He wasn’t wrong, but thinking about someone believing the two of them were together made Roque’s stomach squirm.Was it easy to believe?Or had the tavern owner wondered what a demon like Dimri was doing with someone like Roque?Not that she’d gotten a good look at Roque.He’d stayed a few steps away from the bar while Dimri talked to her, and his head had been covered with a hood, which thankfully wasn’t an unusual sight in Hell.They wanted to avoid someone recognizing him after what had happened with Medea.
Things were a little awkward, but then, Roque hadn’t expected anything different.He and Dimri weren’t friends.They were barely more than acquaintances, even though Roque wished things were different.He’d always noticed the spymaster, but he’d never dared go anywhere near him.Dimri was on another level than Roque.Roque loved his job and wanted to continue doing it for decades to come, but he knew some people thought he was stupid because he was there to be the muscle.Dimri had never treated him like that, though.Even when he was annoyed with him, he’d always treated Roque with respect, and that meant something.It meant a lot, actually, which was one of the reasons Roque was here.He wanted to protect Dimri.
They took a few moments to settle into the bedroom, taking turns in the bathroom.Dinner was delivered about an hour later, with Dimri opening the door and talking to the tavern owner as if they were friends.Roque watched all of that, relieved that he didn’t have to be involved.Dimri was behaving as if all of this was perfectly normal and like the two of them really were together.It made Roque wonder what would happen if he tried kissing the spymaster.Would Dimri stab him?Probably, but Roque could dream that Dimri would kiss him back.
“You should go to bed,” Dimri said after they were done with dinner.
“We’re supposed to watch Abath.”
“I’ll watch him for now.I promise that I’ll wake you up if he does anything, but I’m pretty sure he’s not going to leave the house again tonight.”
“How do you know that?”
“I just had to watch him undress and put on his sleep clothes.”
“What, you didn’t like the show?”Roque teased.“I would’ve thought you’re used to watching people in various stages of undress by now.”
“I am, but that doesn’t mean I enjoy it.I dislike breaching people’s privacy, even though it’s necessary.”
And that was one of the reasons Roque liked Dimri so much.He took his job seriously, but he understood that parts of it weren’t great.He was willing to compromise because it meant keeping Berith safe, but he didn’t use his position to get more power over people.He was the right demon for the job.
Since Roque knew that he wouldn’t be changing Dimri’s mind, he slipped into bed after visiting the bathroom.Dimri had settled on a chair he’d dragged by the window, and he didn’t look back at Roque.He stared out the window, his attention firmly on Abath and whatever he was doing.
*
ROQUE WAS SURPRISEDbut relieved at how easily he fell asleep.He should have known it was too good to be true, but it still annoyed him when he was woken up by the sound of someone whimpering several hours later.He rubbed his eyes, trying to make sense of what he was hearing.The room was dark, and while there was some moonlight coming in through the windows, it wasn’t enough to fully illuminate the place.Itwasenough to show him that Dimri had fallen asleep, though.
He was still sitting on his chair by the window, leaning against the wall.His eyes were closed and his mouth slightly parted, and as Roque watched, he whimpered again.
It sounded like Dimri was in pain or maybe scared.Roque was curious, but he didn’t dare wake up the spymaster.There was no way to know how he’d react to being startled out of his dreams, especially in a place he wasn’t familiar with.Roque wasn’t willing to sacrifice himself, which only left one thing for him to do.
He got out of bed and crept closer to the window.He was careful when he grabbed the second chair from the tiny dining area and placed it on the other side of the window, facing Dimri.He might not feel like he should wake him up, but that didn’t mean he shouldn’t get to work.Dimri would have his ass if he didn’t, and not in a nice way.So Roque would do what he did best.He would stand guard and wait for something to happen.
* * * *
DIMRI WAS STARTLEDawake.For a second, he was disoriented and didn’t recognize the room he was in.It wasn’t the first time something like that happened, though, so he breathed in and out, giving himself time.
That went right out the window when he saw Roque sitting in front of him.Why was he awake?Dimri hadn’t woken him up like they’d agreed he would.He’d thought he could do this on his own the way he had several times before.
Clearly, he’d been wrong.
“You should go to bed,” Roque murmured.
Dimri cleared his throat.He’d been dreaming of Jessamyn’s attack.He was used to blood and violence, but the fight with Lucifer’s sister had been atrocious.He still saw the dead sometimes, especially in his sleep.
He wasn’t sure why he’d fallen asleep.Normally, he wouldn’t have.He never felt safe enough while he was working outside the palace on his own.He always waited for daylight to take naps, and he would’ve done the same in this situation, too.He could sleep when Abath went to work.
But Roque made him feel safe.Dimri wasn’t sure he’d ever felt that way while working outside the palace.Roque was Berith’s bodyguard, and he’d promised Berith that he would keep Dimri safe.It wasn’t something Dimri was used to, and he hadn’t realized it was something he might need.He didn’t want to rely on anyone else, especially when it came to his work, but he supposed that if he had to, Roque would be the best person to feel that way with.He was a good fighter, and Dimri trusted him.He couldn’t say that about many people.
“Oryoucould go back to bed,” he offered.
Roque shook his head.“I’m fine.I had enough sleep.”
“Why did you wake up?”
Roque hesitated and finally turned to look at Dimri.“I think you had a bad dream.”
Dimri sucked in a breath and waited for Roque to ask him what he’d been dreaming about.If he’d woken up Roque, it meant he’d been making noise.Gosh, this was so embarrassing.Dimri wanted Roque to think of him as strong and capable, but here he was, freaking out over a dream.
