Page 39 of Bad Demon

“I’m hungry, female. I want meat; don’t read more into it. There is no ulterior motive other than feeding me.”

If I insisted we stay here, he’d want to know why. And I was safe, right? With him, I was completely safe.

“Okay, fine.” I snatched up my keys and slid my new phone into my back pocket. It’d arrived earlier that morning, and Relic had watched, brow raised as I’d opened it, but at least he hadn’t peppered me with questions about that as well.

As soon as we hit the street, the big hound reached out and took my hand.

“What are you doing?” I tried to pull free.

“You’re my responsibility,” he said without looking my way.

“I’m not your responsibility. I’m the owner of your soul.”

I tried to pull my hand free again, but he wouldn’t let go.

“We’ve talked a lot about what you get out of this bargain, but my soul wasn’t free, Tink. In exchange, I get to be by your side, and I’m in the mood to hold your hand while I protect you. So, win-win. We both get what we want.”

“I don’t want to hold your hand,” I bit out.

“You’ll get used to it,” he said, then stopped beside a very large motorcycle.

He pulled me close to it, so I was all but pressed against him when he swung his leg over the seat. When he started it, the growl of the engine made me jump and echoed off the buildings on either side of the street.

“Get on,” he said.

“No fucking way.”

He grinned. “You drugged a hellhound and stole his soul, but you’re too scared to get on the back of a bike? Never thought you’d be a chickenshit.”

“I’m not a chickenshit.” But I was. I was the biggest chickenshit in existence, and the idea of getting on there, of being so … so close to him—gods, not only panicked me, but it also made me feel all out of breath and weird.

“It’s just a short ride, Fern. Just a few blocks, and then we’ll be eating a nice, juicy steak.”

The way he’d said it, like he was talking an unstable person down from a ledge, had me bristling. “Your arrogance is insufferable.”

He grinned wider, as if I’d just told him he had pretty eyes—which he absolutely did, and the fact that I recognized that pissed me off more.

“You getting on or what?”

Cursing, I jumped up behind him, not letting myself think too much about it or the way my hands trembled when I searched for something to hang on to. Relic reached back, taking my wrist with one hand while the other went to my lower back, and he jerked me forward so I wasplasteredto his back, my groin snug against his ass, my legs spreadwide. Then he pulled both of my arms around his waist. Hell no, this was way too fucking close. I was about to scoot back, but he took off, and I was forced to hold on tighter instead.

Adrenaline spiked through my veins as we roared down the street. He wasn’t going fast; he was taking it easy—for me, I was sure—but my heart was still pounding in my chest.

True to his word, the restaurant was only a few blocks out of Seventh but still close. He parked, and I quickly jumped off and forced myself to breathe normally, to appear utterly unaffected. Relic took his time, swinging one long, muscled leg over the seat, the leather of his vest creaking. Before I could step back, he grabbed my hand again and led me into the steak house.

He towed me along to a booth, motioned for me to slide in, and then followed, trapping me in.

“There’s a seat on the other side.”

“Wouldn’t be doing my job if I sat over there. Plus, this side has a better view of the rest of the room and the door.”

The male had an answer for everything. “Let’s just get this over with.”

He handed me a menu from the middle of the table.

“Aren’t you going to pick something?” I asked when he didn’t even glance at it.

“Already know what I’m getting.”

---