Page 25 of Infernal Hearts

“You’re impossible.”

“I know. Just go with it. It grows on you.”

“I’m going to regret this deal, aren’t I?”

“Not if you play your cards right.”

The nerdy guy comes back, putting the sleek new phone out of the box. He adjusts his glasses and smiles at me with a dopey grin. “Staying in town long?”

“A little while.” I’ll try again. The electric sparks in my skull flare up as I make eye contact with him. “Why, hoping to see me again?”

He laughs. “Just wondering if you’ll need another phone soon.”

“Thanks a bunch, handsome.” I shut off my magic on my way to the front door with Jason closely behind. My fingers dial Rani’s number.

She answers immediately, letting out a huge yawn in place of saying hello. “Welcome back to the land of technology. Glad to see you’re still alive this morning.”

“Hilarious. Someone tore up the rental car looking for somethin’. Things are getting messy.”

She pauses, voice growing dire. “Do you need me to come out?”

“No, I think it’s fine.” If I don’t calm her down, she’ll dive way deeper into this mess than she needs to. “If I need backup, you’ll sense it with the tattoo.”

“Fair enough,” she says hesitantly. I really shouldn’t be putting her in this position.

I cross my arm around my waist, pacing in front of the truck. Jason got in the car earlier, giving me the privacy to speak freely. “Anyway, what are you doing?”

“At the worst motel I think I’ve ever stayed in. The eggs are gritty. The carpet smells like dust. The water runs cold, and the curtains are paisley. It’s horrible.”

“Thank you for the update on your supreme struggles. Why are you staying in such a horrible place?”

“Out of town for a concert and I got bam-fucking-boozled from the website. But I paid the money, so I’m not about to let it go to waste. I’m gonna go to the show, find some hot dancer, bring her back here, and bang her brains out.”

“Gee, can’t wait to hear how that goes. Have fun. In the meantime, I’d better get back to my own struggles for a second.”

“Let me know if you need anything. Bye.”

“Bye.” I press the red button and look down at the phone for a long second. I give it a light squeeze as my heart thumps—nice and full. Thankful for Rani doesn’t even begin to describe it.

Maybe it was a mistake not having her come with me, but it makes me sick to my stomach to think about what would have happened if she got attacked in the forest along with me. Sure, she could have frozen them to stone with her deadly glare, but would that be before or after she got stabbed?

Losing her would be losing a piece of myself. She keeps me whole and grounded, even when I’m being rash and impulsive. Through all the trouble we’ve gotten in over the years, either due to her temper or my dick, she stuck with me through it all. I should thank her one of these days. I know how hard that must be.

I turn to get back in the truck, wrenching open the handle and sitting next to Jason. “Sorry. Just updating my ride or die.”

He pulls his face up from his phone as he puts it in his pocket. “Ride or die? You have friends?”

“If I didn’t know any better, I’d say you’re warming up to me.”

He pulls out of the space and chuckles. “Yes. Like you warm up to herpes.”

“Very fucking funny. And for the record, incubi are immune to diseases. Part of the demon DNA, and part of our magic. We can only be cursed.”

“So magical STIs?”

I let a wide grin spread across my face with a low chuckle. “I guess you could look at it that way. Just don’t fuck a warlock.”

“Yeah, I can imagine how that might get messy.” He keeps driving down the strip, hand tightening on the steering wheel. “Ready to start searching?”

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