Touched by Hell

by Emma Shade

  We landed in front of my tiny apartment complex, luckily without anyone spotting us. I mean, how could I really explain that to Mrs. Spivey, who lived upstairs? She’d probably drop dead. Then I’d have to explain her death to Raven and her father. No thank you.

  I spun and faced the jerk who had hauled me to Hell and back. Literally. “Fine. I’m home now, no thanks to you. You can go back to the underworld.”

  He shook his head slowly. “Afraid I can’t do that, girlie.”

  “And why not?”

  “Allow me to finally introduce myself.” He bowed slightly with a mischievous grin. “My name’s Coren.”

  My face blanched and my stomach plummeted. This was who I was to spend the next two months with? “But you’re a demon.”

  “You can call me whatever you want,” he said with a wink as he righted himself.

  “How about dumbass? Does that work for you?”

  He narrowed his eyes, but the smile remained pasted on his face. “No, I think not. But while you’re screaming under me later, you can scratch any name into my back. I’m not picky.”

  I tossed my hands up in frustration. “You’re going to be a pain in my ass, aren’t you?” When he shrugged, I growled, “I don’t need your help. I’m fine doing this by myself, thank you very much.”

  Turning on my heels, I headed to the stairs that led up to my tiny apartment. His footsteps pounded right behind me.

  “Well,” Coren stated, “somehow I doubt that. If you were, I wouldn’t be babysitting you.”

  “Let’s just say you can go do whatever havoc you demons do on Earth. Live it up while you can.”

  I shoved the key into my door, unlocked it, and slid inside the door, getting ready to slam it in his face. His hand stopped the door, budged me out of the way, and then he made his way into my apartment.

  “Why? So you can try to unsuccessfully kill me again?” He looked around a bit, a frown on his face. “This is where you live?”

  I sighed and scrubbed my hand over my face. “Yes. Why?”

  “I can’t live here. It’s too small. Where am I supposed to sleep?”

  “Um, how about a hotel? Or on the street? You are not staying here,” I grunted, tossing my keys on my small, scratched kitchen counter.

  He didn’t respond, but started inspecting my apartment instead. His attention roamed my romance novels on the bookshelf and he snorted.

  With a sigh, I removed a bottle of vodka from the cabinet. After placing a bit of ice in my glass and filling it with the liquor, I chugged the bitter liquid. Once I poured another, I took a second shot.

  I heard the telltale swish of my sword coming out of its scabbard, and I swung to face him. He held my curved sword up to the light and inspected it with a whistle. “Where did you get this bad boy?”

  I stormed up to him and attempted to grab my sword out of his hand, but he lifted it out of my reach. “It was a gift from Raven.”

  His eyebrows rose. “Do you even know what that is?”

  “Duh, a sword, dumbass.”

  He chuckled. “Thank you, captain obvious. No, do you know what it’s made from?”

  “I’m assuming steel or something. Why?”

  “No, that’s not steel. Otherwise, it would weigh a freaking ton.” He flipped it over a few times.

  “Whatever it is, I don’t care. It gets the job done.” I finally snatched the sword from his grip. Taking the scabbard from his other hand, I tucked the sword back in the sleeve. “Best you remember that.”

  He opened his mouth to say something more, but shook his head and said, “I’m shaking in my boots. Speaking of those, I bet they would look nice under your bed while you screamed under me.”

  Letting out a frustrated breath, I opened the closet and tossed a blanket and pillow at him. He caught them easily with one hand.

  “You stay in here. Got it? No funny business.”

  “Whatever you say, dear,” he replied, his mouth edging into a smirk.

  With an exhausted breath, I headed to my bedroom, locked the door, and set my sword on the dresser near my bed. I never knew when I might have to use it, and I’d gladly stab him if he decided to break my lock for a surprise visit. I wished he wasn’t so damn good looking, so damn tempting. And so annoying. This was going to be a rough two months.

  *****

  The next morning, I snuck out of my apartment for coffee while Coren snored away on the couch.

  The air was crisp as people buzzed around in their business attire, and I regretted not brushing my teeth as the barista took my order. Yes, I got Coren a cup of coffee, too. Of course, I ordered it black to match the color of his evil soul.

  Cups in hand, I turned around and stopped in surprise. Coren stood there with messy hair, arms tightly across his chest, and a glare that would freeze most people to the core. How had he found me? I went around his intimidating presence and headed out the door.

  He caught up with me. “What were you thinking? You left without telling me.”

  “I wanted coffee. I didn’t realize I needed your permission.”

  “I’m in charge of watching you, and that means twenty-four hours a day.”

  “Listen, jackass.” I swerved to face him. “You are not my babysitter. I don’t need somebody on my ass all freaking day.”

  “Um, your boss begs to differ. You will not leave without me. Got it?”

  “Don’t tell me what to do!” I screamed, and people walking down the sidewalk gave us a wide berth.

  Coren growled, “I can order you around all I want! Don’t ever think I can’t.”

  “Keep thinking that. That’ll be your biggest pitfall.” I shoved the coffee into his chest and a bit of the hot liquid spilled out of the lid onto his shirt. He winced but grabbed the coffee. “I thought you’d like this. Go choke on it.”

  Swirling on my feet, I marched away from him, anger pooling in my veins. My hands shook, my heart thundered. My cheeks burned. Who did this guy think he was?

  With the sound of his boots on the sidewalk behind me, I ignored him to the best of my ability. However, each footstep shot my blood pressure higher and higher. By the time we arrived back to my apartment, I believed I’d pass out from rage. I unlocked the door and began to slam it in his face, but he caught it with his palm and then shut it calmly behind him.

  “Thank you for the coffee,” he muttered.

  Instead of giving him a reply, I banged the bathroom door shut behind me and locked it before starting the shower. I had to get rid of him before I went to volunteer at the shelter today—or figure out how to get out of my apartment without him knowing. Could I climb out the bathroom window without breaking my legs? Would he find me again? I couldn’t have him shadowing me, especially after the warning about my kind deeds. As the warm water cascaded over my body, I had a thought. What if he could help hide it? Would he?

  Only after I shut off the water had I realized I hadn’t brought any clothes with me. That meant I’d have to go out in only a skimpy towel. Glancing at the frosted glass window in the bathroom, I realized sneaking out wouldn’t work. Not half-naked. Plus, I was on the third floor. Shit.

  After successfully tiptoeing out of the bathroom in only a towel, I dressed and walked into my tiny kitchen to find Coren cooking scrambled eggs.

  “What’s this?” I asked, my stomach rumbling at the smell.

  “A thank you for the coffee. I’m sorry. I can be an asshole sometimes. I take my jobs seriously, especially this one.”

  I frowned. “Why is this one so important?”

  Coren was silent for a few minutes. “It’s a long story, but I have to be successful when it comes to you. I can’t screw up. Not again.”

  His words caught me off guard, so much so that I took a step back. “What do you mean again?”

  He looked up from the stove and his caramel-colored eyes penetrated mine. “You’re not the only one who has a timeline to prove their worth.”

  CHAPTER 10

  All demons
like chaos, right?

  After Coren announced that he had a limited time left too, I sat on my bed in deep thought. Was he lying? Maybe. Maybe not.

  Most importantly, would it be smart to have him here with the threat of his job looming over him? Why did I care? So many questions ran through my head, but one thing stood out the most; the Devil threatened the center with chaos and death. Could I do that to them? Was my help going to hurt those innocent people?

  A knock sounded on my doorframe and Coren stood there with two plates of eggs. “What’s on your mind?”

  I shook my head, so he sat beside me on the bed and handed me a plate and fork. We ate in silence for a few minutes, and finally, with a mouthful of eggs, I grumbled, “I’m supposed to volunteer at the shelter today.”

  He chewed as he watched me. “I see.”

  “I can’t let the people down. If I go in, I will hate myself if you-know-who found out. If I don’t, I will still hate myself.”

  “Quite a conundrum.”

  “Big word coming from you,” I said back. Sure, I spoke out of frustration, but I was at a loss on what to do.

  “And what are you going to do about the conundrum?”

  “I don’t know. You’ll just follow me and try to stop me. Or Lucifer will kill them all. Neither situation is something I want to deal with.” I stared down at my now-empty plate. I felt the tears well up, but I blinked them away. I rarely cried, even when a demon had sliced my leg open, but I had shed a tear or two over those innocents at the shelter.

  “What if there was a way to keep him from knowing?” Coren asked softly, as if he was afraid to say it.

  My eyes caught his again. “What are you saying?”

  “I could help you, but it comes with a price. Are you willing to pay it?”

  “What kind of price are we talking?”

  “You’ll find out when I collect.”

  With a deep breath, my heart and head waged a war with each other. Why would he help me? Would the price be worth it? God, help me out here, I begged. No reply came. I had to make this decision on my own and trust a man, or a demon, I barely knew.

  Finally, after a few minutes of playing with my fork, I nodded. “Deal.”

  Coren beamed at me. Good think my soul was already spoken for, since I felt like I had made another deal for my soul.

  *****

  “Laura, this is Coren. He’ll be helping today,” I said as I introduced a kindhearted woman to Satan’s assistant. God help us all. I was out of my damn mind.

  “Nice to meet you,” she replied as she shook his hand.

  I expected lightning to strike, to see a spark of fear behind her eyes, or the wrath of God to rain down on us for standing inside SafetyNet. Instead, Laura’s cheeks reddened and she glanced at Coren with bashful eyes. Blinking in surprise at her reaction, I observed her as she ogled the good-looking demon she assumed was a normal man.

  Shuffling on my feet at the thought of this monster inside of a place of solitude and safety, I glanced around the space before my eyes landed on Coren again. He smiled at Laura, a hint of cockiness fluttering behind those dark eyes. Bringing him here was a mistake.

  Then he surprised me by asking, “How can I help today?”

  “Well, do you mind doing some activities with the children? They would love to have somebody to play with.”

  My heart stuttered. Coren. With. Children.

  “I’d love to. Just lead the way,” he said.

  With a big, flirty smile, Laura led him out of the kitchen. Coren glanced at me with a smirk as the door shut and I wanted to hyperventilate.

  “I led the wolf to the sheep,” I whispered, my hands trembling as I rubbed my face in frustration.

  A few moments later, I heard children laughing. Coren laughing. Peeking through the opening between the kitchen and dining room, I spotted him running around with the kids as they played tag. He had a full smile on his face as he dodged a little boy’s hand reaching out to “tag” him. I blinked in surprise. He looked like a kid himself as he pretended to hide behind a table.

  Coren glanced up and caught me watching him. Retreating in embarrassment, I took a deep breath and tried to remember the reason he was here. The man, no, demon, was my chaperon for two months. I’d bargained with him blindly to be here, but I’d do it all over again. These people needed me. Laura needed me.

  We spent the day apart doing our own separate chores until it was dish duty, and I sighed as Laura showed him back to the kitchen. Both of us worked in silence for a while. I washed, rinsed in the solution, and handed him the clean dishes to dry.

  “You don’t have to do this, you know,” I grumbled as Coren toweled a plate I had washed. He ruined the happiness of my moment, the one time I felt ordinary. I knew he hadn’t done anything but good today, and he’d hidden that we’d come here, but my brain’s reaction to his presence was defensive.

  “I know I don’t, but I’m actually enjoying this.”

  I snorted cynically. “I didn’t think you’d like something so honorable.”

  Coren’s hands stopped mid-drying and he frowned at me. “Why?”

  “Well, I figured you wouldn’t like happiness and hope.” Instead of honoring him with a glance, I stared out the window as I scrubbed a cup in the warm, soapy water. “Demons like chaos and agony. Murder and mayhem. This is far from it.”

  A few uncomfortable seconds passed, but out of the corner of my eye, I noticed Coren’s hands shake and his chest lifting in slow, calming breaths. Then I looked at him. His eyes inspected mine as his nostrils flared. He shook his head as if he were frustrated with me.

  “These people have seen their fair share of chaos and agony, don’t you think? Some even watched loved ones be slaughtered.” His hands started moving in erratic, angry motions with his drying task. “They endured insults and judgments because of speculation, heartless words thrown around without guilt. None of this was from demons, Mara. Humans can be just as cruel.”

  With that, he slammed down the plate he was drying and stormed out of the kitchen. I watched him go with my hands dripping soapy water on to my jeans. Was he right? Was I truly as much of a monster by condemning him because of where he came from?

  Maybe. Maybe not.

  What he’d done today didn’t change my training ingrained from Raven. Why was he any different from the others? Sure, he volunteered without complaint. There was still a question niggling the back of my mind. Was I ready to pay his price for hiding us today, whatever that may be?

  CHAPTER 11

  Temptation is just another demon to fight.

  Coren stood on my balcony, his face bathed in the glow of the setting sun. The sunset illuminated his gorgeous profile, as well as his strong arms and muscled physique.

  “Don’t stare,” I mumbled to myself. “He’s off-limits, idiot. You know this.”

  My hormones didn’t care, though. They fired on all pistons as soon as the golden light hit his sharp jaw and dark hair. I swear to God, when I snuck a peek at him playing with those children at the shelter, my ovaries moaned. Traitorous body.

  “Don’t forget who and what he is, Mara,” I muttered and then took a deep breath for strength. Coren was evil. He worked for the Devil. He rose up from Hell, his soul dark as coal. I only had to deal with him for two months. I could do this.

  The idea of my boss and the amount of time I had left to save my soul sobered my hormones right up. Gone was the temptation of Coren. However, I still felt it rumbling below the surface. I frowned. Emotions and lust had never bothered me before. Cold is my name, heartless is my game, I thought and then laughed at myself.

  “What’s so funny?” Coren asked.

  Jumping in surprise, I spun to face him with a scowl.

  “Ah, so you’re back to hating me again, I see.” He edged closer and trapped me against the counter.

  I swallowed.

  His arms lifted and my fight-or-flight instinct kicked in. Then he reached into the cabinet and grabbed a
bowl. “I’m hungry. You want some?”

  “Want some of what?” I breathed.

  He reached above me, his arm barely brushing my hair. He smiled down at me, his mouth close to mine. I just had to move about an inch to kiss him, to feel his body pressed against mine. My heart stuttered. Goosebumps pebbled on my skin. His hand lowered... and he held up a box of Fruity Pebbles in my view.

  “Cereal. What did you think I was talking about?”

  I opened my mouth to say something, anything at all, but snapped it closed. He gave me a wink and moved away from my body to grab the milk from the fridge.

  As he poured both of us a bowl of cereal, I told my body to quit being a sap. I didn’t do romance, and I sure as hell wasn’t interested in a demon. Coren’s boss and cohort was the reason I was stuck in a job I’d hate for the rest of my life. However, my eyes took in his muscles jerking as he put away the box of Fruity Pebbles and milk.

  Then my eyes snaked to the calendar with the cute kittens on my fridge. Keeping my soul was uncertain and I had no way of knowing if I’d make it out unscathed.

  *****

  “Where have you been?” I growled as my best friend materialized in my bedroom.

  “I’m sorry. It’s been a crazy few days,” Raven said, her face a mask of regret. “I’ve tried a million different ways to talk Luke out of this stupid deal with you, and having Coren here with you. My father even attempted to do the same. I can’t help but feel like this is my fault somehow.”

  Sitting on my bed, I let out a breath and shook my head. “It’s not, Raven. None of this was your fault. I got myself into this predicament and I’ll find a way to get myself out of it.”

  “No. You aren’t doing this alone. I won’t let you. My father won’t let you. We love you too much to let you down now.”

  Blinking in surprise at her confession, I said, “You don’t have to do that. I don’t know what Lucifer will do to you guys.”

  “What’s he going to do? We bring damaged souls to him for his sick and twisted needs. Without reapers, Hell wouldn’t exist.”