“This is why I’m here,” I said plainly. “You asked me to do this.”
His jaw tightened and his expression flattened, becoming unreadable. “You’re right. I did.”
I crossed the distance between us, the blade raised. Bob cried out. “Miranda, you can’t do this to him. Not after what you just did together.”
“Shut up,” I said in a harsh whisper.
Xander’s brows bunched together, but he didn’t say anything.
Bob continued to adamantly plead with me. “Miranda, I know about death. Doing this, now, it will kill a piece of you too. I know. I know death.”
I stopped a foot away from Xander. He stood there, hands balled into tight fists, accepting the fate I was about to deliver while still looking pissed.
Sword in my hand, poised at Xander’s heart, Bob became impossibly heavy. My wrist strained to keep the blade straight as it vibrated. Bob was trying to thwart my aim.
The lump in my throat grew. It crowded out my vocal cords. My heart suddenly felt as weighty as my blade, as heavy as a stone. As if it was also trying to drag me down, keep me from doing what I was about to do.
My arm dropped.
Then without a word, I turned, put on my leather duster over my naked body, grabbed my clothes, shut the cage behind me then got onto the elevator. I didn’t look back to see Xander’s face as I left him there. The doors closed behind me, and I didn’t turn around. Clutching my clothes and boots to my bare chest, the elevator automatically started its ascent. I’d need to dress fast before it arrived on the lobby level.
But I wanted it to stop. I needed a minute. A minute or two of safety.
A red button appeared before me. Before I could think, I pressed it. The elevator halted. I should probably freak out about the magic/intuitive elevator, but I was already past full capacity of mental and emotional overload.
Dropping my boots and clothes to the floor, I sat down right there. My arms encircled my knees, pulling them to my chest as I rocked back and forth.
What was I doing? Who was I anymore?
How could I kill him when I lov–
“Don’t you dare finish that sentence, Miranda West,” I said out loud, my voice hoarse.
“Oh Miranda,” Bob said from where he lay on the elevator floor next to me. “It’s going to be okay.”
I don’t know how long I sat there, rocking back and forth while a talking blade comforted me over my fucked up life and the feelings I had for a beastly god who resided in the Grim Reaper’s basement.
ChapterTwenty-Three
THE BADASS
The next night at Xander’s cage again, I dropped my duster to the ground on the chair. I tried to put what happened between us behind me.
“What the holy hell are you wearing?” Xander blurted out.
My head snapped up. “What?”
“You have a line with bunches around your backside.”
I twisted around forgetting what I’d even worn today. “Oh, my booty shorts? I got them from a site online.”
“They should be illegal.”
My eyebrow raised, letting him know he was sidling up to danger. “You got a problem with how I dress? Because I’m a grown-ass woman and I can wear whatever I want.”
“Sure, you can, but if you want a bunch of people glued to the ass you're flaunting…”
“Maybe I do. Is that a problem?” I asked stepping closer. My body felt lighter than usual. Almost unreal as I challenged him. I stalked over to his open cage, ready to take this fight to the next level. He met me in the middle, only inches separating us. Heat and intensity vibrated between us.
