I nodded. “I will.”
The words landed like a coin tossed into a well, and they echoed with finality. There was no handshake required to seal this deal. I would sign it in blood if need be.
I turned back to the sill and swung a leg over, gripping the rope.
“Don’t fall,” Colt muttered.
I already had. I’d toppled headfirst into trouble and something that breathed life into my long-dead heart.
With my weight shifting onto the rope and the city humming below, I began the descent—one hand over the other, one foot at a time—toward a place I swore I’d never go again.
CHAPTER
THIRTY-THREE
Zephyr
No instructions had been given, and I wondered what they expected of me. If Darby were here, he’d command the room. He would dazzle these men with his smile, pick a lap and straddle it, or lift a cocktail glass and take a sip. Once I saw him pluck a cigarette from another man’s lips and drag from it, then blow the smoke out in rings. He was unflappable.
I was out of place. Breathing unevenly and starting to sweat under the heat of so many watchful eyes. Beneath that, low currents of lust had begun to wash up, and I was hungry. Emptied by Maslow only an hour earlier and keenly aware of what could be a feast.
I wet my lips.
Maslow marched up beside me, munching on a pastry that dropped crumbs down the front of his suit. He beckoned to Narcissus. “You said your uncle was here.”
The angel grimaced. “He will be. Shortly.” Pivoting,Narcissus consulted the spiky-haired angel near the head of the table. “Speaking of absent parties, I thought Florian would be joining us.”
The younger man shook his head. “He’s in his room. Hasn’t come out since last night’s dinner meltdown.”
“Spoiled brat,” Narcissus scoffed. “Leave it to our brother to stage a protest over the existence of broccoli.”
The other angel chuckled and lifted his cocktail for a sip. “You should be glad he didn’t come. This way, you may end the night with some chips still in front of you.”
Narcissus squared his shoulders, seeming to regain awareness of the rest of the room, very much including me. “Since we’re waiting, perhaps we should let the entertainment do its job. Go ahead,demon.” He hissed the word. “Work your magic.”
I glanced at him, then the others.
Did they want me to dance? Seduce? Entice?
I swallowed dry and did nothing before Maslow spoke again.
“Cherry’s a little shy, but you gentlemen don’t have to be.” He swept his gaze across the table, landing on the man seated closest. “You look intrigued. Come on up here.” He crooked a gold-ringed finger, and the man approached, looking me over with an air of inspection.
People looked at me all the time. At the club, they stared, whistled, and catcalled. I spent every night under watchful eyes, the object of endless fantasies. Those who couldn’t get close enough to touch me with their hands undressed me with their eyes.
This man’s gaze held some of that intent, some of that attraction, but with a menacing edge. I half expected him to flash a sharp-toothed smile as thoughIwasn’t the one withfangs.
Maslow planted one hand on my back while urging the other man closer. “Are you ready to be charmed, sir?” he asked, then nodded to me. “Give him a kiss.”
My stomach plummeted. In fact, all of me felt like I was falling as Maslow flashed a winsome smile.
“Incubi secrete venom in their mouths,” he explained. “A powerful aphrodisiac. You can taste it for yourself. Get in there nice and deep.”
“Venom?” The other man frowned. “Like poison?”
Beck’s accusations and cutting glare filtered through my mind. I’d known since I told Darby that I’d done what Beck said. Whether out of instinct or impulse, I’d tried to claim him as my own. I wanted to keep him, wanted him to return, so I put my venom in his hand because he hadn’t kissed me. And now he never would.
“Think of it as getting struck by Cupid’s arrow,” Maslow said with a wink. “It can even make you fall in love.”
