12. Between a Rock & a Hard Place

ASHER

"I need your help, big brother."

Calianna's voice cycled through my head so many times that the nausea haunting my stomach was threatening to take action. I gritted my teeth until my entire jaw pulsed with agony.

"I know that I've already said this several times, but…this is a horrible idea." Archer remarked softly. He was looking out the same window that I was with those purple eyes fixed upon the coffee shop across the street.

Drawing in a deep breath, I refused to let my eyes linger on any one person for very long. "It's not like you to repeat yourself, Archer. Why bother me with that tonight?"

He released an amused snort. "It's hard to tell when you're really focused on a conversation these days… Can't blame you, really. That's a damn good find you have there with that new pet. Although I didn't expect you to admit a few days later that she's fucking royalty. Your father took it…extremely well for someone who doesn't like to leave the family home."

No shit.I lifted my jaw slightly to acknowledge his remark while I continued to study those lingering outside the late night hot spot. It wasn't one of the businesses that I had invested in. Coffee and books didn't exactly tempt the vast majority of the human population — or any of them, really. That didn't mean I would shut down another race's beloved business.

The irony that Calianna had chosen this place for us to meet.

I shifted my attention toward each person coming toward the shop. Most of them were dismissed quickly for the mere fact that they weren't attempting to conceal themselves. There wasn't an ounce of concern haunting their bodies. Annoyance quickly grew within me, leaving me to press my lips impatiently. Waiting outside of a coffee shop wasn't my favorite idea of how to pass the time when Quinn was back at the house.

My cock immediately hardened. There was a slight trace of her juices still on my fingers and the aroma was just strong enough to remind me of the promise I'd made to her. All we'd had to do was get through the surprise dinner and see what my father wanted to ask of me. I would heed his commands, certainly — after I buried myself in her pussy all night long. Gods, how much I wanted to be back home and doing just that.

"I think the dinner went quite well," Archer remarked. "Aside from Calianna calling you and asking you to leave said dinner. Quite nerve-wracking to leave Salvatore back there with your pet."

The noise that escaped my lips was nothing short of an annoyed one. I didn't need to be reminded that I'd had to duck out in the middle of a meal where my father seemed eager to continue with his little tests while he pondered the idea that my pet might just be something more where the bloodline was concerned.

The demon lord responded with soft grumbling that the unspoken insults weren't necessary.

Flexing my jaw to help work out the pulsing pains, I lifted my jaw and continued to study the shop. "I don't need the reminder, Archer." Hell, it seemed every time I lost control and knotted inside Quinn, someone else deemed it appropriate to interrupt the intoxicating moment. With my own demon lords, I could threaten violence should it happen again. Didn't mean that I couldn't go that far with my own blood, especially when my father was still king.

He exhaled sharply and shifted in his seat. "At least Santino seems to be quite invested in helping her through them all. Your pet is quite observant, catching onto those little cues he was eager to give her. Didn't think she'd remember to taste the wine first after the whole club incident."

It was certainly quite interesting to see what tests Salvatore threw Quinn's way — and if Santino was still paying enough attention to help guide her along. I just wasn't thrilled that I was now almost an hour away to meet with a wayward little sister who believed that I could help with the shit storm she'd caused.

Before I could finally draw the words together to respond, movement off to the side of the property attracted my attention. I narrowed my eyes as a small figure made a beeline for the coffee shop with their face concealed by a white hood. Most of their skin was completely covered by a combination of the jacket, gloves and other winter weather attire. That didn't stop the sleeve from riding up their arm when they reached out to tug open the front door.

All it took was a brief second for me to spot the small rose tattoo on the back of their left hand for me to know Calianna had arrived.

I turned my head slightly without tearing my gaze off the coffee shop. "Remain nearby in case I need you."

"Expecting an ambush, boss?"

Once Calianna disappeared inside and made her way toward the bookstore tucked into the back, I finally glanced back at the demon lord. "We're on the verge of a war with the angels, Archer. Marcillo has now recruited the Nephilim to aid his cause. I wouldn't put it past my own flesh and blood to act as bait on their behalf."

The demon lord clicked his tongue, his purple eyes flickering to the coffee shop. He reached into his suit pocket and tugged two small necklaces out. "One of the boys dropped this off before we headed out. Naria installed a tracker inside both of them. Far too tiny for someone to know it's there unless they know to look for it."

"What makes you think Calianna will accept a gift from me when we're nothing more than estranged?" I inquired softly as I reached out to tug it from his fingers. Faint chills trickled down my spine as I studied the small lion hanging from a dainty silver chain. There was no way in hell that I could argue with Archer. The fact he'd just admitted it had a beacon built into the damn thing was the only way I knew it was there.

"You're the prince of the demon kind." Archer snickered. "I don't think you'll have much of a problem convincing Calianna to take it."

I arched an eyebrow at him. "You just handed me two. What explanation are you expecting me to give?"

Archer shrugged. "You know your sister better than I. I'm sure you'll think of something. Just spin those little webs that you do." Relaxing in his seat, a coy grin spread across his face. "Hell, you seem to have done that extremely well if that pet of yours is no longer wearing a collar and there's no desire to escape. None of us expected you to break her in for a good while. Feisty spirit, that one."

I didn't realize how much I had grown fond of Quinn until the demon lord's word choice caused me to utter a deep growl that had even my driver flinching. Flexing my jaw, I tucked the necklaces into my own suit pocket. The way she could get under my skin like this — having me wrapped around her finger to where I couldn't function without her touch — was quite unexpected. It was a huge weakness where a prince like myself was concerned, yet I had no desire to remove her from my life. It took me a moment to get my riled rage back under control and a weary sigh escaped me. "Perhaps it would be best if you stopped referring to her as such."

"Guess that means no more playboy lifestyle, eh?" Although my eyes swung toward him, still mirroring the rage that pulsed through my veins, his grin grew. "That's not necessarily a bad thing. More unexpected, really."

I scoffed and tugged the seat belt free. "Don't go far. I want to ensure the trackers are working before she's out of my sight."

"Understood, boss."

Archer's body shimmered away by the time I shoved the car door open and eased out. As soon as my feet touched the ground, I paused long enough to button my suit jacket together. "Patrol the block for half an hour. This won't take long."

The driver turned his head slightly. "Yes, sire."

The SUV started pulling away from the curb as soon as I slammed the door shut behind me. I lingered long enough to ensure the driver heeded my command and started driving the requested path. As soon as it turned the corner, I ventured across the road. I tucked my hands into the pants pockets, ignoring the eyes that soon drifted my way.

"Hello, welcome to—" The young cashier behind the counter seemed to lose her voice once she realized just who had stepped into the coffee shop. Her blue eyes widened. Even her body no longer seemed willing to cooperate while her mind reeled at what she needed to do.

The petite blonde moving behind her, gathering ingredients to mix as she went, paused. "You can't forget the rest of the greeting, Carly," she hissed. Setting a styrofoam cup, she shifted so that she could peek at the cashier. "It's ‘Welcome to Marlee and Karlee's, would you like to try our pumpkin spice latte?' See? Simple. Easy—"

The fact that Carly had yet to acknowledge the criticism — and the rest of the shop going eerily quiet — seemed to draw her attention toward the front of the shop. I came to a halt just inside, my skin still crawling from the high pitched bell that had been set off over me. There wasn't an effort on my part to break the silence.

Having every single set of eyes in the room firmly locked on me was nothing out of the norm. Except this wasn't a scene that the prince of demons would willingly walk into. My pleasures revolved around the clubs and gambling casinos that I had helped build the family empire through. Hell, I'd even invested into some underground fighting that usually paid out well. So it didn't surprise me in the least that walking into the coffee shop had threatened to stop the world from spinning.

"P-Prince Asher!" the blonde rasped. She quickly ducked her head. When the others didn't follow suit, she snapped her fingers at them until the remaining women lowered theirs immediately. "What a pleasure to have you here in Marlee and Karlee's! Would you like a cup of coffee or our new latte? Completely on the house, of course!"

I finally pulled away from the front door. It took everything I had not to smirk as half of the tables immediately emptied with the customers eager to leave the shop. The fact that I wasn't known for associating with small mom and pop shops like this surely couldn't mean I was here with a good reason. From the dozen that hightailed it outside, the majority of them were angels.

As much as I enjoyed seeing them flee like ants scrambling for cover, it didn't appease the rage still swirling within me. I ignored the small fraction that remained and ventured closer to the counter. "A woman just came in. Where did she go?"

None of the three workers could utter a word, which left the blonde to point at the back.

My eyes strayed toward the small doorway with a little sign hanging from a nail beside it. Escape the real world, huh? I pressed my lips together and headed for the little bookstore tagged onto the shop. The amusement did everything it could to break free, but I managed to keep it suppressed until I made it into the back.

I immediately found myself with several walls completely covered with books, from the ceiling to the floor. My eyes flickered toward the colorful signs posted on each column. All it took was one glance for me to realize that most of this bookstore had been dedicated to the romance genre and I couldn't even begin to imagine what had been printed on those pages. Yet there was a thought that surprised me with the more I peered at them.

Did Quinn ever come by this shop? Would she trail her fingers along the books while her eyes scanned the spines for something of interest?

Of all things to calm that wild rage within me down and finally break that smirk out from the darkness. I made a mental note to question my pet once I got back to the house. Subtle movement in the corner of my eye quickly attracted my attention and the amusement dissolved when I spotted the same hood off in the back corner. I drifted toward the far aisle and narrowed my eyes. "I hope you have a good reason for dragging me all the way out here, Li."

The tiny thing stiffened. It took far too long before they turned. Calianna's wide blue eyes swung my way. As soon as our gazes locked, her fair skin took on an ashen shade that wasn't abnormal to see. "Big brother," she breathed. "Y-You came."

I spread my hands. "I didn't have much of a choice, did I? Father wants you found. He's quite livid with you."

She ducked her head, clasping her hands in front of her — well, the best she could with two romance novels clenched tightly against her palm. "I know." Her voice lowered to a soft whisper. If we weren't paranormal, then the words simply would have been lost to the abyss. "Thank you for coming…"

"Don't thank me yet," I growled. The sudden hot emotion leaking into my tone caused her to flinch. "Father flew out from Italy, Calianna. I am quite busy right now. The last thing I needed was him showing up at my door and demanding that I drop everything I am doing to come find you."

Calianna's jaw started to quiver and I could sense the tears weren't far off. Typical behavior for my little sister. There were three parts of her personality with one I rarely ever saw. She would either succumb to her ever growing sorrow or she would attack everything within range with the same rage we all carried. Tonight, it seemed that I would be graced with the one that seemed convinced the entire world was working against her. "You don't understand, Asher…"

"I don't understand?" I ventured down the aisle. Every step I took in her direction caused her weariness to grow tenfold. By the time there were only a few feet between us and I glared down at her, she had her back pressed against the books. "I am growing our empire! How does your little rebellion work in the family's favor when all you're doing is distracting me and putting our father at risk?"

She scoffed quietly, keeping her piercing eyes glued to the rough carpet beneath our feet. "Why is it a crime to think about myself for once and not the family? You know what waits for me if I go back home like Father demands, big brother! I'm to be sold off to the Moretti family and bear as many children as Alessandro demands. What kind of life is that for me?"

I reached out to rest my weight on the books stacked beside me. They were packed in here so tightly that I was able to lean forward and they didn't budge. Gritting my teeth, I brought my face as close as I could manage before she jerked away with a sniffle. "We were both born into roles already laid out by our ancestors. It is not up to us to feel happy with the choices left for us, Calianna."

My little sister responded with a noise that sounded a little too close to a scoff. Her sudden boldness was simply because she had averted her gaze and refused to sneak a peek at me to judge my reaction. "That's easy for you to say. You're going to take over the empire when Father passes. I don't want to spend the rest of my life acting as a vessel that pops out a baby a year!"

A deep chuckle rumbled from my chest, surprising her so much that her blue eyes flickered up toward me. I pulled away from her as she gaped at me. "What makes you think the Moretti family still wants your hand in marriage? The only thing you've proven from your recent stunt is that you might be more trouble than they're willing to take on."

The bookstore was flooded with silence as Cailanna mused over my words. I lifted my jaw and waited for her to admit trying to obtain this freedom was too much of a hassle and not worth our father's rage.

"Did DeMarco retract the offer?" Calianna breathed.

I skidded to a halt. Her choice of words took me by surprise to where I couldn't do anything more than glance over my shoulder and stare at her. While her eyes had taken on a hopeful look, I was left stumped with rage that was on the verge of breaking free. It took me a moment to recover before the red dots scattered my vision and I whirled around with a hiss. "Have you not heard a word that I've said, Li?"

"I have." She lifted her jaw in defiance — just like the first time that I'd crossed paths with my favorite pet. "No offer means no marriage, Asher. My hand won't be forced. I can simply live my life as I see fit."

An amused snort escaping me caused her confidence to waiver. "Is that how you think this works? Do you truly believe that you can stretch Father so thin and wear him down until he caves? The Moretti family receding their offer doesn't mean you can come to the States and live the life of a spoiled brat. Father will simply toss you into the deepest pit. He'll toss the key away before he'll let you shame him."

I'd done everything I could to contain the rage pulsing from the depths of my own being. I wasn't fond of the idea of taking it out on my own flesh and blood, especially when the majority of the concern resided with the angels. Finding their missing prince was at the top of my list, not breaking down my little sister.

That didn't stop her from cowering under the weight of my words, those blue eyes flooding with tears.

Calianna jerked her head with a sniffle. "It sounds like a prison either way. I won't go back to Italy, Asher. I'll take my own life before I allow that."

That admission was enough for my rage to spiral out of control. With her gaze no longer resting on me, I was able to turn away and focus on silencing the snarl clawing its way up my throat. I wasn't a man of any kind of faith, but it was always looked down on to consider suicide as a way out.

Salvatore had destroyed half of the family home when my mother had decided to take hers. This runaway sister of mine was too young to remember both parts of that story. If he knew that's how her mind was working now, it would only bring him down on her that much harder.

The Aeternus family name had already been shamed by one suicide. He wasn't going to risk another.

Which took away the option that I had been gunning to take from the moment she'd called me: wearing her down until she returned to Italy willingly. Although the fire was burning wild within me, I was forced to slap a lid on it and focus on taking deep breaths.

Nothing was working where it came to self-control, not until my thoughts strayed to Quinn. A part of me expected that I would fix on the moments when I'd taken that pussy, driving us both into an abyss of intense pleasure. Yet I found myself reflecting on the moments where Quinn was tackling my father's little tests with stride.

The fact that Santino had taken it upon himself to help her recognize what was a test had me extremely pleased.

Aside from my cock hardening, forcing me to take refuge behind a tall shelf long enough to resituate, I found the burning emotion finally simmering down into something that was much more controllable. I blew out a soft breath and pulled back into the aisle once the bulge in my pants trimmed down.

Calianna jolted back against the book rack with a gasp.

I immediately went still, allowing her to pull back from me. Her heart was pounding in her chest to the point where it was echoing in my ears. Gritting my teeth until my jaw throbbed in agony, I locked gazes with her. "Suicide is a sin, little sister. Even for our kind. Would you really condemn your own soul just to escape the life chosen for you at birth?"

Silence flooded the room as she peered back at me, struggling to keep those tears from falling down her cheeks. She finally lifted her chin again and murmured, "I'll die before I accept that life for myself, Asher. If my actions condemn my soul, then so be it. I'll be bound for Tartarus either way."

Well, that certainly wasn't the answer that I had expected. No demon in their right mind that had been born on this side of the barrier ever willingly tainted their soul. Pressing my lips together, I studied Calianna while she struggled to keep herself from averting her eyes. It was admirable that she was taking such a strong stand for what she believed in.

Damn everything else, it seemed.

I pulled back slightly and mused over her bold admission. Allowing her to take matters in her own hands that way would simply drag me down with her. If this was how she wanted to play games, then so be it. I jammed my hands into my jacket pockets and narrowed my eyes. "I suppose you've forced my hand, little sister."

She paled, pressing her back against the books as much as she could without completely merging with them. "W-What are you going to do?" Her eyes widened when I responded with a nonchalant shrug.

"If you want to condemn yourself in such a manner, who am I to stop you?" My tone was even, not an ounce of rage leaking from the words.

Calianna seemed even more horrified that I no longer seemed to give a damn compared to the conversation we'd carried on the phone. She had spent a full ten minutes trying to convince me just to meet her here — to hear her out without interruption by our father or my demon lords. My initial reaction had been exactly the type she'd expected. This one left her ready to crumble. "A-Are you serious, Asher?" Her words were nothing more than a faint rasp.

I cocked my head to the side. "I doubt you would allow me to bring you back to Father without attempting to follow through with your promise…so then I'll leave the matter be. Go. Run. Disappear into the shadows."

Her fair lips parted. It seemed to take her several long minutes to be able to convince her body to work in sync with her scattered thoughts. She brought a hand up against her chest, almost as if she was trying to use her own frantic heartbeat to bring herself back to her surreal reality. "You know what Father will do if he finds out that you let me go. Why would you risk the empire for me?"

A quiet chuckle escaped my lips. "I'm not letting you go without a few conditions, Li. If you want the chance to start a new life, you'll have to take care of a few things first to ensure this bold move of yours doesn't take me down with you."

Calianna's amber eyebrows furrowed. "Things…like what?"

"You're going to have to fake your death to keep him off both our backs." My lips twitched and I didn't fight the urge to keep the smirk off my face. Turning on my heel, I started pacing through the aisles. It didn't matter where I went within the small bookstore, I could feel Calianna moving just to keep me in her sight. "You aren't against the idea of lifting a body from the local morgue, are you?"

"M-Morgue?"

The gulp was so audible that I almost completely lost it. The cackle wedged in my throat and I was forced to seal my lips shut until the overwhelming desire finally died. I nodded slowly, keeping my hands in my pocket. The necklaces were burning a hole against my chest, reminding me of the true end game here.

A quick glance in my little sister's direction revealed that she'd averted her eyes. Hell, she'd even wrapped her arms around herself for a little self comfort. "If that's what must be done to earn my own life…" she whispered.

"Good." I altered my course and drifted right back toward her. "A little bird did this quite recently and the method seems to work very well. Hot wire a car and drive the body to a public location, Li. Set the whole damn thing ablaze. The more witnesses you have, the better your chances are to convince Father you're gone."

Calianna studied me, a weary energy lurking in her aura. "What about you? Won't Father take it out on you for my death?" She shook her head and shifted her attention toward the books surrounding us. "He won't believe that body is me."

"No," I agreed. "That is why you need this."

Her blue eyes snapped back toward me as I reached into my suit pocket and produced the small necklace Archer had given me. She immediately honed in on the lion coiled around a young cub. "Where did you find this, big brother?"

The most I could offer her was a one shouldered shrug. "Perhaps I was feeling a little nosy before I left for the States."

My sister's eyebrows furrowed again.

"It would seem that you're not the only one that pondered suicide." I held it out toward her. "This was Mother's. I think it's time it was passed on to you. Leave it behind on the body. The crime scene techs will recognize it and they'll alert Father. You'll finally achieve your freedom and not a damn bit of it will come down on me."

Surprise leaked into my veins when Calianna hesitated. There was a part of her that was completely consumed by the hopeful symbol the necklace held. It would be enough to survive the fire and give her the out she desperately needed. Yet, there was a small piece that wasn't sure how much I could be trusted. So those hands remained close to her body, yet to take the simple piece of jewelry dangling from my fingers.

"I also came across a duplicate…which leads me to believe that suicide wasn't Mother's original intention." I retrieved the second necklace, waiting until her gaze shifted back into my direction before I held it up. "One to keep with her for when she ran…with the other to leave behind as proof of who the body belonged to."

Her lips parted slightly.

I arched an eyebrow at her. "This is how it'll go down if you want that freedom, Calianna. I refuse to leave loose ends that can be traced back to me. Father will not accept that scorched body as yours unless there's something on it that is from our family."

My little sister nibbled on her lower lip. She started to reach out for both necklaces when her hesitation dug its claws into her. "What makes you think he won't believe you had any part to play in this? He's kept everything of Mother's in the vault. The paranoid bastard always checks the safe."

"Not every night, Li. If I had the time to make a secondary fake for you, why wouldn't I have taken the time to cover my own ass?" My eyes narrowed into thin slits. "I left others behind."

Her wariness was beginning to weigh on my patience. Although the desire to shove it into her hand was powerful, I managed to restrain myself and simply let it dangle. Hell, it wasn't like the poor child could look away. It was the ultimate answer to all her problems and she knew it.

I simply let them continue to swing, grinning at her. "You brought yourself into a country torn between two empires, Li. The angels are losing territory and they've begun to act out. All you have to do is get yourself to one of the few states they still control, set the body ablaze, and leave the duplicate on it."

Calianna ran her tongue along her lower lip. While there was still a small piece of her that wanted to back away, she finally reached out and tugged the necklaces loose from my fingers. "You say it as if it's that easy."

"Based on what I've heard…it is." I tucked my hands back into my suit pockets and shrugged. "Humans really get the bottom of the barrel with how this world works, Li. So if a bastard of mixed blood can manage to lift a body from a morgue to cover her tracks and obtain a new identity, then so can you. You're quite resourceful for someone whose life has never been in her control."

She slowly brought the necklaces closer to study them. "Where must I go to do this?" Her voice was soft, barely anything more than a whisper.

"Nebraska." When her blue eyes swung back toward me, I offered a half-assed shrug. "There aren't too many places left that you can choose from."

"There's no way in hell you already control most of this country, Asher," Calianna fired back.

It took everything I had not to let my lips twitch. What a small girl you are, little sister. I cocked my head to the side. "Let's just say the trade talks were taken to a whole new level after they stole from me. I don't tolerate theft, Li. So I doubled the amount of territories that I expected them to hand over to maintain peace."

Hell, the stunt had cost them nineteen states this round and that gave more than half of the country to the empire. The angels barely had control over the twelve remaining states. The majority that remained under their rule were small. Not a single one of them had the resources to be used against us if they managed to pile it all together. Even their numbers were dwindling with every passing year.

What angel could survive without the undying faith of the mortals that walked the earth alongside us?

"Lift a body. Go to Nebraska. Burn it in a public place…" I leaned forward, causing Calianna to hone in on my smirk. "...and walk away. Leave this country. Completely disappear for all I care. I don't want a single damn rumor to reach me about you."

My little sister hesitated. Her blue eyes flickered to the emblem now pressed into her palm. "Are you sure this will work?"

"It would be wise not to doubt me, Li." My tone took such a hard edge that it caused her to flinch. Still, I didn't soften the blow. I simply scoffed at her and turned on my heel to leave. "I expect to see your death make the morning news."

"What if I can't go through with this?"

I had started stalking down the main aisle when her soft question dragged me to a halt. Turning my head slightly, I didn't allow myself to peer back at her. I simply glared at the floor. "Then I will hunt you down, Calianna. It's not beneath me to drag you back to Italy myself and leave you a bloody mess at Father's feet. He won't think twice about the wild stories you'll try to spin. You're already the black sheep of the family. What good would your word be against mine?"

In essence: who would believe her when she tried to tell him the lengths I was willing to go to in order to let her escape her birthright?

Fear leaked from Calianna in waves at the mere suggestion of what would wait for her confidence to fail. "I-It will be done," she rasped.

I silenced the snort trying to escape my lips. Instead of giving her an answer of my own, I simply continued out of the bookstore and made my way back through the coffee shop. Not many of the seats that had been filled when I arrived had been taken again. Hell, more of the customers seemed to have left once I went to confront my little sister. As much as it amused me that I had essentially killed their rush hour, I pressed on until I emerged on the front steps.

The SUV pulled up against the sidewalk.

A pleased smile stretched across my face. Perfect timing. Keeping my hands tucked into my pockets, I drifted down the steps and made my way across the street. The driver had already hopped out to open my door by the time I drew close, allowing me to slip inside with ease.

Archer was waiting for me with a bored expression on his face. "Did she take them?"

I relaxed in my seat as the driver pulled away and started the long drive back to my manor. "Check your phone."

The demon lord's upper lip curled at my response. Instead of vocalizing his annoyance, he simply shifted enough to retrieve his cell phone from his pocket. With one swipe of his thumb, he had brought up his own personal tracking program. The annoyed expression dissolved into a pleased one. "I'll be damned. I didn't think she would buy the little act with you stepping back — or the duplicate angle."

"Calianna is desperate." I rolled my head to work out the tension that had settled in my neck. "Desperation blinds common sense."

He nodded slowly.

"Keep the news alerts on. If we don't see a segment on a car ablaze in Nebraska by noon, you'll have to hunt her down and stuff her ass on the closest jet." I rested my head back, closing my eyes. My entire body was weighed down with exhaustion and I yearned to feel my cock buried within Quinn. I'd endured enough today playing my father's game as well as Calianna's. If I wanted to smear Marcillo's blood on the walls, I would need the one thing that could help keep this rage under control.

I would become a rabid beast unless I had Quinn's touch tonight.

"She's on the move," Archer noted. "Best guess… She's walking a few blocks before she catches a ride. There's no way in hell she's teleporting to Nebraska. Not with her limited use of magic."

I nodded slowly, keeping my eyes sealed shut. "Keep an eye on the GPS. Alert me if she strays from her destination."

"You'll hear it as soon as I know, boss."

Archer's energy faded from the car. I didn't move another inch, nor did I object to the driver throwing on the radio to chase away the sudden silence in the car. Hell, it didn't bother me that he had yet to raise the small window between both parts of the vehicle that would effectively keep the noise contained. The rage swirling within me had been contained, my cock hard at the promise of my favorite pet.

With any luck, Salvatore would be gone by the time I arrived and I could fuck her until her throat was raw from screaming my name.

I'm coming for you, pet.