Page 65 of Goblins Don't Count
Dozens of cars had goblins spilling out of them. These weren’t dressed like bankers, but assassins, and each and every one of them had defense runes that came to life as they ran towards the building, past us.
He climbed into the limo with me, and it took off with a lurch, gathering speed quickly while I stared dizzily at Sashimi.
He raised a brow and handed me a bag. “Feeling queasy? It wasn’t a gentle jump.”
I grabbed the hand under the bag and squeezed hard. “And to think, it was the maid the whole time.” I’d interviewed her in the beginning. She was the one who found the body. Was it possible that he’d been alive when she walked into that room? Did she actually kill him herself? That would strengthen the demon and her control over him. “But she’s only human.”
He squeezed my hand back, almost painful, but not quite. His eyes burned golden. “Humans are perfectly capable of violence and dark deeds. My closest assassination attempt was from a determined human who made a deal with a demon.”
“But raising a demon? Murdering someone in cold blood? I guess it’s possible, I mean, that circle of animals must have been used to summon the demon, but someone must have been working behind the scenes, controlling her. She couldn’t want to become that monster if she understood what she was doing. Maybe it was the lesser demon in the hotel parking lot. He approached me at the beginning of all of this. Come to think of it, she did warn me that I was in danger, that my job would get me killed.” I shuddered and leaned against him.
His heart was beating so fast. It must be adrenaline from the jump. “Even the murderer warned you? Of course she did. Everyone warns you about the dangers, but it makes no difference. You’re Lady Justice with your duty to do.” His voice was threaded with tension so thick, I could taste it.
I pulled away to frown at him. “Yes, I am. I mean, I’m not Lady Justice, but I am a police officer. If I didn’t care about the injustices around me, I never would have written you to save my brother.” I turned to look back at the burning apartment building behind us. The air was filling with a heavy cloud of smoke. She had to be stopped, but what could I do against that kind of destructive magic? I needed to call Gabby and get her friends in the Gray Society to help. Then again, the building was swarming with goblins. Maybe I didn’t need the Gray Society when I had Sashimi.
I turned back around to study my goblin, his tense shoulders and glowing golden eyes. “Where did all those goblins come from?”
His eyes narrowed slightly. “Bodyguards.”
“Bodyguards…Oh. Because you’re the king.”
He crossed his arms, studying me narrowly. “No. Your bodyguards. I hate to say this, but your mother, and everyone else, is right. Your job is too dangerous. If you are going to continue to pursue justice, you will be protected.”
I blinked at him. He’d never sounded like this before, like a king dispensing his will. “Will I? How lucky for me.”
He nodded, eyes narrowing even more. “If I am not personally with you, then you will have Trata or Uncle by your side.”
“Will I?” I crossed my arms, matching his pose. “I work at a police station. I can’t have personal bodyguards with me all the time.” Obviously.
His mouth tightened. “Of course. In that case, you can pursue your career from the vault. I’d prefer that as well.”
“What?” I stared at him, at the hard expression and those eyes that were growing brighter and brighter. “Was that a threat? Either I accept your bodyguards, or I become your prisoner?”
“No. I don’t make threats. It’s a condition, a very reasonable condition, that you do your best to remain safe while I do my best to allow you the freedom you enjoy. I am on the edge of my restraint as it is, Rynne Sato. I am your protector, and you are the target of one of the most dangerous kinds of demons. It is my nature to wrap you in safety with chains so thick that nothing can penetrate, but instead we are a moving target on the way to dinner with your family. Please accept my limitations.”
“My family?!” I took a deep breath, but the anger burned so hot and thick, it felt like infernal flames. “What do you mean dinner with my family? Also, I’m already trapped in a loveless relationship with someone who can never give me what I want! Now you want to confine me physically as well?”
He stiffened and blinked twice before he bared his teeth at me. “Yes. I very much want to confine you physically so that your safety is assured. And yet here we are, on our way to see your family, so that your life isn’t entirely loveless after all. I want to give you that freedom, but unless you accept bodyguards, your freedom is forfeit.”
My heart beat faster and faster as I glared at him, wanting to bite his face or something else uncivilized. “So good to know the conditions of my freedom,” I said, biting out the words. “And my family? I thought we were stopping for dinner on the way home at a fast food place, not going home to see the other person in my life who wants me locked in a vault.”
He took a deep breath and shrugged slightly. “Your mother called the bank, put effort into getting in touch with me. We made arrangements to get together at your suggestion.”
“I suggested it?” I groaned. “That’s just something I said to get her to stop harassing Goblin Town. And you didn’t mention it to me again until we’re on our way there because you must know that I don’t want to see her again today! It’s stressful, particularly with you acting like the oppressive captor she thought you’d be.”
He leaned back, crossing his arms. “I should not have been so honest with you. You want to think that goblins are civilized, and for years, I humored you. Today I stopped because you deserve the warning. If I feel your safety isn’t assured, I will make sure it is.” His face transformed into a calm and slightly amused mask, voice light and persuasive. “I’m willing to allow you your freedom as long as you don’t abuse it, Rynne. It could have been simple enslavement or death years ago.” He brushed my hand, and I glared at him.
“Thank you for reminding me that I’m dealing with a soulless goblin.” Who wants me around to keep himself from falling in love with someone else. Why couldn’t he be obsessed with me? Not like it was a surprise considering the fact that any time anyone started showing interest in me, they left or found someone else more interesting.
He gave me a closed-mouth smile. “You’re welcome. I’d prefer that you lived the life you wanted. Is it such a hard thing to accept a few bodyguards?”
I chewed on my bottom lip. My nostrils still burned with infernal fire. It seemed like a weird time to have our first legitimate fight. We were both probably stressed out from having wounds and injuries, and then going to dinner with my mother.
I groaned and threw myself at him, burying my face in his neck. “Why dinner though?”
He wrapped his arms around me and held me against his pounding heart. “My sister said that it will help you feel normal. Like you’re getting more family instead of losing yours, but my family has always been dysfunctional, even for goblins. Your family is so adorably happy.”
“That’s because it has a solid foundation based on sushi.” I pulled away from him, slipping through his strong hands. “Are you sure you want to meet my family like that? My mother probably won’t be polite, however hard she tries.”
