Page 34 of Sin and Salvation

Then I’d gone for clothes. I couldn’t live in the slightly-too-big athleisure Tyri had donated to me, but I’d spent the last five years or so in pencil skirts and blouses, which I now despised with a passion.

When I came to a shop where almost everything was black, leather, fishnet, or lace, I’d just about perished with happiness.

Now I wore fishnets under a short skirt, withsneakers. Designer heels were forever in my past; if I was ever going to run again, by the Devil, I’d do it in flats.

And when I’d gotten up on the stage that night, my short, unfamiliar hair brushing my cheeks, I’d caught Aeron’s big grin.

He’d spent the rest of the night with me in his lap, running his fingers through it.

“You’re as cute as pie, sugar,” he rumbled in my ear, the hardening cock under me making me forget where I was completely. “I could just about eat you up.”

But late in the evening, when Kylaea took over my stage, Crow had checked his watch. We’d gone to the penthouse, where I’d changed into some of my new clothes, and the guys had hustled me out the door again almost as quickly.

“Where are we going?” I asked as they led me outside. A lot of the Black Hearts members were already on their bikes.

Crow straddled his, a big black monster of a motorcycle, and held out his hand. “Get on behind me.”

I’d swallowed, climbed on, and the minute my arms were around him, we took off.

I was used to Maxime’s limo, with the windows tinted black. Being able to look around, and feel the wind in my hair, not worrying about a single curl being out of place… it was fucking amazing.

I never wanted to ride anything but a bike again.

I squeezed Crow tighter than necessary, my cheek pressed against his leather jacket, and grinned into his back where no one could see.

All I’d gotten from the guys before taking off was that they were scheduled to discuss something with a business partner. As we raced through Concordia, winding further to the north, the gang finally slowed.

Crow pulled his bike in front of another café, and I slid off. Already I missed the way he felt in my arms, but there was no telling what he thought of it.

But he kept me at his side as he approached a table in the corner of the outdoor patio, where a large man in a violet suit waited for him. A metal briefcase was at his side; he sipped at a cup of espresso and was smoking a massive cigar.

Aeron and Zane fell in, neither of them smiling. It was a little shocking after being in the penthouse with them, seeing them joke and cook.

These were the demons I’d been afraid of at first. The ones who looked like they could tear your heart out with their bare hands and eat it.

“Gian,” Crow growled, and the demon patted the iron chair across from him.

“About time, Crow.” His blue eyes slid over the VP and Sergeant at Arms, and finally landed on me. Rubbery lips twisted in a grin that made me feel somewhat sick. “What’s this, then?”

Crow sat down, but his cold gaze remained fixed on the demon named Gian. “Business, Gi. You’ve kept me waiting.”

But Gian hadn’t looked away from me. He puffed his cigar, eyes narrowing as he gazed thoughtfully at my short, slightly-curved horns and pink hair. “House of Lust… you’ve got a succubus on your hands, my old friend.”

“We’re not friends,” Aeron deadpanned.

Gian ignored him. “What’ll you take for her? I’ll cut fifty percent off this shipment—”

Darkness flared around Crow, and the demon shut up. “She’s not for sale,” Crow snarled.

But my breath had caught in my throat. They had told me selling live demons was illegal, which was true, although that didn’t stop those with money.

But for this Gian to sit here and casually make an offer for me—and the Devil only knew how much money fifty percent of their mysterious shipment was—told me one thing: the selling of live demons was alive and well in Concordia.

“I’ve got patrons who would give both testicles and their own mothers for a succubus,” Gian told him. “You could be a rich man, Crow.”

“I’m already rich. She’s not for sale.”

“But—”

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