Not that Morrigan blamed him. The picture was a total shock. To a man like him, being shown in such a vulnerable position would be untenable.
The world continued to move around them unchanged. People milled about and talked about the art or who was sleeping with whom. She caught snippets of the conversation but mostly let it drift by.
The man beside her was her priority, and not only because she’d need him to survive. The irony of the situation was if she killed him, she’d be free of her contract. And the way he was right now? She could probably slam her blade into his heart with no problem.
But she knew him now, intimately. He wasn’t just a picture Lucifer had handed her. He wasn’t just another contract.
Stupid. Stupid. Stupid.
The mantra ran in her brain on a continual loop. But she couldn’t betray the only friend she’d had for the past decade, the only person she’d trusted at her back since the fateful day her life had changed.
No one approached them. Maccus exuded a fuck-off vibe that was most effective. Even the women were giving him cautious and fearful looks rather than lustful.
She could live with that.
The tall, thin man that had been with her sister earlier strolled toward them. Her demon radar pinged. No doubt about it. And since he was one, there was no need to be polite. “Fuck off and leave us alone.”
He looked down at her and gave a slight sniff, as though smelling something bad, before turning his attention to Maccus. “My lord, the good lady Kayley requests your presence.”
Was this guy for real with his “my lord” and “good lady?” What did he think this was? Some Medieval romance novel?
The demon glanced at her again, and this time didn’t even bother to try hiding his disdain. “Alone.”
It hurt worse than it should have. What did she care what her sister’s lackey thought of her? She rounded up his kind and took them back to Hell. Maybe not this kind specifically, because up close, it was obvious he had a lot more power in him than the demons she usually handled.
It hurt that Kayley had sent him like some errand boy. It was a show of power to emphasize her position, and it was a lot higher on the food chain than Morrigan’s. It was also a snub that cut deep. She’d asked for Maccus, not her sister.
Kayley’s minion, because that’s what he was, gave a slight bow and held his arm out to one side. “Right this way, my lord.”
Maccus’s hand snapped out. He grabbed the man by the throat and yanked him forward until their noses were all but touching. The demon was choking, his eyes bulging slightly, “You do not speak to her in that way. Not ever. Do you understand?”
The guy was turning blue. As entertaining and gratifying as it was, they were starting to draw attention.
She touched Maccus on the arm. “I don’t think he can answer with you strangling him.”
He grunted and opened his hand. A human would have been dead, their throat crushed. The demon bent forward, gasping for air. “My apologies, my lord.” His eyes blazed red and promised retribution, but his tone was civil.
“And tell your mistress, if she wants to talk, she can come to me.” Then he went back to staring off into space. Morrigan wished she could see what was going on in his mind right now.
As the demon slid past her, he whispered, “You’re nothing more than a pawn. Your time is coming, and I’ll be waiting when it does.”
“Get in line,” she shot back—brave words when her knees were weak. There were already so many demons in Hell waiting for a crack at her, starting with the head guy himself.
Yeah, the afterlife was shaping up to be all kinds of fun.
The crackle of flames and screams of the damned filled her ears, the scent of burning flesh singed her nostrils. Fear skated down her spine. She broke out in a sweat, and her heart started to race.