Page 61 of Crimson Promises
I wanted to reply defiantly, “If you aren’t willing to tell me, then I’m not doing it,” but I couldn’t. That was the thing: when you had no power, you would be at the bottom of everyone’s food chain. I learned a long time ago that power equals freedom. I went to war for it; my best friend died for it. And now I’m still in the same position I’d always been in. Not for much longer, I reminded myself. Only a few more weeks until Michael was forced to honor his side of the bargain. Then I’d be free to carry out the justice that Joshua Fidus deserved.
And leave Aurora.
Should I keep the other thing to myself? What if he knew something that could help her?
“She’s been seeing red eyes in her dreams,” I said.
His lips puckered.
“I think it has something to do with the demons after her, but I have nothing to support it. It’s just a theory, but I thought you’d want to know.”
He nodded. “You did the right thing, telling me.”
“So, are they?”
“Are they what?”
“Connected.”
And then Michael did something that surprised me. He sighed. A sign of exhaustion. Being Heaven’s golden boy came with a heavier burden than he let on, it seemed.
“Honestly, I’m not sure, but it sounds suspicious. Keep an eye on it. And notify me of anything else that changes.”
I nodded.
“She’s had too many consecutive close calls for something not to be going on. Her safety is the biggest priority, Bennett.” He pointed to me. “Me honoring my end of the deal depends on it.”
A threat plain as day. Aurora’s safety means power. If anything happened to her, no deal, even after all these years. Had he known what happened between us or the constant loop of inappropriate thoughts I had running in my mind all day, I’d endure a fate much worse than that owl’s dinner.
* * *
Per Michael’s request I spent the entire next morning trying to track down the guy that we assumed stole Aurora’s necklace that night he attacked her. I wouldn’t mind having a few go’s at him in the ring, first for hurting her in the first place, second for taking her necklace, and third for making me spend unnecessary time searching for the goddamn necklace he took. For all that work, I had zero leads. But I would keep looking. I had no choice otherwise.
I hadn’t heard from Aurora all day. Before my meeting with Michael yesterday, I made some decent headway on my part of the report. I would be lying if I said that I wasn’t hoping it might impress her a little.
We were supposed to meet today to work on our project but the last thing I want to do is spend what little time I have with her working on an assignment about Greek mythology.
I pulled out my phone to message her but then, before I could dwell on it too much, I hit the call button instead. It rang and rang and rang. She was probably screening my calls. I was about to end the call when I heard a faint hello.
“Hey Aurora, it’s Ben.”
“I know,” she replied frigidly enough to rival the subzero temperatures of the Arctic.
“Right, caller ID.” I cleared my throat. “Are you still free to meet tonight?”
She paused for a beat. “Yeah, we have to finish the project. Better to get it done sooner than later.”
“About that. I’m proposing alternative plans to schoolwork.”
I could hear what sounded like pots and pans banging in the background. She muttered a “Crap.”
“I came with you to Victor and Darlene’s at your request and survived an interrogation.” I left out the fact that I also experienced the best make-out session ever but that wouldn’t go with my decision for us to be friends.
“So?” She made a sucking noise, fully distracting me.
My cock lengthened at the thought of her making those very noises with nothing but her concentrated focus on it.
“So…your turn to pay up on your end of the bargain. I’ll pick you up at seven.”
