Page 22 of Demons in My Bed
“What are you doing?”
He looked over. “Showering.”
“But… your bath?”
“Enjoy.” He disappeared into the shower.
He ran this bath… for me?
“Hey, wait!” I sped over and nearly choked at the sight of a dripping wet Misha. His ass was maybe the juiciest ass I’d ever seen on a man… and it was all wet and shiny. I trailed my eyes up to meet his as he looked back over his shoulder. “You ran that bath for me? Why?”
He turned, giving me a full frontal view as he tilted his head back, wetting his long, dark hair. “I wanted to.”
I wrung my hands together, unsure of what to say next. This was weird. I didn’t like it. What if he felt like I owed him something if I accepted the bath? Deciding to make sure it was clear that this was a gift with no strings, I opened my mouth at the exact moment his dick twitched.
And I’m out.
I dashed back to the tub, and I could’ve sworn I heard him laughing. Well, fuck him. I couldn’t think with that horse cock staring at me. The bath would be a small sacrifice if it meant I’d get a second to myself without having to see that thing.
I quickly removed the pathetic remains of my corset, dropping it on the floor beside the large tub. Stepping into the hot water released a moan of satisfaction from my throat. My body was aching from all of the physical shit I’d done earlier, the running and the sex.Oh gods, that sex.
I leaned back and pressed the button to turn on the jets, letting the water pressure massage the hell out of my muscles. I closed my eyes, but kept my hearing sharp because I didn’t want to give Misha an opportunity to sneak up on me. Or any of them, for that matter.
So what did I know? That The Exiled were truly demons, were into kinky sex, and had no fucking problem stabbing a man in the neck in the middle of a crowded nightclub. They were loyal to one another, despite clearly enjoying fighting each other. Supposedly, they didn’t want to kill me, but that could change in the amount of time it took me to sneeze.
I needed to calm myself and focus on my objective. That had me thinking back to when Asrael had started training me for this very moment. I was ready. I’d do whatever it took to prove myself to him.
“Palmer,” Asrael greeted me, as I stepped into his office at Montague’s headquarters.
“Sir,” I replied with a nod, sinking down into a chair when he motioned for me to sit. I was shitting bricks. Earlier today, I’d participated in a mock mission, and not long after, was told to come up to see the big boss. I was concerned that I might get accused of cheating to gain intel, having used my ability to converse with the dead to ask the lingering spirits if they’d overheard or seen anything. Some of the others on my team had given me disgusted looks, but the way I saw it? In the field, nobody was going to give a fuck. It was up to me to get intel however I wanted, just like they could use their powers as they needed to.
He stood in front of his desk, his dark eyes staring through me. “Great work today. I was watching. Did you know that?” Asrael had always been kind of a father figure to me since I’d arrived here as an orphan many years ago, after my parents were killed.
“No, sir. Thank you.” My heart was pounding. If I impressed him, he might let me start taking real assignments. I was fucking ready.
“Your powers seem to be getting stronger. Very smart to use your affinity in any way possible. Your hard work is paying off.”
He was right. They were getting stronger. After the amount of training hours I’d been putting in, they’d better be.
“I have an idea. There’s an assignment that I think you’d be great for, but it’s still a ways off from being pursued. It’s in the early stages right now. Surveillance and planning. You know I have eyes and ears everywhere.”
I nodded. Montague had their hand in everything, it seemed. Known for their endless pursuit in the studies of magic and how to not only boost affinities, but potentially alter them? It was groundbreaking in every way, and Asrael was relentless. Montague also had one of the best training programs for magically gifted people who wanted to protect the world from supernatural threats. That included other witches, mages, and as I was about to learn, demons.
“Have you been able to communicate with them?” he asked, his eyes sharp as he studied my face. I didn’t have to ask who ‘them’ was; he meant the spirits who plagued me.
“A little, yeah. At first, it was just images, glimpses of their lives, things they’d push at me and want me to know. Or visions of other things, like how they’d kill me if they were still alive. It’s getting easier and easier to hear words now, though. I’m confident that continuing to work hard will unlock that power.”
Asrael smiled. “I’m proud of you. You’ve come such a long way.” He reached out and pushed some of my hair behind my ear. “You’re growing up so fast, Palmer. Makes me feel old.” Chuckling, he turned and headed for the minibar. Old? He looked to be maybe forty, not old at all, and he was handsome from an objective point of view. “Have you tried to talk to your parents?”
The question caught me off guard, and I whipped my head over to look at him. We never talked about my parents. It wasn’t like it was forbidden; it just wasn’t a topic I enjoyed lamenting over. The past was just that—past. I was over what had happened. I’d tried for years to get the spirits of my parents to contact me, to tell me who’d done this to them, but it was total radio silence. What good was my gift if I couldn’t even use it to get answers about the murder of my own family?
“Not in over a year. I failed to see the point in expending the energy to try anymore.”
Asrael turned to face me, now holding a tumbler of whiskey. “I know it’s frustrating for you, but I really am impressed. A good agent knows how to make the best use of their time, and you’ve clearly been using yours wisely. In the meantime, I’d like you to go on your first assignment. It’s low risk, but I want you to get your feet wet. You’ll go with Hunter.”
I had to suppress the urge to squeal. Hunter was my best friend and had already been active in the field for a year now. “Yes, sir. Thank you.”
Asrael smiled at me, and the pride in his eyes had a blush rising to my cheeks. I wasn’t always the easiest person to get along with, but he had always gone out of his way for me and made me feel like I truly belonged here—like I had a purpose. I would pay him back the only way I could: by being the best gods damn spy Montague had ever seen.
