Page 85 of Reluctant Rebel

Jinx scoffed, tucking her feet beneath her. “Oh, please. Eric turning into a creep at the library? Lucifer piling on the charm at my birthday? And let’s not forget about all of you bombarding me with a sacred pearl during dodgeball. You conspired to force a reaction out of Mikhail.”

“For a mating,” Sabre said, leaning forward and resting her elbows on her knees. “We were aiming for a mating. Not friends with benefits.”

“That’s not … we’re not …” But she really had no ideawhatthey were. “It was … nice,” Jinx finished lamely.

Gage slapped Sabre up the back of her head, gesturing to Jinx silently. Sabre sighed, looking immediately contrite. She got up and sat down on the edge of Jinx’s seat. “I’m sorry, kiddo. You haven’t done anything wrong. And I’m so glad it was nice. I just want the best for you.”

Jinx remained stiff for a moment before relenting. “I know you do. And while I’m now open to the possibility thatMikhailis what is best for me, I’m not there yet. And neither is Mikhail.” She smiled at Sabre. “I like him. I really do. I also really like his dick.”

Sabre gagged and jumped up. “Nope. I changed that demon’s nappies. I do not need to know what he looks like naked.”

Jinx grinned evilly. “Like a filthy sex god. He’s all together on the outside—his clothes and his manners. But underneath that, Mikhail’s cock is a work of art. It’s really veiny, and the head is?—”

“Uncle!” Gage shouted, jumping to his feet. “I cry, uncle. You win, okay? I promise never to go along with one of Sabre’s craptastic plans again.”

“And are you sorry?” Jinx prodded.

“Yes.” Gage nodded vigorously. “I’m very sorry.”

“I am, too,” Eric said. He flashed her a smile. “Though, not because I don’t want to hear more about Mikhail’s cock. I swing both ways, as you know, and the story was just getting interesting.”

“Ugh, Eric. Please shut up,” Sabre begged, turning to Jinx. “I’m sorry, too. I’m also very proud of how low you just stooped for vengeance.”

Jinx laughed, hugging her knees to her chest. “I really do appreciate you guys. But there are some things you just can’t help with. This is very much ameproblem.”

“Would you like to tell us more about it?” Gage offered kindly once they were all seated again.

“Thanks, but I overshared with Mikhail yesterday. I think I’ve released enough emotional energy into the universe for a while,” she replied truthfully.

“You talked about your past with Mikhail?” Sabre asked, her expression guarded.

“I did,” Jinx confirmed. “And I cried all over him.”

“But you never cry. Well, hardly ever,” Gage corrected himself. “I remember when Sabre first brought you to me. You were like a feral kitten, all teeth and claws. But you never cried.”

“I remember,” Jinx admitted with a rueful smile. She’d been a handful. "But you sat there, night after night, talking to me in that gentle voice of yours. You offered me food and company but never pushed. You gave me time to trust again."

“And now you trust Mikhail enough to cry?” Sabre pressed.

Jinx shrugged, resting her chin on the top of her knees. “He said some pretty wise stuff. And, well, maybe it’s time to feel the pain. Feel it to heal it, you know?”

“I do know,” Sabre assured her. Her careful expression melted away, revealing one of pride and hope. “You’ve come a long way.”

“But not far enough,” Jinx said, speaking to herself rather than her friends. But they heard her loud and clear.

“What do you mean?” Eric asked first.

Jinx uncurled herself, knowing she couldn’t put it off any longer. “Other than me trying to wrench myself from the trenches of my past, it appears someone is intent on not letting me forget about it.”

She explained the collar and the working hypothesis she and Mikhail had devised. As expected, everyone lost their darn minds. They jumped to their feet, voices raised as they tried to be heard over each other. Because, apparently, they all had the answer to the problem. From what Jinx could gather, it involved hunting down the culprit and using them as a piñata. Jinx busied herself making a cup of tea in Brax’s kitchenette, leaving her friends to duke out who got dibs on the death blow. She didn’t bother to tell them that Mikhail had already claimed that right.

Things were winding down fifteen minutes later when Mikhail walked in with Brax and Draven. Jinx’s body immediately reacted to his nearness, her heart pounding with excitement. Her belly flipped happily when he made a beeline straight to her, ignoring the chaos in the room. “Hi,” she said breathlessly.

Mikhail’s smile was brilliant when he returned the greeting. “Hi. I assume you told them?”

Brax’s head popped up behind Mikhail’s shoulder. “Which part? The part about the weirdo who sent you a slave collar? Or the part where you two desecrated Heaven? Literally.”

Jinx cracked up, Mikhail joining her after she raised her hand for a high-five. By the time they settled, everyone was staring at them as if they’d lost their minds. “Both,” she finally answered Brax.

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