Chapter 12

As soon asDrake stepped through a portal to his apartment, I missed him and wondered when I'd get to see him again. Crazy as it was, I was falling for the guy.

Gasp.

No.

The shock of the revelation saw me sitting up in bed. Surely I was misinterpreting my emotions. But crazy as it was, and foreign as well, I—the love 'em and leave 'em gal—missed a man. Wanted a man. Not just any man, Drake.

"No, no, no." I rushed to look at myself in the mirror, and my familiar features stared back. Physically, I hadn't changed, but inside, oh damn it all to Hell, I cared for him.

How and when had it happened? Sure, I'd lusted after his body, and I'd admit he was the best lover I'd ever encountered. But this was all about sex. No emotions. Just great sex with some conversation and cuddling thrown in.

I groaned and dove on the bed, hiding my head under the pillow. How could this have happened? And an even better question, what would I do about it?

Drake had implied he'd be sticking around for a while, a thought that didn't send me in a panic and rushing for an airline for an impromptu vacation in a very remote location. Actually, I'd kind of gone all soft and warm inside when he'd promised to see me after the show.

Speaking of which, I had to get ready. Hopping out of bed, I had another shower since the first one had led to more sex and... Well, let's just say I had some sticky areas that really needed cleaning.

The titillating memories of the morning, the previous night, the middle of night, and the shower wouldn't stop running through my head so that, when I finally wandered out of my room, I couldn't help the silly grin plastered on my face.

"I see someone had a good night," Jezzie said with a wide smirk.

A beatific smile plastered to my lips, I poured my coffee and told her, "Drake slept over."

Liquid spewed as Jezzie choked on her java. "You did what? Is he still here?" she wheezed.

"No, he had to leave to get ready for the competition today."

Jezzie suddenly looked nervous, and I watched her suspiciously as she chattered brightly about inane topics while making breakfast and then tidying up. Given Jezzie never did either, it wasn't hard to figure out something was up.

"What are you hiding?"

"Me?" She opened her eyes wide in feigned innocence.

"Spill it before I tell about the Rocky Mountains incident on national television." I knew more than one secret she wanted to keep under wraps.

Sweating and fidgeting, she tried to avoid my eyes, but I possessed a pretty good glare when riled. It was only a matter of time before she caved and divulged. "It wasn't my idea, honest to Satan. But the network, they said it would make an awesome segment, and I didn't realize when we'd signed the contract, they'd included the clause to–"

Impatient, I interrupted. "What's going to happen today?"

"Each of the three remaining contestants has to discover and divulge a juicy secret about you or that directly relates to you. It might be something you know or don't."

My mind worked furiously. What secrets did I hide? A few, like any semi-demon of my age, mostly schoolgirl pranks I'd gotten away with. As for something involving me without my knowledge, well, I'd admit that was information I'd like to know, actually.

"It's okay." I said the words absently, suddenly wondering what secret Drake would reveal. The way I liked it when he bit down on my nipple as he fucked me? No, not secret enough, just ask any of my previous lovers. I both dreaded and anticipated what I'd learn, and in front of an audience.

Things kept hidden should remain so, for the simple reason revelations usually meant someone would get hurt—then killed. Demons, even half ones, weren't known to turn the other cheek. Vengeance was our middle name. Seriously, according to the public registers of Hades, Vengeance ranked number one for middle names followed by Misery.

I now wondered more than ever what Drake would do to win this round. What secret about me had he discovered? And would whatever he revealed force me to never see him again?

It wasn't just my mind that screamed "no!" to that scenario. My head and heart did, too.

I spent the day in a nervous state. Pacing. Eating. Eating some more. An ass like mine didn't happen overnight; it took work.

In an almost trance, I readied for my appearance on the reality show that I now regretted. I just wanted this farce over with. Wanted to return to my old life of collecting escaped souls, shaking my booty in clubs, and shopping. But my old life didn't have the hot and delicious Drake.

Argh.

The moment of truth, literally, arrived. I barely heard the emcee as he detailed the task for the remaining minion contenders. Okay, I lied. I listened to every word and alternated between simmering irritation and nervousness. I'd take battling a creature with claws and spitting acid over dread any day.

This time, when the curtain lifted, revealing me on my throne, I didn't smile. My eyes veered right over to Drake and held his gaze. His face didn't betray any emotion, something I didn't find reassuring.

First up stepped the dwarf, looking nervous for once. He fidgeted before the microphone, and I impatiently squirmed, too, not really giving a shit about what he had to say.

"The secret I discovered—um..." Raxnor trailed off and peered down at his feet encased in dirty work boots. He swallowed audibly. "Sally's middle name is Dawn, and her mother was a country singer."

I lost some of my tension and giggled. Okay, I'll admit the fact that the woman who'd birthed me liked to croon corny western songs embarrassed me and was a fact I assiduously hid, but really, it wasn't that big of a deal. And as for the stupid middle name, again, blame my momentarily insane father. Talk about boring revelations.

Apparently, the crowd agreed with me. They booed and jeered as the dwarf's already ruddy face turned an even brighter shade of red. At least he didn't cry out with fear when the trap door beneath his feet opened and he tumbled down. Rumor said the hidden chasm led to the home of the lamia—half-snake, half-women; those nasty bitches knew how to make a man scream, just not in actual pleasure.

The spectators cheered wildly. They did so love a loser.

I couldn't help myself. Over and over, my gaze strayed to Drake, a man who'd made me feel things I never expected. Things I wasn't sure I was ready for. I tapped my nails on the armrest on the throne, wondering what secret he would reveal, and to my chagrin, I worried it would change how I felt about him.

What went on behind his placid expression? As my glance went to him again, his eyes held mine, and I imagined he tried to convey something, but mind reading was my half-sister's ability, not mine. Whatever secret he planned to reveal, I'd have to wait a moment longer, for the demon Dretnor approached the microphone next.

I didn't like the nasty gleam in his eye, nor the bared teeth as he smirked. Why did I suddenly get the impression he wasn't truly on my side? Ridiculous. If he didn't want the job as my minion, why compete?

"My secret is one Sally the half-demon is unaware of and involves another contestant."

My stomach tightened into a knot, and fear made me sound harsh. "How am I supposed to know you're telling the truth and not spouting some load of garbage to try and discredit your opponent?"

"I submit myself and the secret I have to tell to the Fire of Truth."

The crowd oohed, and even I sucked in a surprised breath. To the ignorant, the Fire of Truth was a spell cast upon a being who wished to prove the veracity of their words. It surrounded the speaker in a nimbus of flames. If they told the truth, the flames didn't touch them. Lie, and they burned alive for the next millennium. Not exactly the most pleasant fate.

As denizens of Hell, truth wasn't something often seen or heard of. Hence, the spell was rarely seen. The fact that Dretnor offered to submit to it meant he believed the information he'd found was sound. I hoped so for his sake because the spell didn't care how much a being believed in what they said, or if they'd been misled. If the information imparted was false, they'd burn anyway.

Dretnor must have warned the show producers of his intention, for barely a moment passed before a cloaked figure stepped onto the dais with the demon below.

Raising his arms and chanting in a guttural tongue that made me shiver, the mage enchanted Dretnor. With a small whoosh, blue flames ignited on Dretnor's body. Again, the crowed oohed, and my stomach drew tighter.

The mage stepped away, and Dretnor moved to the microphone, a triumphant leer on his dark demonic lips. Slowly, the crowd quieted and leaned forward in expectation, as did I.

"Drake is half-demon, half-shifter: dragonshifter." The crowed aahed, and I sat back stunned. I'd known Drake had shifter blood, but dragon, the rarest of all types, that surprised me. But it wasn't a big deal. Actually, it made him hotter. I wondered if he could fly. I also wondered why he hadn't told me. Surely he didn't think I'd kill him and skin him for his prized skin, tempting as the idea would be to some.

Drake's face tightened, and I suddenly knew this wasn't the only secret.

Dretnor smiled, his pointed teeth glistening. "He's also misrepresented himself to our prospective employer. The first night he met her, he was tasked with discrediting her or, even worse, allowing her to be killed. He also, after the demon attack outside the club, made inquiries into the bounty placed on her head and offered himself up as an assassin, should the patron of the first attempt wish to pay for a second."

I shook my head no, but the flames around Dretnor burned merrily without a sizzle or a pop. Sickening to say, I really wanted him to start screaming. I knew my heart was. And, by Satan's horns, did it hurt.

My tear-filled eyes—damned dust—met Drake's, and I read the truth in his eyes. "You bastard," I whispered, a word the invisible microphones picked up and echoed around the stunned audience in the coliseum.

Dretnor, pleased with himself, stepped back and crossed his arms. It was over. He'd won. The crowd went wild.

But wait... Drake strode to the microphone and held up his arms. It took a moment for the audience to notice, and when they did, the heavy silence hung with anticipation.

"Cast the spell of truth on me." A cacophony arose at Drake's words.

What was he doing? Even in my pain over his betrayal, a part of me didn't want to see him hurt, not until I'd had a chance at him, the rotten, lying jerk.

The mage stepped quickly onto the stage for the second time and cast the spell of truth. The blue flames sprung up around Drake, dancing along his tanned skin.

His eyes met mine, and I couldn't look away. "Yes, I am a dragonshifter. I didn't tell you because I wanted to get you used to me before I let you know of my beast. It is not easy for me to trust, knowing how my kind are hunted." The flames burned steadily, his words truthful. But we both knew his dragon wasn't the real issue.

My hands squeezed tightly around the armrests of the throne. "And when we met, were you there to discredit me?"

"Yes, I admit someone hired me to make you look bad or, if I had the chance, allow the soul we both hunted to kill you. And I'd planned to do it. I'm a mercenary and bounty hunter. Give me the right price and I will do just about anything. But once I saw you, I changed my mind. I couldn't hurt you." The flames didn't crisp him.

But that didn't absolve him. "You stole my bounty." And dammit, he'd stolen my heart.

"Aah, but that didn't actually hurt you, did it? However, it did get your attention right where I wanted it. On me."

"Were you hired to kill me?" I wondered if I should feel flattered he'd decided to fuck me before killing me. When did he plan to do it? The next time we got naked and I was vulnerable?

"I did make myself available should someone wish to put out a contract on your life."

One large tear rolled down my cheek, and a crushing pain enveloped me, not a physical one but mental, a debilitating sensation, one that made me drop my head and stifle sobs.

"But I never intended to actually kill you."

I waited for him to start screaming at his obvious lie. When not even a whimper sounded, I looked up and met his eyes filled with sorrow.

His eyes pled with mine. "The offer of my services as assassin was to flush out whoever wanted to hurt you so I could kill them and keep you safe. I would never harm you." The flames didn't even flicker.

Truth.

"Why not?" A simple question meant to convey a dozen questions I couldn't voice.

"The moment I met you, my beast recognized you as our mate."

I snorted. "Great, so because your dragon wants me, you decided to pursue me instead of killing me."

"My dragon wants you, very much, but the man, he wants you even more. You intrigue me, Sally. I love your feisty attitude. I love the way you kick ass. I love that thing you do with your tongue. Don't you get it? I love you."

Now I really expected him to start screaming as the Fire of Truth seared his lying skin from his body, but the flames still danced harmlessly.

Oh, by Satan's horns, he told the truth. I tried to get up and run away from the love in his eyes, from the love bursting forth from my heart. I couldn't give in to it. Love would hurt me, destroy me. Make me into someone I wasn't.

A force held me in place, though. I vaguely heard the crowd cheering and whistling. Then the emcee boomed. "Both have told a deep dark secret and proven their worth. There is only one challenge left now. Tune in tomorrow to see who will be the Last Sidekick Standing."

The curtain dropped, and the invisible force holding me let go and I ran, straight to the only person I trusted. The one who truly loved me. Daddy.