Page 97 of Sleeping Redemption
It had been weeks since I had been out of the loft. All the guys had been incredibly patient with me, prompting a level of guilt that clung to my soul because I hadn’t made more progress. When Atlas suggested we go out to dinner, the four of us, I reluctantly obliged. Even Z had agreed to meet us after her date wrapped up.
It was all a step towards something resembling normalcy and routine. I knew they were all worried about me; I was worried about me. The mix of emotions inside me was unsettled, like the eye of a storm where you just waited for any shift in the winds.
An anxiety thrummed inside me like a livewire, knowing Nico had once again left my life in upheaval without consequence. Instead of paying the piper, he was out there somewhere, inhabiting a weakling of a human. The coward had taken a piece of me that I had considered untouchable.
Now, every human I crossed reminded me of him, reminded me of how accessible I was, and howeasyI had made it for him. By opening myself up to Rook, Atlas, and Sy, I had allowed thisto happen. I had grown too soft to fulfill my duties and uphold my ranking as Lucifer’s Second in Command.
All these thoughts circled through my brain as I sat there at the table inside the gastropub, and there was an alarming numbness at the base of my spirit as I stared at the short-rib macaroni and cheese in front of me.
Looking across the table, Rook sat across from me, taking a massive bite into his peanut butter and jelly burger. His slow chews seemed to be thoughtful and deliberate. Finally, he gave a hum before speaking up. “It’s missing something.”
That prompted an eye roll from Sylas before he looked over at me and nodded at the bowl of untouched food sitting in front of me.
“Your food okay, Kin? It looks like you’ve barely touched it.” His stoic demeanor was set on his face, but the concern was an undercurrent in his eyes.
Nodding, I picked up my fork and pushed around some of the elbow-shaped pasta. “I was just waiting for it to cool off.” In truth, I had been too lost in my head to recognize it had been sitting there cooled down to an appropriate temperature for several minutes.
Sy cast a look over at Atlas and Rook. Catching the silent communication, I slammed my fork into the center of the cheesy pile of carbs. Irritation coursed through me that they sat there expecting me to be someone I no longer was. I shoved the dish away from me, a sign of my waning appetite.
Silence hung heavy over our table like a thundercloud prepared to unleash a flood of biblical proportions.
Slowly, Rook put his burger down. “Love…”
“Don’t.” The word came flying out in a harsher bite than I had intended. Taking a moment to dial down my tone, I muttered slightly softer, “Stupid fucking humans made it withelbow macaroni.” Everyone knew that bowtie pasta was the superior choice for any type of macaroni and cheese.
Atlas leaned over, and his hand gently rested on my thigh. “Angel, if you want something else, we can get you whatever you’re feeling like.” He was ever my problem-solver, looking to fix anything that plagued me. But he couldn’t fixthis; he couldn’t fixme.
I shook my head and reached for my water. As I raised it to my lips, something caught my eye over the edge of the glass. A couple walked by, the man staring at me as he passed. His eyes filled with the same evil my body recognized as the hateful demon who had broken me in more ways than one.
It’s him. He’s here for you. Mocking your pain. Look how smug he looks, knowing he’s broken you.
Even the Devil recognized the snake in the garden.
My eyes followed the couple as they headed for the front of the restaurant.
“I need to use the restroom.” I bluntly stated my false excuse before I set my water down and pushed my chair back as I rose to my feet. Atlas’s hand fell away from my leg in the process.
All the guys stilled in their seats as three sets of eyes zeroed in on me.
I presented them with a reassurance. “I’ll be back.” Failing to meet their gazes, I stepped away from the table to navigate to the front of the restaurant where the bathrooms were located.
Not for a single second did my eyes leave the couple I had spotted. I predatorily stalked behind them, and anger rolled through me as my focus narrowed on my target. Barely registering my feet moving beneath me, I let my rage guide my steps.
The couple sauntered out, chatting and laughing like they were in a goddamn Hallmark movie. Keeping my distance at first, I followed them out of the establishment. My steps weresure and determined as my inner turmoil continued to ramp up. I refused to allow him to make a mockery of my pain. I wouldn’t let him continue to relish in the wreckage of my spirit.
As I quickened my steps, I reached out to sink my fingers into the man’s shoulder, but then I saw the darkest of evils flee from his body. His host continued to stroll along with his date like he hadn’t just been inhabited by the foulest of demons.
It should have given me pause when that gleeful motherfucker of a human didn’t drop dead from the demon’s exodus as he should have, but it didn’t even register in my mind. Instead, my focus remained on exacting my revenge and serving up a bitter dose of karma to the entity plaguing my mind.
I stopped short in my tracks and watched the shadow dance through the air and slip into a woman entering a seedy nightclub.
A sense of desperation washed over me; I needed to put an end to Nicodemus. I couldn’t let him continue to taunt me and flee without retribution. I followed the woman into the packed building. Walking through the doors, the only thing breaking up the darkness was the strobing lights and the dim bulbs hanging above the bar. So many bodies were packed into this tight space.
He’s toying with you. He wants to flaunt his power. He knows how weak you are.
I gave a low growl of frustration as my eyes scanned the crowd. The bass of the rave music matched the pulsing of my heart and wrath rising inside me. The shadow of evil floated in the air, slipping in and out of the oblivious humans moving their bodies to the beat in a carefree fashion.
Don’t let him get away from you, not this time.
