Page 15 of The Devil’s Bargain (A Devil to Die for #3)

“Hey, baby.” Titus settled down on the edge of the bed next to Aodhan after locking the door behind Calix and the others. For this to work, he needed complete, uninterrupted focus. He had to manage the connection between himself and Cal and the one between him and Aodhan separately.

Calix couldn’t know how worried he actually was, it would only make this worse for him, and he needed to be able to pay attention to the case.

Titus had been sending waves of comfort through their bond since Aodhan had left surgery, soothing him as best he could without alerting the stubborn detective to what he was doing.

Now, he trailed his fingers lightly down the curve of Aodhan’s nose, then traced the sharp cut of his jaw.

It’d been touch and go there for a moment, a blindingly terrifying one where he’d felt the bond snap, where Aodhan had just been…

.gone. But then he’d returned, that sensation rushing back into place, practically knocking the wind out of Titus, who’d already been halfway to his car with Calix right there with him.

He leaned down and planted a chaste kiss on Aodhan’s right cheek. “You can’t ever do anything like that again, do you hear me? If you ever put me through something like that a second time, I’ll kill you myself.”

He would never.

Could never.

“Are you comfortable, baby?” Titus tucked the thin white blanket more securely around Aodhan’s arms. “As good as you’ve always been taking large objects down that throat of yours, this can’t feel great.”

He was referring to the breathing tube secured down Aodhan’s throat.

The one he was struggling to look at.

“How about you wake up for me so we can take it out, hmm? How does that sound?” Titus carefully placed his palms over Aodhan’s chest and closed his eyes, feeling for the energy source that was always present within him.

It didn’t take long to find and tap into it, and he directed it outward, pushing it through his body into Aodhan’s.

The snake tattooed to his body twisted and slithered down his arm, rearing up before striking, embedding its sharp fangs into the side of his Second’s delicate throat. More energy flowed through that connection.

Energy was life force, and as a Connect, Titus controlled that source with skilled ease.

He wouldn’t lose his Second to something like death.

He’d meant it when he’d sworn no one would ever take what belonged to him away.

That included the Grim Reaper. What was his was his.

Aodhan Solace wasn’t allowed to leave him.

“We’ve only just found our Third,” Titus kept talking, hoping his voice would help lead Aodhan out of whatever darkness currently gripped him.

“You’re going to have to be punished for scaring him like this.

How about it? Should I edge you for every minute you stay asleep?

Or would you prefer a reward? Perhaps incentive is in order this time instead. ”

The medically induced coma would prevent Aodhan from actually waking, but Titus would be able to feel the moment his body was healed enough that he could summon the doctor back to wean him off the strong sedatives.

The sooner the better. He’d made a promise to his Third, after all, and Titus couldn’t afford to break that trust.

“How about I let you murder that pesky forensic scientist?” Titus scowled. “No, wait. Unfortunately, I doubt Calix would approve. Something else then.”

It’d been a while since his little killer had gotten his hands bloody.

Maybe Titus should call their friend Nyxian and have him schedule a party.

Of course, word had gotten around about the absolute carnage the last one had turned into, but that was neither here nor there.

If anything, it would simply keep away the undesirables.

Since this was meant as a reward, the theme would need to be sinful enough to whet Aodhan’s appetite.

“What would you like?” Titus asked. “You’re going to have to wake up and tell me. If you take too long, though, I’ll rescind the offer. You won’t be very happy with that, now will you, little killer?”

He began whispering suggestions, each one more twisted than the last.

Aodhan’s right lung had been punctured, and his skull had been fractured.

There’d been brain bleeding and swelling, and his left arm and leg were both in casts.

It was going to take a lot of energy to heal injuries like that, even more to ensure there was no lasting damage from those three minutes and sixteen seconds he’d gone without oxygen to the brain.

Titus didn’t care how long it took. He’d cleared his schedule and wouldn’t move from this spot until it was done. Until his Second was returned to him, whole and happy.

Though he hadn’t visited his home planet in years, old teachings returned to him, helping him to navigate through the lengthy and arduous process.

Energy was a power source like any other, which meant it took strength to harness it.

Too much, and he could end up stopping Aodhan’s heart.

Too little, and it’d be like putting a Band-Aid over a bullet hole.

He had to feel out each and every injury, repair them one by one.

The damage fueled his fury. That someone had dared do this to his Second. That they thought they could get away with it unscathed.

If Calix didn’t break the person responsible, Titus would. He’d make them suffer three times over for every hurt Aodhan was made to suffer.

* * *

Eight hours later, Titus was still seated in that same spot, but the nurses had been in and out, and his delectable doctor was finally conscious. At the sound of the door, Titus pulled his gaze off of Aodhan, smiling when he found Calix entering the room.

“Come here, little monster.” He held out his hand, waiting for Cal to come over and take it before turning and tugging him in close.

With the detective standing between his legs, he wrapped an arm around his waist and then motioned toward Aodhan, who was watching silently.

“He can’t speak yet, but he’s up, and he can hear us. ”

Calix didn’t say anything right away.

“He’s going to be all right,” Titus told him. “The drugs in his system are dwindling. Once he’s cleared, he’ll be able to tell you anything you want to hear. Isn’t that right, baby?” He glanced at Aodhan and hummed when their Second gave a slight nod. “See?”

The detective stared as though he was too afraid to trust what he was seeing. He looked exhausted and beaten, like he’d been up for a week straight instead of the mere twenty-four hours they’d been dealing with this.

“Did you find anything?” Titus decided to give him something he could focus on, something to force him out of this silence. Sure enough, it worked wonders.

“The entire ordeal was captured on several CCTV cameras,” Calix said.

“But we haven’t been able to locate the truck or the driver.

It was a plain white cargo truck. Unregistered.

While it’s true they ran a red light, it was also fairly obvious from the footage that at no point in time did they try to hit the brakes. ”

Titus had been worried about this outcome. “Are you telling me it wasn’t an accident?”

“Someone tried to kill him,” Cal confirmed, eyes flashing with anger. “I came to ask if you know of anyone who might be a suspect. Is there anyone he’s pissed off recently? Enough to want to take his life?”

“Just say what you really mean, Detective.”

“What about someone from the party?” he didn’t hesitate to take him up on that offer. “Could one of them—”

“We killed everyone at that particular party,” Titus reminded. Nyxian had ensured everyone of import to the club hadn’t gotten an invite that night. The people who’d died had been lowlifes. Criminals lurking in the seedy underbelly of Emergence.

“One of their friends, or a family member of theirs, then.”

“Not a chance.” They’d been more careful than that, but he didn’t expect Calix to know all the ins and outs of that night, or the lengthy preparation that had gone into making it happen.

With a huff of annoyance, Cal ran a hand through his blond hair. “There’s got to be someone.”

“Why?” Titus shrugged when that earned him a glare. “What? Why can’t it just be a coincidence? Someone was in the mood to kill, and they seized the opportunity, something like that?”

There were plenty of people like that in the universe. People who’d murder for no other reason but that they were in the mood for it.

Titus was one of them.

So was Aodhan.

“This was a targeted hit,” Calix insisted tersely.

“How do you know?”

“I just do.”

“Detective—”

“I have great instincts, remember?” he stopped him. “Trust me, Mercy. Whoever did this, they were trying to kill him. To take him away from us.”

That was also a possibility, so Titus didn’t push the issue. Instead, he nodded.

“I will find who did this,” Calix promised, holding his gaze pointedly before turning his attention to Aodhan, who’d been silently watching their exchange. “I will. They won’t get away with hurting you.”

“We know that,” Titus reassured. “Don’t we, baby?”

Aodhan nodded again, proving he was following along even if he was still out of it from the drugs.

Any potential damage to his brain had been repaired, though, along with most other injuries he’d suffered.

The casts needed to stay on a while longer, since mending bone was difficult, and Titus had placed most of his focus elsewhere, but they wouldn’t need to remain nearly as long as they would have if he’d been bonded to anyone other than a Connect.

The bandages had already come off his head, and the monitors he was hooked up to had a steady beeping rhythm that was helping to keep Titus calm.

If only it had the same effect on their detective.

“I was telling him all about the show he missed before you arrived,” Titus said to Cal then, making sure his tone was light. “How I had you choking on bloody bathwater, and then my cock. How I made you come all over the bathroom, and how I intended to make Aodhan clean it up once he joined us.”

Calix’s brow furrowed. “Should I go take care of that now?” He tried to step away from Titus, seemingly unaware when Titus tightened his hold around his waist, not allowing him to move more than an inch from his embrace. “He’s not going to want to be greeted by a dirty—”

“Calix.” Titus sighed. “That wasn’t my intention. That’s not why I brought it up. Stay. You aren’t going anywhere for the rest of the night. None of us are.”

“The case—”

“I assume you kept your team on it?” He grunted when Cal didn’t reply, taking that as his answer.

“They’ll call you if they get any leads.

You need rest, Azi. You can’t get revenge if you pass out from sleep deprivation.

Should I ask the nurses to bring in a cot, or would you be comfortable on the couch? ”

“What about you?”

“I’m fine here.”

Cal frowned at him. “You aren’t going to sleep?”

“I’m still managing the energy flow,” Titus explained. He settled his palm over Aodhan’s stomach, smirking when their Second shivered. “I’ll be here the rest of the night. Don’t worry. It’s safe for you to sleep. Nothing will happen while I’m here watching.”

If there really was someone out to get them, Titus dared them to show up now and try their luck.

He’d skin whoever that was alive and light their writhing, skinless form on fire in the middle of the hallway for everyone to see.

If this had taught him anything, it was that he’d been wrong in choosing discretion.

Everyone was going to know he had formed a pod. That Aodhan Solace and Calix Valimir belonged to him.

Once they did, there’d be no more misplaced jealousy over evening drinks or fear of another “accident”, because keeping a safe distance from a Connect’s bondmates was universal.

Hell, as soon as their status was announced, Titus wouldn’t even have to worry about repercussions for openly murdering Aodhan’s attacker.

A Connect faced with a threat to his Second?

Delivering an excruciating death would be expected of him.