Page 2 of Make Me Wild (Rich Demons of Darkwood 3)

Sophia grinned. “Of course, Delilah. You’re too cool for him, but you’ll realize that.”

Stellan stuck his tongue out at her. It felt as if the two of them were fighting over me and that made me nervous, because I loved them both.

But something light and reckless and happy rose in my chest. It felt like spring as we walked outside, even though a dusting of snow still covered the grass.

And then I saw my father’s car parked across the street, and my happiness curdled in my chest.

I pulled my hands away from both of theirs quickly, as if I’d been burned.

“Are you all right?” Sophia asked, and I didn’t have to look at her to know she was frowning, but I couldn’t tear my eyes away from my father’s car.

“I’m fine,” I said, with a smile. I had learned to lie so well that I must have sounded convincing, even though my heart was hammering. My friends both relaxed. “My dad’s just here to pick me up, and I am so not ready to explain to him that everyone is in love with his baby girl.”

I said the words facetiously, but Sophia grabbed my sleeve and pulled me toward her, planting a goofy kiss on my cheek. I laughed at her, but that was only on the surface. Worms of anxiety squirmed through my gut. My mind spun with my next move even though I was on autopilot for the rest of the world.

“How could we help falling for you?” Sophia demanded, releasing me.

“Saturday?” Stellan asked.

“I guess.” I smiled at him over my shoulder, then ran down the steps to my father’s car. My heart was pounding. He was here for a reason.

It was time to move.

Which also meant it was time to kill the man he’d been torturing in our basement.

The driver’s side door opened, and Dad rose from the driver’s seat. “Hi, honey.”

“Hi, Dad.”

He didn’t say a word about my friends or even glance their way, and I dared to hope maybe he didn’t know about them. But I knew better.

The Demon didn’t miss much. That was how he’d eluded capture all these years.

When we got back to the house, there was an eerie sound. I paused in the doorway, listening, wondering if the man from the basement had escaped.

But then a stranger walked toward us from the back of the house and the Demon smiled, his hand resting on my shoulder to keep me from attacking him.

The stranger was young and dark-haired with heavy features, and he looked at me with intense eyes. “It’s so nice to meet you, Delilah.”

“Bentley is going to help us clean up the house,” my father said. “Make sure we’re ready to move. No loose ends.”

So this was one of my father’s apprentices. My stomach froze. I worried one day my father would kill me and leave me behind, buried in the basement of one of our houses, because he’d found someone he liked better. I wasn’t sure being the Demon’s flesh-and-blood would save me if he ever grew weary of my hesitation to shed blood.

“Thank you,” I managed. “I’m going to drop my stuff off upstairs.”

In my room, I slung my backpack to the floor. Loose ends? From here, I could see out my window to Stellan and Sophia’s house. Weretheyloose ends? Because I’d gotten close to them, because sometimes I’d fantasized about telling Sophia, about having someone help me?

There was a flicker of movement in the trees outside. I moved quickly to the window, trying to see what it was, but it was gone.

I leaned my head against the cool glass.

If I were ever going to be free, if I were ever going to have a home and friends and real love, I’d have to kill the Demon.

Chapter1

Aurora

Bang!My eyes flew open as I smashed my head against something, only to see total darkness surrounding me. Suffocating me.

---