Demons Like It Hot (Demons Unleashed #2)(107)

“Cool.” With that, she pulled herself from his clingy embrace and called Daniel over.

“What is it?”

“Sorry, to break this to ya, but Barry’s not as nice underneath his disguise.”

Daniel exhaled sharply. “Aww, man.”

And now she really dreaded the situation more than she had before.





Chapter 41


Matthias used Peragrans to enter the office without notice. Daniel had surprised him. There, he found a laptop set up for him, with a direct feed into both the kitchen and the banquet room. He’d seen Serah’s introduction to Salome. She’d always been so vain. She’d kept the same appearance since he’d last seen her.

The only thing that had changed was her fashion.

He clicked over to camera number two. He wasn’t quite sure about the director from the start. He’d seen Serah’s reaction. He was a demon. Two demons down, fifty more to go.

She headed toward her bedroom-away-from-home and shut the door behind her. Unfortunately, there was no camera there to continue the surveillance.

The door swung open. He looked up. Lucy and Rafe stepped into the room.

“Kalli’s doing Serah’s makeup.” Lucy pushed the door shut. “It stinks out there,” she added as she plopped into the love seat and propped her knees up.

“Waterloo was worse,” Rafe said without remorse.

Matthias nodded in agreement. He’d hired himself out to humans for that battle. Luckily they had been English humans. It was a bloody battle. Both sides had lost many lives. He’d seen what had happened to the emperor he had once guarded. He didn’t like it one bit.

“You were at Waterloo too?” Lucy asked with wonder. “Probably the other side, right?”

Matthias shook his head. “I fought for the English as a hired mercenary.”

“Really?”

“In times of war, I’ve assisted many humans in their battles. The American Civil War and the Napoleonic Wars were two of the bloodier ones.” Matthias sighed. “My last war was the Great War.”

“World War I? What about World War II?”

“I detest modern warfare. I was a bodyguard during that time. These newer tactics aren’t the way I was taught.”

Lucy’s eyes flashed knowingly. “I understand.” He didn’t doubt that one bit.

“Who did you guard?”

Earlier, he would’ve told someone to mind their own business in a not so friendly way, but now he had no qualms sharing. “Benito Mussolini.”

Lucy’s expression pinched. “Didn’t he die by firing squad?”

Matthias nodded. “That was afterwards. I’d already moved to a different mission.” He shrugged. “I didn’t like where things were going in my life and I vowed to change. People like Mussolini did not fit with those changes.”

“We will make sure Balthazar doesn’t get your descendant. I promise.”

“Thanks. I appreciate that.” He really did. It was nice to belong, even if only for a few days.

The singer previously identified as Justin Bieber announced a call. With a small grin, she grabbed her phone and flipped it open. “Hey Kalli. What’s up?”

She nodded. “Okay, be right there.” With that, she closed the phone. “Serah’s ready for me to do her hair.” She leaned across the love seat and gave Rafe a quick kiss on the lips. “I’ll see you in the banquet room after they eat their treats.”

With that, she popped up from the couch and shimmied to the door. “Bye.” She snuck out and quickly shut the door as she left.

“You’re a lucky man, Rafe.” Matthias clicked the mouse and watched Lucy enter the room.

“I know.” Rafe rose from the love seat and came to face him, his silver gaze stern and stony serious. “You could be lucky too, you know.”

“Huh?”

“Stop being so stubborn.” Rafe threw back his head and chuckled heartily. “Never thought I’d ever say those words to anyone.”

“I’m not being stubborn. I’m being practical.”

Rafe shook his head, his expression pinched. “If I were practical, I’d be wasting away in limbo, moping for an eternity.”

“The Fore-Demons wouldn’t allow it.”

“In the words of Lucia Gregory, ‘Fuck the Fore-Demons. Do what makes you—and Serah—happy.’” He grinned. “I’m completely paraphrasing there.”

He’d heard Lucy talk before. Not much paraphrasing at all. “It’s complicated.”

“Serah loves you. If you do this, you’ll end up hurting her more. How about those complications?”

“Daniel is a better mate for her.”

Rafe slammed his fist into his palm. “Don’t make me beat the sense into you. Have you really looked at how they interact?”

“They get on quite well.”

“Yeah, because they’re friends, you dolt.”

“How can you be so sure?”

“Other than the fact that Lucy told me where Serah slept last night?” He leaned in, his face stony. “The Serah we know doesn’t do that with just anyone.”

Matthias took a deep breath. Rafe had a point. He’d been so focused on protecting her that he failed to see the bigger picture. He knew she cared for him. And he obviously loved her.