Page 32 of Knight’s Dominion

“No.” She hated that she felt the need to explain herself but was powerless to stop. "I'm doing it for Vince...something’s not—”

“I get it, Grace.” His face twisted into a sneer, even as his hand lifted and his fingers gently, so incredibly gently, slid across her cheek and along her jaw. “No need to say another word.”

But he didn't get it. He thought she'd fuck that bastard, that she’d sell herself for the diamonds around her neck. She could see it written all over his face.

Why the hell did she care? He could think what he liked. Honestly, it would be easier if he hated her—for a lot of reasons.

Crossing her arms, she straightened her spine. “Why are you here?”

His jaw tightened and his eyes grew even harder, so much ice she actually shivered. “Something happened tonight, something…unexpected. Things have changed.”

Grace went on full alert. “What things?”

“A demon, he summoned a beast from Hell. Someone protected him, blocked us from getting to him.” His entire body went rock solid. “We couldn’t stop him.”

She attempted to wrap her mind around what he’d just told her, the fact that he’d chosen to tell her. “There is some kind of…Hell beast loose in the city?”

The muscle in his jaw ticked. “At the moment, it’s invisible to humans. I don’t know if it’s the same for demi. We need manpower, people on the ground searching for it. We need to contain it before it wakes.”

Grace had to be hearing things. “You’re asking for my help?”

“Yes,” he said without hesitation.

“But you said—”

“I didn’t want to involve demi in this war. How could I want that when I was created to protect you?” He gritted his teeth. “But we need help with this. We can’t do it alone.”

I was created to protect you.

Freudian slip? If he knew she was his mate, that’s exactly what he’d want to do.

But that had to cost him, asking her for help. And honestly, she never thought he ever would. She’d truly believed he would rather lose this war than ask anyone for help. He’d surprised her.

“I think you and your people could be an asset to our fight if you would listen to what I’ve been trying to tell you instead of killing indiscriminately.”

Then again, this wasn’t the first time he’d surprised her. When he’d visited her at her gym, he’d almost admitted that he needed them then. She hadn’t been willing to bend, to meet him halfway. Hating him was easier than thinking there was more to him than she first thought.

“You want our help to find this beast?” she said, voice huskier than she would have liked.

His eyes narrowed, gaze dropping to her mouth. “Yes,” he said, again without hesitation.

“Did that hurt?” She couldn’t stop herself from asking. They’d been fighting against each other for months, and now here he was asking for help. It was almost unbelievable.

He took another step closer, so close now she could feel the heat radiating from his rock-hard, tightly coiled body. “You hate me. I don’t blame you. My intention was only to protect you and your people. But I see now we can’t do this alone, not anymore. I may not always agree with you, Grace, but I respect you.” He ran a hand over the ink on the side of his head. “Will you help us?”

She’d dreamed of this moment, many times, but torturing him, making him beg—like she always imagined she would if he ever came to her—didn’t appeal quite so much anymore. This was probably all some act, some kind of manipulation. She definitely wasn’t going to drop her guard around this male. But there was only one answer. “Yes.”

He dipped his chin, his Adam’s apple sliding up and down his strong throat. “If you find the creature, you are not to engage. This beast won’t be killed easily, or maybe at all. It regenerates lost limbs quickly, is without vital organs, our best bet is to contain it somehow.”

He gave her the location of their last sighting, then held out his hand. “Phone.”

She gave it to him and watched as he programmed numbers into it.

“My number. I’ve put Gunner’s in there as well. He’s still searching. Contact him when you’re downtown, and do whatever he says.”

“I’ll gather my people and head out now.”

“This thing will be looking for somewhere quiet and dark to rest. There could be demons guarding it. Follow any you see in the area. We’ll question them at the compound.”