fear and fury, but she remained steady beside him, even faced with two of the most powerful beings in any realm. It impressed and bothered him. Was there more to her than she’d let on? Or was she simply courageous?
She damn well wasn’t stupid.
“She’d never get a chance to put a knife in my heart. If by some freak chance she managed, it would only piss me off, not kill me.”
Once upon a time, it might have. But he’d changed and evolved, far more than either being in front of him. By necessity, he’d been forced to grow or die. Growth was painful, but better than the alternative, especially since he had no idea where he’d land when life ended and wasn’t in any hurry to find out.
For eons, he’d kept that tidbit to himself. No need to draw their attention unnecessarily. He’d been content to live and let live. But they were determined to drag him back into their never-ending schemes for power and dominance, each of them trying to prove their dick was bigger than the other’s. It was aggravating.
“One likes to cover all the bases.” Lucifer then turned to Gabriel. “I find myself surprised to find you here, brother.”
“Fuck off, Lucifer. This doesn’t concern you.”
“Oh, it most definitely does. Morrigan is my hunter. And I will have her back now.” He held out his hand. “Come.”
She stiffened beside him but didn’t budge. Either she was too scared or assumed he’d protect her.
He caught the slightest movement. She did have a third option. She was getting ready to fight, putting her weapons in a better position to use them. Morrigan was willing to take on both men with nothing more than a gun and knife, neither of which would make a dent in them.
So, he told the king of Hell the same thing he had Gabriel. “No.” It was oddly satisfying to see the shocked expression on the devil’s face at being told he couldn’t have something. Gabriel smirked at his brother, which only made him angrier.
“I’m not talking to you. Morrigan, come.”
“I’m not a dog,” she muttered.
“What was that?” Lucifer’s eyes began to glow. “You’re not a dog? But I can make you beg like one, even bark.”
Fear bled from her pores, leaving a nasty stench in his nostrils.
A smile crossed the devil’s face. He was enjoying himself just a little too much.
Help came from a surprising quarter. “You need to leave,” Gabriel informed his brother.
“Stay out of this. She is my hunter. Thus, this comes under my domain. Go back to Heaven like a good boy.”
A faint light seeped from the pores of Gabriel’s skin, a sure sign of his agitation. As entertaining as it might be to watch the two of them battle it out, it was neither the time nor the place. Not with so many people around.
Usually, they took great pains to hide their activities from humans. They were masters of manipulation, keeping a stranglehold on access to information, controlling and manipulating what was known about angel and demonkind.
After all, information was power. With it, they spun lies or told the truth, depending on what they wanted to achieve.
Maccus pushed out of the booth. Both men took a wary step back before they caught themselves.
He inwardly smiled with satisfaction. They didn’t know what to think. And he was going to keep them guessing.
He held out his hand to Morrigan. She slipped her gun in her shoulder holster, but kept her knife in her left hand, turning the blade so her jacket covered it. Then she took his hand.
“Your contract still belongs to me,” Lucifer reminded her.
“As a bounty hunter,” she agreed. Her voice shook, but she looked square at her boss. Her fingers squeezed his hard. If he’d been human, his hand would be broken.
“And if you die on the job, your soul comes back to Hell,” he reminded her. “Then, I’ll torture you for all eternity.”
Punching the bastard in his smug mouth would be satisfying, but he managed to refrain. It