Page 160 of The Demon's Pet

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My heart stuttered when I saw Sam there, looking so handsome. Looking so much better.

Glaring at Griffin like he was considering whether or not to kill him.

I grabbed Griffin by the arm and dragged him with me backward, taking him outside.

Whatever had to be dealt with could be dealt with out in the open, in the cloudy afternoon light.

Sam followed, arms folded, expression stern.

When we were standing in the center of the courtyard, Griffin turned to me, exasperated.

“I’d rather talk to Cleo in private,” he said. “Then she and I are going to leave.”

“Like hell,” Sam said.

“You can’t stop us,” Griffin said. “Cleo’s powerful.”

“Cleo’s not nearly powerful enough to face off with a fifth celestial realm fighter right now, let alone a ninth.” Sam’s jaw was hard as granite. “Regardless, this is moot. Cleo owes me, and she won’t leave until she pays me. Simple as that.”

Griffin’s blue eyes flashed with rage, and he turned back to me. “Cleo, do you see how crazy he is? You can’t get feelings for him. He’s a…”

“I already told her not to get feelings for me,” Sam said flatly, squaring off with Griffin in a way that made me nervous. The two tall men moved closer, and I grabbed Griffin by his hefty bicep, pulling him back to me. He was practically snarling.

“What am I?” Sam asked sharply.

“A demon,” Griffin blurted out, face reddening. “Os told me. Before he left.”

Sam’s lips lifted in a mean smirk. “Oh, he left, did he? That’s what you’re upset about?” He shook his head. “Look who shouldn’t have gotten feelings.” He let out a short, mean laugh. “I mean, Cleo and I had to play master and pet as a disguise, but you would have done it for real with Os, wouldn’t you? You would have followed him to the ends of the earth.”

Griffin’s face went blank. Then he shook his head. “I do have feelings for him. I won’t deny that. I don’t know what you mean about master and pet, though.”

Sam’s eyes narrowed meanly, and he took another step forward, backing Griffin up.

I didn’t think there was anyone Sam couldn’t scare if he wanted to.

“Yes, I’m part demon. A lot of beings are hybrids in this world. However, you want to go back to the celestials? They would have killed you just on the chance of you being the Morningstar.”

“That’s just it!” Griffin yelled. “When were you going to tell Cleo you’re just waiting to use her as a weapon of mass destruction?!”

Everything went quiet, and Sam cocked a hip, glowering with his folded arms but not saying anything.

“Is that true?” I asked him.

“You’re something,” Sam said. “I’m not sure what, and I’m not willing to state you’re the Morningstar yet. You’re just the closest I’ve found.”

“Betty said you lied to Gabe and the other celestials about me,” I said.

“I did,” Sam said.

“Why didn’t you tell me then? All that time together.”

Sam’s glare was cool. “Until you’re strong enough, you’re in great danger. If I’d told you, you probably would have gone off and told someone like Zadis. You didn’t trust me yet, so I couldn’t confirm my suspicions to you.”

That made an odd amount of sense.

“So you brought me here because you want me to kill for you?” I asked, my hands making fists. “Because that’s what Betty said, and I don’t think I can do that.”

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