Eden. After all, that’s what you both want: to help her. And you both think you know how to do that.”
Ben took all this in. “She knows about… Darrak? Do
“I can’t directly help you, but I can give you some advice if you want to hear it.”
“What do you want in return?”
“Nothing. Not from you, anyway.”
“Who the hell are you?” Ben demanded again.
The man’s expression didn’t change. He didn’t move closer. He just sat against the car’s hood and looked up at the building. “Like I said, a
“Whose friend?”
Finally the man cast a glance in his direction. “Do you want the advice I have to give you or not?”
Ben didn’t like not being in control. He didn’t like not having his questions answered. But at the end of the day he’d come here for one reason — to help Eden. And he currently had no damn idea how to go about that.
“Yes,” he said. “I want the advice.”
The man’s smile grew. “Somehow I just knew you were going to say that.”
A sense of foreboding followed Eden when she and Darrak left the apartment and headed toward her car. It passed, but it was unpleasant, like walking through a thatch of spiderwebs.
Darrak was trying to act like everything was fine, but she knew it wasn’t. She’d broken something between them — something she didn’t know was breakable.
Why did he have to go and ask her to marry him? Why now when there were a million other things to concern themselves with?
“So, did you buy a leash for our new puppy?” He was trying to make a joke as he got into the passenger side of her car, but his lips were tight as he smiled.
She put the key in the ignition and pulled out of her parking spot. “Didn’t get around to it. It’s on the list.”
“You don’t have to worry. Even if he’s a mindless, vicious werewolf, it’s only one night a month. We can contain him with that spell. Andy’s just lucky he has you looking out for him.”
She had Maksim’s containment spell tucked safety into her coat pocket. He said even a human could do it, so she didn’t think it would require her tapping into her black magic. She’d just have to read the incantation aloud when the time came and the office would be sealed up nice and tight until she decided to remove it again.
And according to the wizard it would also work as a cloaking spell, so no one who wandered past would see anything weird going on.
“Tomorrow I’m going to track Maksim down and we’ll see him again,” Darrak said. “There has to be some other options for us.”
“You really think so?”
“Sure. In the beginning, we thought it was only Selina that could help us, but now we know for sure that you share her magic. Just because the curse removal didn’t work the first time doesn’t mean that something else can’t be done to help us.”
“You sound so positive today.”
“That’s me. Sunshine to go.” A bitter smile stretched over his face. “It’s probably the angel half.”
She didn’t want to broach the subject, but it was still five minutes till they arrived at the office. She returned her attention to the road. “Lucas said that other demons would come after you if they found out. Maybe we can find a way to cloak you from them.”
As soon as the words left her mouth she regretted it.
“Oh?” Darrak said. “And when exactly did
She remembered her recent promise to tell Darrak the truth and not to keep anything back. Time to hold true to that. “When I touched the marble earlier, I saw him, but he sent me back so fast you never realized I was gone.”
There was silence in the car for a moment.
“Well, that was convenient, wasn’t it?” His gaze fell to her amulet. “Same color as before. Guess there wasn’t any tonsil hockey going on this time, was there?”
She looked at him sharply. “Sorry to disappoint.”
“What do you think would happen if you slept with him? Might suck the evil completely out of you.”
“Darrak, don’t go there.” Her tone held an edge of warning.
“I guess I understand the ‘let’s wait’ reply to my question now. Got to keep your options open in case a better offer comes in.”
“I swear to God, Darrak, stop it.”
He eyed her. “You swear to
Anger rose in her throat, but she swallowed it down. “I know I hurt you—”
“You didn’t hurt me.” He waved a hand flippantly. “Just helped to put things back into perspective. I should thank you. Lesson learned.”
“Oh, what lesson is that?”
He hissed out a breath. “I don’t want to talk about this.” “That makes two of us.”
He turned his attention to the roadside swiftly moving past them. “Maybe if I wasn’t so connected to you, I’d be able to gather my balls back together and be less of an emotional basket case.” He snorted. “It’s funny, actually. I keep blaming myself for everything I’ve done to you — made you part evil, ruined your life, destroyed your immortal soul… I keep forgetting just how much you’ve messed me up in return.”
That hurt, but she couldn’t say he was wrong. Tears burned in her eyes, and she gave him a sideways glance as they pulled into the parking lot.
“Then I guess we’re even, aren’t we?”
He didn’t look directly at her. “Guess so.”
“So you hate me now, is that it?”
Darrak was silent for a moment before he laughed out loud. “I don’t hate you, Eden. I love you. But I get that that emotion isn’t returned in full. Let’s just forget about it and go deal with werewolf boy.”
He got out of the car, slammed the door behind him, and started walking to the front door of Triple-A.
Damn it. She so didn’t need this right now. Any of it.
If she had one wish at this very moment, she’d wish that she wasn’t bound to Darrak. At all. She needed her freedom, her space, her privacy.
She’d never asked for any of this to begin with. Who the hell would?
Darrak had given her unwanted black magic that put her soul at risk. He’d taken away any possibility for privacy. He was frustrating and vain and self-involved.
He was also funny and sexy and fiercely protective of her. She enjoyed his company. He challenged her, made her laugh, drove her crazy with desire. He was truly the best man she’d ever known. One she knew she could trust her secrets to.
And maybe her heart, too.
Something continued to hold her back. There were too many problems, obstacles, and challenges. How could she possibly allow herself to fall for him completely when they had so many issues to deal with on a daily basis?
She honestly had no idea. But right now she had to deal with Andy.
Eden marched into the office. Andy sat behind his desk looking oddly serene.
“Everything okay?” she asked.
Andy eyed the clock. “You know, the last time I checked, you still worked here. I know you’re not my employee, but we’re partners, right?”
“Right. Of course.”
“And I bought you that BlackBerry so we could stay in touch. I’ve been texting you all afternoon and I haven’t heard back from you once.”
“Oh, right. The BlackBerry.” She bit her bottom lip.
