Fallen by Suzanne Wright

CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

“Personally, Raini, I think it was pretty brave of you to pick a casino for the party venue,” said Harper, speaking via video call. She, Devon and Khloë were having lunch at Urban Ink; they’d called Raini to check how the party preparations were going. “I mean,” Harper went on, “you realize your dad, uncles, and most of my relatives will spend the evening cheating at cards and fiddling the machines?”

“Yup,” replied Raini, prepping the coffee machine. “But it’s worth noting that there probably won’t be a reason to go ahead with the party, so I’m not stressing over it.”

Khloë frowned. “Why wouldn’t we go ahead with it?”

“Because this is about provoking my cowardly foe,” Raini reminded her. “If it works, they might react way before the party date.”

“You could still go through with it, though,” the imp insisted. “Finding your anchor is something to celebrate. Why wouldn’t you want to? Why wouldn’t you want to share your joy—”

“Enough with the fake pout,” said Raini, rolling her eyes.

“I just really want there to be a party. So much shit has gone on lately, we deserve a celebration of some kind. Tell me I’m wrong.”

“Our friendly neighborhood boycotter could actually show up and cause a stink.” Devon sipped some of her soda. “I would’ve thought that they’d have made another shitty move by now.”

Raini grabbed a mug out of the cupboard. “Yeah, I don’t think my plot to piss them off is working.” She hadn’t made it a secret that she was planning a party to celebrate finding her anchor. She’d booked a venue, catering service, music band, and all that jazz. She’d also sent out lots of electronic invitations, including to Dwain, Demi, Marcella, and Euan.

Raini had also gone on plenty of fake dates in the Underground with Maddox. He’d taken her to dinner, to a bar for drinks, to the hellhound racing stadium, to her favorite ice-cream parlor. They hadn’t felt like fake dates at all. It hadn’t felt like they were putting on a show. It was more like they were an anchored pair enjoying each other’s company and learning more about each other, solidifying their bond.

She’d learned that Maddox had no problems with PDA. He touched her often in public, and that never felt fake either. The touches—whether a feather of his fingers across the back of her hand, a light massage on her nape, a hand splayed on the curve of her spine so that the heel of his palm rested on her butt—held a proprietary edge. His touches always had, but it seemed … more now. Or maybe that was just her. Maybe she was getting too caught up in the fantasy that he might want more than a brief bed-buddy arrangement. Because, to her utter annoyance, she did.

Coming to feel something for him beyond their anchor connection hadn’t been part of her plan at all. At first, she’d wondered if it was merely the novelty of being with someone who wasn’t caught up in the succubae package. But no. Maddox wasn’t a “nice guy,” wasn’t sweet and funny and open. He didn’t shower her with pretty words and compliments. She couldn’t even really describe him as “good.” He was a ruthless, unforgiving, calculated man who gave no fucks about anyone outside of his circle. But Raini didn’t need “nice.” She wasn’t looking for Prince Charming—he sounded kind of boring, really. And having grown up around imps, who weren’t exactly big on ethics, she wasn’t sure she’d know what to do with a perfect guy.

Other traits were important to Raini. She wanted someone she could trust to always be loyal to her; someone she wouldn’t have to hide parts of herself from; someone she could rely on to always be there for her and with whom she’d always be safe. Raini instinctively knew that Maddox could be that person. The problem was … she didn’t know if he’d be that person only because she was his anchor. She didn’t know if she mattered to him beyond that.

Sometimes, he looked at her in a way that made her think she meant more. But Raini wasn’t sure if she was merely seeing what she wanted to see; wasn’t sure if it had all been part of their “we’re a couple” act. She so far hadn’t found the guts to ask.

Just then, Ciaran teleported into the kitchen, his expression uber serious.

Wariness slithered up Raini’s spine, and her demon went hyper alert. “Sorry, girls, I’ve got to go. I’ll talk to you all again later.” She ended the video call before they could question her and then turned to the male imp. “Something’s wrong, isn’t it?”

He sighed. “You could say we have a big problem.”

“What?”

“You’ve been outed.”

Her stomach rolled. “Outed how?” she asked, but she already knew the answer.

“It has circulated around the lair that you can wield psychic hellfire.”

She closed her eyes, dread filling her from head to toe. “How?” Her eyes snapped open. “How the hell could this have happened?”

“Dwain’s mother received a text message from him earlier saying he wanted to come back to Vegas but couldn’t while everyone was hunting him like a dog. He said he needed to wait until the real culprit was found. He added, ‘Don’t go feeling too sorry for Raini. I’ll bet she never told you that she can wield psychic hellfire.’”

Her demon hissed out a breath. “Motherfucker.”

“Yeah. She mentioned the text to her mate, who mentioned it to someone else—none of whom really believed it could be true. But then some others received similar text messages. Demi’s best friend, Risa. A mate of one of your exes. A guy you had a one-nighter with who wasn’t happy when you didn’t want more.”

Raini folded her arms. “So, basically, these messages were sent to people who’d have no problem spreading shit about me.”

He nodded. “Dwain’s mom is arguing that the sender wasn’t truly him because the messages were sent via a spoofing site— he’d have no need to use one. She’s right that anyone could have entered Dwain’s cell phone number into the ‘sender’ box on the website.”

Raini let her head flop forward. Fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck.

“I think you succeeded in baiting whoever has beef with you. But I think going after Urban Ink wasn’t enough for them. Like you said, they wanted you to be unhappy. Well … ”

Lifting her head, she bit her lip. “What now?”

“Jolene’s going to hold a meeting for the entire lair outside our community center. It starts in twenty minutes. You don’t need to be there but—”

“I’ll go. If I hide, it makes me look like I think I have a need to feel guilty. I’ve done nothing wrong. Okay, yes, I lied to them by omission. But surely they’ll get why.”

“I think they’ll get why. I’m just not so sure they’ll care. Doyle left so many scars on the lair.”

“I know.” She raked a hand through her hair. “I guess it’s safe to say that my plot totally backfired.”

“They were escalating little by little all along, so they probably would have done this eventually even if you hadn’t provoked them.”

“Yeah, I guess.”

“Man, Maddox is gonna be pissed. You going to tell him yet?”

“Not until after the meeting. He’s pretty protective. He’d insist on being there, and Jolene wouldn’t allow that, so … ”

“All right. Let’s get to the community center. Grams is already there.” Ciaran teleported them to the staff room, where Jolene, Beck, and Martina waited—all looking various degrees of furious. They softened on seeing Raini.

Martina pulled her into a hug. “I get why you didn’t tell me or Beck about your ability, but we wouldn’t have held it against you, honey.”

“No, we wouldn’t have,” added Beck, giving Raini a gentle smile.

“Thanks,” said Raini. “Let’s hope that most of the lair feels the same as you two do.”

Jolene crossed to her. “I’d be lying if I told you that some haven’t gotten themselves all worked up. Try not to take anything they say to heart. They’re shocked more than anything else.”

The door opened. Evangeline and Lachlan entered, looking ready to burn shit down. In his case, that was probably literal. They both hugged Raini and assured her that all would work out fine. She wished she could believe them.

“You three are welcome to stand with me while I speak to the lair,” Jolene said to them. “But Raini, it would be best if you leave the talking to us. Not because you don’t deserve to speak for yourself, but because I won’t let anyone use this as an opportunity to argue with you and cause a scene. You have no reason to explain or justify anything. You’ve done nothing wrong. I won’t let you be treated as if you’re on trial.”

Raini nodded, because she’d never intended to explain herself anyway. As Jolene said, she had no need to. “All right.”

Soon enough, it was time for the meeting to begin. Jolene stood at the northern end of the huge outdoor basketball court, flanked by two of her sentinels. Raini and her parents stood at Orrin’s side while Beck and Ciaran stood near Mitch.

Most of their lair were gathered there. Many appeared shocked, others appeared outraged, and a whole lot seemed afraid. Still, some offered Raini small, supportive smiles. There were actually a few who looked bored … or maybe stoned—she couldn’t quite tell from this distance.

Once the crowd quieted, Jolene began, “As I’m sure you’re all aware, a number of our lair received text messages via a spoofing site. Those messages all claimed that Raini Campbell could wield psychic hellfire. I’m sure you all have several questions— one being, is it true? Yes, it is true. Raini can do so.”

People instantly began talking, tossing questions at the Prime.

“Quiet,” Jolene ordered, her voice a whip; everyone hushed. “Raini can wield it, just as any of us could pick up a knife and stab someone. Just as any of us could run someone over with a car or shoot someone in the head. It doesn’t mean we will do those things. Would you expect to be treated with suspicion merely because of something you have the ability to do?”

“It’s not the same,” one demon claimed, earning themselves a snarl from Raini’s entity.

Jolene gave the man a haughty look. “How so?”

“Psychic hellfire is lethal.”

“So are the abilities of many people within this lair,” Jolene pointed out.

“But she could destroy our anchor bonds!” one woman yelled, who also happened to be the mate of Raini’s ex.

“Very true,” allowed Jolene. “But has she ever done so? Is there a single person here who can claim that Raini has destroyed their anchor bond or otherwise harmed them in any way with psychic hellfire?”

Some glanced at each other, shuffled from foot to foot, or averted their gazes.

“You lied to us!” Demi’s friend, Risa, shouted at Jolene. “All of us.”

The imp beside her frowned. “You have to see why she said nothing, Risa. Look around you. Look at how people have reacted.”

“It still isn’t right,” Risa stated. “You could’ve told us about her ability, Jolene; you didn’t.”

“Raini was five years old when it first surfaced,” said Jolene. “Five. An innocent child who’d done no more than send out the heat of it toward the TV in her living room. Her parents felt the power of it, knew what it was, and naturally panicked. What would you have done if you had learned she’d had the ability back then, Risa? You would have wanted her gone, yes?”

“For the right reasons,” said Risa.

Oh, because there was totally a right reason to banish a child who’d done nothing to anyone. Raini could only shake her head.

“I see.” Jolene lifted her chin. “You have a daughter, Risa. She’s only three years old. She could just as easily develop that ability one day. What would you do if that happened? Tell the entire lair? Live as strays? Or would you ask for the chance to help her suppress the ability? As I said, simply because someone can do something doesn’t mean they will.”

Risa’s mouth bopped open and closed for a moment. Finally, she looked at the floor. Raini’s demon made a haughty sound.

Jolene swept her gaze over the crowd. “I’ll ask the same of anyone here who has a child. Would you have done any differently than what Evangeline and Lachlan did? If any of you can honestly tell me you would’ve done, raise your hand now.”

Not a single soul did.

Richie, Jolene’s son, sighed. “Nobody here would have acted differently, and they know it. Just as the divas know they’re being entirely too damn dramatic right now.”

“It’s not dramatic to be upset that this was kept from us,” a friend of Evangeline insisted, which was no doubt why Raini sensed more than saw her mother stiffen. “Jolene should have told us—simple.”

“Why is that, Mandy?” asked Jolene.

“Because we would have known to be more careful around Raini,” Mandy replied.

“Stopped your children from playing with her, you mean,” Richie’s mate, Meredith, guessed. “Seriously, Mandy, do you truly believe that Jolene would have allowed Raini to mingle with other children if she wasn’t certain—for Raini’s sake and theirs—that she’d be no danger to them?”

Mandy’s shoulders lowered. She turned back to Jolene. “She really suppressed the ability?”

“Yes,” Jolene confirmed. “But when she became an adult, I helped her instead learn to control it as well as suppress it, just as I’ve done for every other person in this lair who had to suppress a deadly ability when a child. It is common practice.”

“Everyone here knows that, so I don’t know why some of them are getting so high and mighty about this,” claimed Penelope, Khloë and Ciaran’s mother. “It isn’t right. Raini hasn’t done a damn thing wrong.”

“Yet,” sniped Risa. “I still say we should have been told about this.”

Evangeline hmphed. “None of you really care that you didn’t know of it beforehand. For all of you, this is about Doyle, not Raini. But that’s the point. She isn’t Doyle.”

“But she could be if she lost her anchor,” an elderly woman piped up. “They’re bonded now. If that bond broke—”

“If, if, if.” Jolene flicked her hand. “There are plenty of people here who would be extremely dangerous if they ever turned rogue—you know who you are. And the only way I will eject Raini from this lair is if every one of you other dangerous demons are prepared to leave as well.” Jolene folded her arms and raised an expectant brow, but nobody announced an intention to leave.

“Have any of you stopped to think about why those messages were sent?” asked Lachlan. “Seriously, think of the demons who received those texts. They’re all people who don’t have a lot of time or affection for my Raini—which makes them idiots, on a side note—and who’d be happy to spread the word. The sender knew that. This was done to turn her own lair against her. I wouldn’t have thought it’d have worked. I thought you were all far too sharp than to let some bastard use you as pawns in a game.” Lachlan shrugged. “I guess I was wrong. Which is rare.”

A demon in the front bristled. “We’re not letting ourselves be used as pawns.”

“Aren’t you?” asked Lachlan. “I beg to fucking differ, because you’re doing exactly what they want you to do. You’re letting yourselves be moved around like pieces on a chessboard in their game to fuck with Raini’s life.”

“Whoever sent the texts just thought we were entitled to know the truth,” claimed Dwain’s cousin.

Martina let out a soft snort. “Seriously, Gabby? You’re talking stupid, and you know it. If Dwain did send those messages, he did it through a spoofing site. Why? Why not use his own cell phone? Why, if he’s really so very innocent, is he nowhere to be found? And why, pray tell, did he lie to the entire lair that he was mated? Face it, you were played. Perhaps by Dwain, perhaps by someone else. If none of you think the timing is a little too coincidental, if none of you think it isn’t a little suspicious that the receivers of the texts are people who would spread the word, then I don’t fucking get it.”

“Me neither,” said Penelope.

Several others nodded or voiced their agreement, most of whom were imps. Maybe it was because they considered Raini half imp that they were more accepting than others, or maybe it was because—as a breed that was used to others holding their very nature against them—they knew how it felt to have others act all disapproving toward them.

On the other hand, it could simply be that they didn’t give much of a shit how powerful she was. It wouldn’t surprise her if the most dominant thought in their head was that they needed to get back to whatever illegal activity they’d been up to before being called here.

Jolene spoke then: “If Raini had harmed any of you, it would be different. But she hasn’t. Not even when one of you pissed her off—and yes, a number of you did that over the years. Men who didn’t like that she turned them down. Women who were jealous that the men they wanted were more interested in Raini. People who resented that they or their partners couldn’t help but be affected by her allure. Raini never once used psychic hellfire against any of you. So why would you use this against her? Are you really going to make her pay for what Doyle did?”

“We don’t want to make her pay,” an older male said. “We just worry about what could happen. I don’t think she’d use the ability against us while in her right mind. I truly don’t. I think Raini’s a very nice young woman, and I have nothing whatsoever against her. But if she turned rogue … ” He let the sentence trail off and shrugged.

“Let’s look at this from a logical point of view,” said Bram. “Raini will never turn rogue so long as she has an anchor. Doyle chose to go rogue after his own anchor died, but I don’t foresee Raini ever making such a choice. Besides, Maddox Quentin is not an easy demon to kill. He’s deadlier than most people here.”

It was true. And it made her demon feel rather smug and proud.

“He has halo-bearers on his ass right now, though,” said Dwain’s father.

“And he has killed each and every one who came at him,” Lachlan pointed out. “I consider that worth noting, because those rat bastards don’t make easy opponents.”

Again, there was a short silence.

One of Raini’s neighbors exhaled heavily. “Okay, people have had their chance to moan and whine and ask questions. Can we not just all agree it ain’t a big deal and go? Because I don’t know about the rest of you, but I’m feeling pretty nervous that all the kids are together in the indoor gym with only the juveniles to watch over them. Last time that happened, one of the young ones started chasing the others with a lawnmower—and I still don’t know where they got that lawnmower.”

Scratching the back of his head, Bram nodded. “It’s a good lawnmower. I’ve used it a time or two.”

“Which really isn’t relevant,” Risa snapped.

“Neither is the shit that’s been tumbling out of that hole in your face,” said Bram, to which a lot of people snickered.

“If any of you have come here to demand that Raini be ostracized, it was a waste of your time,” said Jolene. “The only way I would consider such a thing ‘fair’ is if every other person here with lethal abilities was prepared to leave. Of course, those who remained would need to vow that if any of their children developed a deadly gift they would declare it to the entire lair. Are you all prepared to do those things? Raise your hand if so.”

A few meekly did, but when they realized that not many others had, they lowered their hands.

Jolene’s mouth thinned. “I thought so. Go home and have a good, long think about just how easily you’ve been manipulated into coming after a woman who’s done nothing at all to you. I personally wouldn’t much like what it said about me.”

Once the crowd had left, Ciaran heaved a sigh. “Man, that was rough.”

Swallowing, Raini nodded, though “rough” was an understatement. “I suppose it could have gone worse. Some did speak up for me.”

“Even though many fear you now, there are only a few who’re unhappy with you being here,” said Jolene. “But that doesn’t make it any easier for you, I know.”

No, it didn’t make it easier. These were her lair members, for Christ’s sake. Raini wouldn’t have shit on them this way—not even those she didn’t like all that much. “You know, it occurred to me that whoever did this knew exactly who in the lair would be an enemy of mine. Only an insider could truly know all that.”

Jolene sighed. “Yes, out of our suspects, only Dwain and Demi would possess that knowledge. And since Dwain wasn’t trusted with the knowledge of your ability—”

Evangeline stiffened. “It wasn’t Demi.”

Jolene turned to her, all compassion. “We have to consider that she may be behind this.”

Evangeline wildly shook her head. “She could have told Dwain while drunk or something. Or maybe she trusted him with the information. He is her anchor.”

“It’s possible,” Jolene conceded. “But bear in mind that the one person most likely to be angry about Raini finding and bonding with her anchor is Demi. She’d be both furious and bitter enough to do this, because Raini has what Demi herself wants.”

Lachlan rubbed at his face. “I can’t deny that, but the world also thinks that Raini and Maddox are a couple. Dwain would hate that, wouldn’t he? He doesn’t want her to be happy.”

Evangeline slashed a hand through the air. “I won’t believe that Demi has any part in this.”

Jolene touched her arm. “I understand that. I do. I just can’t afford to think as you do. I have to be objective. You know that.”

Evangeline nodded. “I do. And I’m grateful, for Raini’s sake, that you are. But … ” She turned to Raini, her eyes wet and full of apology.

“It’s okay, Mom. Really. I get it.” Raini honestly did, because she knew that her mother would have so staunchly defended her in such a situation until given proof of Raini’s guilt. Plus … “Like you, I’m still holding out hope that it isn’t her.” Sliding her gaze to Jolene, Raini asked, “Do you think anyone will decide to leave because you’ve refused to banish me?”

“It may happen,” replied Jolene. “But it would be more likely that some would threaten to leave, thinking it will make me change my mind. It won’t. There is no way I will punish you or anyone else for something you haven’t done.”

God, the woman was awesome. A lot of Primes might have acted differently just to keep the peace among their lair, but not Jolene. She stood for what she believed in. Stood for every one of her demons.

Raini bit her lip. “Things won’t be the same anymore, will they? There are some who’ll never trust me ever again now that they know what I can do.”

Lachlan squeezed her shoulder. “Some might be assholes toward you, but not all. What really pisses me off is that if they were in a life-or-death situation and the only way out was for you to use that ability to save them, they’d expect you to do it. Not one person would tell you not to.”

Beck nodded. “I think a big reason why they reacted this way was shock. Once the knowledge has sunk in and they’ve been forced to look at the situation from every angle, I doubt it’ll seem so terrible to them.”

Raini wasn’t so sure, but it was a nice thought.

Blindsided by the whole thing, Raini was in something of a daze as Ciaran teleported her back to the penthouse. At his recommendation, she telepathed Harper to report what happened before one of the sphinx’s relatives beat Raini to it.

Naturally, Harper, Devon and Khloë soon turned up at the penthouse—all furious with not only the boycotter but the people in the lair who, in Harper’s words, needed “to get off their high fucking horses now.” The sphinx had also proposed that Raini simply join her lair, which Devon and Khloë thought was the best idea ever. And right then, when Raini felt so let down, it didn’t seem such a bad idea to switch lairs—which Maddox would love, since he pressured her to join his on a daily basis. And the fact that the majority of his lair were now pretty nice to her was eating at her “I’m not welcome there” argument.

Not wanting Raini to be alone, Harper tried convincing her to stay at her house that night, but Raini wasn’t in the mood for company. Respecting that, the girls eventually left, but not before making Raini promise to call if she changed her mind.

She traipsed into the bathroom and over to the freestanding tub, intending to have a long soak in a hot bath, but then she just stood there. Was this really happening? Had some of her lair really turned on her because of an ability she hadn’t asked to have?

Groaning, she turned and sat on the edge of the tub. She officially hated whoever had sent those texts. Officially. Hated them.

Until she’d stood outside the center while people scowled at her and implied she had no right being part of the lair, Raini had always felt safe and at ease among the members. They were like one big family—a family that, yeah, didn’t always get along and had some assholes scattered around it, but still a family.

Now, she felt like an outsider. And she had no idea if things would get better or worse. She only knew she’d never forget this feeling; never be able to look at the people who’d turned on her today without remembering the stuff they’d said. Things really wouldn’t ever be the same again.

She almost jumped as Maddox abruptly appeared in front of her. “Jesus, you need to start giving me telepathic warnings before you show up.”

Maddox’s gaze flitted over her face. “What is it?”

She sighed and gave him a brittle smile. “You’ll be pleased to hear that the boycotter isn’t one of your demons.”

He very slowly tipped his head to the side. “And why would you believe it isn’t one of mine?”

“Because they don’t know every person in my lair who’d dislike me enough to be willing to spread a destructive rumor about me.”

“What sort of rumor?”

“That I can wield psychic hellfire. Yep, either Dwain or someone posing as him texted the information through a spoofing site to several people who aren’t fans of mine. He shouldn’t know I have that ability, but my mom’s right that Demi could have told him. She might have even done it hoping he would leak the info, since I’m not so sure it’s something she could have brought herself to personally do.”

“But she wouldn’t have felt so bad about it if Dwain told people,” Maddox mused. “She could have denied culpability in her own mind and to others.”

“Exactly.”

“How did the lair take it?”

“Most are in shock.” Raini swallowed and rubbed her thighs. “Jolene called a meeting. I was there and—”

“You left the building?” His eyes blazed. “You left without telling Carmen?”

Raini winced. “I shouldn’t have, I know. But she would have told you we were heading out, and you would have wanted to be present. Jolene would have fought you on it, and you would have refused to stay away. Then you two would have been at each other’s throats, and there was enough shit going on without—”

“Breathe, Raini.” He curled his hand around the side of her neck, the anger in his eyes dimming.

“But now you’ll lecture me, and I don’t think I can take it without gouging out your eyes—my mood is just foul.”

“Yes, I can see you won’t manage your usual cooperative act tonight. I won’t lie, I’m pissed you didn’t tell me what was happening or that you were leaving the penthouse.”

“Carmen will be mad about the latter, too.”

“Yes, she will. But she’ll be more pissed at me, just as I am.”

“You are?”

“Yes, because if you felt you could trust that I wouldn’t go head-to-head with Jolene, you wouldn’t have been so torn earlier. I never want you to feel you have to keep things from me. It’s my fault that you do.”

Raini stared at him, her lips parted. “Okay, I totally didn’t expect you to be so … reasonable.”

“It’s hard to be mad at you when you look so vulnerable. The meeting went badly, I take it.”

“It did. There are people who’re massively pissed that they weren’t told about my ability and who even want me gone, but they’re in the minority. Still, it sucks balls.”

Hating how alone and desolate she looked, Maddox took her hands, tugged her to her feet, and pulled her close. “Tell me the rest,” he coaxed, sweeping a hand down her back. Absentmindedly picking at his shirt, she told him all that was said at the meeting. With every word she spoke, his anger built and built. “Sounds to me as if the people who don’t much like you have tried using this as an excuse to get rid of you or, failing that, to at least piss you off,” he said.

“Maybe. God, it was horrible. I think some will probably leave the lair. They may even try to stir others into leaving with them.”

“Good. You don’t need people like that around you. It infuriates me that they so easily turned on you. I’m sorry that happened. It may be that everything will settle once they’ve had time to get used to it. It’ll be old news soon.”

“But things won’t ever be the same. There’ll be people who won’t trust me, or who won’t trust my control when I’m drunk so will insist I don’t drink at parties, or who might even avoid me altogether or keep their kids away from me.” Raini let her forehead rest on his chest. “Your demons—people who don’t even know me, who didn’t grow up with me—accepted my ability better and more easily than some of my own lair members did.”

He palmed her nape. “I don’t think it would have worked out that way if our history had included a Doyle. They haven’t seen how destructive your ability can be, or lost people to a rogue demon with said ability. We don’t have the scars that your lair has.”

“I know. And I know it isn’t rational of me to think that everyone from my lair might have taken the news a lot better—”

“It’s not irrational that you’d hoped that they would have reacted differently.” It was merely an emotional hope. He squeezed her nape. “Come home with me.”

She raised her head. “I was going to have a hot bath and relax and watch TV.”

“If you stay here, your relatives will appear to check on you and keep you company because they love and worry about you. But I don’t think you could deal with the fuss right now.”

“You’re right, I couldn’t. I still feel too overwhelmed by everything.”

“Then come with me. I have a bathtub and a TV, remember. You can stick to the plans you had. You’ll just follow through with them somewhere else.”

She swallowed. “I’d be really shit company. I feel so … lost at the moment.”

She looked it, and it made both him and his demon anxious to fix everything for her. Maddox let his fingers drift through her hair. “You’re not lost, baby. I have you.” He gave her nape another gentle squeeze. “And I’m not looking for company or conversation. I just don’t want you to be alone. So I’m not taking no for an answer. You’re coming with me.”

She let out a weak chuckle. “You’re a bossy bitch at times.”

He felt his mouth curve. “It doesn’t bother you as much as you thought it would.”

“You know, weirdly enough, it doesn’t.”