Page 46 of Demon's Desire

Onyx took a steadying breath, but Nico wasn’t sure it calmed him. “Luc asked for my help. I told him to fuck off. He asked if I believed he wanted to make things right, and I said no way in hell. He was up to his usual manipulative crap.”

“Help with what?” Dante asked.

“Didn’t say. Which is one more reason to call bullshit.”

“I agree.” Dante elbowed Ash, who grunted in apparent affirmation. “Thank you, Onyx. If the birds spot anything else, I’ll call right away.”

Ash turned and left the shop without another word. Onyx’s gaze followed him until he disappeared from sight.

Dante waited for Onyx to look at him, but his stare remained on the front of the shop. Eventually Dante asked, “Are you sure you’re safe?”

“Perfectly.” Onyx still didn’t look at him.

“If you’d let us protect your house like we’ve done with mine, I’d feel better. It’ll be stronger with all three of our magics.”

“Don’t worry about it.” Onyx turned away, still not looking at Dante, and walked behind the counter. “It’s not like Luc is going to kill me. We still need to trap him, and if we can’t track him, we might have to let him come to us. All I’ll say is, maybe you should bother to show up when he finds me again, instead of calling me twenty-four hours later.”

Dante’s brow furrowed. “Yeah, okay. If you change your mind about protecting your place, we’ll be there.”

Onyx disappeared behind the curtain to the back of the shop without replying.

Dante glanced at Nico apologetically, shook his head, and left.

13

ONYX

“Areyou going to call me a brat for behaving like that?” Onyx asked as he heard Nico join him in the back room. He didn’t bother turning around.

“No. Not unless you want me to.”

Onyx was so tense, his back cramped. Not even Nico’s perfect response helped. Onyx was rooted to the spot, staring blankly at a shelf packed with empty vials and glass jars.

He’d been right to avoid Ash and Dante. They’d managed to make seeing Luc even worse than it already was.Whose side are you on?Onyx wanted to scream until his throat bled.

How many thousands of years had Ash known Onyx and never seen him as an individual? Onyx was nothing but a nuisance tied to Lucifer. They wouldn’t have missed Onyx if they’d left him behind. He’d been so stupid to follow them to Earth. Even now, they’d be glad to get rid of him.

A woodsy citrus scent tickled Onyx’s nose.

“Hey.” Nico had moved closer without Onyx realizing. He didn’t touch Onyx, but he stood near enough that Onyx sensed him hovering at his back. “Tell me what you need right now.”

What, Nico would give Onyx what he needed? Why wouldhe want to after witnessing Onyx’s temper and terrible relationship with his brothers?

Not that it mattered. Onyx’s needs were too humiliating to admit.

He needed Nico to wrap his arms around him and crush him until his joints popped. Then, Nico needed to whisper in Onyx’s ear, spouting all his stupidly sweet sex-babble about not leaving, and fucking mean it.

Onyx cleared his throat. “I’m going home.” He couldn’t move, but that was immaterial. The intent was there.

“Look at me,” Nico ordered, not sounding mad but undeniably stern.

Onyx’s shoulders dropped, a small coil of tension leaving him. “No.”

“Yes.” Nico pressed closer, his chest to Onyx’s back. “Look at me and tell me you’re going home and that you want to be by yourself, and you can go.”

Onyx’s pulse spiked, and a chill wound down his spine. Had Nico guessed it would be impossible for him to leave once they were face to face? Onyx didn’t have the energy to fight right now, but that didn’t mean he’d give in.

“Onyx.” Nico laid a hand on his hip, fingers curling possessively around him. “Talk to me.”