Safe Haven: Born In Hell Book 1

by Bella Claire

  I dragged my eyes to the chair across from Gage’s. There sat a man in a tight black t-shirt and jeans; each piece hugged every muscle on his body and showed off a full-sleeve tribal tattoo. His smirk informed me he, too, knew the thoughts running through my mind.

  I took that moment to glance at the man in the chair between them. He definitely had the sexy bad-boy look going on with his shaggy midnight-black hair and little bit of stubble. The way he was glaring at me, if looks could kill, I swear, I would have dropped dead right then. His burning crimson eyes stared at me with disgust, like I’d just pissed in his bowl of Cheerios. That snapped me out of whatever trance I was in. I wanted to know what the hell his problem was.

  With my temper flaring high and putting on the fakest smile I could muster, I repeated, “I said, what can I get you guys? I don’t have all day.”

  “Well, hello to you too, Haven, it’s nice to see you again. I think we’re all going to go with a cheeseburger and fries with a water to wash it down,” Gage answered for them all and continued speaking before I could ask any questions about their order. “But before you go put in our order, let me introduce you to my brothers. This macho man across from me is Tank.”

  “It’s nice to meet you, Haven.” Tank nodded as he addressed me, then ran his hand through his long dirty-blond hair, before smoothing down his beard. I suddenly found myself wanting to rub his beard with him. I started to open my mouth to respond to Tank, but Gage continued as he patted Mr. Grumpy on the back with a little more force than necessary. “And this handsome but grumpy fellow beside me is Easton. He isn’t known for his lovely personality, if you know what I mean.”

  Easton was still just sitting there sending me death threats through his narrowed eyes. At this point, I had no idea what to say, so I just nodded my head in acknowledgement and hightailed it to the back to put in their order. As soon as the swinging doors to the kitchen closed with a thud, Sam pounced.

  “Haven, what the hell was that? You have three guys that look like they should be from Magic Mike asking for you, and you basically ignored them. Girl, I would be flirting my ass off and taking all three of them home tonight to bump uglies,” Sam said as she trailed behind me, pretending to fan herself.

  “Sam, I don’t want to talk about it. There’s just something about them that doesn’t seem right,” I snapped. I wasn’t lying, just not telling the whole truth. The truth was, everything about them felt right, and that was the problem.

  “Are you being serious? Whatever you’re on, I want some. Anyway, their food is about to be up soon and when you take it to them, you should pull that shirt down, pop that ass out, and charm the socks right off their sexy asses!” Sam smacked my ass as she strode out to check on one of her tables.

  Maybe I was overreacting a little bit. I just needed to get my shit together and act like they didn’t faze me, even if the signals my body were sending me were a completely different story.

  “Haven, your order is up!” the cook called from behind the window.

  I grabbed their food and headed back out to the front. When I reached their table, I set their food down with more force than I intended causing some customers to jump. “Three burgers, fries, and your waters. Anything else I can get you?”

  “Besides going out with us tonight, I think we’re good,” Gage said with what I had come to learn as his trademark smirk.

  “I’m not sure what you boys think you will get out of this situation, but I think I’m kindly going to remove myself from it. I’ll go get your check, and you can leave your payment on the table. It was nice to meet you, Tank and Easton.” I smiled as politely as I could muster without it looking fake and went to go get their check. I didn’t know what I was doing. I had been hoping to see Gage again, but now that I had, I felt like I was ruining something by not giving him a chance.

  I strode to the back, trying to sway my hips more than usual, knowing three sets of eyes were watching me depart to the kitchen area. I waited a moment then I peeked my head around the corner to see them huddled together whispering so low that I was unable to make out their conversation. They dropped something on the square oak table and stalked to the front door, the bell dinging as they exited the diner.

  When I returned to their table, there were two one-hundred dollar bills sitting on top of it, along with a folded piece of paper. If I didn’t need the money, I would track them down to let them know I was not some charity case, but sadly, I did need the money. After I took care of their tab, that left me with over a one-hundred dollar tip. I decided to go ahead and open the note they had left and found they wanted me to meet them at Busky’s tonight. My eyes had just finished scanning the note when Sam came up and snatched it out of my hand. I narrowed my eyes at her while she read over it, a smile forming at the corner of her mouth.

  “Well, it looks like we’re going to Busky’s tonight. I’ll pick you up at nine, and since it’s Friday and we have off this weekend, we can party hard. Who knows, maybe you can even have that sausage fest I suggested last time!” Sam cheered before heading to the back door, my guess was to take a smoke break. Well, damn, looked like I had plans for the night.

  Barging our way over to the crowded bar, I looked around to see if a certain band of brothers were hanging around somewhere. After doing a thorough sweep of the place, I came to the conclusion they hadn’t arrived yet. I couldn’t help the disappointment that swelled deep in my chest.

  “Go ahead and give us two rounds of Jack Daniels to start,” Sam hollered, flagging down the bartender.

  He brought us our four shots of whiskey, and we picked one up in each hand. “To my best friend Sam,” I said, raising my glass.

  “And to getting laid tonight,” Sam finished our cheers. We clinked our glasses roughly together and slammed them down on the table with a bang.

  Throughout the night, we rotated between dancing and getting shots. I found myself constantly looking around for the brothers, but I never saw them. Disappointment settled in, and I tried to shake it off.

  Excusing myself from the dance floor, I swayed to the bathroom feeling the shots taking full effect. Thank God it wasn’t packed because I had to go bad. Leaving the stall and heading over to the sinks, I did a once over in the mirror, making sure everything was still in check and went back out to get my dance on again.

  Walking back out, I stumbled over my own feet. Someone grabbed my arm and spun me toward them. I looked up to thank the person, only to find Tank’s eyes lock with mine.

  He stared at me a moment, then leaned down to whisper in my ear, “Dance with me, angel?” His rough voice sounded like music to my ears.

  I nodded my head up and down to let him know I agreed since the music was blaring.

  Once we made our way out onto the dance floor, I was surprised to find that Tank actually had some rhythm. He didn’t strike me as the dancing type.

  I turned so that my back was facing his front and bent over, trying to bring my ass up to his package. He was over a foot taller than me, so he had to bend his knees for me to grind up against him while he held onto my waist.

  The bass was pumping and the beat got stronger, so I upped my tempo right along with it. Feeling Tank keeping up with me, I realized I loved dancing with him. I could tell he felt the same when I brushed against his impressive hard-on bulging through his black jeans, and I started to question how much longer I could continue with him behind me. I could feel my pussy beginning to get wet, begging for me to take him home and get a release, so I quickly turned around to face him.

  Apparently, that wasn’t a great idea. When I saw his lust-filled red eyes, I almost orgasmed right then and there. I had the greatest urge to throw my legs around him and kiss the fuck out of him.

  He could see it in my eyes because his expressionless face twisted up into a sexy smirk. That grin looked amazing on him, even if it wasn’t a full smile.

  “Thank you for the dance, glad you could keep up,” I said as I turned around and went to walk off th
e dance floor, but not before I saw his smile stretch to meet his eyes. He was fine as hell.

  Gage grabbed my hand before I made it all the way off, pulling me back out for a dance. He and Tank took turns dancing with me throughout the rest of the night, while Easton looked like he was ready to murder someone when I finally spotted him sitting at the bar. When it came time to leave, I was so worked-up that a cold shower was definitely in order as soon as I got home.

  Saying our goodbyes, and even getting a kiss on the cheek from Gage, I left with the hope of seeing them soon. This time, my feelings weren’t at war with each other. I was sure this was what I wanted.

  The night air felt light on my skin. I took my heels off a couple minutes after leaving the bar and held them as I continued on toward my apartment. I had found Sam before leaving the bar and told her I was heading home. At first, she argued that I shouldn't walk by myself and insisted her or one of the guys should walk with me, but I swiftly turned her down. I wanted some alone time to think things through, and this was the perfect time.

  Deciding I didn’t want to walk the whole twenty minutes home, I turned to take a shortcut through a back road, hoping to shave off about five minutes.

  Yes, I know what they say about girls and alleys and all that, but I was utterly exhausted. I’d be kidding myself if I said this back road wasn’t creepy. The couple of flickering alley lights, mixed with the eerie silence definitely gave off a horror movie feel. Also, the fact that there were ragged blankets, torn clothes, and leftover trash scattered up and down, and being it was completely deserted didn’t help. The alley had the appearance of a basic murder location you’d see on those homicide shows. I shivered with chills just thinking about it.

  Finally making my way to the main sidewalk, that same feeling of being watched washed over me. I quickly put a little pep in my step, and in no time, I was turning onto my street. As I got in front of my apartment, I saw a shadowy figure on my doorstep.

  It must have been the adrenaline that gave me some courage, because I marched straight up to my door without thinking things through. Clearly, I wasn’t prepared for what I was about to come face to face with.

  “Can I help you?” I asked with more confidence than I had.

  “Why hello, little one, I’m looking for an angel. You wouldn’t happen to know her, would you?” the strange man asked with an evil smirk.

  “I think you have the wrong house, you need to leave before I call the police,” I replied as I stepped to the side making more than enough space for him to leave.

  “I think I’ll stay for awhile. After all, it is you I’m after.” His body started to shimmer and a black mist consumed him from head to toe. I must have been in shock because I stood there like a dumbass and focused on him through the haze. I could see him transforming into some type of creature, his human body was now burgundy red with horns like a goat protruding from the top of his bald head. He had doubled in size, which made his shirt rip and fall away leaving only his now too small shorts bulging with tears all over. He was one nasty sight to behold. I shook my head as the severity of my situation sunk it.

  “What the fuck?” I screamed and turned around to take off, running at a speed that would be sure to impress The Flash. The more I pictured the stranger’s shark teeth and clawed fingers the faster I ran.

  I could feel his monstrous feet shaking the ground with every step he gained on me. I was losing distance fast, which made sense since every one of his steps probably equaled four of mine. My mind drew a blank as I tried to come up with any idea I could think of to get me out of this situation.

  Before I knew it, he was at my heels. I felt his giant hand push me down to the ground, but I managed to catch myself before any major damage could be done. I turned over on my back and saw one of his big burgundy fists coming straight at me. With a quick roll to my side, I just managed to escape a death punch to the face by inches.

  “Come on, little angel, this fight is not one you can win. I will try to make it as quick and painless as I can, but if you keep fighting back, I can, and will, make it as drawn out and brutal as possible.” His satanic voice carried to me while he flashed rows of pointed teeth. “I will make you beg on your hands and knees for me to end your miserable life before I’m done with you.”

  I quickly jotted a mental note to figure out why everyone kept calling me angel and put it away for later if somehow I managed to escape with my life.

  Taking off again, I tried to devise a plan but came up with nothing again. Suddenly, I was jerked back as this thing grabbed me by my hair and hauled me in the direction of my apartment. I screamed for help, but quickly noticed no one was hanging around outside, which was very unusual. I wondered if this monster had anything to do with that because surely someone would have noticed my predicament by now. Dread started to settle in as my hope of escape dwindled dramatically.

  “What do you want with me? Please, just let me go!” I pleaded, hearing my voice crack with fear.

  “What else would we want with you? We want you dead. It’s nothing personal, you just got the shit end of the deal, and it’s what the boss ordered,” the creature said, as if he'd said that line many times before. Shit, he probably had.

  “Whatever you are, I have no idea what you’re talking about, but I can promise you, you have the wrong person. Please, just let me go!” I tried to beg one more time.

  “I am Akmad, one of the high demons of Hell, and I assure you I don’t have the wrong person. I’m almost insulted that you question me.” He tried to smile at me around his rotten teeth before kicking open the door to my apartment.

  He threw me inside and took a wad of my hair with him. I landed with a hard thud and managed to hit my head on the corner of the coffee table. Stars swarmed all around, and for a second, I couldn’t make anything out. I heard the door slam just as my vision began to clear. Feeling the blood trickling down the side of my face, I looked up to see the demon licking his lips. Oh, my God, he was going to eat me. I tried to spot anything around me that I could use as a weapon, but came up empty. Still, I wouldn’t be going down without a fight.

  In a few long strides, he was hovering over me. I kicked out at him anywhere I could connect with, but he quickly subdued me, grabbing both sides of my head so hard I thought it was going to cave in. I made eye contact with for a brief moment, but it was long enough to see lust reflected in his eyes.

  He leaned in closer, and I closed my eyes. I felt wetness make its way from my chin to my forehead, and then heard a satisfied moan. My eyes sprang open at the reality that he just fucking licked me. His eyes lit up with excitement and turned black with blood-lust, letting me know my time was almost up. I started to say a silent prayer, hoping someone would come help me, and as if God heard me, my prayers were answered.

  The door flew open and charging through the doorway were Easton, Tank, and Gage appearing pissed-off. Easton was the first to make it to the demon. Thrusting his hand out, fire surged from his palm and into the demon’s chest, throwing him off of me.

  The demon roared in agony as Tank picked him up by his head. With a quick yank, Tank tore it straight off of his body like he was nothing more than a silly bobble head. I could vaguely hear Tank cursing and talking about protecting what was his.

  Gage finally made his way from the doorway into the living room, smiling sweetly at me. “Where’s the popcorn and soda when you need it? That was quite the show, wasn’t it, Haven baby?”

  My mouth hung open in shock and I stumbled, trying to push any words out. Partly because I had no idea what to say and the rest because I’m pretty sure I was too stunned to piece together any kind of logical sentence .

  Luckily I didn’t have to because the next thing I knew, I saw Gage dart toward me as my vision went completely black.

  The sun beaming down on my face through the crack in my curtains let me know it was time to rise and shine. I rolled onto my back and stretched before opening my eyes. I had a brief moment of panic, forgetti
ng where I was. Looking down and seeing that I was cocooned in my new coral comforter eased my worries. That was one crazy dream I’d had last night. I must have been so exhausted because I’m not even sure how I made it to my bed, but my pounding head alerted me to the fact that I must have tossed and turned all night.

  When I heard the sound of pots and pans being thrown around in the kitchen, I sat up quickly and reached for the baseball bat that I kept under my bed in case I ever encountered a time like this. I slowly tiptoed my way to the kitchen, then peeked around the corner to see what I was up against and managed to cover my mouth in time to hold back the gasp that wanted to escape.

  Standing shirtless in all his glory and attempting to cook breakfast was Gage. He was beautiful with his tanned skin. His hard muscles flexed with every stir he made. At my table, Tank was reading a newspaper, while Easton leaned up against the wall, clearly wanting to be anywhere but there. I took that moment to admire him. He was tall, standing at around six feet, and his brooding made him look sexy in a dangerous way.

  I turned, leaning back against the wall, so they wouldn’t know I was there yet. I had three men in my kitchen, sexy men, at that. I could barely remember last night, and to top it off, I had a migraine. What the hell’s going on? I thought maybe I was still sleeping. To test my theory, I decided to pinch myself a little too hard, provoking a yelp to slip from between my lips before I could prevent it. Shit. Shit. Shit.

  “Haven, is that you, sleepy head? Come join us. I made some breakfast for you.” Gage was eager to let me know.

  That was stupid, but at least I knew I wasn't dreaming. I hesitated before walking into the kitchen. I had no idea what I was going to say to them. All but Easton looked toward me as I waltzed into the room.

  “Good morning, everyone. I hope you don’t mind me asking, but what the fuck are you all doing here?” I had to admit I was curious, but I also enjoyed the sight of having all three of them together in my house.