Chapter Nineteen
The fear and anxiety he’d suffered when Jenny didn’t emerge from the portal wasn’t something Felipe would ever forget. In his anxiety, he’d completely lost his furry mind, going so far as letting his cat loose as he attempted to jump back through and search for her. However, the portal wouldn’t allow it. He lunged and jumped, hit the swirling disk, and, much like a bug on a windshield, found himself squashed, face first, slightly stunned at the impact and then sliding in slow motion to hit the ground.
Not one of his more noble moments.
During that three-hour wait, no one could step into the swirling depths of the rip, although Felipe kept testing, going so far as grabbing a passing imp and tossing him at the portal. The bruised fellow cast him many a dark glare as it stomped off, one of his horns bent at an odd angle.
The three hours he spent waiting for a sign or answer were the longest of his life and most nerve-wracking. He’d paced first as a cat in front of it then as a man, cursing aloud at every mage who showed up. One by one they declared themselves baffled. Even the oldest, wisest crone of them all, Nefertiti, couldn’t give him a definitive reply as to whether Jenny lived or not.
With her hunched frame but strikingly lively eyes, Nefertiti, whom many claimed lived with a harem made up of hundreds of Hell’s handsomest, most virile males, cackled as she said, “Fear not, kitty. I think your lady friend yet lives. Our Lord has plans for her and you.” An ominous declaration, one he didn’t have a chance to question because, without warning, Jenny, her lips blue, her skin cold but amazingly enough alive, was spit out by the interdimensional rip.
He caught her in his arms, hugging her tight, the tension within him easing as she appeared unharmed. Yet the fact he’d cared so much in the first place sounded a giant warning bell. His relief was for more than just the fact he’d not failed in his mission. He was happy to see her. Reassured at her wholeness. Feeling a wave of protectiveness, a strong one that urged him to mark her and tie her to him, giving him a tender thread that he could use to track her in the future.
A crazy, impulsive idea, which he was sure would dissipate once the shock of her almost-demise wore off. Sure, he cared for Jenny. She’d become a valued companion and friend. He’d miss her when she was gone. I don’t want her to leave.
Where did that thought come from?
Keep her.
His cat tossed in its two cents, which prompted Felipe to say to her as he led her away from the now functioning portal and its backlog of people waiting to use it, “If you’re willing to ride for an hour, we can arrive at Lucifer’s castle before nightfall.” Where he could rid himself of Jenny before he did something foolish and permanent.
It didn’t take a genius to realize at this point that his brilliant plan to bed her often wasn’t working. Not only did his hunger for her grow instead of decrease with each encounter, more and more he dreaded parting from her. He didn’t like what it meant.
“You mean that doorway didn’t drop us into the first ring?”
He shook his head. No portals were allowed direct travel to the inner ring, Lucifer’s paranoia not allowing it. “Might as well give them a fucking key and invite them to invade,” was the great Lord’s reply when anyone dared to ask. But no one ever complained. Complaints, which Lucifer called whining, often ended up with the whiner in question getting thrown in the stomping vats where, once strained of all bodily fluids, fermented, and bottled, created some fine vintages for the vampires who could afford them.
“The rip took us to the second ring, right on the edge. But from here to the castle we’ll have decent roads to travel and even better, guards patrolling them, making the likelihood of attack unlikely.”
“That close? I could really use a shower and change of garments,” she said with a wrinkle of her nose. Down veered her gaze to her travel-stained clothing, the few hours ride before their trip through the portal having taken its toll, especially when they ran into a flock of hell-ickens. They weren’t dangerous, and tasted quite good when basted with butter and garlic. However, their method of defense was less than pleasant. They dropped eggs when frightened, ticking little time bombs that exploded and hit anything in its radius with sulfuric-stinking, slimy yolk.
Her plus water and no clothing? It wasn’t just his cat purring at the image. But no, he needed to start putting a distance between them.
“I guess we could stop somewhere for the night, and I could deliver you to the boss in the morning.” One more night wouldn’t kill him.
“I think I like that plan better. It will be nice to get clean and a last night of sleep before meeting the big man.” She tossed him a smile, one he’d come to know all too well.
Apparently a shower wasn’t the only thing she had in mind. Problem was Felipe no longer knew if he could trust himself with her. Now that the end of their journey had practically arrived, his cat paced inside his head, protesting and demanding they do something.
I’m not leashing myself to one woman. His statement fell on deaf ears. His feline practically smirked and clearly conveyed a, I’d like to see you stop me attitude.
Did he dare allow himself one more night in Jenny’s arms? Could he chance losing control for just one second and doing something that would alter the course of his future? Paint his belly yellow. He was afraid to find out.
She frowned at him when they reached the inn and he asked for a room with two beds. As he carried their meager gear up the stone steps, she questioned him. “Since when do we need two beds? Or is this for appearance sake?”
“Listen, Jenny. You’re a nice girl and all…”
“I hear the big but coming,” she mumbled.
“However, as I told you from the start, I’m not boyfriend material.”
“I wasn’t asking you to go steady,” she snapped as they reached their door. “I’m perfectly aware I’m not the type of girl anyone would want to settle down with. I just thought we would enjoy one more night of fun.”
Her words hit him like a slap. He had to bite his tongue not to jump to her defense and tell her it wasn’t her who was the problem, but him. She was too wonderful to tie herself down to the likes of him. Yet Remy, the biggest ladies man around, managed to turn over a new leaf. Couldn’t he? And what if he didn’t? He never wanted to hurt Jenny. Because then he’d have to kill himself. A dilemma for sure. One best avoided, no matter how cowardly.
“Yeah, well, I was kind of planning to sit in the bar for a little while. Listen to the gossip and catch up on what’s been happening since I left to fetch you.”
“Because I was just a job, and the job’s done.” The tight way she said it shrunk his usually big ego into domestic cat-sized. He didn’t like it at all. Just like he didn’t enjoy the disappointment in her eyes, the hurt he could sense and the sensation he was being a monumental idiot when he walked away.
But it was for the best, right? Felipe wasn’t ready to settle down no matter how much he liked Jenny or how she made him feel. The domestic life wasn’t for him, even if he was tired of bouncing from bed to bed, town to town, never knowing where he’d end up or where his next meal would come from. If he failed to appear one day, would anyone notice or care?
Ysabel would. But how long before she sent out an alarm? Felipe was a free spirit, roaming without care or contact sometimes for weeks on end.
However, what would he do otherwise? Pair up with a green-haired temptress and embark on whatever mad scheme Lucifer had planned for her? Stick to her side, protecting her from Undines and other menaces to her safety?
Make love to her each night until he got her with child then expanding his protective circle to a cub?
Ack! He couldn’t blame a hairball this time for his choking fit.
Lucky for him, he knew what would soothe his clogged throat. Ale. Lots of it.