I wrapped my arms around Trevon’s trembling body and held him close. I didn’t know what was wrong with him or how a demon could possess someone like him, but I was going to find out.
“We’ll figure it out,” I said.
“What if we don’t?” he whispered.
“We have to.”
CHAPTER 29
Dani
“It’s your turn to watch him,” Maria said when I got home from work. The room was about 95 degrees Fahrenheit—just the way Trevon needed—and I almost immediately broke a sweat. She hopped onto the stool at the counter and rubbed her tired eyes.
For the past two days, we’d been watching Trevon non-stop. During the day, throughout all hours of the night, he hadn’t left the apartment. He also hadn’t shifted into that monster again, but one wrong move and he would snap.
Trevon was sitting on the couch, clenching and relaxing his fists. “I need to go out. I hate being cooped up here.”
I placed takeout from Ollie’s on the coffee table. “Eat.”
He ripped it open and clenched his jaw. “I need real food.”
“Well, that’s too bad,” I said—snapping. All I wanted to do was fall into a deep sleep on the couch and enter Cinnamon Heaven with Eros. Not spend the rest of my night with whatever Trevon was.
“That’s it,” Maria said. She sat up and scrolled through her phone. “I’m calling someone.”
He jumped up from the couch, eyes turning black. His food fell into pieces onto the ground. “No! You can’t tell anyone!”
“Well, I’m not dealing with your angry ass anymore.” She typed on her phone. “How to get rid of the demon in your apartment.”
“Mari—”
She tapped on the screen. “Hmm, look at this. Exorcism.”
“NO.”
I took a deep breath and placed my hands on his chest. “Trevon,” I said as softly as I could. “We’re just trying to help you.”
He grasped my wrists, and I was afraid that he was going to unintentionally hurt me again. But instead of digging his claws into me this time, he took a few deep breaths—eyes fading to their normal brown color—and sat back on the couch. He rubbed his legs harshly, trying to stay relaxed.
Maria sighed. “There are a few people around here that perform exorcisms. I’ll start calling.” She hopped off her stool. “Oh, and Dani…” She pointed to my phone as it buzzed on the counter.
I swore under my breath and snatched it. Six unread messages from Eros and three from Kasey. I scrolled through the notifications, not bothering to even unlock my phone.
I sat next to Trevon on the couch and sighed. I hadn’t looked at it since the other day. It buzzed in my lap again, and Eros’s name popped up on my screen. I hated being a hypocrite for scolding him for ignoring me and then ignoring him. But I couldn’t risk him coming over. Hell only knew what Trevon might do to him.
“Answer the phone!” Trevon said. “I’m sick of the buzzing.”
I turned off the phone. Maria walked back into the room with a half-smile on her face. “I called three people and explained our situation. One refused to come over, one said that she’s busy until tonight, and the other is on his way.”
About fifteen minutes later, I was resting my head on Trevon’s shoulder—forcing myself to stay awake. I should’ve picked up Eros’s call or texted Kasey back, but how was I supposed to explain this? Eros always knew when I lied. He’d definitely see right through another Maria-got-her-period excuse.
Someone knocked on the door, and Maria hopped up. I wiped the sweat off my forehead with the back of my hand. She gazed through the peephole and opened the door. An elderly man, dressed in a full white collared shirt and a cassock with a gold cross around his neck, shuffled in and bowed his head. “You’re the woman who called about the exo—”
“Shush it,” Maria said, shutting the door.
“So, where is—” The priest took one look at Trevon, eyes widening. “Oh, dear God.” He grabbed the cross and held it between his fingers. “Have mercy on me, Lord.”
I raised a brow. This guy was supposed to help us?
His hand was trembling as he stumbled back to the door. “This isn’t a demon! He’s the devil himself. The devil himself!” The man swung the door open and hurried out.
Maria, Trevon, and I stared at the open door—lips parted. The man ran down the hallway, screaming to the Devil and reciting prayers. I blinked a few times, in absolute shock. Well, that was a total flop.
Trevon wasn’t that bad right? That guy must’ve been an amateur or maybe he was just paranoid.
Maria giggled and then Trevon chuckled and suddenly I found myself clutching my stomach and laughing uncontrollably. Maria whipped a happy tear from her cheek. “Wow, that guy… loads of help.”
Trevon sat back down on the couch, still chuckling. “He was terrified.”
“Imagine if he actually saw you as a demon,” I said.
He bumped my shoulder with his, like he used to, and smiled. “He’d probably shit himself.”
For a single moment, everything felt normal again. Like we were laughing at a stupid movie with white wine and three pizzas. Trevon sitting next to me, his head resting on my shoulder, leg bumping into mine every so often. Not sitting in the scorching heat, terrified of my ex-boyfriend because he was a demon from Hell that could snap at any second.
“He was supposed to be the best around,” Maria said. “I don’t know how much help this lady will be tonight.”
“She’s our only hope,” I said, grasping Trevon’s wrist and squeezing lightly. Our only hope.
By 8pm, I had twenty messages from Eros asking me where I was and eight from Kasey inviting me over to her apartment. I reread them for the fourth time and pushed Trevon’s feet off of my lap. He grumbled to himself and shifted on the couch, placing them back on me and falling back to sleep.
Someone knocked on the door, and Maria answered it. Trevon blinked a few times and sat up. A young woman with silver hair stood in the doorway. She had black chalky markings on her skin, and her eyes were a piercing blue.
Without a word, she pushed past Maria and walked into our apartment. Trevon stared at her, eyes wide, and stood up.
“This is the man with a demon?” she asked with a thick Russian accent. She walked around him, looking him up and down. “Hmm.”
“Can you fix him?” Maria asked.
“I can,” she said. “But you two need to leave. I need space.”
I shook my head. “I don’t think that’s a good idea. He’s dangerous.”
“Nonsense, nonsense.” She waved me off. “I’ve been doing this for years. Nobody hurt me yet.”
Maria and I gazed at each other. I shrugged my shoulders and walked to the front door. I didn’t want to leave her alone, but we needed a couple hours to relax, and she was our last hope.
“This is going to be so bad. We should’ve never come here,” I said, fiddling with my fingers. We stood in front of Kasey’s door, and I already could smell Eros’s faint scent.
She knocked twice. “It’ll be fine if you would just act calm,” she said, leaning closer to me.
Kasey opened the door, eyes wide. “Dani, I didn’t think you’d make it,” she said, a hint of annoyance in her voice. Her gaze shifted from me to Maria, and she smiled. “You must be Maria.”