Cole nods, his mouth grim.
“Remember that is a promise, not a threat.” He nods at Devon who nods back.
“Always a pleasure, Constantine,” he says sarcastically.
CK sneers at him with intense dislike and turns his back on Cole and Devon. He heads to the door. Nico is already there, holding it open, and CK sweeps through without a backward glance.
“Bye, Liv,” Nico whispers.
I wave vaguely at him and he disappears too.
CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO
“Holy motherfucker!” Devon exclaims after I close the door. “That was…”
“A disaster?” I offer up.
“I was going to say intense, but yeah, I’ll take disaster and run with it,” he says with a nervous laugh.
I focus on Cole. “You okay?” I ask.
“Just dandy. I have a two thousand, seven hundred-and-fifty-nine-year-old Vampire, who enjoys ripping people’s heads off, pissed at me, because I am in love with his woman,” he retorts. “What the fuck, Liv?”
“Oh, baby,” I say, moving to him. “Ignore that comment. He was being an arse. I know this didn’t go very well, but he did accept you. That’s a win…sort of.” I shrug.
“That was acceptance?” he asks incredulously. “I would hate to see what rejection is like.”
At my look, he gulps and makes a slashing motion at his neck in question.
“What was all that about outside?” Devon asks.
Speaking directly to Cole, I say, “I told him that I didn’t need his permission to either marry you or turn you.”
“And?” Devon presses. “There was something about a...”
I glare at him to shut it and to my relief he does. “Nothing,” he mumbles.
“So how much does he hate me?” Cole asks, more worried about CK than what Devon had almost said.
I smile gently at him. “He doesn’t hate you. He’s just being territorial and possessive. Unfortunately, that comes tenfold when it’s CK.”
“Yeah, when it’s Constantine and you,” Devon chips in. “More like jealousy, I say.”
I glare at him again and he holds his hands up. “Liv, sweetie, I’ve known other sires with their charges, apart from me and you. Territorial and possessive on occasion, yes. Never jealous. And take it from me, he is one hundred percent a jealous bastard. I’ve watched you two back and forth for over five hundred years. If he can’t have you, then no one can.”
“Devon!” I admonish. “Watch it. You have no idea what you are saying. He had me, for a long time and on several different occasions and even though each time it got screwed up somehow or another, if he wanted me before all this, all he had to do was ask,” I say, my British accent very pronounced in my indignation.
Cole watches us warily and I realize my words were perhaps not the most subtle.
“Should I be worried?” he asks coldly.
“No, definitely not,” I assure him.
He looks slightly mollified and says, “Thank fuck for that. He is not someone I want mad at me. I quite like my head, not ripped off.”
“Mm, me too,” I say and pull him close for a kiss on his head and try desperately to forget about CK’s warning.
CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE