“A few,” she replied. “I’ve never been much of a fighter.”
“From what I’ve heard, your brother has no compassion,” I pointed out. “He’s also desperate. Both of those things make him more dangerous. You’re safest with me.”
“Can you see how being dragged off to Hell sounds bad?” she asked.
I chuckled at the way she phrased her question. “It may sound bad, but it’s for your own protection. My home is very nice. You’ll have everything you need.”
“Except good ice cream,” she argued.
“We can have ice cream brought in,” I assured her.
“The phones don’t work there half the time,” she added.
“They usually work in my home,” was my response. “It’s rare for me to have an outage of any kind. I’d say you’re just as likely to have an outage here as you are in my home.”
She let out a frustrated sigh. “What about Persephone? I wasn’t friends with her the last time I saw Desmond, but what if he finds out we’re living together? Where is she supposed to go? If he finds out where I live, he’ll go there. Desmond would have no problem hurting Persephone to get to me or to punish me.”
I hesitated. “I can keep her safe in the demon realm.”
Beatrice eyed me suspiciously. “You don’t sound convinced.”
“Things are more complicated where Persephone’s concerned,” I explained. “I can keep her safe from your brother, but there are other things to worry about in the demon realm.”
“Like what?” she asked. “I figured her mom was just being paranoid about fallen angels and demons, but you make it sound like there’s a real danger to Persephone in the demon realm.”
I didn’t want to tell her about Hades, but I’d lose her if I lied to her again. She’d meet him at some point, and I was certain she’d eventually put two and two together.
“My cousin, Hades, will be a problem once he learns Persephone’s name,” I admitted.
“Are you fucking with me?” she asked.
“Not at the moment,” I replied.
“Your cousin is Hades?” she asked.
“Yes,” I replied. “My cousin is Hades. He was once worshiped as the god of the underworld.”
“And he’s married to a woman named Persephone?” she asked.
“No,” I replied.
“I suppose I should have said he’s in a relationship with a woman named Persephone,” she began. “Fallen angels don’t get married, right?”
“Not often,” I replied. “Hades isn’t currently seeing anyone.”
“So, the stories of him dragging Persephone off to the underworld aren’t true,” she deduced.
“They’re true,” I admitted. “It’s happened more times than I care to remember.”
“I see,” she said as she considered my words. “Your cousin has an unhealthy obsession with women named Persephone.”
“My cousin has a curse that can only be broken by finding the right woman named Persephone,” I explained. “I can’t go into details, but it’s enough to make him act crazy when he meets a woman with that name.”
“And you don’t want him to kidnap my friend,” she concluded.
“I’m hoping to avoid that,” I replied. “That is the sort of thing that will make you look down on a future with me.”
“I try to not judge others by their crazy relatives,” she told me. “As you may recall, my brother is a sociopathic killer.”
My response was a solemn nod.
“Hey,” she began as she placed a hand on my shoulder. “Don’t start acting all brooding about this. I just want to remind you that I’m the least likely person to judge you for having crazy relatives. I still expect you to protect my friend if we agree to stay with you.”
“I will protect both of you,” I assured Beatrice.
“Then, I’ll go,” she agreed before adding, “If it’s okay with Persephone. I can’t leave her here if she might get hurt.”
“Understood,” I told her. I still wasn’t sure how I’d handle things if she and Persephone refused to go with me, but I suspected whatever I decided wouldn’t win me any points with Beatrice.
There was no time to ponder the matter. Beatrice placed her hands on my chest, and I sucked in a sharp breath as all the blood rushed from my brain to my dick. I should wait until we got back to my place. I shouldn’t touch her now, but I’d already waited long enough, and her hands on my bare skin felt too good.
My knuckles brushed against her cheek as my eyes locked with hers. The green in her eyes glowed brighter, and her lips parted.
Not asking for permission, I claimed her lips. This time, there was no holding back. Beatrice submitted completely to my kiss, moaning as I explored her mouth. With a hand on her lower back, I pulled her close to my body. When one of her hands reached back to stroke the feathers on my wings, I groaned into her mouth, struggling to remember where we were. Her magic flared, wrapping around our bodies, and mine immediately responded. All my suspicions regarding her origins were confirmed. I felt her witch magic, but there was also an angelic power flowing from her body.
I had to break the kiss before I ended up fucking her against a wall. My self-control had been hanging by a thread before she’d touched my wings. Now, I was having trouble remembering that we were in someone else’s home. Beatrice wouldn’t be happy if an angry werewolf interrupted our first time together. With great effort, I released her sweet mouth. I should take a step back, but I wasn’t ready to release her just yet. Instead, I stroked her cheek with one hand while the other remained on her lower back. Her eyes swirled with desire as her magic continued to move along my body.
“You’re going to tell me we have to stop again,” she grumbled.
I chuckled at her irritation. “Only until we get back to my place.”
“Are you trying to use sex to get me to agree to stay with you?” she asked.
“To be honest, I’m not sure I’m capable of bargaining after having you touch my wings,” I confessed.
“It turns you on?” she asked, cocking her head to the side slightly.
“Only when you do it,” I assured her. “I may need to keep them in more often when you’re around.”
“I like touching your wings,” she confessed. “When Persephone touched them, I was jealous.”
“I know,” I replied. “As soon as I saw your expression, I regretted letting her touch my wings.”
“You don’t like making me jealous?” she asked.
“No,” I replied. “I want you to know that you are the only woman I want.”
“It makes me nervous when you say things like that,” she whispered, looking down.
I placed a finger under her chin, pressing up lightly until her gaze met mine again. “Why does it make you nervous?”
She shrugged. “I’m not quite ready to forgive you. This is also new, and you are a little intimidating.”
“Only a little?” I asked. “Most consider me terrifying.”
She shook her head. “You’re not that scary.”
“And that’s part of the reason I know you’re perfect for me,” I told her. “You see me as more than just Lucifer.”
“You are Lucifer,” she argued. “The real problem is that most people don’t see that you have a good side.”
“A good side?” I asked with a bark of laughter.
“Don’t even think about playing this game,” she warned.
“Which game?” I asked.
“The one where you pretend to believe you’re the embodiment of all evil so I’ll tell you all the good things about you,” she replied. “Humble, you are not.”
I laughed at her response before stepping back and lacing my fingers through hers. “You make me feel young, Beatrice. We should talk to Persephone about visiting the demon realm. How do you think she’ll react?”
“Like she does to everything else,” Beatrice replied. “She’ll be excited and have a million questions.”
“I’
ll have Xavier accompany us back to answer all her questions,” I said with a grin.
“I hope he’s patient,” she replied with a laugh.
Chapter 42
Beatrice
I was in Hell. Literally, in Hell. When I’d woken up Sunday morning, I’d had no clue this was the direction my week was heading. Even my trip to the demon realm hadn’t gone the way I’d expected. There was no flaming gate—we’d taken an elevator that let out in Lucifer’s home.
“You both look disappointed,” Lucifer remarked as he regarded me and Persephone.
I shrugged. “I expected something more.”
“The elevator was nice,” Persephone began before adding, “It was just anticlimactic. When you said we were going to the demon realm, I pictured walking through a flaming gate.”
“Me too!” I told her, glad I wasn’t the only one. “If not a flaming gate, then at least some gate keepers in black hoods holding scythes.”
This wasn’t my first time to the demon realm. For my other trips here, I’d ridden in a car. We’d gone through a transport tube like the ones I used to get to my out-of-town appointments, so I wasn’t sure why I’d expected something more spectacular when visiting Lucifer’s home.
“Shouldn’t the Hellhounds have been guarding the entrance to Hell?” Persephone asked.
“The main entrance is guarded by Cerberus,” I told her. “He’s terrifying. There are still no flaming gates there, just the guards.”
“Sorry to disappoint you both,” Lucifer said with a laugh. “Flaming gate? Where did you come up with that?”
“Hell and fire often go hand in hand in stories,” I replied.
“Usually, only in human stories,” he pointed out.
“I was raised around humans,” Persephone reminded him.
“And I avoid other preternatural creatures,” I added.
Before he could respond, a fallen angel burst into the room. He was shirtless, dressed in dark jeans and black boots. His long black hair fell over his wings. He was as tall as Lucifer with harder features and golden eyes. He looked wild.
“You’re back!” the fallen angel exclaimed. “I’ve got news from the detention areas.”
“We’ll talk as soon as I get the ladies settled in, Hades,” Lucifer told him, using his name to make sure we knew to be cautious.
It was then that Hades finally noticed we were in the room. Hades’ eyes moved over me briefly before landing on Persephone. He sucked in a sharp breath as he stared at her. “It’s you.”
Persephone looked startled by his reaction. “Me?” she squeaked.
Hades shook his head as if to clear it and looked away. “Sorry. I dreamt of a woman who looked like you. It wasn’t my intention to frighten you. I’ll wait outside.”
On those words, he hurried out of the room.
“That was strange,” Lucifer murmured.
“You said he acts strange,” I reminded him.
“Yes, but he never apologizes for it,” Lucifer explained. “My cousin is unapologetically insane.”
“I feel like I should talk to him,” Persephone said softly. “He seemed embarrassed. I should say something to make him feel better.”
“You should probably wait,” I told my friend. “Let Lucifer comfort him for now.”
“Comfort him?” Lucifer asked. “Hades wouldn’t appreciate me trying to comfort him. Still, Beatrice is right about this not being the right time for you to talk to Hades.”
“Do you think I’m the one,” Persephone asked.
Lucifer studied her for a long moment before replying. “You might be. I’ve never seen my cousin act this way. It would still be best if I talked to him.”
She nodded, looking toward the door. “You’re right, but I feel bad for him.”
“He’ll be fine,” Lucifer assured her. “Feel free to explore while I run to the detention area with Hades. With any luck, I’ll have some information on where to find your brother.”
“Are any rooms off limits?” I asked. That seemed like a good question. He was Lucifer. There should be mystical weapons and boxes of souls in his home, right?
“You should stay out of the first room to your left at the top of the stairs,” he warned. “I’m not certain if we cleaned up after the last virgin sacrifice.”
“Very funny,” I told him.
He let out a sigh. “I’m afraid you’ll be just as disappointed with my home as you were with the elevator ride.”
“You don’t sacrifice virgins, do you?” Persephone asked, again looking much more curious than afraid.
“No,” he assured her. “The Hellhounds are in that room, likely still destroying my new suits. Unless you want to deal with them, you should be quiet when you pass that door. Lucy should be here soon to feed the little beasts.”
“We’ll be fine on our own,” I insisted. I wanted to walk over and hug him to reassure him we’d be okay. I wanted to slip my arms around his waist and rest my cheek against his chest. That seemed like a very bad idea. Neither of us needed the temptation.
Lucifer nodded and headed out the door.
Persephone giggled.
“What’s so funny?” I asked.
“I was thinking that I should find a room far from yours,” she told me.
“Why’s that?” I asked.
“I’m certain Lucifer will be sneaking into your room tonight, if he doesn’t convince you to sleep in his,” she explained. “My best friend is going to get busy with the devil.” She did a little dance to go along with her words.
I laughed at her antics. “You are crazy, and I really shouldn’t sleep with Lucifer tonight. I’m still mad at him.”
“But you are going to sleep with him, right?” she asked.
“Probably,” I confessed with a sigh. “Being mad at him doesn’t seem to make me want him any less.”
We were heading up the stairs when Persephone asked, “What do you think of Hades?”
I shrugged. “He wasn’t around long enough for me to form a real opinion. His past behavior makes me worry about you being around him. I guess the big question is, what do you think of Hades?”
“He makes me feel funny,” she replied thoughtfully. “Obviously, I find him attractive. Who wouldn’t?”
“He is nice to look at in a wild, half-crazed kind of way,” I agreed.
“I wanted to comfort him,” she admitted.
“I wouldn’t read too much into that,” I began. “You want to comfort everyone.”
“You’re right,” she agreed. “I’m glad he didn’t ask my name.”
“You are a terrible liar,” I added. “I’m not sure how long we’ll be able to keep that from him. That was my biggest concern with coming here. I don’t want you to get hurt.”
“Lucifer thinks he can protect us better here,” Persephone reminded me.
“And you were dying to see the demon realm,” I added.
She grinned. “I was! This is so exciting! I wonder if Lucifer will give us a tour.”
“How about if we start with checking out his home?” I suggested. “It’s not often one gets to visit the devil’s home.”
“Yes,” she agreed. “Let’s start with the bathrooms. I want to see if he has a tub made for sin.”
I was curious about that myself.
Chapter 43
Lucifer
Hades hadn’t spoken one word to me on the walk to the detention area. This wasn’t like him. He’d had a strong reaction to Persephone without even knowing her name. I couldn’t believe he still hadn’t asked me who she was. Granted, his curse strongly affected his interest in women. He still gave in to the temptation to take a woman on occasion, but it always ended in frustration.
“Tell me what you’ve got,” I finally said to break the silence.
“First, tell me who she is,” Hades demanded, turning to face me.
“Beatrice’s friend,” I replied. “We brought her here to keep her safe from her brother.”
Hades nodde
d. “She’s beautiful.”
“And as curious as a cat,” I added. “Unless you want to answer her many questions, I’d avoid her, at least, until she gets settled in.”
His lips twitched. “You don’t think I can handle her asking me a bunch of questions, do you?”
“You aren’t the most patient man,” I reminded him.
“And you aren’t the most honest man,” he accused.
“I’ve never claimed to be honest,” I reminded him. “Neither of us is going to be nominated for sainthood. What is it you’re getting at?”
Hades was pissing me off. I didn’t have time to deal with his cryptic questions. His reaction to Persephone had shocked him. He wanted to know her name, yet he was likely afraid to hear her name. I wasn’t the loving and comforting type with most, my cousin included, but I felt a strange desire to offer him some support.
“Why haven’t you asked me?” I asked.
My question caught him off-guard. There were several beats of silence before he responded. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“Stop playing games with me,” I snapped. “We have work to do, so ask me.”
“If you already know what I’m going to ask, then why not just tell me the answer?” he spat out.
“Fine,” I relented. “Yes, she is. She’s also under my protection, and you are to stay away from her.”
Logic told me it was a mistake to tell Hades Persephone’s true identity. His past suggested he’d react poorly, but I could also see that Persephone was different from the others. I suspected Hades might have finally found the woman to break his curse.
“She could be the one,” he hissed. “You’re going to keep her from me, knowing she could end my curse?”
“Not forever,” I assured him. “I promised Beatrice her friend would be safe here.”
“I won’t hurt her,” he argued.
“You’ve hurt all the others,” I reminded him.
There’d been a time when that would have brought some level of shame to my cousin. He’d lost a lot of compassion over the centuries. “I’ll agree to wait until we find the annoying little gnat of a warlock,” he relented. “I’m only agreeing to wait because fighting with you will make it harder for me.”
Undeniably Hellbound (Spells That Bind Book 4) Page 15
