Baalberith’s face turned ruby-red, and she thought his head might blow off any second. A helluva mess to clean up, but worth it if Swift ignited the explosion.
“I wasn’t banished. I left. And I loved once.” The demon gritted his teeth , but it didn’t stop his lips from moving. “All I got for it was another curse.”
“Not a curse. A chance to prove yourself. Which you never did.” He stepped back, whipping his soaker gun from the scroll bag and lifting it to his shoulder. “And as for being your curse—tough shit.” He sprayed, washing the base of Baalberith’s left wing with Holy Water.
The demon keened, so long and so shrill she had to cover her ears. Steam surrounded him like a cloud, a swirl of white with a strip of black snaking through the center.
The thud of his severed appendage hitting the floor radiated with a boom. It teetered on the edge of the pit a second before it tumbled into the fire. The crackle and stench of burned feathers and flesh filled the room.
“You insolent bastard!” Baalberith retracted his remaining wing and shot out a hand at Swift. A bolt of lightning blasted from his palm.
Swift dodged, flattening against the fireplace and avoiding the white light scorching a hole in the drywall.
“And I’m proud of being a bastard. Turns out Mom didn’t need you, and neither do I—Dad.”
With that, he launched full force off the brick skirt, arms and legs flailing as he flung straight into Baalberith’s chest.
Her head swam, from the unexpected admission as much as the rank fumes. Barely able to comprehend the secret Swift revealed, she watched the fight in dazed awe, helpless to do anything for her friend.
The demon staggered, swearing as he tried to swat his human son away.
Dexterous as a monkey, Swift wound an arm around the long braid, and using it like a rope, swung clear of his father’s thwacks.
Baalberith wailed and twisted as Swift’s weight tugged hard at his scalp. The floor beneath their feet rumbled with his fury.
Jesse shoved her backward and forced her down against the wall. “Brace yourself,” he warned and sheltered her as the room crashed behind his back.
“Della!” her dad yelled. “Swing your feet. I’ll grab you.”
Prudence hugged Jesse tight and peered around his shoulder. The house shook, the pictures and knickknacks shattering to the floor as the one-time Lord of the Covenant struggled with the only human capable of cutting him down.
She shuddered, even as the souls inside her rejoiced.
The ridiculous brawl raged on for what seemed like hours but amounted to only minutes.
“Why doesn’t he use his powers to escape?” she whispered to Jesse.
“Greed,” he said, stealing a glance behind him. “He wants those souls.”
“And you.” She clutched him tighter.
“But he can’t take anything. What he wants has to be given. Like us, he’s bound by the laws of free will.”
Unashamed of begging, she whispered against his warm neck. “Please. Don’t go with him.”
Baalberith wailed.
High-pitched and painful, she felt like a slender knife had been stabbed into her eardrum.
The big bay window collapsed in a heap of shards.
“You’ve burned me you son of a bitch.” He bellowed, shaking Swift free of his arm. “How? How is this possible?”
“Unlike you, I don’t have to tell the truth.” Swift swiped the back of his hand across his mouth. He grinned, and his teeth shone bloody. “Ready to let them go? Or do you want more?”
“You think I can’t tolerate a little pain?”
They never heard his response.
After pulling Mom to safety, her father slunk up behind Baalberith and climbed atop his overturned recliner. He yowled like a crazed rebel and jumped.
A blur of red-checked plaid. His mouth wide open in a scream. His momentum would produce one outcome and one outcome only.
Adrenaline surging, she lunged against Jesse’s chest and screamed at the top of her lungs. “Dad! No!”
Her plea came far too late.
The remaining wing arced until both men and the wicked beast were wrapped in a protective ball. With the force of Hell, they rolled as one, dropping into the pit.
The hole closed with a mighty suck as Mom called after Dad and beat the floor.
Face soaked, she could barely distinguish her tears from her sweat, but her unhinged emotions galvanized her thoughts.
If Baalberith could open a pit to Hell into her home, could torture her mother and steal her father without so much as a hint of remorse, she needed to return the favor.
And she wasn’t coming back until the deed was done.
The rules were smoke.
.
Chapter Twenty-Seven
Shit. Shit. Shit.
Worse than shit. Jesse’s heart bled into his stomach. The father who chose him for a son, the friend he chose as a brother—both gone in a rush of bad judgment.
Though he still reeled from the knowledge Swift was the spawn of a demon, the deepest part of him wasn’t surprised. Swift had been exceptional as a Hell Runner, always behaving recklessly. As if he couldn’t be touched. Today, he’d completely lived up to his name.
Della’s sobbing broke through his shock.
No two ways about it. He needed to haul ass. There’d be a lot of ground to cover.
He brushed the chair behind Della free of dead flies and then squatted beside her. “Help me get her into the chair,” he said to Prudence, though she already had her arm around her mother. Together they guided her up onto the seat cushion.
Face covered by her hands, Della leaned forward and cried, refusing to lean into her daughter’s embrace.
She winced at her mother’s rebuff, the pain and guilt visible in her tense expression and deep frown.
“This is all my fault.” Voice shaky, she hugged her waist with her crossed arms. “None of this would have happened if I’d told you about the Watcher. You’d have warned us about the seal. About the containment ritual. We could have—”
“Stop.” He touched two fingers over her lips, and she pulled them tight. “Baalberith is too powerful. Nothing would have been different. At least not by much.”
She hung her head, and he wished he could kiss away her dangerous tears.
If he succeeded in bringing Jack and Swift home, if he succeeded in defeating Baalberith, he’d marry her.
He’d marry her, cherish her, and protect all their children. He’d buy that house in the country he so wanted and build swing sets and play catch with his kids and make love all night to his wife. He’d become the most dependable man to ever live.
He’d make this right. But she’d have to stay behind. This one time.
Not caring she oozed Holy Water from every pore, he kissed her hard on the lips, a singe of heat burning lightly wherever her sweat touched his face. She tasted of salt and regret.
“This shit was going down one way or another. I promise you. I’ll bring them both home.”
He hightailed it for the back door.
“Wait.” Her lightning strike footfalls were right behind him. He should have known she wouldn’t take the hint. Wouldn’t assume it would be better for her to stay behind. “You’re not going after them alone.”
He stopped at the door, resting his hand on the knob. “Your mother’s a mess. She needs you. Stay here.”
“Don’t be stupid. They could be in the Ninth Ring. No one’s ever gone that deep.”
“I will now.” He flung back the door.
She threw herself in the way, gripping the jamb on both sides.
“No. You’re a lone man. Weaponless. I’m your weapon. I’m. Going.”
“You’re in no state to navigate Hell. You’re too upset to think straight, let alone use your gifts. It takes 100 percent focus. And you’ve been off the Holy Water too long.”
She widened her stance and fixed him with her famous granite stare. “I’m no mor
e emotional than you are. Swift’s like a brother to you. And I know how you feel about my dad. You’ll take my help.”
“No! It’s my fault. I have to fix this.”
“How is it your fault?”
“I started all this years ago.”“Baalberith started it,” she corrected firmly, and then her resolve gave out. No tears, but quivering like she might cry or explode in a fit of anger, she bit her lip. “I can’t bear to lose you, too.”
“You haven’t lost anyone. I intend on coming back.” He gripped her by the shoulders, her constant trembling breaking his heart. “Look, I’ll take Zane with me if he’ll go.”
“He’s not enough. He’s not me.”
“Exactly the point.” Jesse spun her around and then shoved her inside before slamming the door behind him. Running to the truck, he hopped in and shoved the key in the ignition.
Prudence was closing the gap by the time he saw her through the windshield.
“No!”
He hit the electric door lock and started the truck.
She scrambled up onto the running board, beat on the window with the flat of her hand, and cursed at him.
Judas Priest.
He’d have to get downright mean. The thought sickened him, but he would protect his princess. From Baalberith. And herself.
He put the window halfway down and put a hand on her shoulder. “Face it. You’re an emotional wreck. You’ll get us all killed. Now step down.”
“Don’t be a fool. It’s suicide.” She grabbed at his shirt and caught him by the collar. With a death grip on the worn cotton, she pulled herself flush to the window.
“Let go, Prudence.”
“No. You let me in.” The desperation in her voice only served to convince him more. She was in no condition to run a mission, let alone one so personal.
“Let. Go.” With both hands, he forcibly peeled her fingers off his shirt.
She yelled and seared him with a glare so angry it scared him.
Damn it. He didn’t want to get rough, but what other choice did he have? He’d protect her. No matter what.
Jesse gritted his teeth and then pushed her. Hard.
She fell backward off the running board, landing ass-first in the gravel driveway. Her jaw dropped, the shock on her face unbearable. He hated himself. But he loved her more.
“You sonofabitch. You haven’t changed. You’re still an arrogant asshole. You’re as bad as Dad. Everything you ever said is bullshit. How could I have been so stupid?”
Gut-punched by her taunts, he leaned forward and then threw the gearshift into reverse and backed up.
Clambering to her feet, she shouted, “If you leave here without me, we’re done. Through. No longer partners.”
The words ripped through his heart like a dull, jagged knife. He peeled out without looking back.
The only woman he’d ever love hated him in that moment. She might even hate him forever. If he had to sacrifice his dreams, so be it. At least she would be alive.
∙•∙
She watched Jesse drive away, kicking the gravel as she cursed like her old man. Without wheels of her own, she wasn’t able to go after him.
How dare he leave her behind? How dare he assume she wasn’t good enough at a time like this? Especially at a time like this.
“Prudence,” Mom called from the open back door. “Get in here.”
Her mother needed her. But Jesse needed her more, no matter what he thought.
Inside her mother paced the kitchen, smashing the fly carcasses into the tiled floor. No longer the wailing widow, her perfectly plucked brows furrowed deep. She looked a little angry, too.
A pang of guilt shot through Prudence. It never occurred to her Mom wouldn’t understand her need to put her father first this time.
“Jesse leave?”
“Yeah. To rescue Dad and Swift. I guess you heard. Apparently, I’m too emotional.”
“I did hear,” she said, gesturing with her hands. “I admire Jesse. Always have. And I know he wants to protect you. But he doesn’t see leaving you behind isn’t protection. It’s torture.” She patted her chest. “I know exactly how that feels. Your father tackled the demon without as much as a good-bye.”
“Oh, Mom.” Scurrying across the kitchen, Prudence opened her arms for a hug.
Her mother held up her hands and backed up. “Enough. Please. I’m okay. Pruddy, I know being in love screws with your emotions. It feels like a never-ending rollercoaster.” She opened the pantry door and then leaned on the narrow jamb. “Been there. Done that. But I also know raised an ass kicker, not a crybaby.”
“I’m done crying. I promise. Probably forever.”
“Good. I don’t want sympathy. I want you and Jesse to bring your father home.” She reached into her pocket and then tossed her the keys to her dad’s precious GSX. Dad worshiped the muscle car. She’d only been allowed behind the wheel once since the day he’d bought it.
“It sails when you floor it, so you should catch him if you leave now.”
“But I said some awful—”
“Don’t fret, baby girl. He loves you, so he ain’t thinking straight either. Put your foot down, but forgive him for leaving you behind. He’ll forgive what you yelled at him.”
“Thanks, Mom.” Prudence hugged her, feeling all her worn-out hope renewed.
“I have some insurance for you.” Mom wiggled out of her daughter’s embrace and reached into the open pantry. She hauled out a computer sack. “It didn’t disappear when I stepped on the seal, like the Watcher did, so I hid it right away. Good thing. That giant asshole showed up in a heartbeat.”
“What is it?” Lighter than a laptop, she slung the bag over her shoulder.
“The halo. I’m hoping you can swap it for your father.”
»»•««
She called Zane repeatedly, but one ring shot her into voice mail every time. Same with Boone. It could mean any number of things, but she hoped it meant they went with Jesse. The thought of him storming through Hell alone terrified her.
The headquarters’ parking garage gate lifted, and she whizzed under, clipping the car’s roof with the low bar in the process. Relief flooded her system as her eyes adjusted to the dim lights. Zane’s new SUV and Jesse’s old truck sat side by side. She parked the GSX closest to the exit, and then bolted up the ramp toward Rodin’s museum.
Dodging around tourists, she circled the grounds and each outdoor sculpture, searching for their faces. Surely, they’d take to time to plan. Surely, they hadn’t been that fast. But the dread of truth settled over her like a steel cloud.
She’d missed him.
Alone, she stood outside the Gate, the twenty-foot-tall work of art ominous and frightening instead of inspiring. Jesse’s stern warnings echoed in her head.
Don’t ever go through the gate alone.
She had no choice but to defy him. Glancing around to see if anyone was watching, her eyes lighted on the statue of the Three Shades.
Niall.
She had a backup partner after all. That was, if Jesse hadn’t stolen him.
Not giving a shit if anyone saw her or not, she stared at the door until it blurred and then stepped through the heavy bronze sculpture.
“Niall!”
“You don’t have to shout.” His deep brogue lilted over her left shoulder. He rounded her, meeting her gaze with grave eyes. “I’ve been waiting for you.”
“How did you know I was coming?”
“Jesse. He gave clear instructions to watch for you and send you home.”
“I’m not going home. Where is he?”
“He took his cowboy friends to the barn. Presumably, they took the correct fissure.”
She braced and asked what she didn’t want to know. “Ninth Ring?”
“Of course.”
“At least he brought Zane and Boone.” She took off at a good clip, slapping her sneakers on the familiar cobblestone path. “Come on! Show me,” she shouted over her shoulder.
/> The shade traced ahead of her, blocking the way. “Not so fast, my lovely.”
“Seriously. I don’t need another protector.”
“But you do need a guide.”
“Agreed.”
“Then we need to strike an adequate deal.”
“A deal? Why do I need to make a deal when you gave Jesse free access to the Ninth Ring?”
“Because Jesse can’t or won’t give me a ride to Heaven. But you can.”
She shouldn’t have been floored by his request, but her knees stuttered all the same.
“Please,” he beseeched more sincerely than she’d ever heard him before. “Please, take me to Siobhan. I can’t bear another day without her.”
She wouldn’t deny him. She finally understood how desperate he’d felt all those years. He’d taken some big risks for them. Big risks to do what was right. To return to the wife he loved. He’d earned a shot at redemption.
“Of course.”
“No matter the outcome?”
She didn’t want to consider any outcome other than a successful rescue, but a good Hell Runner considered all the options. All the dangers.
“No matter. No one leaves Hell tonight empty-handed.”
Chapter Twenty-Eight
“Well, throw the switch and color me shocked,” Boone exclaimed, louder than Jesse would have liked. “The Ninth Ring looks like Hell Runners’ Headquarters.”
“Yeah, but to the millionth power.” Zane frowned at the rolling sea of busy workstations.
Each cubicle contained a Formica desk, chair, computer, and one poor soul being prodded by a delighted demon meting out torture. The moans of misery and booms of devilish laughter blended into a soundtrack of heavy metal rock screeching from above.
Zane nudged Jesse with an elbow. “Do you think this is for real, or an illusion to mess with our minds?”
“Hard to say. As much as Hell is based on the fact we create our own torture, some of this must stay constant.” He slowly meandered into the first row of cubicles. “The question is what stays and what changes.”
Rule Breakers, Soul Takers (Hell Runners Book 1) Page 32
