by Laurèn Lee
Liam raised his fist and threw an excruciating blow to Adriel’s left eye. Adriel stumbled backward, cursing. After regaining his balance, he charged toward Liam, who ducked out of the way with ease. Adriel stopped himself against the wall and turned around with venom in his eyes. He charged Liam again, only for Liam to grab him by his neck and raise him two feet off the floor. Adriel’s feet dangled as he tried to kick Liam to no avail.
“You’re wasting my time, Adriel. No more.” Liam tossed Adriel against the bar, narrowly missing Charlotte. Adriel toppled over the bar top and landed on his back. Charlotte leaned over the bar to see if he was okay.
“Adriel, stay down! Don’t get up, please!”
Adriel looked up to Charlotte shamefully. “I’m sorry,” he whispered as his eyes fluttered closed.
Charlotte’s heart raced as her next breath caught in her throat. She whipped around to look at Liam with disgust.
He yawned. “He’s not dead, love. But, if you don’t come with me, I will fix that.”
Charlotte nodded and looked apologetically over to Mary Elizabeth and Cyndy huddled against the wall. Charlotte noticed the bleeding stopped, but Cyndy still looked as though she’d been struck by a moving vehicle.
With every step toward Liam, Charlotte’s heart grew heavier. She didn’t want to leave Adriel and her friends behind, but she knew if she didn’t acquiesce to Liam, someone else would be hurt, or worse, killed.
“Ready, darling?” Liam asked.
Charlotte spat in his face. “I hate you.”
Liam snickered as he wiped his face clean. “You’re so beautiful when you’re enraged.”
Liam grabbed Charlotte’s arm, and much to her dismay, they left The Hairy Dog together.
20
Once Liam and Charlotte disappeared from the bar, everyone scurried about inside. The bikers and other daytime drinkers exited the bar in record time, leaving Cyndy, Adriel and Mary Elizabeth alone.
Cyndy had never seen the bar so empty during the day. Usually she had to beg her customers to leave at some point so she could clean up or get some sleep. But now that it was empty, she wouldn’t be able to do much cleaning in this state. She was sure she’d broken a rib or two.
Mary Elizabeth helped ease Cyndy off the floor and assisted her to a chair where she could sit and catch her breath. Her chest rose and fell rapidly as she painfully blinked in confusion.
“You okay back there?” Cyndy called out to Adriel, who still hadn’t gotten up from behind the bar.
“I think he’s out cold,” Mary Elizabeth said quietly.
“What the fuck?” Cyndy panted. “I can’t believe Charlotte is engaged to that asshole!”
Mary Elizabeth nodded. “He’s a very evil man—er—demon.”
“Could he have hurt you?” Cyndy questioned cautiously.
Mary Elizabeth sighed. “Under ordinary circumstances, I could have easily sent him back to the depths of hell.”
“So, what’s different about him, then?”
“He’s not an ordinary demon,” Mary Elizabeth began. “He’s very powerful. Maybe one of the most powerful demons I’ve ever come across, besides Lucifer, of course.”
“That doesn’t sound good,” Cyndy said, rubbing her temples.
“Not at all. He’ll have a weak spot, though. Everyone does.”
“A little help over here?” Adriel moaned.
Cyndy shook her head as Mary Elizabeth stalked to Adriel’s side. “Up and at ‘em.” She pulled Adriel to his feet as his head lolled to the side. Dirt and dust covered his clothes, and blood trickled from his nose.
“Ouch,” he said and closed his eyes tightly.
“You got your ass kicked by a demon,” Cyndy said. “No wonder it hurts.”
“I could have taken him,” Adriel pouted.
The women looked at each other and smiled. “Sure,” Cyndy said, drawing out the word sarcastically.
“What are we doing to do now?” Adriel asked.
“We need to come up with a plan,” Mary Elizabeth said. “We need to figure out how to save Charlotte and take down Liam.”
“How?” Cyndy asked. “You saw how powerful he is. What can we ever do to stop him?”
“I’ll have to think about it,” Mary Elizabeth replied. “All I know is that I have my vendetta against Liam, and he needs to pay.”
Adriel looked puzzled. “What do you mean? How do you know Liam?”
“I don’t know him personally,” she admitted. “But one of his victims was the great, great, great, granddaughter of my best friend growing up. When we were children, we promised to always protect each other. Then, I died, but I wanted to keep my promise. I watched over Tabitha from Heaven and her family, too. However, I failed to protect Maggie, and Liam murdered her in cold blood.”
“Angels carry grudges, huh? I would never have guessed,” Cyndy said.
Mary Elizabeth shrugged. “It’s hard to let go of the past sometimes. It’s even harder to admit I failed in protecting my friend’s family. There’s so much in life I never had the chance to accomplish. I wanted to become a mother but was never able to have children. I wanted to marry a man, preferably Adriel, but never had the chance. I wanted more out of life than to be murdered in my prime. Of course, I’m happy to have the opportunity to serve God and help others, but often I find it difficult to move forward.”
Cyndy looked to Adriel and Mary Elizabeth. “You sure get around, huh, Addy?”
Adriel groaned. “Can we focus on Liam right now and not my past transgressions?”
Mary Elizabeth giggled. “You were a ladies man! You had me wrapped around your finger.”
“You and me both, girl,” Cyndy agreed.
“Moving on,” Adriel interrupted. “What are we going to do about saving Charlotte? We can’t leave her with him. He’s a monster.”
“We will first need to figure out where he’s keeping her. Then, we’ll have to wait until he leaves her alone before we swoop in,” Mary Elizabeth said.
“We can’t wait that long! He could be hurting her right now!” Adriel cried.
Mary Elizabeth stepped over to Adriel, who sat in a chair across from Cyndy. She patted his back lovingly. “I know you love her, Adriel, but we can’t just show up there without a plan. If you think what he did now was bad, wait until we’ve truly made him angry. If we want to save Charlotte, we’ve got to be smart, okay?”
Adriel begrudgingly nodded. “Okay, you’re right.”
“I think I need a drink,” Cyndy said.
“Amen,” Adriel agreed.
“I’ve never had liquor,” Mary Elizabeth admitted.
“Never?” Cyndy asked, aghast.
“I was killed before I ever tried a sip.”
“Girl, let’s get you a shot of bourbon while we figure out what to do next.”
“I’ll take two,” Adriel said.
Cyndy pulled herself up out of the chair and limped over to the liquor behind the bar. She poured several shots, and while Adriel and Mary Elizabeth raised their shot glasses, Mary Elizabeth hesitated, peering into the alcohol in her glass. Adriel nudged her and winked.
Cyndy said, “Here’s to taking down that demon bastard and getting our girl back!”
The three clinked glasses and tossed their shots back masterfully. Mary Elizabeth cringed at the taste, and Adriel smirked.
“You’ll get used to the taste someday.”
“That…burns,” Mary Elizabeth choked.
“Buck up, buttercup,” Cyndy said as she poured another round. “If we’re going to take on a psycho demon, we’ll need a little liquid courage.”
21
Liam and Charlotte arrived home soon after leaving The Hairy Dog. Neither spoke as Liam unlocked their front door. Charlotte pushed him aside and strode into their home.
“Nuh-uh-uh! Not so fast,” Liam sang.
“Leave me alone,” Charlotte hissed, her cheeks reddened.
“I’m not going to let you get away again,” he growle
d.
Liam leapt to Charlotte’s side, grabbed her arm once again and pulled her toward the basement door.
“Ouch! Let me go! What are you doing?” Panic coursed through her body. She knew he was capable of inflicting unimaginable pain, but deep down, she never thought he’d hurt her. At least she hoped he wouldn’t.
“Taking you to your new room, love.”
“The basement? Why are you taking me there?”
“You cannot be left to your own devices.”
Liam opened the basement door, still grasping Charlotte’s arm where a bruise began to form from his unyielding grip. He snapped his fingers, and the dim glow of the lights at the bottom of the staircase flipped on.
Charlotte tugged and pulled with all of her might, but she couldn’t escape Liam’s grasp upon her arm. It was almost as though he had the power of the Jaws of Life within his control.
“What are you going to do with me down here?” Charlotte asked as her lip quivered.
“For one, I’m going to make sure you can’t get away again.”
They reached the landing of the steps, and the hellish nightmare of what covered the walls hit Charlotte like a punch to the stomach. The faces of the other girls Liam murdered while still human stared at her pleadingly from the wall. Would she become one of them? Would she, too, be killed only to become another “accomplishment” to Liam?
Finally, Charlotte stopped fighting her fiancé and allowed him to lead her to the corner of the dingy basement, which bore no windows to the outside. Screwed into the stone wall was a rusty chain, no doubt used for past torture. Charlotte could only imagine the suffering endured at Liam’s hands within her basement walls. She noticed a plethora of scratches etched into the stone; her stomach turned sour, and bile rose in her throat.
Despite her fury and anguish, heartbreak wove its way through Charlotte as well. Women died down here. How many of them took their last breaths while she went about her life only a floor above? How did she not know what was happening in her own home? Shame muddled and mixed within the other emotions flooding her consciousness. Had she been more aware, could she have saved their lives? Could she have done more? Survivor’s guilt squeezed viciously at her soul, or whatever was left of it.
In the back of her mind, she wondered if her soul would ever be returned to her in its entirety. It seemed like yesterday she agreed to willingly hand over her soul to Adriel in exchange for the promise that her fiancé’s life would be spared.
Now Liam shackled her in dirty chains to the wall of her basement. She was stuck in the confines of a torture chamber where other women were brutally murdered. Charlotte chuckled to herself at the insanity of the situation.
“What’s so funny?” Liam sneered.
“Oh, nothing. Just the fact that only a few weeks ago, we were happily in love and preparing to plan our wedding. Now, you’re keeping me hostage and have become a murderous lunatic.”
“Life isn’t always what it seems, Charlotte.”
“I guess not. So, what do you plan on doing now that I’m out of your hair?”
“I need to work on building up a demonic army, of course.”
Charlotte scoffed. “Yeah, okay.”
“I’m serious,” Liam replied stiffly.
“How do you plan on doing that, huh?”
“It’s easier than you think! To create a demon, all I need to do is kill someone, and just as they perish, I need to put a piece of my soul back into their body.”
“That doesn’t make sense,” Charlotte said as she shifted uncomfortably in her chains. “If you put a piece of yourself into them, then how are they their own person and not just a replica of you?”
“Poof! It’s magic!” Liam acted out an explosion with his hands.
“Well, that doesn’t explain how you became a demon,” Charlotte began. “You didn’t technically die, and Adriel certainly didn’t put a piece of his soul inside you.”
“How do you know he didn’t?”
“He would have told me,” Charlotte said.
“Oh, that’s right. You two are like an item now, right? You know how to pick them, Charlotte.”
“Yeah, don’t I, darling fiancé of mine?” Charlotte spat back.
“You’re right, though. Adriel did not turn me into a demon. I was turned while I was still in a coma.”
Charlotte gazed at Liam impatiently as she waited for him to continue.
“Oh? You want the whole story?”
“Might as well. It’s not like I have any place to be.” She scowled.
“Lucifer came to me while I lay in the hospital bed unconscious, my life teetering on the edge of death. Lucifer claimed he was drawn to me, that he’d never felt a more powerful pull to another’s soul. He said it was death at first sight, and he promised to turn me as soon as he could. He feared his right-hand man’s allegiance would soon fade. He needed a new demon he could count on. He chose me. Once Adriel lost his powers, Lucifer transferred them to me, and then some. I’m more powerful than your little boyfriend could ever dream of being.”
Charlotte shuddered. “That is insane. It sounds like it’s from a movie or book. It can’t be real.”
“Well, it is, darling. It is.”
“All right, then. Let’s say for a second that I believe you want to create demons, too. Why would you need a demon army in the first place?”
“My sire has ordered me to do so.”
“You? Are you taking orders from someone else? Wow, I must be dreaming.”
“Laugh all you want, dear Charlotte, but it won’t take long for you to believe me.”
“Why do you need a demon army?”
“Why would I tell you?” Liam hissed as he squatted down to stroke Charlotte’s cheek.
Charlotte flinched at his touch and scooted farther back against the basement wall. “Tell me,” she urged.
Liam yawned. “Well, if you must know, the army is going to help Lucifer destroy Heaven and become the most powerful immortal being ever to rule.”
“Destroy Heaven? That’s impossible.” Charlotte shuddered at the thought.
“Nothing is impossible, my love.”
“Can you stop calling me that already? It’s disgusting.” Charlotte’s lips turn upward in disgust.
“I’ll never stop loving you, Charlotte.” Liam stared deeply into her eyes.
“Then, I feel bad for you. I stopped loving you the moment I found out what kind of monster you are.”
“I’m not a monster; I simply live differently than most.”
“Yeah, because most people don’t go on murderous rampages and strive to take over the world,” Charlotte retorted. “It’s too late for forgiveness, but why are you like this, Liam? You could have been anything you wanted to be. Why did you choose to be evil?”
“Evil is power, Charlotte. I didn’t want to be weak.” Liam shrugged.
“You’re not, though. You’re smart and successful. Why did you have to murder and rape those women?” A tear slid down Charlotte’s cheek. “We could have had an amazing future together.”
“Some people are born with the desire to kill. There’s no other way to explain it. My parents loved me, and I didn’t suffer abuse as a child. I don’t have any explanation to give you.”
“I don’t believe you. There has to be a reason why you are the way you are. Tell me! What do you have to lose?”
“Enough. Believe what you will, but you have a choice to make, now.”
“What choice?”
“You must choose to stick with me—or fight against me and die.”
Charlotte rolled her eyes. “You wouldn’t kill me, Liam.”
“Oh? I wouldn’t?”
He grasped her neck and squeezed tightly. Charlotte flung her arms about and even tried scratching at Liam’s face. Despite her efforts, Liam only gripped more tightly around her windpipe. Charlotte’s vision grew spotty and began to fade to black. At the very last moment before she lost consciousness, Liam let go and steppe
d back.
“Don’t underestimate me. For a time, I put you first. That time is over.”
Charlotte gasped for air and rubbed her neck. “Bastard!” she choked.
“I know deep down you still care for me.”
“Absolutely not! Which is why I don’t understand why you still want me? You could have anyone you wanted. I’m sure you could find a demon in Hell who wouldn’t care about your murderous, pig-headed self. Why me?”
“You’re beautiful, smart, funny, and I can’t imagine myself with anyone else.”
“I don’t love you, though. Why stick around?” She stared at him intently.
“I may be evil; I may be a demon, but I can’t help who I love, Charlotte. You will be mine again someday.”
“Doubt it. But I’m still curious about one more thing,” she said, her voice raspy from loss of oxygen.
“Hmmm?”
“When we first met, I searched for your name online, and barely anything came up. Why?” Charlotte bit her lip.
“You stalked me before our date? How adorable.” Liam turned his head to the side and smiled.
“Shut up, Liam. Answer the question.”
“I don’t have the perfect background. Believe it or not, my family has quite the record of crime. I didn’t want anyone to find out about that.”
“So you’re not the only evil person in your family? I’m shocked.” Charlotte rolled her eyes.
“There, I answered your question. I wiped my existence from the internet so you, or anyone else, couldn’t research me. Apparently, it was successful if you came up empty-handed.”
“You’re full of surprises.” Charlotte rolled her eyes.
“You enjoy your stay down here, okay? If you need me, I’ll be out prowling the streets of Buffalo building my demon army.”
