Page 73 of Not Your Ex's Hexes
“How was I to know you never brought up your little affliction?” Julius defended himself. “The two of you are involved, are you not? Your scent sure was all over her the other night, and not in a way that meant you spent the time playing Parcheesi. Unless it was naked Parcheesi.”
“What Rose Maxwell and I do or don’t do together is absolutely none of your business.”
“You’re right. It’s not, but I would’ve thought that something as importance as a Soul Hex would be brought up at least once with one you’ve played naked board games with.”
“Rose and I have an understanding. There was never a reason to discuss it.” Damian’s jaw ached from clenching his teeth.
“No strings, huh?” Julius chuckled, swirling his drink beforesipping it. “Let me know how that goes for you. As for the job offer I presented to Rose, it still stands… especially since she called me thirty minutes ago and accepted.”
Damian froze. “She didwhat?”
His brother chuckled. “It’s cute you believe you have a say in what a Maxwell witch does or doesn’t do, little brother. They’re a spirited bunch. They do what they want, and evidently Rose Maxwell wants to try her hand at Hunting.”
“Bountyhunting,” Damian clarified. “Referring to it with a pretty name doesn’t make it any different than what it is, Jules, and she has no business doing it. Take the offer back.”
“No can do. I may be a lot of things, but I’m not someone who goes back on their word. Her trial period will officially start once she’s given her first assignment.” A slow smile slithered onto Julius’s face. “If I had more fully trained, experienced Hunters on my payroll, I wouldn’t have to fill my roster with newbie witches…”
And there it was.
Julius’s real goal.
To put him—and his demon—back into the fold regardless of the outcome.
“You really don’t care about anything, or anyone, other than yourself, do you?” Damian asked, already knowing the answer. “So much like Ezeil…”
“That couldn’t be further from the truth, brother.” A myriad of emotions flickered over Julius’s face as he stood. “Unlike our sperm donor, everything I do, I do with the people I care about in mind, and you may not believe me, but that includes you.”
“You’re right… I don’t believe you. Especially since you’re one of the few who knows why I left Hunting in the first place.”
“Yeah, something about your humanity… but considering you’re straddling the edge with your witchy plaything, that excuse falls a little short, don’t you think?”
Fisting his brother’s tux in one hand, Damian punched with theother, landing a hard right hook to the demon’s perfectly sculpted jaw. Julius crashed into his desk, sending everything on it scattering to the floor. “Do not refer to her as aplaything…”
It took everything Damian had not to land another, and instead, he kept his distance while Julius wiped a trickle of blood away from the corner of his mouth.
The bastard chuckled. “Did growing up under Father’s thumb teach you nothing about basic survival, little brother? If I were anything like the sick bastard, you’d have just laid out your weakness in front of anyone eager to take advantage.”
Damian hated that he was right as he fought for control. “You don’t want to make an enemy out of me, Jules.”
Julius sobered slightly. “You’re right. I don’t.”
Damian wouldn’t dive too deep into his brother’s words, and he also wouldn’t waste a second more of time because as different as he and his brother were, like him, Julius wouldn’t change his mind.
With his demon lying just beneath the surface, Damian stalked out of the penthouse and down to the street, mentally cursing how off-kilter his life had become since Rose Maxwell walked into it.
Hell, crashed…
And he wasn’t so sure the resulting flames weren’t about to get higher… and engulf them both.
15
Liar, Liar, Cauldron on Fire
Fun, family, and friends. That completed the list of approved things occupying Rose’s mind at Vi and Linc’s official welcome home party.
And flames…
Cursing, Rose flung open Linc’s high-end oven and nearly took a fire flare to the eyebrows. She doused it quickly with a cool burst of Magic, and reached for what was supposed to be a tray of sugar cookies but sadly looked more like charred hockey pucks. The searingly hot cookie sheet burned her hand.
