Page 43 of White Hot Kiss

He was loitering outside a hotel that was under construction, standing next to the red scaffolding that climbed the front of the building. The Fiend looked like any of the number of punk-rock kids that could be found on the streets of D.C.

“You know, you could have said thank-you for saving your life.” Roth was suddenly beside me.

I groaned, keeping an eye on the Fiend. “You didn’t save my life.”

“You almost got plowed by a cab. And if you want to get plowed, I will gladly volunteer my services. I promise you I’ll be a lot—”

“Don’t even finish that sentence.”

“It was just an offer.”

“Whatever.” I watched the Fiend eyeing a construction worker who was starting to climb down the scaffolding. “If I say thank-you, will you go away?”

“Yes.”

“Thank you,” I said eagerly.

“I lied.”

“What?” I looked up at him, frowning. “That’s messed up.”

Roth leaned down so that our faces were inches apart. God, he smelled wonderful. I closed my eyes briefly and I swore I could feel him smile.

“I’m a demon. I tend to lie from time to time.”

I felt my lips twitch into a smile. I quickly turned away to hide it. “I’ve got things to do, Roth. Go bother someone else.”

“You going to tag that Fiend over there?” he asked. We’d stopped outside a game shop a few stores down from the construction site.

I said nothing.

Roth leaned against the redbrick building. “Before you tag the kid and sentence it to death, why don’t you see what he’s actually going to do.”

My eyes narrowed. “Why would I let him do something that I know is going to get someone hurt?”

“How do you know someone is going to get hurt?” Roth cocked his head to the side, sending waves of raven-black hair across his smooth forehead. “You’ve never actually waited to see what one is going to do, have you?”

I started to lie, but I turned away, focusing on the Fiend. The demon with spiky green hair scrubbed a hand along his jaw as he watched a construction worker hop down and head over to another section blocked off by orange mesh rope. The man picked up some sort of saw, waving it around as he laughed at something his buddy said.

“Just wait and see what happens before you judge him.” Roth shrugged. “It won’t hurt.”

I sent him a sidelong glare. “I’m not judging him.”

Roth tipped his head to the side. “Do you want me to pretend I have no idea what dastardly things you do after school?”

“Dastardly?” I rolled my eyes. “I’m just tagging—”

“Which lights them up for the Wardens to take out later,” he finished. “So I have no idea how you can think that’s not playing judge and jury.”

“This is stupid. You want me to let him do something evil? I don’t think so.”

He seemed to consider that. “You know what I think your problem is?”

“No, but I bet you’re going to enlighten me.”

“Why, yes, I am. You don’t want to see what the Fiend does because you’re afraid that it isn’t going to be something nefarious, and then you’ll have to deal with the fact that your Wardens are murderers and not saviors.”

My mouth dropped open, but my stomach also lurched at his words. If what he said was true, it would turn my world upside down. But it couldn’t be true. Demons were evil.