Page 171 of Hell Bound

Again. She’d forced herself on him before.

Add first-degree murder to our twenty-minute session after I’d torn her fucking claws off.

“How did you stop her? I saw that leash she had on you.”

He reached out and grabbed my clenched fist in both hands, uncurling my fingers before I could draw blood on my palm.

“You have enough injuries, don’t add to them.” His words were just above a whisper. Lifting my open palm to his lips, he pressed a soft kiss to the abraded skin there. “You saved me.”

“Me? I didn’t do anything, I was busy getting my ass whooped in the graveyard.”

Hellfire filled his eyes, but he blinked it back, controlling his temper. “I thought of you. Of how you needed me. It gave my wolf the strength to fight her back.”

He still held my hand, running his thumbs back and forth across it, then along my fingers.

“Why didn’t he help you before?”

“I think it’s because he lost you. You’re his mate, Lily. Without you, he has no reason to fight other than to release aggression. The moment you came back, he came alive. It’s why I have so little control around you. He always wants his freedom so he can get to you.”

“And you don’t?” I grinned, hoping to lighten the subject just a little.

“Fuck yes, I do. It’s all I can do to not have you beside me at all times, Lilith. You can’t possibly understand the amount of control it takes for me not to throw you down every time I see you.”

“I’m pretty sure I can, Luci. Succubus, remember?” I gestured to my body with my other hand.

“You’re right, I—what did you call me?” His sudden grimace made me laugh for real, and I didn’t even care about the strain it put on my throat.

“You don’t like it? I wanted to try out a new nickname.”

Lucifer frowned. “It’s awful.”

“Oh, come on, it’s not that bad! Lily and Luci! We could be a power couple, they’ll call us LiLu.”

He shook his head, completely lost.

“Okay, fine. But I’m still gonna keep it in my pocket for when you piss me off. I can’t wait to see Deasley again. He’s gonna love it.”

The mention of our friend sobered us, and he finished cleaning me off while we both disappeared into our thoughts. Once I was as clean as he could make me without dunking me completely into the water—not fucking happening—he lifted me and carried me back to the area he’d picked out as our rest stop.

I watched as he moved, noting the healing scars all over this body.

She’d done that to him. Got him to a weak point and marked his flesh.

“Did you kill her?” He turned his head from the tiny campfire he was stoking. “Before you left, did you kill Sameera?”

“No.” He frowned again, brows drawing together. “She was damaged, but alive when I went for you.”

“I wish you had. She deserved it.”

“You’ll get no disagreement from me.” He jabbed at the small flame a bit too hard and it guttered before he threw a bit more kindling on it.

“I remembered what he did to me.” That got his attention. “I passed out in the garden and, um… the rest of that first night came back to me.” He didn’t say anything, just looked at me with his jaw clenched tight. “Did I tell you about it? Before?”

“You did.” The demon had a future in ventriloquism. I could swear his mouth hadn’t even moved as the grated words slipped out.

“Oh.” I wanted to say the next part, to commiserate with him and let him know he wasn’t alone with what he’d gone through, but my throat was so dry.

I dashed the tear away, but he caught the motion easily and was by my side in a flash.

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