Page 95 of Soul Food

“Yeah, apparently found in his home the same way Liz was found. Creepy, right? I’m not one to jump on those theories online, but people are already starting up the rumor mill and saying they were murdered.”

“I guess anything’s possible in this industry,” I almost choked on my words.

“You’re right, and I’m sure you weren’t the only one they took advantage of. Something tells me he had a lot of enemies.”

I didn’t hear him, but I felt his presence behind me.

“Jayne, can I call you back?” I asked quickly.

“Yeah. Can I come over today?” She laughed. “Why am I even asking? I’ll just show up like I always do.”

After we hung up, I turned around slowly. “You killed him too?”

“I took care of what I needed to,” was all he said.

I fisted my palms at my sides, and he noticed.

“You shouldn’t defend him. I know a rotten soul when I see one.” He reached out for my cheek with reluctance. “Ruth, even if I didn’t kill him, I’m always going to have to kill someone for me to live. That will never change about me. I am what I am.” There was something in his eyes. Fear? Vulnerability? He removed his hand from my face.

I sucked in some much-needed air.

“Here.” I released my fists, slightly confused as I looked down at his hands. He was pushing something between us as he spoke. It was his demon book. I stumbled back startled when it went up in flames. I stood there in shock for several seconds before I could finally look at him instead of the charred remains of the book.

“What did you do?” I asked him.

I know what he did. He destroyed his own book. I just didn’t know what it was supposed to mean.

“I know what it is now.” He dropped his hands and sighed. “Your soul is precious—beautiful to me because it’syours.” Then his hands were reaching out and holding mine. “If it belongs to me, it holds no meaning. You see, I know now that it was never meant to belong to me. It was only meant for me to hold and cherish, and that is not what I’ve done.”

Maybe I heard him wrong, after all, my heart was beating so loud in my ears.

“It’s yours once more. I hold no claim over it anymore.”

Tears built up in my eyes. “Are you lying to me?”

“No. I think I’ve plagued your life enough.”

“So, you’re not going to kill me?” I whispered.

“I might have thought I would have, but now I know I couldn’t hurt a single hair on your head.” There was this strange hiccup that tumbled out of my mouth as I tried to keep my emotions in check. “It’s time for me to head home.” He released my hands with a tight tug, like this was painfully hard.

I wiped my eyes. “Okay.” There was disappointment in that one word that I couldn’t mask, but my demon never stayed gone too long.

“No, Soul Food, my actual home. I’m heading back to the Underworld.”

He was leaving, just like that? I thought that we were—that maybe he was catching all these feelings that were controlling me. I thought that I… That we… What was I thinking? I confused myself. I thought nothing because I had been expecting to die until now.

My heart splintered and tensed up, anyway.

“You plan to come back though?” My voice wavered.

“You don’t want me to come back,” he said it like he believed himself, and it hurt so much that I couldn’t tell him otherwise. “I’m a demon who’ll drag you under. You deserve your shine, and you’re amazing doing it. I’m sorry, Ruth, that I scared you and tormented you all these years when I should have…”

“Should have…?” I leaned closer, trying to get him to finish.

He bent down and kissed my forehead. “I’m going to do what I should have done the first time I saw you.” He began to step away.“I’m going to stay away.”

“Amit…”No.I latched onto his arm.

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