Page 94 of Lourdes & the Mafia
“One wrong move, Ralgoron,” Kane growls in her direction. “One wrong move and I will have Ramiel blast your fucking brains out.”
The she-demon wheezes out a laugh as she pushes herself to her feet. “Understood, my King.” Those glowing eyes rake over me, sending a shiver down my spine. “Understood.”
We have fun after that. Truthfully, this was supposed to be a date between me and Lorenzo, but he doesn’t seem to mind that others have crashed it.
He swims with powerful strokes of his body through the water, racing demons from one side of the river to the other. I watch as he splashes like a fucking merman with a smile on my face. Meanwhile, Kane has changed into attire far more appropriate for the gleaming Underworld sun. He stands far away from me, shielded by the shade of a palm leaf, in black shorts and sandals, a dark shirt clinging to his frame.
It’s the most casual I’ve ever seen him and still he looks broody as fuck.
His shoulder is pressed against the trunk of a palm tree, and even though he’s wearing dark sunglasses, I can feel the penetrating stare of his gaze on me.
I try not to stare, but I can’t help the furtive glances I cast his way on occasion. My attention bounces back and forth between him and Lorenzo; I want to approach Kane. I want to ask him if he’s okay, but everything about his current body language lets me know he doesn’t want me to come near.
So I’ll give him the space he wants.
Even though I really want to talk to him.
I startle as a body drops next to me in the sand, the champagne spilling over the rim of the glass in my hand. I let out a soft curse, setting the flute off to the side. I wipe my hand against the beach towel, though it still comes away sticky on my skin.
Only then do I turn and try not to jump back at the sight of that familiar, yellow gaze.
“It took you long enough to get me out of The Pit,” Ralgoron says. Behind her, her wings rustle against the warm breeze as she spreads them out in the sand behind her.
“Yeah, well, I didn’t know you were there, so…”
The she-demon hums, like she doesn’t quite believe me. Como sea. That’s a personal problem.
“So, we’re even?” I ask, flicking sand off my bare leg.
“Even?” Her head twists to the side rapidly, in a single movement that makes her look like something from a horror film.
Fuck, is this really my life now?
I’m living a real life horror film.
Never thought that would be the case, but alright.
“You never owed me a thing, my Queen.”
“I’m not your queen.”
Ralgoron laughs, and it sounds like a rapid beating wind. “The kings would disagree. I see the way the Lord of Torture is glaring at me from where he stands.”
I turn to Kane, seeing his entire body tense and leaned forward in our direction, like he’s preparing himself to jump in between us or come to my rescue at any given moment. He’s not even looking at me. He’s staring at Ralgoron, a snarl on his lips.
I turn away from his feral attitude back to her. “Well, you did throw me into a portal, you know.”
She waves one of her strange hands, her several jointed fingers wiggling, her claws gleaming. “Semantics,” she says. “Need I remind you, you wanted to get away?”
“Yeah, good Samaritan work on your part.” My eyes roll and sarcasm drips from my tongue. “But thank you, regardless.”
“Hmm… If you had a better grasp of your own magic, you would not need to be thanking a demon from hell.”
Okay, ouch.
“What the hell is your problem?”
“Hell is not my problem, whatever do you mean?”
