Page 75 of Craving Demons
“I’m family,” I said, then instantly regretted it. All eyes were on me. My guy’s gazes varied from concerned to furious to proud. Mammon looked a bit stunned while Nemain licked her lips like I was lunch.
“Oh, I see. Well, then yes, the pretty lady may also come in.” Mammon looked me over, but oddly, not in the way most men do. There was a hint of the lustful undressing look, but most of it was a sense of appraising my value.
He raised his brows after he did. I didn’t know what that meant, but I didn’t like it.
“Rules are made to be broken,” Ramsey growled, coming to me and wrapping me in those huge arms. “We’re all going in.”
Mammon laughed. “My bank, my rules, my way, or the highway. If you want your money, follow my rules. If you want a fight, Nemain will be more than happy to oblige.”
“She wouldn’t have a chance against the three of us,” Ramsey scoffed.
“Oh, did I forget to mention our little pet?” Mammon was grinning ear to ear as he withdrew a small device and clicked a button. The entire wall on one side of the room lifted away with only the barest whisper of machinery, revealing a massive cage with a monstrosity inside.
“A chimaera?” Fen hissed.
“Gods, Mammon, what are you doing?” Grey asked aghast.
“Fuck me,” Ramsey whispered.
The beast was royally messed up. It looked like someone had taken a lion, an oversized goat, and a massive snake and mushed them together. It had three heads, one for each animal: roaring, bleating, and hissing. The front part of its body looked to be that of a lion. The hindquarters were that of a goat, and the tail, was long and all snake.
Then the goat head breathed fire, and I yelped. The gout of fire didn’t make it out of the cage but left the room smelling of ash.
“Disobey my rules and I’ll open that cage,” Mammon said with a sneer.
“You wouldn’t!” Grey breathed, horrified. “Can you even stop that thing? Chimaeras are impossible to control!”
Mammon laughed. “I had Ogun craft three collars for the beast, and I control each of them. I’m the first in history to have tamed a chimaera. Care to take it for a test run? Or shall we all be civil and stick to my rules?”
And I could see the three thick iron bands — with strange markings that glowed as if heated by fire — around each of the three necks.
The guys hesitated.
I turned to Ramsey, feeling safe in his arms for the moment.
“I’m a daemon too. I’ll look after Donny,” I whispered. “Don’t worry.”
I forced a smile. I was terrified of being alone with Mammon, but I didn’t want that beast let loose on my guys either.
“Too late, I’m fuckin’ worried!” Ramsey hissed, clearly not happy. “Your aspects are sex and healing, what are you going to do?”
A valid point, but I still felt like this was the only way. “I’ll be fine, I promise.”
Ramsey stared at me for a long moment, then looked up and glared at that beast for equally as long.
“Fuck,” he hissed. “Just be very careful in there. Mammon is tricky and powerful. Be on guard.”
I nodded.
As soon as Ramsey released me, Grey was there in an instant.
“You sure, Ana?” he asked softly. “Mammon has ways of playing with your emotions and mind. I—”
“I’ll be okay,” I assured him. “I’ve been handling bad boys all my life.” I was fairly certain this would be far different, but that seemed to ease Grey enough. He kissed me softly. When he let go, I found myself in Fen’s arms.
“If you need us, scream or bang on the door or something. We’ll be there in an instant. There’s nothing in this world that can stop my beast or Ramsey’s chaos or a determined Grey. Don’t worry, we’re here.”
That was the best news I’d heard all morning.