Page 25 of Jezebel's Liberation

Gripping the handrail, I slowly climb down the stairs, each step agonizing, but I refuse to yell for help. My mouth waters the closer I get to the delicious smells. I turn the corner and stop dead in my tracks when I see Demon standing over the stove frying bacon, shirtless.

Holy fucking muscles! His shoulders and back are delectable.

Focus!! He’s with the enemy.

Okay, enemy is a strong word, however, I wasn’t blowing smoke when I told him to get the fuck out last night or when I told Soul I wanted nothing to do with the MC right now. Disregarding my feelings on the matter is a surefire way to make me homicidal. Demon picks up a coffee mug and takes a sip, turning around slowly when he hears my gasp.

His gaze rakes over my body from head to toe. I feel exposed, as if he can see every flaw, secret, and desire that I have. His eyes bulge as he reads the writing across my chest, and coffee flies from his mouth, hitting my tile floor.

I scowl. “What the hell are you doing here, Demon?”

He grabs a towel and quickly wipes up his mess. “Where’d ya get that shirt?” he asks, ignoring my question.

“A friend.”

“Anothersecretfriend?” he sneers.

I place my hands on my hips. “I don’t owe you or anyone else any explanations.”

“The fuck you don’t,’ Demon counters. “Me and Phantom saved your ass from god knows what, and you think I don’tdeservean explanation?”

I shrug. “Where is Phantom?”

“Ishethe only one you care about?” Demon shouts. “He went home.”

He left? He’s not the one I wanted gone.

It doesn’t surprise me. All of my hackers will probably quit once they find out what I’ve been doing without anyone’s knowledge.

Marching over to Demon, I poke him in the chest. “What is your problem?”

Demon laughs humorously. “My problem? Shit, I don’t know. Maybe it’s the fact that you disappeared for five fucking days without a trace, or that a strange man no one has ever heard of broke into your house looking for you,” he shouts. “Or maybe it’s the fact that I found out the hard way that my girl is stalking sinners with no fucking back up! Oh, and then you have the balls to ask me where Phantom is.”

Did he just say‘his girl’? The fucking nerve of this guy.

“Let’s get one thing straight. First, I’m notyour girl,or anyone else’s. Second, this is my fucking house, and I’ll askwhere someone is if I damn well choose.” My chest heaves as I struggle with the emotions raging war within me. “I appreciate you coming to my rescue, really. But did it ever occur to you to actually listen to what I was saying when I was fighting with Soul?”

He looks at me, dumbfounded. “Whaddya mean?”

I throw my hands up in exasperation. “Space, Demon. I need fucking space from the club. You being here is counterproductive in giving me what I’m asking for.”

“It’s not an issue for Phantom to be here, though, is it?” he asks sarcastically.

I roll my eyes. “Phantom isn’t a member of Saints Purgatory, and his loyalty lies with me.”

“Because you’re fucking him.”

My eyes widen in shock. “Not that I owe you shit, but I’m not fucking Phantom. He’s a friend, a colleague.” I point toward the front door. “Get the fuck out of my house before you need Abyss to patch you up.” I spin on my heel to leave when Demon’s hand grabs my bicep and flips me around to face him again.

“Fuck… I’m sorry,” he says when I wince. He runs his hands through his hair and blows out a breath. “I’mloyal to you, too, Jez.”

“You have a funny way of showing it,” I snap.

“Damn it, Jez. I am,” he huffs.

My anger dissipates, replaced by sadness. Demon believes what he’s saying, but it couldn’t be further from reality, and for once, I wish it could be true. “You might’ve been yesterday, but if Soul orders you to tell him about what happened, you’ll have to.”

Demon stomps over to me. I take a few steps back until I hit the wall. He cages me in with his arms on both sides of my head, his rock-hard body inches away from mine. It takes everything I have not to pull him closer as desire floods my core. I shudder as I peek up at him through my lashes.

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