The Fire Inside: A Heated Bad Boy Romance

by Alice Ashes

  He was so tired of all this bullshit, so tired of nothing ever going the way it should. Olivia, his brothers, and even Mason himself had been forced to endure too much these past few years. They came to the human world to be free, but what had that freedom cost them? He wondered if the price was too high for some of his brothers. For him though, with Olivia softly snoring in his arms, any price was acceptable. He'd suffer anything if she waited for him at the end of his trial.

  And yet, it seemed that so often fate has thrust them into positions that had them the other way round. She was the one who was forced to sacrifice, to survive. And as the sun rose, he cursed it for bringing the light of day. This morning, she would be forced to pay again, unless he did something utterly stupid and reckless. So Mason opted for stupid and reckless.

  He slowly pulled himself from the bed, careful not to wake Olivia, and he went downstairs to the study. Pulling out the card Raphael had left, he pulled out his cell phone and dialed. Raphael answered on the third ring. "Good morning Babygirl. So thrilled you called, after all. Shall I come pick you up?"

  Mason felt himself flush at the pet name and must have growled unconsciously, because Raphael spoke again before Mason had a chance to reply. "Ahh, not Olivia, after all. I really should have guessed it would be you that would call me this morning. I just didn't think she'd allow it."

  Mason swallowed hard. "She can't allow or not allow something when she doesn't know its happening."

  Raphael chuckled. "Fair enough," he said, "but what do you expect to accomplish with this phone call? You can threaten, you could even kill me, but it wouldn't change the fact that a debt is outstanding. Someone will always come to collect, most probably someone far less nice and far less handsome than I."

  Such a smug asshole. Mason grit his teeth and forced a reply, "That's not why I called, Nephalum. I need to see your boss, find out what it will cost me to pay it for her."

  There was silence on the end of the phone, and Mason waited. After a few moments, Mason began to wonder if they were disconnected, but Raphael finally spoke. "You say 'what it will cost' you, not 'what it might cost' you. What if her price is a bad haircut and yours is a thousand years of soul flaying?"

  Mason cringed. "Man, that's graphic."

  "Well," Raphael replied, feeling annoyed, "if you would focus a moment and answer..."

  "Has anyone ever had their price be a bad haircut?"

  "Um...no, not that I'm aware of."

  "Then that's your answer." Mason pressed his lips together. "We both know the price is going to hurt real bad, it's going to be horrible. She's had more than enough horrible. I'm taking this one. And if I survive it, I'll spend the rest of my life making sure she never has to be alone or deal with any of that shit again."

  A brief silence fell over them again, before Raphael sighed. "Very well. I'll pick you up in 10 minutes."

  Mason hung up the phone and went to sit on the porch.

  ---

  Raphael arrived in a little under 7 minutes. Mason rolled his eyes as the solid white Ashton Martin slowed to a stop in front of him. Of course Raphael would drive a little sports car that cost as much as a house. Mason reached for the door handle, and finding it locked, he looked in and motioned for Raphael. He nodded to Mason and hit the unlock button, but as Mason's hand closed on the door, he heard it lock again. He leaned down and glared daggers at Rahael, who was shrugging, eyes wide and innocent. It wasn't until Mason smiled, miming ripping the door off the fucking car that the door was finally not tampered with. Mason sat down in the bucket seat and found himself feeling claustrophobic. Looking at Raphael, he realized they were close to the Same size and wondered how in the hell Raphael DIDN'T feel trapped in here. They had driven for about 10 minutes without speaking, although it was far from silent as Raphael sang along with and danced to his CD with 80's music. He tried to get Mason to join in, but to no avail.

  The sound of a ringtone pierced the car and Raphael turned down the music and checked who it was. "Ahhhh," he said, winking at Mason. "It's your lady friend."

  Before the nephalum could answer it, Mason reached across the car and snatched the phone from his hand. With so much speed that Raphael had no chance of stopping him, he rolled down his window and tossed the phone. Raphael stared wide eyed at him, mouth agape. "I can't believe you did that..."

  Mason grinned smugly. "Ah, let it go Half-blood. I'll buy you another."

  Raphael turned back to the road, but continued to send Mason hateful glances. "You gonna get back all the pictures of my cats I had on there, too? Yeah, didn't think so."

  Mason laughed in spite of himself. He had to admit, the guy grows on ya.

  Raphael took a left and Mason noticed that they were headed into a trailer park. Mason eyed Raphael, suspicious. "You're kidding me, right?"

  With a sad laugh, Raphael shook his head. "Trust me, you aren't the only one who wishes the boss lived in a penthouse or mansion, ideally just somewhere that didn't have wheels would be an improvement. But that's not up to me."

  They pulled into a gravel drive at the very back of the park and drove another quarter mile into the woods before suddenly, the area around the road lightened up and they were parking in front of a cozy cottage on wheels.

  To the side, children in various states of undress ran through a sprinkler. As they had driven through the woods, the cold winter had stalled and retreated. By the time they were near the house, it was summer there. A clothes line was covered in long skirts and cloths. In an old barn set slightly further back on the property, at least a dozen women sat washing clothes by hand, stitching things, and working on various other activities. Their laughter filled the air and echoed through the large open field the buildings sat on. A stunningly beautiful woman sat on a makeshift porch, wearing a long pink sundress that dipped in the front, emphasizing her slender neck. Her skin was the color of milk chocolate, with large brown eyes and dark hair pulled up tightly into a bun. Her feet were bare and her arms were covered in beaded bangles. Her age seemed timeless and Mason couldn't settle on a decade, let alone a number. She looked up at the car as it approached and stood, fondling shooing the children into the barn before crossing her arms and walking through the grass to meet Raphael and Mason. Mason was struck with confusion at the sight of her, her face appeared open and genuine. Raphael leaned a little closer to Mason before they exited the car. He whispered, "I suggest you be careful, very careful. Don't let that pretty face ease your worries, she will eat you alive." Thinking of Diana's beauty, Mason nodded and stepped out of the car. Raphael did the Same but a second later.

  The woman smiled warmly at Raphael. "Darling, so nice of you to visit. Who have you brought to see me today?"

  Raphael returned her smile stiffly, and gestured to Mason. "Hello, Beautiful. This is Mason. You recall that Jacob's contract has come due and I asked for dispensation to transfer the debt? Mason has come to pay it."

  She gazed at Mason for a few moments, looking intrigued. Finally, she laughed and extended her hand. "Raphael, have you already forgotten your manners?" She paused to cluck her tongue at him, and Raphael looked thoroughly uncomfortable. "My name is Vierdanda, but please, call me V." Mason grasped her hand, careful not to let anger take hold and crush the delicate fingers in his own. V's eyes never left his, and she whispered, "Interesting..." before releasing him. "Please, come have a seat on the porch and we can talk shop."

  V turned from them, and after exchanging a brief look between them, the men followed in her wake. "Layla!" she called to the barn. A young woman with a full face and an over sized, yellow shirt came bounding toward them. Her blue jean shorts almost disappeared entirely under the button up and her long, auburn hair streamed behind her. Her nose and cheeks boasted a number of freckles. As she got closer, Mason noticed she had cat ears and a tail. "Yes, Auntie V?"

  V reached out and scratched her ears, making the girl purr and squeal. "Go inside and bring out some of that pink lemonade, little kitten." The girl flushed and nod
ded happily, scurrying to the house.

  They reached the porch and settled into three of the four wicker rocking chairs and sat there silently, waiting on the drinks. When Layla returned, she handed them each one off the tray, before V raised her hand and motioned to the barn. "You go on and scoot now, little kitten." And with that, Layla bounded off again in the direction of the barn.

  "Now then," began V, taking a long drink of her lemonade. "I must ask you, Mason. Why on earth would you be willing to pay this girl's debt? She seems to have all these boys wrapped around her finger." She laughed, sipping her drink and closing her eyes like a cat in a sun spot. "Mmmm, this girl. Humans want her, demons want her, even the demon lord...not to mention our own Raphael, though he dare not admit to it." Raphael flushed and eyed her bitterly, before seeming to remember himself and looking at his feet. V turned her attention back to Mason. "So, third son of the Demon Realm, the Monster and Brute, the Incubus and Rage Demon...tell me: why you would willingly pay such a heavy penalty for the girl who has laid devastation to the lives of so many before you?"

  Mason felt the anger boil under his skin, but he took a deep breathe and tried to keep his voice even. "Olivia has hurt no one."

  V laughed, shaking her head. "Oh my dear boy, surely you don't actually believe that!" She eyed his face, and exclaimed with delight, "But YOU DO...well, they do say love is blind, I suppose. I will grant you that she has no ill intent. In fact, she has many GOOD intentions. But the poor lamb, everything she touches turns to ash."

  Mason grit his teeth and V sighed heavily, before shrugging her shoulders. "I will let it pass, though my curiosity burns for this girl. Perhaps a different time, another destiny..." She waved her hand flippantly before turning in her chair to face Mason. "Down to business, then. Give me your hand." She held hers in front of her, while Mason eyed her with suspicion. She looked at him, exasperated. "If you want to know your price, I must see your soul. This is the only way. Now come, love," she said, leaning forward a bit more. "Give me your hand."

  Reluctantly, Mason reached for her. When his skin met hers, his head turned white and fuzzy. Everything faded to neutral colors and he felt as if he was floating. He saw V's eyes roll back and he felt his follow, watched his life flash before his eyelids faster than was possible and certainly too fast for Mason to make out the details. Suddenly, V released his hand and he took a huge breath, sucking in oxygen and panting like he had been drowning. V slumped in her seat for a moment, shaking head to toe, and for a sliver of time Mason actually felt alarmed for her. When he went to reach forward to check on her, Raphael grabbed his shoulder and stopped him.

  "Just give it a minute," he said in a low voice, never taking his eyes from V. After a little time passed, she stopped breathing so shallowly and sat up in her chair. She was still shaky, but her eyes had cleared and now she only looked very tired.

  Seeing she would at least live, Mason felt uncertainty rise in his chest. "What the fuck are you?"

  V laughed again, but this time it sounded bitter. She waved him off. "I am beyond history, far too old to be remembered. And I am the only one." She shifted in her seat again and squared her shoulders. "But that is a long story and not one for today."

  Mason met her eyes, staring into endless caramel pools. "Your price, as is everyones, is a part of yourself. An energetic limb, so to speak. For some, it is that which they love most. For others, it is their very identity. You, however, are unique. You carry 3 identities, each as valid as the next."

  She broke Mason's gaze to rub her temple, face contorting in pain. "You must pay with one of these. You may sacrifice the human, allowing me to carve it from you. You will be leaving behind the human realm forever and returning to the demon world. You may sacrifice the incubus, never again to feed on sexual energy, but always to be hungry. Or you may sacrifice the rage demon, allowing the anger to build within you and being forced to hold it with no release valve."

  Mason felt that he could feel his heart threatening to pound from his chest. He expected, of course, that it would be something like this. That was why he was here and not Olivia. But he had assumed there would be one thing, one option, and he would simply do it without being forced to consider. But having the choice...this was going to ruin him completely. He knew it.

  He turned to V, but she was already standing, unsteady on her feet and forced to grip onto the chair to steady herself. "I can see the turmoil in your eyes, Demon. I will give you three days. Return to me with an answer by then, but remember: should you choose not to pay, he will be three days older. I don't have to tell you what that means." She carefully walked around him while Mason fought a shudder of repulsion at the thought. His head was still whirling when Raphael stood and tapped his shoulder, bringing him back to the present. "Come on," he said, gesturing to the car. "I'll take you home."

  Chapter 17: Burning My Soul Up

  I sat on the porch, knees pulled to my chest, rocking back and forth. Where was he? Why wasn't Raphael answering his calls? I knew that probably meant they were together, but I kept praying they weren't. 'Please...' I thought, eyes filling with tears. 'Please don't be with Raphael. Please, God, after everything, please don't take him too.' Those hopes were quickly shattered as I heard the purr of a car coming closer and watched Raphael pull around and stop in front of the house. I dropped my head to my hands as Mason stepped out of the car.

  No one dared break the silence, but I heard the crunch of gravel as both men walked towards me. The numbness washed over me and suddenly I found myself so very tired.

  Two dirty sneakers entered my field of vision, before stopping in front of me. I didn't even want to look at him, didn't want to see his beautiful face, the way he gnawed his lip when he was nervous. The way his eyes flooded with love when he saw me. The cheeks that would burn crimson when I looked at him with the Same. Very quietly, Mason slipped a finger under my chin and began to lift my head, presumably to look at him. At the Same time, he whispered, "Doofus?"

  That was the moment when I absolutely and completely lost my shit.

  I moved forward, throwing all my weight behind my lunge, and surprised him by shoving us both to the ground. I loved him so deeply, so completely, and he had gone off and done the stupidest thing he could possibly conceive of. I was going to kill him, bring him back, and kill him again. Mason was apparently still shocked because as I landed on his chest with a thump, I was able to get one solid punch to his jaw before he came back to himself and flipped our positions. He pinned me to the ground beneath him, oh so carefully so as not to hurt me, and the gentleness made me even angrier. I snarled and kicked, trying desperately to get away so I could, with any luck, punch him again.

  "Olivia, STOP!" Mason was looking down at me, concern showing in his eyes, and it just made me madder.

  "Don't you DARE look at me like that!" His face turned to utter bewilderment. "Look at you like what?"

  I lifted my head up, still trying to escape before realizing that avenue was fruitless and slamming my head back down on the gravel. I could feel little bits of stone embedded in my scalp from the hit, but I didn't care. Not in the least.

  "Like I'm crazy, unreasonable...like you didn't just go off and do that crazy ass sacrifice bullshit you and your brothers do all the time, every time." Hot tears of rage ran down my cheeks while Mason watched my face, sorrow showing on his. I was not deterred.

  "Do you think you have a monopoly on being noble and be willing to compromise everything, Mason? That only you five have loved ones to protect, that we're okay with you always putting yourself on the chopping block while we stand by and watch?" I was sobbing now, chest heaving, and still burning red hot with anger.

  Mason still watched me, his expression never changing. "I would do anything for you Olivia, give anything..."

  I growled, "And you think you're the only one who feels that way, the only one who wants to love and protect? LET ME UP."

  Mason released me and I scrambled to my feet, watching Mason "relax" in
to a stance that was meant to look nonchalant when it was anything but.

  "You all go charging off into danger like your lives mean NOTHING. Like you are REPLACEABLE..." I planted my hands on my hips, looking to the sky to try to curb the tears. "Y-ou, you pig-headed, impulsive, infuriating demon!"

  I met his eyes and all the anger and righteousness drained right out of me. I felt my knees buckle, and Mason caught me before I could hit the ground. I snuggled against his chest, finding the comfort of his scent. "I'm still angry, your know." I reminded him, wrapping my arms around him. He snorted. "I know." I closed my eyes and buried my face in his t-shirt. "You aren't replaceable," I said, my voice cracking. "Not to me."

  He smoothed down my hair, running his fingers through it over and over before settling one hand on my hip and one on the nape of my neck.

  Someone cleared their throat and we looked over to see a very amused Raphael. Mason seemed surprised for a moment. "Oh shit. You're still here..."

  Raphael laughed. "Yes, still here. But bravo, what a lovely performance. Afraid we've no time for an encore however, we have things to discuss."

  And with that, the Nephalum strutted past us, hips swaying, and let himself into the house.

  I looked up at Mason before pushing away from him and walking towards the door. "It seems we have things to discuss," I said, a light smile on my face.

  Mason rolled his eyes and groaned, before following us in.

  ---

  It seemed stupid, but I made a tray anyway, like this was some pleasant afternoon visit. I came through carrying it, laden with 3 kinds of cookies and 2 kinds of juice, remembering that Raphael didn't like tea. He flashed me an appreciative smile. I sat down with them at the dining room table and looked between the two, expectant. Raphael seemed very interested in the decor, whilst Mason was staring so hard at the surface in front of him, it felt as if the table would burst into flames any minute. I rolled my eyes and cleared my throat. Both eyes snapped to mine and Mason blushed.