Belly of the Beast

Chapter 46

The paramedics arrived to help with the zombie demon clean-up. Apparently, the Valentino's connections extended further than the local police. I held my position inside the kitchen while Henry fought sleep. There was too much activity going on, and he remained fussy until the medics wheeled a pair of black, zippered bags through the warehouse door. When my son finally dozed off, I settled him into his car set and tucked him under his blanket.

With broom in hand, Rizzo entered the kitchen to grab a water bottle from the fridge. He looked beat-up but no worse than I'd seen him before. "How are you feeling, Reese?" he asked first.

"Ready for a nap, but I'm fine. How are you?"

"Still breathing. How is the boy?"

"Sleeping, finally. Is it safe to leave the kitchen now?"

"I am almost finished sweeping the glass, but the bodies are gone. I would not recommend sitting on the couch just now."

"Got it, thanks. I'm glad you're okay."

"As am I."

Pushing myself off the floor, I tentatively tested my foot for stability. A shock of pain radiated up through my heel, but I hid the scowl trying to give me away. It was likely just a bruise, and I didn't need anyone fussing over me. I grabbed Henry's car seat and walked out of the kitchen, making my strides look as normal as possible.

Vincent and Adam were busy righting all the furniture and boxes that had been overturned during the battle, while Titan sat on a crate, eyes closed, leaning his head against the wall. His torso had been wrapped in bandages, likely the work of the paramedics, and I shuffled over to join him.

"Hey, Titan. How're you holding up?"

He opened his eyes and attempted a small smile. "I've felt worse, but not by much."

"Did the medics say you broke a rib?"

"Likely two. I'm supposed to follow-up with my regular doctor." He snorted then grimaced as his hand clenched his bandaged side.

I glanced over at Terra, who was still chained to the staircase railing, only she was sitting in a chair now, her head resting against one of her outstretched arms. "I'm sorry about your niece. Have you been able to rekindle any kind of connection with her?"

"Naw. She's done a good job of hating everyone for the past two decades."

"Maybe because she hasn't had anyone take her side. It's probably why she decided to trust Dmitry. He was the first one who agreed to help her."

"She has a poor compass for choosing allies."

"Desperate people often make bad choices."

Vincent arrived at my shoulder and glanced down at Henry. "We should be ready to leave shortly. First, we need to decide what to do with Terra." He gave Titan a pointed look. "We can't keep her here. Not with that tracking device still broadcasting her location. I'll consider letting her go if we can trust her not to mount another attack. Do you have any suggestions?"

Titan sighed heavily, which seemed painful for him. "I can't rightly say. She ain't the niece I knew before I left the hive. This one is broken and spiteful."

"Doesn't that describe most of demon kind?" Vincent said in a bitter tone.

Titan lifted his tired gaze to pin my mate with a look that screamed regret and disappointment. "Hmm, I thought you were different from the others. I guess I was wrong."

"You're not wrong," I cut in as I sent a subtle kick to Vincent's shin. "He's just angry because of what happened to Henry."

Titan glanced down at my boy. "What happened to Henry?"