Page 114 of Paramour of Sin

I went up onto my toes to find a Tupperware container for the leftover cake on the counter. I wanted to take some back to Chicago with me, but leave the bulk for Gleason, since it was his favorite treat.

Well, it was the only one he tolerated, anyway.

He preferred health foods over sweets. I’d spent the last decade trying to fix him, and now, well, he’d be on his own with all that grilled meat and vegetable crap.

Pinching my lips to the side, I tried to lift just a little higher.

Ugh. The long, square container I wanted wasjustout of my reach. I grunted irritably, stretching as far as I could go without physically climbing onto the counter.

Gleason set his steaming coffee mug beside me, then reached past me for the glass box. “I hope the cabinets in Chicago aren’t so tall. Wouldn’t want you to pull a muscle.”

“Ha, ha,” I drawled, taking the container from him. “Why did I make you this cakeagain?”

“Because you’re going to miss me,” he returned as he picked up his mug. “Which is also why you’re leaving me the house, too.”

I rolled my eyes. “It’ll stay in my name as an asset.”

“For now,” he agreed, sipping his coffee. “I might buy you out.”

“Yeah? Dark Provenance paying better these days?”

He grunted. “No, but my silver sales are.”

“I’m going to pretend I didn’t hear that,” Lord Zebulon murmured as he portaled into the kitchen.

“Evangeline is one of my best customers,” Gleason continued, entirely unbothered by the presence of a being who could easily flay him alive with a thought. “You won’t touch me as a result.”

Lord Zebulon released a low chuckle. “I’ll let you live if you hand over the Nephilim audit from Evangeline,” he offered. “I’d like to review it before passing it on to Ashmedai.”

Gleason pulled up a screen from the device on his wrist, set his mug down to key in a few strokes, then made an audiblewhooshingsound as the files electronically whirred through the air to Lord Zebulon. Or I assumed that was what had just transpired.

With Gleason, it could have been anything.

However, Lord Zebulon murmured a polite “Thank you” half a second later and sat at my kitchen table to pull up his own screen.

He skimmed through the files without a flicker of interest, his gaze roaming the details swiftly while I finished boxing the cake slices.

“I hope you don’t have any questions,” Gleason said casually. “Because Eve and Xai just ran off to their mountainside retreat for an extended stay.”

“Oh, I’ll follow-up directly if I need anything,” Lord Zebulon replied. Then he glanced at Gleason. “I have their address on file.”

My soon-to-be-former roommate arched a brow. “Yeah? I’m guessing they didn’t give it to you.”

“Your guess would make you an intelligent man,” my lord drawled.

“I’m also guessing you won’t tell me what Ashmedai has done to Jaxon,” Gleason added.

Zebulon grinned. “You truly are a genius. However, it’s because I have no idea. But I’ll look into it when I deliver the audit to the Prince of Hell this afternoon.” He closed out the screens and looked at Gleason. “Consider it a display of my gratitude for protecting my succubus over the years.”

I snorted. “I protected myself, thank you very much.”

“I’m smart enough not to correct that statement,” Gleason replied.

“Yet not smart enough to agree with me.” I tapped my chin. “The first time we sparred, I seem to recall you spending a lot of time on your back.”

“Yeah, with a hot as fuck succubus on top of me,” he replied without missing a beat.

“Definitely a genius,” Zebulon murmured as he stood.