in any direction. “I also patched up that day-old wound in your side,” he called from his kitchen. “What did you do, stick it together with glue?”
I cracked an eye open and saw Stefan smile. “Yeah,” I replied. “Learned that from some cocky demon hunter.”
“Great.” Jerry clearly wasn’t impressed. “No more self diagnosis. Next time, come to me for surgical tape.” His rich voice boomed in the tiny space, but where it should have been intimidating, it warmed me. “On the plus side, the gunshot wound in your shoulder is healing well.”
Stefan shook his head. “How have you not died?”
“I did.” I fired back and then regretted it as his lips pressed into a thin line, and his guilty gaze flicked away. I shrugged a shoulder, and then groaned as a wave of hot nausea crashed over me. “Ryder shot me a few weeks ago.”
“Really?” Stefan’s light tone implied mild curiosity, but the slight growl spoiled the effect.
“I don’t think he likes me right now.”
“Don’t believe it. When Ryder had me holed up at the lake house, he wouldn’t shut up about you. I was sick of hearing Muse this, Muse that, especially as I had some…issues with you. He worked damn hard at trying to convince me you weren’t Akil’s pawn.”
I listened to the peaks and troughs of Stefan’s voice. I heard light humor but something else too, something darker, hidden deep. “Well, we sorta had a falling out. He shot me, and I threw whiskey in his face.” I didn’t want to go into how Ryder had executed a nine-year-old half-blood girl in front of me.
“Ryder will tell it to you straight, whether you wanna hear it or not.” Stefan chuckled a soft, gentle laugh. “I knocked him out once. No, twice.”
“You did?” I turned my head again and blinked at Stefan. Even in my beaten-up state, it didn’t take much for my thoughts to wander and the memory of the kiss to tingle on my lips.
“He’s stubborn.”
“Takes one to know one.”
“Yes…” He nodded, “Yeah, it does.” He held my gaze. “He’ll come around. Talk to him.”
That ship had sailed. “Maybe.”
“He cares about you, and he’s proud of you. Maybe leave out how you let a Scorsi demon take you down. It’s not like they’re stealthy. Or particularly bright.”
“Hey, pal, there were car alarms going off, and you were all sparkly.” And I was still getting over the shot of desire he’d dumped into my veins.
“You mentioned that.”
“Well, it’s worth saying again. I can’t be held responsible for my actions around you.” Wasn’t that the truth? Back in that garage, he’d moved like the Prince of Hell he was: strikes lethal, aim true. He’d toyed with those demons. Even the hellhound. He was sexy as hell and too dangerous for me to even entertain the idea of getting involved with. He undid my control with a glance, a kiss. The intensity of that moment, the raging hot lust, the debilitating hunger to have him… I couldn’t get close again. Even now, sick as a dog, remnants of the desire I felt for him tingled in places.
I turned my head away. “Thanks for getting me out of there.”
He strode closer. “Be careful, Muse. To stop Val, I need you.”
Right. I blinked. Because he wouldn’t need me for anything else? I nodded, not trusting my voice. Was that all he had returned for? Was he using me? No, Stefan wasn’t Akil. He didn’t manipulate with every breath. He’d lied, but only to protect me. But, Stefan had said it himself. He was more demon now than human. What if he’d only come back to get what he wanted, by any means necessary, and part of that plan was messing with me? He’d once believed I’d plotted against him. Did he still? I met his level gaze and wondered what his demon was telling him as he looked down at me. Was I a tool? A means to an end? Was there revenge on his mind? The Prince of Wrath had a purpose now. His demon would have what he wanted.
He must have read something of my concern in my expression. “Are we okay?”
“Sure. I’m just…tired.”
He seemed satisfied I would live, gave Jerry his thanks, and left. I squandered the rest of the day virtually comatose on Jerry’s couch in between bouts of heaving. Jerry hung around to make sure I didn’t choke on my own vomit. He asked me if the rumors about Akil’s disappearance were true. I told him