Page 62 of Demon Kissed
I’m confused, for one, and fucking terrified for another. My mind is a toxic cocktail of emotions, and my stomach is knotted up tighter than a ball of yarn. I don’t know how I’m supposed to feel, and for a girl who has lived her life in complete and utter control, that’s terrifying. I sorta want to vomit right now. And cry. And rock back and forth in a ball.
And…
Well…
Would it be weird if I said I wanted to kiss the dem—
Nope. Nada. Not going there. Shut the front door and back out of the driveway, Kat. And then drive your dumb ass to Canada.
“You shouldn’t have had to deal with that.” Raz’s knuckles are white from how fiercely he’s gripping the steering wheel. A lone street lamp illuminates his short, sandy blond hair and his black tank top. At some point during the night, he removed his jacket, leaving his muscular forearms on display. I can vaguely see the angel wings tattooed on his upper chest.
Oh, the irony.
Side note—I wonder if he got that tattoo to be ironic? That would be kind of funny. But Raz and humor? One of those things is not like the other. One of those things just doesn’t belong…
Just like I don’t belong with a group of wild demons. Who kill people.
“Raz, it’s fine,” I whisper, tone unnaturally subdued. When he glances at me sharply, concern etched onto his handsome face, I work to conjure up a feeble smile. I’m sure I look like I’m taking a monster shit, but it’s whatever.
“It’s not fine,” he snaps, whipping his head to once more stare out the windshield. His trademark scowl makes another appearance as he glares at seemingly nothing. “You saw a classmate get fucking murdered. I wanted to protect you from all of this.” He looks as if he wants to say more—he actually opens and closes his mouth a few times—before compressing his lips into a stubborn line.
“It’s not your job to protect me,” I retort immediately as we stop at the gates leading to my house. Unsurprisingly, Raz knows the passcode to get in (I mean, the man and his demon entouragedidbreak into my house numerous times).
As the metal spires slide open, I can’t help but note the ominous chill that slithers down my spine like a snake made of ice.
Why do I have the distinct feeling that something awful is about to happen? And no, I don’t mean the whole “becoming an accomplice to murder” thing.
“It’s my job—holy shit!” Raz slams on the brakes so fast, my head jerks forward.
“What…?” I squint my eyes at the two figures standing in the middle of the driveway, mere inches from the front of the car. “Holy mother of goats. Do they have a death wish?” The last words are said in a jumbled rush as I slide out of the car and stalk towards my parents.
Mommy Dearest has her arms crossed over her chest, wearing nothing but a satin robe over her nightgown. Dad is similarly dressed in his flannels and an untied blue robe. They look like the fuckingNight Before Christmascome to life. Only, they aren’t here with milk and cookies.
“Mom? Dad? What are you doing—”
“Where the fuck were you?” Dad bellows, his eyes colder than I ever remember them being. “You had one fucking job to do, but apparently, you’re too damn selfish to help out your family.”
“I don’t—”
Dad cuts me off before I can finish. “Maybe your mother’s right. Maybe we should look into boarding school. You’re acting up, Katrina, and we don’t like it.”
Mom places a perfectly manicured hand to her heart. “How do you think I felt coming home to see thatstrangerwith Adam? It wasyournight to watch him.”
Anger bubbles in my stomach, almost like when you pour a carbonated beverage into a cup. It’s not overflowing yet, but you know that any second…
“What the fuck are we supposed to do with you? You leave your brother alone to go out with…that!” Dad waves his hand in disgust at Raz, who I can hear stepping up behind me. When his front presses against my back, I feel how taut his body is. How coiled. He’s a fucking dragon waiting to be unleashed and set this world on fire.
“Are you fucking kidding me?” I keep my voice low, a juxtaposition to their piercing screams. “Are you actually fucking with me right now?”
“Get your ass inside, Katrina!” my father roars, pointing a trembling finger towards the house. He levels a hate-filled gaze onto Raz, and for some reason, despite everything that just transpired, that pisses me off most of all. He hasnoreason to dislike Raz. None. “Andyou, stay the fuck away from my daughter!”
“Oh, so now I’m your daughter?” I release a mirthless laugh, tossing my hair back until my head rests on Raz’s chest. “Pretty fucking convenient, don’t you think?”
“What’s that supposed to mean?” Mom sounds genuinely shocked…and maybe even a little hurt, though that could be wishful thinking.
“It means,” Raz’s deep, throaty voice tumbles through me, filling me with the warmth my parents stole from my body, “that you’re shitty parents to both Katrina and Adam. It means that it’s not your daughter’s responsibility to be a mother toyourfucking son.”
“You watch your mouth—” Dad rages, but whatever look he sees on Raz’s face has him clamping his mouth shut.
