Ruined (The Eternal Balance #1)(57)

“My human cares deeply for you. To bathe in your blood would destroy him. We are one, even if he has yet to accept it. I try to make things as easy on him as nature will allow.”

“That seems like a contradiction,” I snapped before I could stop myself. “Making him hurt people is pretty much the opposite of easy.”

“That is a dangerous tone to take. Your brazenness is amusing.” He rolled his shoulders, eyes never leaving me. “I lead him to filth. Volatile life forces wrought with rage and greed. When I don’t feed, it becomes painful for my human—like you are to him. I understand his hesitance to indulge in you, but there are ways. If he is willing.”

Ways? For us to be together without Jax being in pain? “What ways?”

But he didn’t answer. Instead, he stood and crossed to the other side of the room, sliding down the wall. Tilting his head back, he closed his eyes. Dismissed. She’d been dismissed by a demon.





Chapter Twenty-Five




Jax

When I came to, I was scrunched up on the floor, leaning against the wall across from the couch.

“Jax?” Sam twisted her head to the left an inch. She was still lying on the couch. “Is that you?”

It took a moment to find my voice. My throat was dry and burned like I’d been yelling for hours. “Are you all right?” The movie ended long ago and had circled back around to the start menu. I wanted to ask her how long I’d been asleep, but there was a knock at the front door. A beam of sunlight shone through the window. Morning. Fuck. It was morning already. I climbed to my feet and crossed the room, feeling guilty that Sam had gotten stuck on the couch, half-naked, bound. “Did Heckle call?”

She rolled to the side and struggled to sit up. “Phone didn’t ring.”

“Did you fall asleep?” I asked, helping her off the couch. There were angry red marks, indentations from the cuffs, on both her wrists, and she seemed to be moving slow. Like she was stiff. Her clothes were askew, and I averted my eyes until she turned, feeling a spark of lust festering beneath the surface.

Sam stood with her back to me. “I dozed off for a little while, but it was uneventful. Unlock these so I can see who’s at the door?”

I slipped the key from my pocket and unlocked the cuffs. They fell to the floor with a clatter. “Really? Didn’t you learn anything the other night?”

She rolled her eyes and pulled on the sweatshirt that was draped over the back of the couch as the door jingled, then opened. “I find it hard to believe the demons are now using keys to get inside.”

A second later Chase stood in the doorway with a tray of coffee and a brown paper bag from Musso’s bagel shop. “Hey. Careful,” Sam said, stepping over to peer into the bag. “An everything bagel with grape jelly. The breakfast of non-champions. A girl could get used to this.”

My brother winked and stepped inside. “Last time I saw you, you were having a rough night. I wanted to check in.” Chase’s gaze fell on me. He looked disappointed. “Apparently you’re fine.”

“Chase,” I replied, eyes narrow.

“Jax,” he responded coolly.

Sam tensed, like she was ready to jump between us if needed.

“Didn’t know you were here.” Chase squared his shoulders and stepped away from the door.

The demon shifted, anticipating violence. I pushed it down. “What are you doing here?”

“I came to check in on Rick. Plus, I got Sam’s voice mail. I knew she was here, figured I’d bring breakfast. What are you doing here? Is it such a good idea?”

“She knows everything,” I said. “Our family. The demon. All of it.”

Judging by the expression on Chase’s face, the confession threw him for a loop, but he recovered quickly and turned to Sam. “Even after finding out the truth, you’re still hanging around him? What the hell is wrong with you, Samantha?”

“Careful, Chase. You sound a little jealous.” I came around the couch.

Chase squared his shoulders. “Jealous of what? You?” He took a step forward. “You really don’t see how stupid that sounds?”

I tensed. Azirak wanted to lunge at my brother, raging to feel bones snap beneath his fingers, but I resisted—barely—and flashed him a knowing smile. “You want her but she doesn’t want you. Burns your ass, doesn’t it?”

“Okay,” Sam said, stepping between us. Leave it to her to play peacemaker. “Knock it off.”

I ignored her and stepped forward. “Must really piss you the hell off that she’s, what, the one girl in Harlow who hasn’t blown you?”

“Whoa,” Sam said as color fanned to life in her cheeks. “Could we please focus—”

Chase laughed. “Putting a lot on assumption, big brother.” He leaned forward and winked. “Who says she hasn’t? Maybe I’ve been in those pants already.”

Sam turned an impressive shade of red. “Oh my God. No one in this room has been in my damn pants but me.”

We whirled around to stare at her.

“Perverts.” She rolled her eyes and said to Chase, “Something happened at school.”

“Sammy,” I warned, taking a step toward her. Involving my brother in this was a bad idea.