Page 114 of Reaper Unhinged
He snapped his mouth closed.
I looked up at Grayson. “I lo—"
“Don’t,” Grayson said. “Tell me when you wake up.”
I looked up at Uri. “When I thought you were dead, I felt like my heart was breaking. I need you to know that I’m falling in love with you. I just need you to know that.”
His throat bobbed, but he didn’t say anything.
“Cora, if I don’t—”
“No.” Cora cut me off. “Enough with the speeches. You’re going to wake up, and if you don’t, I’m fucking coming after you.”
There was no way she could do that, but hearing her say it and seeing the fierce look on her face was enough to give me the strength I needed to do this.
I looked at Vi. “Do it.”
“Stop!”
The electric scent of a storm hit me, followed by a citrus aroma, and my pulse, which was already hammering, shot into my throat. I sat up so fast the electrodes tore from my skin, but I didn’t even feel the sting.
“Azazel! Mal!”
They were here. They’d come.
They strode toward me, grime and blood-streaked, reeking of the elements, and then Azazel lifted me off the sofa, and I was kissing him, legs wrapped around his waist, hands in his hair. He tasted like smoky fires and freedom.
“Ahem?”
Azazel gripped me harder, deepening the kiss for one delicious moment before breaking it.
“Thank you,” Mal drawled.
Azazel reluctantly set me on my feet, and I stepped into Mal’s arms. He hugged me tight, his hands diving into my hair, lips grazing my cheek.
“I fucking missed you. I’ll show you how much once this is over.”
“Are we going to have a problem, Azazel?” Grayson asked.
Oh shit.
I’d almost forgotten about Azazel’s curse. The one that made him keep me, the last descendant of Cain, alive.
Azazel’s silver eyes dipped to me. “I’m compelled to keep her alive. Although there is a risk in this, doing nothing means certain death for her and consequences for Lilith.” He took a deep breath. “I don’t feel compelled to stop this. I think the curse, whatever it is, understands this is the only way to save Fee.”
“And if he tries to act up, I’ll put him out for a while,” Mal said with a smirk.
Yeah, I bet he’d enjoy that.
Azazel stripped off his weapons belt and holster and handed them to Mal. “I’m ready. I’m here.”
The fear, the nerves, the rock on my chest, they were gone. My guys were here with me.
I could do this.
There was no stalling now. Electrodes back on, the people I cared for most around me, I closed my eyes.
“Do it, Vi.”
