11. Rami #2
“He won’t come,” Harlow said. “He always says no to me automatically.”
“He’ll come,” Ferry said. “I’ll text Matty. Sebastian won’t say no to him.”
Matty was Ferry’s human brother-in-law and Sebastian’s mate.
One of the men in the photo with Ethan. I’d actually met him once a few years ago.
Matty was another man I’d flirted with, unaware that someone else was already in the picture.
In my defence, Sebastian hadn’t made anything official with Matty at that point.
I think he’d been in denial about his feelings.
That had definitely changed since then.
“But I’ll have to fly him there,” Harlow whined. “Do you know how much he’s going to moan and snark?”
“Probably about as much as you are now.”
Harlow huffed. “I just don’t see why—”
Enough. I grabbed the phone from Ferry. “Harlow, please. My mate is in there and I can’t get to him. If he’s in danger, I need to protect him. Surely you can understand that?”
Harlow sighed. “Yeah, I can. Sorry. I’ll quit bitching.”
My lips twitched. “You can bitch all you like as long as you bring Sebastian with you.”
“Puh-lease, as if that was ever in question. I’m already in the air.” Sure enough, I could hear wings flapping in the background. “I’ll be at Sebastian’s in thirty seconds and we’ll be with you in ten minutes.”
It was hard to say which male was more pissed off when Harlow and Sebastian joined us. They wore matching thunderous expressions, Sebastian leaping from Harlow’s grip when he was still several feet above the ground.
“And they call me dramatic,” Harlow muttered as he landed, glaring at the former vampire assassin.
Sebastian ignored him as he straightened his jacket. “This better be worth going through that.”
“Just imagine how pissed Matty would’ve been if you hadn’t,” Ferry said.
Sebastian grunted, nodding at me and Benji in greeting. “Where do you need me?”
To the point. I was grateful. I pointed at the signature. “Here. Anything you can tell us would be great.”
Sebastian crouched down. His brow furrowed as he peered at the signature. “What the fuck? Harlow, get over here.”
The sassy demon smirked. “See, we didn’t need him after all. He doesn’t know who it is either.”
“That’s not the issue,” Sebastian said. My head whipped around at the strain in his voice. “I need you to tell me I’m wrong.”
Ringing sounded in my ears as Harlow crouched beside him. I watched in horror as his face paled. “No. It can’t be. He’s not meant to be in the country.”
Sebastian’s throat bobbed. “I’d know his signature anywhere.”
Impatience had my power crackling around me. Beside me, Benji looked just as on edge. “Will someone tell me what’s going on?”
The two exchanged a look before they got to their feet. Sebastian met my gaze, and there was something in his eyes that I’d never seen before.
Fear.
I took an involuntary step towards Ethan’s house; the one I couldn’t see. “Tell me.”
“You were right to think it’s a vampire, Ferry,” Sebastian said hoarsely. “His name is Damien Gaunt.”
The bottom of my stomach fell out. I knew the name.
We all did. His crimes were known in every plane.
How he stalked, kidnapped, and murdered innocents.
The methods he used turned the stomachs of even the most hardened supes.
He was only alive due to his ability to evade others.
Many had sought to capture him. All had failed.
Sebastian’s name was spoken in whispers, lest he hear it.
Damien’s wasn’t spoken at all.
I swallowed my fear. Ethan is safe.
For now, at least. Who knew how much longer that’d last?
“Maybe he lived here previously,” Ferry said, a small thread of hope in his voice. Looked like stories of Damien had made it downstairs if even he knew of him. “It could be an old ward.”
“Do you know how long your mate’s lived here?” Harlow asked. “These wards are probably just over a year old.”
I closed my eyes briefly. “Around thirteen months.”
There was a long silence as they all processed what I’d already realised.
These wards had been set around the time Ethan moved in.
“Does he live alone?” Sebastian asked abruptly. “Maybe this isn’t anything to do with your mate.”
My chest ached with something other than fear. “No. He doesn’t live alone.”
“Shit,” Harlow said, reading my tone correctly. “I’m sorry, Rami.”
I brushed him off. “That doesn’t matter now. Keeping my mate safe does. If it is his boyfriend Damien’s after, he needs to be protected just the same.”
“Why?” Benji asked curiously. “Surely your life would be better if he was out of the picture?”
Harlow snorted. “Here I was, thinking demons were the evil ones.”
“I’m just saying it how it is.”
“I know. But losing Dave might hurt him.” I was being so careful not to use Ethan’s name in front of the others. While it was a common name, especially these days, I didn’t want them suspecting anything. “I don’t want his heart broken by anyone, even if it might benefit me in the long run.”
The other mated males nodded in agreement. Like me, they understood. Supes were selfish by nature, but not where our mates’ happiness and well-being were concerned.
“Besides,” I continued heavily, “I know my luck. I can almost guarantee this has nothing to do with Dave.”
Flames flickered in Harlow’s eyes as he glared at the signature. “If Damien’s taken an interest in your mate, you need to be prepared. He won’t go down easily.”
No, he wouldn’t. Benji leaned into my side once more, already typing out a message on his phone.
But it wasn’t just me he’d be up against.
It’d be the wrath of the Seraphim.