Page 26 of Infernal

“Would you like something to drink?” he asked me without turning around.

Alcohol was probably the last thing that needed to be thrown into this mix, but it certainly never stopped me before.

“I’ll have whatever you’re having.” My hands were already trembling with apprehension, and I desperately needed something to take the edge off.

After a few more grueling moments of waiting, he finally strolled over to me carrying a drink in each hand. I couldn’t help but notice that my nerves immediately simmered down as soon as he closed the distance between us. Unfortunately, it didn’t matter how angry he made me or even how afraid I was in any given moment. The bloodbond only wanted to give in to itself, and it overshadowed everything else.

Taking my drink from him, I knocked it back like a seasoned pro and then set the empty glass on the mantel. Liquid fire burned all the way down to my stomach, but it felt good.

His lips curved up at the corners. Apparently, it pleased him to see how far I’d come with my underage drinking. “Would you like another one?” he asked, a smug grin on his face.

“Nope. But I’ll take my memories back, thanks.”

His gaze never left mine as he took a long sip of his drink. “You do realize you won’t be able to unring this bell once it’s done. Are you absolutely certain this is what you want?”

He could utter every ominous warning under the sun. Knowing was still better than not knowing.

“I’m sure,” I said pointedly.

His eyes searched mine for a moment, gauging them. “Alright. As you wish, angel. But don’t say I didn’t warn you,” he added, his voice a low and menacing whisper.

I swallowed the lump that had wedged itself at the back of my throat as Dominic set his glass down beside mine and then cupped the sides of my face, forcing me to look him in the eyes.

I held his gaze as though it were the last ray of sunlight on earth.

“Think about the night you found out your mother was a Revenant,” he ordered, and I did, remembering how devasting the news had been to me. How angry I was that Dominic, Gabriel and Trace had known and never told me.

A flash of something passed through his eyes as he opened the connection and felt my emotions. And then,

“Remember.” His voice crawled through my mind as fragments of forgotten memories pieced themselves together. It was so fast and natural, it was almost as though they’d been there all along, just waiting to be looked at. So, I did. I watched as the memory of that night settled in, vivid and earth shattering, and then my mouth fell all the way open.

“Oh. My. God.”

Knowing exactly what I was remembering, he let go of my face and dropped his hands to his sides.

“You told me you’re…in love with me?” I shook my head and stepped back from him. Because, no. I couldn’t believe the words even as they passed from my lips.

Of all the endless possibilities that filtered through my mind from the moment I found out he had erased my memory, Dominic professing his love to me was never one of them.

Not ever.

He rolled his shoulders at my accusation, looking wholly irritated. “I knew you’d make a thing of this,” he muttered.

“A thing? It is athing, Dominic. It’s a very big thing!”

He laughed, the sound of it condescending yet melodic. Picking up his drink again, he narrowed his eyes at me. “In case you’ve forgotten, angel lips, I was heavily inebriated at the time—drunk on blood and Scotch. I really wouldn’t put too much weight on anything I said in that state.”

I blinked at him. “So, are you saying it’s not true then?”

He didn’t hesitate. “That’s precisely what I’m saying.”

I paused to let that sink in. “Then why did you say it?” I asked, thoroughly confused. Had this just been another one of his games, and if so, what exactly was he playing for?

“You of all people should know the lengths I go to get what I want. I’m liable to say anything,” he said, looking damn proud of himself.

“And what is it that you were trying to get from me that night?”

That smug look in his expression was back with a vengeance. “Your blood and servitude, of course. Though I must admit, binding your tongue from lying was one of the highlights of my week.”

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