Page 5 of Infernal

“I see you started the party without me,” he said, gesturing with his chin to my exposed flesh.

I glared at him and then yanked my shirt back down. “I’m glad you find this funny.”

“I didn’t say it was funny, love. I was simply admiring the view.”

“Well, don’t, okay?!” I didn’t have the energy to wordplay with him. Not today. “I don’t need this right now.”

“Then tell me what you need.” The intensity of his unrelenting gaze made my head feel as though it were swimming through muddy waters, and that was exactly the kind of thing Ididn’tneed.

What I needed was a way to undo this mess and get Trace back. Better yet, I needed someone to tell me none of this was happening. That it was all just some twisted nightmare I’d dreamed up from years of watching too many horror movies. And most of all, I needed Dominic to stop staring at me that way or I’d never be able to put one foot in front of the other one—ever again.

Gabriel straightened to his full height upon noticing my distress. “Knock it off, Dominic.”

“I’m not doing anything, brother.” He pushed off the doorway and calmly strolled towards me, a calculating smile teasing the corner of his lip. The closer he got to me, the more my tension eased.

And he knew it too.

He stopped at the coffee table and sat down directly in front of me, his knees brushing up against mine as he leaned in towards me. “Tell me what you need, angel, and I will provide it.”

My eyes dropped to his mouth as the savory memory of his charmed bite drifted in and out of my consciousness with promises of a cure, and I loathed myself for it. How could I even think about that at a time like this? There was obviously something very wrong with me.

“Dammit, Dominic. She just woke up,” gritted Gabriel. “Give her some space.”

“She doesn’t need space fromme. In fact, I’d venture to say she needs the exact opposite of space.” Dominic’s eyes were pinned on me, focused only on sending me good vibrations through his proximity. “Isn’t that right, angel?”

My mouth opened to deny him, but I couldn’t find the words to tell the lie.

The truth was, I craved our exchanges, and I calmed in his mere presence, and there wasn’t anything I could do to change that. Dominic and I were bloodbonded—looming apocalypse or not.

His full lips pulled into a knowing grin as Gabriel ran his hand down over his face. Obviously, Gabriel was thinking the same thing I was: that we were so royally screwed right now.

“Besides, brother,” continued Dominic. “You’re the one who insisted we stay in town and fight this doomed war, remember?”

“What is your point?” answered Gabriel.

“My point is that you’re going to need your golden Slayer if you have any hope of stopping the apocalypse, and we both know I’m the only one who can restore her to her former glory.”

“Excuse me?” I scoffed.

Where did he even get off? Arrogant ass!

“I think you’ve done enough to her,” answered Gabriel.

“Forher,” corrected Dominic.

Gabriel crossed his arms over his chest and grimaced.

“Can we stop talking about me like I’m not in the room?” I tried to stand up with the intention of getting away from the both of them, but apparently my shaky legs had other plans. I pitched forward towards Dominic, my hands fumbling onto his shoulders, though he quickly grabbed my hips and steadied me.

“Thanks,” I mumbled under my breath.

Without removing his hands from my body, he straightened to his full height and peered down at me through those dark, enigmatic eyes. “Let me heal you, angel,” he said as he brushed his thumb over the tennis ball sized lump on my forehead, instantly soothing the ache like his hand were made of the same medicine his mouth was.

My traitorous body leaned into him as though it belonged there, as though it were the natural thing to do. The reaction was immediately followed by a thunderous burst of guilt that turned my stomach around until it burned from the inside out. “I’m fine.” I pushed his hand down and tried to step around him, but he blocked my path.

“You’re not fine, love. Your nerves are shot, and you’rehurt.”

Unfortunately, there wasn’t a remedy for the kind of hurt I was feeling. It wasn’t the kind of hurt you could fix with a first aid kit or even a Revenant bite. It was the kind of hurt that chipped away at your heart, disfiguring it until nothing remained but scar tissue. “You can’t help me, Dominic. Not with this.”

---