No, he wouldn’t be. And when he woke, Simon knew Zane would come after them. Because the demon cared for Dee, too. Cared enough to come on his own with a kill-order.
If you cared enough to kill…
Simon lifted his gaze. “Let’s get the hell out of here.” Not lovers. Dee and the demon had never been together sexually, so he shouldn’t even think about attacking the guy while he was out.
But he’ll be there for Dee when this hell is over. When she doesn’t have to fight the nightmares of her past any longer, the demon will be there.
And where will I be?
Would Dee even want him in her life once Grim’s threat was gone?
He hadn’t thought that far ahead.
Dee dragged Zane inside the room. Simon grabbed Zane’s legs, and they hoisted the demon onto the bed. Dee shoved a pillow under his head. “Don’t come after me,” she whispered.
Zane wouldn’t be able to hear her.
She reached for his hand. Turned his wrist over. “I-I have to know where you’ll be. I can’t risk you. Won’t. Not for my revenge.”
You’d kill us all for vengeance? The witch’s question.
No, Dee wouldn’t.
She stared at the demon, swallowed, and bit him.
Simon froze. No, no—he didn’t like to see her mouth on the demon. Not one bit. Taking his blood. A growl rumbled in Simon’s throat. Not her. Not him. No—
Dee wrenched her mouth away. Her eyes met Simon’s.
“Not…another.” His snarl was a guttural demand.
“Simon?”
He grabbed her arms and hauled her away from the bed. No time. His jaw locked. “Get in the car.”
And away from the demon.
A demon now forever linked to her. Just what he needed. More competition.
As if he didn’t have enough shit going on.
Simon hauled her out, left the demon, and didn’t look back. As far as he was concerned, there had never been any use in looking back.
They climbed into Dee’s SUV. Zane’s motorcycle was gone. Either courtesy of Nina or the witch. Either way, he knew the demon wouldn’t be slowed down for long.
Backup would come, whether they wanted it to or not.
“Uh, it’s my vehicle, you know, I should be the one to—”
He floored the accelerator and they shot out of the parking lot, leaving a trail of spewing gravel behind them.
The black SUV fishtailed out of the lot. The two in the vehicle were so intent on their prey that they didn’t glance around. Didn’t take notice of the one watching.
Pity.
Another mistake.
The key turned and the ignition kicked to life. Trailing them would be too easy.
Killing them—harder. But not impossible. Nothing was impossible.
The slow twang of country music filled the car’s interior, and the vehicle pulled from the concealing shadows.
“How long until we reach Hueco?” Dee’s voice was steady. The words were the first she’d spoken in the last hour.
Simon kept his foot stomped all the way onto the accelerator. Even burning up the black interstate road, it would still be “after dawn.” A piss-poor time to go riding into the town. He’d be weak. All the vamps would be.
He and Dee would be outnumbered. Grim would have a guard force. Lots of vamps and who knew what else.
“Then if we’ve got nothing to do for the next six hours—”
Probably longer.
“Why don’t you tell me what’s got your butt in such a twist?”
His knuckles whitened around the wheel. “You didn’t have to drink from him,” he bit out. Your butt in such a twist. Nice.
“I wanted to know if he was coming after me. Us.”
He could still see her mouth on the other man’s wrist. Her lips so red against his dark flesh. Tasting him. Taking him.
The SUV swerved onto the median and Simon yanked the wheel so the vehicle slipped back into the right lane. “You took his blood. You linked with him.” Wasn’t it enough that the two of them already had some kind of bond he didn’t understand?
Trust. Yeah, Dee trusted her demon.
“I linked with you, too. I didn’t hear you complaining about it.”
No, that was the problem. He’d all but begged for more. The feel of her lips. That tongue—
Good fucking thing the demon had been knocked out.
“I-I thought I had to do it. After what Cat said, I didn’t want him following us.” Quiet, subdued.
Since when was she subdued? What the hell? He slanted her a quick glance and tried to get the crazy bat-shit jealousy under control.
Fear. That’s what it really was. Fear about facing Grim. Because what if the bastard was too strong? And then…cold-eat-your-soul fear that when the battle was over, he’d lose Dee.