Logan grinned. “We’re good.”
Garrett nodded. “Aunt Simone is taking good care of us.”
Simone rolled her eyes. “I am not your aunt, for the zillionth time. My cousin, one I barely like, mated your uncle. That does not make us related.”
Kell sighed. Truth be told, Simone adored her cousins and only brought out this bitchy side when Nick was anywhere near. “Is the meeting over?”
“No,” Logan added. “Aunt Simone would like it to be, however.”
Simone hissed, and steam rose around her. “I’m not even distantly related to you, demon, so stop calling me aunt.”
Logan grinned again.
“You’re playing with fire, buddy,” Kell muttered.
Literally. Simone could throw fire better than he could, and she’d have no trouble launching the young demon through a cabin wall with plasma.
“What do you want, Veis?” Kell asked.
“Simone asked for help regarding Trevan Demidov, and I’m here to offer it.” Veis drew an envelope from his back pocket.
Simone pressed her hands against her hips, covered by a pencil thin skirt. “I requested help from the king, not you.”
Veis turned his focus on her. “The king sent me,” he said evenly.
Kell strode forward and took the envelope, yanking free a picture of a young man with dark eyes and brown hair. His bone structure was similar to Trevan’s, but his build was bulkier and his coloring not as dark. “So Trevan did have a kid.”
“Yes,” Veis said. “He’s off the radar now, but we’re doing a full background as we speak. Between the vampire, demon, and witch nations, we should know what his favorite color is by sundown tonight.”
Simone sniffed. “Good. Then your job here is done.”
Veis smiled. On a demon, it was more of a warning. “I’m staying in town, little bunny.”
Little Bunny? Did the guy want a quick death and right now? Kell didn’t know what to say.
Logan and Garrett shared a fast panicked look. As one, they shoved away from the table and all but ran for the door.
“We have to get back to Fire. Pyro is up in arms and wants to rain hell down on the Grizzlies,” Garrett said. “If it really looks like he’s going to make a move, I’ll give you a call.”
The boys disappeared.
Smart little bastards. Kell studied his feet, buying time while he thought. Did he really want to get involved? He came to a quick decision and sighed. Simone was family as well as being a member of the Nine, and he couldn’t leave her with an irritated demon. “Thank you for this information, Nick. As soon as you hear more, please share. For now, I’m happy to walk you out.”
Nick shot him a look. “I’m not quite finished with your cousin.”
The double entendre shot a splash of color to Simone’s face, turning her even more beautiful. “Take your leave, Kellach. I can handle a lowly demon.”
Kell tensed for a fight. Jesus. Calling Nicholaj Veis a lowly demon was like calling Daire a puppy.
Instead of taking offense, Nick smiled. Slow and sure . . . and with a shitload of confidence he’d probably earned through the centuries. He said smoothly, “Yes, why don’t you handle me, Simone?”
God. The two should just get a hotel room and fuck it out of their systems. Temper tickled the base of Kell’s neck, and he had to squelch the urge to start throwing fire at everybody.
A minute stretched into half an hour where Simone sniped, Nick flirted, and Kell held himself back from killing them both.
His phone buzzed finally. “What?” he barked.
“Just got to Fire, and Pyro is mounting up to attack the Grizzlies,” Garrett said without preamble. “Just gave me a box of dynamite I’m not quite sure has been stored correctly.”
Fuck. All he needed was Bear getting pissed or the king’s nephew blowing himself up with faulty explosives.
Kell shot hard warning looks at Simone and Nick. “The witch nation and the demons are allies right now, and we need it to stay that way. Whatever personal shit you two have going on needs to end.”
“There’s nothing personal between us,” Simone said, tossing her head.
“The fuck there isn’t,” Nick countered. He turned and gave a short, traditional bow. “I give you my word your feisty cousin and I will not unbind the strong treaty between our people, no matter how long it takes me to tame her.”
Simone growled low.
Nick grinned. “Demons are notoriously patient, and I am more so than most. However, Simone, I must warn you that my patience is at an end.”
Kell lifted his gaze to the ceiling and exhaled heavily. “Would you two just get a room?”
“We have one, if you’d just leave,” Nick countered. His phone dinged, and he lifted it to his ear to listen. Then he gave a quick nod. “I have to go.” Brushing by Simone, he quickly grabbed her head to smack a kiss on her lips before loping out the door.
Damn but those demons moved fast.