15. Blaise

Tobes

I've been called over to Dagon's. Lucky is sick. Want to join me?

Ifrowned down at Toby's message as I made my way up from the gym in the basement. I wasn't upset that he wouldn't be joining me for today's task—watching yet another Marvel film. Obviously I was disappointed, but Lucky's health came first. If Dagon had asked Toby to step in then it couldn't be good.

No, I was frowning at his casual invitation. Toby liked to throw them out almost daily, like maybe I'd become desensitised to the idea and suddenly be okay with hanging out with everyone. Like I'd be able to stand in the same room as Bailey without wanting to vomit. Or look Harlow in the eye knowing I'd left his mate bleeding and dying on the floor.

No amount of desensitisation would prepare me for that.

I stomped into the kitchen, grabbing a banana from the fruit bowl.

"You know, as a supe, you really should have better protection around your property."

My feet left the ground as a stuttered yell tore from me. My banana flew through the air, hitting the floor with a soft plop.

Harlow's lips twitched as he glanced down at the banana. It'd landed a foot away from the kitchen chair he was perched on, two takeaway coffee cups in front of him. "Oh dear, that's definitely going to be bruised now."

I pressed a hand to my chest, trying to will my heart to slow. "You scared the life out of me."

Harlow took a sip of his drink, his stare cool. "Seems fair, all things considered."

Shame washed over me. "More than fair. I'm surprised you've waited until now."

"Waited for what? To make you jump? Hun, I'd do that for shits and giggles, even if we didn't have a…history."

I frowned at him, confused. "You're not here to kill me?"

Harlow pursed his lips. "Is that why your property isn't warded?"

"Doesn't seem much point. If you or any of the others come in to dish out what I deserve, a ward isn't going to put you off. Especially not you. I remember trying to break through them once and failing. Miserably."

Mischief lit up Harlow's eyes as he no doubt remembered how that incident had ended. "Ah yes. Hanging you upside down before sending you crashing to the floor was fun." His gaze darkened, the room heating slightly. "If I'd have known what would follow, I would've ended you there."

"I know." I swallowed hard. "I won't fight you, Harlow. I know this is what I deserve."

Harlow's phone started to vibrate on the table. He glanced at the screen before answering it with a sigh. "Baby, I'm behaving, I promise."

My supe ears had no problem hearing Bailey's response. "That's not what the bond suggests."

Harlow pouted like his mate could see him. "I'm doing great! Haven't stabbed him or anything. And I bought him a coffee."

I frowned at the second cup on the table. Wait, that was for me?

"Can I talk to him?"

Harlow's expression changed to mirror my own. "Why?"

Bailey's sigh was audible. "Low, put him on the phone."

The tiny demon glared at me as he held the phone out. "Say anything even remotely out of line and I'll remove your tongue."

Toby's voice popped into my head unbidden. Should've threatened your toes.

I put the phone up to my ear, and Bailey started speaking before I had a chance to greet him. "Did Harlow just threaten you?"

The man in question cringed.

"Nope, just handed me the phone."

Bailey's laugh was warm. "Liar, but that's fine. You'll fit in well with the rest of them when you get over yourself."

"Get over myself?"

"Yep," Bailey said. "What happened before was an accident, Blaise. I don't hold anything against you, and what's more, neither does Harlow."

His words might've had more impact if Harlow hadn't been miming what he was going to do to my tongue if I fucked this up. "Umm…okay?"

"The two of you need to talk. You've apologised, we've forgiven you. Now you're going to hash it out and move past it. For Toby's sake, if nothing else."

"What does Toby have to do with it?"

Both Harlow and Bailey laughed at that. "You can give the phone back to Low now."

Confused, I did as he asked. While they bid each other a sickeningly sweet goodbye, I picked up and discarded my banana. There was no way I could eat. Not now I'd had this reminder of the past I was running from.

Harlow hung up the phone and I could feel his eyes burning into my back. "Would you really let me kill you?"

I blew out a breath. I knew the answer I should give. The one my therapist would suggest. Certainly the one River and Toby would expect to hear from me. But Harlow deserved my honesty more than anyone. "Yes."

"You're a fucking idiot." There was a loud scraping noise. I turned to see Harlow had kicked out the chair opposite him. "Sit."

Harlow might have been the smallest of Lucifer's sons, but he was also the deadliest. Even if I hadn't made the monumental fuck-up that I had, I still would have been wary of him.

I sat down, accepting the cup Harlow thrust my way.

"I'd tell you it's not poisoned, but from what you just told me, you wouldn't care if it was."

I didn't have anything to say to that, so I settled for taking a sip from the cup. Cinnamon burst on my tongue. "You got my favourite coffee?"

Harlow examined his manicured nails. "I might've asked River what you liked."

I blinked, stunned. "Thank you."

"Look, I'll keep this brief," Harlow said. "I don't think I'll ever fully be able to forgive you for what you did?—"

"I'm not asking you to."

Harlow's death glare had my mouth snapping shut. "I know that. But I do want to move past it. Not just because of Bailey and Toby, but for me." He paused, trailing his fingers over the table. "I still dream about that night. Did you know that? About what it was like to find Bailey's body on the floor."

I swallowed down my guilt and sorrow. "I'm so fucking sorry, Harlow. I'll regret what I did for the rest of my days. I truly mean that."

"I believe you," he said simply. "Which is why I'm ready for us to move past it. Maybe if you're in our lives on a regular basis, the nightmares will stop. I'm ready to move on, Blaise. And I want you to move on too."

Now I was the one shifting in my seat. "I probably shouldn't ask this, but…why do you care if I do? I just don't get it."

Harlow hummed thoughtfully. "Mainly because of Bailey. His opinion matters more than anyone's. It's important to him that you move on, so it's important to me."

"Bailey's a far better man than I am."

Harlow smiled. "He's a better man than any of us. He doesn't like the idea that you're wallowing in guilt and shame, so you're going to stop."

Despite myself, my lips twitched. "Just like that."

Harlow waved a hand dismissively. "Well, if I can find a way to bring my mate back from the dead and live happily ever after, I'm sure you can find some peace too."

I ran a hand through my hair. "I can try."

"With Toby in your life, I'm sure you can do more than try."

I tensed up. "It's not like that between us. We aren't…we aren't in a relationship."

Harlow's shrewd gaze seemed to peer beneath my skin, making me want to hide away. "But you want to be, right?"

"It doesn't matter what I want."

"Oh, this will be fun." Harlow clapped his hands. Legit smacked them together while looking delighted. "Ever since Dagon and Dimitri pulled their heads out of their rears and admitted their feelings, I've not had anybody to ship."

"Trust me, there's no future there. It's pointless to ship us."

Harlow clutched his chest dramatically. "Stop! You're making it even better. The doomed ships are my favourite."

A low chuckle rasped from my chest. "Didn't think you'd ever make me laugh."

"Well get used to it, because I'm hilarious." On that note, he got to his feet and fished in his pocket. "Before I forget, this is for you."

I eyed the small piece of plastic he was holding out. "What is it?"

"Gym membership. I expect you to use it or I'll be deeply offended."

I froze, not touching it. "I have a gym."

Harlow huffed. "A home gym isn't the same as what Bailey has built. You clearly work out, so it'll do you good to get out of the house and work out in public. Two birds with one stone."

"You're awfully bossy, you know."

"Wow, I've literally never been told that before," he replied, sarcasm dripping off every word. "And I'll also be telling Toby about the membership, so one way or another, you're going to be going there."

I took the card from him, blinking rapidly to stop the hot tears that were gathering from spilling over. "Thank you. This means a lot."

"You might not thank me when you see the membership photo."

I glanced down, biting back a curse. The small square held the most unflattering image of me in existence. Taken in the nineties, I was sporting a bowl cut and wearing an Adidas tracksuit. "Where did you even get that?"

"River," Harlow said smugly, patting my arm. "I might have forgiven you, but you can expect me to give you shit at every opportunity."

"Noted," I said drily.

"Put some damn wards up," he called over his shoulder as he sashayed to the door. "And I'll see you at the gym."

I stood there for a long time, just staring down at the card and smiling.

Maybe, just maybe, there was a future for me yet.