mister. That’s not yours.”
He offered her the pen, his eyes smiling.
“Good boy,” said Khloé, taking it back. He reached for her, flexing his little fists, so she took him into her arms. “You’re ridiculously adorable, you know.”
Harper put her hands on her hips. “How come he so easily obeys you?”
“He knows he can’t handle this much crazy yet.”
Levi snickered. “Can’t argue with that.”
Asher pointed to the vending machine. “Candy.”
“You want candy? I can make that happen.” Khloé crossed to the machine and bumped the side of it with her fist. Instantly, it whirred to life and dropped a Hershey’s bar.
“I do it,” said Asher. He smacked the machine with his little hand, frowning when nothing happened. He huffed. “Gossake!”
Knowing it was his way of saying, “For God’s sake,” she had to laugh. Noticing that Harper didn’t find it so amusing, Khloé said, “At least he’s not spouting swear words.” Yet.
Flames engulfed a bag of chips inside the machine, and then that same bag of chips appeared in a burst of fire … right in Asher’s open hand. His face lit up, and he let out one of his infectious giggles. “Mama, look!”
“I see, I see.” Smiling, Harper took him from Khloé and nuzzled his neck. “Want to sit on the big chair again while you eat your ill-gotten goods? You guys wouldn’t believe how many times a day he uses his gifts to steal shit from people. It makes Grams so proud,” Harper added, rolling her eyes.
“He might be a sphinx like his mom,” began Raini, “but he’s an imp in his soul.”
Khloé nodded. “And don’t we all just think that’s fabulous?” she said, completely serious. Everyone stared at her. Frowning, she lifted her shoulders. “What?”
*
“Thank you, Meg,” Knox said to the Hispanic she-demon as she cleared the dining room table, piling dishes and silverware onto a tray.
Meg inclined her head with a fond smile and then left the room. She’d worked at Knox’s estate for years and did everything from housekeeping to watching over Asher.
Full to his stomach, Keenan leaned back in his chair. He was always guaranteed a gourmet meal if he ate at Knox and Harper’s home. Meg was a damn good cook.
With its spacious rooms, high ceilings, chandeliers, and bulletproof blue-tinted windows, the modern piece of architecture was the height of luxury. It wasn’t showy or pretentious, though. It had both charm and warmth. Still, it wasn’t until Harper came along and added personal touches to the place that it truly felt like a home.
She was currently upstairs with Asher, intending to give him a bath before putting him to bed. The toy car he’d left on the table had disappeared in a burst of flames a few moments ago, so he’d obviously called for it. The kid was a hoot.
Eying Keenan, Knox picked up his half-empty glass. “So … you slept with Khloé.”
Keenan didn’t let his expression change. “Did I?”
“It was obvious to me just by the way you were looking at her earlier, but that’s only because I know you so well.” Knox sipped his wine. “Was it merely a one-night stand?”
Keenan cast a quick look at the closed dining room door. He was a private person and didn’t like airing his personal business.
“Meg can’t hear us from here,” said Knox. “She’ll be busy in the kitchen for a while.”
Yeah, Keenan could hear dishware clattering and water running from a faucet. “Khloé and I agreed it would be a one-time thing.”
“For a person who’s finally had the very thing they’ve wanted for years, you don’t seem happy about it. Is your demon pushing you for a repeat? You usually only wear that ‘don’t speak to me’ expression when your demon’s riding you about something. You said it liked her just fine. Was that an understatement?”
It was more than a damn understatement. The demon wanted a lot more than just a repeat. It had been in a foul mood ever since Keenan left Khloé’s home in the early hours of this morning, and it had gotten progressively worse throughout the day. The entity wanted to be at her side—she amused and entertained it, giving it a break from the relentless boredom that plagued all demons.
When Keenan had heard that Enoch had struck again, a fury like he’d never felt had torn through his system, just as it had coursed through his demon. They both wanted to track down the son of a bitch and kill him with their bare hands. They also wanted to yell