Page 102 of Demon's Heart

“Lucifer probably stalked me and Ash to The Herb Emporium,” Harper said.

“But—”

“Then it’s settled.” Onyx clapped his hands, cutting Ash off. “Mates with the vampire coven and the witch. But if any vampires find out about us, blood will be spilled.”

Ollie would never feel great knowing Dante was walking into Hell, so he braced himself. He couldn’t ask Dante not to do this. It wasn’t all about what Lucifer did that day on the beach, even if that had spurred Dante into action.

Dante needed to focus and get back as soon as possible. If their mission was successful, it didn’t matter where Ollie spent the night.

“Where are we meeting Nico and Rowan?” he asked.

Harper’s cheeks turned pink. “A strip club.”

28

DANTE

“This feels like a joke,”Dante muttered to Ollie as they landed on the roof of an old-style building in the Business District.

Ollie gave a soft chuckle. “I know, but if I’m safe at a vampire-owned strip club, who cares.”

Dante couldn’t argue with that.

He reluctantly set Ollie on his feet. Ollie was trying hard not to let his nerves show, but the occasional jolt shot down the bond.

“It’ll be all right. Luc won’t kill any of us. We’ll always be able to get back to you, even if the worst happens.”

“That’s not exactly comforting.” Fear shone in Ollie’s eyes. “I don’t want the worst to happen.”

“I don’t either. But we’ve prepared for it, so you’ll be safe either way.” And that was the most important thing.

Ollie gripped Dante tight around the waist. “Can we share our emotions while you’re gone? Will I still feel you even if you’re in another realm?”

Dante’s breath caught. “Yes, you should be able to feel me no matter where I am. But are you sure?”

“More than sure.”

Dante hesitated. His emotions were bound to be tumultuous and physical altercations weren’t out of the realm of possibility. “Luc won’t go down without a fight. Feeling everything might not be reassuring until it’s over.”

Ollie’s resolve seemed to harden. “I know this isn’t going to be easy, but I’m not just looking for reassurance. I want to be there for you. Hold you through it. Give you…I don’t know, inner strength.”

Dante kissed Ollie. How could he not? Dante felt warm and fuzzy, and not even returning to the Realm of the Damned could dampen his joy for one bright moment.

“Thank you, Ollie. You don’t know how much that means, or maybe you do. Having you with me is going to make this so much easier.”

“Good.” Ollie traced one of Dante’s horns. “At least if I can help in some way, I won’t feel like I’m sending you off to fight for me.”

“You aren’t sending me. I’m doing this because Lucifer hurt you but also for all the times he hurt me, Onyx, Ash, and all the demons in the Realm of the Damned. Maybe we should have done this centuries ago…”

But they hadn’t been sure their escape would work until they tried. Fighting Luc and trying to crack the riddle of how to steal his power before escaping had seemed impossible. Too many things could have gone wrong and they couldn’t have risked him discovering their plans.

And when they were finally free, they’d put it behind them. Maybe Dante hadn’t had the strength to face turning their escape into a full-scale exodus back then. Maybe he needed Ollie to help him see a better future. He’d never stopped believing, but things had been bleak for a long time.

Now, Dante’s world was bright, and he needed everyone to see it. They all deserved their mates.

Ollie took his hand. “Don’t worry about the past. There’s no point looking back and beating yourself up. Let me take care of you while you do this, then come home, and the other night will seem like nothing compared to what I’ll do to you.”

Dante let the walls guarding their bond drop and purred at the affection pouring out of Ollie. “The other night could never be nothing, but I’m sure we can build on it.”