Page 37 of Reluctant Rebel

“And you’re a real prick,” Jinx rebutted calmly. “I can see why Sabre wants to shank you.”

Dendey chuckled, swiping a hand through his messy hair. “Just get Mikhail.Please.”

Thepleasesounded like he was chewing glass, but it was a start, Jinx thought with a smile as she turned and grabbed her clothes. She whistled shrilly, and the two hellhounds bounded after her.

14

Mikhail was in the midst of an existential crisis when the knock on his door shattered his gloomy thoughts. The unwelcome interruption brought forth a string of profanities from his lips, and he glared at the heavy wooden door as if it were the cause of all his troubles.

And not my vicious brother bent on exterminating half the population of the universe.

“Fuck off!” he shouted, hoping whoever was on the other side would take the hint and leave him alone. He wasnotin the mood for visitors. But the knocking persisted, more insistent this time, and Mikhail let out an exasperated sigh as he pushed himself up from his recliner and made his way to the door.

“What?” he bellowed, flinging the door open with force. He was met with the most stunning creature in all of Purgatory. “Jinx, uh, hi,” he stammered.

Jinx smiled, tongue in cheek. “I’m sorry to disturb you.”

“I’m not disturbed,” Mikhail was quick to say.

A familiar snort sounded from his left and he turned his head to find Sabre sitting on the window frame next to the doorway. About an hour ago, she had proclaimed that she couldn’t stand his pathetic sighs of melancholy and saw herself out. He shouldhave known she wouldn’t go far. He shot her a filthy look, communicating silently to shut up.

Clearing his throat, he asked Jinx graciously, “What can I do for you?”

Before she could respond, Styx appeared behind her, pushing past into Mikhail’s suite. His eyes widened when an unfamiliar hellhound followed cautiously behind. Mikhail watched, too stunned to speak, as Styx proceeded to claw at the unicorn sectional, not stopping until it was in shreds. Then he nudged the smaller, black hellhound until it settled comfortably in the ruins of Mikhail’s much-loved lounge.

Sabre was the one to break the resounding silence. “Oops.”

“Oops?!” Mikhail repeated. “Styx just made a nest in my living room!”

“Yep,” Jinx confirmed. She walked over, rubbing Styx’s head with aggressive affection. “You’re such a considerate boy, making a nest for your baby mama.”

Sabre’s mouth fell open. “Say what now?”

Jinx shifted her attention to the smaller hellhound, smiling brightly. “Styx knocked up this lovely hellbitch here. She looks like she’s about to pop.”

“Styx,” Sabre scolded, but she was laughing. “How could you?”

“He probably watched you and Brax go at it and learned from there,” Mikhail commented dryly. His day was going from bad to worse. Other than the presence of Jinx, that is. She always made things better, even when she made thingsharder.

Sabre held out a closed fist for the female hellhound to sniff. “Firstly, eww. I will be locking my bedroom door from now on. Secondly, I take no responsibility for unplanned whelps.”

Jinx clapped her hands excitedly, jumping on the spot. Mikhail’s throat went dry when the movement made her breasts bounce. He coughed into his forearm, turning his body tohide the growing bulge in his pants. “Puppies,” he managed to comment.

“Correction: hounds,” Jinx said with a dazzling grin. “Hellhounds, to be exact.”

“What are we going to do with a litter of hellhounds?” Sabre asked, smiling when the pregnant mutt licked the back of her hand.

“Love them, of course,” Jinx answered simply.

Mikhail was awestruck. Jinx was just too beautiful for words, and for the first time since he was a mortified teenager, he remembered that he was destined to make triplets. He had no doubt Jinx would make an incredible mother: protective, nurturing, and fun.

“What are you thinking about?” Sabre questioned. Her head was tilted to the side inquisitively. “You have the strangest look on your face. I can replace the lounge. I know where there’s a herd of unicorns.”

“Don’t worry about it,” Mikhail responded, pushing all thoughts of blue and green-eyed babies out of his head. “And it’s Brax who should fix it. Styx ishishound.”

“That will have to wait,” Jinx stated, giving Styx one last stroke. “I have a message for you.”

Mikhail frowned. “A message?”

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