She scoffed at him. “Our agreement is over, remember?”
“Setting aside your relationship with Lucifer”—Sophia gave Lucifer a hard look—“our backs are against the wall, and we need to make sure whatever and whoever the three are, that being doesn’t get its hands on them.”
“Or you,” Lucifer said.
She couldn’t trust a word coming out of his mouth. She’d done that before, and she wasn’t going to be an idiot for him again.
“I can protect you in my realm,” Sophia said.
“We also thought Emma and Ethan will need you there.” Dees tone gentled. “They know you and trust you. And considering what those two little people are going through, they’re going to need you.”
She wanted to be brave and fearless. Bianca wanted to be that feisty hero who defied objection and threw herself into the fray. But she wasn’t that person. She was terrified and so out of her league it was laughable. There were forces at work that would destroy her with a look. “What about the rest of my coven? My sister?”
Bianca had had a front row seat to what had happened to Christen, and for what they’d found in that steel bunker.
“Patty, Lynn, and your sister are already in my realm,” Sophia said. “We are rounding up other witches as we speak. We moved the children while you were out, but we didn’t want to risk moving you until you’d woken up.”
As Lucifer had already broken his promise to her, she looked at Raphael. “You’ll find Leona?”
“We will.” Raphael put a hand over his heart. “I vow it.”
“Haglette.” Lucifer’s tone was gentle. “After you passed out, there was a split second before the connection was broken, and we were able to see into Ashe’s mind.” Determination hardened his features. “We know where Leona is.”
Chapter Thirty-Six
Lucifer relished a challenge. His haglette was angry and hurt. Not surprising, considering how they’d left things. He would need to make her understand that a being such as he didn’t relish having all their plans overset and his ordered world disrupted.
He’d spent centuries dealing with the demands of greedy, power-hungry witches. Even longer than that watching the evil humans perpetrated. She couldn’t expect him to be happy about having formed a disconcertingly compelling attachment to a human witch.
He’d explain it to her. She would see reason.
He waited until Shade and Sophia had taken themselves off and sent Raphael to prepare for their rescue mission. Time was of the essence, and Bianca had to see that he was taking extraordinary steps to reach a better understanding between them.
Slipping into Dee’s room, he locked the door behind him. He had neither the time nor the patience for interruptions.
The shower was running in the attached bathroom, and as the bed was empty, he made an accurate guess where his quarry had scurried off to.
There was enough déjà vu and an equally good chance of more naked Bianca that had him hurrying to the bathroom door.
Bianca was stepping out of the shower as he entered. Water clung to her flushed ivory skin.
She squeaked and grabbed a towel. It was a shame to cover up those pale-pink-tipped breasts and full hips, but she did.
“Get out.” She glared as she tucked the towel around her.
Miles of long, shapely leg poked out from beneath the towel. An inch shorter, and he’d see her smooth pretty pussy.
His cock hardened. It they got the talking over quickly, he could bury his face between her thighs and give them both a great goodbye. Mediocre sex be damned.
The martial light in her eye got him talking. “I wanted to speak to you before I left.”
“And you thought barging in on me in the bathroom was the best way to do that?” She clasped the top of the towel with both hands.
Pity, because one quick tug, and heaven would be revealed.
If that option was off the table, best he got on with his reason for being here. “I didn’t have time to waste.” He stepped closer. “I wanted to say how sorry I was that you got hurt.”
Her hard expression softened into speculative.
For his first sincere apology, this was going very well. “The things I said to you the morning after we fucked were cruel and hurtful, and I’m sorry.”
She flinched. “Then why did you say them?”
Thank all hells she was going to be reasonable. “I was in shock,” he said. “You know how I feel about humans, and particularly witches. Finding myself contemplating taking a being as mine who was both of the things I despise most caused a natural resistance to overcome my emotions.”
“Really?” She drawled, eyes glinting.
That hard glitter didn’t seem to be a positive turn of events. “Yes,” he assured her. “I’ve never lain with a human. In fact, before I met you, the idea was repulsive.”
“Get out,” she said.
He couldn’t have heard her right. He had apologized—him! Lucifer, king of hell, hell prince of pride. “I beg your pardon?”
“Get. Out.” She stepped into him. “And take your fake ass fucking apology with you.”
It was hard to think with her warm, damp, flushed body so close and the soft scent of lilies befuddling his brain. “That was a sincere apology.”
“That was a bunch of crappy justifications.” She jabbed a finger into his chest. “You fucked me despite your better judgment.” Fury vibrated through her voice. “Fucked! Your word. And you just Mister Darcyed me.”
“What?” He’d come when he should be preparing for a mission—a mission to find her coven sister. For her. He’d taken precious time to explain himself, and she reacted like this. “I don’t believe you fully comprehend what I’m saying.”
“I understand perfectly.” Her eyes narrowed to slits, and her lips thinned. “And I suppose I should thank you.”
That was more like it. “No need.”
“For giving me the kick up the ass to get over you,” she said, still jabbing at his chest. “For reminding me that you really are an asshole and a waste of my time and energy.”
Now that was rude and insulting. He caught her annoying finger. “I explained why I said what I did, and I apologized. All you have to do is accept it.”
“No.” She rose on her tiptoes and went nose to nose with him. “Your explanation was an insult and your apology bullshit. You were right that morning. There is nothing between us. Not anymore.”
No! Absolutely not. She would not reject him. No human witch was going to walk away from him. No other being was going to find him wanting. “No, haglette.” He gripped her nape. “You’re missing the bigger point.” He spoke slowly and clearly to make sure she grasped his meaning. “You are mine. I have made you mine. What is between us is still very much happening.”
“Let go of me.” She jerked against his hold. “I don’t belong to you. You had your chance, and you fucked up.” She grabbed his wrist and dug her nails in. “I don’t give second chances, and you don’t deserve one.”
“You are mine.” He wouldn’t tolerate defiance.
