Page 35 of Sleep With Us

“He eats them?” Reynard suggested, grimacing.

I glanced at Zee, hoping Reynard was wrong, but caught his nod. Oh, then General Copernicus was not very nice at all.

“It’s worse than that,” Zee said.

“Worse?” I didn’t want to know. “No, don’t tell me.”

Zee chuckled again and waved his hand, sprinkling his glamor back over his bruises. “There’s no get-out clause in my contract, but if you two wanna get your rocks off trying to find one, be my fucking guest.”

It appeared we were taking a roadtrip to Los Angeles. “Will one of your drivers take us?” I asked Reynard.

“Drive to LA?” He scoffed. “We’ll take the jet.”

CHAPTER 10

Zee dozed through the flight, his knee-high boots up on the cream-leather seats, and wings draped over the entire couch. His skimpy, sunshine-yellow top proclaimed: Girls Just Want to Have Fun-damental Rights. Reynard sat opposite, alternating between scowling at Zee and tapping on his phone, then taking technical-sounding business calls. I spent the flight time thinking over the past few days, and everything we knew, or didn’t know about Sebastien and Zee.

A lot of things made more sense, now Zee had explained why he’d never fought back. He’d resigned himself to submission, accepted it. But I hadn’t, and couldn’t. Not ever. It wasn’t okay unless he’d chosen Sebastien. Everyone deserved a choice.

And then there was Reynard. On his best behavior, since his family probably wanted him and me dead. He wasn’t free either. He couldn’t walk down the street without looking over his shoulder, fearing he might lose his head. The vampires would surely try and get to him, and me.

And then we came to me. Adam Vex. Hiding. No longer running, since there was nowhere left to run to. At least Reynard and Zee didn’t ask the question I knew they both wanted the answer to.

What is Adam Vex?

I was supposed to keep my head down, stay hidden in Zee’s larger-than-life shadow, run a hotel and stay safe within its wards, where nothing and nobody could reach me. And here I was, heading to LA to speak with a demon general, looking for a way to save my demon from a pimp, before that pimp killed Zee.

After this, I had to go back to hiding. I couldn’t get involved in any more lost causes.

Within a few hours, we’d landed under LA’s brilliant blue sky, and walked off the private jet with umbrellas raised, shielding Reynard. I sauntered unmolested through the human security line, while Reynard and Zee were both searched. Zee obviously took the opportunity to flirt with the security guard who had him spreadeagled against the wall. Reynard was much less enthused by having a metal-detecting wand waved around him. He fixed his face into its stoic mask, which meant he was a few seconds from unleashing a verbal tirade of long, elaborate-sounding words, that would likely result in threats to sue.

We eventually made it outside to the pick-up area, where a black sedan waited.

“Does Reynard magic these cars out of thin fucking air?” Zee muttered, vanishing his wings and scooting into the rear seat beside me. It was a tight fit, with Reynard on my right and Zee on my left, mostly because Zee had foot-long horns and three-inch-heeled boots, meaning he had to scrunch himself into a gap not designed for fabulous demons.

His wriggling shoved me against Reynard’s firm, warm leg, causing Reynard to arch an exasperated eyebrow. He didn’t say it—because unlike Zee, Reynard didn’t blurt out every thought in his head—but I suspected he’d begun to regret offering to help.

Zee gave the driver the animal shelter’s address and slumped back in the seat, knocking me into Reynard’s arm. “Sorry. Zee, can you maybe shift over a bit?”

“It’s not my fault I’m magnificent.”

We cruised through LA’s wide, flat, palm tree–lined streets.

“Let me do the talking,” Zee said, still fidgeting. “Reynard, stay in the car. The general—Fido is his chosen name now—has spent several decades fucking up vampires. If you waltz in making demands, he’s more likely to cut your balls off than help us.”

“As delightful as meeting the general sounds, I have a luncheon elsewhere,” Reynard said, sounding relieved. “Take my driver’s number, and when your meeting concludes, summon him via text.”

We hit a bump. Zee’s horns snagged in the car’s roof lining. He shot out a hand to steady himself, shoving me sideways. I toppled, and grabbed Reynard’s thigh.

“Adam, if you could please refrain from wriggling?” Reynard suggested in his clipped voice.

I plucked my hand back. Mercy, he had thighs as firm as steel. “It’s just a bit tight between you both, that’s all.”

“Tight.” Zee snickered.

Reynard tugged on his shirt collar, and flung an irritated glare past me, at Zee. “Perhaps if Zodiac wasn’t so imposing?”

“Do my generous dimensions bother you, Your Highness?” Zee enquired. “It is a common complaint,” he continued, his voice beginning to mimic Reynard’s lofty American accent. “Of course, you don’t have that problem, since you’re smaller.” He pinched his fingers together, leaving a tiny gap, and whispered, “In every way.”