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."Nice, real nice," he told Rosa.She shot him a look of pure gleeful triumph as she twitched Marley's skirt around on the ground with thetoe of her sandal."Expensive label.That's too bad.""Going to pay me back for it?""Oh, you bought the skirt.I should have guessed.That girl doesn't have the taste to buy something thisnice.How sweet of you.But then you were always good to your whores."She was trying to get a rise out of him, and damn it, it was working.Damien forced himself to take adeep breath."What would you like to discuss, my dear? Obviously it's something urgent if you felt theneed to play fire starter.""Don't mock me.You're already on my shit-list.I'm serious.I'd love an excuse to burn this house to theground."Why did Damien suddenly feel like that wouldn't be a bad thing? It sometimes felt like Rosa de Montanaheld him captive as much as the Grigori did."Don't be so damn sensitive.Since when do you take a littleribbing so seriously? I thought we were better friends than that." Rosa looked volatile enough that he feltthe need to defuse her anger."Friends?" She laughed."That may be stretching it.What we are is two sides of a coin, a mirror to theother, male and female versions of the same person.But the one huge difference between us is that Iaccept who I am, and you fight it over and over, and you exhaust the hell out of me.""Then let me go.If I'm such a burden to you, just cut me loose, resign me to hell, let me return to thevulnerability of mortality," It was futile to ask, but he had to.He would give anything to be just a managain."You'd like that, I know, but the thing is I can't do that.But there is a way for you to gain your freedom.""How?" She was toying with him, he was certain, but a small part of him still hoped, still ached to have ananswer."Like I'm going to tell you.You have to work it out yourself.""You mean by getting someone to take my place.That's what Anna did, isn't it?" At one time he hadbeen desperate enough to try that, and had rationalized Anna wanted what he offered, which she had.But it hadn't been right, he knew that, and he wouldn't do it again, under any circumstances."Yes, that's what she did, but there is another way.""How?""Come on, I can't spell it out for you.That would be too easy.You have to get enlightened and shit&you know, seek the answer in the obvious and you'll find peace." Her anger seemed to have dissipated,and she flicked his arm with her finger in amusement."Look inside yourself, dummy.That's the way thesethings always work.""You're joking." She sounded like a fucking fortune cookie."Dead serious." Rosa crossed her finger over her heart."But that's not what I came to tell you.""No?" This conversation was only frustrating him.Damien struggled for patience."Nope.I meant to tell you he's here, you know.""Who?" It wasn't like Rosa to talk in obscurities.That was Anna's specialty."My father."Damien had to admit, that shocked him.As far as he knew, he'd never met the demon to which he wasenslaved."Where? In the house? Who is he with?""You're cute when you're being stupid.He's with Marley's sister.""With Lizzie?" Damien was astonished, but equally amazed he hadn't seen this coming before."Oh, shit,Rosa.None of this was a coincidence, was it?""Now you're finally catching on."His mind was racing, forcing the pieces into the puzzle."You and Anna gave the letters to Marley, didn'tyou?"Her eyes gleamed, black with shiny flecks of gold."Duh.""Why?""That's for me to know, and you to find out."His temper flared."Cut the cutesy shit.You're not a fifteen-year-old schoolgirl.What do you want?What does your rather want with Lizzie?""I can't tell you! Not because I don't want to, but because I can't.Don't you get it? You'll have to figure itout yourself."What he needed to do was go to Marley and then find her sister."Fine, whatever.I wouldn't expect youto do something for someone other than yourself."Her shoulders slumped and she took his hand, wiggled it back and forth."Don't do that, don't be mad atme.I care about you.You know you're like family to me." She grinned."Kissing cousins.But seriously, Icare about you.I never meant to hurt you.I never meant for Marie to kill herself.I thought she'd say yes,not drink a bunch of poison."Damien felt everything inside go ice cold."What do you mean?" he asked in a steely voice, extracting hishand from Rosa's."Yes to what?""I offered her the chance to save you and the baby.All she had to do was offer herself to my father.Itwas a good bargain, I thought she'd take it, and everyone would be happy.""The baby? She was enceinte?" Pain ripped through him, tearing open wounds he'd thought were longsince healed."You didn't know about the baby?" Rosa asked in astonishment.Then she said, "Oops.Sorry." Shemade a whoopsie face, like she'd just accidentally revealed a surprise party, not that his wife had beenpregnant when she'd killed herself.Everything made much more sense, though, why Marie had done what she had.She would have rejectedthe idea of sleeping with a demon, even if it meant death to escape it.In that regard, she had been a muchstronger person than him.He should have known, he should have protected Marie, his child.Like he needed to protect Marleynow.The truth came to him in a flash.This was his punishment, once again.The punishment of lust.He startedto run.Marley knew the minute she clipped the lock on the door of the garçonnier that she wasn't alone.Whirling around, she saw Lizzie's boyfriend, Alex, sitting in a chair at the table."What are you doing here?" Too freaked out from Rosa's little display of fire power, she didn't bother tobe polite.She was in a T-shirt and her underwear, her lover was immortal, and her sister had appallingtaste in men.She had no interest in chatting with this creep."Where's Lizzie?""In the house, naked.I put her on a couch and gave the room an open invitation to do whatever they'dlike with her."Marley's stomach churned."You're disgusting.You should be ashamed of yourself for taking advantageof someone as needy and insecure as Lizzie is." And for the first time, Marley realized that truly was whatdrove her sister."That's not how I'd describe Lizzie.More like how I'd describe you."She wasn't going to rise to that bait."Did you need something? Because this part of the plantation isoff-limits to partygoers.I need to ask you to go back to the big house.""Waiting for your lover?" Alex had long legs and he stretched them out casually, his elegant fingerstapping a rhythm on the chair arm."I confess I had hoped Damien would appreciate your unique charms,but even I am surprised at how taken he is with you.It seems our boy fancies himself in love.I find thatamusing in the extreme."Marley's irritation turned to fear, and she gripped the hem of Damien's T-shirt."What are you talkingabout?""I keep forgetting you don't know who I am.I am Rosa's father and a Grigori demon," He stood up andbowed to her."It is a pleasure to make your acquaintance, my dear."For a split second, Marley thought she was going to faint.Her fear clawed up and down her back, herthroat, ringing in her head, and she swallowed hard, pushing back bile."What do you want?" shewhispered.God, this man, this demon, this walking evil, was with her sister.Had Lizzie completely underhis control."I should have thought it was obvious." His eyes raked up and down her body."I want you."Marley fought the urge to take a step back."For what?" Not that she thought he was looking for a goodcook or a teacher for his children.She knew what he wanted, but the very concept made her feel ill, rawterror rising like vomit inside her."Let me explain myself.You look a bit concerned.I want you as my lover, perhaps eventually my wife ifwe are both so inclined
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