Sloth

by L-J Baker

  Ignoring Luc to finish the level he was currently playing in some video game Luc had never heard of, Az continued gnashing buttons and grunting until something exploded, and the controller was tossed on the table.

  "You distracted me."

  "And you woke me up with your sound effects." Luc stretched his legs out and crossed them at his ankles. "It's been days."

  "I was following a lead."

  "On?"

  "Cupid." Az stood, stretched, and went to grab a beer. "Want anything?"

  "How about coffee? It's nine in the morning."

  With a grunt, Az went back over to the kitchen and started a pot of Luc's favorite blend. After a few minutes, he returned with two mugs and a beer. Luc graciously accepted one of the coffees, then waited for Az to down the beer, and settle into an overstuffed chair.

  "You're a mess."

  Az pushed up to see himself in the mirror, smoothed his hair down a bit, and shrugged. "Haven't slept much."

  "So, you have some news on our annoying little cherub?" Luc blew across the top of his cup and took a small sip.

  "After tracking his ass all over the damn planet, then into a few alternate planes, yeah. He's been on the move, obviously. He spent a few days in Paris, but that was the longest he stayed in one place. Last sighting was in Greenland, then it went cold. I can't imagine he's going to be easy to pin down with Michael on his tail. Lucky for him, he's currently still breathing."

  "I'm not sure how much help he will be anyway, but I'd still like to get my hands on him and see. Preferably around his slimy neck."

  "Yeah, I feel ya. How's things been here? Everything okay with our loving sister?" Az popped his head up and looked around. "Where is she anyway?"

  "You think she'd stay here? Uriel is far too pampered to spend even one night in my basic apartment. She's probably over at the Waldorf in the penthouse suite. Either that, or she goes back to Heaven to get her beauty rest."

  "Yeah well, Uriel's gift to the world is her beauty. Well, that and her wisdom, self-righteousness, pompous attitude, and overall snobbery. She's such a bitch." Az gulped down half his coffee and leaned his head back in the chair with his eyes closed. "I'll never understand why you two were so close."

  "She hasn't always been like that. When we were young, things were different. I can't even blame her. Father made us what we are, so he can take all the credit for how we turned out."

  "How's things with the new girl?" Az asked without raising his head, or opening his eyes.

  "I'm not sure."

  "What does that mean?" Az pried open one eye and glanced at Luc.

  Luc took a deep breath. "She's had a tough time. I can't push her and I'm not sure a month is going to be long enough to get her to consider me anything more than a friend."

  "Damn. The devil, friend-zoned. That's gotta sting."

  "Actually," Luc took another sip off the coffee. "I'm okay with it. I like her. There's definitely some sort of spark, but she's got a long way to go. If I can be a little part of getting her there, than I'm happy."

  Az sat up and stared at Luc with a blank expression for an uncomfortably long time.

  "What?" Luc put the mug on the table and returned Az's stare.

  "I'm just not sure what to make of the changes in you. Not even six months ago, you had multiple women in your bed almost every night of the week. Having a good time was your number one goal. I like this Luc though. It's a nice change."

  "I'm the same person. I just want some different things. And by the way, even before we started this whole thing, I was already looking to make some changes. This wasn't a whim. It's something I put a lot of thought into."

  "Yeah." Az slumped back in the chair and yawned. "I'm happy for you, brother. I really am." Another minute and Az was snoring like a truck driver. Luc tossed a blanket over him and made his way downstairs to the office.

  The light was on and he assumed Harley was already there working on the orders for the weekend. When he opened the door though, he found something he wasn't expecting.

  "What the hell are you doing in here?" Luc stared down Cupid, who was sprawled out on the small sofa. "And if you flash out of here, I swear on my father, I will wring your damn neck the next time I find you."

  Cupid sat up and took a deep breath. "I'm not going anywhere. I know Azrael has been looking for me. Because you'd like to see what I know, I'm assuming?"

  Luc closed the door and took the seat behind his desk. "It would be nice to hear anything you know since you were working with my asshole brother."

  "I told you," Cupid said, moving over to the chair across from Luc. "That wasn't my choice. We might not always get along, but I'm not that hateful."

  The fact that Luc didn't like Cupid was no secret. Not trusting him was just a no-brainer. But Luc didn't have much to lose by listening to the idiot. At the very least, Az would be able to stop chasing him around the planet.

  "What was it Michael wanted from you? Did he think you could get into my safe?"

  "No, no, nothing like that." Cupid eyed the bottles of liquor behind the desk and Luc ignored him. "He wanted me to gain your trust and watch you. You know, report back to him on whatever I saw."

  "Gain my trust?" Luc laughed. "Is that a joke?"

  "Look, I realized we haven't always been friends."

  "And we never will be."

  "Okay, but here's the thing. I didn't want to help Michael. I never gave him anything useful. When you were off on vacation, I knew that. I never said a word to him, or he would have shown up then and found a way into your safe."

  "How noble of you."

  "I get it. I've given you reasons to dislike me."

  "Dislike isn't a strong enough word."

  "I even had some plans of my own to knock you down a notch or two." Luc raised one eyebrow and glared at Cupid. He swallowed hard and continued. "But when your sin girl was in danger, I came here to warn you. When shit went down, I protected her. I risked my own life to help you. I told you Michael was involved, which basically signed my own death warrant."

  "Would you like a gold star?"

  "What I'd like is protection."

  Luc sat forward. "You expect me to protect you, after you came here, telling me you wanted to help, then double-crossed me?"

  "Maybe I don't deserve it, but I'm still asking." Cupid took a deep breath in and let it out slow. Luc always saw the asshole as pathetic, but now he looked the part. Life on the run hadn't been kind to him and Luc couldn't deny he enjoyed that.

  "You definitely don't deserve it." Luc sat back in his chair and considered his options.

  He could tell Cupid to get lost, let him keep running, and maybe Michael would catch up with him. He could escort him down to Hell, set him up with some protection down there, which might keep him safe, depending on whether or not Michael had more demons on the payroll down there. Or he could take him in, find some way to keep him safe, and have to live with the bastard in his space for who knew how long.

  The last option was the right thing to do, but it was the last thing Luc wanted. If Cupid started hanging around, Luc might have to kill him himself. Plus, there was the issue of how he would keep him safe there. If Michael's lackeys managed to break in, twice, kill a number of his people, and kidnap Harley, it seemed unlikely that Cupid would be safe there.

  If Luc sent him to Hell, and Michael did have people down there working with him, then Cupid would be lucky to last the night. As much as Luc disliked Cupid, he probably didn't deserve to die. He did have a point about protecting Valerie and trying to warn Luc that something was up.

  None of this was Luc's problem though. If he turned Cupid away, let him fend for himself, Luc couldn't be blamed for the outcome. That was on Michael. His brother was the real villain in all of this mess. Except that Luc knew that was a bunch of bullshit. Doing nothing was no better than having a hand in the crime itself. At least that was what he would say if it was anyone other than Cupid.

  "Even if I wanted to hel
p, how would I keep you safe? I can't even protect my own security team." Luc shook his head. "If Michael wants to get in here, he clearly has ways."

  "Mages."

  "What about them?"

  "That's how Michael got in. It's how he kidnapped Harley and how he got past your security system. It's also how you can keep me safe here."

  "I don't follow."

  "If a mage can find a way in, we can use one to keep others out. They can cloak the place so not only can Michael not find me, but so he can't get to your safe."

  "I don't exactly keep a team of mages on my payroll."

  "I know one. I'm sure with the right encouragement, I can get her to help us out."

  Luc scrubbed his hands over his face. It was too early for this shit.

  "If you have a mage that would be willing to help you, why not just go wherever you want and have her protect you there? Why do you need to be here?"

  "Two reasons." Cupid sat straight and folded his hands on the desk. "One, because she would have to be on the premises to keep the magic working, and she refuses to travel. And two, because I can only get one, and this way, you'll be protected, too."

  Luc had a hard time believing that Cupid was concerned with Luc's well-being. The little shit had to have ulterior motives, but he wasn't about to just volunteer that information. This was the time when Luc wished he could peer into Cupid's head the way he could with humans. If he could see what was really going on in there, he would know what he should do.

  But since he couldn't, he would have to trust his gut.

  "Okay, Cupid. We will try this your way. But I'm warning you now, if you double-cross me again, or do even one thing that leads to anyone I care about being harmed, I will end you."

  Cupid swallowed hard and held out a hand. "You can trust me, cousin."

  Luc definitely did not trust that little prick, but he shook his hand nonetheless.

  Now he just needed to survive having Cupid hanging around.

  This was going to be one hell of a month.

  ***

  Luc looked up from his computer to find Az, Uriel, and Harley standing in the doorway glaring at him. "Something I can do for you three?"

  "Yeah." Harley pushed past the two angels and flopped into the chair across from Luc's desk. "Get rid of Cupid. That asshole is trying to take over the whole place."

  With a raised brow, Luc looked over at his siblings. "You two have something to add?"

  Uriel slunk in and sat on the edge of Luc's desk. "Really, Lucifer. Cupid? And a mage? Why don't you just open this place up to strays and the homeless?" Uriel scrunched her nose up. "That little thing is painting symbols all over the place. It's tacky."

  "And you?" Luc looked around his sister, to Az, who was still in the doorway. "What's your issue?"

  "You already know how I feel about Cupid, but if you think this is best, I'll support you."

  "Ass kisser." Harley snorted.

  Luc sighed and rubbed his temples with his thumbs. He knew they wouldn't be happy with this arrangement, but what else could he do?

  "Uriel, you could escort him up to Father and let him keep Cupid under his protection if you're unhappy with the situation."

  Uriel's face twisted. "I'm not escorting him anywhere. Isn't that Az's job?"

  "Not until he's dead," Az said with a small chuckle. "Which if you kick him out, can be arranged."

  "You three seriously expect me to just toss him out on his ass and let Michael kill him? After he came here to warn me about Valerie? After he kept her safe during that demon battle? After he was the one who told us who it was we were dealing with, when we had no idea?" Luc looked from one, to the next, waiting for a good reason to back up their demand.

  No one said anything for a long moment.

  "The only place safe for Cupid would be Heaven. Since no one is willing to take him, I guess that leaves us to protect him," Luc said. "I don't like having him around anymore than the rest of you. Maybe even less so, but right now, this is where he is. So deal with it."

  "Where do you want me to put him? Oh, and that mage too. He says she needs to stay." Az said. "There's no room in your apartment, unless you want him on the couch."

  "I'd love to see that." Uriel giggled. "Prince Cupid being told he can crash on the couch. He will love that."

  "He's not sleeping on my couch." Luc cringed at the thought. There was no way he would stay in the same small apartment as Cupid, even without the mage. He would protect the little fuck, but he didn't have to share a space with him. "There is a small apartment in the basement. I think it was used for security, back before this place was a club. You can get him set up in there." Luc directed the last part at Az, who nodded and disappeared without further argument.

  "You've turned our brother into your little lap dog, I see." Uriel Squeezed behind Luc and poured herself some of his expensive whiskey.

  "Azrael isn't my lap dog."

  Luc glanced at Harley, who had been silent for too long. She was pretending to inspect her fingernails, likely biding her time until Uriel grew bored and left them alone. Luc hoped she got her way soon. His sister was starting to get on his nerves.

  "What is he then? He takes orders. You don't pay him. He hardly even voices an opinion. Just your slave then?" Uriel meandered around the office, inspecting things and making faces, while she sipped off Luc's whiskey.

  "What he is, is better behaved than you. My relationship with Az is none of your business. You don't get to show up here, after all this time, and think you know how things are. You don't."

  Luc was starting to see why Harley disliked her so much.

  "Fine." She shrugged. "I'll keep my mouth shut."

  "Good." Luc stared at her for a moment, then she wandered out.

  "About time." Harley sat up and slammed her hands down on his desk. "I thought she was going to go on all day."

  "Are you going to start on me now too?"

  "It's just… Cupid, Luc? How are we supposed to pretend like this is normal?"

  There was nothing normal about having Cupid, and a mage, living in the basement. He already knew that.

  "We aren't. We just need to get through it. Harley," Luc looked in her eyes before continuing. "You know what Michael is like. Do you really think we should just send Cupid away? Let Michael torture and kill him?"

  Harley was quiet for a moment. She pulled her hands off the desk and looked down at her lap. She was tough. There was no doubt about that. She would have taken whatever torture Michael and his minions could dish out, and never said a word, even if she had the information he wanted, which she hadn't. But Luc knew that what he'd done to her had taken its toll. She would never say so, but it scarred her.

  "I guess not."

  Luc let out a long breath. He hated reminding her of that time. Hell, he even hated thinking about it himself. But he needed her to understand why he agreed to provide Cupid with sanctuary.

  "I know he's an insufferable ass, but for now, can we please just find a way to survive it?"

  "Fine." She got up to leave, but stopped by the door. "How are things with Talia? We haven't talked much about this month."

  "She's cautious, for good reason, and I'm not sure a month is long enough with her, but it's not bad. I like her."

  "That's not sounding like soul-mate kind of feelings."

  "To be honest, I just don't know. I think with everything going on with her, I can't even let myself go there when I think about her. I wouldn't rule her out, but even if she is the one, I can't see me figuring that out in the next couple weeks."

  "Oh yeah, this month is halfway over."

  "Just about, yeah. I really think next month needs to be lust."

  "I tried to give you that for this month, but you… and Az, decided against it. So don't go blaming me when you have the worst case of blue balls by the end of the month." With that, she left.

  The month with Valerie was more than enough to make up for what he lacked in that department with Amanda. Whe
ther it would be enough to make it through the month with Talia, was yet to be seen. Either way, Luc needed an easy month, and as far as the sins went, lust had to be the easiest.

  There was too much going on outside the game. Now with Cupid and a mage living there, Luc just needed a little stress reliever. He wasn't even sure what the next month would bring. Michael was patient, but how long he would wait before attacking again, was anyone's guess. On one hand, Luc hoped for some reprieve. On the other, the longer he waited, the more time he had to plan out his attack.

  Neither sounded great.

  Luc just needed to take it one day at a time. Now if only Thursday didn't seem so far away. He picked up his phone, and considered texting Talia, suggesting they get together sooner, or even just to say hi, but put it back down. He didn't want to pressure her. He also didn't want to look desperate.

  He would just have to wait it out.

  CHAPTER TEN

  "Who are you?" A creepy guy with long blond hair circled Talia with a predatory smile. He reached out to touch her hair and she slapped his hand down.

  "Don't fucking touch me, asshole." Talia took a step back and tensed. She was ready for a fight. Everything inside her boiled to the surface. Her heart pounded in her chest hard enough to create a visible thumping. She wanted to glance around the room, find Luc and signal for him to come over, but she was frozen in place, unable to take her eyes off the guy in front of her.

  "Calm down sweetness. I'm no threat to you." The guy held his hands up in surrender. "I'm Cupid. The owner here is my cousin. Do you work here?"

  Talia saw no similarities between this asshole and Luc. With his brother, it was obvious, but this guy, even if he was related to Luc, she didn't want him anywhere near her. He gave off a bad vibe.

  "No." She went to walk away, but he grabbed her arm. Her body responded without any thought happening, and she punched him straight in the nose. All she heard was the crunch. Blood gushed down his face and he started laughing, like being punched in the face amused him.

  "What the hell?" Luc was at her side before her head stopped spinning. He started looking her over to see if she was injured.