Page 24 of Death Match

I knew he didn’t understand most living interactions, but he’d done that on purpose. There was no excuse. Nothing besides typical male possessiveness and machismo.

I swallowed the vomit creeping up my throat. The sudden urge to leave crawled over my skin like a million tiny fire ants, and I flushed with heat.

Fuming, I whipped around, grabbed Eli by the arm, and tugged him toward the door. As I threw it open, I shoved him through and gave a quick wave over my shoulder at Sean and Cole. “I’ll stop in once everything is said and done. See you guys soon.”

I don’t know how I managed it, but I clamped my mouth shut all the way down the porch and didn’t say a thing. But once we were far enough away and in the driveway, I punched Eli as hard as I could in the side.

Pain ricocheted through my hand and halfway up my arm from the blow, making me yelp and clutch it to my chest. Freaking angel was made of steel or something.

Eli just looked down at the spot my fist had hit, unbothered.

“Do you feel better now?” he asked.

“No,” I whispered angrily and shook out my hand until the pain eased. “Why did you say that in there? That you were my lover? It was a ridiculous thing to—”

“But aren’t I?” he asked, tilting his head to the side. “Isn’t that what we are? Lovers? At least until we can rebuild our relationship fully and…”

I shook my head frantically and waved his words away. “Stop. Just stop.” I really didn’t want to hear this right now.

“But, Jade—”

“Don’t act all innocent, buddy. I know you did that on purpose.”

Eli paused, seeming impressed I had figured him out. “Well, it is clear the half demon has some kind of feelings for you. I wanted to make it clear you were spoken for. Especially after what he did.”

Feelings? Yeah, I don’t think so. Sex and feelings were two very different things.

“You two may have shared something in the motel room, but you and I have centuries of history behind us,” Eli went on plainly.

I threw my hands in the air. “Jesus Christ, Eli! Really?”

“What?”

“What a fucking creepy thing to say.” It was still freaky to think he had been watching my every move for some time. Even when Cole and I had…you know.

“I was simply saying so to point out that it just can’t compare.”

“Yeah, well, some things you should just keep to yourself.”

I rubbed my temples. All this testosterone was pissing me off.

A quick look back at the trailer and my nerves spiked again. I might not be able to see anything, but I could bet Sean and Cole were watching us through the cracks in the boarded windows. And I couldn’t blame them, either. Eli had made quite a spectacle in there.

I leaned in closer to Eli and said through clenched teeth, “Let’s get something straight right now. You did not find me trapped in a tower. I am not a princess, and I donotneed a knight to rescue me. Past relationship be damned. You don’t own me. Got it?”

He frowned. “Is this because of what I said before? That I—”

“Please don’t say it again,” I snapped and sucked in a sharp breath. “Let’s also not forget you embarrassed the hell out of me back there.”

“I apologize,” he said, glancing down briefly. “I didn’t… I mean, I’m still trying to…”

As he fumbled with his next words, my anger began to drain away. To be fair, I had been the one to run off without letting him know where I was going. And Eli was still a lost puppy when it came to the living world and their social mannerisms.

My shoulders slumped in defeat. “Let’s just go.”

So much for saying goodbye to everyone, like I had wanted.

When I looked up, the air in front of us still shimmered and flashed. Each flicker revealed the neon sign to Wyatt’s bar on the other side of the veil. Glancing at Eli, I noticed him staring that direction, too, confirming I wasn’t the only one who could see it. Fear transformed his expression instantly.

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