“You did what?!” Kayden bellowed, and the three of us charged as one beast.
“For God’s sake, stop fighting.” Belle’s voice was almost a crying shrill. “Is that all you’re capable of?”
“He called you names, Belle, and you said he threatened you. Nobody does that without getting their ass kicked,” Kayden said.
Asher peeled himself from the imminent fight with a snarl, and pulled Belle into his embrace. “Easy, love. Tell me. What do you want us to do?”
I did a mental eye roll and shifted. Then I folded my arms around her, too. I wouldn’t let the bloodsucker win this one. “Anything you say.”
She shrugged out of our embraces. “I want you to listen to the message.” Her eyes held Kayden’s. “It concerns us all.”
Kayden took a deep breath and crossed his arms over his chest, and then he gestured for Asshole to speak. “We’re all ears, but if you say one hurtful thing to our girl, shit is gonna get ugly here.”
The giant ass scoffed. “First of all, if it comes down to that, I am more than capable of taking you in a fight. Second of all, I have not said anything to offend or threaten yourcompanion. Her, and your, lifestyle does not concern me. Whether it is right or wrong, it is between you and your maker. I am just a messenger, and the message is simple. All she has to do is forsake Damien, and I shall return to Heaven where we can all pretend I have never been here. Mission accomplished. No harm no foul. All parties happy.”
I scratched the back of my head. “Hold on a sec. What?”
“Yeah, why does Heaven want her to break up with Damien in particular?” Kayden asked.
“As I have already informed Belle, I am not at liberty to say.”
Belle puckered her lips. “But that’s not the whole message, is it?”
Asshole just stared at her.
“What else?” It was Asher’s turn to wonder.
A muscle ticked in Belle’s jaw. “You won’t let me have any children as long as I’m with Damien. Isn’t that why you brought up the baby subject, what youreallycame here to say?”
“The fuck?” I glared at the stupid giant. “Is that true?”
“It’s the only explanation. After the mating ceremony, I turned, and I was healed. Katrina assured me there was nothing wrong with my uterus anymore. We’ve been trying daily for months and nothing. There’s something that has nothing to do with my body preventing us from having a baby. Obviously, that something isdivine.”
Taking a step forward, the angel frowned. “I am truly sorry, Belle, but we cannot let you have Damien’s child.”
“Why not? The devil started a franchise thousands of years ago. His bastards are everywhere. What’s another one?” Asher exclaimed.
Belle fidgeted, so I nudged him.
“I mean a totally legitimate baby,” he amended. “He’s technically her husband. We all are.”
The angel kept his eyes only on Belle, and it got on my nerves. “I fear that is all the information I am allowed to reveal at the moment.”
Kayden stepped between Asshole and Belle, as if he felt the same way as I did. “Well, that’s not good enough. Even though that’s not my decision to make, and it’s totally Belle’s, I think she agrees that she needs more information, all the information, to even listen to whatever shitty message you have to say.”
“True,” she said, the distress in her voice tearing at my heart. “If Heaven wants me to lose one of my men or else deny me the only thing I’ve ever wanted, then, at least, I deserve a full explanation.”
Chapter 9
Belle
The moment we entered the cabin, I broke. I’d been fighting the tears all the way home, but now I fell to my knees, sobbing.
Several hands grabbed both my arms and rubbed my back. “Hey, Belle, c’mon, please.”
“Belle, sweetheart, please don’t cry.”
“Yes, love. Don’t listen to that angel’s nonsense. We’re going to figure it out. I promise.”
