Page 166 of Knight’s Retribution

Rocco wanted her to bond with these females because he wanted her to be happy, and she’d been trying since the first night they arrived. But she couldn’t let go of the fear that constantly slithered along her spine.

She’d been afraid for so long—it’d been her constant companion when she was in Hell, in between rounds of pain and humiliation—and it wasn’t something she could just shake.

And then there was the lack of intimacy.

Rocco said he didn’t need that, that having her here with him was enough. She saw the longing in his eyes when he looked at her, though. But every time she tried to get near him, that fear would slice through her, and she went cold. And it was getting worse, not better.

In Hell, she’d been able to do more than just touch him, now even that was becoming too much. As soon as their skin brushed, Diemos and those awful yellow eyes invaded her mind—and it was suddenly his cold, pale skin against hers, not Rocco’s.

So this was important. She wanted to do this for him, to show him she was trying, that she could get along with his family, which yeah, was a lot of pressure.

He stopped by a door, and the sounds of talking and laughter reached them. Rocco smiled down at her and pushed the door open and the chatter stopped. All five females turned as they walked in, their expressions open and kind.

They were happy she was there. She could actually feel it.

Meredith came forward, a smile on her face. Her long dark blond hair was down, her hazel eyes warm. They had bonded instantly. Meredith and Scarlet had been the first to be found by their mates. Learning that Scarlet was still alive, and in Hell, had hit Meredith hard, so Kyler had shared with her, trying to ease her worry as best she could. Not easy, when Kyler was worried as well.

But it was something they’d bonded over.

“Hey, Ky,” Meredith said and motioned to a pretty redhead with pale blue eyes. “This is Mia, she’s mated to Zenon.”

Mia’s smile softened. “Hi, Kyler. I know this must be overwhelming, but we’re all here for you. We’re so happy you’re here.”

Kyler smiled back. “Hi, and thanks.”

Then Meredith looked at a curvy but petite female with wavy black hair and blue eyes. “And this is Eve, she’s mated to Lazarus.”

Eve waved and moved closer. “Hi, Kyler, what Mia said, and you’re going to love Grace’s class. It’s helped all of us.”

“Whoa,” Grace said, her long pale blond ponytail swinging as she looked between them. “This feels like that scene in The Parent Trap. I mean, I thought there were some similarities, but now, with you standing next to each other…”

“Wow, yeah,” Mia said. “It’s kinda freaky how similar they are.”

Kyler looked back at Eve, and she did the same. Grace was right. They did have similar features, and similar builds, and their eyes were…well, they were the exact same shade of blue.

Kyler turned to Rocco, and he looked puzzled as well. He quickly smiled. She knew it was forced. But he didn’t comment and handed her the drink bottle he’d filled before they headed down. “Enjoy yourself, but don’t push too hard. And stay hydrated.”

He winked at her, then she watched him walk out before she turned back to Eve.

The other female was studying her. “So this is kinda weird,” she said.

It was. Extremely weird.

“You’re both Hell’s gate demi,” Grace said. “Which means you’re both decedents of Lucifer’s handmaids. Maybe you come from the same line? Unless all Hell’s gate demi look like you? A bunch of gorgeous, curvy, little dark-haired, blue-eyed hotties with the power to destroy the world as we know it?”

“Jesus,” Luna said and snorted. “Sometimes you scare even me.”

“Honestly, sometimes I scare myself,” Grace said and grinned, mahogany eyes dancing. She looked back at Kyler and Eve, then she clapped her hands. “Right, as much as we’d like to stand around comparing your noses all day, we need to get this show on the road.” Her gaze slid back to Kyler. “I’m gonna take it slow. Don’t worry if you mess up or you get lost, you’ll get there, and I’ll spend a good amount of the session one-on-one with you, okay?”

Kyler nodded, surprised by how determined they looked when they faced the front, ready to follow Grace’s lead.

Grace shook out her limbs and then grinned at Kyler. “Let’s show our new sister how to fuck up a demon.”

Surely she didn’t mean that in a literal sense?

It had to just be motivation. But at Grace’s words, Kyler’s heart raced faster—not from fear but from excitement.

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