Total pages in book: 114
Estimated words: 109033 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 545(@200wpm)___ 436(@250wpm)___ 363(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 109033 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 545(@200wpm)___ 436(@250wpm)___ 363(@300wpm)
Her anchor scratched his chin. “Uh . . . it might have had something to do with the GPS trackers I put on your shoes.”
Naomi blinked. “What?”
“Well, shoes are the only thing you always wear. You frequently forget your jacket, and you don’t always carry a purse.” He held up his hands. “I’ll take them off now that the danger’s over. Luckily you don’t have that many pairs or I’d be here a while.”
“Wait, you put them on all my shoes?”
“I couldn’t take the chance that you’d be kidnapped when you weren’t wearing shoes I’d tagged.” He paused, eyeing her closely. “You mad?”
“Yep. You should have told me.”
“Your demon would have taken the trackers off so that it could kill all the clerics itself.”
Okay, that was true.
“While I didn’t think you’d need backup, I didn’t want to take the risk. Forgive me for caring.”
“You’re forgiven.” Naomi pointed a finger at him. “You will never do anything like that again.”
Tobe saluted her, all innocence.
“As you’re clearly doing okay, we’ll leave you to rest,” announced Jolene.
Tia and the other imps moved toward their Prime . . . except for Tobe.
Jolene grabbed the back of his shirt. “You too, Tobe.”
He frowned. “But I want to stay.”
“You want to annoy Luka—that’s different.”
A millisecond later, the entire group disappeared from sight.
Luka opened his arms. “Come here, baby.”
Gladly. Naomi edged sluggishly off the bed and eased herself onto his lap. As his arms curled around her, she sagged against him, enjoying his warmth. She never wanted to move again.
Holding her tight, he nuzzled her hair. “You definitely feeling okay?”
“Yup. Just tired and groggy.”
“Not surprised. Your demon wiped you both out psychically.”
“It regrets nothing.”
“Again, not surprised.” He brushed his lips over her temple. “So. You can open a portal to hell.” A neutral statement.
“Hmm. I first learned that when I was four. I hadn’t meant to do it. I’d just been annoyed with my dad about something—I can’t even remember what. Anyway, a portal opened up, and he toppled right into it. He thought it was the most hilarious thing ever.”
“Yes, I can imagine. Can you open portals to other places?”
“Nope, which is good. My demon is so nosy, I’m not sure I could trust that it wouldn’t go wandering in places it shouldn’t. Bring me up to speed on what happened after I passed out. Again.”
“Well, I caught you before you could hit the ground. Lou sent out a wave of fire that incinerated every last trace of the clerics before disappearing into the portal and closing it behind him. He looked as though he wanted to take you with him, but then he seemed to think better of it.”
“He couldn’t be seen to care what happened to me just in case any of the demons there didn’t know that he was my father.”
Luka nodded. “Ciaran teleported us all here, since he and the others didn’t want to leave your side until they were sure that you were fine.” He sighed—the sound loaded with impatience—before adding, “I can’t say it was a joy to have imps in our bedroom, let alone our home, but . . .”
Naomi dabbed a kiss on his throat. “Thank you for letting them stay.”
“Jolene was ready to pull the ‘I’m her Prime, I have a right to be here’ card, so I was sure to inform her that that’s no longer the case. You co-run this lair with me now.”
Feeling her brows slide together, she lifted her head to meet his gaze. “I do? First I’ve heard of it.”
“I rather thought it was obvious. Neither you nor I would want for us to be in different lairs. It goes without saying that I’d never join Jolene’s, which means you’d switch to mine. Being my mate makes you co-Prime. Unless I’m wrong in believing that you wouldn’t want us to belong to the same lair.”
“Of course of you’re not wrong.”
“Then there you go.”
Fair enough.
He threaded his fingers through her hair. “The illegal side of things will of course remain in my hands, however.”
“Obviously.” She yawned so wide it cracked her jaw.
“You didn’t tell me about the deal you have with your entity.”
“I never thought to mention it. I know that sounds weird, but aren’t there things you haven’t told me not because you’re hiding them but merely because they haven’t come up?”
“Yes.”
“I did actually confess to you that my demon likes causing destruction and mayhem,” she remembered. “I hope that seeing it in action didn’t put you off, because you’re stuck with me now regardless.”
Luka gave her a solemn look, tucking her hair behind her ear. “Nothing about you could put me off. It doesn’t work that way when you love someone.”
Naomi’s breath caught. “You love me?” The question came out low and shaky.
His brow furrowed. “Baby, of course I fucking do.”
Emotion twined around her chest so tightly her lungs burned. “In case you aren’t aware of it already, it’s a two-way street.”