Page 45 of Demon's Desire

They’d forgotten him.

Nico’s chest ached at the pain in Onyx’s tone. He hadn’t found out that Nico had discovered demons until the nightthey’d met. No wonder Onyx had taken out his anger on Nico. Of course he’d lashed out.

Onyx pushed people to test whether they cared, and his brothers had failed.

“I’m sorry we didn’t tell you the second it happened,” Dante said, seeming blind to the depth of the problem, like he wanted to push past forgetting to keep Onyx in the loop and be done with it.

But surely dismissing Onyx now would make things worse.

Dante sighed as if he was exhausted. “Is that why you didn’t tell us Luc found you?”

Onyx seethed. “Oh, right, because I’m nothing but petty. Tit for tat. How did you even find out about Luc?”

“My birds. I told you they were keeping an eye on who turned up. They saw Luc on the bridge.”

“That was last night. If you saw Luc, why didn’t you call me immediately?”

“You can’t be serious?” Ash groaned. “You didn’t need to be told. You. Saw. Him. Too.”

Onyx threw up his hands. “Just as yousawhim disappear on me after spouting thirty seconds worth of bullshit. Why are we even having this conversation?”

Ash stepped forward and loomed over Onyx. “Because you didn’t try to trap him. You did nothing, and then kept it from us. Whose side are you on?”

Nico’s pulse raced. The shop was dead silent for a full minute. Onyx seemed primed to blow, his body quivering. Nico longed to pull him close, run his hands through Onyx’s hair, and tell him it was okay.

But Nico wasn’t sure it was okay.

“I can’t believe you’d ask me that.” Onyx’s words came out so chillingly calm that Nico’s neck prickled. “I thought we were brothers, Ash.”

Ash’s eyes narrowed. “But you’ll always be his brother first.”

Dante sucked in a breath.

Onyx cocked his head, sharp as a bird of prey. “And you aren’t?”

“No.” Ash puffed out his chest. “Luc is no one to me. Not anymore.”

“So only you and Dante can sever your ties? Even though you knew Luc centuries before I was born. Even though your bond with him was always stronger than mine. I’m forever linked to Lucifer by my blood, and there’s nothing I can do about it. Is that what you’re saying? I’m not my own person, able to shape my relationships. I’m just Lucifer’s little brother.”

Ash hesitated, hopefully realizing how much he’d fucked up. Nico didn’t know the half of it, but if Ash really did think all that, it didn’t sound like the kind of thing that could be taken back once it was out.

“That’s not what he meant,” Dante cut in.

Onyx didn’t look at him. “Let Ash speak for himself.”

“Fuck, Onyx.” Ash deflated. “That wasn’t what I meant. It’s different for you. That’s all. Your relationship with Luc isn’t the same as mine. You’re actual brothers.”

Onyx’s eyes flashed. “Actual brothers. How clever of you, Ash. Didn’t realize you had the deductive reasoning required to make such an obvious observation.”

“Prick,” Ash growled.

“If all you wanted was to accuse me of betrayal, you can go.” Onyx pointed to the door.

Ash didn’t budge. “We need to know what Luc said.”

Fuck, he was bold, there was no doubt about that. Pushing Onyx now was nothing like what Nico had done back in his apartment. Nico had called Onyx out and confronted his blatant lies, wanting him to open up, giving him the connectionNico suspected he’d come for. Ash was pushing when the outcome might be disastrous for everyone.

“Of course. You need something from me.” Onyx clenched his fists at his sides. “If I say it was nothing important, I bet you’ll call me a traitor again. You love floating that possibility. Proving you wrong is the only reason I’m going to tell you what Luc said because you don’t deserve shit from me right now.”