Chapter Twenty-Two

Dakata

Miller wore a look of shock when his gaze connected with Dakata’s, although he said nothing as Silas slid over the back seat and perched himself on Dakata’s lap, watching out the window as they drove through the busy streets. As far as Dakata knew, Silas usually only ventured into town in the evening. Seeing the same sights during the day would be something different for him.

“Miller, can you take us to the drive-through burger joint on Saddle Street, please.” Dakata gave their destination the moment he got Silas settled.

“Sir,” Miller croaked out in alarm. “A burger joint?”

The skepticism was clear to hear. Dakata chuckled as Silas glanced toward the driver, then raised a brow at Dakata. “I don’t frequent places that sell that type of food,” Dakata explained.

“You don’t? We can go somewhere else,” Silas offered, but Dakata could hear the disappointment.

He gave in to the urge and kissed the top of Silas’s head, getting another alarmed look from Miller. Dakata was enjoying himself enough he had to hold back the next chuckle. “No, Miller will take us to Ruby’s, they have the best burgers, I’m told.”

Silas’s backside jiggled against Dakata, and he groaned under his breath when this brought a cheeky grin from Silas.

“Behave,” he murmured, not meaning it at all. Silas’s smile got bigger, suggesting he’d figured that out.

Only before he could do anything, they arrived at their destination. Met with so many choices, Silas’s attention became fixed on the board outlining all the possibilities. To Dakata they all looked the same.

“I can’t decide between the double burger with bacon and jack cheese, or the green chili cheeseburger?”

“You can get both,” Dakata suggested when Silas sucked his lower lip between his teeth, looking conflicted.

When Silas still didn’t answer, Dakata took matters into his own hands, ordering them both, ignoring the car that honked behind them.

Back on the road again, barely three minutes later, Dakata watched in fascination as Silas nibbled on the first one, then the other burger, having moved back on to the seat next to him.

“Do you have a favorite?” The smell in the car had Dakata regretting his decision not to purchase a burger for himself.

Silas shook his head as he carefully tugged both burgers in half and offered the two different halves to Dakata. “Let’s share and we can compare choices.”

Dakata kissed Silas’s smiling mouth, tasting the hint of chili. “Thank you,” he murmured, lingering a moment longer.

A choking noise came from Miller, and Dakata gave him a hard stare. “Watch where you’re going.”

“Sorry, sir,” Miller mumbled apologetically.

When they pulled up to Dakata’s office building, Silas licked his fingers clean from the relish. His attention returned to the outside of the car. “That’s a big building, do you own it all?”

“Yes.” Dakata glanced at Miller. His hand slipped into his pocket to rub the summoning stones to give himself an energy boost. “Be back in two hours.”

Dakata couldn’t hold back his laughter when Miller jerked to twist in his seat and stare openmouthed at him. “Two hours, sir?”

“Yes, you heard me.” He didn’t wait for a reply and slipped out of the car to walk around the hood to open the door for Silas, whose attention remained on the building. Dakata took hold of his elbow and guided him inside. He nodded at those who stopped to stare. His face was a mask of indifference.

Once in the elevator, he eased Silas closer to him and gave him a resounding kiss. When Dakata let him go, Silas wore a bemused expression. “I needed a fix before we face some of my family.”

“Ohh.” Silas giggled. “I don’t mind if you want to kiss me in front of your family.”

Dakata scowled and shook his head. “No one I’m related to has any boundaries, and they’ll only go on about it if I do,” he explained as they exited the elevator, Dakata hand returning to Silas’s elbow, wanting—needing—to keep contact with him. “Believe me, you don’t need that annoyance in your life.”

Scott’s head rose as they approached and whatever he was thinking about Dakata’s appearance with Silas, he kept to himself. He rose gracefully. “Sir.”

“Scott. This is Silas. He’s important to me, therefore he’s important to you.” Dakata nodded to his closed office door. “Who’s in there?”

“Christa and Luka.” Scott’s lips pursed for a brief second, the only outward sign of his frustration. “They took over your office a couple of days ago.”

Dakata continued past Scott, keeping hold of Silas. “Follow me.”

He didn’t wait to see if Scott had followed, he knew the demon would not question him.

He opened the door silently, though the two occupants who stood toe to toe didn’t notice as they yelled at each other.

“This should be my office, you need to find somewhere else because I’m not listening to you talking all day,” Luca snapped.

“Your office? Give over. You think because you have balls, it gives you rights, demon?” Christa screeched back.

“Children,” Dakata said with enough force to make the walls shake. “This is my office and if this is how you both conduct yourselves at work, behaving like irresponsible toddlers, I don’t know what I was thinking, giving you the responsibility for taking care of my business.”

Luka and Christa shut up as if Dakata had shaken them. Silas, apparently totally unaffected by Dakata’s outburst, stepped forward with a smile. He offered his hand to Christa first. “Hi, now there is no threat, it’s lovely to meet you Christa, I’m Silas.”

Christa, all smiles, came forward, hips swaying, hair gleaming as she tossed her head. “Lovely to meet you, darling.” She ignored the hand and brought him in for a hug.

The size difference meant Silas’s head ended up squished against her chest as she gave him an enthusiastic hug. By the time Silas managed to get free, his face was plum colored. Dakata’s lips twitched when Luka opened his arms in welcome.

Silas looked to gather himself as he took a step toward Luka. But Dakata, seeing the glint in his brother's eye, stepped between them and gave Luka a warning look. “Behave,” he muttered, and Silas once more lifted his hand, which Luka—the clever brother—took or he would have risked losing a few teeth.

“You’re Luka, right?”

“The more attractive brother, yes.” Luka was all smarmy swarthiness.

Silas eyed him. “I can see why you might think that.” His attention swung to Dakata, and the look he wore would have felled a tree. The emotions behind it blew Dakata away. All he wanted was a private place to express his reaction to Silas. “My tree and I are thrilled with the universe's choice for us.”

The sexy undertone hit Dakata smack bang in the chest.

“That told you,” Christa said gleefully gaining a scowl from Luka.

“Hells bells, I need someone to keep you both in check.” The moment the words left Dakata’s lips, the air shimmered to alert him to another demon’s presence and Merihem appeared, naked and furious.

“What did you do!” Merihem snarled at Dakata, all quivering limbs and flashing eyes. The demon looked about fit to explode into a raging rampage.

Dakata stepped quickly in front of Silas. “Me?” he exclaimed angrily, unsure what the hell was going on as he met Merihem’s anger head on.

Merihem jabbed a finger into Dakata’s massive chest, almost pushing him back. “Asmodeus, he sent me here as a punishment for helping you without seeking permission. I’m stuck in this realm until,”—his fingers made a motion for inverted commas—“I prove I can be trusted.”

Dakata deflated at causing his best friend to be demoted from his trusted position to the point of being cast out, no matter how temporary it might be. “Did he say how you were meant to prove that trust?” Dakata asked, getting a strange feeling in the pit of his stomach. Was it possible that his comment was connected in some way to the decision to send Merihem here—now?

“To keep your siblings in order!” Merihem grumbled, sagging as he said it. He glanced at Luka and Christa and groaned. “It’s fucking babysitting. How damn degrading is that?”

The words lacked anger although they did hold a whole heap of self-pity as Merihem walked to the chair behind Dakata’s desk and sat down hard enough it groaned in distress.

Scott’s attention on Merihem’s ass garnered a grin from Christa and brought Dakata’s attention to Silas, who was getting more than an eye full.

“Can you put on some clothes?” He said, trying to make sure Silas’s view of Merihem was blocked.

Merihem waved a hand, and a second later, dressed in jeans and a T-shirt, he glowered at everyone. “I’ll be fucking expected to wear clothes all the damn time because of others shitty sensibilities!”

“Unfortunately, yes, you will. Luka, Christa, and Scott might be okay with you being naked and in your demon form. Those non-demons you’re gonna need to work with closely won’t be so understanding.” Dakata’s mind was racing with possibilities. Out of anyone, Merihem had more of an understanding of how his business worked, despite living in the demon realm most of the time. Dakata had talked through all his major decisions with the stoic looking demon who sat forward.

“You’re expecting me to manage your business,” he was back to jabbing with his meaty digits, “and these two as well!”

Dakata nodded because it was the answer to his worries about how he’d be able to balance his new life with his old one. “Who better than ‘the controller’,” he replied, doing his best to hide his glee at such a brilliant solution.

Whether or not Asmodeus realized it, he’d just done Dakata a huge favor.

Merihem threw up his arms and got up to stomp about. Christa looked as amused as Dakata, whereas Luka wore a pissed expression.

Scott’s face was neutral when Merihem stopped in front of him. “You’re gonna have to use some sort of code with me because I ain’t wearing clothes when I don’t have to!”

Dakata took that as Merihem’s acceptance. “Thank you, Meri.”

He glared at Dakata. “Don’t thank me yet! And I want your house. I’m gonna have to live somewhere, and I know you’re not a fan of slumming it.”

That was easy, Dakata didn’t need it when he would live with Silas close to their tree, although he did look to Silas for approval first. Silas came over and slipped an arm around Dakata’s waist, looking up with a smile. “You have lovely friends and family. And sharing is caring.”

Merihem snorted. “Don’t try sweet talking me, you’re on my shit list, too.”

Silas’s brows rose. “Shit list? Is that something I want to be on?”

The room erupted with laughter, even Scott couldn’t hold back.

Dakata ran a gentle finger over the furrow between Silas’s brows. “Not really, but I wouldn’t worry about it.” He couldn’t resist, so didn’t and kissed Silas’s sweet mouth. “I’ll get you out of it.”

His smile reappeared, and it was like a cloud had passed over the sun, only for it to reappear and brighten the room. Silas genuinely glowed from the inside out. “Good.” He glanced at the others in the room. “So, what sort of things do you do around here? Show me this business of yours.”

A chance to show off. Dakata and his demon were more than happy to agree.