Page 18 of Unleashing Mayhem
“Okay. I’ll just, um, make my…selections.”
Matty didn’t really want to let go of Nightmare’s hand, but Nightmare didn’t seem interested in coming forward to the pastry case, so Matty let it drop. He stepped up and focused on his task.
No lemon bars today.
Seth leaned over the counter, whispering kind of loudly, “Whereare you all finding these men?”
“Who’s ‘we all’?” Were there more nightmare demons in town Matty should know about? They probably weren’t as good ashisnightmare demon though.
He already knew he’d gotten the best one.
Seth ticked off on his fingers. “Sascha. Benny. Now you.”
“Benny has a dem—a…person?”
Seth rolled his eyes. “He waltzed into town—after disappearing for weeks, mind you—with the prettiest, grumpiest man glued to his side. It was…very odd. Like you, who barelyspeaks a word to anyone besides Sascha, Kai, and myself, coming in now with this new friend of yours.”
“Oh.” Matty worried at his sweatshirt sleeves, studying the pastries to avoid Seth’s gaze. “Night and I have known each other a long time though.”
It wasn’t a lie, not really. Nightmare had been stalking Matty in his dreams for months before they’d formed their contract. It was kind of comforting to think about, actually. Maybe Matty snuggling Nightmare and holding his hand and offering sexual favors out of the blue really wasn’t that weird, considering their history.
“Mm-hmm,” Seth hummed skeptically. But he didn’t look put out or unkind, even if he thought Matty was lying. He never did look either of those things, no matter how shy or weird or awkward Matty was. That was why Matty liked the Bakeshop. That and the actual baking.
“I have key lime Danishes today,” Seth finally told him, apparently done with the interrogation. He pointed to some pale-green pastries Matty had feared might be apple-flavored.
“Yes, please,” Matty said immediately. “Two?”
“Sure thing. If nothing else, we know you’ll never get scurvy.” Seth put two in a bag, then added a third thing. “And a blueberry scone. If your…friend wants a taste of the local flavor.”
Matty narrowed his eyes as Seth held the bag out cheerfully. Was that a come-on? Seth didn’t sound lascivious, but Matty grabbed Nightmare’s hand again anyway, not sure why he suddenly wanted to snap and growl at a man who’d only ever been incredibly kind to him.
Matty pulled Nightmare out of the Bakeshop after one last suspicious look at Seth, then guided his silent demon down the town’s coastal path, stopping at a bench that looked out at the cliffs. Matty tugged Nightmare down to sit, then slid sideways until their thighs were touching.
“This is the ocean,” Matty said, pointing out to the sea beyond the cliffs. “Do you like it?”
Kai had said they didn’t have oceans in the demon realm.
“I do.” Nightmare nodded regally, pale skin glowing in the morning sun. It was strange for him not to be wrapped in shadows. Matty had the odd urge to throw a blanket over his face. “Many humans fear it. They dream of drowning, or of creatures in the depths. I enjoy their terror.”
“Oh.” Matty nodded politely. “That’s nice.” He took a bite of his Danish. The sharp citrus was tangy enough to hurt his mouth.
Seth really was a genius.
“Were your parents nightmare demons too?”
“Possibly. Unlikely.”
Right. Nightmare probably didn’t know, because demon parents didn’t stick around to raise their young.
“My mom left me behind too,” Matty told him, setting his half-eaten Danish on his lap. “Luca didn’t have any heirs of his own, so when she left, he…stole me? Or maybe bought me. I like to think he bought me, because she never came back. Never—never tried to get me. If it was a desperate money thing, I would kind of understand, I think.”
“He wanted a son, this Luca?”
Matty shrugged. “He needed a successor, and he thought he saw something in me. And when he realized he was wrong…I guess he figured it was just as good having a pet. One he could hurt without anyone caring.”
“And Dominico Caruso?” Nightmare asked, his voice deadly soft.
Matty couldn’t suppress his shiver, andnotthe good kind. He hated hearing that name spoken out loud. The sun was out, it was a pretty day, and Nightmare was warm at Matty’s side, evenif he looked strange and human; there was no need to bringhisname into it.
