Steal the Day (Thieves #2)(105)

Chapter Twenty-Five





I knew Stewart had been f*cking everything up the minute I saw Daniel’s face. Dev and I appeared in the room, and he was sitting on the bed with a hard look in his eyes. There was no thrill that we’d made it back. There was no surprise or joy. There was just a bitter hardness, and I wondered what the hell Stewart had done.

“What happened? What did he say to you?”

Stewart shrugged at me. “I really didn’t mean to, Zoey. I was having a perfectly fine conversation with the king here about, perhaps, becoming his familiar when it just sort of popped out. You can’t really blame me. I am evil.”

“What did you say?” I asked as Daniel turned his blue eyes on me. He looked through Dev as if he wasn’t there.

“He pointed out certain facts to me, Zoey,” Daniel explained in a cold voice. “It was just things if I had been thinking with my head instead of my dick I probably would have seen myself. God, I can’t think straight when I’m around you. I was just so happy to get back into bed with you, I didn’t think to ask why.”

I looked back at Dev, who seemed just as confused as I was. “Daniel, I don’t know what you’re talking about, baby. Last night just happened. I’m not sorry about it, either. I love you, Danny.”

“Yeah, you love me,” he spat back and turned his accusatory eyes at Dev. “You love me so much you’re willing to f*ck me to save him. It solves a lot of your problems, doesn’t it? No one will come after your lover if they think I’m f*cking him, too. You two can walk around in public, and no one will think less of you because I’m the idiot husband who lets it all happen under his nose.”

I kneeled in front of Daniel and tried to get him to understand. “It’s not like that. I didn’t sleep with you to save Dev. I love you. I was happy to be with you, too.”

Daniel stopped, his eyes dark, and I was sure that whatever came out of his mouth next would be awful. “Then leave with me. You’re my wife. Choose me. Prove you love me by walking out of here and being my wife, mine alone.”

My heart hurt as I looked back at Dev. He stared at the floor, and I knew what was going through his head. He was waiting for me to do it. He was waiting for me to choose Daniel as he always believed I would. “Please don’t ask me to do this.”

“What do you want me to do, Zoey? Do you want me to be satisfied when you and Dev there decide you need a third? Am I supposed to wait outside the bedroom door to see if you’re feeling up to a threesome?”

“It doesn’t have to be like that,” Dev said quietly.

The men in my life squared off. “You shut up, Dev. You’re the reason for all of this. She’s my wife. You couldn’t respect that? She belongs to me.”

“She didn’t say ‘I do,’ Daniel. As far as I’m concerned, she isn’t married at all.”

I got between them, putting a hand on both their chests. “Stop it. Let’s just go back to the hotel and we can talk this out.”

“So Dev can work his mojo again and we’ll both f*ck you mindless, and maybe I’ll be so satisfied with that sweet * of yours I’ll forget why you’re doing it?” Daniel bit off a curse and his hands fisted.

“I should go.” Stewart sounded almost apologetic. “I fear my presence is magnifying his anger. I really didn’t mean to do this, Zoey. Do you have any idea how hard it is to have these impulses of mine? I have plans, good plans, and I screw them up because I just can’t help poking at that open wound I see.”

Daniel looked around. “Where’s Neil? I’m going to kick his ass for leaving.”

That had seemed like such a good idea at the time. “He’s gone, Danny.”

Daniel turned slowly and enunciated each word. “Where did he go, Zoey? What did you do with my wolf?” He placed a careful emphasis on the “my.”

I forced myself to look him in the eyes. “He went with Felix Day. I had to let him go, Danny. I had to. He was in pain. He was hurting. He needed to go.”

Daniel exploded. “What about what I need, Zoey? You think of everyone before you get down to me, don’t you? That list of yours is long, and I’m at the bottom. Tell me something, Zoey, did you ever love me? Or was I just that chump who would do anything and everything you wanted?” He looked back again at Dev. “Guess you took over that role. She doesn’t need me anymore. Good luck with her, Dev.”

Daniel kicked the door open and strode out, leaving me to round on my little demonic visitor. “I really hope you’re happy, Stewart.”

He sighed. “I told you, I’m not happy about it. He was in complete agreement with almost everything I wanted and I had to go screw it up. If it helps at all, he is being influenced by these rooms. They magnify all sorts of emotions. That rage he’s feeling should already be easing by now. We should all leave these rooms because even I’m feeling it. You’re terrified at the thought of losing Daniel, the faery there is feeling most insecure because if Daniel hates him, how will you love him? And I’m actually contemplating how my beloved evil nature complicates my bloody life. I don’t like being contemplative.”

Stewart stood and walked out of the room.

I held my hand out to Dev. “We have to find Daniel. We have to make him understand.”