The door to my room burst open and the light spilling in from the hallway hurt my eyes. I shut them quickly and looked away. Suddenly the lights were out without a sound. The large figure in the doorway made his way over to me. A long skinny tail curled viciously around his leg, moving as if it had a mind of its own. A pair of slender horns sat amidst a full head of hair. Wide shoulders tapered to a narrow waist and thin hips. The figure moved closer and I felt the rage emanating from it and I recoiled slightly.
“Hello dad.”
*
There are some things that a daughter never wants her father to be privy to. Seeing her drugged and tied up was one of those times. I watched my father carefully. The King of Hell paced the tiny back room of a house in the ghetto of Miami. He stopped suddenly, his back stiff and I felt the anger radiating off him.
“I let them off too easily,” he bellowed, when he turned around to face me.
I rubbed my raw wrists and smiled wistfully at him. “Dad, it’s okay. I’m not really hurt.”
He eyed me and I thoughtfully shut my mouth. He may have let my captors go with barely a scratch, okay well, with a few burns and hair missing in random places, but he still had to deal with me.
“Dad,” I began, changing tactics. “I want you to know that I am sorry.” I looked up at him and felt a tear slide from my eye. He squeezed his eyes shut and walked over to me before he enveloped me in a big hug. I hugged him back, enjoying the feel of his strong body offering support. He pulled back and looked down at me.
“Are you sure you’re okay?” he asked gruffly.
I nodded and held him tighter when he tried to move away. “No.” I raised my head and felt fresh tears slide down my face. “Dad? Am I in a lot of trouble?”
He ruffled my hair and frowned, a heavy sigh leaving his body. “Well, you did leave hell without permission, which is akin to treason, and you did steal from me.” He looked around. “Orthus isn’t here is he?”
I quickly shook my head. “No, they only grabbed me last night.”
My father rubbed his chin thoughtfully. “And you don’t know where he is?”
“Nope,” I answered truthfully. He watched me for a moment and I swallowed thickly. If he wanted to, he could read my mind and discover that Orthus was missing. Then, no matter how many tears I shed, I would never see the topside again. I knew my dad would never resort to such an invasion of privacy and I hardened my resolve, keeping my eyes unwavering. He finally nodded and looked away before he sat heavily on the bed next to me.
“Why did you run away, Helena?”
I stared down at my hands. No matter how old I was, how many centuries passed, I was always Lucifer’s daughter. No matter where I went, what demons I tried to befriend, I was always the Princess of Hell first and Helena last. How could I tell my father about all my longings to get away, see the topside and all it had to offer? I would sound like a child, crying for a new toy in a roomful of toys. He would never understand, I knew, but I had to try. His calm was rare and I had to make him see it my way.
“Dad,” I began, “You have given me everything imaginable. I have never wanted for food, for clothes, for shelter, but it’s not enough to have everything you want.”
He stared at me in shock and confusion. “There is something you wanted that I have not given you?”
I waved my hand around. “All of this. I need to be around others.”
He snorted. “We are surrounded by more humans in Hell than there are on Earth. You have demons you can talk to; I will make sure some of them—”
“That’s just it, Dad!” I burst out. “No one likes me for me. They all cower to you and therefore they befriend me to get in your good graces.” My shoulders slumped. “I have no confidantes, no true friends. I have never had a real boyfriend, a real, I-love-you kiss.”
“Helena,” he placed his hand on mine. “Surely, some of your friends are there because they care for you. What about that young demon I threw into the tar pits? He seemed to really like you.”
I scowled at the humiliating memory. “He never spoke to me again. Ever.”
He glowered. “Wait till I get my hands on him,” he growled menacingly. “The tar pits will seem like a vacation!”
“Dad! Stop it!” I was feeling frustrated. “That’s just it! No matter what you do, I can never have a moment where I feel comfortable. I can never let my guard down because I am afraid I am being used.”
He waved his hand again. “But Helena. This? This is better than home? No, there must be something more.”
“Dad, I am happy.” I smiled. “I had never felt this emotion before. Thank you for rescuing me, but I want to stay. At least for a little while longer.”
He winced as he looked at me. “I feel almost like I failed you.”
I sighed and looked over at the big shoulders drooped silently. “Dad, you have never failed me.”
He turned towards me, his face sad as he brushed a strand of hair from my face. “I used to be your most treasured possession. Now you want to get away from me.”
I grimaced. “Dad, there is nothing in this world that means more to me than you!” I grabbed his hands. “If I could prove it to you I would! I would never choose anything else over you.”
He hugged me again. “I know.” He sat back and stood up, all trace of emotion gone from his face. “Now that that’s settled, you can stay until your month is up. Then you have to return home.”
I looked up bewildered. What just happened? The tingling sensation was back in my head. “Dad, I can stay? No matter what happens?” I asked nervously.
“No matter what happens. But don’t forget our deal,” he warned with a wink and a smile. “And the tears were a nice touch.” He winked again and disappeared in a puff of smoke.
Theatrics, I thought, then remembered his words. Deal? We didn’t make a deal. I replayed our conversation then groaned. Shit. My own dad had played me. He knew that I had probably met someone and that was why I wanted to stay. I was choosing that other person over him. Which made the other person—my most treasured possession. I closed my eyes. I had just promised my dad Evan’s soul.
*
The clock on the wall glared down at me as I opened my eyes. Orthus had been gone for almost two days. Two days without me to stabilize the magic keeping his powers bound. Pretty soon, there was going to be all sorts of strange weather reports around town as Orthus regained his powers. He was not going to be happy. I kept checking the weather waiting for something to happen so I could hopefully pinpoint his location. So far, nothing was reported. Yet.
A knock sounded at the door and I sighed. It was Evan. I could tell by the commanding way he rapped on the wood. I had steadily ignored his calls but I knew it was only a matter of time before he came over. He was determined like that. I didn’t bother to get up. I waved a hand and the door unlocked. “It’s open, Evan,” I called.
He opened the door and looked over at me, his blue eyes somber. “You okay?” He walked over and sat down before he brushed his fingers over my cheek.
I smiled. “Yeah, I’m fine. Still can’t find Orthus.” And I promised your soul to my dad, the King of Hell. I tucked a stray strand of hair behind my ear. Evan’s gaze burned as he looked at my wrists and the clear outline of the ropes bruised onto my flesh. He lifted an eyebrow.
“I had a slight issue last night.”
The eyebrow hitched higher.
“My dad came and took care of it.”
His brows knitted. “Your dad was in town?”
I nodded. “Just briefly. He had to fly back this morning.”
Evan looked at me and raised a hand. “I’m simply going to pretend that I know what’s going on, okay?”
I nodded again and patted his knee. “It might be best.” I flopped back against the couch, before I felt Evan’s strong arms wrapping around me. I leaned into him as he pulled me into his strong arms.
In Evan’s arms I felt safe and loved, but I knew those feelings would not l
ast. The minute he found out who I was—what I was—he would be back in Bri’s arms. It was only a matter of time.
“Helena, I’m sorry about last night,” he leaned in to breathe against my hair.
I smiled at him. “I know. And I’m sorry too.”
“Okay. We’re both sorry. But what are we going to do about our little lost dog?”
I had the overwhelming urge to laugh at his statement and wished that Orthus had been able to hear a human refer to him as a ‘little dog’. He would have a conniption. I agreed that we needed to find Orthus, but we had no idea where to look. I had an idea last night, but that trail was long gone by now.
“Helena?” Evan’s voice broke my musings.
“Well, we can always go across the hall and force Bri to tell us what she did with my dog.” I said bitterly.
Evan sighed. “Baby, I really don’t think she took Orthus. We confronted her yesterday and she didn’t crack.”
I patted his knee again, slightly amused by his naiveté although I was secretly glad at the endearment. “Evan, never underestimate the lengths a woman will go to stake a claim on a man. Especially on someone like you.”
He frowned. “Helena, I told you that we went on a few dates and it didn’t pan out. That was it. We never even slept together.”
Instead of helping his cause, Evan’s statements were supporting mine. I could now see why the woman had gone as far as she had. To spend all that time working on a guy to have another woman snatch him from under her thumb had to hurt. To be honest, if I had been in her place, I would have done more than steal a damn dog. But she hadn’t stolen a mere dog; she had stolen Orthus, a hellhound.
I wished I could trust Bri enough to talk to her woman to woman without her lying to me. I wished I could tell her what Orthus was. But that was too much of a risk. She would never believe me and if she did, she would have every demon hunter in the known world looking for me. I would never have any peace and furthermore, I would never have Evan. She would win. I tried to clear the doomsday prediction from my head. I needed a plan. Something that was foolproof. Something that was guaranteed to help me get a bead on where Orthus might be and with whom. I needed a psychic.
*
I hung up the phone and grinned. I had an appointment in one hour at a local psychic. I had checked her out on the internet and she seemed legitimate. If she had any power, however slight, I could boost it and it would still work. If she could make a prediction about a catastrophe that was about to hit Miami, I could backtrack from there and find Orthus.
I quickly changed into a clean dress, grabbed my purse and sunglasses and walked out into the South Beach, Miami sunshine. The moment I stepped foot outside, I felt the tingling. Damn. What was going to happen now? A man stepped out of the shadows of the building and I knew I had seen him before. Sunlight glinted off his round glasses as he made a beeline for me. Before I could move he stood in front of me.
“Ms. Black?” he asked, clutching a folder.
I nodded, a bit uneasy. “Can I help you?”
He smiled and I tensed instinctively. “Well, if I needed you to, you certainly would be able to, wouldn’t you?”
I cocked my head. What was going on? Confidence rolled off him in waves. And I didn’t need magic to sense it. He was a bit too at ease.
“I’m sorry, you are?” I asked puzzled.
He passed me a business card. “Mage. Simon Mage. I work for the South Beach Sentinel.”
I nodded as I remembered. “You were at Evan Priest’s open forum the other night.”
He smiled, his teeth a bit stained. “Glad you remembered.”
I smiled back tightly. “It wasn’t that hard. You were the only reporter there.”
He shrugged, “true.”
“So what can I help you with, Mr. Mage?” I asked a tad impatiently. “Unfortunately, I have an appointment.”
He wiped his palm on his well-worn jeans. “Well, let’s just say, I was curious about you after the forum discussion. So I did some digging.”
I stared at him. “And?” I knew my dad and I knew Luc. They were good at covering their tracks. So as long as I remained a part of their family, I was safe.
“Well, you seemed legit.”
My eyes narrowed. “You said seemed.” I felt a bit sick. I remembered now. I had seen him more than once. The other time was at the Olorisha’s house. Right before I vanished into thin air.
“Well, Luis had invited me to his house for a grand surprise. Imagine how surprised I was to see you. Then I blinked and you were gone.” He put his free hand into his pocket. “So I tracked you down and followed you a bit.” He leaned in closer to me.
“Now here is where it gets weird. I’m following Luis and you, and you disappear. Again. But I was recording you this time. And in all the playbacks, you simply…disappear. No video distortion, no editing. And…no you.” He rocked back on his heels, satisfied.
I looked at him coldly. “Wow. Good story. And I am supposed to be, what, scared?” I reached out and patted his cheek. “You are too cute.” I leaned in as he had a few minutes earlier. “Let me tell you something. When you threaten someone and tell them you have a secret about them, do it in a crowded room full of people.” I waved my hand. “Look around. There is no one out here.”
He squealed as I grabbed him by the front collar of his shirt and I smiled. “If I had any fear that what you said was true, I could hurt you right now.” I released him and reached into his front pocket, pulling out the small tape recorder and stopping it before erasing the digital recording. I handed it back to him.
“Do me a favor. Stay away from me or I will have you arrested for harassment.” I gave him one last glare and stalked off.
I headed back into my apartment. I was too upset to visit with the psychic. I knew that my anger could thwart any attempts at finding Orthus. All the negative energy flowing through me right now would throw the spell off. I needed to calm down before I visited her and I knew the one person that could help me right about now.
I walked over to Evan’s and knocked on the door. My own version of Sex on the Beach, opened the door, clad in only a towel, body deliciously wet. I took my time looking him over. “If this is how you answer the door, no wonder all the women in this building want you.”
He laughed and pulled me inside. “I knew it was you,” he said before pushing me against the wall and nuzzling my throat.
I moaned and tipped my head back to give him better access. His teeth scraped across my jaw and neck as he rained kisses and licked at my skin. My hands found his towel and whipped it off his body. Wow, this man was sexy. His shaft was already pointing towards me and I accepted the invitation. My hands stroked the length of him and he groaned as my fingers swirled the drop of pre-cum around his plump head. He pulled my breasts free and pressed them together, his tongue moving from one hardened nipple to the next. The fire start to build as sensations poured through me and I felt like I was on the edge of a cliff. I wanted to fall. I wanted to hurl myself forward, if it meant having Evan.
He pulled the small thong I wore to the side, and hooked one of my legs over his arm before slipping into me. It was heaven. I felt filled as he stretched my walls, his shaft deep in me. His hips flexed and he moved slowly in and out. My breath hitched as he continued to thrust and the pressure, the heat, started building low in my belly. Evan’s breathing grew louder as he continued to move and in one powerful thrust, he spilled into me, sending me over the edge. I cried out into his arms as I came crashing down from the cliff.
I stayed sandwiched between Evan and the wall as I tried to catch my breath. The man was good. I patted his butt as he moved away to clean up and returned with a damp cloth for me. I smiled at the feelings coursing through me. I might be well on my way to, dare I say it? Falling in love. I moved towards the door and Evan grabbed my hand.
“Stay.”
I smiled. “I’ll be right back. If we are going to continue this,” I waved a hand at him standi
ng there with the towel once again around his waist, “then I need to get a few things.”
He smiled and gave me a quick kiss before I headed out the door. I noticed the note almost immediately. Tearing it off the door, I quickly scanned it. I may be able to help you find him. Bri. Crumpling the piece of paper, I dropped it onto the floor and walked quickly to her apartment, knocking loudly. The door opened and she eyed me before motioning me to come in.
I walked into the condo so like Evan’s. The layout, the décor; everything was almost like the one next door. I wondered briefly if that was how Bri and Evan had met. Perhaps she had helped him design his place? I glanced around admiringly. The curtains were drawn and she had a few candles burning. It was very nice.
She gave a tight smile and I clamped down on my thoughts. How could I forget this bitch read minds? She pulled me further into the room and I felt the tingling return. Bri invited me to sit on the couch. I sat, carefully looking around. Something was not right.
“Tea?” she asked. I shook my head, silently willing her to hurry. The tingling continued and I cast furtive glances around the room, expecting to be ambushed at any moment.
“You said you might know where Orthus is?” I asked impatiently.
She nodded. “Someone may have seen something.” She glared at me for a minute. “I’m only doing this because Evan mentioned he was a special needs dog when I talked to him earlier.” She walked to the kitchen and poured a cup of tea. The delicious aroma wafted around the room, adding to the other smells of the burning candles.
Bri suddenly turned to face me and smiled. I saw the madness in her eyes, but before I could move, she threw the contents of her tea onto one of the candles. The flames flared for a moment and all my energy seemed to leave my body. I felt drained. She started to chant, and I weakly called out to her. She laughed and continued chanting.
Suddenly the door burst open and Evan charged in. I called out to him to stop, knowing in my heart that whatever Bri was doing did not bode well for me, but he grabbed me and tried to lift me off the couch. In a bright burst of light, the couch, the darkened room and Bri’s angry screams vanished.
Hell in Heels Page 10