Page 123 of Hateful Prince
“Don’t be jealous, poppet.”
“Me? Jealous?” Crombie scoffed, but there was little doubt he was exactly that. “What reason do I have to be jealous? I’m the one wearing your chain.”
As if to emphasize the point, he gave it a little tug.
“I think you forgot what this chain symbolizes, darling one,” Lilith purred.
“It means I’m yours.”
“No, sweetheart. It means I own you. Now be a good boy, and don’t say one more word.” The hand that was poking me in the chest moved so that it was none-too-gently cupping Crombie’s crotch.
Holding her gaze, his lips hitched up. “One. More. Word.”
Lilith’s hand tightened around him, and he let out a strangled gasp that was all sensual approval and no pain.
“Worth it,” he rasped.
“Mmm, such a petulant brat.” Her gaze flicked to meet mine. “But you know quite a lot about that, don’t you, Hades? Gods, I do love to see you in love. It’s such a beautiful arrogance you exude.”
I rolled my eyes. Lilith and her power plays were never-ending. Not to mention exhausting.
“Seriously, Lilith. Something is going on here.”
“Besides the serial killer?”
“Yes. Besides the Ripper. Unless it's all related,” I mused, mind wandering as it considered the possibility.
“There are no such things as coincidences, Hades. You and I both know that.” She leaned in and whispered, “The Fates wouldn’t allow it.”
Her mention of the Fates had my blood running cold, but I focused on the first part of her statement. “So it can’t be a coincidence that you’re here. Trouble follows in your wake, or perhaps you’re the one who finds it.”
“Why, whatever do you mean?”
“The last time I saw you, you were in the middle of plotting with the angel Gabriel how to stop the apocalypse.”
Her soft gasp of shock had me fighting the urge to smile. “There’s no way you can know that. Did Gabriel blab to you? He’s such a gossip.”
I tutted and shook my head. “An angel and a demon, working together. What will they think of next?”
Crombie snorted. “Clearly you have never read Neil Gaiman and Terry Pratchett. Just because you’re millennia old doesn’t mean you have to stay ignorant of the world around you.”
I ignored the fae prince and focused my attention on Lilith. “Gabriel had nothing to do with it. You should be thankful I didn’t share any of the details of your clandestine meeting. What business of yours is the apocalypse, anyway?”
She narrowed her eyes. “You and your bloody shadows. You were spying on me.”
“Guilty.”
As the admission left my lips, an idea sparked in the back of my mind. I didn’t need Asshole to do my spying. I could use my shadows.
Lilith held my stare, and Crombie let out a whine of impatience. “Come on, Lilypad. I’m bored. You promised we could play after we made an appearance.”
She gave him another brutal squeeze. “Patience, pet. Not until I get what I came for.”
“Which is?” I drawled, beyond curious what game she was up to.
“That's for me to know and you to never find out. Hopefully. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I do have other matters to attend to this evening. Remember what I said, Hades. There’s no such thing as coincidences. You’re closer to the apocalypse than you think, but then what else would you expect when you’re in bed with death?”
A shiver ran down my spine as she and her pet walked away, his hand resting possessively on her ass. Closer to the apocalypse than I thought? In bed with death?