Page 20 of Guarded by the Hellhound (Accidental Monsters #3)

RAIDER

K atherine is released from the hospital after a two-day stay. Eli turns out to be our guardian angel, letting us move into the clergy house next to the church. It’s been vacant for a couple of years because Eli prefers the living quarters inside the church.

I spent half a day getting the little cottage ready.

Luckily, it was already furnished, but getting all the accessories was a challenge.

A little magic worked a long way, but mostly it was donations.

Katherine doesn’t care. She just wants to be out of the hospital and recover in peace.

Her former coworkers at the library were appalled when they heard what had happened to her, and the library offered her her old job back, which she accepted without hesitation.

Right now, I’m wheeling her through the threshold of our new home. Her content sigh when she’s inside puts a smile on my face.

“Happy, my love?”

“Very much so. My stalker is gone; I have my old job back, and things are just things. I’m pretty sure we’ll have plenty again by next year.” I gently lift her from the wheelchair and help her settle onto the couch.

“ We will have plenty?” She blushes a pretty pink grin. I quickly end her misery with a kiss. “I made a deal with Lucifer.”

She arches an eyebrow, and I can tell she has many, many questions; I cut her off before she can ask them.

“Yes, Lucifer is the king of Hell, and he rules us all; he is annoying and technically my boss, but we do not really get along.” She lets out a little huff but doesn’t interfere otherwise, so I continue.

“I can stay with you if I can pay attention to the gates and if I bring him a soul every Halloween besides my usual collecting.”

She opens her mouth, then closes it again, shaking her head.

“So… you’re staying?”

I grin. “I’m staying if you’ll have me.”

A tear escapes her eye, making its way down her cheek.

“Yes, please,” she whispers. I give her a wicked smile before I seal the deal with a kiss—a promise of the life we will spend together and the love that we will share.

Thank you for reading Katherine and Raider’s story.