Chapter 17 #2
Kit finally realizes I’m on the move and rushes over to join me so I can walk into the room without having to be led by Torin.
We step into the main conference area where the team looks over at me like it’s wildly fascinating that I’m here and not the god who is far more interesting. And then the head of the unit takes note of me.
“Why is former Agent Strand here?” Lt. Lindsey asks.
Lieutenant Silvia Lindsey was my superior for the entire time I worked at the Magical Interference Unit.
She’s a strict but fair woman who would berate me while doing her best to make sure no harm came to me.
But the second I left, she cut all ties with me… even if the rest of the unit didn’t.
“He is overseeing the god and helping us identify where the Door is opening since he was at the last two Door sightings,” Imani responds.
“He is no longer a part of this unit and is not allowed to be in here. The god can stay, but former Agent Strand must leave,” she says coldly.
Imani steps forward. “Lieutenant, Riley is an essential—”
“He is no longer an agent,” she cuts in.
“It’s fine,” I say, picking up Kit. “I’ll leave.”
Torin turns to follow me, but Kit watches as Lt. Lindsey sets a hand on his chest. “You are to stay.”
“No, thank you,” Torin says.
Since Kit is staring over my shoulder, I can see the way her expression tightens. “It is not an option. Special Agent Hill had no authority to place you in Strand’s care. You should be under strict surveillance. I was not informed of this infraction until recently.”
Torin stops and cocks his head.
“Just… stay here, help them find the Door,” I urge.
Torin moves close to the lieutenant and stares down at her.
“Do you plan to control me?” he asks, well into her personal space.
“I am a god, and you, my dear child, are a human. I have come here uninvited, that is true, but I have been civil. And with Riley’s help, we have kept the intruder from crossing the Door twice now.
Riley and I are here to stop it happening a third time.
But if you would prefer to let your world come to ruin, I will step back and watch it happen.
I am a god; I do not need your world. I can simply find another to wander into. ”
Lt. Lindsey raises her chin. “Are you threatening me?”
“Oh, you wouldn’t be alive to bitch about it if I chose to threaten you,” he says. “Riley and I will continue to search for the Door alone. And if you ever speak to either of us in that insulting tone again, while threatening to control me, I will show you what happens when you fuck with a god.”
The lieutenant stands there in silence. I’m well aware the woman is seething and would likely choose to fight Torin instead of allowing him to speak to her this way, but she’s smart enough to know that a fight against a god wouldn’t end well.
Torin is always so happy-go-lucky that I’m not quite sure what to do with this side of him. And I’m going to be honest, sometimes I forget—like when he rides an escalator—that he even is a god. His eyes are still challenging her while he sets a hand on my back and directs me out the door.
I can hear Imani say, “Lieutenant, I’m aware that there are procedures in play for our unit, but everyone here knows how essential Riley is. We might not be able to do this alone. And with a god by his side? They could be unstoppable.”
“He left the unit.”
“Yes, but don’t you think a mysterious being of unknown power invading our world is justification for looking the other way about some rules when he’s willing to help?”
“Do not speak to your superiors like that unless you’d like to be demoted,” the lieutenant barks. “I am doing as I am instructed. Nothing more. Nothing less.”
I’m led far enough away that I can’t hear them before Torin practically storms out of the building. “What an insolent being,” he snarks.
Once we’re outside, I tug him around the side of the building as he seethes, and I really feel like he’s more pissed about her trying to control me than her trying to control him.
“I should go back in and make her bow at my feet,” he says, looking delighted by the idea.
I shove Torin against the wall and he finally looks at me.
“Would you prefer to make her bow? I would happily watch her cower at your feet.”
I grab the collar of his shirt and pull him down to my height so I can whisper in his ear. “That was really fucking hot,” I murmur, pressing my dick against his thigh. It takes him all of one second to forget all about my former lieutenant.
My lips crash against his as he draws me in for a hypnotizing kiss. One of his hands slides around my waist while the other dips under my shirt, fingers running up my back, making me shiver. His tongue brushes against mine, and I feel like I’m melting into him. Just a simple touch is so fucking—
“At what point does this become awkward?” Mickey asks.
“I was all heroically like, ‘If you’re throwing Riley out, I’m done too!
’ and I did this gallant walkout for you, planning to comfort you, but you’re just out here sucking face with the god…
do you have a spare god anywhere? Preferably a buff one so he can carry me around. ”
I freeze and pull back from Torin, like I can pretend I wasn’t just involved in PDA. I hastily turn to Mickey and straighten my shirt that worked its way up while Torin’s hand explored. Then I clear my throat and nod at him. “You saw nothing.”
“Oh no, I totally saw you like… mauling all over that man, didn’t you, Tommy?” Mickey asks.
Tommy, who also happens to be watching, nods once. “Yes, sir. PDA. Lots of PDA.”
“I thought it was hot,” Joy comments as I discover she’s also staring at us.
“I didn’t say it wasn’t,” Tommy says.
“How have you made this so awkward?” I ask Mickey.
He smiles, looking pleased with himself.
“And don’t act like you walked out for me. We all know you walked out because you thought you could go home and take a nap while some monster is trying to open a Door and destroy our world.”
Mickey flicks his hand, and I watch as about seventy undead rise up.
“Find the dude opening the Door,” he orders, and off they go.
“That’s to join the one hundred I already sent out.
Honestly, I’m doing so much more than anyone else.
The others are just in there bitching away.
Now I need nap time so I can recover from doing so much work. Tommy. Carry me to the car.”
“Yes, sir,” Tommy says as he grabs Mickey, and though Mickey is a smaller guy, Tommy is scrawny and struggles to drag him to the car. Mickey doesn’t care. He enjoys getting dragged while Joy picks up any item of clothing that gets pulled off his body during the journey, including a shoe and a sock.
“How the absolute hell does he think we’re weird?” Torin asks.
“I have no answer to that,” I say as I watch Tommy buckle Mickey in. It kind of looks like he chokes him a little with the seat belt, but Mickey doesn’t seem to care.
“Let’s go.”
“Where exactly are we going?” I ask.
“Somewhere,” Torin helpfully supplies.