he lowered his head. “He was reckless. He was tired of following orders from the men who gave him his paycheck and he wanted out. I wish he had told me what he was planning; I would have talked him down, maybe told him to leave town and lay low for a bit.” His fists clenched and Molly swore she saw the glint of tears in his dark eyes before he bowed his head again.
Molly bit her lip, unsure how to act after the silence fell between them.
Cree sat back, folding his thick arms as his eyes slid slowly up Molly’s body. “Don’t worry Al, I’ll make sure those fucking bastards pay dearly.” He looked up again, brows thick over his sable-brown eyes. “And your reason for waltzing into my bar would be?”
“You—you deal with…” Molly’s eyes flickered to the cross hanging around his thick neck, half-hidden by his plain grey T-shirt. “…demons? With the Knights? You can stop them, right?”
He paused, pinching the bridge of his nose with two fingers. “What’s the problem exactly?”
Molly took a shaky breath and sat down. “I’m engaged to him.”
Cree’s brows lifted, the first display of emotion from him. “Engaged to who?”
She nodded numbly. “To Tensley Knight and I want out. I want to end the contract.”
All his attention was hers now, purely, solely hers. “Tensley Knight?”
“Yes. My fiancé .”
“The douche,” September chimed in.
Cree analyzed Molly’s hardened features. “Sit.” They did so, Cree watching Molly carefully. “I’ve heard a lot about his family; they practically run New York City. They’re the law. How long have you two…?”
“I was six when they showed up.” Molly was afraid to say too much; she wanted to give as little information as possible before she determined if she could trust them.
Cree watched her, tapping his finger slowly against the oak table. “And why did they do that?”
Molly froze, trying to figure out what to say, if anything at all. She glanced at Albert who tilted his head in question at her silence.
Cree’s sudden groan snapped her from her thoughts. “ Mierda ! I don’t have time for uncertainty, kid. You have three options: trust your fiancé, trust me, or leave and figure out your own plan. I’m not keeping you here, I’m not forcing you to tell me anything, but I need to know what I’m getting my guys and myself involved in before I can agree to anything. It’s your choice, your decision. Talk or walk.”
Molly scowled; it was as if he could read her thoughts. “Why should I trust you?”
“I may be blunt, harsh —but I’m honest. It’s not gonna be pretty. You’re going to have to do things you won’t like, but it all comes down to: what will you do to keep those you love safe?” He jerked his chin at her. “You have a family, right? People you want to protect?”
“He’ll use them as weapons,” she said, a bite in her tone. “I know, he already has.”
He leaned forward and tapped his finger to his chest. “I’m not playing games. I’m telling you straight what’s going to happen, when it’s going to happen. I’ve been hunting demons since I was sixteen. I know what I’m doing. We’re on the same side here. We have the same end goal. We want him removed from your life.”
Molly glanced at September who shrugged. No help there.
What choice did she have? She didn’t know the first thing about demons or getting out of a contract with one; she couldn’t even control her own strength, and Tensley was ruining her life. She couldn’t do it on her own. She needed someone with more knowledge, more experience before she faced him. She was desperate, and she’d do anything to get rid of the contract and Tensley.
September tapped her shoulder. “Molly?
Molly’s chest contracted, and she let out a heavy breath. “My ancestors made a deal three hundred years ago with his family.”
Cree was silent, a tanned hand cupping his scruffy chin. His deep brown eyes narrowed. “Why?”
She paused
Molly bit her lip, unsure how to act after the silence fell between them.
Cree sat back, folding his thick arms as his eyes slid slowly up Molly’s body. “Don’t worry Al, I’ll make sure those fucking bastards pay dearly.” He looked up again, brows thick over his sable-brown eyes. “And your reason for waltzing into my bar would be?”
“You—you deal with…” Molly’s eyes flickered to the cross hanging around his thick neck, half-hidden by his plain grey T-shirt. “…demons? With the Knights? You can stop them, right?”
He paused, pinching the bridge of his nose with two fingers. “What’s the problem exactly?”
Molly took a shaky breath and sat down. “I’m engaged to him.”
Cree’s brows lifted, the first display of emotion from him. “Engaged to who?”
She nodded numbly. “To Tensley Knight and I want out. I want to end the contract.”
All his attention was hers now, purely, solely hers. “Tensley Knight?”
“Yes. My fiancé .”
“The douche,” September chimed in.
Cree analyzed Molly’s hardened features. “Sit.” They did so, Cree watching Molly carefully. “I’ve heard a lot about his family; they practically run New York City. They’re the law. How long have you two…?”
“I was six when they showed up.” Molly was afraid to say too much; she wanted to give as little information as possible before she determined if she could trust them.
Cree watched her, tapping his finger slowly against the oak table. “And why did they do that?”
Molly froze, trying to figure out what to say, if anything at all. She glanced at Albert who tilted his head in question at her silence.
Cree’s sudden groan snapped her from her thoughts. “ Mierda ! I don’t have time for uncertainty, kid. You have three options: trust your fiancé, trust me, or leave and figure out your own plan. I’m not keeping you here, I’m not forcing you to tell me anything, but I need to know what I’m getting my guys and myself involved in before I can agree to anything. It’s your choice, your decision. Talk or walk.”
Molly scowled; it was as if he could read her thoughts. “Why should I trust you?”
“I may be blunt, harsh —but I’m honest. It’s not gonna be pretty. You’re going to have to do things you won’t like, but it all comes down to: what will you do to keep those you love safe?” He jerked his chin at her. “You have a family, right? People you want to protect?”
“He’ll use them as weapons,” she said, a bite in her tone. “I know, he already has.”
He leaned forward and tapped his finger to his chest. “I’m not playing games. I’m telling you straight what’s going to happen, when it’s going to happen. I’ve been hunting demons since I was sixteen. I know what I’m doing. We’re on the same side here. We have the same end goal. We want him removed from your life.”
Molly glanced at September who shrugged. No help there.
What choice did she have? She didn’t know the first thing about demons or getting out of a contract with one; she couldn’t even control her own strength, and Tensley was ruining her life. She couldn’t do it on her own. She needed someone with more knowledge, more experience before she faced him. She was desperate, and she’d do anything to get rid of the contract and Tensley.
September tapped her shoulder. “Molly?
Molly’s chest contracted, and she let out a heavy breath. “My ancestors made a deal three hundred years ago with his family.”
Cree was silent, a tanned hand cupping his scruffy chin. His deep brown eyes narrowed. “Why?”
She paused
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