My silence must’ve worked in rattling him, because his throat bobbed on a hard swallow while his fists clenched on the tabletop.
Serenity returned then. She’d carefully hidden her hurt behind her mask once more. Because I saw that faint smile andthose blank eyes for what they were—a shield, a barrier between everyone on the outside and everything she felt on the inside.
How many times had she hid her pain in the face of this man?
How many times had she shoved down whatever ate at her in the name of keeping the peace?
How many times had her soul bled within the armor she’d constructed?
Bradley’s nostrils flared while his blue eyes finally left mine to land on her. “Can we talk outside, please? Just the two of us?”
With expert precision, her mask remained in place while she nodded. She met my gaze and said, “We’ll be right back.”
I tracked the two of them as they weaved through the bar and outside. Something in the center of my chest twisted, something I didn’t have time to analyze before John scooted his chair closer. He leaned in with bright eyes and a budding smile.
“I’ve been waiting for those two to dip all evening,” he revealed in a quiet voice. “I’m actually a huge fan of yours. I didn’t want to say anything in front of Bradley, because he’d deck me for liking his competition in this weird rivalry you two have over Serenity. But yeah. Huge fan of Sinners Do It Better. Can I get a photo with you?”
I barely heard the human. I’d gotten so many requests to pose for photos over the years that I managed to move on autopilot now, posing for a photo with this bastard while watching Serenity and Bradley through the front windows. Even from here, I could see the aggravation building between the two, so the minute John got his photo, I pushed away from the table and stalked toward the front of the bar where I leaned against a wall near the windows, close enough that my superior demonic hearing could pick up on their conversation outside.
“I’ve already told you no,” Serenity gritted out in response to whatever Bradley had just said. “He and I aren’t dating. But I won’t deny that we … I don’t know. Maybe … like each other.”
“Would you pleaselistento yourself?” Bradley growled. “Youlikeeach other? Serenity, he doesn’t give a shit about you, not like I do. You think he’s going tolikeyou when he’s on tour with his band, surrounded by hundreds of hot chicks? You think he’s going to even remember your name then, let alone be faithful to you? Why would a celebrity, who can get any girl he wants, wait around for an average one like you?”
I snarled my lip at the outrageous words coming out of this bastard’s mouth and looked over my shoulder. The minute I saw the quiver in Serenity’s lip and the pain swimming across her eyes, the venom flooding my insides dissipated. In its place swooped in a deep hollowness. I hated seeing that look on her face. I hated that these were the kinds of lies and ideas she’d been fed about herself all these years.
“I’m not saying this to be mean, Doll,” Bradley placated softly, reaching out to place a hand on her shoulder. “I just have to be harsh so that you’ll face reason. He’s not going to care about you once he’s had his fun with you. You’re being used, and you’re too blind by your stubbornness to see that. You’re only going to get hurt if you keep hanging out with him. I’m the only one really here for you, and when he leaves you behind, you’ll only have me to return to.”
Bradley’s words made my stomach churn and burned my insides like acid. As much as I hated every piece of what he was saying … he wasn’t wrong.
Iwasusing her.
Ididhave intentions of leaving once Bradley had been taught his lesson and Serenity built up her forces against him.
She would get hurt if she stayed around me, because pain was all a demon like me could bring into her life. There was a reason humans only sought me out for a demonic contract or a good fuck. That was all I was good for. I couldn’t give her what she wanted, needed, or deserved. I wasn’t worthy.
I dropped my head to stare at my feet. An emotion I was unaccustomed to feeling, one that took me many moments to even put a name to, settled heavy on my shoulders.
Guilt.
Today was a huge day for Serenity, and we were supposed to be celebrating her terrific accomplishment of finishing an entire trilogy. But what was she doing instead? Getting beaten down by someone she once loved. She wasmiserable, and I’d brought this on. I’d been too keen on making a point to Bradley that I lost sight of what was best for her. It was a heavy reminder that I wasn’t good for her, just like Bradley said.
“What am I doing?” I grumbled, rubbing at my forehead.
The door opened, and the two of them came back in. Serenity’s arms wrapped around her torso as she shrunk in on herself while Bradley strutted with pride. The glimmer of triumph in his eyes as he stared at the back of her head was the final push over the edge.
Growling, I shoved away from the wall and grabbed the back of his shirt collar. He barely had time to process that I’d appeared and snatched him before I was hauling him back outside.
“What the fuck,” he shouted as I dragged him around the bar and to the side of the building. “Are you looking to fight, because I will beat your—”
“Humans have no survival instincts these days,” I cut him off flatly as I slammed him back against the brick wall. I cocked my head and watched him struggle futilely to free himself from my tight grasp of his throat. “Animals have it figured out. They know to staysilentwhen a predator shows up.”
My calm facade faded, and the constant hold on my true form lessened until my very demonic essence rolled off of me. All demons carried the trace of Hell within our very veins, and when realized, it would give those nearby a sense of malice andunease. The invisible aura that poured out of us held a promise of doom and despair for those who crossed our path, and Bradley finally shut up upon feeling that now. Even if he didn’t understand why he suddenly had cobwebs tickling the back of his neck or a cold shiver rippling down his spine, heknewhe stared into the eyes of the monster he should’ve feared rather than provoked.
“You want to fight with me?” I asked quietly. “Fine. You want to talk your shit?Fine. But talk down to her, make her feel less than again, and your tongue won’t have a home inside that ugly fucking head of yours.”
I started to turn away when another thought occurred to me. I retightened my hold and leaned in close to snarl, “By the way, if you ever put your goddamn hands on her again, I’ll make sure it’s the last time those hands touch anything.”
I shoved the pale, trembling human away and stalked back inside. Serenity was back in her seat, foot tapping listlessly on the barstool rung and melancholy eyes staring into the crowd at nothing.
