Page 106 of Lock Up the Darkness

Jonah: Yes, Sire.

Asher: Nice try, but none of the ‘Sires’ in the world will save you from the punishment coming your way for lying to me.

I didn’t get the chance to respond before he fired back again.

Asher: Killian’s due too for making you cover for him.

Son of a bitch.

I swallowed hard.

Jonah: Understood.

When no further texts came in, indicating he was done, I stalked to the end of the corridor.

Evening out my breathing and trying to calm down the aggravating mix of fiery need for Asher and anger at Kill, I took a beat, then opened the door to Aurora’s room, intending to get Kill out of there before things were made any worse.

But then the scene playing out had me stilling.

One of the lamps by her bed was on, enabling me to see her sitting on the bed covers cross-legged. My dick twitched at the sight of a pair of black lounge shorts riding high on her thighs and a matching lacy cropped tank that put both her cleavage on display and her taut little stomach. Her long white-blonde hair was loose and cascading about her shoulders.

I zoned in on the comic books surrounding her scattered all over the bedspread. She had one held open in her hands, looking like she’d been reading it before Kill had slipped inside. Interesting.

A giggle escaped her as he removed what he’d been hiding under the right side of his hoodie and held it out to her.

A soft toy Saint Bernard.

“How did you do this?” she asked, as she squeezed it to her, the mere act seeming to bring her considerable comfort.

“I went by to your house after classes today and picked him up. I had to wait until everybody was settled in their bedrooms for the night before I brought him to you. I didn’t want Asher to see it. You know how he is. Or, Jonah. He’d be ripping it apart with that prized hunting knife of his to see its insides in no time.”

I smiled to myself. That was about right. Destruction and devastation were in my blood, after all. That was my role to play and one I played hella well.

She screwed up her face at that last part. “Lovely.”

He chuckled. “Yeah, it’s wild here.”

“Never a dull moment?”

“More so since you came into the picture.”

Their eyes locked and I could taste the intensity from several feet away.

Kill broke through it, asking her, “So, what’s his name?”

“What makes you think he has a name?”

He chuckled. “Come on.”

“Buster,” she revealed sheepishly.

“Crazy original,” he teased.

“Hey, classics are classics for a reason.”

“I’ll take your word for it.” He reached out and fingered a lock of her hair. “How are you doing?”

“I’m good.”

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