The Unlikeable Demon Hunter (Nava Katz #1)(48)
“If I was still dancing, my scholarship would have taken care of it.”
“Nee-Nava, come on. I’m sorry.” She raked her hands through her bone-straight hair. “That was super bitchy. You’re just not giving me a break here.”
“Why should I?” Aside from the fact that I miss you.
“Because I didn’t infiltrate your family, okay?” Her cheeks flushed as red as her hair. “Yeah, I did use you for Ari. I was massively in love with him.”
“With all the sweet longing that only a thirteen-year-old can have,” I mocked. I’d had no clue. That rankled too. “Get a message to Asmodeus. Tell him I’m the one he’s looking for and that he can find me at the chapter house. Can you do that?” I wished I could let go of my resentment and just trust her again. Have us pick up where we left off like nothing had changed between us.
But everything had, and given the equal parts anger and hurt in her voice when she snapped, “Enable your death wish, Rasha? Why, I’d like nothing better.” Leo wasn’t ready to let bygones be bygones either. “Are you sure about this?” she asked a few minutes later.
I speared a cheese curd. “Do you want to be friends with me again?”
She grimaced and took a big bite of mushroom burger, glowering at me until she swallowed. “No, but still. Asmodeus is bad news. And when you upset a demon–”
“Bad things happen, yada yada.” I made a talking mouth noise with my hand. “Believe me, I’ve gotten the spiel.”
Just to be certain, Leo went into graphic detail about what he might do to me in payback, using two forks, half a hamburger bun, and the desecration of my poutine to illustrate. “You still want me to pass on this message?”
“No, but yes. It’s Ari.”
She sighed. “It’s Ari.”
“And speaking of my darling twin, if you want back in my good graces, you’ll also let me read your teen diary.”
Leo had been a freak about me never even touching the glittery thing.
She gave this incredibly demony half-growl. Amazing I’d never figured it out before. Then she sighed. “If I bring it over, are we friends again?” She said it like she didn’t care, but she was leaving gauges in her remaining burger.
Even if it was Leo and me, it was still demon and Rasha. Talk about complicated. Rohan would never agree to help me with Ari if he found out. Being considered a demon-lover wasn’t going to win me any friends–of the human or devil spawn variety. In fact, I’d probably just signed my own death warrant with the Brotherhood.
I snagged one of her fries since she’d rendered my poutine inedible. “Dummy. Your diary better be PG where my brother is concerned.”
“Please. I know what you consider PG. I read your fanfic.” She handed me the vinegar before I could ask for it.
I grinned for the first time since I’d found her again, remembering the whopper of a bombshell I had yet to drop on her about the inclusion of a certain Rohan Mitra in my life.
Leo narrowed her eyes at me. “I know that look. It preceded my broken arm, three double dates I’d pay to have surgically removed from my memories, and a ride home in a cop car. Forget it. I want an annulment.”
I blew her a kiss. “Too late, baby. We’re friends.” Or would be eventually, I hoped.
I had a lot to think about on my drive home after I dropped Leo off at her apartment. Yes, I’d nearly killed our friendship when I’d been at my lowest, but that had been my screw up. The universe had given me a second chance and no matter how hard repairing it would be, I’d regret it forever if I didn’t try.
However, it would take some massive finagling to keep Demon Club from finding out about her. I could threaten to kill Leo but no one else could. Xiaoli had known about her for sure, but I doubted any of the new guys did, since they’d have confronted her already if they had. That left Kane. I’d have to find out what he knew.
I floored the gas pedal to catch a yellow light.
These past few days had been a trip, and not a particularly pleasurable one. Would they have treated Ari the same way had our positions been reversed? No, I’d be willing to bet good money that had some dude suddenly found himself one of the Fallen Angels, he’d have been welcomed with open arms. Also hookers, blow, and a giant circle jerk. Not patted on the head, and placed under armed guard, while his fate was decided upon.
My near heart attack today had proven one thing to me. At the end of the day, the only one who could save me was me. So I’d play their games. I’d train. I’d fight. I’d study. I may have been a fuck up but I was also a survivor. Whether the Brotherhood liked it or not, I was going to survive them too.
And get my twin fighting beside me where he belonged. That idea just got cooler and cooler.
The car in front of me braked, so I did too, caught in a momentary snarl of traffic headed into downtown to party, the other cars filled with laughing people enjoying life. Good attitude.
With both demons and certain Rasha gunning for me, who knew what tomorrow held? This was my life and, ultimately, I was the one who had to figure out how to live–and live with–this new version of it.
So when Rohan ambushed me at the curb after I’d parked, planning to menace me into submission or apology or something, all I did was grin at him. My talk with Leo hadn’t been all Asmodeus-focused. I’d also gotten a tidbit of Samson info from her since I needed something to show for my excursion. Telling Rohan that I’d outed myself to Asmodeus was not going to happen. I’d mention it after the demon was dead.