Page 35 of Conflicted

I closed my eyes briefly.For fuck’s sake, Benji.I knew it wasn’t his fault; Benji said it how it was. It wasn’t that he was incapable of lying, but his black-and-white view of the world didn’t appreciate the grey areas I liked to hide in.

“Oh, you’re right. I had forgotten.”

Thankfully, none of the others called me on my bullshit. Rami made an attempt to get me to join them on their night out, while the gym crew extended an invitation there. I declined them all with a smile.

The only thing I wanted to do this evening was obsess over what had happened with Nox. Maybe read through some textbooks to see if an arch losing their mind was a possibility.

Everyone filtered out of the room until it was just me and Benji at the table. I was staring down at the wood, deep in thought, when his voice made me jump.

“Your answer surprised me.”

I pressed my hand against my heart, willing it to slow. “About the paperwork? I just forgot, that’s all.”

“No, not about that. About what made you happy this week.”

I frowned at Benji. “Why?”

He shrugged. “I thought you were going to say Nox.”

8

Nox

Ihadn’t expected the other night to end in sex with Micah.

I mean, I’d hoped it’d end in sex withsomeone. That maybe the affliction that had hit my libido would be a temporary thing.

Obviously that hadn’t been the case.

Then, while I was working Micah open to take me, I’d prayed that maybe this would be a one and done. That fucking him would get him out of my system. That I’d be able to walk away from him and carry on with my life as normal.

But like I’ve said before, no one listens to the prayers of demons.

It was three days later and I’d been able to think of little else except how he’d moaned my name. How he’d begged me to take him roughly. The gleam of his skin in the moonlight.

How he’d politely buttoned his trousers andthankedme.

It was the only part of the encounter that hadn’tsurprised me. Of course he’d thanked me—even demons were worthy of manners when you were a high and mighty angel like Micah.

Everything else though…I was still in shock over it all. That he’d kissed me. Led me from the club. Asked me to fuck him and against a wall, no less. Not a crisp sheet in sight.

As for getting it out of my system?

That hadn’t happened either. If anything, the pull I felt had only intensified. It was like a constant itch under my skin, refusing to be eased.

I’d known I was screwed the second I’d entered him. As I felt that warmth wrap around me, my hands curling on his hips, I’d known.

Micah was the home I’d been searching for. The home I’d never thought I’d find.

That thought fucking terrified me. I didn’t want it. I didn’t wanthim.

That didn’t mean I could forget the connection I’d felt with Micah in that dirty alley. But that was all it was—a connection. It didn’t mean anything. I didn’t like Micah. He represented everything that was wrong with the world. The angels liked to sing about their piety and virtue, but they’d literally walk past a drowning child. Their cardinal rule was to never interfere, even to save a human’s life. Some fucking bullshit about free will, like, the human has made that choice, so now they deserve to die.

Who the fuck does that? And they say us demons are the evil ones.

I’d have liked to believe Micah was better than that, but really, what did I know? I’d already deduced that the presence of angels in Hell for the battle had been driven by hislove for Dimitri. It wasn’t about saving humanity or preventing Armageddon. It was a purely selfish deed.

I might fuck with humans, but I made sure never to hurt them unless they deserved it, and you could fucking bet I’d help one in need. It wasn’t like I’d seek them out, but if I walked past someone in danger…well, why wouldn’t I help them? Life was tough enough, especially for humans.

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