Chapter 21
Joseline
When I open my eyes again, we’re standing in my hotel room. My arms are still locked tightly around Tobias’ neck, my chest pressed firmly against his muscular torso. For a moment, I’m taken aback by the closeness, heat spreading through me from every point of contact.
Then panic slams into me full force.
“Holy shit,” I gasp, taking a hurried step back to put space between us. “Holy shit. Holy shit.” My mind is a mess as I spiral, running through everything that just happened.
I was almost killed by a demon.
And I was saved by… another demon.
“Sweetheart, you’re fine.” Tobias’ voice makes it through my frantic thoughts, but I can’t calm down.
The panic lancing through me is overwhelming, all consuming. My breaths come faster, and my hands start to shake. I squeeze my eyes closed and try to focus on my breathing, failing to fight off the panic attack that’s quickly overrunning my system.
A beat later, Tobias is there, his thick arms wrapping around me, squeezing me to his chest.
“Breathe,” he says into my ear, rubbing a hand over my back.
I try, but a choked sob comes out instead.
I hate how ridiculous I must look right now; I don’t normally cry in front of people, and I definitely don’t want this asshole to think I’m weak.
But everything I’ve learned over the last few weeks, coupled with what happened in the alley, is too much to keep bottled inside.
Another sob racks my chest, and tears fall down my cheeks.
“Breathe, Joseline,” Tobias rumbles in my ear again. He squeezes me closer yet, the contact helping to ground me.
I suck in a deep breath and blow it out slowly.
I almost died.
Inhale.
A huge, disgusting beast almost killed me.
Exhale.
Tobias saved me with fucking magic swords.
“Joseline.” Tobias’ voice is sterner this time, and I manage to pry my eyes open. “I’ve got you. You’re safe.”
Safe.
The word slices through my panic, sinking through me and soothing the worst of my nerves. Just like in the club, Tobias protected me in the alley. Once again, he proved that he meant what he said.
He’s a demon of his word, if such a thing exists.
Finally, I get my breathing under control, but Tobias doesn’t let me go. He lets me stand there in his arms, my body perfectly molded to his, for a long moment. Until I’m ready to move.
But when I step away, I instantly miss the contact.
“What was that thing?” I ask, trying to distract myself from the desire to be back in his arms. “And why did you say it was hunting you?”
Whipping out his phone, he fires off a text message I can’t read—probably to warn his band members.
“A hellbeast,” he finally answers as he tucks his phone away. “Lowly, horrible creatures straight from the bowels of Hell. They’re generally too stupid to act on their own; our guess is that a stronger demon is sending them.”
“Your guess?” I blanch, staring up into his golden eyes. “What do you mean you guess? You don’t know why they’re after you?”
He shakes his head. “No, we don’t. Not really. We aren’t supposed to be on Earth, but there’s no reason for anyone to be hunting us. At least, not to the extent these fuckers have been. Whatever they want, whatever they’re after, it’s clear they won’t stop until they get it.”
“But why? What could they possibly want with you?” An icy chill creeps back up my spine, but I shove the fear down. I refuse to have another panic attack with this demon standing here.
This time, he hesitates, and my stomach drops.
“We have our theories,” he explains slowly. “One of them is the half-demon child your friend is carrying. Not much is known about half-demons, but they’re rumored to be powerful.”
Niki. The baby.
Nausea turns my stomach.
“Like I said, that’s just a theory,” Tobias rushes to reassure me. “Ennubi are rare and unique demons; it could be that someone is only after us. There’s a chance they don’t even know about the baby.”
“A chance?” I manage to find my voice, but my thoughts are still racing too quickly for me to keep up.
He nods once. “We haven’t told anyone, but Sebastian has been poking around in the cities we visit, looking for answers. Maybe someone somewhere said something. Earthly gossip doesn’t travel nearly as fast as gossip in Hell.”
I blink up at him. Are we really talking about demon gossip right now?
“So… what are you going to do?” I ask. “How are you going to get them off your tail? How are you going to stop them?” The questions are coming faster now, and I turn to pace the tiny room. I kick off my wedges at the end of the bed, welcoming the relief.
When I turn to face Tobias again, he hasn’t budged. Even with his face hidden, I can see the reluctance in his eyes, and I imagine him frowning beneath the mask.
“How are you going to stop them?” I repeat, my voice hardly a whisper.
“I don’t know.”
Fuck. That’s exactly what I didn’t want to hear.
“You’re just going to keep running from them and killing the ones that find you until…”
He shrugs, and an impossible weight falls on my shoulders. I move to sit on the foot of the bed, my eyes falling to the floor in front of me.
As long as these demons are hunting the band, my life will be in jeopardy. Niki’s life, and the baby’s, will be in danger.
And they have no idea how to stop it.
The truth is a gut punch, and I have to force air into my lungs.
“I know you don’t like to listen, but please stay in your room tonight. Don’t go anywhere,” Tobias says. I drag my eyes up to meet his. “I’d feel better if you stayed here all day tomorrow, but—”
“Wait, you’re leaving?” My pulse lurches at the thought of being left alone, and I’m on my feet again. I move to stand in front of him, leaving distance between us.
Is he insane? He wants to leave me alone with those things on the loose?
Suddenly, I don’t think I’ll ever want to be left alone again.
“Trust me, you’re much safer without me here,” he says, keeping his voice low. “If I stay, my magic might draw more of them.”
“Stay just for a little while,” I plead. “Until I fall asleep. I… I don’t think I’ll be able to sleep knowing those things are out there.” I can feel the prickle of panic starting again.
He levels me with a stare I can’t parse. “I really should go—”
“I don’t care,” I cut him off, shaking my head. “If one of those things shows up, I can’t do a damn thing about it by myself. Please, I’ll feel better if you’re here.”
Something bright and feral gleams in his eyes, and he shifts closer. “Sweetheart, I don’t think that’s a good idea.”
“Why not? Why can’t you stand to be around me?” The words spill out of my mouth. “Am I really that insufferable that you won’t stay just a little longer?”
In a swift motion, Tobias grabs me, his hand tangling in my hair as he pulls me close. Heat swells in my stomach, sinking between my thighs, as he lowers his face so close to mine that I can hear his ragged breaths behind his mask. I suck in a breath.
“I can’t stay longer because all I want to do is rip off that godforsaken dress and fuck you until you’re a whimpering mess, sweetheart,” Tobias growls out, and goosebumps race over my skin.
“Because every second I’m near you, I lose another thread of self-restraint, and neither one of us wants me to snap. ”
I stare up at him, studying the dangerous gleam in his golden eyes. Provoking a demon probably isn’t the smartest thing to do, especially one who can’t stand me, but his words spark dark, depraved thoughts.
Feral, needy desires.
Would seeing Tobias’ careful demeanor unravel really be such a bad thing? Probably, but I can’t find a single fuck to give as I stare up at him and my pussy soaks my panties.
“Neither of us?” I ask, tilting my head to the side as much as I can with his hand tangled in my hair.
A growl rumbles in his chest, making my nipples pebble. “Careful…”
Despite how desperately I want his hands all over me, and how much I want to see what’s hiding under that mask, I refuse to beg. Though I’m really fucking close.
“Like I said, demon, you’re all bark.” My breath stutters as his fingers tighten in my hair. “Why don’t you show me those teeth?”