Chapter Twenty-Four
CADE
While Nikki was in therapy one day, I took the time to wander outside the hospital, taking a moment to lean my back against the warm bricks and close my eyes, absorbing the glow of the midday sun.
I was happy to stay inside, but Nikki didn’t like witnesses to her rehabilitation.
She hated the way her forehead sweat and her cheeks flushed when she did her exercises and how she’d slip midstep on occasion.
There was no room for error in her mind, and while I offered to help, maybe lie back with my cock exposed to give her something to run toward, she laughed before turning serious and told me to go for a walk.
A nice relaxing walk, not exactly something demons were known for enjoying.
Rolling my eyes, I pushed myself from the wall and jammed my hands in my pockets before continuing around the perimeter of the building, not wanting to stray too far.
I hadn’t been back to work since Nikki’s accident and consequently had no money, a result of which was being evicted from my apartment.
I didn’t care much. I had little to nothing in there besides the ratty furniture the place came with.
Since then, Nikki had given me keys to her place to take a shower, get some sleep outside of the hospital, and bring her food—she favored fresh avocados, fuck knows why—and it seemed to be an unspoken thing I’d be moving in with her when she was discharged.
After asking if she wanted me to tidy up her place, she’d laughed, then I’d laughed, and we both realized it was never going to happen.
The skin on the back of my neck prickled a split second before a hand was slapped over my mouth, and I was dragged backward into a dark crevice that was a fire escape.
While I could have stopped them from taking me, my lips curled into a smirk behind their hand, and I thought it would be more fun to allow myself to be taken, and then let out the part of my demon desperate for a fight at the last second.
The sting of the knife as it was pressed against the back of my throat told me this wasn’t the situation I thought it was.
Silver.
Silver didn’t kill demons, but it hurt like hell and would take longer to heal.
This told me several important details. Firstly, this wasn’t a random attack.
Secondly, my attacker knew I was a demon, and third, I guess they knew enough to know if they pushed the blade through my throat and were able to restrain me so I couldn’t remove it, I’d choke on my own blood.
I couldn’t heal around silver, I’d have to get the blade out, and if I couldn’t, I’d die.
After that, they would remove my heart and burn it, and that would be that.
So, I stilled.
“I’m going to remove my hand. I’m not here to kill you.
I don’t need any more enemies than I already have, and…
” the deep voice chuckled next to my neck as the silver knife twisted slightly, stinging against my skin.
“I think Nikki hates me enough already for killing her father, so I wouldn’t want to take her boyfriend too. ”
“Who are you?” The words were out the second he removed his hand, and he responded only by pushing the blade harder against my neck, definitely drawing blood.
“I only want to talk.”
“Why?”
“I’ve cleaned up, and I’m ready to clear out of this city. Emrick’s empire is growing too quickly, and this fucking hole of a city isn’t worth the effort to keep. I have roots elsewhere, and I’m moving on.”
“Cole,” I muttered, attempting to turn my head and having a hand grab my chin and cheek, forcing me to look forward again.
He wore some kind of jewelry on his hand, a metal ring on his middle finger with a chain that linked to a claw-like attachment that dug into my skin and seared.
Silver again. There was silence when I had spoken his name, and no response was the same as acknowledgment.
He didn’t ask how I knew his name, and I suppose it didn’t make much difference to him. “What’s this got to do with me?”
“Tell sweet Nicola to let the past go. I don’t want any bullshit from this place following me to my new home, but someone I respect has told me she’s not to be killed. Otherwise, I’d have gutted her already.”
A low growl rumbled through my throat, and he responded only with a chuckle.
I wanted to turn and rip him to shreds, but Nikki would want me to get information.
We’d discussed this, her plans moving forward.
Besides, killing a human with intent would have me banished from Earth, and since I was already banished from Hell, that would mean my death.
“You’re human,” I finally said.
“Yes, but you’re not, demon.”
“How do you know that?”
“One doesn’t get to be in this business in this city for as long as I have without learning a thing or two about the players.
And let me tell you, there are plenty of your lot running around up here, especially in my line of work.
You can be quite useful, pure strength-for-hire.
You, however, seem to have morals for some reason, though… strange.”
“We’re not here to talk about me.”
“You’re right, we’re talking about your girlfriend.
Tell her to back the fuck off, for if she comes for me, I’ll be ready, and any loyalty I hold to those who asked me not to kill her will become moot.
I’ll kill her in front of you, slowly, painfully, making you take in every scream and tear, and then I’ll kill you. ”
I was beginning to tremble, my demon screaming to get out, every protective nerve in my body shrieking to be let loose and kill this fucking guy.
But I had to think of Nikki. I couldn’t help her if I were dead, whether by Rueben Cole’s hand or by punishment.
My muscles rippled with the effort of keeping my demon inside, and I doubted I’d have the self-control not to kill him if I started an attack.
“Who’s protecting her?” A thought struck me, and I went with it. “Is it her brother?”
Another chuckle, and I wondered if I could rip his face off without killing him. Some sort of fucked-up loophole where I get to take my rage out on this asshole without being banished from Earth. “He had plans for our sweet little Nicola, long-term plans, and one day he’ll come for her.”
“Where is he?”
“No level of demonic tone in your voice will make me answer that question, Cade. I know where my loyalties, as flimsy as they may be, lie.”
“Where are you going?”
“Away. Don’t try to find me. Pass on the message.
” Cole slashed at the back of my throat with the silver knife, and the stinging pain radiated through my body.
In the moment of weakness, he grabbed the side of my face, slamming my head into the wall.
As he moved to leave, I reached out and snatched at his jacket, and he turned, a black scarf covering the lower half of his face.
His eyes, green and vibrant, blazed with fury as he clawed at me with the silver claw on his middle finger, leaving a slice down my cheek.
“Stop. If I don’t get back, my men have instructions to come for Nicola, and you won’t be able to protect her from all of them. ”
Grinding my teeth, I froze on the spot, glaring at him and imprinting those eyes in my mind forever. Next time I saw those eyes, I’d find a way to take him down without losing Nikki. I couldn’t know for sure if he was telling the truth, but I couldn’t risk it.
We both knew how deep this ran.
Were there hospital workers in on it?
Were there nurses under Cole’s payroll, primed and ready to kill Nikki in her sleep if he asked?
His eyes crinkled as he smiled before turning and walking away.
With eight weeks of physical and speech therapy, Nikki was ready to kick a hole through the wall if one more person asked her to stretch her legs using a resistance band.
She hadn’t had a memory lapse in over a week and rarely tripped over words or sentences now, although sometimes she still got confused, misunderstanding a word or unable to find a word she wanted.
Nikki found this more frustrating than anything, and all the reassurance she’d eventually be back to normal wasn’t enough for her.
She was stubborn and wanted results now.
Having been assigned a further eight weeks off with checkups on her progress every two weeks, then she should be able to officially be signed off to be fit for work.
Then start her suspension.
Nikki had thrown the sheets to the side when I told her about the interaction with Cole, asking me why I didn’t do a citizen’s arrest or some bullshit.
I explained his threat to her life and she told me she wasn’t afraid.
I’d grabbed her face, making her look into my eyes and hoping she could see the fear that hid in them.
Because I was afraid of losing her, and the memory of the feelings that tore my body apart when I’d seen her in the hospital bed that first time stayed with me, reminding me how fragile she was.
Normally, I’m certain she’d complain about being forced to take time off work, but the way she backed me against the wall in the elevator as we left the hospital, grabbing my cock through my pants and whispering naughty desires against my ear, I’m sure we’d find plenty of ways to pass the time.
I wanted to take her straight back to her place to play out these desires, but there was one stop Nikki insisted on making first.
Emrick’s.
I wasn’t thrilled about it, but I understood.
She was taking a step in a better direction, but first, she had some loose ends to tie off.
Since Nikki’s car had been a write-off, something she was incredibly upset about, I picked her up from the hospital in a cheap run-around I’d bought in exchange for a handful of moving jobs.
The car idled so rough at traffic lights that it felt like it would die any second, but it took us to Emrick’s club.
We were allowed in without issue, although, of course, we were patted down before being permitted to go upstairs.
Emrick sat in the same chair, glancing over the balcony at the small crowd milling around—an afternoon crowd getting in a few drinks before the place became packed.
He didn’t stir when we came in, and we waited for a beat by the door for him to say or do anything that indicated he was aware of our presence.
The first sign was a smirk creeping along his face, only partially visible through his fingers as he rested his chin on his palm.
“Good to see you two love birds are still together,” he purred out.
“No thanks to you, asshole.”
Emrick’s head tilted slowly until he was looking directly at me. His smile was dark and did nothing to make him seem more approachable or friendly. If anything, it did the opposite. “The truth was going to come out eventually.”
“Well, I’m glad you had so much fun exposing it so dramatically,” I grumbled, folding my arms across my chest. “We’re not here to talk about me. We have some questions for you.”
Before I could say anything further, Nikki stepped forward, her hands on her waist and weight on one leg, tilting her hip. “I want all the information you have on Rueben Cole.”
Emrick’s eyebrows flickered upward in a moment that betrayed his piqued interest. “Was he the one who killed Murphy?”
“Yes,” she said flatly.
Emrick chuckled. “Of course he was. Murphy was nothing but trouble for him from the start… that’s a long-term feud going on there.
” The dark smile returned. “Unfortunately for Cole, he couldn’t hold his own once I took over.
I heard he jumped ship a few weeks back, heading to another city where he didn’t have to work so hard to wrangle with the new kid in town… me.”
“Where did he go?”
“No fucking idea, and I don’t care as long as he stays out of my city.”
I expected Nikki to argue about Emrick’s claim of my city, but she said nothing, her toe tapping impatiently on the carpeted floor while she watched Emrick. “What else can you tell me?”
He leaned back in his chair, his large arms falling to the sides and impressive chest on display. His hoodie wasn’t zipped up all the way, and he wasn’t wearing a shirt underneath it. “Not much.”
“Tell me what you do know,” Nikki growled out.
Emrick stood, crossing the floor and closing the gap between them.
To Nikki’s credit, she didn’t budge, although I made sure to move in behind her, ready to snatch her out of harm’s way if Emrick tried anything.
But he simply cast me an amused glance before returning his stare to Nikki.
“You’d fetch a handsome price, you know,” Emrick purred, lifting a lock of her blonde hair and letting it trail through his fingers.
Nikki snarled at him and twisted to the side, pulling her hair from his hold.
Reaching around Nikki’s shoulder, I snatched at Emrick’s arm, and he cast me another disinterested glance. “I’d remove your hold of me, Cade, if you want to keep that arm.” I did, but with a shove that jolted his shoulder back and forced a growl from his throat.
“Do you have any useful information or not?” Nikki demanded.
“Not,” Emrick stated. “Only that he’s been doing what he does for a long time, and he’s good at it. If he doesn’t want to be found, you won’t be able to find him.” He chuckled. “Hell, your own father ran half the crime in his fucking city, and you were so clueless you went and became a cop.”
Nikki took a half step forward, shrugging her arm out of my grasp when I went to hold her back. She pressed a finger against Emrick’s chest, and he tilted his head, gazing at her over his dark sunglasses, his black eyes blazing with rage and challenge.
“I’m going to find Cole…” Nikki whispered, holding his eye contact even though I could see her other hand trembling, “… and then I’m coming for you.”