Page 112 of Claimed
A part of me wants to change course and head straight to the others. To secure Onyx somewhere safe before I go after the cases alone. But she would never forgive me.
She curls into my side, her head on my shoulder and her small hand on my chest. I wrap her fingers in mine and kiss the back of her hand.
“That is quite the ability,” she remarks after a while.
“It isn’t as easy as a portal, but the bursts of magick are safe for humans.” I examine our fingers. “After Lilah was kidnapped, and I couldn’t use my portal, I knew I needed a way to transport mundanes fast. It was just a matter of figuring out how.”
She leans up and kisses my jaw before settling back at my side. “Since you’re part demon, does your portal really affect others that strongly?”
I mull that over. “Not real sure. I’ve never tried.” I lean my cheek on her hair. “Nisha was bitten outside Silver Rock at the start of the Summer. Despite not changing forms yet, she survived being inside of it for five minutes. But I haven’t found anyone brave enough to test anything longer on.”
She scrubs her face over my chest and heat pools low and swift. “I would be willing. If we aren’t fighting for our lives or running.”
Chuckling, I kiss her forehead. “You’re on.”
We fall silent and Miami soars past the window.
“Can I ask you something?” I murmur. “And you don’t have to tell me, if you don’t want to. But why did you take a deal?”
Her body grows tense and she starts to pull away.
I cinch her tighter to my side. “Don’t pull away, baby. If you don’t want to talk about it, that’s fine. I’m not going to force you.”
She drops her head to my arm. Her breath is warm along my skin. “It’s not that, Caine.” She sighs. “I was a teenager and I was stupid and arrogant.”
My fingers press in her stubborn little chin and I tilt her face up. “Baby, I’m sure you had your reasons. I’m not condemning you for it. Demon, remember?”
Her lips quirk, but she sobers before the smile can take root. “I was thirteen and running game in LA,” she starts. “I met a guy who I thought wasthe one.” Her head shakes and when she leans back, I let her.
“He was smooth talking and deadly with a set of lock picks.” Her eyes cloud. “Then he got deadly for real. Started taking jobs for this guy on the block. Said it was going to make us rich. He would come home bruised and covered in blood, and I knew the life was going to kill him.”
Her head turns away. “So I went to the guy, thinking I was bad ass enough to talk him into letting Beto go. Only he wasn’t a guy.”
“He was a demon,” I say.
She nods, her throat working. “He told me I could save Beto, free him from the life and it wouldn’t even cost me my soul. He just wanted me to work for him. A few heists here and there. Said he had heard of my game and knew I could do it.” She fists her hands in her lap, her tan fingers mottling. “So I took the deal. Offered him my services to leave Beto alone.” She makes a sound of disgust. “I walked into our apartment to find him fucking a blond one floor down. He thought I was on a job and that he had time. Apparently it was a common thing and I never knew.”
Her head drops into her hands and she scrubs her face. “I gave up ten years of my life for that moron. Sold my freedom to Azz all so I could get my heart broke in the end.”
I consider asking if this Beto still lives. But I can always have Tanner track him down if we survive this mess.
It would be nice to pay him a visit. To thank him for being a worthless piece of shit. His loss is definitely my gain.
Reaching over the space between us, I lift her and set her in my lap. The cab driver glances at us in his mirror but doesn’t remark.
I smooth my hand through Onyx’s lush hair and lay a kiss to her temple. “Baby, you have a big heart. Bigger than mine.” I inhale her sweet scent and my body tightens. “But the only demon you are making a deal with after this is me. Do you understand?”
She gives a soft laugh and wraps her arm around my neck as she tilts her face back. “Deal?”
Growling under my breath, I slant my lips over hers and kiss her hard. She gives a small mewl of want. It’s all I can do to keep my fucking clothes on.
And as the first tendril of desire spills into the backseat, I lift my head and meet the cab driver’s wide eyes.
He looks away fast, but the side of his neck is flushed.
I bend my head down and capture Onyx’s earlobe in a fast nibble. She gasps.
“Caine—” She starts to wiggle away.
