“I’d never get so carried away,” Shadrach promised.
“But I might. It’s happened before.”
“How do you mean?”
Isaac hummed. “When I was a kid, if I got too bored, I’d start to hurt myself. Counting finger pricks or making cuts on my arm just so blood would well to the surface. Every time I did it, I was punished. They didn’t like it when I turned on my own body.”
“Surprising no one,” Shadrach muttered.
“But I liked it. It was an idle thing. A way to pass the time. My mind would drift, and I’d start to pick at the scabs on my knuckles or my chapped lips or press the bruises on my elbows and knees.”
“So you’re saying you might get so deep in your own head that you don’t realize the pain you’re feeling is the damaging kind of pain.”
“Yes.”
Shadrach’s hand swept up and down his stomach, interrupting the path of the trickling water. “Do you believe me when I say that I understand the human body? That I’ve seen humans in all manner of pain, from mild to excruciating? That I know exactly how much a human can withstandbefore they die? Before their bones will break? Before they’ll bleed out?”
Shadrach was the first one Isaac saw after Talon captured him. He was the one Talon had called to interrogate him. To torture him. That was most likely because Shadrach knew intimately well how to extract information by causing the most pain. Yes, Isaac believed that he understood the inner workings of the human body as well as a mechanic knew cars.
“Yes.”
“Then will you trust me to know how much you can take? Will you trust me to take the reigns and make sure you’re still whole when we’re finished?”
Isaac’s mouth was dry. “Yes.” His cock was heavy between his legs now, and he longed for Shadrach’s hand to move south, to grip him tight and make himburn.
Shadrach nuzzled the side of his face. “Good. Then put your faith in me, killer. I can give you mind-blowing pains with your pleasures and make sure you’re still whole when we’re done.”
Isaac turned to look at him, meeting night black eyes with his own. There had been many people in his life who claimed to want the best for him. Many supposed angels who’d come into his life to help and only harmed instead, all with different shades of blue eyes, brown, or green. All of them had used him for their own selfish ends. Red eyes, black eyes, the villains in the night who would lead him astray and drag him to Hell, these eyes were the honest ones. They couldn’t hide what they were. And Shadrach’s black eyes were the ones who looked at him with affection. His was the only gaze that didn’t make Isaac feel judged.
There was no one he trusted more.
The last, tenuous grasp he’d still held on his doubts about this path finally snapped. He didn’t care if he did the right thing or the wrong thing. He didn’t care what anyone else thought about the choices he’d made. This was exactly where he wanted to be, and he was tired of fighting his own desires.
He turned bodily, sliding his arms around Shadrach’s neck. The demon canted his head, studying Isaac’s face.
“What are you thinking, killer?”
Killer.Shadrach accepted him for what he was. It was time he did the same, for both himself and Shadrach.
“I’m thinking you’re it for me. I trust you with everything. My life, my body, my soul. Hell, I’d sell it to you if I could, because I know you’d keep it safe.”
Shadrach’s eyes glittered with something Isaac couldn’t name. Hunger, anticipation, desire. “You’re damn right I would, but unfortunately I’m not that kind of demon.”
“Oh well. I guess you’ll just have to take everything else, then.”
Shadrach’s strong arm snaked around his lower back, crushing their bodies together. “Gladly.”
They couldn’t staycooped up in the apartment forever, no matter how inviting the idea was. Throughout the day, Isaac did some online shopping with Shadrach that made him realize exactly how expensive the demon’s tastes ran. He put a rush on the clothing order, bought Isaac the most expensive phone with the most durable case, and Isaac had to insistently talk him out of buying him a car. As convenient as it was to have a rich demon lover who wanted to spendmoney on him, he had to draw the line somewhere. He didn’tneeda car right now, especially because Shadrach could teleport anywhere and also gave him the spare key to hisowncar.
Later that evening, for lack of anything better to wear, he borrowed some clothes and reluctantly let Shadrach teleport them back to the Rink. They had some things to discuss with the others, and putting it off would only make it worse.
The Rink was… hysterical. Now that his view wasn’t colored by the stress of being held hostage, he could take in all the little details. The mirrored ceiling, the old-fashioned colored lightbulbs, thedisco ball. He and Shadrach appeared almost directly under it, and, looking up at his own reflection, Isaac burst out laughing, which caught the attention of everyone over in the area separated by the half-wall.
“What the hell is he doing here?” Talon said immediately.
“Talon, relax,” Shadrach said, raising a hand as though to ward him off. “He’s with us now.”
“Like hell he is,” Talon snapped poisonously.
