Steal the Sun (Thieves #4)(126)

“Yeah, well, I kind of love him today,” I admitted. “And I definitely love you. Thank you for coming for us, baby. We should go and find Danny. He’s weak. The death god has been feeding off of him.”

Dev allowed me to slide to the ground beside him and took my hand as though he were afraid to let go of me. He turned his attention on Arawn, his mood becoming dark. “And how did you come to be here with my wife, Arawn? You have your own woman. Where is she?”

“I’m here, Devinshea.” Nim rounded the corner of the house. She walked to her boyfriend and kissed him softly. “Please tell Roarke I’m so glad he is well.”

Arawn nodded his head, shame in his eyes. “He’s angry with me, love, not you. I’ll let him tell you himself once I’m certain we’re out of danger.”

She nodded and turned to me. “Chima is behind me. She’s just slower because of…”

Dev ignored her. “I want an answer, Arawn. My goddess’s wolf was able to track her even through the eddy wind we rode. We tracked her from the entry of the sithein to your cabin. I know what you used that cabin for in the past. I spent time there myself. If you bought her as a slave then she better have been scrubbing your floors or we shall have a problem.”

“He refuses to share his goddess,” Declan pointed out. “Well, with anyone but the vampire. He is quite unreasonable about it.”

Arawn smiled, an arrogant challenge. He seemed to be getting back on his feet. “She was purchased as a pleasure slave, of course. She’s scarcely suited to kitchen work. She’s obviously meant for the bedroom.”

“Don’t tease him, Arawn,” Nim said with a tired sigh. The cute brunette stepped forward and faced Dev. “Arawn never touched her. I bought her for me. If you’re upset then you should be upset with me.”

I rolled my eyes as my husband clutched his heart. “Please, please tell me Daniel took video.”

“I have it on the highest authority that he intends to embellish the tale with great relish,” I offered.

Dev nodded, his eyes alight with anticipation. “I would do the same for him.”

Lee looked up. “Someone’s coming.”

I saw Chima walking around the house. She hesitated for a moment and when she saw who was in the yard, she stopped completely. I had to tell him. There was no way Dev could look at the child in Chima’s arms and not know. I needed to make it clear to him that I would accept his child even if I wasn’t the child’s mother.

“Baby, I found out something while I was here.” I kept my voice low so only Dev and his brother could hear me. I was sure Declan knew about the affair since he’d been here at the time.

“Why is Chima carrying a child?” Declan asked.

“Dev, Chima had your baby.” I spat it out before I could change my mind. “I don’t know what happened between the two of you. I don’t know why she didn’t tell you.”

“Oh, I can think of a reason.” Dev turned to look at Chima, who was now walking boldly across the yard, her son on her hip.

Declan turned to his brother. His face had gone a stark white. He let his bow fall to the ground. “Zoey, move out of the way.”

“Now, brother…” Dev began, but there was no stopping Declan. He reared his hand back and slapped Dev as hard as he could. Dev wasn’t ready and he staggered back and ended up on his ass in the grass, looking up at his twin.

“Your choice of weapons, brother,” Declan declared.

I shoved my * brother-in-law out of the way and knelt down by my husband. Several things were apparent to me now. I was glad I’d been so open and magnanimous or I would have been eating some serious crow.

“Are you all right, baby?” I asked. I looked over his face, which had an angry handprint on it now. I stared up at Declan. “Jerk.”

Dev managed a completely angelic look. “I think I will be all right, my goddess. I can only hope my jaw isn’t broken.”

I rewarded his bad acting with a kiss. “So, I was wrong, huh? No baby with Chima?”

Dev grinned. “Not unless I have some amazing powers I was unaware of until now.”

I stood up to my brother-in-law. Chima looked surprised that Dev was on the ground. Her mouth hung open so I decided to speak for her. “You’re an *, Declan. And you don’t deserve her.”

Nim walked up to join me. “King of the Seelie? You aren’t even brave enough to face your responsibilities. You should be ashamed of yourself. She’s not good enough for you? Let me tell you what I think of that…”

I could tell that Nim had been holding that speech in for a good long while. Now that she was let off the leash, she let Declan have it. Declan looked truly frightened for the first time in our acquaintance as Nim and I cornered him.

“Why are the females berating Declan?” the Hunter asked. “I thought the priest impregnated Chima.”

“No,” I announced loudly. “The person who knocked up his girlfriend and then left her high and dry wasn’t Dev, and I should have known that. Sorry, baby.”

He winked. “I forgive you.”

Chima bent her head apologetically my way. “I am sorry, Zoey. When you appeared on my doorstep, I thought you had married Declan, not Devinshea. As I explained, I heard only that the Seelies had a new royal. As Dev has been gone, I made a mistake and assumed wrongly. Please forgive my rudeness to you.”