by E. C. Land
They do too.
“Still, sweetheart, you shouldn’t have done something like this without talking to us. You’re right, we won’t turn Mia away, but we don’t even know what we’re going to have to deal with,” Reaper says as his gaze drifts from Mia to meet mine for a brief second before going back to her.
“There’s a traitor amongst my men I have to find and I need Mia away from the danger,” Leo says.
“Who gave her the scar?” my dad asks, causing Mia to stiffen.
“Daddy,” I murmur.
“Sorry, Princess, I know, I’m not trying to be a dick, but I’m just trying to find out if that will be who I’m dealing with or if they're already in the ground.”
“She’s dead,” Mia whispers so softly I didn’t think anyone else heard her.
“She?” Angel asks.
“A maid who was working for us went apeshit on Mia. Jealous because I never gave her attention. I preferred to spend the time I have off from handling work with my family. Mia was visiting and the cunt tried to kill her with a chopping knife. If Mia had not reacted when she did, she’d be dead right now,” Leo explains.
“Damn,” Tanner says.
Having had enough of this conversation now that I know my dad and uncles would agree, I look to Chaz. “Come on, you need to lie down,” I murmur.
“Yeah, you’re right,” he mutters, and I can see the sheen of sweat coating his forehead. Standing up, I take his hand and slowly the two of us leave the room, leaving them all to handle the rest.
“Where’s Melody?” I ask as we make it to the top of the stairs.
“She’s asleep in her room,” he says, nodding his head toward Melody’s door, his hand on my lower back as he guides me to our room.
God, it feels good to say that— our room.
I quickly take a peek across the hall into her room to see Melody is sound asleep in her bed holding one of her teddy bears. Not wanting to wake her, I gently close the door. I learned that she’s a light sleeper and will wake up at the slightest sound in her room.
As we walk into the bedroom, I head straight for the bed, completely drained and ready to lie down next to him. My mind and body both need to feel the connection to him again. I climb into the bed after quickly stripping down to my bra and panties.
Chaz slowly strips off his shirt and his sweats before climbing into bed with me. “God, I’ve missed you, Fairy girl,” he murmurs, lying on his back.
“I missed you too. I was so scared you were gone,” I say honestly.
“Bethany, I could never leave you. I’d fight through the bottom pits of Hell to get back to you,” he declares, wrapping his arms around me.
Lifting my head, I meet his gaze. “I’m sorry for running out of the doctor’s office the way I did. If I hadn’t done that, maybe this never would have happened.”
“You don’t know that. This could have happened at a different time and things might have been worse. Let’s just forget the past few weeks,” he suggests.
“I highly doubt I’ll be able to ever forget what happened,” I mutter.
Chaz stiffens at my comment. “Were you honest about not being hurt?” he asks, his voice firm.
“I meant it. Leo didn’t do anything to me. Those jerks though they’d taunted me whenever they were around,” I state.
“I fuckin’ want to gut them for touching you,” he growls.
“Chaz, I know you do, but let’s just leave it be, please?” I say sitting up to look at him.
“For now, I will at least. Now come here and kiss me before I pass the fuck out,” he demands.
Smiling, I lean down to kiss him, opening my mouth to grant him entrance. Time seems to freeze in place as he kisses me breathless. This is what I’ve missed most. The connection Chaz and I share.
Pulling back I smile at him. “I love you,” I say.
“I love you too, Fairy girl,” he says.
“I have one thing to say really quick.” Chaz lifts a brow at my announcement.
“I just want you to know that I know you’ll always love Jamie and I don’t mind sharing you with her because she gave you something very precious that I love just as much as I do you,” I whisper.
Bracing his hands on the bed, Chaz moves to sit with his back against the headboard. “Bethany, come here,” he orders, guiding me to straddle his lap.
Situated in his lap, Chaz palms my cheek. “You’re right— a part of me will always love Jamie, but you, Bethany, fuckin’ hold my heart in your hands,” he murmurs.
“You hold mine too. I never knew I could love someone so much it felt like I was dying not knowing if you were alive or not.” My voice hitches as tears well in my eyes.
“Baby, don’t cry because I’m right here and not going anywhere. We have a life to live. One where I officially make you mine by marrying you. Then the two of us can finally have the bliss we deserve,” he proclaims, brushing his fingers along my cheek to wipe the tears away.
Falling to the side of him wanting to feel him next to me, I curl into his side.
Closing my eyes, I soak in his warmth, thankful to be able to touch him and call this man mine.
Jamie might have had the boy he was but the man here is all mine. I don’t mind sharing him because I know without a doubt, he will always love me for who I am and that right there is all I need.
Well, he and Melody. I couldn’t think of my life being another way. When I first saw them, I was just opening a new chapter in my life and what a story it will be. A demon tortured by the past finally finding what it wants in music.
That’s it. That’s what I’ll name the next song I write.
A Demon’s Bliss.
Epilogue
Chaz
Two Months Later
“Alright, ladies and gentlemen, I’d like to first start tonight off by saying thank you. Being a part of Letters From Above is something we all enjoy. As you all know, we’re Demons Among Us and we're here to play tonight to honor those who have lost a loved one,” I say, taking a moment to clear my throat. I glance at my beautiful woman standing at the side of the stage.
Bethany smiles and nods her head. I rarely let the woman out of my sight since she was taken from the parking lot that day. I know I have to give her some space, but it won’t be any time soon that’s for sure. I don't think I’ll ever really be able to not have her within reach of me.
Especially now. This morning, we’d gotten news that not only could my woman have children, but she is also pregnant.
Turning back to the crowd, I give them all a smile before grabbing the microphone stand. “This charity was created to help bring peace to children who have lost a parent. But tonight, as we did the first time around, we’re playing to honor those who are no longer with us, whether it be a child you never met, a sibling, spouse, or parent. Please know you’re not alone in this world.”
Releasing the microphone, I step back and look to Tanner, nodding my head I let him know to begin. For the first song tonight we're playing Dark Lullabies in honor of Jamie and my daughter.
When it’s my cue to jump in, I step forward and start singing the song I’d written for the one I thought I’d spend my life with. But it wasn’t meant to be. Jamie will always have a place in my heart. It’s just time to let her go so she can fly.
Finishing the song, I hold my hand out motioning for Bethany to join me. Tonight, she’s singing in front of a crowd for the first time. Best part of all, she’s doing this first song alone with only an acoustic guitar as she serenades everyone.
None of us knew when she’d recorded ‘The Outside’ that it would be such a hit. Since everything went down with Leo De Luca, we’ve all come to some strange truce. De Luca handed his cousins over and though I wasn’t able to kill them, I’d beaten the hell out of the both of them, then handed them back. They weren’t worth the effort.
Focusing on Bethany, I can’t help but feel pride in how far she’s come since the day she stepped into the music shop for her fir
st day of work. If you asked me back then before I’d met Bethany if I saw myself here today, I would have told you to fuck yourself. But I wouldn’t change a thing. Bethany is my other half. She knows there’s a small part of me that will always belong to Jamie. As she would say, the boy belonged to Jamie, but the man belongs to her.
And she’s right— the man in me will always belong to her as we both leave the past where it is and move forward into a world full of bliss.
Bliss for not just the two of us but for our family as it grows.
Authors Note:
Dear Readers,
Thank you for taking a chance on the first series I wrote, Devil’s Riot MC, as well as continuing to stick with me as I keep moving forward in not only the Devil’s Riot world but with the Dark Lullabies series. I hope you all enjoyed A Demon’s Bliss and will want to read about the rest of the band. This year we’ve had so many books come out and more to come. Between the Devil’s Riot MC and the Dark Lullabies series, you’ll have your hands full when it comes to these men and women as they find their way.
And don’t forget all the new characters you’ve met. Next up in the Dark Lullabies series is Tanner and Alexis’s story. Will they find their way to being with each other or finally go their own way? Find out in A Demon’s Harmony.
Remember you can always reach out to me. You guys rock and I can’t thank you enough for being a part of this ride with me.
Sincerely,
E.C.
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If you haven’t already checked out the Dark Lullabies Prequel, A Demon’s Sorrow, here’s a quick sneak peek.
Prologue
Chaz
16 years old
“Dude, take a look at the new chick walking into class,” Tanner mumbles under his breath from behind me. Glancing up from the song I’d been working on I tilt my head toward the door. At first glance my heart stopped. Standing in the doorway is the most beautiful girl I’d ever seen.
“Everyone, I’d like you to meet Jamie,” Miss Lawrence announces.
“I wouldn’t mind being the one to give her a tour around the school, maybe show her the locker room,” Hunter chuckles.
“Shut up asshole,” I grumble and go back to what I’m doing. That is until a shadow moves me.
“Hi, umm, do you mind if I sit next to you?” the sweetest voice I’d ever heard asks.
“Sure,” I answer her without looking.
“Thanks,” she says and damnit the sound of her voice does something to me. Something I’m not sure how to explain. Well I guess the best way to describe it would be musical. Which brings me to wonder if she sung.
You see Tanner, Hunter, Lex, and I formed a band called Demons Among Us back in middle school. Yeah, might sound somewhat stupid but the name stuck. The name has meaning behind it. The four of us don’t have your usual life. Each of us have our demons hovering over us.
Shaking my head to clear it, I don’t need to go there right now. I’ve escaped that part of my life and I won’t go back.
“So are you always this broody?” Jamie asks, her voice the sound of music to my ears.
Lifting my head, I glance in her direction. “Don’t know what you’re talking about,” I mutter before going back to trying to finish what I was doing. This song isn’t gonna write itself. Normally we all work on the songs together. But I’d woken up this morning and couldn’t get the lyrics out of my head.
“See broody,” giggling she opens up her notebook and begins to listen to Miss Lawrence’s lesson of the day. I’m sure I should be doing the same but it’s whatever. It’s not like when it comes down to the test I won’t pass it. I’m just smart like that I guess you can say.
Soon as class is over, I close my notebook and stand, ready to get to the next class.
“So, Mr. Broody, can you show me to my next class?” Whipping my head around to Jamie as she asks her question.
Tanner and Hunter burst into a fit of laughter at her calling me Mr. Broody. Fuck I’m not gonna live that down.
Glaring at her I take in just how small she is compared to me. At sixteen I’m not some lanky teen and this beautiful girl standing in front of me is the size of a pixie. At her smile I sigh.
Finally, I ask “What class do you have?”
“Umm I’m not sure,” she says, pulling out a piece of paper from her notebook. “Here this is my schedule.”
Taking the paper, she’s holding out, my fingers graze hers and holy shit it felt like an electric shock running through me.
Who the hell is this little pixie?
Glancing down at the paper I see that her and I have all the same classes. Well fuck. Guess we better get going.
“Come on Pixie, seems we have the same classes,” I grumble.
“Oh, that’s so cool maybe I can sit by you in all of them. Wouldn’t that be great?” Rolling my eyes at her I don’t respond. I have a feeling this little pixie of a girl will become my undoing. The one who will see through the exterior and bring me harmony.
