Page 34 of Wicked (Dark Delights #5)

Shadrach

The following night, Isaac prepared to report to the Rink for his very first patrol as a sentinel. Shadrach watched him dress in tactical khakis that hugged his thighs and an olive green shirt that brought out the green in his eyes.

“Stop looking at me like you want to eat me,” Isaac said as he tied his hair into a bun on the back of his head.

“Never,” Shadrach swore. “Ready?”

“Mm-hm.” Isaac’s fingers threaded through Shadrach’s, but then he remarked, “Y’know, I’m starting to think this apartment exists on a separate plane or something.”

Shadrach snorted. “What? Why?”

“Because I have no idea how to get here. You always just teleport us wherever we want to go.”

He blinked in surprise. That wouldn’t do. Isaac needed to know how to get to and from the apartment. They’d probably have to separate at some point, though Shadrach was loath to part from him for any reason, and it would reassure him to know Isaac could find his way back.

“I do, don’t I? Would you like to see the building? I’ ll even let you drive my car. I gave you a key; you should use it. It’s very fancy. So?”

Isaac brightened. “Okay, yeah.”

Shadrach tugged him toward the door. “Great. I hope you like convertibles.”

Isaac’s brows rose. “I’ve never been in a convertible before.”

Up the stairs, Shadrach’s door opened up at the end of a long, luxurious hallway.

Plush carpet blanketed the floor, and tasteful glass light sconces on the walls emitted a glittery, golden light.

The hallway itself was wide and tall, giving the building a sense of grandeur.

Isaac craned his head back to look up at the vaulted ceilings.

“I can already tell this is a part of town I’ve rarely set foot in,” he remarked as Shadrach led him down the long hall.

Shadrach aimed a pout over his shoulder. “My apartment didn’t already give you that vibe? Maybe I should redecorate.”

Isaac’s laughter echoed off the walls around them.

At the end of the hallway, they emerged in a glass and marble lobby.

The night sky was visible through the wall of clear glass at the front of the building, and tasteful, recessed light strips lined the ceiling, glowing in the crevices.

Shadrach led a gawking Isaac to one of the golden elevators and pushed the button.

At Isaac’s questioning look, he said, “Parking garage.”

“Ah.”

The parking garage was no different than any other, with concrete and pale, intermittent lights. Shadrach watched Isaac’s eyes linger on all the different sports cars, his gold-flecked green eyes darting from the cars to Shadrach as he waited for Shadrach to show him which one was his .

Shadrach led him to the right wall, where fewer people parked because it was further away from both the elevator and the exit. When he clicked the button, a sleek red car beeped and lit up, and Isaac’s face lit up.

“Wow, that is nice,” Isaac remarked, brushing his fingers over the Ferrari logo. The red top was raised, and the interior, from what he could see, was black leather.

Shadrach dangled the key in front of his face. “Go on.”

“Are you sure? This car is probably worth more than I make in a year.”

Shadrach chuckled, crowding in close to hug him from behind. “Killer, you forget that you currently make nothing a year now that you’re no longer with your guild. And of course they wouldn’t pay you this kind of money.”

Isaac tilted his head toward Shadrach. “Exactly how rich are you?”

“I honestly don’t know. I have many different accounts under many different names. I even buried some pirate treasure in Jamaica at one point. I’m not even sure it’s still there.”

Isaac searched his face intently. “Are you serious? Pirate treasure?”

Shadrach nodded. “Gold bars.”

“How many?”

He blew out a breath. “It was four hundred years ago, I don’t know. Fifteen? Twenty? Come on, let’s get moving. I can answer your questions just as well in the car.”

When they were ensconced in the car, Isaac glanced over at him curiously.

“What?” Shadrach asked, noticing his attention.

“Were you a pirate?”

Shadrach smiled. “Is that so hard to believe? ”

“Is it hard to believe the demon who wears thousand dollar suits once lived on a dirty pirate ship? Maybe.”

Shadrach brushed some imaginary lint off the lapel of his suit jacket.

“I’ll have you know, we weren’t as dirty as the movies made us out to be.

And for the record, there’s nothing better than piracy for a demon.

We don’t need much food or water, so long stints on a pirate ship were ideal even if those resources were scarce.

We didn’t have to worry about things like scurvy.

And there was a lot of treasure to be had.

The trouble was keeping it. Which was why you’d find a remote island and bury it, so no one else could find it. ”

Isaac guided the car out of the parking garage, using the access card Shadrach handed him at the entrance to open the gate.

“You know, it’s nice, in a way,” he finally said, as the car emerged into the moonlight. “You got to keep your treasure and enjoy the fruits of your labor, because you’re immortal.”

“Yes,” Shadrach agreed. “Most of the pirates I ran with back then were lucky if they were able to pass their wealth on to their children. Many of them died in action or were caught and hung for their crimes.” He shrugged. “It pays to be immortal.”

“Did any of them know you were a demon?”

“No, no. People back then were far too superstitious about things like that. I’m sure some of them suspected, and there were some rumors that I could do black magic, which gave me a frightening enough reputation to help me get the job done.”

“But all of your wealth isn’t from the piracy?”

“No, definitely not. It gave me enough of a cushion to invest in some lucrative things here in the New World. Like the railroad. Cars. The internet. ”

“You’re shitting me.”

“I am not. You’d be surprised how many technological advancements are paid for by demons. Talon got his wealth doing similar things.”

Isaac shot him an incredulous look. “So—how much money do you have?”

Shadrach blew out a breath. “Honestly, I stopped checking the statements when they went digital. I’ve got some high-yield savings accounts. I don’t think I spend more than they draw in interest, altogether. There are at least seven.”

“Seven accounts ?”

“The high-yield savings ones, yes.” He turned his head suddenly, looking at Isaac with new interest. This conversation about money was good.

Maybe Isaac would see that it really didn’t bother him to spend money on him.

There were still plenty of things he wanted to buy Isaac.

“Are you sure you don’t want a car? I could get you any kind of car you’d like.

Do you like this one? Would you rather have something bigger?

Talon got Alex a truck. I could get you a truck. ”

Isaac lifted a hand to cut him off. “Why do you want to buy me a car?”

Shadrach shifted uncomfortably. He couldn’t explain why he felt the need to provide, only that something in him demanded to take care of Isaac. “I don’t know, killer. I like doing things for you. You should have a car of your own. It’s not like it would be a hardship. You know I have the money.”

“I’ve barely thought about it, to be honest,” Isaac said.

He frowned distantly, and Shadrach had to remind himself to take things slow.

Isaac had only been away from the guild for a few days.

He was still adjusting to life out from under Sloan’s thumb.

Patience was key. Isaac could take all the time he needed to figure out what he wanted, and then when he was comfortable enough to ask, Shadrach would provide.

The important thing was that he was here . They were together.

The Ferrari growled smoothly underfoot as they pressed onward, toward the destination highlighted on the touchscreen.

Shadrach settled back in the leather seat. “There’s no rush. You can take as long as you’d like to figure it out. Just know the offer still stands.”

Isaac cast him a smile, and that let him know he’d said the right thing.

“Why do the others take the PI cases for money if all their demons have money, too?”

Shadrach shrugged one shoulder. “I don’t know. Integrity or something? They want to pay their own way.”

Isaac’s face did something complicated, and Shadrach admired the way the moonlight made the freckles stand out on his pale skin.

“Share with the class, killer. I can see those wheels turning in your head.”

Isaac’s eyes briefly met his before darting to the road again. “I’m just debating the merits of refusing money when it’s offered. Apparently the guy I’m seeing is loaded . If he wants to buy me things, who am I to say no?”

Shadrach slanted a sideways look at him, trying not to outwardly preen with pride. “The guy you’re seeing, huh?”

Isaac’s mouth twitched with a suppressed smile. “Yeah. Cheeky guy, kind of handsome. You might’ve heard of him.”

“Does he like expensive suits and asshole brats?”

“ Whoa ,” Isaac said, feigning indignation .

“Oh no, don’t even pretend,” Shadrach said cheerfully. “Everybody, including you, knows you’re an asshole.”

Isaac’s hand flew to his chest. “Ouch!”

A peal of laughter escaped Shadrach, and he grabbed Isaac’s hand, bringing it to his mouth to kiss his knuckles. “I’m so sorry, killer. Shall I kiss it better?”

Isaac pursed his lips. “Maybe,” he hedged.

Shadrach scraped his teeth across Isaac’s knuckles, and Isaac’s pink lips parted. “I did say I liked asshole brats, remember?”

“Nope. You’re gonna have to work harder than that.”

Shadrach rolled his eyes, fighting a smile. “Brat,” he murmured. “I’ll make it up to you later, killer, don’t you worry.”

“Make it up to me how?” he asked, eyelids fluttering innocently.

Shadrach’s fingers curled around his thigh, sliding up the in-seam to rest obscenely high. His pinky grazed Isaac’s groin, and Isaac held his breath as he guided the car through an intersection.

“Do you remember that big thing in the dungeon that was shaped like an X?” Shadrach asked.

He fully intended to have Isaac on that thing in the near future, arms and legs spread wide.

Shadrach could already taste the sweat on his skin, the salt of his tears.

The light would hit his beautiful body just so, highlighting the planes of freckled muscle.

He wanted to hear the rattle of the chains as Isaac came undone, trembling in his restraints as Shadrach guided him over the edge.

Isaac bit his bottom lip, cheeks pinking.

“Y-Yeah.”

Shadrach grinned at the telltale stutter .

Shadrach leaned in, lips grazing Isaac’s ear. “I’ll let you decide whether you face toward it or away from it,” he crooned. “But once I get you on it, you’re not getting off until I’m satisfied.”

Isaac shifted, the bulge obvious beneath his jeans, and his forearms flexed with tension. The car swooped into the Rink’s craggy parking lot, and the GPS chimed, “ You’ve arrived at your destination .”

He wasted no time, throwing the car in park so he could reach over and haul Shadrach toward him, crushing their mouths together. Shadrach laughed into it, slipping his tongue inside Isaac’s greedy mouth and sliding his hand up to feel the bulge of his thickening erection.

“You like that, huh? Like the idea of being chained up and at my mercy?”

Isaac grinned. His face was flushed. “More than I probably should.”

“No, no, no,” Shadrach said, cradling his face. “That sounds far too much like Hawley’s influence. There’s no such thing as liking something too much . And frankly, I love how much you want me, killer.”

He kissed Isaac again, long and slow and deep, and when they parted, Isaac didn’t immediately open his eyes, sighing in contentment.

Satisfaction swelled in Shadrach’s chest, and he brushed his thumb against Isaac’s bottom lip.

Isaac leaned in, chasing his mouth again.

Shadrach obliged him, giving him soft kisses in the moonlight.

It was sweeter than he expected—for either of them.

When they parted again, Shadrach smiled at the dopey, lust-drunk look on Isaac’s face. The rosiness on his face was creeping down his neck .

Shadrach brushed Isaac’s cheek with his fingers. “I love it when you blush.”

Isaac batted his hand away.

“Don’t be coy with me. I’m allowed to like it if I want.”

“Well, I don’t. It’s involuntary—and embarrassing.” He tried to pull away, but Shadrach reeled him back in.

“Don’t be embarrassed. I love it. It lets me know when I’m doing something right.”

“ What ?”

Shadrach’s expression turned wicked. “Oh, yeah. When you really like something, your face turns red.” He let his voice dip lower, growling and dark.

“The other night when I had the spreader bar between your wrists and I entered your tight little hole so hard,” his fingers trailed down Isaac’s neck, collar, and chest, “you were red all the way down to here . That’s how I know you fucking loved every minute of it. ”

Isaac was panting, breaths grazing Shadrach’s lips with every exhale. His green-gold eyes fell to Shadrach’s mouth and stayed there, and then he leaned in slightly, eyelids fluttering.

“Welp, come on,” Shadrach said brightly, kicking open the passenger door and getting out.

Isaac growled, reaching down to adjust the bulge in his jeans as he followed.

Teasing Isaac was just too much fun.