Page 33 of Sweet Violence
Okay,thiswas officially scarier than the deep, death-promising rumble. Chills went down my spine.
"It's not—something I talk about," I forced out, unwilling to talk about my past, my problems. Even though it was probably healthy to tellsomeone. And if I couldn't tell these fuckers who were obsessed with me and utterly devoted to making me happy … who could I tell?
"I'm surprised Arkan doesn't know, and hasn't already told you. He seems to know everything about me. You too, X."
"I have … an idea," he replied, subdued. More kisses fell on my shoulder and the back of my neck. "He stole you from your family. Raised you to be like him."
I nodded jerkily. "A killer. Yeah."
Joseph's green-brown eyes deepened with sympathy; he laid a kiss between my eyes, lingering, and for some stupid, inane reason, the touch—his acceptance—made it easier to talk.
"He made me into a perfect little serial killer. And not to brag, but I'm pretty fucking good at it. And I enjoy the killing. It's just … everything else I hate."
Joseph frowned, pondering what 'everything else' might entail.
"The planning?" X asked, drawing on his own twisted experience, I supposed.
I still couldn't wrap my head around him being the Fallen Angel Slayer. Beautiful, innocent-looking X, doing those depraved things … it made me like him so much more. Made meunderstandhim.
"The cleanup? The annoying little insects that always fly around a dead body?"
"Blowflies?" I frowned. I didn't stick around long enough to see them spawn.
"Detectives," he clarified, startling a laugh out of me.
"No, I'm fine with all that. It's … how I wasmadeinto this. The things Dad did to train me. It—no part of it is good. You don't want to know the details, trust me."
"I do," Joseph growled, deep in his throat. His face flickered, shadows wrapping around his face as his half-skull form appeared. "I very much do, sweetness."
I shook my head. "It’s not important. Anyway, I killed him, and he came back, and hunted all of you. Apparently, he tried to become Dev's bestie and the devil turned him down. Now he's out for blood. And fun fact: he wants to usemeto do it."
"How?" X asked, not a hint of anger in his voice. He was good at hiding it, because I couldfeelthe tempest of it behind my ribs, his tiger snarling a warning.
I sighed, looking at a faint scar on Joseph’s shoulder. "Something about using me to open the portal so he could slaughter the infernal family and stick himself on the throne. Basic villain shit. But he's been stealing my power—since day one apparently. I don't evenknowhow much magic I should have.
"Although on my first day here, I did accidentally kill a guy, so I might be able to keep a little more power while I’m in Hell. Or that could be wishful thinking."
I was rambling and I couldn't get it to stop. I'd kept this locked inside me, wrapped in heavy chain with a half dozen padlocks, for fuckingever.
Joseph smoothed my hair back from my face, tangling his fingers in the half bird's nest and pretending not to notice. "You know we're going to find him and kill him."
"Not if I find him first," I huffed, ignoring the pain in my chest. He was still my dad despite everything. It should bemeputting him down, like it had been the first time. "But he'll come back even if we kill him."
"Not whenweget our hands on him," X hissed, his fingers flexing on my stomach.
The thought of someone as completely insane and fucked up as X being at my side when I killed my dad was reassuring. He'd never judge me, only back me up and lend me his torture expertise.
"He's going to wish he never touched you," Joseph promised, his mouth in a flat angry line. "He'll pay for every way he hurt you."
I snorted. "You'll be busy for a while, then."
They stiffened. Shit, I kept being too honest.
"Thanks," I said, and found it wasn't as hard as I expected. "For being here. Not sure how we ended up talking about my shit when we were supposed to be listening to you, Joseph, but thanks."
It didn't fix anything. It made it worse if anything. But I felt the tiniest bit lighter having them here with me. If nothing else, it would be a lot harder for someone to catch me off guard and overpower me when I had two mates beside me.
"Any time, Av," X murmured, pressing a long kiss to the back of my head. "We're not just here for mind-blowing sex and banter, you know? Mates are good for comfort, too."
