I glanced at Titus, who’d eased up some since the graveyard. He’d needed to blow off steam, and I was happy to do that for him. Even if it hurt to walk a little.
“It would have been nice if I’d gotten a little warning,” I said, trying to break the awkwardness with a joke.
He cast me a sidelong look, dark brow raised. “With what?”
I tapped my ass, and he gave a nod of understanding. “Ah. Well. Would have been less fun that way. I’d say I’m sorry, but I’m not.”
“Prick.”
He grinned to himself, his attention turning back to the path ahead of us. “Don’t pretend you didn’t love every fucked-up second of it, sis.”
I sucked my bottom lip between my teeth, biting back my objections. I couldn’t lie to him. He knew how much I loved it when he gave in to the dark chemistry that was constantly brewing between us.
And the fact that we’d had an audience had somehow made it better.
Jesus. I was going to need a whole lot of therapy after getting out of here.Ifwe got out of here.
I glanced back at Titus, who’d shifted back to his human form. I knew he preferred it, but a part of me couldn’t help feeling a little disappointed. There wasn’t anything quite like being pinned beneath a vicious monster, knowing they could easily break you.
“Careful, girl,” he said, a silky purr rumbling from his chest. “You keep eye-fucking me like that, and I’ll bend you over and take you in a new hole.”
“A new one? You’ve already fucked all of them.”
He gave a dark chuckle. “Then I’ll make a new one.”
I stopped dead in my tracks, gaping at him in disbelief. “You’re disgusting.”
He threw his head back, rolling his eyes before slowly turning to face me. “Yeah.” He gestured to his blood-splattered body. “Look at me, baby. I’m Hell walking. You’re the one that gets so fucking wet for me whenever I open my mouth. Don’t blame me for taking advantage of that.”
He strode toward me, stopping when there were only a few inches of space left between us. “You know I’d never hurt you. I wasn’t so sure before but after last night, I know my devil wants to keep you safe. And if I ever did something to hurt you, to really hurt you, all you have to do is say the word, and I’ll stop.”
I chewed my lip. “What word? ‘Stop?’”
He gave a thoughtful pause, and his lips spread wickedly after a moment of contemplation. “No. I wouldn’t stop then. Even if I don’t own your soul yet, we’re connected. I know when you’re not enjoying yourself. But if having a safe word makes you feel better, let’s make it…Finders Keepers.”
My breath caught as memories flooded back. “Alright.”
He smiled softly, bending to brush a kiss on my brow. “Good girl.”
We walked for several more minutes until we came to a clearing in the trees. I blinked rapidly, my gaze skimming the scene we’d stumbled on. No, not stumbled. Titus had led us here on purpose.
It was the cabin—what was left of it. It had burned down, the last blackened remnants of wood still crackling with embers.
I scanned the ground, looking for the bodies of our attackers. “Where are the cultists?”
He gestured to a burning pile of debris. “There.”
“Oh.”
“Well, most of them. Here.” He picked up the backpack from where he’d left it on the ground and tossed it at me. It was heavier than I remembered.
There was something unsettling about the weight of the bag. I looked at Titus, who was staring at me with a wry smirk. “Look inside. I got you a present.”
I opened the backpack to discover that hispresentwas a severed head. It wasn’t the head of a man, but a full-blooded devil. Its fur was clumped with blood, and its white eyes bore up at me from the bottom of the backpack.
Even though he’d been wearing a mask last night, I knew who it was.
I swallowed thickly, noticing that there was something stuffed in its gaping mouth.
