Page 72 of Their Demon

I’d been on Keir’s ass since we’d met her, but he always said no. I was sure Lillian’s vulnerability had a lot to do with it. Keir wanted tofixher, just like she wanted to fix him. They really were a match made in Hell.

Lilly turned to us. “I need a distraction. I’m s—so… nervous,” she stuttered.

“Now that everyone’s on board…” Aiden started. “I have one idea for a distraction.” He winked at Lillian, making her shake her head as she blushed.

“For Satan’s sake, Aiden. Use the head on top. You’re fucking ridiculous, man,” Keir continued to chastise him, but he noticed her reddened face and looked at her with a confused expression. “You liked that, princess?” She shrugged and looked away as Keir leaned against the back of the seat. “I’m surrounded by sex addicts, I swear,” he mumbled.

“I thought it was funny,” Lillian chimed in, giving Aiden a wink back.

“See?” Aiden threw his hands up. “She thinks I’m funny.” He puffed his chest out, as though she’d just given him the biggest compliment of his life.

“Your existence is funny,” Keir clapped back without looking at him.

Aiden scoffed. “You just don’t get humor, Keir. I feel bad for you. Maybe our girl can loosen you up a bit.”

“Ourgirl?” Keir raised an eyebrow, Aiden having caught his attention.

“Yes,ourgirl. Need I remind everyone who had her first?”

“Oh my gosh…” Lilly shook her head.

“Just saying,” Aiden said with another shrug. “It’s true.”

“Come here, baby,” I told Lilly, and she happily obliged, leaving the two to their bickering. She started to sit in the seat next to me, but I pulled her into my lap. “How are you feeling?” I didn’t really need to ask. She was shaking, her smiles were forced, and her shoulders tensed.

“I’m nervous.” She let out a breath as she laid her head against my chest. “What if I can’t do it?” She was speaking quietly, so only I could hear her. “What if I don’t make it out?”

“What if you do?” I kissed the top of her head. “What if you succeed? You can’t worry yourself. You’ve been working so hard, and I have no doubt we will be heading home tonight to celebrate the look you’ll leave on our father’s face.” I squeezed her. “You’ve more than got this.”

She was silent for the rest of the car ride, letting me hold her in my lap. Even Keir and Aiden finally stopped picking at one another and just watched the woman in my arms.

My brothers and I exchanged looks. We wereallcoming home after this, no matter what.

Chapter 31

Lillian

I don’t know when or even how I fell asleep against Nicholas, but I woke up as the limo stopped. The princes watched me as I looked out the windows to peek at our surroundings.

We were definitely not in the city anymore. Everything was brown and rocky, and there were no leaves on the trees. In fact, they all looked singed. There was no grass, no plants, only dust, rocks, and lifeless trees.

Aiden pulled me out of Nicholas’s lap, lifting my chin and kissing me deeply. “I love you, little one. We are here, and we won’t let anything happen to you.” He glanced at his brothers, who nodded.

Nicholas got out of the car first and helped me out before wrapping his arms around me. “Just remember to stay calm. Don’t let those voices of doubt cloud your judgment. You can do this.” He kissed me. “Youwilldo this.”

I nodded as I wrapped my arms around him.

Aiden walked past us. “They’re up ahead. Let’s go before they come looking for us.”

Nicholas and I began to follow him, but something grabbed my hand, and I was pulled back.

I wasn’t expecting anything from Keir, but he held my hand, staring at it while his thumb glided across my knuckles. I could tell he was trying to find the words, but he was coming up short.

“Thank you,” I spoke with a smile. He looked into my eyes, and I saw an emotion I couldn’t quite place, but I felt the depthof it anyway. I gave him a reassuring bob of my head then gestured toward the twins. “We’d better follow them. I’d hate to give your father a reason to make this even harder.”

He clenched his jaw and nodded.

I expected him to let go of my hand, but he kept holding it, interlacing our fingers as we walked up the path. I would have been lying if I said the gesture didn’t do something to me. My stomach fluttered with giddy butterflies.

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