I gritted my teeth and blew out slowly to gain control over my temper. “Does he? Well, then, let him tell me himself.”
“If you do not pull the vehicle off the road, I will be forced to make you.”
I snorted. “Make me? How the hell—”
Before I knew what was happening, Jax’s hand grabbed the wheel. With a brutal jerk to the right, the truck cut sideways, across two lanes of traffic. The sound of squealing tires and blaring horns filled the air as I slammed the brake, and a foul burning-rubber smell filled my nose. When the truck finally came to a stop, we were just past a break in the guardrail—thank God—and several yards into an open field.
For a moment I couldn’t move. Hell, I could barely breathe. My hands, white and shaking, were clamped so tightly that there was a noticeable vibration in the steering wheel.
“I know they probably don’t have cars in hell, but what the fuck!” I exhaled and let go of the wheel. “If you want me dead, there are simpler ways to go about it.”
“I wish the opposite. It is detrimental for your body to go without sleep. I am taking care of you, as per my agreement with my human.”
“Agreement?” This kept getting better and better. “What the hell are you talking about?”
“He wishes for me to keep you safe.”
I balked. For a second I had no idea what to say. Of course Jax would want me to be safe, but I couldn’t help feeling that by asking Azi to watch out for me, he’d given up. “I can keep myself safe.”
“You are capable. For a human. However, your disregard for natural body functions is troubling. Sleep is necessary for your kind.”
“And where would you like me to sleep? Last time I checked, we didn’t have money for a hotel.”
“Sleep in the truck. There is adequate room in the backseat.”
“I’d rather sleep on the hood.”
“Go to sleep,” the demon said with eerie calm. It twisted Jax’s body toward me and leaned in close. “Now. Or you won’t like what I’ll do.”
My response was simple, “No.”
Azi was quiet for a moment. I was tempted to pull the truck back onto the road and pretend the whole thing never happened, but just as I went to grab the wheel, it said, “I will return him to you.”
I froze. “You’ll—” That was its threat? Give me what I wanted? Bullshit. It thought I’d been born five minutes ago?
“For a short time,” it amended. “I will allow him partial control if you agree to sleep.”
I stared. I tried to answer, but no words would come. Bribery? The demon was bribing me? To go to sleep?
“Are we in agreement?”
“And what exactly does ‘partial control’ mean?” I asked, finding my voice. There was no flicker of hope at his words. No flutter of anticipation.
Without a word, Azi unbuckled the seat belt and threw open the door. Once out the passenger’s side, it slipped into the backseat in a single, fluent move. It closed the door and settled Jax’s body across the seat, leaning back. “He will have the ability to speak to you. That is all. I will permit him to stay conscious until you fall asleep.”
It was blackmail. Cruel, twisted blackmail. Yet a part of me, despite my original feelings, wanted to immediately latch on to the small crumb it offered and not look back. The ache that came with missing Jax grew each hour we were apart. I was desperate, and Azi knew it.
Without a word, I slipped from the driver’s side, partially ashamed of myself for allowing the demon to manipulate me, and crawled into the back. With a click, I closed the door behind me and kept my gaze down. I was afraid to look Jax in the eye. Afraid this was another trick. Maybe if I just pretended…
“Sammy…”
Sammy. Just a single word. A childish nickname I’d heard uttered millions of times. It sounded like Jax. There was a tremble in his voice that hadn’t been there moments ago. Yet I still couldn’t bring myself to lift my gaze. Not after what the demon had done at the cabin.
“I swear. It’s me,” he tried again.
This time I caved. I lifted my head, and my eyes caught his. All the air whooshed from my lungs like someone had dropped a two-ton weight onto my chest. I threw myself forward and brought my lips to his.
He returned the kiss, equally frantic. I ran both hands up the sides of his face, reveling in the newfound warmth and wondering how the hell I’d missed that at the cabin. He deepened the kiss, tilting his head sideways, but his arms stayed at his sides.
After a moment, I pulled away. “What’s wrong?”
His eyes squeezed closed, and when he opened them, there was fury there—indignant rage. “I can’t move. I can speak, but—”
“Shh.” I leaned in and planted the softest kiss against his forehead. I twisted and wedged myself between his outstretched legs and the seat and wrapped my arms around him. “I’ll take what I can get,” I said, resting my head against his chest. Hearing his heartbeat, knowing that it was his blood it pumped, was more of a comfort than I could have imagined.