Page 11 of Laid Bare

Luka turns on my shower and directs me under the spray once the water warms. He and Axel shed their clothes, stepping in behind me while the water pounds relentlessly against my raw skin. They take turns cleaning every part of me, from my hair to my body. Doing their best to wash away the remnants of the evening. Each and every touch is methodical, almost reverent, but not sexual. Not like I thought it would be after what was supposed to be a night of romance.

Truth talk… I’m glad they aren’t trying to shift it in that direction. While I’d love to forget—even for an hour or two—I don’t think my body would cooperate after expelling so much magic. As it is, I barely move as they work around me.

But no matter how clean they get me, nothing will wash away the stain permanently etched in my soul. One thing I can say for certain though. I won’t let what happened at the gala define me. I’m more than my magical affinity. I’m more than just the last curiomancer in existence. I’m Bailey fucking Matthews and I’ll rise above the bullshit.

Tomorrow.

I’ll rise above it tomorrow. For now, I’ll let my mates keep me together when I’m not strong enough to do it myself.

When they’re satisfied they’ve washed all my stress down the drain, Axel pulls me into his arms, allowing Luka a chance to bathe the remaining blood from his skin. I track the water droplets rolling down his tanned skin, wishing I had it in me to make the move to lick it off. That’s what the me of yesterday would have done.

Hell,bothof my mates are butt-ass naked in the confines of my small shower, and it’s purely… platonic. This situation is a dream come true for me, and I feel nothing. Not even the smallest stirring of desire.

Luka pulls me from Axel’s hold once he’s finished, then slowly helps me out of the tub and wraps a fluffy warm towel around my soaked, naked flesh. A second towel appears almost out of thin air that he wraps around his waist, not bothering to thoroughly dry himself off.

My vampire follows a moment later, his own towel magically appearing in his hands thanks to Luka and his demi-god powers. His magic works so fluidly, I can only hope I’ll master mine one day to work so smoothly.

The guys operate in tandem to dry me off, then dress me in sleep shorts and a tank top before Axel swoops me up bridal style in his arms and carries me back into my bedroom. Luka pulls back the comforter on the bed for the three of us to climb into, and once we’re all covered up, the guys slide closer, bracketing me on either side in their little nest of safety.

This. This is heaven. And while it might not erase the events at the gala, it goes a long way to soothe my damaged essence.

Luka snaps his fingers and the lights go out, plunging my bedroom in a blanket of darkness. As I lay there, I worry that sleep will elude me, leaving me awake to overthink the rest of night away, but I feel myself quickly start to drift off.

A thought flashes through my mind, and before I lose it, I ask, “What happened to you, Axel?” I glance over my shoulder to where he’s curled around my back as the big spoon while the rest of my body is plastered to Luka’s front.

“Rest,cor meum. We’ll talk about it in the morning.”

A yawn splits my lips before I can reply, so I nod my head, settled with the fact that he’ll explain tomorrow before my babysitters show up.

My head finds its way back to Luka’s chest, letting the thump, thump, thump of his heart lull me into peace. I want to take this moment to tell them how I feel, that I love them, but I’m out before my lips can even form the words.

Ten years ago,I’d have laughed in someone’s face if they told me my twin and I would be heading to Stonewell Academy to babysit a new supernatural.

But no one’s laughing now. Not even my twin brother, Bane.

‘Cause that’s exactly what we’re doing. Which is bullshit.

We’re two of the strongest demons that reside in Hell—princes, to be exact. But the long centuries became nothing but a bore for us in the same place, so we branched out to what used to be the human realm and opened a guard service. Almost overnight, our names were on everyone’s lips, and our business flourished faster than we could have imagined.

Celebrities, dignitaries, royalty. You name it, we’ve guarded it.

But now… I snort, a plume of hellfire ash exploding from my nose as I shake my head. Now we’re glorified babysitters to a little girl who can’t use her magic. Even worse, we aren’t even getting paid for this shit.

So yeah, I’m a little—okay, a lot—salty over the situation.

They wouldn’t even let us send someone else in our place. No. Ithadto be us.

“This is bullshit,” I grumble for what has to be the hundredth time since we took the portal into the realm and jumped into the black SUV ouremployerleft for us.

The moment we popped through the portal, all the bad shit that’s happened in this little slice of Faridity came to the forefront, reminding me why I hate this place so damn much.

“Chill, Zane. You know the deal. There’s no way it’ll be as bad as what you’re thinking. Plus, look at the bright side.” He thinks there’s a bright side to this? “Pheromones will be rolling off the students there. It’ll keep you sustained for far longer than the sex parties you need to constantly throw in Hell.”

My head whips to Bane in the driver’s seat, my brows hitting my horn line. Why in the seven circles of Hell didn’t I think of that? If I didn’t know any better, I’d think he’s the incubus out of the two of us and not the crossroads demon he is.

“Fine. That’s one bright side,” I reluctantly agree. “But we do this, then we leave. We put Tomas in charge of this district and never step foot back in Faridity.”

“Agreed.”

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