Knox nodded. “He’ll show himself soon enough.” They just had to hope that he didn’t kill Carla in the meantime.
As the bathroom door opened, Harper opened her eyes to see Knox strolling inside, the top buttons of his white shirt open and his sleeves rolled up. Crouching beside the tub, he dipped his hand under the water and skimmed it over her leg. “You ready to talk about what’s bothering you most right now?” he asked.
Not really. She turned off the Jacuzzi jets and sighed. “They all blame me.”
Knox didn’t have to ask who she meant. When they’d left Delia’s house, Bray, Roan and Kellen were in their front yard, talking with their neighbors. Apart from Kellen – who had averted his gaze – each one of them looked at Harper like she herself had snatched Carla. “You know why.”
She did know. “They feel guilty that they didn’t help her and they need someone to blame to make themselves feel better. I get it. It doesn’t mean I have to like it.”
He stroked her leg soothingly. “I don’t like it either.” Which was why he’d been sorely tempted to hurl a ball of hellfire at them. Instead, he’d settled for shooting them a warning glare that made them look away.
“What do you think Crow will do?”
“It’s hard to know for sure. No two near-rogues are the same. Generally, those on the edge suffer from delusions, paranoia, feelings of emptiness, and an irrepressible anger as their minds begin to splinter. Even then they’re a threat, but once they cross over the edge, they’re at their most dangerous. He already has a distorted notion of reality.”
She sat up, biting her lower lip. “Knox… his vision —”
“Was the product of a disturbed, delusional mind.” Knox cupped her cheek, glad to see the human’s teeth marks were gone. “Harper, any child we have cannot be what I am. My kind is born from the flames of hell, not from a womb.” But Crow didn’t know that because he had no idea what Knox was. “Demons don’t breed hybrids. That means any child we have will be a sphinx, just like you.”
She took a long breath. “You’re right. I didn’t think of that.”
Standing, Knox grabbed a towel from the radiator. “Up.” After she twisted her hair to ring out the water, he lifted her out of the tub and wrapped the soft towel around her. He patted her dry while she used another towel to rub her hair. “I want you to take every precaution when you’re out. People have used you to get to me before. You saw pictures of Crow at his house. You know what he looks like. If you see him, you call me. I know you’re strong. You could cause his soul agonizing pain, but he can conjure weapons, which means he doesn’t need to get close to you to hurt you.”
“Does he have any other abilities?” Harper asked.
“A few minor ones. And he can conjure balls of hellfire.”
“Delightful.” It wasn’t a rare ability, but it was substantial. Harper couldn’t actually do it, though she could generate hellfire and infuse it into objects.
Knox guided her into the bedroom, where he grabbed her comb and began gently working it through her hair. “Be smart and be aware.”
“How will you find him?”
“Half-rogue or full-rogue, they become worse stimulation seekers than before. They’re drawn to drugs, alcohol, and danger, so we monitor the hot spots. The problem is that he was a member of my Force; he knows how we hunt and knows where we’ll look.”
“Do you think we should cancel the little shindig?”
“Stop calling it that.” It was much more than a mere party; it was a noteworthy event that would take place in the Underground to celebrate the 150th anniversary of the day he created it.
“But Crow could take that opportunity to get to you,” said Harper. “There would be so many people there, he could easily blend in with the crowd.”
“The event takes place in six weeks. It’s likely we’ll have apprehended Crow by then.”
“We can’t be sure of that.”
Knox’s mouth curved. “Any excuse to get out of the celebration.”
She sighed. “I don’t like parties, big or small.” She didn’t like fuss or being on display. It wouldn’t have been so bad if it was a private party. But no, it was to take place in the Underground on the “strip” and any demon could attend.
“Many people have put a lot of effort into organizing it. Anyway, I saved you from the party your friends tried throwing for you to celebrate our mating.” He’d flew them both to Barcelona for the weekend on his private jet, wanting to celebrate their mating alone.
She turned when he’d finished combing her hair. “You didn’t want that party any more than I did.”
“The idea of the party didn’t bother me. It was the idea of you being nervous and uncomfortable when it was supposed to be a joyous event that I didn’t like.”
“Yet, you have no problem with me being nervous or uncomfortable at this one.”
Knox steered her to the foot of the bed and tipped her onto her back. “I get to show you off and see you in a dress. What’s not to like?” He loomed over her to kiss and nibble on her mouth. “It’s also a good way to celebrate you becoming co-Prime of our lair.”
Her eyes narrowed. “It was sneaky of you not to mention I’d be co-Prime before we agreed to take each other as mates.”
As the bathroom door opened, Harper opened her eyes to see Knox strolling inside, the top buttons of his white shirt open and his sleeves rolled up. Crouching beside the tub, he dipped his hand under the water and skimmed it over her leg. “You ready to talk about what’s bothering you most right now?” he asked.
Not really. She turned off the Jacuzzi jets and sighed. “They all blame me.”
Knox didn’t have to ask who she meant. When they’d left Delia’s house, Bray, Roan and Kellen were in their front yard, talking with their neighbors. Apart from Kellen – who had averted his gaze – each one of them looked at Harper like she herself had snatched Carla. “You know why.”
She did know. “They feel guilty that they didn’t help her and they need someone to blame to make themselves feel better. I get it. It doesn’t mean I have to like it.”
He stroked her leg soothingly. “I don’t like it either.” Which was why he’d been sorely tempted to hurl a ball of hellfire at them. Instead, he’d settled for shooting them a warning glare that made them look away.
“What do you think Crow will do?”
“It’s hard to know for sure. No two near-rogues are the same. Generally, those on the edge suffer from delusions, paranoia, feelings of emptiness, and an irrepressible anger as their minds begin to splinter. Even then they’re a threat, but once they cross over the edge, they’re at their most dangerous. He already has a distorted notion of reality.”
She sat up, biting her lower lip. “Knox… his vision —”
“Was the product of a disturbed, delusional mind.” Knox cupped her cheek, glad to see the human’s teeth marks were gone. “Harper, any child we have cannot be what I am. My kind is born from the flames of hell, not from a womb.” But Crow didn’t know that because he had no idea what Knox was. “Demons don’t breed hybrids. That means any child we have will be a sphinx, just like you.”
She took a long breath. “You’re right. I didn’t think of that.”
Standing, Knox grabbed a towel from the radiator. “Up.” After she twisted her hair to ring out the water, he lifted her out of the tub and wrapped the soft towel around her. He patted her dry while she used another towel to rub her hair. “I want you to take every precaution when you’re out. People have used you to get to me before. You saw pictures of Crow at his house. You know what he looks like. If you see him, you call me. I know you’re strong. You could cause his soul agonizing pain, but he can conjure weapons, which means he doesn’t need to get close to you to hurt you.”
“Does he have any other abilities?” Harper asked.
“A few minor ones. And he can conjure balls of hellfire.”
“Delightful.” It wasn’t a rare ability, but it was substantial. Harper couldn’t actually do it, though she could generate hellfire and infuse it into objects.
Knox guided her into the bedroom, where he grabbed her comb and began gently working it through her hair. “Be smart and be aware.”
“How will you find him?”
“Half-rogue or full-rogue, they become worse stimulation seekers than before. They’re drawn to drugs, alcohol, and danger, so we monitor the hot spots. The problem is that he was a member of my Force; he knows how we hunt and knows where we’ll look.”
“Do you think we should cancel the little shindig?”
“Stop calling it that.” It was much more than a mere party; it was a noteworthy event that would take place in the Underground to celebrate the 150th anniversary of the day he created it.
“But Crow could take that opportunity to get to you,” said Harper. “There would be so many people there, he could easily blend in with the crowd.”
“The event takes place in six weeks. It’s likely we’ll have apprehended Crow by then.”
“We can’t be sure of that.”
Knox’s mouth curved. “Any excuse to get out of the celebration.”
She sighed. “I don’t like parties, big or small.” She didn’t like fuss or being on display. It wouldn’t have been so bad if it was a private party. But no, it was to take place in the Underground on the “strip” and any demon could attend.
“Many people have put a lot of effort into organizing it. Anyway, I saved you from the party your friends tried throwing for you to celebrate our mating.” He’d flew them both to Barcelona for the weekend on his private jet, wanting to celebrate their mating alone.
She turned when he’d finished combing her hair. “You didn’t want that party any more than I did.”
“The idea of the party didn’t bother me. It was the idea of you being nervous and uncomfortable when it was supposed to be a joyous event that I didn’t like.”
“Yet, you have no problem with me being nervous or uncomfortable at this one.”
Knox steered her to the foot of the bed and tipped her onto her back. “I get to show you off and see you in a dress. What’s not to like?” He loomed over her to kiss and nibble on her mouth. “It’s also a good way to celebrate you becoming co-Prime of our lair.”
Her eyes narrowed. “It was sneaky of you not to mention I’d be co-Prime before we agreed to take each other as mates.”
