Page 22 of Knotted
“She actually means it.” That was Clover. She was looking a little too closely at me. Let her look. I was more certain about this decision than I had been about anything else in my life. “You really love him.”
“If love is wanting to punch him in the face at the same time I want to kiss him, then yes.”
“Sounds about right.” That was from Candy. Her dark violet eyes were alight with humor. While she was the most reserved of the group, you couldn’t help but like the demon. “Oof.”
Clover elbowed her lover in the side before leaning over to press a kiss on her cheek. They were so damn cute.
“Okay then, let’s do this.” Jax pressed a kiss to Fern’s forehead before reaching out his hand for me. “Whatever you do, don’t let go.”
“Wish me luck,” I said to my friends before grabbing Jax’s hand. The next thing I knew, everything went black.
Chapter
Seventeen
“Never again. I am never, ever doing that again.” I said, bending over and clutching my stomach as I tried to settle my stomach. I was dizzy and nauseated after the trip to Hell. I don’t recall anything after taking Jax’s hand until I woke up lying on a cold stone floor ready to toss my cookies.
“It gets easier.” Jax shrugged. “Come on, I’ll take you to the throne room but then I have to leave. I need to get back to Fern.”
I followed him through winding hallways and up a never ending flight of stairs that had me pausing for a breath at the top. I guessed if nothing else, this trip would get my cardio levels up. Maybe I’d actually close the damn exercise ring on my watch for once.
“Here we are.” Jax said, pausing outside a pair of oversized arched doors. “He’ll be in there. He usually is. Do you know what to do?”
“Yes. Thank you for bringing me.” On impulse, I reached up and pressed a kiss to his cheek. “I’m glad Fern found you. Take care of her for me.”
“You worry about yourself. I’ll take care of her.” He put a hand on the ring of the door and paused. “Be careful, Vi. Asmodeus has never been the most forgiving of demon lords.”
I patted his arm and nodded. Knowing full well I was going to ignore his advice. Asmodeus might not be the most forgiving of demon lords, but he was my demon, and I knew how to handle him.
Jax yanked the door open and then vanished before anyone inside could see him. If I didn’t know what was at risk for him, I’d call it almost cowardly. But I would never want him to risk himself. Fern needed him too much. And I needed her to be safe and happy. Knowing my friends were cared for made this decision easier.
“Asmodeus, did you seriously think you could get rid of me that easily?” I stormed into the throne room, ignoring all of the demons and humans there. “We had a bargain and you’re not backing out.”
“Violet,” Asmodeus’ voice was low, a warning.
“Stuff it,” I climbed the stairs to his throne, a little shocked no one tried to stop me. They wouldn’t have succeeded, but I kind of expected them to try.
“You don’t belong here.” The demon lord said, his voice low. Just for me.
“I don’t belong anywhere else.” I stopped in front of him and planted my fists on my hips, ready for the fight ahead. “We had an agreement.”
As stayed sitting, his legs sprawled in what could have been called a lazy and dismissive pose but I could see the tension in him. In the way his hands were fisted on the arms of his chair, in the clench of his jaw.
“And I released you from it. You’re free to go live yourlife as you wish. Go marry the blond and make many obnoxious babies.”
“You are such a fucking moron.” The gasps rang through the room. I turned to glare at the crowd of people until they shut the fuck up.
“Get out!” As roared. There was a flurry of movement as they cleared out, leaving us alone in the large stone room. As glared down at me, a look that might have frightened me days ago but now had me biting back a smirk.
I took two steps closer, putting myself between his splayed legs. His hands twitched, I knew he wanted to reach out and grab me. It took it as an invitation to drop my hands to his shoulders and climb to straddle his lap.
“What the fuck are you doing?” He didn’t grab my hips like I wanted him to, but he didn’t shove me off either.
“I’m coming for you.” His eyes flashed red. “Do you hear me, Asmodeus? I’m coming for you. Because you’re mine.”
His eyes were fire when I leaned down to press my mouth to his. “You’re mine. And I am yours.”
As snapped. His hands fisted in my hair as his mouth crashed down on mine. The kiss was fierce, intense, brutal. He claimed me with the kiss.
