Page 47 of Devils Don’t Deal

“How did you get here?” he asked as we went.

“I wanted to go to the dead mistress’s closet, and the door actually listened to me. Maybe it’s because your soul likes me so much.”

“Or because I fed you my life and magic. You may become more of a devil than you’d like.” There was something about the way he said that that made me pause.

I looked up at him and touched his cheek.

He frowned at me, focused by that contact with an intensity that made my stomach twist. Those eyes were so soft, melting like dark chocolate, only he tasted like melted caramels.

“It’s not that bad to be like you. I mean, you rescued my dad from the obnoxious goblins who kidnapped him. Oh, I meant to tell you that I talked to them. Someone hired them to ask for the Lady of the Wild Woods to be released. They think she was supposed to target the rabbit, and therefore you, because apparently everyone thinks the rabbit is your weakness, and if it dies, you die. They don’t know that she targeted me and ignored the rabbit entirely.”

He slipped a hand over my lower back. “That is worrisome.”

“Tomorrow, I want to go shake down my great-uncle Draskri. Will you come there, too?”

“Shake him down for what?”

“I can’t think of anyone else who’d like it if I were dead. I don’t have a ton of enemies. I’m actually pretty likable.”

“I see. Yes, I can accompany you to shake down a fairy. Or I could invite him here.”

“He’d refuse.”

“Not many refuse an invitation from me.”

“He would. He’d also have his ogre bodyguards spit on you. His spit is too precious to waste on just anyone.”

“He never spat on you, did he?” His eyes were fierce, almost terrifying.

I smiled at him. “He wouldn’t ever spit on me.”

“Just murder you?”

“I don’t know. But it’s weird that he told the fairy boy about me.”

“The fairy boy?”

“Yeah. I’m meeting him at the club.”

His eyes narrowed. “You’re meeting a fairy at my club after we make out?”

“No, after we get dinner. We’re making out first.”

He squinted at me. “So glad I know the schedule.”

“I know. I’m really organized. It’s the goblin in me. You know, counting the minutes down to⁠—”

He pulled me through a door then we were out in the mystical woods, blue fluttering butterflies and golden fireflies bobbing around while the glowing pond was directly behind him. There was no sign of the door we’d come through.

I stared at him while he led me to the bench. Were we actually going to kiss slowly, or was he going to electrocute me again?

He sat on the bench and stared at me while I stood in front of him feeling stupid.

“Hi,” I said, giving him a bright smile.

“This will be unpleasant.”

I wrinkled my nose at him. “For me or you?”