Silver didn’t kill demons, but it hurt like hell and would take longer to heal. This told me several important details. Firstly, this wasn’t a random attack. Secondly, my attackerknewI was a demon, and third, I guess they knew enough to know if they pushed the blade through my throat and were able to restrain me so I couldn’t remove it, I’d choke on my own blood. I couldn’t heal around silver, I’d have to get the blade out, and if I couldn’t, I’d die.
After that, they would remove my heart and burn it, and that would be that.
So, I stilled.
“I’m going to remove my hand. I’m not here to kill you. I don’t need any more enemies than I already have, and…” thedeep voice chuckled next to my neck as the silver knife twisted slightly, stinging against my skin. “I think Nikki hates me enough already for killing her father, so I wouldn’t want to take her boyfriend too.”
“Who are you?” The words were out the second he removed his hand, and he responded only by pushing the blade harder against my neck, definitely drawing blood.
“I only want to talk.”
“Why?”
“I’ve cleaned up, and I’m ready to clear out of this city. Emrick’s empire is growing too quickly, and this fucking hole of a city isn’t worth the effort to keep. I have roots elsewhere, and I’m moving on.”
“Cole,” I muttered, attempting to turn my head and having a hand grab my chin and cheek, forcing me to look forward again. He wore some kind of jewelry on his hand, a metal ring on his middle finger with a chain that linked to a claw-like attachment that dug into my skin and seared. Silver again. There was silence when I had spoken his name, and no response was the same as acknowledgment. He didn’t ask how I knew his name, and I suppose it didn’t make much difference to him. “What’s this got to do with me?”
“Tell sweet Nicola to let the past go. I don’t want any bullshit from this place following me to my new home, but someone I respect has told me she’s not to be killed. Otherwise, I’d have gutted her already.”
A low growl rumbled through my throat, and he responded only with a chuckle. I wanted to turn and rip him to shreds, but Nikki would want me to get information. We’d discussed this, her plans moving forward. Besides, killing a human with intent would have me banished from Earth, and since I was already banished from Hell, that would mean my death.
“You’re human,” I finally said.
“Yes, but you’re not,demon.”
“How do you know that?”
“One doesn’t get to be in this business in this city for as long as I have without learning a thing or two about the players. And let me tell you, there are plenty of your lot running around up here, especially in my line of work. You can be quite useful, pure strength-for-hire. You, however, seem to have morals for some reason, though… strange.”
“We’re not here to talk about me.”
“You’re right, we’re talking about your girlfriend. Tell her to back the fuck off, for if she comes for me, I’ll be ready, and any loyalty I hold to those who asked me not to kill her will become moot. I’ll kill her in front of you, slowly, painfully, making you take in every scream and tear, and then I’ll kill you.”
I was beginning to tremble, my demon screaming to get out, every protective nerve in my body shrieking to be let loose and kill this fucking guy. But I had to think of Nikki. I couldn’t help her if I were dead, whether by Rueben Cole’s hand or by punishment. My muscles rippled with the effort of keeping my demon inside, and I doubted I’d have the self-control not to kill him if I started an attack.
“Who’s protecting her?” A thought struck me, and I went with it. “Is it her brother?”
Another chuckle, and I wondered if I could rip his face off without killing him. Some sort of fucked-up loophole where I get to take my rage out on this asshole without being banished from Earth. “He had plans for our sweet little Nicola, long-term plans, and one day he’ll come for her.”
“Where is he?”
“No level of demonic tone in your voice will make me answer that question, Cade. I know where my loyalties, as flimsy as they may be, lie.”
“Where are you going?”
“Away. Don’t try to find me. Pass on the message.” Cole slashed at the back of my throat with the silver knife, and the stinging pain radiated through my body. In the moment of weakness, he grabbed the side of my face, slamming my head into the wall. As he moved to leave, I reached out and snatched at his jacket, and he turned, a black scarf covering the lower half of his face. His eyes, green and vibrant, blazed with fury as he clawed at me with the silver claw on his middle finger, leaving a slice down my cheek. “Stop. If I don’t get back, my men have instructions to come for Nicola, and you won’t be able to protect her from all of them.”
Grinding my teeth, I froze on the spot, glaring at him and imprinting those eyes in my mind forever. Next time I saw those eyes, I’d find a way to take him down without losing Nikki. I couldn’t know for sure if he was telling the truth, but I couldn’t risk it.
We both knew how deep this ran.
Were there hospital workers in on it?
Were there nurses under Cole’s payroll, primed and ready to kill Nikki in her sleep if he asked?
His eyes crinkled as he smiled before turning and walking away.
With eight weeks of physical and speech therapy, Nikki was ready to kick a hole through the wall if one more person asked her to stretch her legs using a resistance band. She hadn’t had a memory lapse in over a week and rarely tripped over words or sentences now, although sometimes she still got confused, misunderstanding a word or unable to find a word she wanted. Nikki found this more frustrating than anything, and all thereassurance she’d eventually be back to normal wasn’t enough for her. She was stubborn and wanted resultsnow.Having been assigned a further eight weeks off with checkups on her progress every two weeks, then she should be able to officially be signed off to be fit for work.
