Page 86 of Soul Food

“Stop looking at me like that, soul reaper,” I hissed, heat biting every part of my body as if it was an itch waiting for him to scratch.

“Soul reaper?” His eyebrow shot up. “Say my name like you use to.”

He moved closer. I backed away.

“Angry. Scolding. Sad or tenderly. When you’re moaning, I don’t care. I like any way you say it, but as long as you say it.”

“Mr. Kingston?” I had a lot more nerve than I thought. Goading the demon when I knew that wasn’t his name either. Goose bumps covered my flesh. Fear and want collided inside me. I’ve never been so torn over something in all my life. Should I push, or should I pull? Should I give in or give up? I knew what I wanted to do, but I feared what that said about me.

He smirked, and the mood shifted into something stronger. More potent. Because he gave me the illusion of peace and normal. A flash of his teeth stole more of my resolve.

The want I kept ignoring came raging forward.

“That’s not my name.” He stopped moving closer. He placed a hand in his pocket as the other stretched forth. “Come here.” He offered his hand to me.

I melted under his gaze. “Don’t do this to me,” I broke. “You’ve already done enough—too much.” I wiped my eyes. The sounds I made as I cried bounced around the walls.

When I looked back up, the soul reaper was gone. In his departure, more flowers laid on the floor where he had stood.

_________

AMIT

Splintered. Fractured.Her pain was my pain.

For a clever, level-headed demon, I let myself be ignorant for far too long. Ten years to be exact. Now I was paying the price for ignoring our souls. And the way they lingered and longed for one another. Hers sung to mine. She didn’t even know it. How could she know her soul called to mine days before she sang to me in person ten years ago? And how I promised myself I would devour that soul for being so beautiful, so bright and for seeking out mine—a demon’s. Humans and demons weren’t meant to be. Most of the Underworld forbade it, but that didn’t mean it stopped demons from seeking out humans. A soul reaper to find his soulmate in a human? It was ridiculous. To think of wanting a human which harvested the very souls we ate? Absurd.

I wasn’t a wrathful demon. I wouldn’t call myself mean. I lived by my own set of rules, but I never killed for pleasure. One form of mine was similar to a human yet to be matched with one? It wasn’t something I could accept.

So I tried to devour her soul ten years ago, and the only thing I did was become the owner of it instead. And what did I do? I made sure she got what she wanted.

I thought I was in control…

Control took a shit on me in the form of fate. I’d never been in control. My reckless need to be near her and give her what she wanted was not because I wanted to make her soul happy. No. The truth was my reaping form wouldn’t go anywhere unless she was there too. And when she wanted me, I should have been more honest with myself then. Now that she was rejecting me my soul let me know how bad I fucked up.

No. It had been letting me know for years. Only I kept ignoring fate, and now more than anything, I wanted Ruth Thomas to look at me like she once had.

For ten years, I’d been plaguing the life of the only thing I’ve ever yearned for.

I didn’t think soul reapers knew how to love.

Only I thought at least one might know now.

Chapter Twenty-Six

RUTH

It’s okay.

I prepared myself for this moment in case it ever did happen. As I opened the door and greeted two police officers the morning after my confrontation with the demon, I told myself to remain calm. One of them might have been a detective. He didn’t wear a uniform, but he had that air about him as he sized me up. Maybe he was one of those that didn’t wear one but was quick to flash his badge if need be.

“How are you, Miss Thomas?” the policeman was friendly as he spoke. “My daughter’s a huge fan of yours.”

“Awesome.” I flashed my megawatt superstar smile. “I don’t guess that’s why you’re at my door…”

He fumbled with his cap, revealing the bald middle of his head, then placed his hand at his belt. “No, I’m afraid not. When was the last time you heard from Max Martin, your bodyguard?”

I pretended to think about it. “It’s been two days, maybe more.” I scrunched my nose up as I gazed upward instead of at them. I could play it cool better by not looking at them. “He’s been a no-show the last couple of days but I didn’t think anything of it since he’s young. It’s hard to keep any of them working, you know?” I gripped the door and hoped neither of them noticed. “Why? Is something wrong?”

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