Page 24 of An Oath at Midnight

“I know,” I said, fighting back angry tears.

He ran his thumb over my bruised wrist. “Who did this to you?”

“One of the new councilmen. I got in his way so he couldn’t go after Willow and Warrick. His anger got the better of him. If I hadn’t, he’d be dead. Warrick would have torn him to shreds. He should’ve thanked me, not shoved me against a door.”

Bram’s jaw clenched, and his eyes turned frigidly cold. “He’ll pay for that.”

“It was his cousin who was murdered tonight. He’s an asshole, but I think he deserves a pass on this one.” Bram didn’t look as if he agreed. I blew out a breath. “Isaac Eldridge was there as well, the smug bastard.”

“That prick’s overdue for an ass kicking.”

Bram wasn’t wrong.

“You know where War took Willow?”

“We don’t know for sure, but we’re guessing they’re in Hell. It’s the safest place for them right now.” Saying that out loud seemed insane, but besides Lucifer himself, the hounds were one of the most feared creatures down there. No one and nothing would get near Willow.

“It’s going to be okay,” he said. “We’ll get through this.”

I nodded and hoped he was right.

His arm tightened around me. “You think you’ll be able to sleep?”

“I don’t know.” I glanced up at him. “If I do, will you be here when I wake up?” There was bitterness in my voice. I hadn’t meant for it to come out like that, but the hurt was impossible to hold in anymore. I shouldn’t have said anything. The storm was over, and those words had the power to open the floodgates again.

His eyes slid to mine. He’d heard it as well. “I’d never leave without telling you. You fucking know that.”

I studied him. Bram had changed so much. For a long time, when we were around others, he’d preferred his bird form, to hide and go unnoticed. He didn’t do that anymore. There’d always been a darkness to him, but it had deepened in ways I couldn’t describe. There was also a hardness to him that had never been there before. It’d happened slowly, but there was no missing it now. “I thought I knew a lot of things. Turns out I was wrong.”

Don’t say it. Do not say it.

I didn’t want another confrontation, I’d had enough emotional turmoil for one night, but I couldn’t not say something. Not when it was eating at me. “Amelia was in the shop yesterday; Leah and Claire were with her. They saw you at The Bank with one of your brothers.”

He stilled against me.

I slipped my arms from his waist and hugged myself. “It’s true, then.”

“Mags—”

“Leah said you and your brother were surrounded my fawning females… Oh, and she also said she had your number and planned to ask you out.”

“That’s not what happened—”

“How about you explain it to me, then? So I can understand.” I’m the one who said I didn’t want to fight, and here I was, starting one. “So you’re, what? Going out with your brothers to pick up females, then lying to me about it for some fucked-up reason?” As I said the words, my anger grew. “Or maybe you’re fucking demons? That would at least explain why you’re coming home so messed up?” I shifted farther away from him. “I’m not one to judge. If fucking monsters is your thing, then just tell me—”

“I’m not fucking demons,” he said, his obsidian gaze unwavering. “I’m not fucking anyone.”

He reached for me, and I swiped his hand away and sat up. “You could. You could go out with Leah, fuck her, let her scratch up your chest. I’m sure she’d be into it. You can do whatever the fuck you like, you already are, right? Just don’t come to me and expect me to heal you afterward.”

“Mags—”

“Christ, I’m not even an afterthought, anymore, am I?”

“Magnolia,” he all but snarled.

I shoved off the covers, fully worked up now. “No, you go off and do whatever it is you do, go out and party with your brothers, or whatever. I honestly don’t give a fuck anymore.” I stood, heart pounding, feeling sick to my stomach.

He shoved back the covers and stood as well, taking a step toward me.