AllFreeNovel
Share Us
A dry, humorless laugh slipped out. “That makes me feel so much better.”
He turned to Gerri. “Do you have any other books?”
She spun and danced toward the doorway she appeared from earlier. “In the back.”
“Stay out here,” Fane mumbled under his breath. “Gerri may look sweet, but she’s probably thinking of ten different ways to lure you in the back so she can lock you up and play with you for a few hours.”
My head tilted. “Are you serious? She doesn’t seem like the predatory type.”
“She is, and most people enjoy it. I don’t think you would.” Fane snickered. “Then again, youwereturned on when we fought at Karn’s.”
I flipped him off. “Just go or I’ll break your jaw.”
“Like you could.” Before I could insult him, he vanished through the doorway after Gerri.
I strolled around the room, trying not to panic over the information Fane discovered in that book. Rumors. They were just rumors.
The collection of paperbacks on a small table all had covers with bare-chested guys. The sign in the center had a meme ofTwilightwith Edward asking if Jacob owned a shirt. Gerri might have been a freaky little pixie, but she had a sense of humor, something Fane lacked. Logan was the exact opposite of his friend. The demon reminded me of a happy-go-lucky golden retriever. He probably liked to swim and play catch.
I put the book of the shirtless guy down and lifted my head just as someone passed by the window. My heart plunged to the bottom of my gut as Hawk disappeared from my view.
Instinct took over, and I sprinted out of the door, the bell jingling wildly behind me as I took off in Hawk’s direction.
ChapterTwenty
My eyes burnedas I closed the gap between Hawk and me, the natural golden highlights in his hair gleaming under the sun. If I could just talk to him for a second…
Maybe I didn’t have to tell him about Fane’s bite.
I darted through people and practically shoved them off the sidewalk to catch up to Hawk’s long stride. My breaths came in frantic spurts as I broke into a full jog, my boots pounding the cement. Tingles crackled over my neck tattoo moments before callused fingers wrapped around my bicep.
Fane yanked me into a backstreet and slammed me against the wall. “What the fuck are you doing?”
I shoved my hands into his chest to push him off, but it was like moving a concrete pillar. Impossible. “I just needed to talk to someone. I wasn’t going to say anything about the Infernal Sol.”
He slapped his palms on the bricks by my head. “You cannotgo running after your little raven boyfriend.” Disdain dripped from his words, especially the last one. “You are not a raven anymore.”
“Thanks to you.” I lifted my knee to strike him in the crotch, but he saw the hit coming and angled to the side so I missed. “I just wanted him to know I was okay.”
A bitter laugh tumbled out of Fane. “And you’d let him walk off back to Corvin Manor without you?”
“Yes.”
“Bullshit.” He gripped my chin and forced me to meet his scorching gaze. “You can’t go back, Teague. What do you think will happen during your first shift? You’ll be alone and confused, and if you shift at the raven headquarters, there’s no telling who might get hurt. Even you.”
“They wouldn’t—”
His nostrils flared, and the heat pulsating from him intensified. “They would if they deemed you a threat, even your boyfriend. And then you’d be dead along with the Infernal Sol.”
I ripped his hand from my face. “Maybe Ishouldbe dead, and then no one could possess this cursed demon amulet.”
Fane stepped so close his body brushed mine, and his silky black hair tickled my forehead. “Do I need to put you on suicide watch? I will fucking chain you to me if I have to.”
A sneer pulled at my lips, lips that were entirely too close to his. “You look like the type to enjoy whips and chains. Youarea demon.”
That mouth of his formed a terrifying smile, and his leg slipped between mine. A burst of fireworks exploded in my core, stealing my breath. His thumb ran over my neck tattoo, and those rough fingers lightly coiled around my throat. “As I recall, you’re the one who likes to be choked, Teague.”
Hot rage bubbled in my veins, and this time when I shoved him, he took a few steps back. “Go to hell, Maverick.”
