Heaven to Hell (A Naughty Box Production Book 1)

by Rue Volley

  “What’s going on?” I hissed.

  The knocking on the flimsy paneling had turned to an insistent pounding. The tired door was going to bust at any moment. “I know you’re in there!” a deep voice boomed.

  Fear manifested on Zeke’s face as he pulled me toward the kitchen, pausing near the doorway to brace my shoulders. “When I say run, you run. Got it?”

  Fear trickled through me as I caught sight of the door again. The knob began to turn left and right as someone picked at the lock, the repetitive clicks sounding like a countdown. The rusty chain was our only saving grace, halting the door from opening, as what I could only assume was a shoulder barreled against it. A massive hand reached through the gap, fumbling along the wood, determined to gain access.

  “Let’s go.” Zeke motioned for me to follow him, forcing the warped window open with the heel of his palm. Quickly, he ushered me through, following suit. As he led the way around the side of the house, the sound of glass shattering caused me to cringe while gunfire echoed.

  “Are you going to tell me what all of this is about?” I asked.

  “They’re here. For you,” Zeke whispered as his eyes flicked to the dark horizon. “Stay close.”

  Fear tasted bitter. I followed him around the corner of the house when a solid frame greeted Zeke, and my body bounced off him, knocking me to my knees. Quickly, I scooted backward and looked up, focusing on who was standing before me.

  Shit!

  “You’re the fucking traitor? The snitch?” the familiar man seethed as he looked at Zeke. Shaggy dirty, blonde curls. Clenched square jaw. Faded scar. Hazel eyes with flecks of forest green. Thin lips. Tanned skin. “Huxley’s going to destroy you when I tell him his worker’s been the leak in rescuing these bitches.”

  “Sterling?” I was floored. It was all making sense now—he was a double agent in Ascension, working for Huxley in Hell. Zeke was a mole too—but his roles were opposite…a demon helping Fallens. I felt sick.

  Zeke’s jaw clenched.

  “What the hell is going on here?” I asked.

  “She isn’t yours to mark.” Sterling shook his head slowly left and right as he stared at my savior. “You’d better not have fucked her.”

  “What do you care about it?” Zeke replied.

  There was a calm in the air, a silence that felt lethal. Zeke and Sterling were in a stare down. I tugged on Zeke’s hand, but he didn’t move. The tranquility was eaten away by a slow, hot breeze that began to blow faster until it was a series of fierce gusts lashing from every direction. Dread locks whipped my face as I tried to piece together what was happening. I knelt, shielding myself from the punishing squall.

  Sterling’s eyes locked with mine, and he didn’t modify his posture for the sudden change in weather. “I’ll make this easy on you. Regardless of whatever he told you, your boyfriend here’s a demon.”

  I gulped, swallowing Sterling’s words as they spilled from his venomous lips. Hearing it from his mouth was different than my brain speculating it. Thinking back, Zeke didn’t say he wasn’t “one of them”; he said he wasn’t “like them”.

  Zeke shushed me as he leapt over the couch to stop me, my frame bouncing off of his firm chest. “You don’t get it. I’m not like them,” his voice rumbled.

  “You heard me.” He smirked. “So, he didn’t tell you if he fucked you…he’d own you?”

  I gritted my teeth with each punishing thrust, and it sent a sensation of delight and hurt through me, but it still wasn’t enough. “More!” I screamed as I looked at him over my shoulder again, noticing his irises had turned a deep shade of crimson.

  Sterling began to pace back and forth, rattling a laundry list as he counted on his fingers. “Your pupils dilate, and there’s a ravenous urge to devour him, an uncontrollable desire. You crave causing and enduring each other’s pain.” He reached down and stroked my cheek. “You know you can’t resist.”

  I shrugged away from Sterling’s touch and looked to Zeke, the sadness behind his eyes apparent. I knew he’d been rescuing angels, but he’d left out the part that he, too, was a demon. My breathing echoed inside my head. Could he really be my opposing force?

  “You’re the pain,” he looked at Zeke before his focus turned to me, “and you’re the healing,” Sterling continued. “One cannot thrive without the other. “You two will drain each other until there is nothing left.”

  I slowly shook my head left and right as I forced Zeke’s past words from my head.

  Zeke leaned in and rested his forehead against mine. “I can’t do this, but I want to.” He swallowed, heat radiating off his body, and it sent a flurry of goose bumps over my skin. “We can’t. You don’t understand.”

  I touched the firm muscles of his bare chest, trailing my fingertips down his stomach, his body flinching at my touch. “Whatever I’m not understanding, I don’t care.”

  “You have to.”

  I blinked back into reality. Could I truly be bound to Zeke? I was the one who initiated the advances toward him. Didn’t I? Wait. I knew I did.

  “Come, Genesis. I’ll take you home...with me…where you belong,” Sterling said, outstretching his palm with a smug look plastered on his face. It was as if he’d won a battle.

  Flickers of being shoved from Ascension played through my head as I wiggled my fingers, remembering the vivid pain he’d caused me…on more than one occasion. Visions of the hate on Sterling’s face were crystal clear. “No,” I hoarsely whispered.

  Sterling’s frame shook with rage, and it felt as if hours passed as he glared at me. “You have no right to deny me! When you died…”

  The last three words triggered memories inside my head that I’d fought so hard to bury deep.

  When you died.

  When you died.

  When you died.

  The colorful past called out to me, the worst form of punishment imaginable. It was too much as emotion took hold of my heart, tightening around it like a thousand poisonous snakes, and I swallowed a sob.

  “I didn’t mean to kill us!” I shouted into the wind, immediately clamping my hand over my mouth.

  11

  “Us?” Sterling’s face contorted into a look that resembled confusion. “Who are us? You were alone in that car.”

  I remained quiet, wishing I could take it all back…everything.

  “His voice intensified and he gritted his teeth as the ground shook beneath him. “Who! Are! Us?”

  Without thinking, I reached down and rested my hands across my abdomen, the past too much to bear as it took me over.

  * * *

  I pulled up to the winding gravel driveway, the wheels of my silver sports car crunching while a plume of dust rose behind me. The clouds on the horizon were an ominous shade of gray, and a clap of thunder boomed overhead. A burst of white lightning blazed across the sky, illuminating everything to an unnatural degree for a brief moment.

  Grassy fields spanned either side of the house, gently rolling hills of emerald green blanketing the ground in the distance. Jagged mountains served as a backdrop to the Victorian-style home, and I vowed it would be where I’d die. Little did I know—that was the truth.

  I let out a sigh of relief as I pulled up alongside an immaculate flowerbed full of oversized blossoms in luscious shades of yellow, blue, and orange. Glancing at the matching floral tattoo on my shoulder, I smiled. A reminder to be myself.

  Glancing down at the ridiculously large diamond on my left hand that flopped against my pinky when I was cold, I smiled. Even after traveling the rough road in a tumultuous relationship, I was convinced having a wedding would make everything better. All marriages had rough patches, right? In the eyes of everyone, I was still a newlywed. “Today marks a new beginning,” I whispered to myself.

  Getting out of the car, I gripped the door and nudged it shut with my hip. I was able to catch an early flight, and I wanted my presence to be a surprise.

  Tiptoeing my way up the porch to the wraparound deck, I slip
ped my expensive heels off and hooked my fingers through the straps. Taking a deep breath, a smile manifested on my face. Going forward, everything would improve. I was sure of it.

  I thought about going in through the garage or knocking on the front door, but I wanted the element of surprise when I waltzed in six hours early. Instead, I slid my shiny new house key into the keyhole. Furrowing my brow, I realized it was a wasted effort. The deadbolt was already unlocked.

  I nudged the solid oak door open; everything was quiet inside. The white wine-colored carpeting suffocated the sound of my footsteps as I made my way throughout the newly constructed house. Maybe he’s not here. I set my purse down on the island in the kitchen.

  “Hello?” I called out quietly.

  Nothing.

  With my hand gripping the railing, I made my way up the cylindrical staircase, each step leaving my heart hammering harder in my chest.

  “Anyone here?” I asked, my voice nothing more than a shaky whisper. I reached the landing of the second floor and bit my lip as I focused on a sliver of light. It was quickly accompanied by voices.

  “God, your ass is so fucking tight,” a male voice said. “Genesis is such a prude. She never lets me punch her in the brown starfish.”

  I froze.

  “Well, it’s good she’s not here then. I swear, every time you pound my back door, your cock feels bigger than last time,” another familiar voice grunted.

  “Baby, keep talking like that and I’m gonna explode inside of you. I can’t believe this is the fourth time we’ve banged today.”

  The female snorted in laughter.

  With my feet willing me to run in the other direction, I knew I had to face the truth. It wasn’t the first time I’d suspected “him” of cheating, and if I didn’t deal with it now, it wouldn’t be the last.

  “I’m so fucking tired of pretending. Genesis is nothing compared to you,” he said, the words a low blow as my heart tightened in my chest.

  I shook with rage and continued to walk until I was right outside the door. The sound of flesh slapping, the smell of sex, and the familiar creak of a bed left me sick to my stomach.

  With one swift motion, I shoved the door open, the knob crashing into the wall behind it.

  The imagery was similar to how I’d imagined it.

  A male was plunging his dick into the ass of my best friend, thrusting her while her hands were tied to the bedposts, facedown. I’d had my suspicions, but I’d forced the thoughts aside, believing I was overreacting to situations. There wasn’t proof—until that moment.

  “Sterling,” I said, careful to keep the tone in my voice even. “We’re getting a divorce.”

  My husband stopped mid-thrust and his head whipped around just as he’d climaxed, a familiar grunt escaping his lips as he gripped Eliza’s hips tight. “Genesis,” he groaned. “It’s not what you think?”

  “Did you seriously just make that into a question?” I exclaimed.

  Silence.

  Additional words failed me. I turned around and hurried down the stairs, almost falling three times as I raced for the front door, thankful my keys were still in my grip. With quaking hands, I fought for the right key as the rain started, heavy droplets splatting against the dry, cracked earth.

  I glanced up at the doorway and saw it open as Sterling barreled after me, wearing nothing but a dishtowel held atop his junk. The weight of the wedding ring was too much of a reminder as I yanked it off, throwing it at Sterling. I opened the car door and slammed it shut behind me, wasting no time as I revved the engine.

  He’d caught up to me and braced the hood of the car with his palms. “Gen, stop!”

  “Two words,” I seethed, gesting toward him with my middle fingers. “Fucking pre-nup! You’re getting nothing out of this!”

  “Stop being irrational!” The raindrops were falling harder now. “Let’s talk about it!”

  “We just got married and you’re ass-fucking Eliza? Get of my way!” I bared my teeth as I jutted the car in his direction a few inches.

  “Quit being a conniving bitch!” he shouted, slamming his beefy fist into the hood. “We can figure this out!”

  I spun out gravel in my wake as I took off, forcing him to dive out of the way. The car barreled down the street at top speed, the windshield wipers barely able to keep up with the pouring rain, a matching trail of tears streaming down my face.

  I needed to calm down, but I couldn’t force the images out of my head. Sterling. Eliza. My bed. I should’ve listened to my intuition sooner—and everyone else’s.

  From behind me, I could see the pale beams of headlights bobbing, and I immediately recognized Sterling’s massive truck as he gained on me. “Fuck,” I muttered. The only reason he was following me was my wallet. Wiping my eyes with the back of my left hand, I drove toward the outskirts of town, knowing I craved solitude. I needed nothingness and time to think.

  Alcohol. Licking my lips, I knew it was what I wanted, and it was the medicine I couldn’t touch. Touching my stomach gently, I felt badly for the baby…Sterling’s baby.

  Sheets of rain were relentless as they pummeled the window, the world a mottled blur as the wipers squeaking in repetition. I squinted into the rearview mirror. Sterling was a short distance behind me now, and I could make out the faint silhouette of someone sitting in the passenger seat, gesturing wildly. Eliza. I pushed them from my mind. The headlights illuminated the road in front of me, the thin beams disappearing in a cloud of fog that’d crept in. Just get away, Genesis.

  I jammed my foot on the accelerator, mashing it to the floor. Determination filled me—get away from the chaos that invaded my life as quickly as possible. And trust me, I what happened next couldn’t have granted my wish more than it did.

  As clear as day, I could still recall every detail. Squealing. The bridge approaching, the giant puddle of water spanning the road from the flash flood. Crunching. It was too late. Spinning. Instinctively, I mashed my feet on the brakes, but it was a wasted effort. Bracing. The car fishtailed both left, and then to the right as the riverbank became impossibly close before I was pulled over the edge and into the rushing water. Splash. As my car turned and bobbed, I saw Sterling’s truck immediately follow suit after me. Impact.

  Darkness.

  I had no idea how much time passed before I regained consciousness in the water-filled car. Lolling my head back and forth, I reached up and touched a sticky substance on the side of my head as I forced my eyes open. Horrible abdominal cramping coursed through me and I couldn’t help myself as I hunched over, groaning. At that moment, I knew I was losing the baby as my car bobbed down the river, sinking rapidly.

  “Shit!” I muttered to myself as I rammed my shoulder against the door, trying desperately to gain freedom. The water was becoming darker and murkier as the fast-moving river filled the car, pulling me…us downward to the bottom.

  All I was left with was an air pocket as I fought the door handle. With my legs numb and refusing to work, I pressed my lips against the roof of the car as I took my final breath, crying for someone to save me…us, begging for forgiveness for my sins before my lungs collapsed, forcing me to drown.

  * * *

  “Genesis.”

  I heard my name twice in a blurred echo more before I was pulled back to the present.

  “Huh?” I blinked rapidly.

  Looking around, I noticed that Sterling’s body was in a misshapen heap on the ground, a pool of blood surrounding him. Fires blazed in the distance and a cloud of smoke trailed to the sky.

  “You blacked out,” Zeke said, gripping my hand.

  I took a deep breath. “What just…”

  “We can talk about that later.

  For the first time, I noticed Zeke was covered in blood too. I reached out and traced my fingers down his bicep. “Is that…” My eyes flicked to Sterling.

  He nodded. “And there’ll be repercussions for what I did. I have to go…now,” he said, pursing his lips.

  �
��I don’t—”

  “You need to make a choice. Back to Ascension or stay in Hell.” Either way,” he pulled a lighter from his pocket and a white envelope smeared with blood, “you belong to no one.”

  I stared at the envelope with my name scrawled in black marker as Zeke flicked the lighter, a brilliant flame singeing the corner, flames licking at it as the edges curled. I watched as the paper burned, and all that was left was a piece of ash that was whisked away in the breeze.

  “I don’t care if it’s the beginning of my end,” I gulped and locked eyes with him. “Until the end of time, there’s only one demon I want to face and he’s you.”

  VOID

  Pyxi Rose

  ©Text Copyright 2014 Pyxi Rose

  I am not a good girl. I don't say please and thank you. I am not the girl you bring home to meet the folks. I don't say my prayers at night. In fact, I don't pray. To believe in God is to submit to a man and I refuse to submit to anyone especially not a man. I don't think before I speak. I don't forgive when I am wronged. I am sinner; some might even call me a whore. Fuck them. All of them. Sex feels good and I am not one to deny myself any kind of pleasure. I am unchained and reckless. For that, I am the beast.

  They say the evil in me comes from my soul. They are wrong. I don't have one. I am nothing and no one; a fox among wolves. I prefer to hunt unseen. And for that you will know nothing of me or my crimes unless I want you to. You don't know me yet, but once you do...you will never, ever forget me.

  Tracker, tracker...

  'Definitely, not how I saw this day ending...' was my first thought as I struggled against my bonds. Of course, I thought blood would be shed just not my own and I certainly didn't think this fat bastard would be lying in wait for me when I came here to do my job. Fucking prick...

  I took the hit directly across my mouth, blood spraying from a busted lip and split cheek. I laughed, the sound cold, hinting to my madness. If they only knew the depth of my darkness.

  "Where is she, bitch?" The fat man growled before hitting me again. This time he wore a set of brass knuckles and the bite of pain wasn't as delicious as the first slap. I spit a mouthful of blood at my abuser, the dark liquid arching across his white shirt. It's the little things in life. With my hands bound to the chair and my body fighting the change, it was the only thing I could do. I wanted to provoke him so he would provoke me then the real fun could begin.