Their vivid blue eyes changed to a blood-red color as they glared at me. “Who does she think she is?” one of them asked. The little dog might look cute, but he sounded vicious.
Not one of the dogs weighed more than ten pounds, and I suspected about half their weight was fur. The first who’d spoken had curly hair like a Poodle. I couldn’t figure out what breed the dogs were. With short legs, wide bodies, and large blue eyes, they looked like a mix of several smaller dog breeds.
“I like her,” another added in a dreamy voice as he shook his head to get his long hair out of his eyes.
“She’s a witch,” a third said, shaking his head so his ears flopped back and forth.
“It’s very rude to talk about me like I’m not here,” I scolded.
They all regarded me with more interest. “You understand us,” the fourth said. His tail curled around as he bounced slightly.
They all moved forward to sniff me.
“You should come home with us,” the one with the floppy ears stated.
The woman who’d been chasing them caught up and glared at the dogs with her hands on her hips. She was close to six feet tall with long black hair and dark brown eyes. “Shame on you!” she scolded the dogs.
“Lucy doesn’t like it when we run off in the human realm,” the dog with the curled tail told me.
“I imagine she doesn’t like it when you run off anywhere,” was my response.
“But we want to explore,” one whined as he shook his head to get his hair out of his eyes again.
“She’s not likely to let you explore if you misbehave,” I pointed out.
The dogs all considered what I’d said before reluctantly moving toward Lucy.
“Thank you,” Lucy told me as she leaned down to put a blue hair clip in one of the dog’s hair. She moved closer with the dogs at her side. “It’s so hard taking the Hellhounds out. My dad always wants me to keep them in the demon realm, but they get into even more mischief if they don’t get to explore some.”
“Hellhounds?” Persephone gasped. “As in Lucifer’s Hellhounds?”
When I’d pictured Lucifer’s Hellhounds, this was not the image I’d had in my mind.
“That’s us,” they all replied, even though only I could understand them.
“Yes,” Lucy replied. “I’m Lucifer’s daughter. I’m surprised neither of you recognized me.”
“We’ve both led sheltered lives,” I explained. “You’re going to have to excuse my friend while she asks you a billion questions.”
“Oh, that’s fine with me,” Lucy said with a laugh. “I’ve led a sheltered life myself. It’s always nice to make new friends. I’m Lucafina, but everyone calls me Lucy.”
“I’m Persephone, and this is Beatrice.” Persephone was even more excited than usual. I understood her excitement. Meeting the daughter of the devil was a big deal, even to me.
Lucy’s eyes widened when she heard Persephone’s name. “It’s nice to meet you,” Lucy began. “How can you understand the Hellhounds? Other than me, my dad’s the only one who understands them.”
I shrugged. “I’m not sure how I’m able to understand them. They must be similar to familiars. I can communicate with all familiars.”
“Does your own familiar ever get jealous?” Lucy asked.
“She was killed a long time ago,” I replied, feeling the same ache I always did when I thought of my familiar.
“Oh no!” the Hellhound with the floppy ears exclaimed.
“You poor witch,” another crooned as they all surrounded me, cuddling in to offer comfort.
“This is strange,” Lucy remarked. “They like you.”
“Thank you,” I told them, reaching down to pat them all before looking at Lucy. “I have a way with animals.”
“Yes, you do,” she agreed. “Where are you heading off to?”
“Shopping,” Persephone told her. “Beatrice has a date tonight.”
“That’s a pity,” Lucy said with a sigh. “I was hoping to introduce you to my dad. You seem like just what he’s been looking for.”
I let out a startled bark of laughter. “For a minute, I thought you were saying you think your dad would want to date me.”
“He would,” Lucy insisted. “Aside from the fact that the Hellhounds like you, you’re nothing like the silly sex demons who try to seduce him all the time.”
I looked down at my work jeans and sweater and nearly laughed. “I’m definitely not like any sex demon.”
“It’s not your appearance,” she began. “Trust me on this. My dad would like you.”
I almost shuddered at the thought of Lucifer being interested in me.
“I should let you get to your shopping,” Lucy told us.
“We should have lunch some time,” Persephone chimed in. “I’d love to hear more about you and your life.”
“I’m not sure you should interrogate Lucifer’s daughter,” I began before realizing how ridiculous my warning was. Persephone would interrogate the devil himself.
Lucy laughed. “Most people just make assumptions about me without asking any questions. I prefer the interrogation.”
In the most insane meeting of my life, we exchanged numbers with the daughter of the devil.
“That was crazy!” Persephone exclaimed.
“It must really be crazy for you to comment on it,” I told her.
“I like her,” she added.
“Me too,” I agreed. The fact that I’d stolen her father’s SUV still made me a little uneasy about hanging out with Lucy, but I decided there was no reason to worry. It seemed unlikely that subject would come up in conversation. It was funny how many new friends I’d made in the last year. Maybe I wasn’t nearly as antisocial as I thought.
Chapter 8
Lucifer
Instead of getting ready for my date with Beatrice, I was stuck discussing the uprisings with Xavier and Rainer. Thankfully, Lucy had taken the Hellhounds out for a walk. They’d been in rare form today, wanting to go into the detention area to help with interrogations. While they might have been helpful in finding a few of the more elusive demons, they could also be hard to control.
“Lashton definitely isn’t in charge,” I grumbled.
We were no closer to knowing what was going on. I’d have interrogated the other prisoners longer if Lashton hadn’t confirmed he was the one to deliver the escape plans. He was one of the rare demons who had no interest in escaping. It was safer for him in prison where fewer of his enemies lived.
“He’s just a messenger,” Xavier agreed.
“A stupid one,” Rainer added.
Rainer was right. Lashton had been a fool for getting involved. I doubted he’d do anything this foolish again after his time in the interrogation room.
“Why did you ask the guards to bring Desmond LaCroix to you?” Rainer asked.
It had been my intention to talk to the warlock when I’d visited the prison, but he’d been nowhere to be found. The detention area spanned several miles, so it wasn’t always easy to locate prisoners, but the guards would find him, eventually.
“I’d like to have a word with the little prick who tried to kill Beatrice,” I replied honestly.
Before Rainer or Xavier could respond to my admission, Lucy burst into the room with the Hellhounds.
“I found the perfect woman for you!” she squealed.
“Yes!” my Hellhounds agreed as they bounced around the room.
I laughed at their excitement. “While I appreciate your efforts to find someone for me, I’d prefer to handle this on my own. I think I’ve already met the perfect woman.”
Lucy’s face fell, and my Hellhounds growled at me. “You’ll like her,” I assured them, but the little beasts didn’t look convinced.
“I suppose it’s just as well since Beatrice said she’s already seeing someone,” my daughter said on a sigh.
The Hellhounds were still growling and glaring at me with red eyes.
It couldn’t be.
“What’s she look like?” Rainer asked casually.
“She’s a tiny thing with black hair and the most amazing green eyes,” Lucy replied. “And she can understand the Hellhounds. She must be the right woman for you. I really like her. We’re going to hang out some time, so I can always introduce you to her.”
“Too bad she’s already seeing someone,” Xavier said with a straight face.
I decided against telling my daughter I was the guy Beatrice was seeing. Lucy was a sweet girl who’d been sheltered from the darker side of my existence. She wouldn’t appreciate me lying to Beatrice or understand my reasoning.
“I’m glad you made a new friend, but we have work to do before my date tonight,” I told her.
“When will I meet this mystery woman?” Lucy asked. “I didn’t even know you were seeing someone.”
“You’ll meet her soon,” I replied. “This is our first official date. Let me get to know her better before you scare her off.”
“Me?” Lucy asked with a laugh. “If she’s not terrified of you, then I doubt she’ll be scared of me.”
I stood and hugged my daughter. “You’re too good for this place.”
When Lucy pulled back, she was frowning. “I wish you’d stop saying that.”
“Why?” I asked, my brow furrowed in confusion.
“I’m tired of being good all the time,” she confessed. “I’m a fallen angel.”
“That doesn’t make you bad,” Xavier told her, earning him a glare.
“Why do I even try?” she asked with a huff before storming out of the room.
I hesitated, not sure if I should go after her or not. Lucy’s moods had been increasingly mercurial lately, and I was worried about her. At the same time, she usually reacted poorly when I pressed her to tell me what was going on.
“She’s going through a phase,” Rainer told me.
“I suppose you’re right,” I agreed. “I’m glad she likes Beatrice.”
“We like her, too!” my Hellhounds chirped, reminding me they were in the room. I also needed to keep this from them. The little puff balls were gossips.
“Good,” I told them. “Lucy needs a new friend.”
“Beatrice and Persephone would both be good friends for her,” Rainer added.
“Did you say Persephone?” Hades asked as he walked into the room. My cousin looked like a junkie in need of a fix. I didn’t blame him, but I couldn’t have him abducting Beatrice’s friend. It was bad enough we were starting out with a lie.
“I said Beatrice and Penelope,” Rainer lied.
Hades nodded, looking disappointed. “I came by to tell you we may have located the head of the rebellions in the fourth circle detention area.”
I looked at the time, realizing I might need to cancel my date with Beatrice to deal with this mess.
“We’ll take care of it,” Rainer assured me.
I hesitated because this wasn’t the sort of thing I would normally leave to others.
“It’ll be fine,” Hades added. “I can stay to help out. We’ll find the leader and put them in an interrogation room for you to deal with later.”
I shouldn’t go. This was my responsibility, and the problems in the detention areas needed to be dealt with. I’d never been the type to let anything get in the way of my responsibilities, but this might be my only chance with Beatrice. How would she react if I canceled our first date?
“You deserve happiness,” Xavier said, interrupting my thoughts. “Just take this one night off.”
I nodded. “Call me if you need my help.”
Chapter 9
Beatrice
Persephone was working an evening shift. She was a receptionist at Bliss, a company that planned kinky getaways for couples. I’d only been in the office a couple of times, but Persephone had told me about the items she unloaded from shipments. I’d been good friends with a succubus, and I was shocked by some of those items—shocked and curious.
Looking in the mirror, I was happy with what I saw. The vivid green dress brought out the color in my eyes. I still couldn’t believe I’d bought a dress for my date. Persephone had tossed it into the fitting room, insisting I try it on. The dress was more form-fitting than I’d normally be comfortable in, but I was feeling daring.
When my phone rang, I considered sending the call to voicemail. The caller was unknown, which usually meant it was one of my parents. For whatever reason, they felt the need to block their number when they called to ask for money. They never called for any other reason.
“Hello,” I answered, doing nothing to mask the irritation in my voice.
“Hi, Bea.”
His voice slithered along my skin like a venomous snake. Even knowing Desmond couldn’t get to me, a shudder of fear ran through my body. When he’d been holding Julia Dupree captive, I’d risked my life to go after my brother. Knowing full well what Desmond was capable of, I wasn’t normally that brave. He’d killed my familiar when we were young to make a point. Since then, he’d killed many people. I was glad he was in Hell.
“Come on, Bea,” he crooned. “Talk to me. You have no idea how hard it was to get my hands on a phone so I could call you.”
“What do you want?” I demanded.
“Just to talk,” he assured me, sounding calm and reasonable. “We’re family.”
I snorted. “You tried to kill me.”
“And I’m sorry,” he continued, his tone mocking this time. “I’ve had a lot of time to think. At first, being framed for stealing Lucifer’s car enraged me, but I’m over that.”
“You’re in Hell for stealing Lucifer’s car?” I asked. Rainer hadn’t told me the details of how he’d gotten my brother incarcerated in the demon realm, and I hadn’t asked.
“We both know I didn’t steal his car,” he said quietly, the accusation clear in his voice.
It sounded as if he knew that I’d been the one to take Lucifer’s SUV, but he couldn’t. Only a handful of people knew the truth, and none of them were on friendly terms with Desmond. Show no emotion, I reminded myself. I needed to keep my feelings hidden from Desmond so he couldn’t use them against me.
“Too bad no one will believe you,” I replied in a cold voice.
“Why are you acting like this?” Desmond asked. I could hear the effort to control his anger. Desmond didn’t like it when anyone got the better of him. There was no doubt in my mind he hated me even more now. Not only had I made a fool of him when I’d escaped the day he’d come to kill me, I’d also helped stop him from killing Julia. Desmond would never forgive me.
“I already know you didn’t just call to talk,” I told him. “You’re calling because you want something, not because you give a damn about me.”
“I’ve changed,” he insisted.
I hesitated at his words. It was foolish, but I wanted my brother to change. I had no family. My parents didn’t care to be involved with me. I’d never mattered to them. Desmond had never cared for me either. As a child, I’d longed to have Desmond love and accept me. I wasn’t a foolish child anymore, so I shook off my weakness.
“Fine,” I began. “Don’t tell me the truth about why you’re calling.”
Desmond chuckled. “Oh, Bea,” he crooned in a patronizing tone. “You’re going to regret talking to me this way. When I get out of here, and I will get out of here, I’m coming for you first.”
“I’d tell you to go to Hell,” I began in a sweet voice, “but you’re already there.”
Without waiting for a reply, I ended the call. My hands were shaking. I hated my brother for making me feel this terrified. He was in Hell. I was safe from him. The logical part of my brain knew that, but he clearly believed every word he said. I’d learned long ago to never underestimate my brother.
The doorbell rang, interrupting my dark thoughts. I needed to pull myself together and stop thinking about Desmond. I had a date.
When I opened the front door, I found Dev dressed in an expensive looking black suit
with a deep blue tie. I was still shaky, despite my efforts to seem unaffected.
He frowned when he saw me. “What’s wrong?” he asked as he slid an arm around my waist and guided me farther into my apartment.
Great! I must look really pitiful to get that kind of reaction. This was not the best start to my date. “It’s nothing,” I assured him, forcing a smile.
“Beatrice,” he began, reaching out to stroke my cheek. “You don’t have to pretend everything’s okay. Obviously, something is bothering you.”
Dev closed the front door and guided me toward the sofa. “Sit and we can talk.” He chuckled when I glared at him. “That’s better.”
Better? I had no idea how this could be better. “You like it when I’m irritated with you?”
“I’d rather have you irritated than upset,” he explained.
“I can’t believe I let my brother get to me this way,” I complained. “He’s in Hell. Rainer took him there.” I paused and met Dev’s eyes. “I know what you’re thinking. He’s a warlock, so he shouldn’t be in Hell.”
“It is unusual,” he agreed. “I’m assuming he committed a crime against Lucifer.”
“Not exactly,” was my hesitant reply. “That’s the excuse Rainer used.”
Dev frowned. “Your brother didn’t commit a crime against Lucifer?”
“If I tell you this, you have to promise to keep it from Lucifer,” I began.
“Why would I need to keep this from Lucifer?” he asked.
“I’ve heard he’s friends with Rainer,” I explained. “Are you his friend, too? I know you must work with him since you hold a higher position.”
“We don’t have the same relationship as he and Rainer,” was his cryptic reply.
“I shouldn’t talk to you about this,” I stated as I turned away. “Let me grab my bag, and we can head out.”
“Wait!” Dev told me, placing a hand on my shoulder to stop me. “You can trust me. Tell me what’s going on, Beatrice. I won’t tell anyone.”
I hesitated, not sure I should share these details with Dev. I needed to talk to someone. Usually, I talked to Persephone, but she had trouble grasping evil like my brother. Dev was a demon of some sort. He’d seen the darker side of the world, unlike my cheerful best friend.
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