Groaning in frustration, he rubbed his forehead tiredly. “They want your grace. My commander will stop at nothing to get it. He ‘punished’ me so I would get close to you. He left me alone for all these months, but then he appeared again. Commanded me to use my demonic influence to seduce you so he could steal your grace. I discovered that I’m to be sacrificed as well. Your power and mine together would give him enough juice to start a major coup of Hell. But I can’t do it, Chuck. I’ve come to… care about you. I didn’t know I could. I didn’t know it was possible. But I have feelings for the first time in centuries, and I’m so fucking gone over you, I have no idea what to do here. But I can’t keep this from you. And I won’t let them hurt you. So yeah, he’ll kill me one way or the other, but I’d rather die defending you with my last breath than let them take you. I won’t. He can’t have you, Kelly.”
Chest heaving with the force of his declaration, he lifted his eyes to her, terrified of what he would see. He expected scorn, hurt, fright, and disgust. Once again, he should have known better than to underestimate her.
“Malachi, he can’t have you. Demon or not, you’re my partner.” She leaned forward and placed a soft kiss on his cheek.
Put Pants on This Time
Stunned silence filled the air as Malachi stared at Chuck, his mouth open wide in shock. He studied the smirk on her face and slowly shook his head side to side. “Chuck. Kelly. Did you hear me? I’m a demon. A literal Hellspawn. My mother is an ash demon, and my father is an incubus. I was a lieutenant of the Sixth Ward Legion of Demons. My sole purpose in existing is to corrupt souls for Hell through whatever means. I’m sin. I’m everything you stand against. Cast me out, Kelly. Send me away.”
“Nope!” she grinned so hard her cheeks surely hurt.
“What the fuck, Kelly?” he shouted. His eyebrows bunched together like a stormcloud, and he glared at her, his eyes lighting up with Hellfire. “Don’t you have any sense? I’m a fucking demon. A soulless monster here to tarnish your light and steal your grace. I’m supposed to ruin you!” He finally roared in frustration and jumped to his feet. “Fuck!”
Shuffling drew his attention to her as he paced frantically. Chuck strode to him and grabbed his arms, holding him still. “Malachi,” she sighed, then smiled. “Shut up.”
His jaw dropped, and his eyes flew even wider than he thought possible. He heard Reena snickering as she trotted in and lay next to the couch to watch the drama unfold. She probably liked this better than her daytime TV reruns. Her wheezy little chuckle had him glaring at her. “Stay out of this!” he pointed.
Chuck thumped him on the forehead. “Hey, focus.” Her tone was light and full of laughter.
“Dammit, Chuck,” he growled, rubbing his skin where she’d flicked him. “I don’t understand you at all. Every time I think I know how you’re going to react, you surprise me.”
“Yeah, I’m used to being underestimated,” she replied nonchalantly and shrugged. She pulled him back down to the couch and handed him a folder. “You go through this one, I’ll take this other,” she instructed as she waved the loose files.
“Kelly. I…” he stared at her as she arched an eyebrow and flashed a mischievous smirk. Finally, he shook his head and laughed. “So, am I to understand you’re cool with me being a demon and you’re not throwing me out?”
With a deep echoing groan, Chuck leaned back and scrubbed her hands over her face. “Okay, I’ll explain. Malachi, I knew you weren’t entirely human. Demon—that part I was not expecting—but with everything else, I’m just not surprised. Maybe tonight, maybe tomorrow morning, I’m sure it’ll catch up with me and freak me out, but for now…” She shook her head, then took his hand in hers, lacing their fingers together. “Mal… am I angry you weren’t honest with me? A little, but I also understand why you wouldn’t. My father apparently kept a huge secret from me my whole life. To protect me. I feel like you’re doing the same. I refuse to believe that you’re purely evil. Yeah, you’ve probably done some things in your past that were pretty awful. But look at what you’re doing now! You’ve saved the lives of so many people. You protect Reena. You care about me. Whatever you were before, you’re not that same guy now. And who better to protect me from demons than another demon who has switched sides?”
His mouth opened and closed a few times as he pondered her words. “Who says I’ve switched sides?” he demanded with a small, decidedly feral smile.
“I do.” She nodded, a determined expression thinning her lips and narrowing her eyes. “Malachi, I want you in my life. You’re staying with me. So that means you’re Team Good Guys now. No more corrupting.” She hid a smile at his groan. “You might have started out corrupting me, but the tables have turned and you…”—she poked a finger into his chest—“Are going light side!” Her triumphant grin made his mouth go as dry as the Sahara in the peak of summer.
“Fuck, I just don’t believe this,” he whispered.
Leaning in, Chuck placed one hand on his cheek before gently placing her lips to his. A small tender kiss had his heart exploding with rainbow colors and dancing butterflies, things that would normally make him vomit, but now he wanted more. He moved forward, trying to prolong the kiss. She placed a single finger firmly over his lips and pulled back slightly.
“Malachi, you said you can see my emotional aura or halo, whatever thingy, right?”
Nodding slowly, he focused on the glow surrounding her, in awe of the golden haze now streaked heavily with red.
“So, I think you probably know how I feel about you,” her voice wavered, suddenly timid.
Now he shook his head; he didn’t understand it at all. “I’m not sure, actually. It’s gold like it is when you’re doing something you believe in, but it’s streaked with red, which I thought was lust… but,” he sighed, “I don’t know. I kinda suck at this.”
“Mal, I think the red is for affection. Because I feel very strongly about you. I care about you a lot. And yes, I’m ready to admit that I want whatever this is between us. But I also think we would be wise to take it slow until we figure out what the threat is and how to end it. How do we keep your commander from dragging you back to Hell? Because you don’t belong there, Malachi. You belong here. With me.”
“I want that,” he breathed, having never been more sure of anything in his life.
“Good,” she declared with a decisive nod. “Then let’s figure this out.” She tapped the evidence folders. “What are we looking for?”
For the next two hours, they delved through the files, talking through each piece of information, making notes, and bouncing ideas off each other. Malachi recounted for her what he’d smelled at the first kidnapping. How he sensed two dark souls that day. He wasn’t sure who it was, but it had seemed strongest around the scene lieutenant.
“Bennett?” she mused, tapping a finger on her lips as she stared blindly out the window into the night beyond. “He and my dad were friends.” She shook her head. “I don’t know. I don’t see it, but I don’t know who I can trust anymore.” Her head turned, and she took his hand in hers. “Except you.”
Picking idly at his pants leg with the other hand, he mumbled, “I wish you didn’t.”
“Why?”
His head snapped up, staring at her as she gazed at him with a curious expression. He realized she truly wanted to know. “Because I don’t want to risk hurting you or putting you in more danger than you are already.Iwould never hurt you, Chuck, but there are others who might.” He tried to grimace darkly, wanting to throw in some good old-fashioned broodingfor maximum effort, but it was ruined by a yawn. “Sorry,” he groaned as he covered his mouth.
