Dante

  “Yes, I know how dangerous that was.” She mockingly repeated her brother's statement.

  She'd been picking glass from her hair and assessing her scraped knees while he scolded her, but Dante didn’t think she understood the gravity of the situation.

  Both Vocia’s and Pyropexes were known for their pack mentality They inhabited the petrified forests of their respective regions, far from the more refined and calculating Malevolent's.

  These separate and isolated attacks suggested someone was either testing Dante's skills or gauging the creature's durability.

  Pyropexes, despite their fearsome reputation, had a vulnerability: their mortal bodies were easily torn apart by a well-placed blow. While they stalked their prey through the flames and smoke of Tartarus's fire forests, their flesh was surprisingly fragile.

  In contrast, Vocia required meticulous planning to defeat. These wild and cunning creatures preyed on the unwary, feasting on fear and death. Their bodies, armored by twisted, petrified wood-like hides, demanded precise strategy to take down.

  Dante questioned whether this attack was just coincidence or a deliberate move, given the creature's connection to Lilith. Whoever was orchestrating these attacks had resources and knowledge. He recalled the intense battle against the Vocia once Eva was safe. With Dante's weaponry and Simon's rudimentary casting skills, they'd finally sent it back to the Nether, writhing in agony and cursing revenge in its ancient language.

  “I really don’t think it’s registering.” Simon snapped. “You're being reckless with the pendant. Give it to me. I can watch over it better.”

  She looked up from assessing her ripped tights to scrunch her face at her brother. “Are you trippin’? You can barely handle getting your butt handed to you by a few lower-level demons."

  One of his eyes twitched and his voice went lower than Dante liked. “Don’t make me bring Mom and Pop into this.”

  Body shaking with amusement, she scoffed at the threat. “Be so foreal right now. Like they’d actually take your side? Why do you think they chose me and not you in the first place? They needed someone responsible. Not some idiot vigilante wanna-be.”

  Simon's hand raised, and Eva flinched slightly for the blow, but before he could strike, Dante caught his wrist and pushed him back. His snarl turned dark as he thought about standing up to Dante, then decided against it with a low and angry “fuck”.

  “Your halfbreed bodyguard won’t always be around, Eva.” He began to storm out, but Dante intercepted, stepping in front of him.

  He loomed over the boy menacingly, cocking his head. “Was that a threat?”

  “And what if it was?” Simon's chest puffed and his hand went to the pistol at his waist.

  “And what if I rip your arm from its body?” With his deadly tone, Dante only saw fear in the boy's eyes for a fraction of a second. It was replaced with a determination that confused Dante, but he wouldn’t let it show. Instead, he held his menacing glare, itching to finally be able to teach Simon Oswald a lesson on who not to fuck with.

  “Okay.” Eva intervened, touching her brother's arm gingerly. “Enough, yeah? That's enough.”

  When neither of them backed down, she wedged between them, facing her brother and putting her back to Dante. Placing her hands on her brother's chest, she tried to push him away gently but also ground against Dante's body in the process. Just that subtle movement, mixed with the fact he could smell the appealing scent of her hair, stirred something deep within him that he was positive she could feel brushing against her ass.

  “It’s not worth it, okay?” She pleaded with her brother. “Go. Home.”

  Finally, Simon looked down at his sister and something in him changed. His expression was no longer angered and cynical. An apologetic look crossed his features but settled to a hardened smile as he backed away from her.

  “My bad, I-I’m sorry.” He huffed out, and Dante held on to his statement of how, yes, he was a sorry sack of– “I’m just… I'm just under a lot of pressure right now.”

  He didn’t elaborate when Evanora questioned how, but pushed past them to leave. His hand hovered over the handle, hesitating, and Eva came to stand between them again.

  When he looked over his shoulder, he pleaded, “Don’t tell?”

  The boy's voice was almost childlike and Dante realized just how much of a child he actually was. He'd never underestimated his immaturity, but to have him beg her not to tell their parents about their spat was just… it angered Dante. It also made him pity the boy. Only for a moment. Then he remembered how much money he was owed and how he'd raised his hand in anger towards his little sister. Being immature was no excuse.

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  When he left, closing the door behind him, Eva let out a long breath that deflated her shoulders.

  "He needs to grow the fuck up." Dante shook his head but noticed her hands flex as if wanting to strike something.

  She turned towards him, cognac eyes set to kill. "I get it; he owes you money. You hate us all, which your little friend there–"

  "Definitely not little.” Amusement flickered across his face as he arched a brow at her.

  "– is saying something completely different at the moment, but whatever.” She finished, talking right over him and throwing her hands up in exasperation. “He's still my brother. Yeah, he's triflin’, but you do not get to threaten him."

  He tried to explain how her brother had been the one to threaten her first, but she was still scolding which seemed to make his cock even harder.

  "Your job is to protect me, I know, and I appreciate you doing that.” Her angered tone never let up and her hands moved with emphasis. “But you've got me fucked up if you think I'm going to let you my brother."

  His lips twitched upward slightly, voice dropping to a teasing tone as he closed the distance between them. "And how exactly are going to prevent from doing that?”

  The fire in her eyes only dimmed for a fraction of a second as if his closeness caught her off guard. But when she didn't back down, brown eyes still determined, it intrigued him.

  He broke their intense glare for just a moment, noting the new grey strands highlighting her silken hair from the Vocia. It had stolen some of her Chi with its screech, though not enough to do much damage. She was lucky it hadn't killed her. Which he still wasn't sure why it hadn't. Or why suddenly she was encountering demonic activity.

  His job was just to babysit the girl until her parents could explain her lack of Keeper training to their council members. Before taking the job, he'd questioned if they'd been experiencing any Malevolent lurking or even arcana residue. They'd been certain the pendant was safely hidden but now he wasn't so sure.

  "Okay." He smirked down at her, dipping his face closer to hers. So close if she lifted to her toes, her nose would brush his. "But I make no promises. Especially if he pulls that shit again."

  Her mouth tightened slightly before relaxing into a near smile, her curiosity wrestling with her annoyance. He could see in her stern glare she wasn't thrilled with his answer but could also see she enjoyed the game they were playing.

  Despite the voice he knew to be his conscience begging him to leave her be, he stayed in her personal space. It questioned just how far he was willing to take this powerplay and with the way her chest heaved, he knew his demon would win out if they didn't put distance between them. Immediately.

  Slowly, her brows began to knit as she took two cautious steps away from him, probably sharing his thoughts.

  What they were doing was dangerous. Toying with each other's arousal? Fucking her was something that couldn't, and wouldn't happen.

  The thought of ‘not while she was harboring Lilith the Devourer’ ran through his mind, but he quickly amended it.

  No, not ever.

  She was a Brief. A Keeper Brief at that. And he was… nearly three centuries old. Even with his mind and body perpetually stuck in his late twenties, he'd experienced so much more than her.

  As the tension between them lingered, Dante's resolve was tested like never before.

  Dante had never encountered someone he couldn't have. His centuries-honed instincts screamed for caution, yet he craved sharing his darkest wisdom with her, consequences be damned.

  For the first time, in a long while, the comfort he'd found in solitude was outweighed by desire. He'd unravel worlds for her touch, to show her just how hard she was making this for him.

  His dark chuckle puzzled her, and when he told her it was time for bed, he saw the arousal flash in her pupils before her face scrunched with confusion, realizing his meaning. “I'm not tired, and I-I have more ques–”

  "Your curiosity can wait until morning.” He cut her off. There was no way he was going to be able to sit across from her without fucking things up. Without corrupting her. “It's been a long day and will be an even longer night. Go to bed, before you do something you'll regret."

  She stared at him a moment, studying him in the way that made the knot return in his stomach. With a quiet nod, she finally turned and walked away towards her bedroom. But before entering, she hesitated and looked back at him again with that look on her face when she wanted to say something but was debating with her own mind.

  Then she smiled, and he knew it was unintentionally seductive. The knot grew with the weight of her studious eyes. Before she spoke she bit at the corner of her bottom lip, still debating, then finally said, “I highly doubt I'd regret whatever is running through your thoughts? But… okay. For the sake of mankind, I'll go to bed."

  He watched her go to her dresser and as she began to undress, he watched, transfixed, until she pulled her dress above her waist.

  He turned away, but not before catching a glimpse of her perfect ass in lacy blue underwear.

  The image lingered, and he couldn't shake the smile from his face.

  He knew she was riding high on adrenaline, feeling bold. But, much as he hated to admit it, her brother was right. She was being reckless.

  It was his job to protect , not the other way around. She shouldn't have gone for his weapon, and it confused him as to why she did. Any other Keeper would have left him. And a Reaper? Probably would have helped the Vocia despite the pendant.

  As he forced himself to stay planted to his little piece of carpet, he couldn't shake the image of her bravery. She hadn't fled with the Pyropex, and she'd actually run towards danger tonight.

  She was either incredibly brave or utterly foolish.

  His confusion warred with the intrigue – and palpable attraction – as he forced himself to acknowledge the depth of her courage. It was a quality he admired, one that drew him to her despite his better judgment.

  While she searched for something to sleep in, Dante left her to investigate the scene further. He’d hidden the talisman somewhere she couldn't reach, so he knew she'd be safe while he stepped out for some much-needed air.

  Well, safe from anything meaning her harm. Not from the halfbreed who wanted to tear into her already ripped fishnets.

  Nothing good could come from them both wanting to throw caution out the windows she liked to keep open all the time.