Page 15 of Demon Demands

I sighed, because… gods, did I love the warehouse. I hated shopping for clothes and shit, but I could spend hours searching the shelves in Dolyn’s warehouse, filling pages with item numbers. He’d have it all neatly packaged and personally delivered to my front door.

Today wouldn’t be the same as my usual trips, though. We’d be walking out fully armed, and I’d have to force Dolyn to accept a monetary payment from me for what we’d take.

“We’ll all shop for what we need,” I decided after a moment, well aware that each of my guys had different strengths and comforts when it came to weapons. They would clearly need those weapons with the way I was picking fights lately.

“We need to call in the legion, Dolyn. We’re gonna need the backup at some point.”

“You’re sure that’s who you want?” Dolyn questioned me skeptically. “I could have Dad and Cyrus send over…” He left his sentence hanging as he studied my blank face.

I knew what I was asking for, and I knew Jack was gonna be pissed at me for it. But he could be pissed after he was free of Hannibal’s clutches.

Briggs

Monday Evening

The male demon in front of me knew the way to my mate’s heart, of that I was certain.

The door we’d followed Dolyn and Sloane through wasn’t what I was expecting. I had been pretty fucking sure that we’d started in a giant basement. Then we’d moved into the warehouse, and I felt like my brain was leaking out of my ears.

Barbie had said she knew a weapons master, though at the time, I didn’t have the slightest clue what she meant. Her weapons were customized for her, yeah, but godsdamn, the place was a wet fucking dream.

How anyone could fill a bunker as big as the one we were standing in was beyond me, but it was brimming with weapons and tactical gear.

The further we walked inside, the more overhead lights flickered on, until the expanse of the underground building was lit up like a football stadium.

Aisles and aisles of metal shelving units were meticulously organized and marked with numbers. At the end of each aisle, a rolling ladder sat with a flat cart beside it.

The whole place kind of reminded me of a library, except I only saw a single book in sight. It was just weapons.

Barbie and Grim stood beside Dolyn at a worn wooden table about thirty yards away from where the guys and I were. As Dolyn flipped pages in a book, pointing at the contents every few seconds, my mate shook her head at him, growing agitated.

After Barbie denied him several more times, Dolyn tensed and turned to face her, forcefully slamming the cover closed.

Grim took two steps back, looking at all of us standing around, and snapped his fingers. A hazy grayish bubble appeared around Sloane and Dolyn right as she narrowed her eyes at him and threw her hands in the air.

We caught an, “Are you…” and then it was silent as we watched them argue.

“Don’t mind them. They’re constantly butting heads,” Grim told us nonchalantly. “This shit happens every time they’re together. You get used to it.”

Hyland snorted. “I like how you’re trying to downplay their love-hate relationship.”

Grim shrugged, not bothered by Sloane and Dolyn fuming at each other. I couldn’t help but think that hate sex between the two of them would be violent. And then I was looking forward to said hate sex.

But with me.

Not Dolyn.

Angry hate sex between Barbie and me.

After a few awkward minutes had passed, my mate stomped out of the tiny soundproof barrier that Grim had created. She was vibrating with animosity as she wrapped her hand around Hyland’s elbow, dragging the smaller demon with her as she began striding down the main aisle.

“Come on, Hyde. Apparently there’s a life-proof bubble waiting for me on aisle two-fourteen.”

Dolyn threw his arms wide, fingers spread, as he looked to the ceiling and let out what appeared to be a frustrated shout. Grim dropped his barrier, clearly thinking we were out of the woods, but no.

“I fucking hate it when you act like that.” Dolyn kicked at the air as he seethed, marching the opposite way that Sloane had gone. “I don’t know why you can protect everyone around you, but it’s a cardinal fucking sin for anyone to try to protect you.”

“I don’t know why you’re acting like this is a new turn of events, Dolyn,” she called over her shoulder without looking back. “I’m not a damsel in need of protection, nor have I ever been. Stop trying to convince me that you’ve grown a conscience in the last few months. We both know that you haven’t.”