“Have any of you stopped to think about why those messages were sent?” asked Lachlan. “Seriously, think of the demons who received those texts. They’re all people who don’t have a lot of time or affection for my Raini—which makes them idiots, on a side note—and who’d be happy to spread the word. The sender knew that. This was done to turn her own lair against her. I wouldn’t have thought it’d have worked. I thought you were all far too sharp than to let some bastard use you as pawns in a game.” Lachlan shrugged. “I guess I was wrong. Which is rare.”
A demon in the front bristled. “We’re not letting ourselves be used as pawns.”
“Aren’t you?” asked Lachlan. “I beg to fucking differ, because you’re doing exactly what they want you to do. You’re letting yourselves be moved around like pieces on a chessboard in their game to fuck with Raini’s life.”
“Whoever sent the texts just thought we were entitled to know the truth,” claimed Dwain’s cousin.
Martina let out a soft snort. “Seriously, Gabby? You’re talking stupid, and you know it. If Dwain did send those messages, he did it through a spoofing site. Why? Why not use his own cell phone? Why, if he’s really so very innocent, is he nowhere to be found? And why, pray tell, did he lie to the entire lair that he was mated? Face it, you were played. Perhaps by Dwain, perhaps by someone else. If none of you think the timing is a little too coincidental, if none of you think it isn’t a little suspicious that the receivers of the texts are people who would spread the word, then I don’t fucking get it.”
“Me neither,” said Penelope.
Several others nodded or voiced their agreement, most of whom were imps. Maybe it was because they considered Raini half imp that they were more accepting than others, or maybe it was because—as a breed that was used to others holding their very nature against them—they knew how it felt to have others act all disapproving toward them.
On the other hand, it could simply be that they didn’t give much of a shit how powerful she was. It wouldn’t surprise her if the most dominant thought in their head was that they needed to get back to whatever illegal activity they’d been up to before being called here.
Jolene spoke then: “If Raini had harmed any of you, it would be different. But she hasn’t. Not even when one of you pissed her off—and yes, a number of you did that over the years. Men who didn’t like that she turned them down. Women who were jealous that the men they wanted were more interested in Raini. People who resented that they or their partners couldn’t help but be affected by her allure. Raini never once used psychic hellfire against any of you. So why would you use this against her? Are you really going to make her pay for what Doyle did?”
“We don’t want to make her pay,” an older male said. “We just worry about what could happen. I don’t think she’d use the ability against us while in her right mind. I truly don’t. I think Raini’s a very nice young woman, and I have nothing whatsoever against her. But if she turned rogue … ” He let the sentence trail off and shrugged.
“Let’s look at this from a logical point of view,” said Bram. “Raini will never turn rogue so long as she has an anchor. Doyle chose to go rogue after his own anchor died, but I don’t foresee Raini ever making such a choice. Besides, Maddox Quentin is not an easy demon to kill. He’s deadlier than most people here.”
It was true. And it made her demon feel rather smug and proud.
“He has halo-bearers on his ass right now, though,” said Dwain’s father.
“And he has killed each and every one who came at him,” Lachlan pointed out. “I consider that worth noting, because those rat bastards don’t make easy opponents.”
Again, there was a short silence.
One of Raini’s neighbors exhaled heavily. “Okay, people have had their chance to moan and whine and ask questions. Can we not just all agree it ain’t a big deal and go? Because I don’t know about the rest of you, but I’m feeling pretty nervous that all the kids are together in the indoor gym with only the juveniles to watch over them. Last time that happened, one of the young ones started chasing the others with a lawnmower—and I still don’t know where they got that lawnmower.”
Scratching the back of his head, Bram nodded. “It’s a good lawnmower. I’ve used it a time or two.”
“Which really isn’t relevant,” Risa snapped.
“Neither is the shit that’s been tumbling out of that hole in your face,” said Bram, to which a lot of people snickered.