Page 99 of Till Death

I didn’t have to look to know who she’d seen, but I was a glutton for punishment, spinning to stare directly into the angry face of Orin Faber, storming forward with a permanent scowl and a glare that might’ve set the stage to flame without the production I’d needed.

“What the fuck have you done?”

Closing my arms over my chest, I leveled a stare. “Too many things to recall. Keep up, Husband.”

He moved so close I could feel his rapid heartbeat as if it were my own. His eyes dipped low, mouth falling open, and I reveled in the way he stared, knowing he wanted to hate it, but he couldn’t.

“Eyes up here.”

He ripped his jacket off and wrapped it around my shoulders, gripping the lapel to yank me close. “You forget, Nightmare, you belong to me.”

“I’m no one’s property,” I managed, though the words were a struggle beyond the way I’d needed him to touch me, to ease this ache within my body that truly did belong to him.

“We will discuss this at home.”

“Looking forward to it.”

Quill had fallen asleep on the couch, snuggled up with Boo as she’d waited for Orin, like the rest of us.

“I still can’t believe you guys didn’t tell me,” Thea said, closing the book she’d been trying to read for an hour. “I could’ve helped.”

“For the thousandth time, you did help,” Paesha said, scooping her arms under the sleeping child. “Come on, mutt.”

Thea gasped. “Don’t call him that. He’s a good boy.”

“Consider it a term of endearment,” she threw over her shoulder as the sleepy dog slunk off the couch and followed her up the stairs.

“Soon,” Hollis said, following my eyes to the clock. “He’s got to work his anger out before he gets home. Just be patient.”

I should have followed him. I knew what was coming. I’d hardened myself the entire trip back, as Paesha explained the bargain in detail to Althea. She’d tried to remain optimistic, but they’d never witnessed anyone escape the clutches of the Maestro, so the worry on all their faces was warranted. I hadn’t seen his trick tonight coming, and now I’d have to be more prepared for the next show. Whenever that might be.

The Huntress no more than sat back down on the couch before the front door slammed open. The squelch of boots stomping through the entryway toward the sitting room matched the looks we each passed as we waited for Orin to join us.

“Son,” Elowen said, standing immediately.

“Everyone out,” he answered.

“Orin.” Paesha stood.

He shook his head. “No. Don’t start with me. You were in on this. What the fuck were you thinking?”

She moved to stand toe to toe with the furious man. “The only person I loved enough to sell my soul to the devil for was Ezra. And that took years. I never tried to save my father. Your mother. Not even you. So don’t you dare stand there and berate her for loving us all enough to sacrifice everything. We don’t deserve her. We captured her and hated her and would’ve taken turns with a shovel in the graveyard. But don’t you forget that you chose to marry her, even with all that history. Don’t forget that you brought her here, locked her in this house, and have made life hell for her ever since.” She placed her hands on his chest and shoved, a break in her voice as she continued. “I don’t know what’s happening to you. I see the anger taking over more and more. There’s darkness creeping through your veins, and you’re mean. Deyanira is not dangerous, Orin. You are.”

She pushed away from him and stormed up the stairs. Ever the warrior. I stood in my corner, though her words had left me in a state of shock. Somewhere along the lines, a friendship had bloomed between us. Maybe her mourning soul recognized my lonely one. And maybe she’d actually just been really good at her job as a Huntress, and she’d captured me, just as the Maestro wanted. But she hadn’t wavered since the moment we’d rescued Quill all that time ago. And Orin had done nothing but brood.

Thea quickly hustled out of the room, followed by Hollis, and though Elowen stopped to rest her hand on her son’s trembling arm, she averted her eyes and scurried down the hall.

“You have to get out of it.” His voice was low and threatening, every bit the tone I’d expected.

“I think we both know that’s not a possibility.”

“Why do you absolutely insist on doing everything I explicitly ask you not to do? You were supposed to stay away from him. He’s fucking dangerous.”

I rose. “So am I. Do you think I wanted to do this? I went into that office to kill him, and he dangled Quill in front of me. He used her to keep me from murdering him, and I had to do something. Paesha thinks I’m trying to save you for love, but she’s wrong. I’m doing it because it’s the right thing to do. Because despite the way you hate me, I still think you’re worth saving. You gave the rest of your life for me, but I don’t fucking want it.”

I shifted just in time to see him pull the blade. He shouted in anger, eyes never leaving mine as he whipped the dagger through the air, slicing right past my head as it stuck into the wall.

“You are such a tantrum-throwing child.”