Astixia’s gaze flew to Charles Mulligan. “She’s going to appear in the middle of the Mulligan Sunday dinner and make one of them marry her.”
I shook my head. As the kids these days would say, what the actual fuck? Now Charlie looked like he was going to throw up.
I put my hand on Astixia’s head and she flinched. “We shall talk about this more back in our own world.”
“Yes, Lord.”
With that, I shifted her back to Hell.
We all stood around, looking a little dumbstruck. It was an interesting expression. Rouen and Naz appeared through the crowd. “Did we get her?” Naz asked.
“Yeah, Luc just sent her home,” Rella replied as her phone rang. She listened to the person on the other end, nodding. “We know where she’s heading. We’ll meet you there.” I raised an eyebrow, but Estrella looked at the ground guiltily. “That was Hope. Icky just broke into a wedding dress shop over on Newbury.”
Chapter Five
I understood the concept of heartbreak now. As I stood in front of the Granny Mulligan’s two-story terrace, I looked at Charles and thought that heartbreak might be akin to getting stabbed by a red hot poker.
The old lace curtains of the townhouse did little to hide the people inside, an absolute multitude of Mulligan’s all bustling around, laughing and joking. Charles Mulligan looked so longingly at that window that Hope was crying softly behind us. Blue stood on the other side of him, a hand resting lightly on his shoulder, and Rella had her arm wrapped around his waist tightly, anchoring him to her.
“I’m okay,” he whispered, though I wasn’t sure if it was to himself or the group of people around him. “I never got to say goodbye. To tell them I loved them one last time, you know? It must have caused them so much hurt.”
It was finally too much for Hope, and she walked up and curled herself around his back, trying to take some of his pain.
“They knew, Charlie. We all knew.”
We all stood in silence, and I cast a short, accusing glare at the Gargoyles. Despite Rella’s assurances otherwise, I still blamed them for her early demise. They were meant to protect her, and the rest of their Pack. I didn’t voice my accusations though; I knew for a fact that Romanus blamed himself every single day. Sometimes guilt was the worst kind of torture.
Blue stared through the window as well, though the longing on his face was different to that of Charles. Blue still walked the earth, was still technically part of the Mulligan mob. But he had always been on this side of that lace curtain. Always on the outside, enough of a Mulligan to be in the family business, but not enough to be invited to Sunday dinner. That had to hurt. Marrying Hope wouldn’t help that situation either.
I looked at Hope, nudging her with my elbow. “Congratulations on your nuptials, by the way. Probably best, considering your situation.”
Rella spun around so fast that it became very apparent that her body was not actually anchored to this plane of existence. “Your what now?” she screeched. I shot a look toward the door to see if anyone would come to investigate, but they seemed reasonably content drinking and eating.
“Surprise?” Hope said sheepishly, though she turned to glare at me over her shoulder.
I shrugged, but not apologetically. I lived for this shit and I wouldn’t apologize.
Rella gripped her twin by the arms and shook her a little. “Who? When? Tell me everything!”
“Er, to Blue about three weeks ago. We didn’t want it to be a big thing.”
You didn’t have to be an empath to see that behind Rella’s grin was a touch of hurt. She pointed at Blue. “We will discuss this later. Do the parentals know?”
Hope shook her head and stepped away from Charlie. Blue cocked his head to the side, still staring at the window. “Where are the Uncles?”
Everyone called the five heads of the Mulligan family “The Uncles” despite the fact that a few of them were really cousins or fathers.
I searched through the window and Blue was correct. The leading men of the family were nowhere to be seen, as well as a few of the larger enforcers.
Charlie swallowed hard but seemed to get control of his emotions. “Something must be going down. They didn’t mention anything to you?”
Blue shook his head and pulled out his phone. “They leave me out of most things now I am Hope’s official bodyguard. They can train up another killer, but there’s only one Mulligan Family Saint.” Hope glared at him, but there was no malice in his tone. In fact, he sounded like he worshipped at the feet of that Saint as often as possible. He sent through a text to someone and then stuffed his phone back in his pocket.
“I don’t think Icciria is coming here,” Gusion said from where he sat on the curb behind us, along with the rest of Hell’s Denizens. Seriously, these twins stole my most powerful allies. I was glad that they were both on my side.
I agreed. She was after a powerful Mulligan male to be her groom, she would take one look through this window and hunt the rest down. Blue’s phone pinged. “They have a meeting with the Italians down on the wharf. They’re on their way there now.” He looked at Hope. “I have a bad feeling about this. You should go home.”
I agreed with Blue, and if it had been Estrella or even Ace, they would have dismissed Blue’s concerns out of hand. As it was, she looked over her shoulder at Gusion. The Angel of the Past, Present and Future was blind to the fate of his chosen mate, but he was still intuitive. This time, however, he shrugged.
“Nothing is set on the tapestry of fate, so I can’t see the outcome. Perhaps it is best to err on the side of caution?”
Hope sighed but nodded and I let out a breath that I hadn’t realized I was holding. Azriel stood up from beside Gusion. “I will see her home in a cab.” He walked over and wrapped his arms around her like she was made of the finest china. He stared down at her with so much love it was a physical presence around them. He had no regrets falling for Hope, that was clear to see. The happiness on his face when he held her was akin to the bliss of Heaven.
They walked away toward a busier street to hail a cab, and the others all piled back into the SUV. I shuddered at the idea of being trapped in a tiny steel box.
“I will meet you at the docks.”
Memphis spread his wings wide, stretching them before pulling them close to his back. “I will go with you.” I didn’t protest. I’d enjoy the alone time with my oldest friend.
Estrella wound down the window, her face scrunched in confusion. “Why didn’t Azriel just sift her back home?” I grinned and shook my head. “Luc?”
I gave a shrug and sifted away, but not before Gusion gave an audible groan.
It always amused me how much these organized crime families were a relic of the past, and nothing said that more than meeting for a sit down at an abandoned wharf. But nothing was ever really abandoned these days, especially given that this was prime real estate and everywhere had CCTV cameras. Normally they would have their tech guy wipe the cameras, but the Mulligan family tech guy was currently residing in Hell, drinking my milk directly from the carton and banging like a monkey in my Palace. Hopefully, the Italians had their own version of Charlie.
I tipped my nose to the air.
A sharp, familiar smell assailed my nose immediately. Memphis looked to me, his brows drawn down. “Blood. And a lot of it.”
I nodded and sifted closer to the warehouse. I looked through the window to see the room was painted in blood, even worse than the strip joint. It looked like someone had gotten buckets of red paint and gone full Jackson Pollock. Yeah, I got pop culture references too.
Fortunately, the five Mulligan Uncles sat pressed along one wall, their guns hanging uselessly by their sides as they stared in shock at the vision before them. “Looks like we were a bit late,” Mephistopheles murmured.
I laughed and opened the door. I remained invisible to the Mulligans, but Icciria saw me immediately and stopped tearing at the entrails of some poor mobster. Demonesses, they never knew when e
nough was enough. It made them such a useful tool in the underworld.
“My Lord. I… I…”
“You tore apart the bodies of…” I counted heads. “Fifteen people?”
“Yes.”
Well, at least she was being honest. Demonesses weren’t usually known for the virtue of honesty. “Why?”
She straightened her dress nervously, which was both amusing and disturbing considering how much blood and gore had soaked into the once-white wedding dress. “It was an ambush. They meant to kill them. I thought it would be a good wedding gift to eviscerate their attempted murderers.”
Well, it was probably better than a soup tureen.
I could only imagine how this went down, and I was a little upset that I wasn’t here to see it unfold. The Mulligans, realizing they’d been duped, pulling their guns as they prepared to die, and then all of a sudden here appears this beautiful blonde angel dressed in the puffiest white wedding dress. Did they think she’d come from Heaven?
Next minute, she was tearing their enemies to pieces like a feral animal. The whole scene amused me, so I motioned for her to continue. She sashayed toward them, a scarlet woman dripping in blood, and one of the older Mulligans crossed himself.
Memphis made a tutting noise beside me. I rolled my eyes in his direction. I swear, love had made him even stuffier. It was probably all Hope’s touchy-feely empathetic stuff. “Is this really necessary?” he murmured softly, although the Mulligans we probably in too much shock to hear us speak anyway
“Let her have her moment. I’ll stop it if it gets out of hand. Besides, even you have to admit this is a little ironic, no?”
Memphis shook his head, but I saw his lip quirk. Yeah, he could hide a lot from me, but I knew the very depths of his black little soul and he loved it too. Icciria stopped in front of Colin Mulligan, and he legit flinched away. Seriously, the meanest of the Mulligan family heads, well maybe except Blue, and he flinched away from a small, blood-covered demoness. She moved away, past Uncle Joe who was basically a thousand years old now. She stopped in front of Johnnie, who held his shit together a bit better, standing tall in the face of the tiny hellspawn. That made Icky smile, but she kept moving down the row of Mulligans.
She passed Paulie, who I thought was a bit of a prick, and stopped in front of Martin. Cousin Marty was the pretty boy of the Mulligans, a title he’d inherited now that Charlie was dead, and I wasn’t the least bit surprised by her choice.
“Honestly, this is like a demented version of The Bachelorette, except with human hearts instead of roses,” Memphis groaned. “She better hurry up. Estrella is getting closer, and I’m pretty sure Uncle Joe will have a heart attack if he sees the ghost of his favorite nephew.”
Marty, to his merit, stood proud, his gun raised but not actually pointed at Icciria. They had an old school version of chivalry. You didn’t beat your wife, and you didn’t shoot a woman. Even if that woman did just shred fifteen men with nothing more than her freakishly long nails. That chivalrous code was the only thing that kept them from sinking to the less pleasant circles of Hell.
She looked Marty in the eye, somehow appearing bigger than she really was. “My name is Icciria. I am here to be your bride. We will get married and you will cry when I come down the aisle and small children will throw dead flowers on the carpet.”
Marty blinked furiously. His mouth gaped open. “Marry you?”
Icciria gave him a radiant smile. I mean, maybe Marty would agree to it. She was quite pretty beneath the congealing bodily fluids. It was part of the reason why Ace hated them. They were all as beautiful as they were varied. There was a demoness for every taste.
She nodded at the same rate as his blinks. “Yes! We will get married, and you shall be my groom and we’ll return to Hell.”
I winced. Damn, know your audience Icciria. You don’t lead with Hell is my home. You lead with tits and smiles, maybe some killer sex moves, then tell them they’ll have to reside in Hell.
Marty reared back. “I can’t go to Hell, you crazy bitch. Satan will poke me in the ass with a pitchfork for the rest of my life. You may be hot, but no one is worth that.”
I watched Icciria’s face crumple, her bottom lip jut out as huge tears pooled in her eyes. I sighed. A demoness wailing was a god awful noise. It made mortals bleed from the ears, and Charles would never forgive me for that. Which meant Estrella would make my life a living nightmare.
Making myself visible, I ensured I had my wings in full view and spread wide.
The Mulligans had always suspected that I may be something to fear. They’d cross themselves as I’d pass, murmur low in my presence. But it had always been merely a suspicion. It was time to scare the shit out of the Mulligans.
“Do not fool yourself, Martin. You will be going to Hell whether you married Icciria or not. Your stained hands would not make it an inch through the Pearly Gates. None of you will.”
“Luc…” Uncle Joe whispered.
I shrugged in his direction. “Short for Lucifer. Not exactly revolutionary or witty, but it works for me.” I looked back at Marty. “Lucky for you guys, I’m kind of fond of a couple of your family members, so I am going to spare you the pain of a demoness hissy fit. It is unpleasant.”
I walked toward the wayward demoness, and she turned to look at me, her huge blue eyes filled with frustrated tears. Ah, dammit.
“My Lord…” she hiccuped out.
Sighing again, I ignored Memphis’ “I told you so,” from behind me. “I am sorry, Icciria. You cannot marry a Mulligan against their will. It’s not how it’s done. You must choose each other for love, not under the threat of death.” Well, generally speaking.
Her bottom lip trembled then, and I hurriedly added, “Is there no one on the Elysian Fields that you like? Maybe someone in the First Circle? We could arrange a ceremony in the Palace. You may take the dress home. We will make it, what’s the human term? A three-ring circus of a wedding.”
She brightened up a little. “Anyone?”
I had a sneaking suspicion I was going to regret my attack of tenderheartedness. “Anyone. Elysian Fields and First Circle only.”
“And I can keep the dress?” She seemed so joyously hopeful, I almost laughed. “I doubt the store wants it back now.”
She gave a chirp of glee and twirled. The dress had a good flare, except for the bodily fluids that flung off it like a sprinkler. I brushed a clot of blood off my suit. “Be still, Icciria.”
Like a good little demoness, she did as she was told and I placed my hand on her head. In the next instant, I shifted her back to Hell, and Uncle Joe keeled over.
The other Mulligans rushed to his side. I clicked again and the evidence that Icciria had ever decimated an entire personal army disappeared into piles of tiny ashes.
I looked at Paulie Mulligan. “You might want to call an ambulance.” I looked at the ashes at my feet. “And get someone down here with a dustbuster.”
With that, I disappeared. Did I add the flames and smoke? You bet your ass I did.
Chapter Six
After telling Gusion that both Demonesses had returned to our realm and that all Mulligan family members were accounted for – I didn’t mention the Italian mob dust piles – Mephistopheles and I flashed back to the House of Sin.
I found Ace in an apron. I couldn’t have been more surprised if I’d found her naked and spread along the dining table. It was lemon-colored and had white cheesecloth frills around the edges. I made a choking noise as I tried to swallow the laugh, but she heard anyway, whirling around and pressing a steak knife to my throat.
“What are you laughing about, my love?” she growled, and honestly, I couldn’t have been more turned on if she was naked beneath that sunny piece of apparel.
I smiled, swallowing hard so the teeth of the knife bit into my skin. “Not laughing, Beloved. Just turned on. Do you think Arcadia would be mad if I fucked you on top of the pot roast?”
She laughed, pressing the knife harder
into my neck until sharp edges cut my skin and warm blood trickled down my throat. Then she moved the knife to her side and leaned forward to run her tongue over the small injuries. They’d be gone in an instant, but the move made me want to bend her over the table and drive myself into her, fuck proper social etiquette.
She fluttered her long lashes at me. “Later,” she whispered, sashaying away like she had my balls in the palm of her hand. Who was I kidding? She’d had them wrapped around her little finger for a millennium.
“You two put the fun in dysfunctional,” Memphis laughed, and I half-forgot he was even there.
I smiled back at my old friend and followed my paramour into the kitchen. It was a madhouse, as expected. Someone thrust a giant turkey into my hands.
“Isn’t turkey for some other holiday?” I asked, though it did smell good.
Valery waved a hand from the stove. “Turkey is for every day. Now go put it on the table. The others are almost here and it is nearly one in the morning. It is a testament to my skills as a chef that we are not eating pizza from a box right now.”
Lord of the Underworld I might be, but I was getting the hell out of Valery’s domain right now.
I moved toward the drawing-room, and found Hope curled up in Azriel’s lap. He looked down at her like the sun rose and set with her smile.
Azriel’s eyes snapped up when I entered, but he relaxed a little bit when he saw it was me. There was a time when I would have ran him through with my sword rather than sit in the same room as him. There was a time where his betrayal haunted my nights. But we had come so far past those days, and when you counted centuries like days, holding onto grudges seemed pointless.
“Eventually she will die. You know this?” I wondered how he could give up so much, how all three of the Fallen angels could give up so much, for such a fragile creature that was destined to grow old and die right before them.
Hell's Redemption- The Complete Series Boxset Page 92
