He didn’t say anything, and when Skye lowered her hands, she found him staring at her with what seemed like a little less malice.
“You really expect me to believe you didn’t do this on purpose?”he asked.“You fucked with my life to get me to make this bargain.How do I know you aren’t fucking with it now to get my bandmates’ souls too?”
She closed her eyes and pressed her hand to her heart as if she was searching deep within herself.Skye took a deep breath and blew it out slow, opening her eyes.“Remi, the truth is…” she said, imbuing as much sincerity into the words as demonly possible.“Your soul is worth twenty of your bandmates’ souls.It’s more valuable for me to fix this than wasting time on your bandmates.”She gave him a tiny smile and stuck out her hand.“We got off to a bad start.Can we call a truce?”
“Truce?”He got off the chair and knocked her hand down.“You want me to take your word that you won’t take my bandmates’ souls?”His combat boots bumped the edge of her thigh-highs.“What’s the word of a demon worth?You didn’t even deliver on what you promised me for my soul.”
Skye’s mouth pressed into a thin line as the bluster of anger sparked in her core.“That’s bullshit and you know it.I got your songs streaming.Your record deal.Your tour.None of those went away.You never bargained for happiness and success.”
Remi narrowed his eyes.“So you do admit it.You swindled me.I didn’t word the bargain just right, so I get what I asked for but with strings attached?”
Skye gritted her teeth and curled her fingers into claws, miming squeezing his head.“No!”she said.“I’m telling you this shit is only happening because the bargain is breaking down.I’m trying to help you!”
“Help me?”His voice lowered into a growling hatred.“Help me like how you got me fired from my job and canceled my band’s tour?That’s how you’re trying to help me?”
“You don’t have to believe me,” she said.And luckily, since she was wearing his soul around her neck, she didn’t have to touch him again to redo the bargain either.The Devil said he’d give her an extra five-years of Earth-walking privileges to get this done, which meant she had access to the same amount of magic that she used to complete the bargain in the first place.
Skye discreetly placed her thumb on her right inner wrist.
“Well, good, cause I don’t believe you,” Remi said.
She rolled her eyes and repeated herself.“You don’t have to believe me,but”—Skye ground her teeth together as the magic from her Devil’s mark flowed through her and burned the skin where her necklace laid—“we need to stick together for a little while to make this work.With any luck, I’ll be rid of you before the Chicago tour date.”That was a month from now.That should be enough time.“Okay?”
“Whatever,” he said, his voice deepened into the low rasp that he used to seduce everyone in his songs.
Skye wasn’t immune.Not a single part of them was touching, but she felt the anticipation of touch vibrating under her skin.
“I don’t trust you.I won’t ever trust you.”His eyelids lowered, and a heavy, almost drugged gaze centered on her.The air between them sparked with energy and danger.
The flames of desire licked Skye’s insides, a riot of emotions rebelling within her.It was probably just the interaction of the magic and Remi’s soul though.“You don’t have to,” she said.“You’ll see.Things will get better now that I’m here.”
He shook his head, stepping even closer.“Somehow I highly doubt that,” he murmured, his breath tickling her cheek.
“I’ve got a plan,” Skye said.If she moved just an inch, their lips would brush.
“Great.Can’t wait,” he said, his blue eyes steady on her.She fought an uncharacteristic reaction to shiver from the intensity.
The moment was shattered by the sound of a phone ringing.Remi stepped back, putting distance between them, and pulled the phone from his pocket, checking the screen.With an exasperated sigh, he tossed it to her.Skye’s demon reflexes kicked in, and she caught it.
“Hope you’re as good as you say, Skye,” he said, challenge in his voice.“There’s your next problem to fix.”
Skye furrowed her brows and read the email about the tour promotion website going down in the first hour the presale went live.
Remi started to leave.“Oh, and buy me a new phone and transfer my shit over.One of the girls with a clipboard had mine, and I never got it back.”
“Whose phone is this?”Skye asked as Remi opened the door.
“Liam’s.He’ll probably want it back in a few hours.He likes to film sex tapes with his hookups and then send the videos to them in hopes one of them will leak it.”
“What?”Skye screeched.“That’s a terrible idea.”
Remi shrugged, grinning.“We tried to tell him.Maybe you’ll have better luck convincing him.Good luck with that, band manager.”
He strolled out of the room.The bastard whistled an upbeat tune as he disappeared down the hall.
“Motherfucker,” Skye muttered as she lifted the gem to check the color of Remi’s soul.
Still black.
