Page 29 of Prince of Wrath

“And you speak every dead language there’s ever been. No matter how L.A. grunge you try to appear, you will always be the most intellectual in every room. Which makes you the boring one by your own standards.”

“Fair point, but I fuck better than any other.” He winked.

“I wouldn’t know.” I got to my feet. “But I’ll fuck a few tonight and let you know how they compare.”

He laughed and shook his head. “Provoking me won’t end well for you, spitfire.”

I turned to walk toward the door. “It never does.”

“You won’t be saying that later,” he yelled after me.

“Don’t call me anymore.”

* * *

Ben emailed me twice, but I refused to read them until tomorrow.

Tonight, I was getting ready for a gala to commemorate my acts in the community and was being presented by Maxine, my best friend and the one person on this planet who had helped me when I decided to build my firm. She was a corporate lawyer and, ironically enough, worked with someone I shouldn’t know about.

Not a prince of Hell, but a duke.

Zepar was cutthroat in the boardroom. It had taken me three encounters with him before I realized why his boldness was so familiar. The way he owned every room he walked into and didn’t leave until he got what he wanted reminded me of Seere. And, no surprise, he’d sensed the mark Seere had put on my soul. Needless to say, we’d hit it off.

Zepar and his wife, Mara, were both gorgeous, but their mutual obsession with each other was swoon worthy. Zepar only had eyes for Mara, and that sort of power drew people to her. She had learned a lot from her partner, but she also had a kind nature that you inherently wanted to shield from the wolves in the room.

When I arrived at the hotel ballroom where the gala was being held, Mara was the first to greet me.

“Sloane, you look so hot.” She held out her arms, taking me in with her eyes before embracing me.

“So do you, honey. Those gems are to die for.” I pulled back and admired the carats of diamonds and rubies lining her neck.

“Thanks, babe. I’m glad you’re here. I won’t be bored out of my mind all night.” She scrunched her nose and looked around at what felt like a sea of humans.

“You’re bored of me already?” Zepar’s silky voice came over her shoulder as he wrapped his arms around her middle.

“Never.” She smiled up at him. “But you’ve already told me that I couldn’t whisk you away to some linen closet somewhere for a quickie, so I’m glad to have a friend here.”

A friend.

Hard to believe a demon considered me her friend. Or that demons could form connections like that. But that was unfair. I only knew a few, and the one I knew intimately was Hell walking.

“I have to go chat up the CEO of Solar Star. His daughter is of interest to one of our princes. Time to welcome her into the fold.” Zepar’s cocky grin sent a flutter to my stomach.

He was in his element, and not being on the receiving end of a demonic foxhunt made it easy for me to appreciate the artistry. He and Mara waved and disappeared into the crowd.

Maxine knew how to put together a party of influential people. Deals and careers were made at parties like this. CEOs, top lawyers, and politicians all mingled in the dimly lit ballroom.

One thing that Maxine excelled at was ambiance. She could take the coldest event space and turn it into a candlelit affair that felt inviting, cozy, and, best of all, a little sensual. When men felt like they were being romanced and seduced, they were eager to open their wallets. But that wasn’t my focus tonight. I had a full billing of clients, even with one less ass on pine.

The festivities would start any minute, and I was getting nervous.

I looked around at the faceless people roaming around, unsure about where I was supposed to be. Taking my phone out of my clutch, I was planning to call Maxine for directions when a pair of eyes caught my attention.

Staring back at me was Seere’s intense gaze. The wolfish grin on his face showed how proud he was that some sort of bat signal had brought my consciousness to him.

Cursing under my breath, I turned and walked toward the stage on the opposite side of the room. It was the place Maxine would most likely be, and I needed to regretfully excuse myself from the event. She would be disappointed, but it would be better than my career ending because a demon with no self-control was lurking in the audience.

I hadn’t expected Seere to show and that was my own bêtise.