I didn’t look at him. I didn’t pay him any attention, but my fingers wandered up my throat, to my jaw bone. The pain had lessened, and I knew I had his toxic mouth and fingers to thank for it.
Fingers I wanted to break.
He was a heartless bastard. I had to remind myself of that.
Ten years ago, he had committed the ultimate disgrace for a demon. He had fallen in love with a human and he had impregnated her out of wedlock.
Fallen, king of demons, killed both the human woman and the unborn child.
Along with the old Beau, Tensley had once said, when his older brother’s heart had been ripped out still pulsing with life and warm with love.
Falling in love was highly forbidden for demons and punished harshly. But falling in love with a human? That was the worst sin our kind could commit. It was a wonder Fallen hadn’t killed Beau as well.
Bringing shame to their family name, Beau was stripped of his right to become Dux, as first born son of Salvatore Knight.
He’d become a heartless monster. One with violent outbursts. Demons could, in fact, live without a heart. That the heart was simply what tethers them to sanity and controlled the beast.
Over the years since Fallen’s punishment, he’d probably gained back a sliver of his old heart. There was a chance he had improved, but he was still that unpredictable wild animal, one no one could tame.
He probably growled or snapped at anyone who dared to approach him, I thought with a sour laugh.
His beast was no doubt still holding the upper hand on his control, what had happened in the bathroom had been proof of that. His emotions had been so raw, so strong. Much stronger than a normal demon who had a tight leash on his beast.
Beau… there was no leash on him.
And he’d had his strong hand wrapped around my neck mere moments ago.
I knew he probably hadn’t meant it as the display of dominance and control over another being that it represented. Or as the show of possession that had sent shivers rocking through my body, and straight to my core.
No… knowing what Tensley had told me about him, it had likely been nothing more than his way of making sure he could break my neck at any second if I annoyed him too much.
I shook my head, thinking back to my body’s reaction to his soft, yet firm lips gliding over my skin.
The car stopped abruptly, and I jolted forward. Beau sneered at me and got out of the car, paying the fee.
I followed after and my shoulders dropped at the sight of the Scorpios townhouse.
This was where the Dux resided with his family, where the Knights had lived all their lives.
It was also where Scorpios held all their meetings. The place they took their prisoners and those who caused trouble to be dealt with accordingly, I realized, my blood turning slightly colder at the thought.
Thankfully, the current Dux, Tensley Knight, was a friend of mine.
But that was also the reason why he would be livid when learning I’d gone and fought at the Pit.
He had enough on his plate with becoming the new Dux. It was a fairly recent change as their father had been poisoned just over a week ago and was currently in a coma. On top of that, I knew Fallen, the king of High Court, had been dropping by every once in awhile to meet with him, which always seemed to put Tensley in a dark mood.
He didn’t need my fucking drama.
Not that I’d wanted to lay it all out in front of him to begin with, but Beau had other plans.
“Move,” Beau said, annoyance clear in his tone, and I sneered back at him.
“A man of few words, are you?” I said with a mocking smile as I walked passed him and entered the grand townhouse. The black and white tiled floors gleamed with the fresh scent of oranges and rich perfumes.
The life of the rich and damned.
I almost felt bad for tainting those squeaky-clean floors with the filth that had stuck to the bottom of my shoes when I’d been in the Pit.
Almost.
Beau was like a shadow behind me, his body heat sliding up my back, the air surrounding him tasted like annoyance and anger.
Beau didn’t bother knocking once we were in front of Tensley’s new office. He gripped my forearm and we both walked inside.
Tensley glanced up from his desk, a phone to his ear. His eyes darkened at the sight of me and his brother, and I dropped my gaze to the floor. Standing next to Beau, I felt so tiny, so fragile compared to the giant bloodthirsty demon. He was made to be a warrior. Strong, standing tall and confident, the look on his face nothing short of menacing. The muscles in his arms seem to bulge under his inked skin. Ink my fingers itched to trace all the way under his t-shirt sleeves.
Fucking great.
Tensley sighed. “I’ll call you back.” He hung up and sat back in his chair, watching me, angled away from him.
“What are you doing here? Together?”
“Tell him,” Beau rasped out, pulling at my sweaty t-shirt.
I raised my head slowly because I knew my appearance wouldn’t sit well with Tensley.
Tensley had always been protective of me, but after what had happened with the hunters, when I’d been kidnapped and beaten within an inch of my life, he’d been breathing down my neck even more.
I called him a friend, but really, he’d always been more of a big brother. Watching over me, worrying, making sure I was okay.
Tensley, dressed in a custom suit, black hair combed back neatly while Beau, dressed in ripped black jeans and a black t-shirt, and wild, untamed long hair. They couldn’t be more opposite.
His fingers curled into fists on his desk and his jaw ticked as he took me in. After a silent moment, he slammed his fist on the desk and swore under his breath. “What happened?”
I could feel Beau’s hand tighten its grip on my t-shirt and I glanced up at his face. His lips twitched slightly at the corner, no doubt due to his anger.
Tensley stood and walked toward me and gently, unlike his brother, grabbed my chin, his eyes scanning the damage. Beau had been right. He had healed most of the damage and I hated to fucking say it, but I was thankful for that.
Had there been one more bruise on my skin, Tensley would have lost it.
He growled. “What the hell happened?” he repeated, annoyed when neither of us answered.
“Found her at the Pit,” Beau bit out, and I glared at his hand still gripping me, tightening his hold on my t-shirt.
Tensley’s eyes swung to his older brother. “What?”
I wanted to punch Beau right then and there.
Instead, I pushed Tensley’s hand away and rolled my eyes, hoping to convince him I was fine. He believed my little lies most of the time anyway. “I’m fine.”
“Fine?” both brothers snapped and I paused at the strength and power of their voices combined. Two different, but powerful forces that no one wanted to get on the bad side of.
“Bruises will heal,” I said and wrapped an arm around my middle, glancing up at Beau, his dark eyes boring into me. “Turns out, I’ve lived through far worse,” I added bitterly, the painful memories swirling in my mind.
Tensley’s mouth clasped shut and wavered, his anger brimming. He wanted to yell, he wanted to lecture me and I braced myself for the impact. “It’s a fucking fighting ring for demons. Why the hell would a souleater go there, huh? Are you fucking trying to get yourself killed? Is that what you want, Lex?” he snapped, his anger flaring.
I turned my head to the side and shrugged. I couldn’t tell him I was searching for a friend or he’d involve himself and that was the last thing he needed. Another thing to add to his full plate of responsibilities. I’d tell him part of the truth. “It felt good.”
It did. The adrenaline of the danger, of the risk. I needed that edge, the feeling of my breath leaving my mouth, of the air being sucked out of my lungs after a punch, and not knowing if it would return.
After my encounter with the hunters, I had this craving for the danger, for the pain, for the lack of control. I’d felt it during the fight, but when Beau had touched me earlier, I’d felt it again. The thrill, the rush, the excitement.
Tensley’s jaw grew tight enough to snap and he ran his fingers through his hair. He shot a look at his brother.
“Pulled her out before they slit her throat,” Beau added, his voice close to a growl.
I rolled my eyes inwardly. He was being dramatic. Knives weren’t even allowed in fights.
A flare of anger swarmed around Beau and I could taste the burn. Again, his grip tightened on my t-shirt and he didn’t look away from me, not as his eyes lowered to my chest, accented by his own wrath. The t-shirt hung loosely on me, but he had bunched the fabric so it clung to my breasts.
His eyes rose to my face, but he didn’t loosen his grip.
“I had it handled,” I hissed, jerking away from Beau with renewed force and he finally let go.
Beau folded his arms and laughed bitterly, his entire body shaking, and I hadn’t expected him to laugh. I froze, staring at him. “You were dead as soon as you stepped into the Pit,” he said, his voice as rough as cracking thunder.
My cheeks flushed, and I felt the wave of anger rising inside of me.
“Lex,” Tensley cautioned. “Sit down.”
I had no power here and I wanted to scream at Beau. He knew that. He knew I couldn’t argue or fight against Tensley or him. They were higher class demons and they somehow thought they could tell me how to live my life. I hollowed out my cheeks and looked down at my feet. I sighed into my hands.
Tensley glanced back at his older brother. The heartless demon. So cold, so distant. I didn’t know what was going through his head then, but he was examining his brother.
“Thank you,” Tensley said lowly to Beau.
I paused, staring at the two of them. Both Beau and Tensley clearly thought he’d done the honorable thing and saved me, but I hadn’t needed his help. I could save myself.
Beau shook his head in confusion, brows furrowed, but after a moment, he nodded roughly. He didn’t say another word before leaving, never once looking back at me.
It seemed he wasn’t inclined to reveal the fact that he’d healed me.
Good, I thought.
Tensley ran a hand down his face before turning his attention to me.
He didn’t speak as he sat on the edge of his desk and leaned over, taking my hand in his, his fingers on my bruises. Touches light enough to eliminate the black and blue from the usual paleness of my complexion. I smiled grimly at that.
What was with these brothers and their need to heal me.
“You can’t go to the Pit, Lex,” he whispered, massaging a bruise on my jaw.
I groaned. “I’m fine.”
“Why?” he whispered, trying to meet my eyes. “Why did you go there?”
I toyed with my frayed jeans, littered with holes and stains of dirt and blood. I thought of the best lie to tell him, to ease his worry, to make him not concerned about my life. He had Molly, his fiancée, to look after. He had Scorpios to worry about now. He didn’t need me to add to the list.
“Because.” I gritted my teeth. “I don’t ever want to be weak again.”
That wasn’t completely a lie. But it wasn’t the truth either.
I did want to learn how to fight, how to defend myself. There was a part of me that loved the adrenaline of the fight, but there was also a part of me that had stayed scared and weak after the kidnapping. After the torture.
And I was done feeling that way.
But there were also other reasons why I’d gone to the Pit. Reasons I could never discuss with Tensley, because he’d have me followed by some of his men if he knew what sort of plans I’d been thinking up.
He sighed, and I avoided his eyes. I was good at lying to him, but I didn’t want to push my luck any further.
He worked his jaw, sitting back as he looked down at me and I waited for him to call me out.
But he didn’t.
He let his arms drop and let out a long sigh. “Just don’t go again, Lex,” he said, and added after a beat, “Please.”
My eyes watered, and I smiled weakly up at him, raising a shoulder. I knew demons weren’t allowed to love anyone, but I cared for Tensley. And I knew this was his way of showing me he cared, too. “Okay, Dad,” I said playfully.
He paled, quickly cleared his throat and straightened.
I laughed at his expression, my fingertips tracing the faint bruises left on my arm absentmindedly.
I wasn’t done.
I wouldn’t give up. Not until I found Dolores. Not until I could protect myself.
I would survive the Pit and Beau Knight, the heartless bastard, and find Dolores.