Page 66 of Hellbound

He took a few measured steps forward, a towering wraith in the dim light of her apartment. Marian held her ground.

“As of a few weeks ago, yes. I don’t know what changed, but obsession with the unobtainable is often a precursor to madness. You do not want to share this world with a mad demon, I assure you. The fact that she’s gathering sympathizers proves she’s gained too much influence and needs to be put in her place. Something I intend to handle.”

Exhausting. Marian clutched herself tighter.

“Cool, yeah, I don’t want any part of that. And I’m calling a moratorium on shitty deals. What did you make me do back there?”

Mr. Vale smiled a wry little smile. “I didn’t force you. You consented.”

“Dubious consent is not consent; we talked about that. What were the terms?”

He exhaled slowly.

“There will come a day very soon when you will need my help again. And when that day comes, you will do as I say. That’s all.”

Marian mustered her courage to ask the question she wasn’t sure she wanted answered.

“Why did you kiss me?”

Vale fixed her with an assessing look that made her want to dive behind the partition and out of sight. “A bargain must be sealed with a gesture of acceptance, and your hands were bound. Demons sealed bargains with kisses for centuries until humans decided to be squeamish about it.”

Such cold common sense. It ought to have reassured Marian. Instead, it made part of her shrivel up and die. She exhaled slowly.

“And if I break this bargain?”

Mr. Vale’s smile turned icy as his eyes pulsed their pale blue in the strengthening dark. A layer of his guise rippled, revealing to Marian once again another glimpse of the strange and otherworldly being underneath the man. The too-sharp planes of his face, the inhuman stillness they possessed as shadows warped around his imposing frame as the distance between them disappeared.

“You won’t,” he replied. He was so close; she could touch him.

His eyes dropped to her lips. Marian tried to swallow, but her throat didn’t work.

She didn’t want to think about that kiss. It was too confusing. There’d been too much going on. But the demon looked at her like he wanted to kiss her again. And she didn’t know if she had the nerve to stop him.

“I have codeine for the pain,” he said at last.

“I don’t want anything.”

That earned her a look that slipped under her skin and made her want to run.

“You kept your word despite what Stellan threatened to do to you,” Mr. Vale said with a note of admiration in his voice. A rare sound. Like gentle fingers running through her hair.

Marian absently rubbed her injured arm. “I don’t break promises.” Not that she’d made many in her life. “No matter how weird they are.”

A smirk flashed across his face. He reached for her.

Marian flinched. Though the imminent danger had passed, the events of the night left her nerves frayed. She was a jumpy mess, and she didn’t miss the way Mr. Vale’s expression turned instantly austere. As if her reflex offended him.

His hand fell to his side.

“Why do deny yourself what you so desperately need?”

Every carnal thought flushed out of her system as Marian took a step back, hackles up.

“Back off, Vale.”

“You’re hurting,” he explained calmly. “I can help you, but you’d rather suffer. Why?”

None of your fucking business. Marian bared her teeth. Anger superseded her good judgment, and she was fresh out of tolerance for the way he rapid cycled between kindness and cruelty. She lashed out.