Hell Inc.

by C. M. Stunich

  “I believe I can now fathom why you remain untouched.” I glared at him, my own ego beginning to feel rather bruised.

  “You're a jerk,” I spat at him and stormed out of the bathroom, not bothering to grab a towel. As luck would have it, the phone was ringing. I snatched it from the nightstand. “What?” I snapped. The person on the other end was silent for a moment.

  “Ginger?” It was Terrence. I sighed and sat on the edge of my bed, leaning over so that my head hung down between my knees.

  “Hey Terrence,” I said, softening the anger in my voice. As annoyed as I felt with Levie, I could feel little butterflies in my stomach. Terrence had a tremendous effect on me. It was just plain weird, and I didn't understand it at all. I knew less about him than I knew about Levie.

  “Are you okay?” he asked me, and I thought about how to answer him. In a way, I felt like I'd betrayed him, but that was stupid. It wasn't like we were an item or anything. Water dripped from my hair and fell in a puddle on the wood floor. Suddenly, the sphinx was there, lapping it up. I hadn't even heard it come in. I grabbed a blanket and covered myself with it, doubting all the while that the sphinx was even capable of those kinds of thoughts.

  “Yeah, I'm okay.” I clutched the black throw against my chest and watched the doorway for Levie, expecting him to appear at any minute. “I was just having a fight with my – ” What exactly was Levie to me? Just a caseworker? Not after what had happened between us. True, we hadn't actually had sex, but I still felt like there was a possibility that it might happen. Did I really have any right going on a date with Terrence now? This unanswerable question was racking my mind; I wasn't used to situations like these.

  “Ginger, are you still there?” I shot a glance at my clock. It was almost four, so there was still plenty of time to cancel our date. I wasn't feeling in a date like mood with what happened to my mother and then Levie and I ...

  “Yeah, sorry. I was just having a fight with my roommate.” Levie chose that moment to appear in the doorway, still naked and dripping wet. It was a rather erotic sight. The spell on his wings was gone and even as tightly as he had them tucked against his back, they still barely squeezed through the door. The look on his face said he'd already guessed who was on the other end of line, and he wasn't happy. “Um, I don't think I'll be able to make our date tonight.” The look of triumph on Levie's face was almost enough to make me reconsider. I scowled and turned away from him. Terrence remained silent, and I felt the hurried need to explain myself. “Something, uh, came up with my family. Maybe we can reschedule?” I really didn't think he needed the details of last night. He probably wouldn't believe me anyway.

  “Actually, that's why I was calling you,” he said, relief apparent his voice. “Unfortunately, I have some business matters to attend to. I wouldn't have been able to make it tonight either.” I cringed at that. Of course he had 'business matters,' I had gotten him fired after all.

  “God, Terrence, I'm so sorry. And don't worry, I'm working on our little problem. I'm sure I'll figure out something soon.” As if that wasn't a complete lie. I hadn't even had time to think about that little fuck up. For some reason though, I felt the need to soothe him. It bothered the hell out of me. “But let's reschedule. How about tomorrow?” I could almost hear the smile in his voice when he replied.

  “That would be perfect, Ginger. Same time?” I nodded, realized he couldn't hear me and replied.

  “Sounds great, Terrence.” We said our good-byes, and I clicked the phone into the receiver, pausing for just a moment to stare at the sphinx's face. Its eyes were a lovely amethyst, and it blinked full black lashes at me.

  “A sinking ship of gold may have cargo more precious than is obvious to the naked eye.” It was the first riddle that it had given me that had not been a question. I'm sure that it was trying to impart some epic bit of knowledge that would make my life a whole lot simpler, but I still didn't get it. Levie came around the bed to stand in front of me, and I had to look up at his face to avoid looking at certain other things.

  “I have no intention of allowing you to go on a date.” His hands were planted on his hips, and he looked ready to pick a fight. But there wasn't going to be a fight because I was going, whether he liked it or not. I didn't need to argue. It was my life.

  “And why is that?” I asked him, ignoring the urge to reach out and stroke the sphinx's golden fur. I was starting to think of it as a cherished pet. Not good. It would only hurt me in the end. Supernatural beings had a habit of doing that. I tried to remember that bit of advice as I argued with the naked demon.

  “Because the last time that I let you be, at your own request I might add, you were kidnapped and nearly ravaged.” He had a point there. Terrence wouldn't be of any help if those vampires decided to come after me again. I might even get him killed. This thought reminded me of my mother, and I felt my throat constrict. “What do you intend on accomplishing with this date? Is this Terrence attempting to court you?” He sounded angry and if I wasn't mistaken, maybe even a little worried. I looked up at him, and even after our argument, my body still twinged longingly. Levie had on his usual egotistical face but was still quite the sight, standing there as if he'd either forgotten he was naked or was sure that the lack of clothing enhanced his appearance. I was going to assume the latter.

  “Terrence is going to help me figure out how to get rid of this wish.” It was a rather pathetic excuse, and I was sure he would see right through it, but I wasn't going to up and admit that I was attracted to Terrence after I'd almost slept with Levie.

  “And you think he is more qualified to help you with this than am I?” Levie had me all figured out. Fuck.

  “Okay, so I'm attracted to him.” I glared at him, really glared at him. I dare you to challenge me on this. I tucked a strand of soggy hair behind my ear. He would be gone as soon as I'd made my wish and considering how quickly the first two had gone, I didn't think it would be much longer before I made the third, intentionally or not. Levie's posture became stiff, and if I wasn't mistaken, the room temperature rose a couple of degrees.

  “What does this ungracious fop have that I do not?” Levie gestured a hand in front of himself.

  “Don't call him an ungracious fop. And for starters, he actually lives in this dimension.” Levie stared angrily down at me, his brows knit together as if he was considering telling me something. He shook his head, giving me a light spray of water in the face. I scowled at him and wiped at it with the blanket.

  “Then why did you – ” Levie stopped speaking suddenly and sat down next to me on the bed. He looked at me out of the corner of his eye and brushed a piece of his textured, black hair away from his face. Full lips twitched into another smile. Two smiles in less than an hour, hot dog! “You may go on this date, but I shall accompany you. For your protection, of course. I will not face the river because you are too full of impracticalities to do what is in your best interest.” His words held all of his usual overconfidence, but his face was rather cheeky. “And we shall see what solutions this Terrence has to offer.” I wasn't sure if he was talking about solutions to the wish or to something else. I decided not to ask.

  “You can come, but you can't interfere unless I need help. Deal?” Levie looked at my outstretched hand as if he were offended by it. Then the cheekiness returned to his face, and he placed a warm hand on my naked thigh. I shuddered at the rush of sensation that small touch brought me and bit my lip to keep from gasping as he slid his hand up and brushed it teasingly over the hair there. When I didn't pull away or protest, Levie slipped two fingers inside of me. This time, I couldn't control myself and a gasp escaped my lips. He pushed me down onto the bed, and I refused to let him see the pain in my face when the wound in my back ached at the pressure of him lying mostly on top of me; I was afraid that he would stop if he thought he was really hurting me. His face was inches from mine, and his orange eyes were sparkling with amusement. “Do you think you're some kind of stud now?”

  “
No, I know that I am,” he replied loftily and pressed his lips to mine. I grabbed a handful of his hair as he pulled his fingers slowly in and out. I could feel the wetness spreading down the insides of my thighs. Goddamn, my fingers never felt that good.

  “Levie,” I whispered, my heart pounding as I questioned my decision to even bother to go on a date with Terrence. At that moment, it just seemed stupid. When I was with Levie, any attraction I felt towards Terrence just seemed silly.

  “Stupid girl, just be quiet.” He said it affectionately enough that I wasn't offended and slowly increased the tempo of his fingers. His thumb brushed across my clit, and I gasped, finally giving into the pleasure and relaxing my body beneath his. As the sensations spread throughout my limbs, I forgot to care about anything else. I dug my fingers into Levie's back and felt the side of my hand brush across the area where his wings met skin. The muscles there were exceptionally toned and firm to the touch, and a sound escaped his lips when I ran my hands along the top ridge of his wings. So that was a sensitive spot, who would have known? Thinking that I should be giving at least something in exchange, I stroked my hands down the soft, leathery skin.

  The position we were in was incredibly intimate; I could feel Levie's erection pressed into the side of my leg, and I suddenly wanted him with more urgency than I'd ever longed for anything else. I opened my mouth to tell him so but was interrupted by the feel of his tongue sliding across my nipple. The feelings became more desperate in my lower belly, and I could feel myself pulsing and clenching around his fingers. I reached a hand between us, meaning to take him in my hands again, but Levie stopped me by grasping my wrist lightly. The laugh that followed was low and sensual, and if I wasn't mistaken, touched with a hint of cruelty.

  “Ginger,” he purred, releasing my wrist and propping himself up with one elbow. “I think perhaps that we shall hold off on committing ourselves to anything more.” Levie removed his fingers from inside of me and slipped them into his own mouth. Obvious desire was burning in his eyes and was quite evident in lower places on his body, making me wonder if he was joking. But there he sat, unmoving with a wicked smile plastered on his pretty mouth and his hair tousled from when I grabbed it. My insides were throbbing, and I resisted the urge to scream at him.

  “And why is that?” I asked, my teeth grit in annoyance. Levie sat up and stretched his arms lazily behind his head. The silver ring in his belly button glinted in the light from the dragon lamp on my nightstand.

  “Because,” he replied, examining his nails as thoroughly as any woman I'd ever seen. “We do not have a condom.” Levie didn't wait for me to reply, just sauntered from the room as if he had obtained some great victory. And maybe he had. The feelings in my lower half were too strong to ignore, and I had to move my own hand to the overwhelming wetness and rub until I felt at least some of the ardor subside. Staring up at the ceiling, one hand resting on my forehead, I belatedly remembered the sphinx. It was nowhere in the room now, but how long had it stayed after Levie had started touching me?

  I groaned and rubbed at my eyes. I was still tired after the excitement from yesterday. It had been, if not one of the most pleasant, at least one of the single most exciting days that I had ever had. My life, in general, was somewhat uneventful. That is, if you didn't count the preternatural sightings I lived every day staring in horror at like some sort of badly made slasher flick. My deciding to deal with the Devil had been mostly based on my sheer desperateness for something, anything to happen. I felt like a character in a movie with everything around me playing out fast forward while I sat still, staring stupidly in slow motion. But now that I had excitement, was it really all that it was cracked up to be? If the incessant feelings in my groin had any say in the matter, it would most likely be an astounding no. I felt cranky: cranky at Levie, cranky at myself for denying him earlier, and cranky at my body for refusing to release me from its wants. I'd never been able to bring myself to orgasm and right now, I felt like that was exactly what I needed.

  “Stupid demon prick,” I cursed, rolling over and gazing bleary eyed at my phone. I needed to talk to someone about my mother's death. Now that I was, uh, no longer distracted by a very rude but very handsome demon, I actually had some time to think about it. She'd been murdered. By a vampire. Calling the cops was out of the question, but Liam had to pay, one way or another. Levie had said he'd take care of it but still ... I shook my head and clutched a down pillow to my chest. Apparently, it didn't matter whether I had liked my mother or not. The sight of her being murdered was really getting to me. I needed to get my mind on something else. Like my wishes. Or maybe how I had wasted two of them and now had no job. Okay, scratch that. Think positive, Ginger. The sphinx stuck its head back into the room, cocked to the side as if waiting for confirmation. How polite.

  “We're done. No sex for Ginger today,” I mumbled and waited for it to join me. The sphinx smiled one of its blank but pleasant smiles and settled itself down next to the bed. I waited for a riddle but it just sat there, amethyst eyes glinting in the afternoon sun.

  I sighed and threw the blankets back, slamming my feet onto the wood floor and shaking myself free of the gloom that was attempting to cling to my naked skin. “First steps first,” I told the sphinx as I stood and stretched. “Time to see if that cell phone offer is still available. I need some more wishes.”

  “Don't you get commission for this or something?” I asked Levie, straightening and handing him back his quill pin. The ink on the contract glittered back at me, and I felt a grin break across my face. It felt good to gain a wish, rather than lose one. Levie scowled and snatched the new phone contract from the table, jamming it into his suitcase.

  “Of course not. How silly.” I raised my eyebrows at him.

  “And the Devil peddling cell phone contracts isn't?” Levie gave me a look that made me feel less than intelligent and ignored my question. He snapped his brown leather briefcase shut and turned back to face me.

  “I have issues to take care of, Ginger.” He touched my shoulder as he said this, his hands unbearably warm from his magic. “But I can't leave you alone; this much is obvious.” His orange eyes were focused intently on the carpet, and for just a split second I thought I saw the slightest hint of a nervous twitch in his forehead. “I have a place for you to stay, but you may not like it.” I pushed his hand off and stepped back.

  “What do you mean, I may not like it?” Levie turned and ran his fingers along the handle of his suitcase. “Levie?” His wings pulled tightly against his body, and he sighed.

  “You are going to have to stay with my parents.” His voice was low and rough with embarrassment. I felt my jaw drop.

  “This is a joke right?” I yelped as a brief rush of heat surrounded me and all of the candles in the room lit themselves simultaneously. Levie glared at me over his shoulder.

  “Of course not. Why on earth would I jest about such a thing? Besides, you will be much safer under their roof than in your shack.” His eyebrow was twitching now, and I could tell this was costing him. I pursed my lips and, ignoring his insults, decided to focus on the more disturbing part of it all.

  “Is this ... you know, standard procedure for your clients to meet your parents?” I was sure that it wasn't, but I had to ask. Levie growled and picked up his suitcase, carrying it to the door and setting it lightly on the yellow and blue laminate entryway tiles that I thought cheapened the entire look of the apartment. God, maybe it really was a hovel.

  “Get your things together. I have very important duties that I must attend to shortly.” He paused and turned to look at me, mouth set in a stern line. Apparently this little arrangement didn't include him telling me a damn thing about what was really going on.

  “Why do I smell so much like demon?” I asked him and felt a wave of satisfaction as he briefly let surprise show in his eyes before closing down his emotions again. It was sort of sad how good he was at it. I parked my butt on the edge of my raggedy old couch and crossed my arms unde
r my breasts, appreciating in a very narcissistic manner how much they bulged up when I did that. Not that I thought they really needed any help.

  “My mere proximity to you causes our scents to mix, of course.” I shook my head; he was lying.

  “Liam thought I was a demon when he first saw me. Why would he make that kind of a mistake? Being next to a demon doesn't make you smell like you are one. I mean, I don't think it does.” It wasn't like I could smell the differences between supernatural creatures. I was just guessing. Levie shook his head.

  “I don't have time for silly questions, Ginger. If I am late, my uncle will have my wings.” Levie shivered, and the skin on his wings rippled, more like silk than leather. It was mesmerizing. I shook my head and refused to budge.

  “And why the hell did Liam think you were the CEO?” Levie's brows knitted together tightly, and I could tell I was about to hit gold. “He also said something about Infernix?” Levie took a few steps towards me, his boots sinking into the old gray Berber as he placed his hands on my upper arms. His orange eyes were full of answers that I wanted desperately, but I felt myself forgetting about them completely as he leaned forward and attempted to press his lips against mine. I put a hand on his chest and pushed him back. “I want answers, Levie.”

  “I cannot give you what you want,” he said in a low voice that made my insides turn to ice. There was a double meaning behind his words that made me sick. “Now, gather your things. We must be on our way.”

  “You haven't even asked me my opinion on this?” I snapped, pissed off and worried at the same time. Levie confused the hell out of me.

  “I do not need to ask,” he said with authority. “I am your caseworker, and it is my duty to keep you safe. I have made the final decision in regards to your personal safety. I have every right to do so. If you do not believe me, check the contract.” He held out his hand, and the scroll I had signed so long ago was sitting on his palm. I snatched it from him and clutched it to my chest, resolving to do just that. I would read every word, from top to bottom, just to spite him, but I knew I would go with him anyway. There was no way I was staying here alone after what had happened yesterday. There wasn't a snowball's chance in hell.