Page 13 of Sweet Violence
His eyes went flat, brutal mouth thinning. "Dev isn't enough; now you're calling me Devvy boy?"
I reached out to pat his massive forearm where it rested on the table beside his half-eaten food. Guess he'd been too distracted by me to finish his breakfast. Oops.10"Best get used to it."
He ignored that and tilted his head back, considering what I said before. "If you find the traitors hiding in my realm, I'll killeverylast one of your enemies, get you safe passage back to Earth, and ensure you have the relaxing holiday of your dreams."
My ears pricked; I tilted my head, eyebrows lifting. "I want a private island. For amonth."
"Done," he agreed quickly.
"Anda private chef, a fully stocked bar, and luxurious living quarters. And wifi—I need wifi."
He was already nodding. "Consider it already arranged, babygirl."
Was I asking for too little here … or was he completely enamoured with me?
Who the hell cared? I could have the perfect vacation—shining sun, a sandy beach, and enough food and drink to make me as round and tipsy as an old lady’s cat who gorged on catnip.11
"And all I have to do is find the people planning your death, and take them out for you?"
I wasn't exactly an assassin for hire, I was a sugar-rush-fuelled serial killer who took her trauma out on unsuspecting people. But if it got me a free holiday where I could relax and get my shit together…
Andhit Eidolon where it hurt—his adoring fan club—at the same time…
"That's all you have to do," Dev promised. "And I know you'll do it beautifully. The masterpiece you created in London speaks to your talent."
"Yeah, let's not talk about that," I said quickly, shutting out the images, the feeling of being out of control, whirling through the warehouse-turned-club and suffocating every person I passed. I still wasn’t exactly sure how I did it. And I didn’t want to know.
"But you were exceptional," Dev breathed, almost reverent. "I've never seen anyone kill so many demons in one night. I ought to be angry at you, but it was delicious."
Oh yeah, Dev and his sweet tooth. And the whole eating souls thing.
If I hadn't grabbed a bag of cheap candy floss and returned to the scene to stuff the corpses' throats full of the stuff, I'd probably be dead right now. Funny how insanity can save you.
"Back to my mission. Do you have a list of suspects I can work through?"
"There are two groups I can easily imagine stabbing me in the back to bring about a new infernal family."
"A what now?"
He laughed, brushing his knuckle over my side, warmth spilling into my whole body. "I am the head of the infernal family, and Taj is my heir. Koa, my nephew, would have been his right-hand man."
Ah. Taj's cousin. The man Arkan tried to protect and now beat himself up with guilt over.
"Yeah, sorry about that. I'm pretty sure it was my dad—"
"That waste of air isnotyour father," the devil snarled, sharp canine teeth bared.
"Ehh, he kind of is, but don't worry, he didn't rub off on me too badly. And sooner or later, the bastard will be six feet under where he belongs."
"No. I will vaporise his body until there isn't even an atom left of that pathetic little worm."
I blinked, my eyes wide. "Yeah, that sounds good, too." I patted his arm. It seemed I'd met someone who hated Christian Lachesi as much as I did. We had so much to bond over. We should toast marshmallows over his vaporising corpse. "So tell me about your suspects."
"The first live in the red caves on the other side of Hell. They're known as the Band of Umber."
"Ooh cool, a band! What genre?"
Dev's body shook with a deep chuckle, and I scowled.
