Getting Familiar with Your Demon: That Old Black Magic, Book 4 by Jodi Redford Page B

nothing.” She uttered the two words in that innocent way all women do when they’re holding a cherished bit of information they can’t wait to stab you in the back with when you’re least expecting it.
    “Good.”
    As he’d predicted, Cass’s cagey grin morphed into a frown. “You’re not supposed to give up that easily.”
    Yes, he was. Especially since he suspected he didn’t want to hear whatever she was dying to say.
    Giving a stubborn twitch of her nose, she wound a coppery strand around her forefinger. “You mumbled all kinds of things about her, you know. While you were delusional.”
    Fuck. Don’t ask, don’t ask, don’t— “Who?”
    “Bella. Or as you were fond of phrasing it… sweet Bella .” The sappy way she said Marabella’s name left no doubt at how idiotic he must have sounded.
    Son of a bitch. If only the Quints had finished him off. He wouldn’t be dealing with the fallout of his damn delusion-based chattering now.
    Cass’s smile returned. “I think you liked her. A lot.”
    “My brain was mush. Anything I said then can’t be held against me now.”
    Cass made a noncommittal noise that caused his gut to cramp. He cleared his throat. “What did I, uh, say exactly?”
    “A bunch of stuff.” Her cheeks reddened. “Most of it I don’t want to repeat.”
    Ah. Sex ramblings. He could live with that.
    “But there was one thing that kind of surprised me. You called her moyet .”
    The demon equivalent of mate. Shit, he really had been out of his fucking mind if he mumbled that bullshit. As a general rule, most demons didn’t partner up. It went against their nature to share living quarters day after day. Now a nice tumble in the sack whenever the mood struck—an entirely different beast. But cohabitation? The mere idea was enough to make any demon break out in a cold sweat. He honestly didn’t know how his aunt did it. Probably her only saving grace had been marrying a reaper. Because shit knows, two demons thrown into unholy matrimony would inevitably result in one strangling the other to death, and likely just for leaving the toilet seat up.
    “Do you think you’ll ever see her again?” Cass asked, bringing him back to the moment.
    “Who?”
    Cass edged her cup safely away from her laptop. “Bella.”
    He stared at her. “Are you out of your damn mind?”
    “I don’t mean right now. Obviously with everything going on, that would be stupid. Not to mention it’s kind of hard to make a relationship work when you’ve got bounty hunters gunning for your ass. But maybe once things die down…”
    He hefted from the stool and shoved an accusing finger in Cass’s face. “You’re supposed to be the sane and stable Lassiter sister. Don’t go all batshit crazy on me now.”
    Her shoulders fell on a heavy exhale. “Is it so terrible that I want you to be happy, Sam?”
    “I am. For Devil’s sake, my seal is broken, and I’m finally free of Pricilla and all those asshole council members.” He tossed his arms up. “I’m so fucking happy right now, I can’t stand myself. What more do you want?”
    “We both know that doesn’t change the past. The things you were ordered to do to serve Antoinette…it affected you. Changed you.”
    Remnants of memories threatened to barge into his brain, and he fought them back. He’d given Nettie forty-eight years of his life. The bitch deserved no more time in his head. “It was my job.”
    “But—”
    He gave Cass a hard look, silently conveying that the subject was closed. Huffing out a breath, she transferred her scowl to her laptop. He used the opportunity to return to the coffeepot and refill his mug. A phone rang—not his—and he glanced over his shoulder just as Cass lifted her cell to her ear.
    “Nik, if you’re calling to ask if pizza goes with donuts, the answer is no.”
    Relieved to have Cass momentarily distracted, he started to walk toward the living room. A sharp inhalation behind him halted him mid-step. He shot