Page 39 of Dark Souls

“Let me read your mind, then. I know you’re blocking me. You won’t even have to tell me a thing.”

He shook his head, a tortured expression on his face. “Tell me, could you read my mind the very first night you met me as Harry Gould?”

I shook my head. “I wasn’t blocking you then. I blocked you the night I followed you to the bar, but that was the only time. And I am not blocking you now. The very reason I can’t tell you anything about me is the same reason you can’t read my mind. I’m not—”

His face scrunched up with such intense pain and frustration that I stepped forward, concerned, until he relaxed again. His eyes met mine, willing me to understand, but understand what? I had no idea. “I can’t,” he gritted through his fangs.

“You can’t physically tell me?” I questioned.

“No.”

“You’re under a spell?” My mind was working fast, trying to think of all the logical explanations why he couldn’t speak about himself or let me read his mind.

“Not quite.”

I stared at him, allowing the new determination to figure the mystery of this demon out to replace the need to capture him and hand him over to the SIA. Until I had all the facts, that wouldn’t happen.

“Fine.”

His lips spread so wide, the entire sharp set of fangs made their debut and ignited a flame of arousal through my veins. God, why did I find demons so attractive?

’Not demons, plural. Just singular. This demon,’Rue corrected.

“But only if I can trust you,” I said bluntly, folding my arms over my chest.

“That depends. What are you trusting me with?”

I huffed, trying not to let his ability to answer every question with a question get under my skin. “That you won’t hurt Ronnie. That you will leave him alone. Completely.”

“You seem to be very concerned about your ‘friend’.” He punched air quotes with his claws, which looked so ridiculous I wanted to laugh but kept my face set in my stern glare. “Trust goes two ways, Snow. Are you going to tell me what arrangement you had with this ‘friend’?”

He was testing me and I was testing him. Everything was always a game with this man. I dropped my arms from my chest and placed them on my hips with sass. “Ronnie is human but knows about supernaturals, so we made a deal that would meet both of our needs.”

His gaze darkened and I knew that meant trouble. “Needs?”

“Don’t go all possessive psycho killer on me now,” I demanded, pointing my finger at his chest. When he sat perfectly still with a deadly glare, I knew he would wait there all freaking day until I told him. Shit. Here goes everything. Putting my entire trust in a serial killer demon. When did I lose my sanity?

“Ronnie lets me drink from him because I can’t stand blood bags and it’s not always so simple to just use the green list. And in return, it gets him off. Sometimes we have sex because we both know that vampires are horny fuckers and Rue’s appetite is never just for blood, but if we do, I don’t feed. There. Happy now?”

He didn’t move a muscle or make a sound. The silence was deafening and, in that moment I realised that was when he was his most deadly and terrifying self.When he was quiet.

“Look, I know you think you have some kind of claim over me and knowing this has probably brought out that murderous streak in you but you wanted to know. You did this to yourself, you sadist. And if you ever hurt anyone I cared about, I would do so much worse to you than any of that twisted shit in that book, and yes, before you get all pissy about it, I care about Ronnie. In a platonic way. Because he is a friend. And he’s my uncle’s mate’s best friend and I will not be responsible for the death of another of her friends… so I’d really appreciate it if you, you know, didn’t freak out right now and start planning which of his organs to eat… and…why are you being so quiet? Will you just say something so I can shut the fuck up?”

“Rue?” His voice was so deep and gravelly it went straight to my core, exciting Cruella.

’Yes, sir!’ Just hearing her name on his lips was enough to have her bending over and panting.

“My demon. Not a demon like you… but my vampire side. I call her Cruella but she prefers Rue,” I explained, unsure why he was still so deathly still. It was so unnerving.

“And did he?”

“Did he what?”

“Satisfy your and Rue’s needs?”

I eyed him suspiciously, knowing he was too fucking calm for this kind of conversation. He was most definitely up to something.

“Most of the time,” I answered honestly.

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