For Hell's Sake (Queen of the Underworld Series Book 1)

by T. L. Anderson

  I make a quick turn toward where I’m assuming the road is. It’s kind of hard to tell direction around here. The sounds of laughter get a little louder, and my heart starts to race. The sounds of happiness is one thing I never thought I’d hear. Picking up the pace, I speed walk toward the noise. Each step closer, I can feel my heart beating erratically in my chest. My hands feel jittery, and a smile is tugging at my lips. As I race around the corner, I burst out into the street. There’s people, everywhere. Well, not really a ton, but at least twenty. A gentleman is sitting against the wall of an establishment where it sounds like the laughing is coming from, his head hanging forward. He looks to be sleeping or praying. Maybe all the fun he had inside wore him out. Now I really need to check this out.

  I cross the street and head directly for the sounds and bright lights. There’s a neon sign above the door, and a few glammed-out woman standing next to it. One is wearing a pair of gorgeous rhinestone heels. I need to ask her where she got those. I could use a pair for my wardrobe. A gentleman comes out of the door and lights a cigarette. He moseys up next to the women, bringing their attention to him. I guess I’ll have to ask her about the shoes later.

  Heading up the stairs, my skin tingles with excitement. My grin is now a full-blown smile as I whip open the door and join whatever type of party they must be having inside. As my eyes adjust, I can’t see much, the low lighting making it difficult to see more than a few feet in front of me. There’s a darkness hovering in the room, but I can feel the happiness in the air. My arm hairs stand on end from the energy. Well, that’s a neat trick. I wonder what else I can sense on Earth.

  I wander past a burly man sitting by the door, and he eyes me up and down. His pupils widen as I get closer to him. He looks like someone important or at least someone who knows where I am.

  “Hey, big man, what kind of place is this exactly? Is there a lot of fun and partying here?” I ask as I try to make out my surroundings.

  Big man doesn’t respond right away. His eyes are almost black as he stares at me in shock. I wave my hand in front of his face. “Hey, you alive in there? Can I party in here? Find out what life’s about?”

  His head shakes slightly, and his pupils seem to minimize a bit. “Yeah,” he grunts. “You can party in here. Head on in.”

  I slide past him, but I can still feel his eyes on me. It feels like they’re burning a hole into my back. As soon as I’m a good ten feet away, I can feel them shift off me, alleviating the discomfort. I glance back at the big man to notice he’s sitting in his seat, shaking his head like he’s clearing the fog from it. His eyebrows are turned down as he looks around the room in confusion. Huh, that’s weird. But I’ve seen weirder.

  I continue through a curtain, still thinking about the strangeness of my first human interaction. The thrumming of the bass hits me first, jolting through my body with each thump of the song. Then I notice the brighter sparkling lights up on the stage. There’s tables all around, mostly filled with men, but that doesn’t bother me. A woman steps out onto the stage dressed in a very short, blue sequin dress. The men whistle as all eyes land on the stage. Maybe she’s about to sing, I’ve heard of those bars a few decades ago, where woman would sing sultry songs for the men. I grab a chair at the bar and turn toward the stage to watch the performance. I’m not into singing myself, but I don’t mind listening to someone else for a bit.

  “Can I get you something to drink, sweetheart?”

  I turn around and notice a man behind the bar. His bright white teeth almost glow in the dark as he smiles at me. His dark brown hair matches his tan skin. A chill spreads up my spine as he stares at me like I’m prey. I’m not the woman you want to mess with, buddy. I turn and plaster a sexy smile on my face. Running my tongue over my lips, I eye him up and down.

  “What do you have that is fiery with a pinch of sweetness?” I murmur as I bite the tip of my finger seductively.

  His eyes widen and his pupils dilate like big man’s did. Not this again. But the bartender seems to have more control over his responses. His lips widen as he pulls out some bottles behind the bar. He mixes a few things into a shaker, then pours it into the glass, topping it with a cherry.

  “I have just the thing. A Red Devil should do it.” He slides the glass to me as he waits for me to try it.

  I can’t help but laugh at the irony. “Oh, this will do just fine,” I say as I sip the liquid. The spicy hint of cinnamon and the tartness of the cherry balances out nicely. I could get used to this drink.

  The girl on the stage starts moving as I turn around to watch the show. The music increases with a slower tempo. “I’m not sure how anyone can hear her sing over the music,” I mutter.

  The bartender chuckles. “She’s not singing, she’s dancing. Don’t you know where you are?”

  I watch mesmerized as the woman’s hips sway back and forth. It makes sense about the music now and the men watching. Who knew dancing could be so seductive.

  “I’m at a bar somewhere.” I glance around. “What town am I in?”

  I hear him laugh again behind me, but I can’t pull my gaze away from the stage. I wish I had moves like that. I can barely walk in heels let alone lift my leg that high.

  His deep voice whispers close to my ear, “You’re in Chicago, gorgeous, and this isn’t a bar. It’s a gentlemen’s club.”

  I swirl my drink and watch the cherry spin at the bottom, soaking up all the alcohol. “Huh, no wonder there’s very few females in here. Am I going to be kicked out?” I glance over my shoulder at him. He’s really quite cute in a predator sort of way. And the more I drink of this cocktail, the more I want to feel his skin on mine. My cheeks flush at the thought, and his grin spreads again like he can read my mind.

  “No, you won’t be kicked out. In fact, you might be more entertaining than the girls working tonight.” Someone from down the bar calls him over. “Don’t go anywhere, devil girl. I’ll be back.”

  My stomach flips at his nickname. How did he know? Then as I pick the cherry out of my cup and flip it into my mouth, the name makes sense. The drink, of course. How dense can I be? Maybe I’ll find a few humans I can play with while I’m here, experience everything I can’t in Hell. A smirk tugs at my lips as visions play in my head of what an orgasm might be like.

  The girl on stage slips her right arm up to her bra strap and slowly slides it down, revealing her bare chest. My eyes widen as I see money being thrown on stage, and she slowly slips them into her tiny G-string that she’s wearing. Where the hell did her clothes go? I can’t stop staring at the scene in front of me as she climbs a large pole and twirls around it like gravity isn’t an issue up here. I tilt my head sideways, trying to figure out how she’s doing it.

  “Well, this is not what I expected,” I mumble to myself.

  “My shift’s over. How ’bout you and I get out of here and have a little fun of our own?” The bartender slides next to me, his hip brushing against mine. I pull my gaze to his and assess how much I’m willing to learn in one night. In the light, I notice his eyes don’t appear as malicious. They’re actually a rich chocolate brown with a little bit of honey weaved into them. His hair is styled to look sexy but disheveled. I glance down farther and notice the large biceps pulling at his shirt and the tightened abs under it. Yeah, he should do.

  I plop my cup down onto the counter and hop off the stool. “Let’s do this, sexy.” I start to head out the front door, but his hand slips around my waist, pulling me to the right.

  “There’s an employees-only entrance back here. That’s where I park at.” He guides me around the tables to a small unlit door tucked off to the side. As we cross through, the hairs on my arms stand up. That’s the second time that’s happened tonight. Weird.

  He tugs me along into a dark alleyway. I look around for his car, hoping I don’t see the guys in the process. Not that they’d be loitering outside a gentlemen’s club. Actually, I take that back—I could definitely see them here. As I peer around expecting t
o see Levi or Lex, I forget about Mr. Sexy Bartender. His hand is no longer gently sitting on my hip.

  I turn to look for him and stare right into the glinting silver blade pressed against my cheek. His pupils are now pure black as he pushes me against the wall. My hands reach up to grab his arm, but they’re shaking too bad to control completely. My pulse is racing as I deduce this is not how a quick fuck should be ending. But it does definitely reiterate how much I hate men.

  My arms begin to shake as anger wells inside me. I can feel myself starting to lose control as my vision changes to slits. His eyes widen, but he doesn’t back up. The blade digs deeper into my skin, and I can feel the hot trickle of blood dripping down my neck.

  “You shouldn’t have done that,” I whisper as I try to rein in my fury. I don’t need an apocalyptic response to one asshole.

  “What are…you?” His voice shakes as he looks side to side for an exit.

  “Remember that nickname you gave me? It fits pretty well with the current situation.” I don’t move, afraid more of hurting him than him hurting me.

  “Devil girl?” His eyes widen, then narrow to slits.

  Before I can react, the hot blade slices through my throat as he backs away. My knees give way as I fall, hitting the asphalt with a thump, my face smashing into the gravel. I grasp at my throat, but it’s too slippery for me to find the wound. I squint at him, trying to level him with my most menacing look. Not that a bleeding-out stuck pig can bring you fear with just a look, but I can try.

  With widened eyes he sneers, “They told me to look out for you.” With one last glance at his masterpiece, he runs off down the alleyway. Of course he’d be a scared piece of shit after murdering me. Or maybe my death look is as menacing as I tried to make it. His retreating form becomes blurry as my breathing slows to a gurgle. My head feels dizzy, like I spun in circles too many times. Fuck, this is what dying feels like.

  8

  Sitting up, I suck in a deep breath, my hands flying to my throat. I pull them away, but there’s nothing there. It’s no longer sticky or draining me of life. I let out a sigh. “Holy shit,” I rasp, my throat a little sore. I glance around to see if I’m still outside the bar. The bright yellow walls of my bedroom stare back at me. Mr. Pickles is lying at my side, sniffing my shoes.

  Huh. So, if I die on Earth, I get sent back to Hell. That sucks balls. Slowly standing, I make sure my balance is steady enough to hold me upright. No need to face-plant again—that wasn’t a pleasant experience. I glance in the mirror across the room and check out my neck. No marks, not even a faint line. I’m not really sure what this all means.

  Screw this. I’m not letting that jackass get away with killing me. I grab a leather jacket off my floor and storm out the door. If he thinks he can kill the devil, he has another thing coming.

  The portal opens immediately—well, it does after the fifth time of trying to remember the chant Aries said. At least I land on my feet this time. I slip on my jacket and pull it closer around me. It’s now turning to dawn; the sun is trying to peek out from the edges of the horizon. I can’t help but stare at the bright orange-and-pink sky cresting up above. I may have to paint my ceiling that color; if I can never witness it again, I need to at least remember it forever. I head down the hill, past the headstones, and toward the fields that will take me to town.

  I walk across the clearing, but instead of the warehouses I saw before, there’s a long strip of little shops. I must have made a wrong turn somewhere. The streets are quiet; most likely everyone is asleep or getting ready for the day. I make my way toward the cute little store that has a big cup of coffee on its sign. Now, this is something I need to try.

  Earth isn’t at all what I expected, I mean, yeah, I did get murdered my first day, but that had to have been a fluke. Not everyone or everything is evil on Earth. If they were, then we’d run out of room for all the souls in Hell. Nah, today’s going to be a good day. Second chances and all that.

  Staring at the door, I read the hours they’re open and realize it’s pretty dark inside. There’s a small light on over the counter and a lone girl stacking a few cups off to the side. I tug on the door handle, but it doesn’t budge. Turning around, I look for a clock or someone I can ask for the time. I never had to worry about it before, but I suppose time does actually work up here. As I look down the street, the door behind me jiggles.

  A soft voice calls out, “You look like you could use a cup of coffee this morning. We don’t open for another fifteen minutes, but I can squeeze you in really quick before the morning rush.”

  Turning, I stare into the soft green eyes of the girl who was just behind the counter. Her rich black hair falls behind her shoulders, and the red headband she’s wearing makes the contrast with her pale skin pop. I watch her for a second, my heart doing a weird thumping in my chest, which is extremely uncomfortable and makes it difficult to think. Her eyes don’t widen or become black like the others, and I don’t feel my arm hairs standing on end. I let out a sigh as my heart slows down, making it easier to breathe once again.

  A smile pulls at my face as I bare all my teeth in hopes to make her know I’m friendly and not out to hurt her. Although, she did just invite me inside early, so obviously there’s no fear with her. Now, I just look like a crazed maniac, standing here silently smiling like I might eat her heart for breakfast. Sweat starts to form on my neck as I fight to rein in my awkwardness.

  “Yeah…thanks. Coffee is definitely needed. Long night,” I ramble ineffectively. Holy shit, get yourself together.

  Her smile falters a bit as she watches me closely, probably second-guessing her life choices right now. She takes a deep breath and pulls herself together, plastering a grin on her face. “Come on in. We’ve all been there before. Caffeine helps. Trust me.”

  I walk in behind her as she leads the way to the register. The smell hits me first, and my mouth starts watering as the heavy rich aromas of coffee beans and something sweet hit my nose. Glancing up at the sign, I read each item to see what I want to try first. The prices are listed next to them, and my pulse spikes again. Things cost money here, I forgot!

  “What can I get ya?” She ties her apron around her waist, watching me closely.

  “Um…I’m going to have to come back later. I forgot to grab some money.” I start to back away from the counter as I debate how I can get cash while I’m temporarily here on my mini-vacation. I snap my fingers, hoping to make money appear, and check my pockets, but they’re empty. No magic here either—just great.

  “No worries. I have just the thing, and I’ll give it to you on the house. It’s a recipe I’ve been working on and debating if I should add it to the menu. You can be a taste tester for me.” She claps her hands excitedly as she rummages behind the counter for her mixing cups.

  “Are you sure? I don’t want to put you out. I’ll come back when I have cash.”

  “Don’t you even think about leaving. I’ve been wanting to find someone to try it, but I’ve been too nervous to ask anyone. Now, I have the perfect excuse. It’s free for you, so if you hate it, you didn’t waste any money.” She concentrates as she pours even amounts of coffee and chocolate into a mixer. She grabs milk, caramel, and a few seasoning jars.

  Scooting closer, I watch as she mixes it all together, then puts a dash of cinnamon on top. It smells delicious. She hands me the cup with a lid on it. I blow on it as I take a small sip. The hint of cinnamon hits my tongue first, followed by the bitter taste of coffee that’s mellowed out with the chocolate and caramel. It’s pretty good, but I don’t have any other coffee creations to compare it to.

  “It’s really good. I’ve never had coffee before, but I would definitely drink this again.”

  “You’ve never had coffee before?” Her eyes widen.

  Great, now I made myself look even weirder. “Nope. First time for it. I guess you could say I’m a coffee virgin. Or was,” I ramble. Holy cow, insert foot into mouth. My cheeks heat as I turn my eyes back to my cup o
f coffee. How do you politely leave without making things more awkward? What would the guys do? Probably make a perverted joke about her popping my coffee cherry.

  She busts out laughing, her eyes shining with tears as she holds her stomach. She leans against the counter and takes a steadying breath to try and regain control. “That’s the funniest thing I’ve ever heard, but you gave me the name for the new coffee drink: the Virgin.” She giggles again.

  Seriously, are all people up here either ridiculously happy or crazed killers? I take another sip and slowly back toward the door. “I’m glad I could help. Thanks for the drink.”

  She waves bye as she’s too busy still laughing to talk. Shutting the door behind me, I let out a deep breath. Maybe this trip won’t be so bad, I can pop my cherry with new foods and possibly another way too. This could actually be somewhat fun. As long as I watch out for crazy people.

  Heading down the sidewalk, I look into the darkened storefronts. Each one has something different inside. Some have clothes, another has sparkly jewelry, and one has dollhouses and teddy bears lining the windows. The doll sitting in a rocking chair sends a chill down my spine as its black eyes stare at me. Creepy little fucker. I might have to get a few of those for Hell. It could be fun laying them around to scare the souls and hopefully the demons too.

  I glance across the street and see another storefront, but this one has homemade jams and spices. The lights turn on inside as someone flips the Open sign on the door. Bingo, found my next stop. I start to cross the street, but my feet falter midstep. A deep set of sea-glass-colored eyes stare at me from the alleyway next to the shop. Shit. Aries’ glare narrows as he starts to storm toward me.