Page 58 of Stone Cold Touch

“God! Why do you do that?” I pressed my hand to my chest. “You could’ve just used the stairs.”

He grinned as he rocked back on the heels of his sneakers. “What fun is there in that?”

“I don’t care. Stop popping in and out.”

“You’re just jealous you can’t do that because you’re not a hundred percent, full-blooded awesome demon like me.”

I rolled my eyes, but there was a little part of me that was envious of that ability. God knows it would come in handy every time I found myself in a situation I wanted to pop myself out of.

Ignoring the comment, I focused on the important. “I think Gareth is infected.”

“Can’t say I’m too torn up over that prospect.”

My eyes narrowed.

“What? Like I said before, Gareth and his daddy are well on their way to spending an eternity clawing out their eyes or some messed-up crap like that.”

“Gareth may be a crappy person, but he doesn’t deserve to lose his soul.” When Roth looked unfazed by the statement, I sighed. “Does human life mean nothing to you?”

“I’m a demon,” he replied. “Should it?”

I knew better. His words may be cold and brash, but IknewRoth was more than just a demon. I wasn’t going to start that conversation again, though. I headed down the final flight of stairs. I didn’t want to hang around in the stairwell with him and end up poking memories loose. He followed behind me, quiet as a ghost.

“The door is locked,” I said, motioning toward the chain wrapped around the handle. “You can break it?”

Stepping forward, he grinned devilishly over his shoulder. “Easily.”

All it took was for him to put two hands on the chain and pull. The metal gave way with a clank. The ease with which he broke the chain gave me pause. Roth was dangerous, something I couldn’t afford to forget.

Musty, cold air seeped into the hallway as he pushed the heavy door open. Stepping into the abysmal darkness, he searched for a light switch while he hummed softly under his breath.

Pressure clamped around my heart, squeezing it dry as I realized he was humming “Paradise City.” The song made my chest achy, and I wished I could plug my ears.

Roth found a switch, and a low whirr reverberated through the room. A few large dome lights flickered along the ceiling before clicking on. The light was dull and it took a few seconds for my eyes to adjust.

He’d already moved forward, heading for the area near the hoopless basketball pole. All the occult and satanic stuff had long since been removed, but there was an evilness that still lingered in the cold, dank gymnasium. The place gave me the creeps.

Wrapping my arms around myself, I trailed after Roth, noticing where the Rack demons’ claws had scored thin slices into the flooring. There had been many of them that night. The area where I’d been tied down was scorched black from the fire that had claimed Roth and Paimon. Lifting my gaze, I stared at Roth’s back, wondering if being here made him feel anything.

He knelt, running his hand along the floor, brushing aside dirt and dust. “So...you and Stony?”

Sighing, I edged around him and the faint white line that marked where the pentagram had been drawn. Scanning the area, it wasn’t hard to see myself there. Chilled, I took a deep breath.

“You guys doing a movie date?” he asked, undeterred by my silence.

I crouched down near where my arms would’ve been tied. Burnt, frayed rope remained, lying forgotten. “I’m not talking to you about Zayne.”

“Why not?”

Compressing my lips, I lifted my gaze and met his. He arched a brow, and I shook my head. Returning my attention to the floor, I surveyed it intensely.

“You and Stony have been getting close, I imagine,” he continued, straightening. “Getting food together. Maybe going to the movies...”

“We live together, Roth. Going out and grabbing food isn’t that unusual.”

He made a clicking sound with his tongue bolt against his teeth. “Ah, but it’s more than that, isn’t it? Especially from the way Stony warned me off you—twice now.”

“Twice?” I ran my fingers over the floor.

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