Page 21 of Raising Hell: MMF Edition

“Is she broken?” I whisper out of the corner of my mouth, only to grunt when Cas slams the back of his hand into my stomach.

She flushes deeper but gets ahold of herself as her eyes pingpong between us, her confusion carrying an undertone of anger. She’s got balls, I’ll give her that. “One of you better start talking!”

Cas and I exchange glances, and I nudge my head towards her in a gesture that says, ‘This one’s on you.’ Before he can utter a sound, she continues, “Are you in a relationship? Cas, is this yourpartner?!” My hackles rise at the emphasis she puts on the word, but she’s nervous, not judgmental, as she wrings her hands. “Did you…”

“Did I what, Ruby?” Cas purrs, a tiny smile digging into his cheeks.

Her voice becomes a hushed, shrill whisper, hissing through her teeth. “Did you…cheaton him with me?”

A loud laugh barks out of me as Cas looks terribly pleased with himself, wearing his signature hooligan grin. “Casimir, have you been a naughty demon?” He laughs and even I manage a small chuckle, until the witch steps forward.

“This… this isn’tfunny!” Ruby shouts, jabbing both of us with a rough finger. My laughter dies in my throat as I turn to her, releasing my aura to fill the room again. The bonds between us mean I couldn’t hurt her even if I wanted to, but scaring her sounds like fun. Her eyes widen and she stumbles backward, and I’m stunned as Cas charges between us.

“Knock it off, Amon,” he growls, eyes flashing a faint red glow as he plants a hard palm on my chest.

“You dare challenge me?” I taunt, projecting my voice until it bounces off the walls, then lean into the pressure of his hand. “Five hundred years separate us, Cas… you are no match for me.” My chin lifts, and I turn on a condescending smirk as I look down my nose at him. “You know this… and yet, you still defend the human. Has young Casimir developedfeelingsfor his new master?”

An inkling of respect burns in my gut when he doesn’t even flinch, forcing his own power towards me until it prickles over my skin. “Do not push your aura on her again, Amon. Back off.” For a long second, we stare off, until I relent and take a half step backward.

“I’m going to puke,” the human mutters, sinking her face into her hands as she shakes it. My brows raise as Cas immediately kills his aura, the glow fading from his eyes as he turns and wraps his arm around her.

“Ruby,” he murmurs, tugging her into a hug, and my brows lift higher. “I’m sorry.”

“For making me sick with your weird power thing, tricking me into summoning your boyfriend and having him slap me with his penis, or for cheating on him with me?”

Cas laughs, reverting to his usual happy-go-lucky nature that makes everyone love him. “There’s a lot to unpack in that statement, so let’s clarify a few things. Amon is not my boyfriend…”

“Definitely not,” I add with a grunt.

Ruby glances up at Cas, asking for answers. “But you kissed him. Like…reallykissed him.”

“He’s done more than just kiss me, human. A lot more.” My grin is full of snark as she steals a glance at me, her eyes pointedly staying above my waist. Taunting her, I place myhands on my naked hips, but she only lets out a tiny squeak and turns back to Cas.

He turns on the charm as he pushes her hair out of her face. “We’re friends.”

“Who sometimes put our cocks in each other’s mouths,” I add.

Cas sighs. “Amon…”

“And asses. Well, my cock goes in his ass, not the other way around.”

“Always a class act,” he mutters, his voice dripping with sarcasm, while Ruby’s eyes flicker between us in confusion. He clears his throat and says, “We are friends... with benefits, but not in a relationship of any kind. Now, the other things I’m apologizing for…” He sighs and swallows with difficulty, his face becoming a reflection of his genuine guilt.

Astonishment runs through me as I witness the extent of his care for the human, with no attempt to conceal it. Cas is an anomaly among demons, putting his emotions on display instead of shielding them, but he’s never somber.

Not like this.

“Ruby, I’m not ready to leave you.” Her face mirrors my surprise at his honesty. “I’m young for a demon, but old enough that I should have more experience. Traveled more… seen more…donemore. When you summoned me, I was excited. Maybe it was greedy, but I couldn’t wait to explore this world. Instead, I’ve been locked in this house.”

With a purposeful stride forward, he grabs her chin, directing her gaze towards him. “And yet, inside these four walls, I’ve uncovered something extraordinary, haven’t I?”

Ugh.

Drama queen, much?

He crashes his lips to hers, and she sucks in a gasp as he walks her backward. Palms on her cheeks, he tilts her headand guides their kiss, his defined jaw tightening as his tongue ravages her mouth.

Well, this just got infinitely more interesting.

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