“Oh, you know, no complaints,” she replied. “Other than that ass,” she muttered as an afterthought.
“I certainly didn’t expect to see both of you today,” she went on. “I’m sorry about the calling, Yah, but Michael was really being quite a dick. My dearest Gabey is happy, and I had no intention of letting Michael ruin that.”
Yah merely gazed at her, and she back at him. Gabe was intimidated, but Grams boldly soldiered on after a pause.
“He does, after all, have less than a century of life before he finds his way to the afterlife. Surely a single demon can be spared for such a paltry time,” she continued sweetly.
Yah had their hands folded together in front of their face, and the gazing simply continued. Luce smirked at Yah and chuckled, and Gabe could hear fondness there.
“You do badass so well, Yah. You really would manage quite well in the underworld. I’d be superb upstairs,” he boasted. “It’s a lovely plan.”
Grams looked scandalized. “You cannot possibly… that would cause a full revolt!”
Luce merely raised one eyebrow at her. Gabe frowned. Couldeveryonebut him do that? Seriously?
“All will work out as it is meant to,” Luce stated. “After all, Yah is infallible,” he added, winking over at Yah.
Grams stuttered, but with some finger motions and a wave of Luce’s hand, Grams was gone. Gabe stiffened, but Luce said, “I’m sure she’ll be barging into your apartment later, have no fear.” He chuckled then. “Or perhaps do have fear. She can come up with quite a few interesting schemes.” Then he winked at Gabe.
Gabe had the urge to pinch himself.
Sure, he’d grown up with demons and angels and Lilith as his grandmother, but on no planet did he think Lucifer would be winking at him while sipping tea.
He knew they were next in line for this intervention or whatever it was, and he wasn’t going to be whisked back to his apartment without having his say.
“I’m not going back without Az,” Gabe vowed. He looked back and forth between god and the devil, both of whom were giving him their full attention.
Gabe swallowed before plowing on. “If it means I have to die, then so be it. I’m not leaving him.”
“No!” Az whispered behind him, clutching him tighter.
Gabe leaned into him then, and whispered, “Yes. Whatever it takes. I love you. I will give up an Earthly life and even my family if it means I can be with you.”
“I wouldneverask for such a sacrifice,” Az whispered back. “I would neveracceptsuch a sacrifice. I would give you up before seeing you lose everyone and everything.”
“The fact that you wouldn’t ask is what makes it possible for me to offer, Az,” Gabe murmured, turning in Az’s lap to look into his eyes. “You are worth it. You are wortheverything. You havevalue. Beyond sex, and lust, and all your demonic powers, you haveworthto me.”
Gabe leaned down, kissing Az on the mouth softly. “You make me a better person, Az. I won’t give that up.”
Gabe then turned around, facing down both god and the devil, ready to do battle for the love of his life.
Chapter26
Asmodeus
Az was rendered speechless. He knew Gabriel had said he loved him, and Az didn’t doubt it. However, Az also knew that sometimes human love could be… fickle. He had seen love won and lost between more couples (and threesomes and foursomes) over the centuries than he could count.
He did not discount Gabe’s love. No, it was a treasure beyond anything he had ever experienced, and he had planned to enjoy it for all the time that he could. He would give Gabe everything he could ever want, and if Gabe grew tired of him, Az knew that he cared so much for the human that he would do anything to make him happy, including setting him free.
He felt possessive of Gabe, make no mistake, but thinking of his Gabe being unhappy because of him—it made his chest ache like a part of him was being ripped away. He would do anything for this mortal.
To hear that Gabe would give up his mortality, his very life, for Az? That astounded him. He realized that somewhere in his innermost self, hedidthink Gabe would grow tired of him. He was a lust demon, and people wanted him around for awhile, and then they were satiated and they were done with him. Perhaps he had expected the same of Gabe. Somewhere deep down he had thought that his human would grow bored of his sex and his fun, and when the time came, Az would have grieved, but he would have done anything Gabe asked of him, even the unthinkable.
He wasn’t sure he would’ve survived it. Nay, he wasn’t sure he would havewantedto survive it. Yet he would have done it just the same.
He had done a disservice to his human, however, to think that Gabe’s love was so fleeting. His Gabe did not say things he did not mean. He did not give his heart carelessly or easily.
Az stared at Gabe, who was back to facing off both Luce and Yah. Facing them offfor him. “I love you, Gabe. I love you, and you are worth more than eternity to me,” Az murmured.
