Page 73 of Reluctant Rebel

Mikhail shook his head ruefully. “Don’t be. Lucifer seems to be a decent fellow. For the Devil.” He gently took the flower from her hands, slipping it behind her ear. “Will you come with me?”

Were they going somewhere?“Where?”

“Through one of my portals. You know I can open a doorway anywhere in the realm of Purgatory and between worlds.”

Jinx nodded. “Yes. It’s how you found me on that tiny island.” Not wanting to dwell on the shittiness of his baby brother, she quickly moved on. “It’s a useful power. Can you create a tear in the fabric of reality and step through to grab a coffee from the other side of our world?”

Mikhail laughed, tossing his head back and giving her a perfect view of his tanned throat. “I can. In fact, it’s something I used to do routinely. Fallmoor makes the best maple-flavoured coffee in Purgatory.”

“That’s a fifteen-hour flight away,” Jinx pointed out.

He shrugged. “Not for me.”

“I bet that was fun growing up,” she said with a smile.

“It was. The shenanigans we used to get up to …” He shook his head fondly. “And it was very handy when I had a secret guardian angel for a hundred years. It enabled me to see Sabre pretty much whenever I wanted.”

“Another coincidence for you,” Jinx teased lightly.

Mikhail’s answering smirk was sexy as hell. “So it would seem. Anyway, your gift requires travelling through a portal. May I?” He held out his hand.

She stared at it, wanting to reach out and grab it more than anything. But she was deathly afraid that she wouldn’t be able to let him go. Plus, she was dangerously close to spilling all of her secrets and opening up all her wounds to him. The urge to unload was strong whenever she was around him. Somehow, she knew her greatest fears and sorrows would be safe with him. “Where are you taking me?” she asked, stalling for time.

Mikhail dropped his hand, rubbing it against his thigh anxiously. “I was kind of hoping to keep it a surprise.”

She grimaced. “Weretigers don’t really like surprises.” The boyish grin he tossed her lit up his green eyes and created a dimple on his left cheek. She wanted to lick it.

“Oh, I know. It’s why we told you about your party last night. Plus, I was best friends with a werelion growing up. Ididarrange a surprise party for him once.” He shook his head, his eyes widening. “Big mistake.”

Jinx smiled, thrilled to know she enjoyed talking to Mikhail and getting to know him. “What happened?” she asked.

“I walked in with him. Everyone yelled, “Surprise!”and popped up like genies from a bottle. Riordan shifted within seconds, roaring and thrashing around. His shift knocked me over, so when he landed on all fours, he landed on me,” Mikhail divulged.

Jinx cringed. “Ouch. Lions are heavy.”

His eyes widened comically. “You’re telling me. But that wasn’t the worst part. His claws were out, and they dug straight into the meat of my arse.”

She stared at him. “A lion clawed your butt?”

“Yes. And we’re not talking about a little scratch. Did you know lion claws are curved? Once they’re in, they kind of lock. Especially when the lion has been startled so badly …” He rubbed his butt, the trauma clearly rising to the surface.

Jinx covered her mouth with her hand, hoping to hide her grin. “Oh no.”

Mikhail nodded morosely. “We were attached for ten minutes.”

“His claws, your butt,” she sought clarification.

“Correct,” Mikhail stated deadpan.

She couldn’t help it. She totally lost it, laughing until her stomach hurt. Mikhail watched her, appearing to get pleasure from her amusement—even though it was at his expense. When she quieted, he held out his hand, silently asking her to take it.She took it without hesitation this time, loving the grin he shot her before opening a portal.

“Close your eyes,” he said. “And no peeking, please.”

Jinx obliged, her heart fluttering with anticipation. As Mikhail led her through, the world around them dissolved into a kaleidoscope of colours and sensations. She felt like she was floating and falling simultaneously, her stomach doing somersaults as reality rearranged itself. It was odd. Typically, she experienced nothing physically when walking through a veil. Not that she’d been through many, but still.

She kept her eyes closed, allowing Mikhail to walk her a short distance. She could feel softness beneath her feet and knew it was grass. She could hear water flowing in the distance, and the scents were wonderful—both fresh and sweet.

Mikhail positioned her carefully before saying softly from her right, “Okay, you can look now.”

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