Page 28 of Hell on Wheels

“We don’t want tobreedyou, Princess. You’re far too hot kicking ass and taking names to tie down like that. I just like my mark being all the hell over you whenever possible.” I swat her ass and she moans.

“Do that next time, too, big guy.”

Fucking. Perfect.

Power

Is this my life now?

I’m leaning back on my hands, feet dangling off of the sink in the bathroom of my house as Damon runs a warm cloth over my legs and beyond. He’s being ridiculously gentle with the bruised and raw parts of me while his twin is rummaging through my drawers, muttering to himself. Angelo insisted he get to pick out the replacement underwear and shorts, and rather than argue, I let him.

“Almost done, Sparkles. I’m going to rub some arnica on the marks so they don’t hurt, but the color will stay. Just keep relaxing,” Damon says in a low, soothing voice.

Biting my lower lip, I look down at him as I remember something Angelo said before we collectively lost our minds. “Ang said your mom is going to kill you. Is that true?”

He stops, looking up at me with a little smirk. “She’ll be a challenge, but after what just happened, it should be smoother.”

What the hell does that mean?

As if reading my mind, Angelo walks in with a scrap of lace and short skirt in hand. “Ma is pretty old school. She has a lot of ideas about what demons do and don’t do—which we don’t ascribe to, but she’s going to make you earn her respect. I’m not worried, Princess.”

I scoff. “I don’t beg for anyone’s approval. What did we fuck up, in her opinion?”

There’s no need to ask why I have to bother with their parents. Luca Gemini is the head of one of the biggest mobs in the city, and I have no doubt we’ll be summoned to his presence eventually. I’m not naïve enough to believe I can give the finger to the matron of the Gemini organization without consequences, so I need to know what transgressions she will lie at our feet.

Damon sighs. “Mating with both of us fixes one problem. She’s always known we’d have to share a mate. It’s the nature of our twin flames.”

Good to know.

“However, we didn’t ask for approval, nor did we formally present our plans, so there’s that. Plus, eventually, we'll have todeal with the others.” Angelo shrugs. “And we showed some of our traits before it was time.”

Frowning, I tilt my head at him while Damon applies the cool cream to the bites, scratches, and bruises. “Huh? You lost me there.”

“The saving grace is we didn’t reveal our full form, so that’s a good reply to her complaint.”

“Wait. Let me get this straight—you aren’t allowed to show anyone your demon? Ang, I’ve seen your wings and shit before. And as you said, I’ve fucked demons in the past and seen their appendages. It can’t bethatstrict a rule.”

They look at one another with a grin and Damon takes over. “Sparkles, that wasn’t our true form. The rules of the court are explicit, especially for high demons like us. Demon visage is only forfamiglia,court events, and battle. Luckily, we only showed half and two parts of that equation apply, so we should be able to skate by on that rule.”

I narrow my eyes, feeling annoyed, but then I remember Fae only show their full Fae transformation in similar situations. Outside of royalty, who do whatever the hell they please, we keep the full monte to ourselves. “Well, you haven’t seen all of me, either, so I guess we’re even.”

Angelo pauses, looking surprised. “You shocked me with the mind speech thing, though it explainsso muchabout you and Reb. But that glowy, tattooed shit isn’t all of it?”

“Hell, no.” I laugh, shaking my head. “While you lot keep your scary shit undercover for the legions of the underworld, my people keep the stupidly beautiful appearance of our full Fae form under wraps, so people don’t hunt us down for pets. Ipromise you, your imagination won’t do it justice, especially if I let the succubus out to play as well.”

Take that, you arrogant jackasses.

He hands me the lingerie and the skirt as I slide off the sink. Once I’m dressed, I give them an unsure expression. “What else aren’t you telling me? And what did you mean by ‘deal with the others?’ I’m not dating anyone else.”

A low growl rumbles out of little D, and my hand automatically strokes his hair. He purrs, and my eyes widen, making Angelo chuckle. “There’s that, of course, but it’s because you’re notdatingus, Princess. You’rematedto us, which is much more serious. It commands different responses, respect, and responsibilities—from all of us, including the rest of ourfamigliaand the demon world.”

What?!

“Are you saying you idiots have made me anactualprincess?”

“More like a queen-to-be,” Damon murmurs as he continues nuzzling my hand. “Ma will step down someday.”

Panic. Allpanic, no disco.

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