by Zahra Stone
The Devil You Know
Hell’s Angel: Book 3
Zahra Stone
© 2021, Zahra Stone.
All rights reserved. Except as permitted under the U.S. Copyright Act of 1976, no part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed or transmitted in any form or by any means, or stored in a database or retrieval system without the prior written permission of the publisher.
Editor: Marcia Batton
Cover & Graphics Designer: Sylvia Frost, the Book Brander Botique
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, organizations, places, events, and incidents are either products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental.
No part of this work may be reproduced, or stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without written permission of the publisher.
Arcane City
PO Box 72
Brighton, MI 48116
Contents
About this Book
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
More from Zahra
More Books Like This
About Zahra
About this Book
The world is burning, and I’m the one who lit the match…
I didn’t mean to. In fact, I thought I was playing the hero. Turns out I got played the fool.
Betrayed by those I love most, I’ve gone into hiding to lick my wounds while praying things get better. Meanwhile, the earth is broken, Heaven is bleeding, and someone—or something—is trying to break the seal on Hell.
Last time, I only made things worse. This time I must do better.
I’m the CEO of Hell, so naturally it falls to me (and my sassy orange kitten sidekick) to mediate this celestial war that’s been brewing for millennia. Yeah, wish me luck.
Chapter One
The truck fishtailed as I planted my foot hard on the accelerator. Red and blue lights flashed in the rear-view mirror, lighting up the interior of the cab, and I whooped in delight. This was so much fun! Gone was the old Lucifer, always doing what was expected of her: always on the job, always saving souls. In her place was Hell-raising Lucifer, and I relished every second, for it let me forget, for brief moments, and I so desperately needed to forget. Even now, in the middle of a high-speed pursuit, memories threatened to consume me. Memories that wanted to drag me under into darkness and pain. I pushed them deep down inside, so far that they’d never see the light of day. I hoped.
The police car followed as I sped down the dirt backroads of Fury Island, the windows down, taking the corners at breakneck speeds while my hair whipped around my face. Glancing down, I grabbed my beer from the cup holder. How clever of the humans to design such a thing—a holder for your beverage of choice. I took a swig, swerved across the road, and then dropped the bottle back into the holder, regaining control of the truck.
The lights behind faded. They’d called off the pursuit.
“Pussies!” I shouted out the window. My cell phone rang, and the truck's Bluetooth picked up the call. “Yo?” I answered.
“Lucy.” It was Jase. Probably wondering where his truck was.
“Do you have my truck?” He asked.
Bingo.
“Maybe.” I wanted to lie and say no, but still, I had this innate compulsion to speak the truth—it was infuriating. Since leaving Heaven, I’d hidden out on Earth, subduing my angelic—or demonic—depending on how you look at it—powers by living as one with the humans. That meant no magic. The minute I used it, they’d be able to track me, for I had no doubt that Levi and Dacian were searching. Only they didn’t know what realm I was on, they may suspect Earth, but where, on this vast planet, would Lucifer, the Queen of Hell, hide?
My mind was drifting dangerously close to the one man who I did not, one hundred percent, want to think about. Levi. He’d destroyed me. The human turned fire demon had done what no one, angel or demon, had ever managed. He’d gotten under my defenses: I took my guard down and opened my heart wide for him. That’s when he struck, hard and fast. The memory of it still left me breathless.
“Lucy, we’ve talked about this.”
I jumped at the sound of Jase’s voice, having forgotten he was on the line.
“I’m just blowing off some steam,” I protested. “You’re always trying to spoil my fun.” The pout in my voice was real, for I’d discovered walking on the dark side was an enjoyable activity.
“Yeah, well, can you blow off steam in your own car? Oh, that’s right, you don’t have one!”
“Sarcasm doesn’t become you, Jase.” I could picture the tall blonde vet raking his hand through his hair in frustration.
“Just bring the truck back, Lucy. The police rang, asking if I was aware it had been stolen.”
“The cops are as much fun as you.” I took another swig of beer, frowning when I noticed the precariously low volume left in the bottle. Reaching over to the passenger seat, I dug around in the brown paper bag, found it empty, and cursed. I was out of booze. The tires screeched as the vehicle meandered onto the wrong side of the road. I glanced up, overcorrected, and finally managed to get the thing back under control and in the correct lane.
“Lucy!”
“Fine!” I shouted. “I’ll bring your precious truck back.” I disconnected the call, annoyed at Jase. Hell, I was annoyed at everyone these days. I knew Del and Jase were on eggshells around me. The only one who didn’t give a damn was Duke; the black lab would ignore my lousy mood and demand I give him a pat. Just like that, with my hand stroking his luxurious fur, my mood would ease. For a while at least.
Softening at the memory, I eased off the accelerator and turned the truck back toward town. I had a shortcut the cops had yet to discover, and with not a police car in sight, I parked the car at the back of Jase’s vet clinic, with no one the wiser. It was a beautiful night; the air was warm with a slight summer breeze coming off the ocean. The moonlight was unfiltered, not a cloud in the midnight sky. I sighed. How I wished it was winter, with thundering storms and cold winds lashing my body—for that was how I felt inside. It would be nice to have the weather reflect my mood, not the romantic paradise Fury Island was exhibiting.
I stood looking at the house attached to the vet clinic. It was dark, all the lights off, and I knew Jase and Del were inside sleeping. Pushing down any errant melancholy that surfaced, I swiveled on my heel and began the walk into town. I’d had my fun with the truck, but I wasn’t ready for my night to be over; for then, I’d have to face the inevitable truth. I’d be going to sleep alone and waking up alone. Ever since fleeing Heaven, I’d never felt so utterly alone in my life.
The Elephant & Wheelbarrow—a wholly English pub on a Caribbean island—was my drinking venue of choice. Stepping through the rustic door was like stepping into another dimension, and I liked the irony of it. The pub smelled like old smoke, leather, and for some bizarre reason, freshly cut roses when there were no flowers to be seen.
Sliding onto what I considered my barstool, I waved at Gloria, a well-endowed woman in her forties who had a smile for everyone and white curls that bounced in total disarray around her shoulders. Some
days her perpetual happiness grated on my nerves, and all I’d have to offer her was a growl. On those days, she knew it was best to leave me alone.
“What’ll it be this evening, Lucy?” she asked, filling a glass with ice, then a shot of whiskey, and setting it in front of the man a few seats down.
“Sex on the beach?” I asked, tapping my fingers against my chin as I mentally scanned through the list of cocktails I’d made it my mission to devour. I’d been here a week, and this was my third rotation of the cocktail list.
Wiping her hands on a tea towel, she smiled, “Coming right up.”
The man who’d ordered the whiskey moved to the barstool next to mine and nudged me with his elbow. “I can help with that,” he said.
“What?” I knew what was coming. Always did. Stupid humans.
He grinned, raking his hand through his hair. “Sex on the beach.”
I glanced at him, only to be rewarded with a leer. So gross. “Not interested.” Ignoring him, I turned to Gloria, who was making my cocktail. She looked from me to the guy and back again, trying not to smile.
“No need to be rude,” he puffed, and my eyebrows shot into my hairline.
“Rude? Dude, that was not rude. Your pathetic attempt to have sex with me was declined. You take rejection as rude? No. You see, this is where human nature has gone all wrong. Men feel entitled. They feel they can say and do what they want to a woman with no consequences. When a woman says no, she’s rude, or a bitch, or frigid, or whatever other insults you think you can throw at her. But you know what? I don’t give a rat’s ass what you think. Say what you want. Honestly, I don’t care because you mean nothing to me—your existence has no meaning in my life whatsoever. I’m meant to feel privileged that you deigned to speak to me? Well, here’s some advice for you. Go fuck yourself, you pathetic twat waffle.”
Gloria barked out a laugh, slid the cocktail to me, and addressed the guy who was now flushed bright red. “You lucked out, Pete, move along now, and stop bothering the lady.”
“She ain’t no lady,” he protested, grabbing his drink and scampering away. I wanted to read him, to open my magic and see if he was slated for Heaven or Hell, but I’d suppressed those abilities since arriving on Fury Island, and the not-knowing was liberating. I got to judge every person I met on the merits of how I perceived them to be at that moment, not what I knew of their past. I’m sure many of them were sinners, some worse than others, but I enjoyed not knowing, not judging. Sweet, sweet, freedom.
Chapter Two
I was eventually kicked out of the Elephant & Wheelbarrow when it closed. Still, I wasn’t ready to go home even though I could barely stand up, fatigue and alcohol making me stumble as I staggered out the door. Outside I squinted into the darkness, my eyes refusing to adjust. Rubbing them with my fists, I repeatedly blinked before my focus returned. While I was on Earth, I needed to rest more, sleep more, be more human than angel, but I resisted. For when I closed my eyes, that’s when Levi crept into my thoughts, and I’d wonder about him. What he was doing. If he was okay. And then I’d be angry because I cared. So, I avoided sleep as much as possible.
Instead, in the early hours of the morning, while the rest of Fury Island was sleeping, I walked the shores, wandering aimlessly until the sun rose over the horizon, and I eventually stumbled into my bed in Del’s old cottage. Now that she’d moved in with Jase, her place was empty, and she’d agreed to let me be her tenant.
I was down on the beach when raucous laughter echoed on the night air, and in the distance, flames shot toward the sky. I assumed someone had set up a campfire on the beach and headed in that direction when the mewing of a kitten froze the blood in my veins. I paused for a second, then sprinted forward, my gaze zeroing in on three teenagers standing around the campfire, laughing. One of them held a tiny orange kitten by the scruff, dangling it over the flames. It twisted and meowed in fear while the boys laughed and taunted it, lowering it closer to the flame before pulling it back.
Then the unthinkable happened. The teenager holding the kitten let it go. Without hesitation, I extended my wings and froze time, snatching the kitten up in my hand before the flames could touch it. With it cradled against my chest, time resumed, and the boys looked at me in horror, my wings of fire spread out behind me, my eyes dancing with the horrors of Hell.
“Run,” I boomed, for I was ready to consume their souls then and there for what they’d done. They didn’t need telling twice. They dropped the bottle of beer they’d been holding and ran, scrambling and tripping in their haste. With their backs to me, I flung out a hand, marking them, one, two, three. Hell was now in their future.
The kitten meowed against me, and I ran a soothing hand over its trembling back, healing any burns it had received with a stroke of my hand.
“There now,” I soothed, keeping my voice low and concealing my wings, “that’s better, isn’t it?” The kitten began purring, and I smiled. Then I realized what I’d done. I’d used my magic. They’d have seen. I needed to get out of here now. Hugging the kitten to my chest, I took off at a jog, making sure my magic was locked down tight. I couldn’t be angry for risking it; the little ball of orange fluff cradled against my chest was worth it. I’d have to stay vigilant, keep out of sight, and maybe I’d get lucky and wouldn’t be discovered. I almost laughed at the impossibility of my hopes.
They’d be looking alright. Not only Levi, my fated mate, but possibly Dacian, one of my oldest friends. Then there was Dad, God, the one who’d done the unthinkable and then hid it from me. But he’d been in the predicament he was in because of my mom, Lilith. And they’d all be looking for me. And let’s not forget Ashliel, my second in command. I’d left her looking after Hell—she’d be concerned by now. I usually checked in regularly. To be silent for so long was not like me, and I knew she’d be worried. My thoughts briefly touched on my brothers Gabriel and Michael, banished to Earth for their sins. Not that they’d be looking. They didn’t know the latest. Plus, they were assholes. If they were looking for me, it would be to laugh and poke fun at my expense.
Arriving home breathless and wheezing, I unlocked the door and staggered inside. Putting the kitten on the floor, I leaned over, hands on knees, trying to catch my breath. I’d run the entire way from the beach to the cottage. Uphill. Fuck, I was out of shape. I poured myself a glass of water in the kitchen before putting a saucer of milk down for the kitten. It continued purring as it lapped it up.
My phone began ringing, and I glanced at the screen. It was Del.
“What happened? I felt something,” she demanded as soon as I answered the call.
“I slipped. Used some magic.”
Silence greeted my words. Then she said, cautiously, “And?”
“And now I’m hiding.”
“What made you use magic?”
“Some idiot kids were about to drop a kitten into a bonfire.”
Her gasp echoed my sentiments exactly. “Oh, God. Is it okay? Did you save it?”
“Yes, it’s okay. I have it here. She was a little singed, but I healed her.”
“Oh, Lucy.”
“Save it.” I knew where she was going with this. Del had a soft heart. She wanted me to reach out to Levi, to talk to him, but I refused. “I don’t want to talk about it. Can you get Jase to come by and check on the kitten?”
“I thought you said you healed it?”
“I did, but I want him to take a look. Make sure it’s okay.”
“You’re keeping it, aren’t you?” I knew she was smiling, since I could hear it in her voice, so I hung up. Del was good to me. Patient and kind, and I repaid her by being rude and mean. I couldn’t help it. Everyone and everything irritated me these days.
Del, Jase, and their dog Duke were…special. They were the key to the gates of Hell. The key had started off as a single talisman. Over time, it was broken into three pieces and scattered to the corners of the globe, entrusted to select people for safekeeping. Only, it was getting harder and harder t
o keep a relic hidden, these humans could be tenacious when they wanted to be, and with a demon hot on the trail and a shard of the relic in Del’s hands, I’d transformed the key. It was now an intrinsic part of Del, Jase, and Duke, evident by the tattoo’s the three of them bore. Collectively, they were the key. Hidden. Secure.
They were the reason I was on Fury Island. They shielded me from any location spells Levi or my dad may have used to find me. And with my magic locked down, I intended to stay hidden until I was ready to face them on my own terms. Right now, I was rubbed raw. I was too angry at my father for unknowingly absorbing my unborn child to save himself and at Levi, who had known and not told me. I felt like a first-class idiot for not even knowing I was pregnant—granted, my baby had only been conceived hours earlier. Still, Levi had sensed the moment our daughter had sprung into creation. And he hadn’t said a word!
Silent tears tracked down my cheeks, and I swiped them away. I’d lost her before I’d had the chance to celebrate her. My daughter. Levi and I hadn’t even talked about kids yet, but when a being chose you as her parents, boom, you were knocked up whether you wanted to be or not.
The kitten mewed, and I crouched, scooping it up and cradling it against my chest. It yawned, and I followed suit. It was time to sleep. I’d worry about the rest later. Climbing the stairs, I slid under the covers fully clothed with the kitten tucked under my chin, its purr vibrating through my chest. Together, we slept.
