She remembered the nameQinerafrom before. When what else he said registered, recalling the bloodied t-shirt in the kitchen.
“Ely, dammit, speak to me.”
She spun to him. “You were hurt?”
His mouth tightened, and he nodded. “No matter what happened between us, I wouldn’t do that to you. You must know this?”
“It’s just that past experience…” She shook her head. All the pent-up hurt deflating. “It’s not important.” She swiped her sweat-dampened face again with the back of her hand, the heat within scorching her like a rolling flame. Worse, there was no icy river to dive into in this place.
“Someone hurt you?” He gently grasped her by her upper arms. Gods, his touch felt so good, soothing. She wanted to strip off and wrap herself around him.
“It’s all in the past. All that matters is that you know just how sorry I am for-for—” She found it hard to get out the words. “For being the one who set you on the path to this torment you live daily.”
“I’ve wanted vengeance for so long…” his gaze held hers, “and when you revealed what had happened, I couldn’t accept it. But a part of me broke. I didn’t even know there was any more left in me to break…”
Dear goddess! The rawness in his eyes, the suffering, nothing could ever ease her remorse. “Forgive me—”
“There’s nothing to forgive, Ely.” He put a finger on her trembling lips, stopping her words. “You tried to save a child, a child who shouldn’t have run from safety and wouldn’t have ended up shot. There are so manyshouldn’ts and wouldn’tsin the situation, but nothing can change the past,” he said quietly, lowering his hand to stroke her biceps again. “However, I didn’t leave Earth because of what you revealed. I left because Pangur found the proof I needed. He overheard the one who’s after you crowing to his cohorts just how easy it would be to get you, and that it was only a matter of time before he did. I was already struggling to keep a lid on my anger when you sought me out. I guess it just exacerbated everything.
Her entire being shuddered, and she lowered her head. He didn’t blame her.
“Hey…” He tilted her head with a finger under her chin, his tender gaze skimming her doubtless, emotion-ravaged features. “Just so you know, I don’t care about or want anyone else, never have, just you. I could never betray you.”
Tears spilled from her swimming eyes. She pressed her face into his chest, hugging him like a vise. His arms tightened around her, easing some of her despair. His mouth brushed a kiss on her head when another thought took hold. “Nate—”
“No, just let me hold you, Ely mine.”
Minutes passed, and she breathed in his comforting scent, hoping she’d somehow eased his anguish by revealing that his mother did care about him.
A soft exhale feathered her cheek before he spoke. “What is it?”
She pulled back so she could see him. “Was the demon who hurt you in this recent fight, the one who put the bounty on me?”
He scowled. “I wanted to kill the bastard right where he stood.”
“But you didn’t. Good. Because I’m going to. His name?”
“You aren’t taking him on,” he growled. “You’re in a demon world! This place is duplicitous. Most would pretend to help just to lay claim on you. I know you locked down your angelic allure and changed your hair color, but you’re too fucking beautiful to remain inconspicuous. The malevolent bastards here thrive on seeing someone as pure as you owned and locked away, or worse, debased.”
Ugh! For a second, she’d forgotten where she was. Outnumbered in the demon realm. As much as she hated the damn cur for putting a price on her, she wasn’t an idiot to put herself in his sights in this place. “I won’t. Not in this world, anyway. Who is it?”
A growl rumbled deep within him. “Azgor’s spawn. He knows if he doesn’t get the bounty off you, I will send him to Purgatory.”
“Nate—” She clutched his t-shirt, recalling the other reasons why she’d come to this world with Aba. “Please don’t take part in the mortal combat.”
A deep sigh escaped him. “I cannot run from this fight,laika, you know that.”
Dear goddess, how could she forget? “Because of Aba’s soul,” she whispered, a sense of helplessness taking hold. “But you’ll get his soul back after a decade of these fights, right?”
He nodded and then wavered like an unrooted fir. “Shit—”
“Nate!” She grabbed him, slipping her arm around his waist. “What is it?”
He shook his head. “Nothing dire. A little loss of blood from the fight earlier.”
“What? You’re not healing even after Qinera aided you?” She grasped the hem of his t-shirt and lifted, frowning at the dressing taped on his lower abs. “Why?”
He tugged his tee down again. “Nothing suitable here, blood-wise.”
