“Yes.”
“He wants you to break up Bathin’s mother and father,” she said.
“Yes.”
“He wants you to destroy the contract between his brother and his sister-in-law.”
“Harsh,” Jean said, “Do demons actually marry each other?”
“There are rituals,” Myra said off-handedly. “And contracts. It’s all about the contracts.”
“How are they broken?” Jean asked.
Myra put the little notebook back in her pocket. “Bathin says the only way a demon will let go of one thing, is if they can control something of greater value to them. Contracts are sacred to demons. A lifeblood of their identity. A map to their existence. I haven’t come across anything that says a contract was willingly ended between demons. Murders and killings, yes. Amicable split, no.”
“Terrific,” I said.
“I’ll go through the library.” Myra stood. “And I’ll get everything I can out of Bathin too.”
“Good. Jean, I want you to come with—”
The front door flew open. Ryder strode into the room.
His hair was styled back, and he was freshly showered. He wore a button-down, silver-gray shirt and the black slacks I loved that made his ass look amazing. The scent of fresh air and sawdust and the cologne he only wore when he was dressing up for fancy events swirled around him as he made his way to me with laser focus.
He looked like he was about to shovel his way into hell to kick some ass.
He stopped. Right there in front of me, but not touching. His gaze was everywhere on me, searching, frantic.
“I’m okay,” I said.
He let out a breath—choppy and fast— as if a yell had been building, steam, anger, pressure—
—fear—
—that had had no other release.
“Laney,” he whispered.
I was in his arms. My body pressed against his, and his arms locked behind me and pulled me just that slight bit closer as if he were afraid I’d fall away, as if he were afraid I was already too far out on the edge of a cliff.
He anchored me, grounded me, solid and steady, his heartbeat fast under the softness of his dress shirt, my ear and cheek pressed against his chest, the heat of him, the scent of him soaking into me.
“I missed our dinner,” I said.
“Yeah.”
“Another demon thinks he can push me around.”
Ryder grunted. It sounded good there, so close to my ear, so close to my own heart. “He obviously doesn’t know you.”
He held me a second more, then his hands went flat against my back and his arms loosened. He drew back enough he could see me. “How bad?”
“He cast a spell binding us together. We’re working on how to break it.”
He glanced over my shoulder, looking at my sisters. “How bad?”
I pinched his side. “Hey. I’m telling you the truth.”
