Page 66 of Deal with the Devil

“Get him and the book in a room, then Amelia will be the answer.”

His eyes fell closed and his hands fell to his sides. The pain eased and left him hollow as the fireplace crackled to life. He took a deep breath, soaking in the scent of his home once more.

Fucking witches and their fucking riddles.He ripped around, grabbing the first thing he touched, and threw it into the fireplace. The glass exploded upon impact. Whatever had been in it fed the fire. It licked up the inside of his fireplace, lighting the office in a roaring orange light. As it settled, he was there, panting. Shoulders raising and falling rapidly, he watched the dancing flames for answers. He was left with none.Amelia will be the answer.If it meant she had to die, he would burn the world.

If it meant that Persephone had plans for his little author…well then, he’d be a tad bit miffed.

“Zavros!” He snarled, storming around the couch.

“Yeah, boss?” His best muscle and right hand broke into the room at the same time Knox got to the door.

“You remember Mr. Hurley?” Knox cocked a brow, staring up at the ogre in his doorway.

“Yeah, the one the Bonesaw brothers asked us to whack, right?” Zavros pulled out his phone, immediately his thumbs flying.

“Precisely, find out where Mr. Hurley is right now…I need to get out some pent out frustration.”

Chapter Twenty-six:

Amelia

Amelia blinked awake asa tender hand roused her from her sleep. She’d gone unconscious like the dead. Her hands were necessary to rub the sleep from her eyes, it was too thick and crusty otherwise. Denver leaned over her with a kind smile. “Morning, miss, it’s time to rise and shine.”

“Morning,” she mumbled, struggling to sit up. Denver handed her a large glass of water and set a place beside her. “Where’s Knox?”

She worked the water down her throat and happily chomped down the hearty breakfast while Denver picked up around the room and waltz brazenly into the closet.

“He is in a work meeting, but shortly you two will be going to the casino.” He sat out a matching pair of panties and bra before diving back into the closet. “Shall you be dressing dangerously today, or safe?”

Amelia snickered, choking on the cinnamon streusel muffin he’d given her.

Denver smirked, holding up a royal purple dress and a pair of ankle strapped heels, “Dangerous then.”

“You trying to get me bent over a desk?” Amelia blurted out before her face broke out in a blush. “Oh, sorry, that was wildly inappropriate.”

“Not to worry, Ms. Armstrong,” Denver snorted, taking the dress over to the desk where he’d sat out the other items. “I am capable of taking a joke. And to answer your question, how do the kids say it these days? ‘Bitch, I might be’?”

Amelia choked on her muffin to the point the centaur slapped the center of her back. She roared with laughter as the butler winked at her. He continued about his work of righting the room and choosing her and Knox an outfit. After her laughter sobered, she stuffed the rest of the muffin down her gullet. Denver ushered her into the bathroom to brush her teeth and wash off the grime of sleep. When she stepped out into the bathroom, her outfit was set out on the bed for her and the centaur was nowhere to be seen.

She took her time drying off, dressing, and waiting to see if Knox would come to retrieve her. Last night had been a rather out of body experience for her. Though, he’d taken the reigns and brought her back to life.Thank him?She wanted more than to thank him…unsure what it was exactly she wanted, but she wanted it all the same.

Amelia spent years of her life fighting the red, fighting the rage within her soul. The fury came out without hesitation…proving all those years, that she truly was still just an angry little girl. Punching that driver felt good. Breaking his bones till he was nothing but goo. It felt so relieving.

Her father would be disappointed. Penny would be sad but understanding. Amelia stared down at the heels on her feet, trying to decipher her own feelings. It was hard enough trying to wrangle them herself…but she knew one way she always got the feelings out of her chest. Slipping to her feet, the conflictingemotions waging war in her skull, and headed for the office upstairs.Where she should have gone yesterday.

No idea, no thoughts, just emotions. A massive leather back chair sat behind the desk in the room, a laptop on top. Plugged in and ready for use. She cracked it open and immediately opened a document to just spew all over it. The glee from destroying the driver. The disgust from giving into her rage, in letting the red wash over her. The panic from facing death over and over…and the confusion in loving Knox.

She loved him. Loved his whirlwind life. And it hit her like a freight train as she stopped mid-sentence. Staring over the top of the laptop screen at the couch he’d sat at last night—the same couch he’d made her crawl to… She loved him.

Well…good, you ought to after basically selling yourself to him for the rest of your life.

“Ms. Armstrong, you ready?” Denver poked his head into the office, smiling down at her as she closed the laptop. “Got a new idea?”

“You could say I’ve been inspired,” she winked up at him, climbing to her feet. Straightening her dress at her sides, she gave Denver a quick spin.

“Very stunning, as per usual Ms. Armstrong.” He stepped aside in the doorway, motioning for her to follow him out into the hallway.

“Don’t lie, Denver.” She rolled her eyes.As per usual? Absolutely not…Last night she’d been covered in blood and bone dust. And the first time he’d met her, she was in just Knox’s trench coat and flip-flops. She’d been in worse condition.

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