Page 9 of Death is My Ride or Die

“What is your problem?” I exploded, and his forehead puckered in surprise. “You’re over two thousand years old and you still don’t know how to treat women?”

“I—”

“It wasrhetorical,” I snapped. Ace’s skin paled a little as he tracked the now ignited-with-my-power dagger in my hand. I waved it about like a deadly conductor while I spoke. “I’ve given you plenty of opportunities to apologize, Death. You haven’t, not once, and now you’re demanding my help. Do you understand that if you had been nice to me from the beginning, or—I don’t know—toned down the ‘I’m the predator, you’re the prey’ vibe you expel from every deadly pore of your body, I probably would have trusted you from the get-go? Hint: womenlovekind, honest men.”

“Since when?”

“You’re a hopeless cause! And I’m kicking youout!” Releasing his throat, I turned, intending to storm toward my bedroom window and haul it open to shove himthroughit, but Death grabbed the hem of my shirt and drew me back.

“What if I say I’ll compromise?”

I crossed my arms over my chest. “This oughta be good.”

Glancing around in contemplation, Death scrubbed a hand across his jaw. “I swear to you, on my soul and my throne, that if you help me tonight, we will sit down and discuss our deal with your soul. I’ll leave room for renegotiations in the contract you’ll be given. Your familyandyour friend Marcy will remain under my protection. You have my word.”

“Why should I believe your word?”

“Because I’m still on my knees,” Death replied. “Because you and I need each other.”

As if predicting I’d walk away again, he captured the backs of my thighs with his fingertips and held me in place. The fact that I let him destroyed me.

“Whether you believe it or not, whether you trust me or not, and whether you hate me or not, I’ve kept you alive when nobody else could. I must recover my corpse, and I need your assistance. Please.”

We kept eye contact as I considered the idea that he was only acting this way to get his corpse back. I mean, honestly, the bastard was laying it on as thick as London fog. He’d even gone so far as to say his own forbidden word:please.

I was so sick and tired of this supernatural crap.

I didn’t have much of a choice here, though. If Death didn’t get his body back in time, there would be hell to pay. And the consequences wouldn’t affect just me. They would affect my family and many, many other innocent lives.

“I’m with you.” I stepped out of his grasp and tucked the dagger back into my jeans. “Only for tonight. And only if you accept another demand.”

He scrutinized me, silent. It was empowering as hell to have an immortal being on his knees before me. All he needed to do was dangle a bunch of grapes over my mouth while fanning me in a tropical location to complete the fantasy.

“I want answers, Death. You give me answers, and I’ll help you get your corpse back.”

“I’ll allow one answer.”

“One? You’re kidding, right?”

“One question, one night.” He climbed to one knee before rising to Ace’s tall, but not so intimidating, height. “I could always force you to help me.”

“Could you?” I countered with a sly smile. It drove him mad that I didn’t kiss his feet every time he barked out a command. He was used to being worshiped, but I needed to be his equal for this to work. “A part of you wants me to help you willingly.”

Death widened his stance, a muscle in his jaw twitching. “Another part of me wants you to be obedient.”

“Forcing me to do anything for you tonight would be counterproductive.”

“Hmm.” Death strode around me to get to my dresser. He tugged open the top drawer to investigate inside. “Three questions,” he clipped. “That’s it.”

“Twenty.”

Death twirled a light-blue thong around his finger. “Twenty.Ifyou slip these on.”

I took an angry swipe at the thong, but he slingshot it across the room, where it vanished into smoke. “Hey! Those were my favorite!”

“Key word: were.”

My face felt hot. “Twenty answered questions, you bastard. Tonight.”

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