Page 167 of Guardian Demon
She rolled her eyes but couldn’t hold back a laugh.
They loaded Luna into the back seat of Raum’s shiny new SUV. All five of the demons had made changes since Adriel’s visit. Now that they knew no one was coming to oust them from their home, they were free to put down roots. For Raum, that meant buying a Land Rover. He’d had to get the biggest, fanciest one, despite Sunshine’s suggestion that he get something practical.
And of course, they had adopted Luna.
They’d been taking her from the kennel as much as they could until Sunshine suddenly realized there was no way she was giving her away. It had taken a bit of time to arrange a living situation that would work, but things had fallen into place.
As they drove, Raum rolled down the windows and cranked up the stereo. Leaning back in her seat and closing her eyes, Sunshine felt the wind blow her hair and the music vibrate the seat at her back. She could have flashed them where they needed to go, but Raum liked driving his fancy car, and this was more fun anyway.
She glanced over at him sprawled in the leather seat, strong arm draped over the steering wheel, golden eyes hidden behind a pair of dark sunglasses, and she sighed appreciatively. He felt her gaze and glanced over, reaching out to stroke a finger along her cheekbone.
She squirmed in delight and then twisted around and patted Luna on her adorable flat head, and she was certain it was one of the most perfect moments she’d ever lived.
When they reached the new house, Raum hit the button on the visor and the wrought-iron gate swung open. Tall trees and a high stone wall hid the interior of the property from view of the street.
The Land Rover crawled up a cobblestone driveway lined by more trees until they pulled up to a big garage. It was a sunny day, so Raum parked outside, and they climbed out, keeping Luna on the leash as this was her first visit to the new house.
They climbed the stone steps. Stone gargoyles poised atop short pillars outside the front door—fitting, considering who the house’s new owner was. Built in the early 1900s, the outside was stone with dark-stained wood doors and window frames, and the inside had been modernized, including a state-of-the-art kitchen—the main reason Belial had chosen it.
“I still can’t believe Bel was able to move in so quickly,” she said, taking in the spectacular setting.
“Money talks,” was Raum’s reply.
She held his hand as they followed the path around the side of the house, passing through the gate into the backyard. The throb of music got louder the further they went, and all of the sudden, Sunshine’s stomach clenched with nerves.
It seemed a silly reaction since nothing about today was unexpected. She’d known exactly where they were going after they left the shelter. She knew the surprise she’d been planning for days was finally ready.
But she was nervous because…this was a new beginning. This moment marked the start of a future she had never envisioned for herself, because she couldn’t have imagined anything this wonderful.
Raum gave her hand a squeeze before they rounded the corner. “Ready?”
“I’ve never been more ready for anything.”
Everyone was gathered on the back patio, sprawled in the deck furniture around a table covered with food. The turquoise pool glittered in the sun, and Eva’s house music thumped from speakers. Across the patio on the other side of the yard was a secondary, smaller house.
Sunshine and Raum’s new home.
The realtor had called it a guest house, but Sunshine had seen the inside and loved it immediately. The two-bedroom cottage had the perfect amount of space, and Bel had (begrudgingly) agreed Luna could have free run of the backyard.
He hadn’t been impressed when he’d learned they were adopting a dog, but as long as Luna was kept out of the main house, he accepted it. Since Luna was still very timid, keeping her away from a towering demon with anger issues seemed wise anyway.
Her tail started wagging as Faust came bounding over, his huge black paws still a little gangly in his adolescent puppy stage. Raum unclipped Luna’s leash, and the dogs ran off to play. They’d introduced them already to make sure they got along despite the apparent size difference. That and the fact that hellhounds mighteatEarth dogs under different circumstances. Fortunately, Faust just wanted to play, and they’d become fast friends.
Everyone called out greetings as they approached, but it was Eva who came over with two glasses of champagne. She and Sunshine had bonded after what happened at the warehouse.
“Happy housewarming!” she said. “This place— Wow. Bel gave me a tour. I can’t believe how huge it is, but it suits him, I guess.”
Sunshine chuckled as she accepted the champagne. “I think he’ll enjoy the high ceilings.”
“No kidding. It’s way too big for him to live alone in.”
“No, it isn’t,” Belial grunted, overhearing the conversation.
“We should all move in!” Lily exclaimed. “There are definitely enough bedrooms, and it would be so fun to have everyone living together under one roof.”
“No, it wouldn’t,” Bel grumbled, but the look on Lily’s face suggested the topic might come up for later discussion.
They had food and drinks and chatted about mostly nothing. Meph was working on another art show, Eva and Ash were booking a tour, Mist and Lily had made plans to visit Ireland. They discussed flights until Sunshine offered to simply flash them there, which they eagerly accepted.
