Page 99 of Inbetweeners
Emmett hugged him. “The chains didn’t work then.”
Nix shook his head. “Clearly not. I found myself in Hell with him, and this time he looked like me.”
“That must have been weird.”
“It was.”
“We’ll have to come up with something better than chains.”
What else was there? Until Vin was out of him, what could he do? And he had no idea how to get rid of Vin. Nix hauled Emmett to his feet, grabbed a towel and started to dry him.
“I can manage.” Emmett tugged the towel from his hand.
Nix nodded and went back into the bedroom. Three in the morning. The chain was lying on the floor, the padlock broken open. Nix winced. The strength required to do that would have been immense and he hadn’t even noticed Vin doing it. He was putting his shoes on as Emmett came into the bedroom.
“What are you doing?” Emmett asked.
“Going out. You’re not safe while I’m here.”
“We could take it in turns to stay awake.”
“It’s too dangerous.”
“Don’t go,” Emmett said. “Stay here. I’ll watch over you.”
“I’m not risking it. That was the fourth life you’ve lost.” He looked straight at Emmett as he said that and saw the slight flicker of his eyes. “Ah shit. Five? ThatFineyou said to me when you found Rashid? Not fine at all.”
“I didn’t want you to worry.”
“So you lied.” Nix pushed past him and left the flat.
It was too early to go anywhere so he curled up in the back of the car. It wasn’t comfortable, but at least it was safer for Emmett if he wasn’t near him. Though Nix had the keys to the flat in his pocket, so that might not be true. Vin could take over and go back in. When he thought about it, Vin was capable of finding a way into the flat with or without keys.
Anyone around Nix was in danger. Vin could probably move from him into someone else if he wanted to.Though why hadn’t he?Using Emmett would be a triumph, wouldn’t it? A slap in the face for the angels. Was it Emmett he really wanted?Can he only take Emmett once he’s in charge of me?Nix wasn’t sure it was safe to make any assumptions. For the time being, he was stuck with Vin, and Vin wasn’t going to give up tormenting him until he’d taken over. And fortormenting himread killing Emmett.
Nix slid very quickly into feeling sorry for himself. What he didn’t do was fall asleep. He should have guessed there’d be a catch in letting a demon leave Hell. Could he find a way around it?
Emmett was still asleep when Nix went back into the flat the next morning. He showered, and was just finishing off his toast when Emmett walked in. Emmett glanced at Harry and Rashid who were sleeping entwined on the couch, and he smiled. Jealousy wrapped around Nix’s heart and twisted like barbed wire.
“Are you all right?” Emmett asked and put bread in the toaster.
“I slept in the car.” Nix poured himself and Emmett a coffee.
“I know. I followed you.”
“Worried I was going to find another bed to sleep in?”
“Well, you’re the reckless, wild, good-looking one. You could probably take your pick of beds. Though it was three in the morning.”
“Drowning you was exhausting.”
Emmett chuckled. “I did try to fight you off, but now I know what the expression—he fought like a thing possessed—means.”
Nix winced. Emmett brought his toast to the table and Nix helped himself to a slice. Emmett tried to rap his knuckles with his knife but missed.
“If you want more toast, make some. Don’t take mine.”
“I don’t want anymore.” Nix stuffed the rest of the slice in his mouth.
