Chapter Ten #2
I shouldn’t do this. I should stay far away from Nikki, help her, and then let her move on with her life. As it were, I was a constant threat, not only because of my demon but because I’d forever be watching what I say and do, not wanting to let slip any of the secrets I knew about her family.
Not to mention the secret about what I was.
But she was intoxicating in the best of ways, and the guilt combined with how I felt in her presence was creating a storm that raged within me. No matter how hard I fucked her, I couldn’t fuck away the guilt.
Her lips found mine as she placed her palm on my cheek, and I opened my mouth to let her tongue dance against mine, moaning into the sensation of her taste—sweet and salty perfection.
I wanted her to be rough. I needed her to treat me like a one-night stand and demand that this could never be anything more than that.
But her touch was soft and delicate, her tongue massaging mine, exploring my mouth as she hummed with contentment, all previous aggravation and defiance forgotten—for now, at least. I’d be challenging her unwillingness to let go of control soon enough.
“No plans,” she said, pulling away from the kiss barely enough to answer.
My instinct and body were winning, and I was losing the will to fight the battle against this desire.
Because whatever I was, however much I didn’t fit in with the other demons or how much I learned on Earth and changed the longer I was here, I was still a demon, and my demon still controlled me as much as I did it.
Why should I fight it? Why couldn’t I have what I wanted? Her world and mine were filled with examples of beings taking what they wanted without regard for anything else. Why couldn’t I be one of them?
And it was her—all I wanted was her.
A growl emanated deep in my throat, and I grabbed her ass, instinctively grinding against her as she wrapped a leg around my thigh.
“You have plans now,” I muttered, and she chuckled.
The mood changed, and it was with desperation that she kissed me, grabbing my face and winding one arm around my neck, pulling me against her as I gripped her ass harder, moving my hand only enough to shove it down under the elastic of her waistband to feel flesh against my palm.
I’m sure the reminder of her dad’s case was playing on her mind as much as it was mine.
Would there ever be a right time to tell her what I was?
I should leave now before I get in too deep.
It was already too late for that.
“Watch those fingers, buster,” she warned, and I chuckled.
I traced my fingers delicately around the soft area of skin where her pubic hair started, soft blonde hairs that would tickle my nose when I fucked her hot cunt with my tongue.
Nikki squirmed under my touch as I traced my fingers around, under the inviting curve of her ass, and tempted her hole.
“You liked it,” I said, and she squirmed before I moved my hand away.
Her cheeks flushed again, and she covered it by burying her face in the crook of my neck before kissing and nipping at my shoulder. “Take me, Cade,” she whispered, her breathing coming in pants. “Please.”
She didn’t have to ask twice.
After I talked my way past the receptionist, I strolled through the hallway lined with glass walls and doors for various offices and meeting rooms, throwing around the opulence of the office and sending exactly the message I imagined it intended to—we can afford this place, and you can only dream of being here.
Feeling as out of place as I looked, I shoved my hands into my jacket pocket.
As I turned the corner directed by the girl at reception, I faced the wide foyer that led to Frank’s expansive office.
Frank was leaning against his personal secretary’s desk, his shirt sleeves rolled up exposing his arms, the turned-up fabric barely holding together as he flexed.
The secretary couldn’t keep her eyes on his, her gaze slipping away from his face to sweep over his body before she’d realize what she was doing and look at his face again.
The pen she nervously tapped against the piles of forgotten paperwork on her desk never stopped, and I chuckled.
Watching her falling under the spell was amusing.
Can’t say I’d seen it from the outside before.
She let out a squeak of a sound upon seeing me and pushed herself away from Frank, flushing furiously as she began typing while Frank stood smirking.
“Couldn’t stay away, I see. Did you come about the job offer?” Frank said.
I scoffed, smiling as we slapped each other on the back—no hard feelings, even after tearing each other apart the other night.
Demons will be demons, and the release was good for us.
After a final and particularly rough slap on my shoulder, I grunted as Frank chuckled and reminded myself to get some workouts in.
I wanted to give him a run for his money next time.
“Hardly,” I said, resisting the urge to rub my shoulder. “Actually, I came to ask a favor.”
Frank rolled his eyes, an exaggerated motion which he ended in a wink directed toward his secretary, who flushed again and turned away when she saw me observing the exchange.
“Come into my office.”
The office was sparsely furnished with only the large desk near the window, Frank’s chair, and one for a visitor.
Otherwise, the remainder of the space was unused.
There were boxes around, and I imagined he and Mike were still settling into the larger office.
It wouldn’t take long for him to make it his own, claiming his territory.
He’d already started claiming his space by having the chair that resides behind the large desk much wider and taller than the guest chair.
“Nice throne,” I commented as I sat on the smaller chair.
I figured starting a fight with Frank right before asking him for something wouldn’t be the best move.
Although, with his smug-fucking-face, it was tempting.
He watched as my gaze took in the office and the view from the large window, and his face simply screamed his pride and his love of rubbing his success into the face of any visitor to his domain.
Yeah, he was destined for this sort of role, ready to put the work in and more ready to gloat about his success.
Flinging my feet up, I rested them on the desk as I leaned back, the chair squeaking its protest. As Frank passed me, he shoved my feet from his desk, adding a swift punch to the shoulder before sitting opposite me, purposefully lifting his feet and bringing them to rest on the desk in the same position he had denied me.
He grinned as I scowled. Arrogant prick.
Glancing back at the secretary, whose face had returned to an almost normal color instead of the crimson blush that made her skin almost match her hair tone, I asked Frank, “Fucked her yet?”
He smirked. “Not yet, but I will. She’s only a temp while Abigail is on leave.”
“Have you fucked Abigail too?”
Frank’s resulting laugh was loud and booming. “No. She thinks she’s old enough to be my grandmother.” My turn to laugh. If only she knew. “You didn’t come here to talk about my sex life.”
Sighing, I leaned back in my chair as it squeaked again under my weight. For a moment, I was tempted to rock back and forth in it, see how much I could make it squeak before Frank’s jaw twitched with irritation.
Again, not the time to be antagonizing the older demon.
“No, I came to ask a favor.”
“So you said. What’s wrong? You needed me to fight, and now you need me to fuck your woman too?” The growl that escaped my throat was involuntary, and Frank didn’t bother to hide the delight on his face. “Oh! Still feeling a bit territorial, are we?”
“It’ll pass,” I lied, despite taking Nikki three more times yesterday and well into the night, my system still wasn’t satiated, and I was starting to fear it was less about controlling my demon and more about the protective and possessive desire I had for her, specifically.
“Look, she’s throwing her life away investigating the murder of her father—”
“What’s it to you?”
I debated how much to tell him, and Frank simply arched a dark eyebrow at me, waiting. “He’s not worth avenging,” I said lamely.
“If you’re going to come in here and ask me for favors, you better be willing to give me more than that, Cade. We may be blood, but that doesn’t mean much for demons, and you know that.”
“Fine.” I took a breath, wondering how much he needed to know so he’d help me.
“She seems to think he was some upstanding businessman because, for whatever reason, he treated her like a princess and was a stand-up father. But he was a corrupt, murdering criminal who ran half the shit at the other end of this city, mostly drugs, but there was some murder-for-hire shit in there. He certainly had no qualms about killing to get what he needed. She’s determined to find out who murdered him, and I can either help her along or watch her waste her life away. ”
“I’ll ask again, what’s it to you what she does with her life? How do you even know who her father was?”
“I saw a photo…” I spat out, gritting my teeth, “… and I recognized him from Hell. He was one of mine.”
Frank leaned back in his seat. “Ah.” I waited for some nugget of wisdom from the eldest of our brothers, but he said nothing more until, “What do you need from me?”
“You’ve been here a while. I want someone I can talk to who can give me information she won’t be able to find.
Maybe if I can find her brother, he’ll know something.
She said she hasn’t spoken to him since her dad died.
Or even better, if I can just find out who did it and some evidence, then point the cops toward them and end this. ”
Frank chuckled, slid his feet from his desk, and leaned forward again, watching me as he rested his chin on his fingers. “You know solving crimes isn’t what demons do, right?”
“Pretty sure they don’t become CEOs either.”
“Touché. But then again, you never really did fit in back home, did you, parvulus puer?”
“Don’t call me that.”
Frank’s lip lifted into something between a smirk and a sneer.
The nickname sounded cute, but for us it was far from endearing—the term little boy was intended to offend.
Beyond the difference between us in years, I was often at the receiving end of insults due to never quite holding the pleasure-for-violence streak that was pivotal to so many demons.
And worse than insults.
Never by Frank, he’d tease, but he wasn’t the type to outright bully, not unless you seriously pissed him off. But demon siblings were hardly compassionate with one another, and everyone was left to fight their own battles.
“All right, I think I know someone you can talk to,” Frank said.
“Wh—”
“But,” Frank held a finger out, making sure I was holding his eye contact.
I bared my teeth at him, not needing to be treated like a child.
“You watch out for this guy, okay? He’s older than me and absolutely can not be trusted.
I can keep him under control because I have money to satiate him and keep him mostly from trouble, and physically, I’m stronger than he is and can shake him up a bit.
But I have no doubt he’s got his slimy fingers in everything he can get into to make extra cash.
He likes to gamble and fuck, but he doesn’t fit in…
humans simply don’t trust him. He can’t seem to blend in like you or I. He’s too dark inside.”
That was concerning, but I didn’t let it show on my face. “I can take care of myself—”
“Watch yourself around him. I fucking mean it, Cade.”
“All right, I got it, Frank.”
Frank stared at me for a moment longer, his dark curls falling over his forehead as he leaned forward to stare intently, probably an intimidation technique, and I’d never admit to him it was almost working.
He sighed, then said, “For a handful of cash, he’ll tell you what he knows, but do not tell him I sent you to him.
I’ll never hear the end of it, and he’ll think he has the upper hand on me.
One day I’m going to cut him loose, but for now, it’s a matter of keep-your-enemies-closer type deal.
I’ve no doubt he’s in with every dodgy fucker he can get in with, so he may know something or someone who does. ”
“Thank you.”
“Don’t thank me. I’m not thrilled about you crossing his path. But if it’ll help ease your conscience about this woman, then so be it.”
“Who said I was feeling guilty?”
Frank’s lip twitched. “It’s written all over your face, parvulus puer. You never were a good liar.”
My stomach felt like lead within me. I didn’t want to have to lie to Nikki beyond the obvious of keeping my identity hidden.
But holding this back from her wasn’t sitting well with me.
I wished we could investigate together and I could be pivotal in her solving this crime so she could finally rest. Maybe it was slightly childish, but I wanted to be the center of her attention.
I wanted to help, then maybe Nikki could rest without ever having to know the truth about who Murphy really was.
Who was I to sully her memories with something as horrid as reality?