Heaven to Hell (A Naughty Box Production Book 1)

by Rue Volley

  “You’re right. That was out of line. I apologize.” She rested the palms of her hand flat on the desk and took a deep breath

  “Funny how he shows up and I start to see sides of you I didn’t know existed. Is that what you’re hiding? Why you’re so upset? All he did was talk. What’s your favorite color, when’s your birthday. All the things anyone would ask the child they didn’t know they’d had. Am I saying he’s on the up-and –up? No. But regardless, he’s my father, and I want to get to know him. Give him a chance to screw the pooch. Whatever experience you had with him was just that, yours, not mine. You never even gave him a chance with me… you must know that.”

  “You know why I did that!”

  “Explain it to me, please. Beyond his name and title, because that was just fine when you were falling from heaven, and I’m not trying to be an ass or hurt you, Mom. I just need the truth. Did he hit you? Cheat on you?”

  She shook her head each time and her stomach sank.

  “Then why.”

  “Because he would have taken something that was meant to be a beautiful gift, and ruined it, its what he’s best at.”

  “What If he wouldn’t have?”

  The horror that filled her mother’s eyes cut like a serrated blade.

  “Don’t you think I ask myself that every damn day of my life! How could I take that risk with you? He would’ve never let you go Heavenleigh. He couldn’t have known you were here for more than a day at most, maybe hours, and he was topside. Had you been born down there you would still be there.”

  “Why was it okay for you?” Heavenleigh fisted her hands as she struggled to hold back her temper

  Her mother shook her head

  “Why!”

  “Because I used to be an angel! I couldn’t resist the lure. You already had demon blood running through your veins! I kept you as far away from that influence as long as I could so you could become the person you wanted to be.”

  Heavenleigh gasped, and clutched her chest. The words delivered a blow so powerful it felt physical. Her vision swam and she sucked down air. This has always been about me. She’s scared of what I’m capable of! Thinking back to the violent episodes of her youth … she couldn’t blame her mother.“M-my fault. This is all my fault. I always knew… I always knew.” Her mind raced. The mini fires she set without meaning too. The fits of rage, and reddish eyes. She stood from the chair, and it toppled back onto the floor. “I have to go.”

  “Heavenleigh—.”

  “No! Space, just give me some space.” Opening the door with her powers she rushed outside, through the bar, ignoring the looks the confused girl’s bartending gave, and out into the open air. Desperate to escape she did something she rarely allowed herself to do and released her wings. The raven black feathers blew in the light breeze. She pushed against the ground and launched herself in the sky revealing in the darkness that crept into her heart. Running had landed her mother in this predicament she wouldn’t do it any longer.

  As the darkness fell over the land she coasted on the breeze. Her hair blew behind her like a banner. It felt… good! Before her demon side had been a plague ravaging her from the inside and threatening to take over. Now it was balanced… Yophiel’s grace. Angel Man, you’ve saved me yet again. For the first time ever, being a child of two worlds felt… right.

  Chapter Three

  I fucked up. I should’ve told her long before now. The words that ran through Layla’s head meant nothing now. It was too late. Heavenleigh was off pissed at her, Lucifer hated her guts like the fires of a thousand suns, and to be honest she did too. All of this because she was afraid of what the child she’d conceived might grow to be. I never should’ve listened to them. They told me I’d regret it one day, and when she was conceived. Her weakness embarrassed her. However, back then she’d been so naïve. Angels had their issues, same as everyone else. She should’ve remembered that. What am I going to do about it now? That was the important question, wasn’t it? Make it right. First step… make peace with her husband

  Reaching inside to the glyphs etched onto her bones that hid her from prying eye she burned them away with her power. Her connection to hell hummed to life. Locking onto the power she was sucked into the vortex, headed back to the home she’d abandoned. Her stomach bottomed out, fluttered and rolled the way it did when you were on a rollercoaster. It was a ride she wanted to get off. Her vision swam and her head grew light. It’d been a long time since she’d traveled like this

  She landed on the black tar surface, hard. Heat enveloped her. Her lungs shrank away from the thick, smoke laden, air. Black shadows crept around her

  “I’d say you made a wrong turn angel face.”

  She turned to face the olive-skinned man never far from her husband’s side. “Judas.”

  His dark eyes narrowed. “What are you doing here Night? It’s safe to say you know your welcome was revoked when you left.”

  “I need to see him.”

  “After all this time you think you can just waltz in here and make demands?” he laughed. A gruff sound that made her guts twist and turn. “You shouldn’t have come.” Judas snapped his fingers and shadows formed into gray figures made of ash and burning bits. Fear rose in her chest. She kept her face blank as she dug her heels into the dust laden ground and stood to her full six feet

  “How dare you speak to me this way?” Her voice echoed off the craggy outcroppings. “Am I not still your Queen? Wither you like it or not!” Judas’s jaw dropped. She held her hand up and allowed the power to form a golden flame. “My skin is not yours to flay. Take me to my husband… now!”

  His lips formed a thin line and he gave a jerky nod. A few disorientating seconds later she found herself in front of onyx colored door carved with ancient runes. The wards pulsed, hummed to life. Finding her harmless they returned to their slumber

  “He’s there.” Judas’ s eyes darted from left to right. “I’m making myself scarce. I won’t be getting caught in the crossfire of this.”

  She held her hand up to the door and held her breath. It clicked open stunning her. He hadn’t changed the wards in all this time? She stepped inside and the doors slammed behind her. The lights went up and she found him seated in black, leather chair

  “I’ve waited almost a century for this moment. To watch you come back and beg me for something. The way I did when you left me, do you remember that Night?”

  “Yes,” she whispered. The foyer that used to welcome him home seemed cold. There was no fire in the hearth behind him and the couches were black leather

  “I figure you want something. If I say no, you’ll be humiliated because you made the trip for nothing. If I say yes, it’ll come with a horrific set of clauses. So I win, or I win.” The maniacal laughter that spilled from his perfectly shaped lips sent an icy stab of fear through her bones. This was the side of him that scared her, though it’d never been directed toward her until now. “So tell me what brings you down here to … slum.” He splayed his elegant fingers over the arms of the couch and leaned back, observing her

  “Our daughter.”

  “Oh… she’s our daughter now? Funny how that changed as soon as I caught wind of it.”

  “She’s always been your daughter, Lucifer, that was the problem.” She was pinned to the door, lifted off her feet and held by her throat before she could think to react. Damn, I forgot how fast he is. He didn’t harm her, or exert pressure, but his point came across loud and clear

  “You’d better watch how you talk to me now Night. You’re no longer in my favor, wife or not.”

  “I meant it literally.” She licked her lips. “It was why I left, her duality…this place would’ve eaten her alive. Between the pull to be dark and the call of the light, she wouldn’t have stood a chance. She needed a neutral place to learn control, how to balance, and thrive.”

  He lowered his hand and she slid down, grateful when her feet kissed the ground. “Go on.”

  “Even on the surface s
he ran into issues growing up, starting fires, fits of rage, and at times a pension for some very dark behavior. You were just starting to rebuild your army .I couldn’t allow her to be just another soldier.”

  “After two eons together you didn’t trust me enough to tell me?” His words twisted the knife into her gut. Shame weighed heavily on her

  “Not at that time… war was all you saw.” She shook her head.

  “It was my right to know. And why cheat?” Despite his aloof façade his voice held a hint of hurt

  “I had to make you believe it. You always saw through me like glass. I needed to ...” She shook her head

  He narrowed his eyes leaned forward to peer deep into her brown eyes. His red gaze burned her. “That was a lie too wasn’t it?”

  “Y-yes.” Her lower lip trembled. Relief slammed into her like a seven ton. Finally after all this time he knew the truth.

  He tsked. “What am I to do with you? You knew when we joined our souls our bound could never truly be broken. Marriage to the king of hell is eternal, it was in the contract. Now you return to tell me your mass exodus was in the best interest of my child.” He frowned. “It does nothing to quell my anger. I am not appeased. Did you think your revelation would soften me in some way?”

  “No.” Ashamed she kept her gaze trained on the ground. A part of her had hoped. Too many romantic comedies had her thinking she had a snowballs chance in hell of a happily ever after. “I came to make a deal.”

  “What would you have that I can’t take?” His sneer felt like an open hand smack to the face. Her heart stuttered. All the years she’d been pinning he’d grown his hate. It was an impossible situation of her own making. She wanted to open up, tell him how difficult the years had been. That she’d never stopped loving him. Instead she buried her head in the sand like an ostrich and prayed for the best

  “Me.” Guess I really am a coward

  “Are you really that self centered?” He scoffed

  “My freedom in exchange for the prophecy, we both know if you managed to convince Heavenleigh to open that gate, all the powers in heaven will be after her. She’ll never be safe. The life she has now will be in ruins. The only place she’ll have to go is here, and over time…you know exactly what will happen to her.”

  “We’d be out. Protection wouldn’t be an issue.” He scoffed.

  “She’s a child of the light too. What do you think being enclosed in darkness indefinitely would do? Some of these people are here for a very good reason. Unleashing them would be like swallowing the sun. Is your need to prove a point worth that?” She held her breath. Have I gone too far?

  “Details.” His voice was nonchalant but his eyes were anything but. His mind moved a mile a minute, always ten steps ahead.

  “I’m sorry,” she whispered

  “Hmmm.” He gave her a heated once over. “You probably will be. I need more details to truly consider your offer. What does… having you really mean?”

  Squeezing her eyes shut she balled her hands into fists. I knew we’d come to this, eventually. She licked her dry lips, peeled her eyelids open and met his cool stare. “What do you think it means?”

  “No games! You came here and propositioned me. So, you’d better come correct.”

  “It means… I’m your puppet. Is that what you wanted to hear?” Just when I thought I couldn’t sink any lower he shows me I’m wrong. Typical for him in general, but it wasn’t a talent she’d ever expected to be on the receiving end of

  “No.”

  She balked. This is the only thing I have to barter. Is this a ploy to make me beg?

  “I want to hear you say you’re my slave.” A lustful leer twisted his face into something ugly

  “Are you starting now?” The bravado she placed in her tone conflicted with the desolate forest of her soul

  “I want to sample the good before I…” he grinned. “Purchase them.”

  “I’m your slave.” Uttering the words snapped the thin reed of hope she’d held for them into

  “Yes, you are.” He nodded

  * * *

  Her soul cried out and Yophiel had no choice but to answer. For once as he took to the night sky he felt no joy in the freedom of flight or wonder at the sight of the earth below, so tiny from this height. All of his attention was focused on the broken hearted distress signal, and the dark spots he saw creeping in like a storm cloud. He found Heavenleigh perched on a cliff, peering up at the round, fat, golden, harvest moon. With his enhanced vision he could see her wings clearly. The glossy black works of art had his fingers aching to caress them. Curbing his urge, he sat down beside her.

  “Do you want to tell me what happened?” he asked

  “Lucien… and my mother.” She shook her head and turned toward him. The depths despair visible in her eyes hit him like a sucker punch. “It’s my fault she ran. My potential for evil scared her away from what, as far as I can tell, was a really happy and fulfilling life.”

  “That’s not your fault.”

  “How can it not be? My birth royally fucked her life, his too. I always thought my father was abusive and it embarrassed her to admit it.” Heavenleigh snorted. “It was nothing like that.”

  Reaching his hand behind her he stroked down her downy feathers. They twitched in response and she leaned her body into his

  “I’ve been around a long time and you’d be amazed how the worst catastrophes yield the most beautiful things.”

  “Is this you tip toeing around trying to make me believe everything happens for a reason?”

  “No. This is me saying don’t wreck yourself over things you had no control over. Wait to see what happens in the after math of the bomb that exploded years ago.”

  “This isn’t making me feel better.” She narrowed her eyes

  He leaned in, tilted his head, and devoured her lips whole. Deepening the kiss he poured every ounce of love he had into the movement of their mouths in the silent dance. He brought his hand up to cup her face and angled it back, deepening the kiss. A moan rumbled in her chest and she pressed her upper body against his, smashing her firm breasts into his chest. Her rigid nipples teased him through the thin material of his shirt. She twisted, climbing into his lap. Her slender legs twined around his back and the warmth of her pussy spread to his dick. A roll of her hips made him groan. They pulled apart and he slid his hands down to grasp her hips

  “I want to show you something?”

  “Yeah, I can feel that.”

  Smiling he nuzzled her neck. “Not that. Trust me?”

  “With my life.”

  “Hold on tight.” He reached inside her with his mind, connected the pieces of grace that lived inside them, and concentrated. His body tingled, and he tightened his grip around her. “Hold tighter.” He whispered in her ear. She complied and they were sucked through the dimensions. When the world stopped spinning sunlight shone down on them. Water flowed from a natural waterfall in the body of crystal clear water beside them

  “Where are we?” The awe in her voice made him smile

  “The Garden of Eden, I wanted to show you what the good in you allowed. No truly evil person could step foot here. I can only be here because together we are one.” As many times as he’d visited the lush, green land dotted with bright pops of colorful flowers the view never got old. Trees full of blossoms long extinct offered them shade

  “This is …” She shook her head “The words gorgeous pales in comparison to the reality.”

  Smiling he moved to lay on his back. “This has always been one of my favorite places.” An ever present rainbow curved across the sky, brilliant against the light blue sky. Puffy, white, clouds broke up the azure canvas. Truly this was paradise unlike any he’d ever seen elsewhere

  She situated her body beside his, and curled up onto her side, facing him. “Thank you for sharing it with me.”

  “Of course my love.” Rolling onto his side he wrapped an arm around her, pulling her close. “How about we put on a sh
ow for the cherubs? Expressions of love are the ultimate gift for them.”

  “Well. I wouldn’t want to disappoint them.” Heavenleigh ran her fingers down his neck and he shivered. Darting in, he recaptured her lips. Rolling Yophiel placed her beneath him, removing their clothing with a thought. The breeze caressed his bare skin. He kneeled in front of her, gripped his cock, and ran it between her folds

  “You’re so wet.”

  “You seem to have that effect on me.” She gave a shaky laugh. He surged forward once more earning a gasp

  “Are you ready for me, Heavenleigh?”

  “Yes.” she whimpered

  “Then guide me home.” Gripping the base she brought him to her heated center and he pressed inside, inch by inch

  “You’re pussy is so greedy, look how it takes me in and holds me tight.” He slid his hands beneath her and she arched her back. His cock glistened with her juices. Hypnotized by the sight of creamy white enveloped in liquid caramel he pushed as deep as he could get, bottoming out again and again as she clutched the grass and met him stroke for stroke. She flexed her muscles and he growled. His hands gripped her hips tighter and he rocked inside her. Her yowl and the quiver of her walls brought him over the edge. Buried to the hilt he bit down on her collar bone, drawing blood as he filled her with his essence. The thick liquid burned like strong whiskey. Lapping at the skin he’d broken he healed her and moved to pull back

  “Not yet.”

  “Okay.” Resting his head on her shoulder he cherished the moment. He knew Lucifer well. His brother always had a plan. The concerned parent act wouldn’t last. He just wondered how bad the fallout would be when he went after what he truly desired

  Chapter Four