Page 39 of Michael
“This was all Jack Langley’s doing! He’s such an evil son of a bitch!” Stupid Jack was the one fighting with fire. Richard was just standing his ground. But in the end, they’re both rotten.
My chest heaves and I cling onto him tightly, feeling overwhelmed by my emotions. “It’s all my fucking fault! I brought this unto myself!”
Michael holds me close and whispers soothing words into my hair until my sobs slowly subside. After a few minutes, he pulls away to look at me, his blue eyes filled with concern and compassion. “Amanda, this was not your fault,” he says firmly. “Jack did this. He alone is responsible for the destruction he’s caused.”
I nod, trying to take in his words of comfort. Despite the fact that I know he’s right, the guilt still lingers in my chest like a heavy stone. I opened the door to darkness. No one else.
“Come on,” he says gently, taking my hand in his own and leading me away from the charred remains of my store. For the first time, I don’t feel completely alone in this mess anymore.
We walk together in silence until we arrive at Michael’s Hummer. He opens the door for me and helps me inside before getting into the driver’s seat beside me. I sit there with my hands clenched together in my lap, feeling helpless and overwhelmed by my emotions.
Michael turns on the engine and the truck roars to life. He looks over at me with a comforting smile, then puts his hand over mine in a reassuring gesture.
“It’s going to be okay,” he says softly, his voice full of compassion. “No matter what happens, you’re not alone.”
I nod silently, tears filling my eyes as I take in his words. I can feel his warmth radiating through me and it brings a bit of easement.
The drive is quick but surprisingly calming. We don’t speak much during the ride, but his presence next to me is enough to make me feel safe and secure—something I’ve only ever felt with him.
Before I know it, we’re pulling up in front of my apartment building.
CHAPTER22
Michael
We arrive at her place.Inside, the air is still and quiet. Amanda gestures for me to follow her and walks ahead, leading me into a small, tidy living-room. She sits down on a worn brown couch and I follow, doing my best to ignore the feeling of being an intruder.
Amanda turns toward me, her hair falling around her face, and offers me a small, weak smile. She then picks up a thermos off of the coffee table and pours a cup of steaming tea for each of us, pushing mine in front of me before settling back into the couch.
I cup the warm mug in my hands and take a sip, watching as Amanda braces herself for whatever’s coming next. When she begins to tell me about Jack Langley and what happened, I listen and nod as tears silently stream down her cheeks again. I try to ease her pain, knowing this is a story I’ve heard too many times before.
The dam of her emotions bursts and she collapses in my embrace. I stay there with her until she feels better, the ache in my heart matching her own. I’m filled with rage knowing a row between two demons is responsible for destroying her shop.
After a few moments, she parts from me. With a sniffle and a small smile, she whispers, “Anyway. Thanks for the ride.”
“What? No.” I frown, my heart breaking for her in silence. “We came here to fetch our kodi. You can’t stay in this place. It’s not safe.” I pause before continuing firmly. “Grab whatever you need—you’re coming with me.”
Did I just sayourkodi?
Amanda watches me in silent awe.
“Where is he, anyway?” I ask, glancing around the room for the small animal that’s changed so much between us over the last few days.
She points to a corner of the room and my eyes follow her finger to see a small black creature perched atop a table near the window. He jumps down and lands on the table before him, his tail bobbing in excitement at seeing us again.
“Dear God!” I gasp in surprise as the kodi hops onto my lap, his bright blue eyes watching me intently. “He’s not in a cage anymore.”
Amanda laughs through her tears and scoops him up, cradling him in her arms. “I’m breaking him in,” she softly says.
The kodi purrs contentedly in her embrace, and I can’t help but smile. He knows he’s finally found a home with us.
My hand moves slowly over his fur, and he twitches and squirms beneath my touch. The edges of Amanda’s lips turn up in amusement. Each stroke of my hand feels like a test of trust as I remember the sharp sting of his teeth on my skin from the last time.
He seems content, but I’m still wary. After all, he’s been wild for a while now.
“Don’t trust him too much, though,” Amanda says suddenly, her expression serious. “He can be a bit unpredictable.”
I nod in understanding, thinking about how much he’s changed over the past few days. From a wild animal to a beloved pet—it’s been quite a journey, not only for him, but for me too.
