Page 18 of These Monstrous Ties

Buthedoesn’t look relieved. He looks fucking pissed.

“Let her go,” he growls to Jeremiah

Jeremiah says nothing for a moment. Then he runs his hand over my stomach, down toward my groin, where he rests it. I struggle to draw breath, my eyes pleading with Lucifer’s. But Lucifer isn’t looking at me. His jaw clenches and it’s almost as if he simply refuses to see where Jeremiah’s hand is.

“No can do, Luce. She’s mine for the night.”

Lucifer shakes his head. “Let her go,” he says again.

Jeremiah sighs. His hand slides down my inner thigh, his hot fingers over the skin beneath the fishnet.

“You know how this works,” he says, deadly calm. “You left her.” He grips my thigh tighter and his time there’s no mistaking Lucifer saw it. His eyes narrow into slits. Bright blue, brilliant slits. “Now, I found her. We all get to pick.”

Lucifer doesn’t back down. But he doesn’t say anything else either. I don’t move. Jeremiah’s fingers still close around my thigh.

After a moment, he spins me around, picks me up, forcing my legs to wrap around him. His hood is still pulled down low, and I’m too terrified to move as he slides me down the length of his body. I don’t imagine a soft groan when my pelvis goes over his hard cock.

I put my hands on his chest, trying to push away, but surprising me, he sets me on my feet. Before I can find my footing, Lucifer yanks me into him, spinning me around. He’s got one hand on my low back and the other is pointing at Jeremiah.

“If you touch her again, I’ll fucking skin you alive.”

I feel his heart beneath my hands and it’s strange...his pulse isn’t fast. It’s steady. Strong. But calm. Even as he keeps pointing at Jeremiah.

Jeremiah says nothing.

And then Lucifer grabs my hand and yanks me past the merry-go-round, back into the woods. I stumble but he keeps pulling at me. I glance over my shoulder and see Jeremiah is still watching us.

It takes me several minutes to be able to speak. My throat is dry, fear still deep in my gut. But finally, as we’re enclosed again in the darkness of the trees, I find my voice.

“Stop,” I say, digging my heels in.

Lucifer keeps trying to drag me along. I yank hard against him, and although I don’t break free, he stops walking and spins around.

“What?” he snarls.

“I told you I don’t want to—”

Before I can get the words out, he shoves me against a tree, both hands on my chest. “I didn’t ask what you wanted, Lilith. I let you go. You had your chance out of this. It’s too fucking late now.”

Anger and fear mingle in my blood. “What the fuck is your problem?” His eyes narrow and I shake my head. “I don’t want to be here. I don’t want to play these games. I don’t know who you and your fucking cult friends think they are but—”

His hands go to my throat, and he squeezes, hard. I can barely breathe, but I keep my eyes on his blue ones.

Fuck’s sake, I wish he wasn’t so goddamn beautiful. It would make it a little easier to hatethe feel of his hands on me now.

And I’ve felt this before. Hands on my throat. I should be more scared. But instead I feel something else. Something that makes my face heat with shame.

Desire.

“You’remy problem. You became my problem when you walked away. When you found your way intoJeremiah’sarms.” His hands move from my throat to my waist and he presses against me. I have to focus on not pressing back, even though I can feel his cock throb between us. I bite my lip, holding back a groan.

What the fuck is wrong with me?

“You should feel lucky,” he whispers in my ear. “Lucky that I found you. Because I might hurt you. But Jeremiah...” he trails off. “He would kill you.”

Lucky.

I want to say something snarky. I want to hit this guy. But that word rings in my ear, and for some sick, twisted reason…I do feel it. Lucky.