“He called and said he needed a table, yes. Of course we would make room for the two of you. Everyone is talking about you.” Kristy leaned in closer. “You know, amongst vampires and werewolves, it’s huge news. Not only is there another angel, but Azrael has settled down.”
Lilliah sat back and turned to Azrael, who looked uninterested. “Oh honey, people are talking about us.”
Azrael caught on to her teasing tone immediately. “It’s because we’re worth talking about, honey.” His smile slowly disappeared as he turned to Kristy. “We were just heading off.”
Were we? Lilliah thought, a little disappointed. She liked the restaurant and the privacy the booth provided. Plus she’d seen a waiter walk by with a dessert she wanted to order.
“So soon?” Kristy’s lips parted to form a small O. “Wouldn’t you like dessert?”
Yes! The voice in her head screamed, though she didn’t voice it. She didn’t want to spoil their romantic night by shoving chocolate cake down her throat.
“No,” Azrael answered.
“No, thank you.” Lilliah stood and grabbed her clutch. “The food was amazing, though. I couldn’t eat another bite.”
“Put this on my tab.” Azrael took her arm and led her towards the door, giving Kristy only a quick nod.
“Of course. Please come again. Any time!”
Lilliah gave a small wave behind her as Azrael guided her out of the room. Nearly everyone in the room looked up at them as they left.
********
“No wonder you don’t have many friends. Twice today you’ve been rude to someone. Twice.” Lilliah held up two of her fingers.
“Friends are overrated.” Azrael shifted into gear and sped down the busy London street.
Lilliah twisted in her seat to get a better look at him. “You didn’t tell me how you and Kristy met.”
Whatever their history was, Lilliah knew it hadn’t been romantic. She just wasn’t his type—not that she actually knew Azrael’s type. She had met only one of his exes, Dena, and she looked nothing like Lilliah. Dena had been curvy and dark-haired, literally the complete opposite of Lilliah. Even still, she couldn’t imagine him with Kristy; she had been way too nervous in front of him.
“I’ve done business with her husband.”
The answer was so ordinary that Lilliah had to process it for a second.
“What kind of business?” she finally asked while they were stopped at a traffic light.
“Just business.” He took her hand and brought it up to his lips.
“That sounds shady.” She tapped her fingers on the seat, waiting for him to elaborate. When he didn’t, she pressed further. “So what kind of business was it?”
He laughed. “Derek works for a government agency in America.”
Lilliah’s whole body straightened. She hadn’t been expecting that. “You’re kidding.”
“Nope.” Azrael shook his head as he indicated left. “I’ve helped him out in the past, and he’s helped me out in return. He’s a good contact to have.”
“You have to tell me more about him,” Lilliah gushed. She couldn’t help it; he sounded like a real-life character from Criminal Minds or Without a Trace, which was no laughing matter. Working for a government agency had always been her secret dream job. While some girls had wanted to be princesses, Lilliah had wanted to be an MI5 agent solving a different crime every week.
“He had just started out when I first met him and was desperate for his first major case. Now he’s some hotshot with a staff of one hundred.”
“So he’s with the FBI,” Lilliah cut in, her amazement knowing no bounds.
“You haven’t heard of his agency.”
Lilliah’s eyes grew wide. Azrael shook his head and smiled. It was as if he could see all the questions building up inside her head.
“Long story short, there was a drug cartel working out of Los Angeles and into Mexico. In the early 2000s—2001, I think—they stopped shipping drugs and started shipping girls—young girls. I helped him bring them down, and in exchange, he provided me with documents, information.” He shrugged. “Whatever I needed.”
“He sounds like a great guy,” she said sarcastically. “He was kind of breaking the rules by helping you, though. Is he a bent cop? The kind who bends the law but gets the job done?”
He shook his head. “He’s not. He just wanted to make a name for himself.”
The car stopped and Azrael turned to face Lilliah. “Ready for part two?”
For the first time, Lilliah looked at where they were: outside of Purgatory.
“Are you going to get drunk with me?” She tutted. “That’s not very angel-like.”
His eyes narrowed with mischief. “I don’t get drunk, but I’ll hold you up when you do.”
Lilliah took that as a challenge and hopped out of the car. The few people waiting outside literally gasped when they saw them. A girl to Lilliah’s right scrambled to get her phone out as Azrael walked around the car to join her.
“You should wait for me to open your door.” He took her by the hand and led her inside.
“Why?” she asked over the already booming music as they walked down the entrance hall.
People moved aside and stood back to let them pass. She felt a little embarrassed, but Azrael didn’t seem to notice—or care.
“Because I like to.” He pushed the main door open and music blasted out.
Purgatory was just like she remembered: dark and sexy and packed, with girls dancing in glass boxes overhead and men grinding up on women on the dance floor. Even in the dim light, everyone noticed them. Azrael led her to a booth in the far corner and then ordered two shots of whiskey and a bottle of red wine.
“You’re trying to get me drunk so you can have your wicked way with me,” she teased, looking out onto the dance floor. Some people weren’t looking their way; they were too busy dancing. Others were coyly staring at them.
“Ignore them.” Azrael pulled her attention back to him. “Tonight’s about me and you.”
The waitress returned with their drinks, and Azrael passed her the shot. “You ready?”
She squeezed her eyes shut but nodded and drank the shot. She coughed and spluttered. “That was gross! I hate whiskey.”
Azrael laughed. “Plenty more where that came from. Next: tequila.”
He hadn’t been lying. Shot after shot and drink after drink, and Lilliah was utterly drunk.
She downed another drink and then slurred, “I think it’s getting to you.”
Azrael stared down at her, looking amused. “Is this what you do when you go out with your friends?”
Lilliah laughed and shook her head, placing her finger over her mouth.
“Shh.” She laughed again. “Don’t tell anyone, but I don’t normally drink.”
Azrael looked genuinely confused. “But you said you go out drinking.”
“Cocktails!” she shouted, holding her arms in the air. “Fruity cocktails!”
The song changed and her eyes lit up. “I love this song.” She moved in her seat, dancing as best as she could.
“Hi.” A man was standing at the end of their table, smiling but looking terrified. “I’m sorry to bother you, Azrael, but—”
Lilliah cut him off and held out her hand. “Nope! No business tonight. Just dancing and drinking.” She nudged Azrael with her arm. “Dance with me.”
“I think we should get you home.”
The guy at the end of the table took his cue to leave.
“I just want to dance.” She laughed as he helped her out of the booth and guided her towards the door.
“Do you dance?” she shouted over the music.
He shook his head, amusement in his eyes. She stopped walking and turned in his arms, encircling hers around his neck.
“This,” she mumbled against his lips, “was the best night ever.”
She gave him a huge kiss. Eventually, Azrael pulled back but kept his arms around her waist.
“Let’s get you home, angel.”
“Okay.”
Lilliah turned, still keeping a tight hold of Azrael’s hands. It was then she saw him: a figure standing still while others danced around him. He was staring back at her with the same sad expression as before.
She stopped walking and pointed. “That’s him.”
“That’s who?” Azrael pulled her back against his hard body.
“The guy from yesterday. The guy who, who attacked me.” She swayed and tried to squint. Was she so drunk that she was imagining this?
“Lilliah, go back to the table.” Azrael guided her body around until she was facing the opposite way. He was staring at the mystery guy, his face hard and expressionless.
“No, I want to come.”
Azrael had started walking away, the crowd following him with their eyes.
He turned to look at her. “Back to the table.”
She stood amongst the crowd for a second or two. She knew everyone was watching her—she could feel their stares—but she didn’t care. What she cared about was how Azrael had ordered her to go back to the table. She wasn’t some fifties housewife who did as she was told without question, and she had questions of her own that she wanted the guy to answer. Mind set, she made her way through the crowd after Azrael.
Lilliah walked through the emergency exit just in time to hear Azrael say, “Who are you?”
“I told you, I’m just a man.” The man she had met earlier was up against the wall, his hands held out in self-defence.
“Azrael.” She had wanted it to sound like a warning, but it had come out more like a squeak.
They turned to look at her, the guy looking so helpless.
“I want to ask him questions.” She stumbled towards them, keeping her eyes on the mystery man and his pasty complexion. “What’s your name?”
He was still wearing the same clothes as yesterday.
“My name’s Jamie.” He stared down at his feet. “I’m sorry if I hurt you earlier. I didn’t mean to.”
He sounded so small, like a child being scolded. Lilliah wanted to reach out and comfort him in some way, and she was about to when Azrael held out his hand to stop her.
“You didn’t hurt me.” She moved closer to Azrael and rested her head on his shoulder, still too drunk to think properly. “What happened to you? You went a bit crazy.”
Azrael stood still, not talking, just watching. Every time Jamie moved, he tensed, ready for an attack.
“I didn’t mean to. He was just inside my head!” Jamie slammed his palm against his forehead and squeezed his eyes shut. “He’s in here, all the time. I was stupid and messed around with stuff I shouldn’t have. Now he’s in here.”
Lilliah lifted her head off of Azrael’s shoulder and reached out to him. “Who’s in there? Lucifer?”
Jamie stopped moving, his eyes cast downward. “I’m too late. He’s already gotten to you.”
“So he’s out?” Azrael crossed his arms, but the rest of his body relaxed. “You’re one of his followers.”
“Yes. He said … he said I would be a king. A god. But I’m not. I messed around with stuff, things I should have never touched. I just wanted to follow him. I just wanted power. Now he owns me.” Jamie sniffed up and rubbed his hands over his face. “But I could save you. I knew that he was coming. He’s going to—”
Jamie dropped to the ground, gripping his throat.
“Azrael?” Lilliah watched in shock, but Azrael sprang forward and knelt next to Jamie.
“Look at me. Jamie, look at me and calm down. He’s in your head. Lilliah, turn around.”
Lilliah couldn’t move. Instead, she stood helplessly by as Jamie gasped for air, his face turning red, then purple. She didn’t know what to do. She couldn’t speak or move.
“Lilliah! Turn around,” Azrael ordered, still holding onto Jamie.
“Run. Hide.” Jamie clawed at the ground, his fingernails cracking and bleeding.
It was Lucifer. He was killing Jamie. As if a cold bucket of water had been tipped over her, Lilliah dropped to her knees next to Jamie.
“Lilliah. Stay back!”
She ignored Azrael and took Jamie’s hands in hers. His face twisted in pain. “It’s going to be okay,” she said. “We’re here with you.”
Lucifer wouldn’t let this guy go. He was punishing him for trying to help her.
Jamie held her eyes, blood dripping from his nose.
“You can’t win.” The words had barely left Jamie’s lips. He wasn’t twitching anymore, nor was he gasping for air.
“He’s gone. You can let go of his hands now.”
Gently, Azrael pried Jamie’s hands out of hers.
“He’s dead,” Lilliah whispered, tears already stinging her eyes, a lump forming in the back of her throat.
“You couldn’t have helped him.”
Lilliah hands started to shake as she stared down at Jamie’s dead body in front of her. “He’s dead because he tried to help me.” She was full-on sobbing.
“He made his own choices,” Azrael said. He picked Lilliah up from the ground and carried her round the front of the building. She buried her head in his neck and ignored everything else.
Azrael barked orders and she felt him stop moving.
“The car will be here soon angel, then we’ll get you home.”
“We can’t leave him there. We need to go back and move him. We can’t leave him on the cold ground like he’s nothing.” She sniffed and lifted her head.
“I’ll get someone to move him. It’s fine, Lilliah. I just need to get you out of here.”
Fine. Nothing was fine about what just happened. There was nothing fine about a man dying.
Lilliah heard the car pull up before she saw it. Azrael carried her still.
“Anything else, sir?” A young man asked as they passed and Azrael lowered Lilliah into the car seat.
“No.” He slammed the door and walked around to the driver seat. “Hold on tight, baby. We’ll get you home soon.”
Azrael got them back to his apartment in record time and by the time they reached his door, Lilliah was no longer crying.
“Do you need me to help you get ready for bed?” Azrael asked gently as they walked into his bedroom.
“No.” Lilliah shook her head and took off her top. “I’m fine.”
“Okay. I need to make a few calls. I won’t be long.” He left the room and Lilliah continued to get undressed for bed. She dropped down on the mattress without putting her pyjamas on and passed out a lot quicker than she thought was possible, only waking up again when the bed dipped with Azrael’s weight and he pulled her to his chest.
“Sleep angel. I’m here now.”
She drifted off again to her not-so-peaceful sleep.
********
Lilliah jolted awake, the image of Jamie’s face still fresh in her mind. She had gone from warm and asleep to wide-awake and freezing in seconds. In her drunken haze she could vaguely remember Azrael getting into bed with her. She was still in Azrael’s bed and completely naked, but he wasn’t holding her the way he had been when she’d fallen asleep. Keeping her eyes closed, she stretched her leg out, feeling for him beside her, but he wasn’t there. Reluctantly, she opened her eyes. The room was dark; the only light was filtering in from the window.
“Azrael?”
He didn’t answer.
Rising to her elbows, Lilliah scanned the room. She could see her breath fan out in front of her. Had they left a window open? She listened for a moment—silence. No, the windows were closed. She spotted her discarded dressing gown on the floor, not too far from the bed.
“Right.” She breathed, working up the courage to brave the cold.
In one quick motion, she threw the quilt away from her body and darted to the material on the floor.
“Why is it so cold?” She wrapped the dressing gown tightly around her body and rubbed her arms.
“Azrael?”
Still nothing.
/> The tiny hairs on the back of her neck stood on end. Azrael could hear a pin drop from five miles away if he was listening for it. Taking a deep breath, she walked over to the light switch and flicked it on. Nothing happened; the power was out.
“Oh, my …” Her hands started shaking. Something was wrong.
She pressed her lips together, her eyes watering. She shuffled farther into the room, her eyes darting everywhere. The darkness turned the otherwise ordinary room mysterious and freaky.
She forced her legs to carry her out of the bedroom.
“Hello, little Lilliah.”
Lilliah swung around at the voice, heart thumping hard in her chest. “Lucifer.”
Her whole body shook as she backed up, getting as far away from him as she could. He was standing at the end of the hall. Not even the darkness could mask his blood-red eyes. She tried to swallow.
“This is a dream.” Her lips trembled. “You can’t be here.”
Lucifer laughed and spread his arms wide. “Haven’t we already been through the whole dream issue? I’m very real. Come and touch me. Find out how real I am.”
Turning on her heels, Lilliah ran in the opposite direction as fast as her legs would allow. She sprinted down the hall and into the open living room. Her eyes scanned the space and landed on the door. Azrael wasn’t here. Lucifer had done something to him. The thought froze her for a moment. She couldn’t leave without him.
“Why are you running?”
Lilliah’s head snapped to the side. Lucifer was sitting on the large sofa, one leg casually crossed over the other, his large arms spread out.
“Where is Azrael?” A silence spread between them. The only sound in the room was Lilliah’s ragged breath. “What have you done to him?”
“I won’t hurt you,” Lucifer replied, ignoring her questions. His features were hard, but his eyes glittered with delight. “But he might.”
“Wha—”
Two large hands gripped her by her upper arms, lifted her up, and threw her to the ground. Her knees slammed against the cold marble floor, and she screamed in agony. She twisted her head, searching for her attacker.
“Az-Azrael?” she choked out the words. He was standing in front of her, his cold, red eyes staring down at her—red eyes like Lucifer’s.
Ruthless (The Seraphim Series Book 2) Page 6