12. Leith

12

LEITH

G od, but her mind was a fascinating place. In fact, everything about her was fascinating. He loved the way she teased and tormented him. Her joyful impulsiveness pushed him out of the comfort zone — one might call it a rut — he'd slipped into since moving to Stonyburn. Since she barreled into his life, he'd flexed his demon powers more than in all his Earthside years combined.

And it felt good. It reminded him that, while he liked the intricacies of being a human lawyer and using his hard-learned legal savvy to help people, he enjoyed being a demon and flexing his innate power as well.

After all, he hadn't moved here because he didn't like who he was. He left the demon realm because he couldn't stand competing for every scrap on the table. He hated the politics, the backstabbing, and the betrayals, even amongst family. Never being able to confide in someone, knowing they'd eventually twist that confidence for their own benefit, was exhausting and isolating. Yes, all that happened up here, too, but the never-ending scramble to be at the top of the realm's food chain was the national pastime of his people.

He glanced at the vivacious woman walking beside him, his heart racing. He wanted to pull her into the shadows and kiss her until they were both breathless. Her zest for life was infectious, catching him unawares and sweeping him along in its wake.

Hell, that was how he found himself here today. Without her determination to help her grandmother as quickly and decisively as possible, he would have done what he usually did with a new case — left the digging to Stan while building a solid case through legal precedent, interviews, and meticulous documentation. It was the most sensible way to proceed, after all.

But he was overcome with the strong desire to impress Rowan, to protect her and play hero, even though she was fully capable of taking care of herself and her granny. His daydream included rescuing her (grandmother) from the Big Bad, saving her (grandmother) from ruin and despair. Then, after soundly defeating Myles and his crew of money-hungry private equity bros, he'd exit the courtroom to cheers of his adoring clients, sweep Rowan into his arms, and carry her off to a palatial suite in some fancy hotel, where they'd spend the next week naked and satisfied. The best way to celebrate a big win, if he did say so himself.

As they crossed the plaza, he huffed out a quiet laugh at how tame his fantasies were, earning a questioning look from Rowan. His siblings, most of them still living in the demon realm, would be appalled. Maybe he was the marshmallow she named him to be, rather than the badass demon lawyer he deludedly pictured himself as.

"After you, my lady," he said, opening the heavy glass door of the DownHome building for her.

"Why thank you, my lord." She flashed him a bright smile and sashayed inside like she owned the place, the tap-tap of her calf-high black boots on the shiny marble floor announcing their presence.

His steps slowed as they entered the skyscraper of steel and glass, a sensation like nothing on Earth sweeping over him. No, this feeling came from another realm, one he was intimately familiar with. The demon realm.

"What the hell?" he muttered, his brows drawing together in consternation.

"What is it?" Rowan asked.

The sleek, expansive lobby screamed "we've got more money than you", with its white and gold marble flooring, large canvases of abstract art adding slashes of red and black to the space. Fifteen stories up, a peaked roof of glass filtered shafts of sunlight down to the ground floor. A wall of well-tended succulents served as background to the only piece of furniture in the space, an empty desk of polished steel. Behind it stood an equally polished receptionist wearing a tailored suit in dark plum, his blond hair artfully styled. Two pairs of matching guards dressed in unrelieved black flanked the elevator and the stairs, guarding access to the inner sanctum.

Leith paused in the center of the lobby, tasting the air. A flicker of ozone, the sharp tang of brimstone, and a flash of heat lightning confirmed his initial suspicion. A rival had set up shop in Leith's territory. It was a blatant challenge, made bolder by the forays into his own backyard. Utterly unacceptable.

"Leith?" Rowan asked quietly, her bubbly excitement from earlier muted. No doubt she felt the tension radiating off him and knew something was wrong.

"Not here," he said. He clenched his jaw, every muscle in his body tight and thrumming. He needed to pull himself together and save it for the one who deserved the full strength of his wrath.

Besides, everyone in the lobby was human. There wasn't a single demon. There weren't even any other paranormals. If he unleashed his power here, they might get injured or even killed, and it wouldn't solve the problem of another demon encroaching on his territory. He needed to confront the root of the problem, rip every last shred of that unwelcome weed out of the ground, and salt the earth behind him. So to speak.

"Change of plans." He rolled his shoulders and stiffened his spine. "Just follow my lead, please."

"Sure," she said, with no protest to his abrupt change of plans. "Whatever you need."

Holy goddess, he loved this woman. The fact jolted him, shaking him to his core. If they weren't in the middle of enemy territory, he'd pull her into his arms and kiss her senseless. That not being an option added kindling to the ire roaring inside him. It was time to let this invader know who he was messing with.

A gentle hand at the small of Rowan's back, he guided her towards the reception desk. The single point of contact helped immensely in tamping down his outrage at the sheer audacity of Seymour Myles. And it had to be him. No demon this bold would willingly work beneath anyone else.

The baby-faced receptionist flicked his gaze over them and found them wanting. He looked like he'd sucked on something sour. "Welcome to DownHome Development, sir," he said. "How may I assist you today?"

Leith reached into his suit coat and pulled out a card, holding it up between two fingers. "You let Seymour Myles know I will be contacting him to discuss his encroachment upon my territory and his trespass against those under my protection."

The guards stiffened, their stances shifting from waiting to wary.

Leith placed his card on the polished steel surface and tapped it once. "Make certain that message gets to Myles today," he said, infusing his voice with a thread of his power to ensure the young man's compliance. The shadowy corners of the bright lobby darkened and expanded.

The receptionist swallowed hard, his attitude melting beneath Leith's dark look. "Yes, sir. I will deliver it personally," he said with a little bow. He snatched up the card and power-walked to the elevator, glancing over his shoulder at Leith.

"Excellent." He turned to Rowan, who watched the scene play out with wide eyes. "We're done here."

She blinked once and nodded, allowing him to guide her out of the lobby and back into the bright sunlight.