understand that when I found you, they’d already broken two of your ribs and one of your lungs had collapsed? You had a concussion that could harm your precious brain. Their intent was to hurt you until youdied. And what about Matteo?”

“Stop!” Luke snapped. “Change back into your true form. Don’t hide who you are. And don’t think you can manipulate me with a pretty human face.”

Azroth’s expression twisted into something sour for a second. “You know, there are times your precious brain is quite annoying.”

“And I’m not one of your everyday stupid humans.”

To his surprise, a small, proud smile tweaked Azroth’s thin lips before he shifted into his demon form. He shook out his wings and resumed his attempts to coerce Luke.

“Regardless of which face I wear, my words are true. They were willing to kill you for embarrassing them. Is that fair? Your life in exchange for minor discomfort? They saw you as nothing but a worm. And what about Matteo? Do you think they’d allow him to live after he witnessed your murder?”

These bastards were going to kill Matteo too?

Even knowing that Azroth was trying to tempt him toward murder by cloaking in the guise of justice, he didn’t think Azroth was lying. It only made sense. Would they let Matteo go after witnessing such a beating? Especially given there was at least a slight chance he could identify them? Not a fucking chance.

“Matteo’s right arm was broken. He also had a concussion,” Azroth whispered.

Luke’s heart squeezed and his gut churned until he thought he was going to be sick. He was almost willing to brush aside what was done to him, but he couldn’t do the same for Matteo. The man was completely innocent. He was the sweetest, most wonderful person in the world. No one should ever harm him.

Bath’tuk stepped close and pinched the sleeve of Luke’s coat, giving it a tiny tug. “Don’t you understand? You belong to us. We have to protect you. They have to pay for harming even one hair on your head.” The cyclops demon stuck out one finger and lightly touched a lock of filthy hair hanging in front of Luke’s eyes. “You are precious to us. Matteo is precious to us because he belongs to you and is precious to you. They need to pay.”

It was sweet and kind of hard to argue with that, but the idea of his attackers being killed felt a step too far for him.

“Do you think you’re the first one they’ve bullied and harassed?” Azroth inquired.

Luke spun to Azroth, his eyes wide. “What? Have they killed other people? Who? How many?”

The demon deflated. “Killed? No.” He turned his red-eyed stare back to the quartet, who cried and begged. “But they have spent most of their lives bullying and harassing others. Taunting and tormenting them until their targets had no choice but to change schools and seek counseling. Their lives were miserable. Many contemplated suicide.”

“No! Please! We’ll change! We promise! No more bullying. We won’t bully anyone else. No matter what!”

The promises rang out from all members of the quartet, but Luke found he didn’t believe a single word they spoke. Maybe they would change for a little while, but it wouldn’t stick. The only reason they were trying now was because their asses were on the line. They didn’t actually see what they were doing as wrong.

Luke clenched his teeth. There were few things he hated more in the world than a bully. He’d heard more than enough slurs in his life just for being gay. They had been happy to single him out for his love of birds and for being poor.

Combine that with the pain and fear Matteo suffered, and Luke found he couldn’t let this go. They’d escaped this time, andmaybe they would leave him alone, but wouldn’t they turn their mocking and torment on another innocent person? They would have learned nothing.

Turning away from Azroth, he strolled in front of the four men who’d kidnapped him and Matteo. They looked bad, but nothing that wouldn’t heal in a day or two. They might even argue that this was all a nightmare.

“Don’t kill them,” Luke said firmly.

Shouts and cries went up on all sides, but he ignored them. He returned to Azroth, who was fuming and bristling with barely controlled rage.