More on this book
Community
Kindle Notes & Highlights
Put it this way: I didn’t earn my reputation as the butcher of the ninth circle with my words.
“I feel like I’m never going to be free of him.”
This. Never feel truly free of your abuser…
And damn, could he kiss. Whole sonnets should be written about this guy’s lips. He was turning me inside out.
I felt rattled, like my whole world had been upended by this man who kissed like God herself had taught him how.
Despite what others thought about us, consent was everything with demons. Trust me, nothing else will give you a healthy respect for the word no than centuries of torturing sexual predators.
“Yes. I want you to take me to your place and make me forget my name.”
Satan, he was gorgeous. All that creamy skin and dark hair could make an atheist find religion.
As the seconds ticked by, I realised how much I didn’t want to die. I wanted to speak to Bailey. I wanted to look my sister in the eyes and tell her how sorry I was for pushing her away. I wanted to go back to Cal’s bookshop and throw myself into his arms. I wanted to live again.
It was a shame that it took my life hanging in the balance for me to see what I had to live for.
No one had ever looked at me the way he was right now. It made my insides squirm and my heart yearn for things I thought I’d given up on long ago.
Okay, so he’d swooped in and saved me like a dark avenging angel, but that didn’t mean anything.
“I swear that I will never hurt you. No one else in this world is safer from me than you.”
Despite the bizarreness of the situation, a laugh burst out of me. A tiny demon in hotpants was using me as a human shield against his sibling. It was an ocean away from the me of two days ago. The most exciting thing that had happened to that guy was discovering an unopened tub of ice cream in the bottom of the freezer.
“I’m fucked up. I have enough emotional baggage to sink a battleship. You have no idea what it’s like to be with me. Some days, I can’t bring myself to leave the sofa. I have anxiety attacks over the stupidest things. I’m living half a life. That’s not something you want to subject yourself to. I’m weak and pathetic, and you deserve better than me. No one deserves to put up with my shit.”
You don’t want to get off the sofa? I’ll sit with you. You’re having an anxiety attack? I’ll talk you through it. No matter what you’re thinking or going through, I’ll be at your side. Nothing about you can scare me away. That’s the good thing about demons. Your darkness cannot contend with mine.”
“Oh, sweetheart, if you ever learn how deeply you affect me, the whole world will be in trouble.”
If Oscar wanted me to carry him around like a baby koala all day, then you could bet your arse that was what I would do.
I may have given Oscar the option to walk away from me, but all of Hell wouldn’t be enough for me to walk away from him.
“Like I would do anything you ask. Like I exist only to make you happy. Like I’ve been seeing the world in black and white, but meeting you has turned on the colour.”
“You say heathen like it’s a bad thing.” Yeah, to a demon, that was probably a compliment.
“That’s not it at all. None of us thinks you’re weak. For Satan’s sake, you teach teenagers. Willingly. If that doesn’t show you’ve got a core of steel, I don’t know what will.”
It was like Oscar’s arrival had switched on a light in my life, and now I couldn’t adjust back to the darkness.
My sweetheart would need to get used to flying. I had no doubt he’d get on board with it once I showed him all the fun things we could get up to in the air.
“I can’t decide if that’s hot or deranged.” He shot me a wink as he tied a towel around his waist. “Always both, sweetheart.”
“Sweetheart, if you were in danger, the whole of Hell wouldn’t be enough to stop me from getting to you.”
“Bestie, time for another demonic boyfriend lesson. If Cal had his way, he’d chain you to his bedpost and wait on you hand and foot for the rest of eternity if that kept you safe. He’s trying to be more…human, for your sake.”
“I would never hurt you. You could carve out my own heart and crush it beneath your boot, and I would still thank you for your time and attention.”
Honestly, what did Mori expect? Telling a demon not to do something was the equivalent of presenting a toddler with a chocolate cake and telling them not to eat it. Never going to fucking happen.
“No wonder you like him. He looks like a fucking wet dream and he owns a bookshop?”
“If I forget it, my brothers will pin me down for you and show you all my weak spots.” Her laugh was rich and loud. “Yep. It’s official. I like you.”
“Thank you for making my brother so happy. If I can find even an ounce of what you guys have, I’ll consider myself a very lucky demon.”
In fact, it would be good if my soul departed with his because if I was here and he wasn’t, I would burn Heaven, Hell, and Earth to ashes out of spite.
“I’m sure there’s another reason…ah yes! You should move in with me because I’m desperately in love with you and the thought of you sleeping in a different bed makes me want to peel my skin off.”
