Ink & Dagger (Sins of Eden #1)

14. Chapter XIV

Chapter XIV

Jaxon

T he drive to the house that Adrian had purchased for us last year when he first arrived in the mortal realm was at least a forty-five minute ride from Diremoor, but it gave me plenty of time to fantasize about all the ways in which I would maim and torture the man in the video footage for the things he’d done to my Witch.

As a Demon I could have blinked and transported myself wherever I wanted within seconds, whether it be Hell or Earth with just a thought, but after my time spent in the mortal realm I’d become so accustomed to riding my bike everywhere, that it had become a simple pleasure I never knew I needed.

“Adrian, where are you?” I called out, pushing through the front door of the large house.

House was probably an understatement for what this was. Adrian found us the largest mansion in Asheville, still not as big as my home in Hell, but extravagant enough for our short stay here. It backed up to the river and sat secluded from the rest of the town.

The only neighbors in the area were at least three miles away in either direction, so we had all the privacy we needed to be able to remove our glamours and not be noticed by the mortals. Which was a good thing, because I hadn’t bothered to put mine back into place after my fit of rage in Emily’s studio.

“What took you so long? I found your girl. I thought you would’ve been here sooner so you could get the info,” Adrian said as he walked down the long entryway hall to greet me.

The pompous asshole was dressed in a black kimono while he sipped on a fucking martini. If I could have rolled my eyes any harder at his attire, they probably would have gotten stuck.

“Change of plans, I know where Emily is. Well, not where she is, but I figure she’s in the hospital still recovering. When she gets home I won’t be letting her out of my sight. Which reminds me, we need to upgrade the security at her shop. I want the fucking works,” I told him.

“That’s easy. I’ll have everything upgraded and installed by morning. You want access to the footage right? Who am I kidding? I’ll make sure you have it connected to your phone so you can check in on your Witch whenever you want,” he said before turning toward the kitchen.

His lack of jokes and the way he held himself tensely as he strode through the house let me know that something had him in a mood, but tonight he could just join the damn party.

“I’ll triple your pay if you help find the fucker who put my girl in the hospital,” I called out as I stalked him down the hall. With that he stopped, his back still to me and went still.

“That, I’ll do for free,” he said darkly, slowly turning to face me.

Fury was written all over his own features as he gripped the stem of his glass tighter. He must have seen her hospital records while he was looking for her. If his expression was anything to go by, I wouldn’t like the report.

“Bourbon? Scotch? I still have some marijuana if you want some. Satan knows I needed it,” he said.

“Adrian, get the fuck on with it. What did you find?” I asked, my patience wearing thin.

“Okay, shit, but I think you should at least sit down.”

I stared at him, the muscles in my jaw twitching as I waited for him to tell me what he knew.

“Don’t say I didn’t warn you,” he replied softly.

He made himself another drink and sighed before he continued.

“Her records showed a concussion, severe swelling to her brain, multiple broken ribs, a collapsed lung, internal bleeding, and a fractured cheek. They had to resuscitate her twice during surgery and she remained in critical condition while they had her in an induced coma. Overall Lux, your girl is a fucking fighter. I’m already looking into it, so you better believe I’ll help you find the cumstain who did this to your Witch.”

I’d seen most of the fight with my own eyes, but this - this was enough to bring me to my fucking knees. For probably the first time in his life Adrian didn’t know what to say as he leaned against the island counter and stared down into his drink.

Kneeling on the hardwood floor, I thought over everything he’d found. Hell, everything I’d witnessed.

I could have fucking lost her. She could have died long before I’d ever had the chance to tell her that I was - fuck. That I loved her more than the air I fucking breathed.

Not only that, but I knew in my soul that somehow she was the key to finding Kill. Without her, I had no hope of ever seeing my baby brother again.

Without Emily, I might as well rip my still beating heart from my chest and cease to fucking exist. I looked up at Adrian with all of Hell’s Fire blazing in my eyes and saw the same anger reflected back in his.

“When I find him,” I growled. “He’s fucking dead. I will tear him limb from fucking limb and when I’m finished, I will send his soul to the deepest fucking pits of Hell to be tormented for all eternity.”

“Good. Let's get to work,” he grunted as he stepped forward, extended his hand, and lifted me from the ground.