“I will keep you safe, Jemma Bliss. Until Boss returns. Boss will have a plan.” He turned back to his guard duty.

“I don’t think I’ll ever get used to them talking,” Ezra grumbled, collapsing onto the lounge beside me. “And I feel like I’m missing huge chunks of backstory here.”

I couldn’t speak. SJ had just said … Heaven, hadn’t he? And that he was going back there?

“I think I’m missing some, too,” I breathed, squirming slightly. There was something lodged between my backside and the lounge cushion. “Seems like we’ll have to wait until he gets back from … Heaven … to have any answers.”

“And … are we confident he will come back?” Ezra asked tentatively as I lifted one butt cheek—the thing I was sitting on was very stuck. “Last time I saw the two of you together, it was the worst breakup in the history of breakups, and I know he just said he’d be back to explain, but … are we trusting him?”

I nodded firmly. “We are. I was right, about everything.”

Ezra raised a disbelieving eyebrow. “Everything?”

I sighed. “Well, about him trying to protect me. Ez, you have no idea what she was like.” I turned to Joe, who looked grim, staring out the window at the evening skyline. “She was … it was terrifying. She had powers … she was controlling the air! And she said that she’d made a deal with him, that I was collateral in the deal. That she was supposed to leave me alone, but then he … disappeared …”

I gasped. “Heaven! That’s where he was for those six days he went missing!”

Beezle’s tail twitched, which I took as confirmation. My heart thundered. Why had he been there? It made no sense—from everything he’d told me, his family were sworn enemies with God.

“So, he’s coming back,” Ezra muttered. “And … is he forgiven?”

I nodded vigorously. “I’m not even going to make him grovel.” I reached behind me, fishing between my butt and the lounge cushion. “That letter, from the university? It was SJ who made it happen. After the breakup to end all breakups. Not to mention he literally just saved me from Hell. And killed at least one of his own kind to do it. He’s well and truly grand gestured his way back into my heart.”

Humphrey snorted gently. “Don’t kid yourself—he never left your heart, Jemma.”

Even though he was totally right, I pulled a face at him. Finally, I got a grip on the lump stuck under my butt, and I tugged. Out popped a ferret toy.

“Luci!” I screeched, leaping to my feet. I’d forgotten all about her in the wild events since Hellen had kidnapped me. My head jerked in the direction of the wall I’d last seen her teeny body sliding down. Nothing. I turned to Ezra, flapping my hands. “Where’s Luci?”