Page 24 of The Devil of London

“No? Isn’t this your lovely body?” he held up my phone, which had a picture of me sleeping on the screen. Silently, I rose, grasping the sheet as I moved toward him. My eyes rounded as my lips parted in horror. I was in my bed naked, sleeping.

“What the actual fuck?” I whispered, horrified Cameron would have a photo inside my house. “He was inside my house. The wards would’ve gone off if he’d been inside my house.” My forehead wrinkled as my confusion turned into panic. Peering up into murderous eyes, I blanched. “I did not allow him inside my home, Khaos. I swear it to you. No men have entered my domain since I’ve lived there. Not even to fix shit if it broke. You forced me to agree to the rules yourself.”

“Yet this asshole has a picture of you naked in your fucking bed. It’s not a photoshopped picture either. So, you want to tell me how the fuck he got it?” he snarled as he set the phone down and crossed his heavily tattooed arms over his chest.

“I-I-I don’t have an explanation for you.” I didn’t. I hadn’t even told Cameron many personal things about me. He shouldn’t have had my address. I’d never given him my home address, and I tied my number to the Bad Witchery, not my home. “Why would he be inside my house as I slept?” A fine sheen of sweat broke out over my flesh as the chill ran down my spine.

“I put clothes for you to wear in the bathroom. Change, go to your shop, and return here once you’ve finished work for the night. Tomorrow, I’ll send the guys over to check the locks, protection barriers, and add some state-of-the-art equipment to monitor your house.”

“I don’t need you to protect me. I’ve been doing a fine job of it myself.”

“Yeah, sure. That’s why some fucking creep off the internet has photos of your naked body, right? Stop being stupid, Aderyn. I wasn’t asking your permission. I’ll see you tonight. If you’re not here when I return, plan on being carried in on my fucking shoulder again. I liked how you felt in my bed, anyway. You can use my shower if you wish. I sent Rue with your house key to grab Satan. He’ll transport him to my estate in the country. Since it’s Wednesday, you’ll be there soon enough that he won’t miss you for too long.” Boiling with his pompous, arrogant smile playing on his deliciously wicked lips, I hissed. “It isn’t up for argument. I have shit to handle. Your house is not safe right now, which means you’re staying here with me.” Leaning forward, he kissed me soundly on the lips before pulling away. “I’ll see you tonight, darling.”

Chapter Ten

TheBadWitcherywasmy baby. I’d put in sweat, tears, and blood to get the store up and running, and I’d done it without any help. From the street, you could see the crimson neon sign, which had the name and small hexagrams. Fresh paint covered the window frame and the storefront for the relaunch I had been planning to do once summer arrived.

The moment I entered, the fresh scent of sage, lemonade, and lavender drifted to my nose, enticingly fresh, and I smiled at the jingle of the bell above the door. On the right, there was a bevy of herbs in twine, hanging from their stems to dry. To the left, crystals were sitting in a bed of selenite to cleanse and recharge. And books lined the shelves along the back wall. Grimoires, occultism, voodoo. You name it. We had it.

The heels Khaos had left out for me to wear, clicked as I made my way deeper into the main room. It had been a long time since Khaos had chosen my clothing, but I wasn’t opposed to his expensive taste in wardrobe. He had laid out a crimson push-up bustier top, which made my less-than-ample cleavage appear enticing, and paired it with the striped, slate-gray suit jacket, and high-waisted slacks. Honestly, I looked like I should be in a board meeting with aFortune 500company instead of an apothecary shop.

“You’re late,” Mabel called as she wiped her hands on the apron she wore. “You’ve never been late before.” Her soft hazel eyes slid over my outfit before settling on my face. “How did it go with Cameron?”

“It didn’t,” I muttered while sliding my keycard into the hidden door behind the bookshelves. “Come, Mabel.”

“This can’t be good,” she worried. “Did I do something wrong?”

“Of course you didn’t. I am not firing you, Mabel. I am promoting you,” I stated as we began climbing the stairs to the chamber above. “Nasir has amended the contract.”

“Oh no,” she whispered with concern sparkling in her eyes. “Are you okay?”

“I’m fine, actually. It was weird. Really weird. Unlike his normally cold, frosty demeanor, Nasir was kind and tender for the most part. Of course, I don’t assume he’ll remain that way for long.” Placing my hand on the table where the altar was, I whispered the incantation for it to appear.

“What did he amend,ma chérie?”

“I’ll be spending the weekends with him until I can get him to change the terms. So, if you accept the promotion, you’ll be taking over my weekend duties. What do you say?” I asked, hating the anxiousness that soured my stomach. I had no idea what I’d do if she said no.

“I can’t do the spells, incantations, or make the tonics that need an actual witch to create them. Honestly, you should’ve fired me eons ago when you discovered I held very little magic in my old, weary bones.”

“You didn’t get the job for being Harry Potter, Mabel. You got it because you didn’t shy away from the labels the town placed on me. Few were willing to ignore Nasir’s warning to steer clear of me, but you did so.” She winced before shrugging her delicate shoulders. Mabel was creole and one of my oldest, dearest friends. Plus, I loved her bluntness.

I smiled as she fidgeted with her vibrant blue wraparound dress, which enhanced her ample cleavage. “While you think about it, tell me that’s chicory I smell?”

“I figured that, if you were late, it would not be good news you brought in. So, I made your favorite to sweeten you up.” Flipping her blackish-blue hair over her shoulder, she smiled as she adjusted the canary yellow headband. “Besides, you’re much more pleasant to deal with once you’ve had your coffee.”

“This is why I love you, Mabel.” Heading toward the closet, I opened it and winced at the antique wedding gown, covered in blood that Khaos had ripped off me before he’d fucked my throat in front of Maxwell. I’d kept it for all these years as a reminder of what, and who, he was. As a promise I’d made to myself to topple his empire. “Seal the wards, Mabel.”

Her chuckle touched my ears as she closed the door to the hidden upstairs, and then activated the wards that would prevent anyone or anything from overhearing what we said. Studying her bronzed complexion in the light of the runes, I noted she had gotten more sun than usual today. Aiming her golden-speckled hazel eyes toward me, she smirked and joined me at the doorway to the closet. Together, we walked through it into the lab. Computer screens were lit up with images of Khaos’s clubs, warehouses, and residences throughout the states.

“The men you spelled to work for us seized two truckloads of drugs, then delivered them to the Russian D’yavol in Las Vegas, as promised. They’re not enroute to the location to be stored. The trucks we’re tracking haven’t reached the locations where the other spelled participants will seize the inventory and then ditch the rigs. None of the drivers or men will be able to recall what happened to them or what they’ve done.”

I smiled wickedly at the report. There was still a lot more to do before I could successfully topple Nasir’s empire on his head.

“Khaos didn’t seem happy about his shit going missing. That means he will be upping security on the rigs. So, after this run, we’ll pull back until things cool down again. Plus, he apparently has the local sheriff and the state patrol in his pocket. The Gathering of Lords will bring in heads of the syndicate. They’ll vie for his attention, and most will piss themselves for a chance to join him. He’s got something big brewing, which can’t be good for us. The Norwegians are here to back him and his men up. Not that Khaos needs it. He is also intending to wed the daughter of the La Cosa Nostra.”

“He is engaged? Aderyn, I’m so sorry.”

Tears pricked my eyes, but I blinked them away. “Don’t be. I’d never end up with him. He and I were always a losing game, which was overplayed.” Did it make it hurt less? No. I’d always thought he’d eventually see my worth, but he hadn’t. Khaos hadn’t ever fucked me, nor would he. This morning had been the closest I’d ever come to having him, and he’d all but thrown me off his magnificent cock like trash.

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