The Devil You Know (Ceasefire Series Book 1)

by Claire Marta

  This piece of slime knows where my brother is. The darkness inside me howls for his blood. To rip him limb for limb. It will get its pound of flesh, but not yet. He’s not going anywhere.

  I let my expression become a blank mask. Blue eyes become hard and unfeeling.

  “Do you know who I am?”

  His head nods jerkily. “The archangel’s assassin.” Perspiration breaks out over his forehead as his anxiety grows.

  Levelling my gaze to his, I stare into his face. “Then you know my reputation.” I tell him softly. Demons quake in their shoes when they hear my name. I know that for a fact. I’ve made a name for myself. One they have reason to fear. I’m a killer without a conscience. The best at what I do.

  Licking his cracked lips nervously, his attention zooms behind me. Who he’s looking for is lurking in the shadows. I know he’s with me. His presence swallows the room. A darkness ever present.

  “You have information I need. Where can I find your Masters?”

  My words draw the prisoner’s red eyes back.

  “I don’t know anything.” He stutters, unable to hide his fear. “I’m just a soldier. They don’t tell me shit.”

  “See the problem with that is I don’t believe you. If that were the case, you would already be dead.”

  My knife meets his flesh with a satisfying sound. Beneath its sharp kiss the demon screams and thrashes, unable to save himself.

  Calmly I watch him, registering every nuance of his suffering. It makes me hunger for more. I wish I had my dehorner. I find removing horns moves this along so much quicker.

  Twisting the blade in his side, I send it deeper.

  Eyes on the broken skin, my heart leaps as the warm crimson flows free, coating the weapon and my fingers.

  His tortured cries excite me. A mix of guttural grunts and roars, he continues to fight against his bonds.

  Pulling it free, I survey the damage, feeling a sense of heady satisfaction.

  You’ve missed it, haven’t you, my Flower.” Lucifer’s voice is low and seductive behind me. “The power and elation. How your heart beats faster as you slice it through flesh.”

  He’s everywhere and nowhere. In my mind, a beguiling presence tempting me.

  I have missed this. I’m in my element. “Where are they?” I question, stalking around my prey with a growing need to see him bleed more.

  Chin lifting from his chest where its sagged he stares up at me with pleading eyes. “I don’t know...please, I have a family.”

  He thinks I should care? They have my brother. My family. Why should I give a fuck about his?

  Grasping a fistful of blonde locks, I force his head back. “Wrong answer.” Relishing every second, I jab the knife into his other side.

  Bucking, he hisses a string of profanities, spittle leaking from the sides of his lips.

  Smirking, I rotate the blade, enjoying the sound of muscles and nerves being carved by the metal. Fresh blood spills over my hand, anointing it in the violence I’m causing.

  Pain twitches through my bad shoulder, reminding me to slow down.

  Grimacing, I tug the weapon free.

  Trembling, the demon sucks in an unsteady breath. “Playground. They’ll be at The Play Ground tomorrow night for some fun.”

  The name rings a bell. Head tilting, I recall the place Lucifer took me to dinner. That BDSM club has the same name.

  “Taila’s the sister to one of my ex commanders. It makes sense they would join forces to try and over throw me.” He materialises from the dark. Emerald green eyes bewitching, he offers me a pleased smile. “We have all we need from him.”

  Talia. That bitch. Nathan is in her clutches? What I did last time to defend myself there was tame in comparison to what I will do.

  The blade slices smoothly through the prisoner’s firm abdomen. Thrusting it along, I carve from side to side, a thick wave of crimson spilling over my hand. Pulling the knife out, I watch his intestines spill out like spaghetti from the gaping hole, making a wet splattering sound as they hit the floor.

  The bitter tang of blood fills my nostrils. It’s so strong. Familiar to my senses.

  “You’ve done so well, Mavi, and as a reward I’m making you my official executioner.”

  I observe the light dying from the demon’s eyes until they’re dull and glassy. “I’m not interested in working for you.” I reply, collecting my bag and jacket.

  I have what I need. A location. A name. I’m done with Hell and the Devil.

  “Look at me,” Lucifer commands.

  “No.” Not stopping, I keep on walking towards the door. I need to hang onto my control. Can’t let him dominate me. He took too much from me last time and I can’t let that happen again.

  “I could make you look at me. Bid you to do everything I want. Have you naked and horizontal or any other way, but I would rather you come of your own free will.”

  “There’s not a chance in Hades of that happening, ever again.” I snap back.

  Before I realise what’s happening, he’s forcing me against the wall. His hand closes around my throat. Handsome features twisted in anger, he cages me with his large muscled body.

  Bag and jacket slipping free of my hold, I clutch his wrist as I hear them thud by my feet.

  “I should punish you for trying to leave as you did the last time.” He snarls against my ear. “You think you can walk away? You’re here in my kingdom.”

  He wants to hurt me.

  Break me.

  Tear into my soul. The one he already has captive.

  I can see it in his wicked eyes.

  He’s capable of it. I have no doubt in my mind about that.

  The hand around my throat squeezes tightly, cutting off my air supply.

  Lucifer’s nose nuzzles my cheek. “I smell your fear even when you try to hide it. It terrifies you that you let me so close. That you enjoyed every minute of me violating you. Desecrating and penetrating your twisted soul. That you still want me even though you’re trying to deny it to yourself in that pretty little head.”

  Fingernails digging into his arm, I fight as he strangles me. I choke on the breath still in my lungs.

  Gazes locked, I wait for him to snap my neck.

  The thought of my brother down here alone and vulnerable sends a twinge through my chest.

  Lips crash down on mine. Hard. Dominating.

  Grip loosening, he moves it to tangle his hand in my hair.

  As I suck in oxygen he takes the opportunity to thrust his tongue fiercely into my mouth.

  I want him more than my next breath.

  It’s wrong.

  He’s the Devil.

  King of Hell.

  My enemy.

  I shouldn’t want him like this, but I do.

  My heart hammers in my chest as he deepens the kiss, taking prisoner of my mouth.

  How does he do this to me every time? Is it a spell?

  My body roars for him not to stop. I can’t resist. A mindless puppet, he pulls my strings.

  His toy.

  I’ve fallen for him. Fallen from grace. And I hate him for it. Hate him for manipulating me. Making me love when it’s nothing but an illusion. He seems intent on stripping away my armour and leaving me bare and bleeding.

  Eternity seems to pass before he ends the kiss.

  Cupping my cheek, he studies my expression carefully. “Don’t ever think you can escape me again. I won’t be so merciful next time.”

  I can feel my bruised lips trembling. Mind in a daze.

  Hands moving to the front of my jeans, he hastily unzips them.

  A slither of common sense pricks through my stupor.

  “No.” Grabbing his wrists, I shake my head. “I’m not having sex with you. You’re only doing it to stimulate my angelic genes with your super juiced cum. I told you before I won’t be your puppet.”

  Rage ignites in those hellfire eyes. “You dare to deny me?”

  The torches around us dim. Growing thicker, the
shadows amalgamate in inky blackness, throbbing of power coming from the male holding me prisoner.

  Fear flutters on the edge of my mind. “I refuse to be used by you again.”

  “You will submit.”

  I’m unable to fight him off.

  Harsh and cruel, he strips me of my jeans and panties. Grabbing my sex, he thrusts two fingers into my wet aching channel, cupping my mound in a possessive hold.

  “This cunt is mine. Never forget that. If I want to have it, I will. Your slick juices are already drenching my hand. I should fuck you until you bleed for your insolence.”

  I shiver, panting with a need I can’t control.

  Spreading my legs, he parts the folds of his black robe, guiding his hard cock between my legs.

  My excitement is at fever pitch. A heady mix of fear and desire.

  Pressing the head against my swollen eager pussy, he rams into me savagely. He shows me no mercy.

  A keening sound breaks loose from my throat.

  I cling to him, one arm around his neck, rocking my hips, meeting his rough thrusts. Revelling as he fucks me with possessive strokes.

  How can he make me feel so free? Every time this happens he turns my world upside down. As he claims my body he sends me soaring.

  Heat builds in my chest from his frantic movements. It spills out, rushing through my limbs, warming my skin in white soothing light and centring in my shoulders. My whole body is tingling from the intensity of our fucking.

  Abdomen tightening, an orgasm convulses through me. It so explosive I see stars.

  From his harsh breath and quickening rhythm, I know he’s close too.

  With a long shuddering groan, his cum lashes inside me in thick warm spurts.

  As the last spasms twitch through his muscles, he drags himself free of my arms.

  Dazed and spent, all I can do is stare up into his expressionless face.

  “This is my realm, Mavi, and you’re now my plaything, whether you like it or not.” He tells me with a cruel curve to his sexy lips. “Leaving is not an option, no matter how much you desire it.”

  Walking away he leaves me sliding down the wall to land in a post fucked mess on the floor.

  Chapter Twenty-Three

  Cleaned up the best I can, I trudge out into the snowfield, leaving the frigid fortress behind. The sun has long ago set, the chill of the night stealing any heat the day left behind in this

  frozen wasteland.

  I need to get home. Back to Earth. Why the fuck did I not ask Gabriel to wait for me? Now I’m stuck with only a vague idea of the exit. Sheer dumb luck. That’s the only way I’m going to find it in the dark.

  I’m officially screwed.

  Why was I ever stupid enough to believe I could handle the Devil?

  I couldn’t the first time we met so why would I now.

  He’s like an untameable force of nature.

  A beast.

  I need to beat him at his own game. Use him like he’s using me.

  He’s a walking addiction. One I’m hooked on. Stirring dark and dirty desires through my veins I know I shouldn’t have.

  His moods are volatile like a hazardous liquid ready to explode at any moment. He’s dangerous. A monster. All reasons I should forget I ever met him.

  It takes a second for me to realise there’s no twinge of pain in my shoulder as I adjust the heavy weaponry bag.

  Using my fingertips, I feel below the material of my sweatshirt, searching for the red puckered scar. I’m met only by smooth skin. It’s gone. How did that happen?

  Pausing, I stand thigh deep in cold snow, white flurries dancing around me from the sky. Shivering, I huddle in my leather jacket, wishing it would retain some warmth.

  I should call Gabriel to take me home. This is getting me nowhere.

  “If you’re calling for the archangel, forget it. The boss has all access locked up tight right now. Even the doors everyone thinks he doesn’t know about.” A voice calls.

  Circling around, I confront the owner.

  He’s big. Real big beneath the animal furs that clothe his muscular frame. Brown, tousled, thick lustrous hair hangs loosely around his strong defined face. Perfect lips are quirked in a playful smile. It’s the wings that hold my attention. Immense and black, the feathery appendages are folded neatly behind his back.

  I’ve seen him before. On the battlefield when Fritz’s forces attacked last time before I knew Lucifer was deceiving me.

  “Fuck, that’s all I need.” I reply, hand moving to the hilt of the gun sticking out of the waistband of my jeans.

  Watching the action, his smile morphs into a grin. “You and the Boss over your lover’s tiff yet? Fucked it out?”

  He works for the Devil? I guess I should be surprised, but I’m not. Fallen angels are something I’ve never bumped into before. Generally, they’re dealt with by their own kind.

  “We’re not lovers.”

  “He was pissed when you left.” He continues conversationally, ignoring my response. “I’ve never seen him in a rage like that before or the carnage. You really got under his skin.”

  I’m cold. Tired and freezing my arse off, I'm in no mood for a conversation right now.

  Rolling my eyes, I go back to trying to work out where the fuck I am and how I get back to the elevator. “I’m sure he got over it.”

  “Here’s the thing about the Boss. You have to watch his actions, not listen to his words. They speak louder than anything he will ever say.”

  “I’m not interested in either.”

  I’m lost. Any sense of direction has vanished in the wintry night blizzard. Glancing over my shoulder, I feel a flood of relief when I find the outline of the fortress still in view.

  Unlatching something from his belt, the fallen angel brings a metallic and shiny flask to his lips. “Uh huh. You keep telling yourself that.” He tells me before taking a swig.

  I eye the hip flask with interest.

  “Scotch.” He tells me helpfully.

  Lumbering closer, I snatch it from his grasp, taking a long chug. The alcohol burns my throat as I swallow it before warming the pit of my stomach.

  “Are you running again?”

  Handing it back to him, I wipe my mouth with the back of my hand. “I just want to get the fuck out of here.”

  “And you think you can go at it alone out here in the dark?” He gives a deep bark of laughter. “They said you were crazy, but I didn’t think it was this bad.”

  Tucking the gun back in my waistband, I steady the bag I’m clutching. It’s getting heavier by the minute. “I’m just warming up, you haven’t seen anything yet.”

  Flexing his wings, he shakes them out, letting them spread wide in an impressive display. “We better get you back to the fortress. You don’t want to get caught out here now. The things that stalk the night will eat you alive.”

  I have to think things through. Obviously, storming out was a bad idea. Lucifer is king here and exerting his power. I need to find a way to get him to release me.

  “They could try, but I’d put them down first. You got a name?” I ask my new frenemy.

  With a gesture of his large hand, he politely directs me back the way I came. “And at any other time, I’d bet money on watching that, but it’s my neck if you get yourself maimed. I’m called Raziel.”

  Hiking through the path we’ve already made, Raziel keeps to my pace. The cold doesn’t seem to affect him.

  Huffing and puffing, I see my crystallised breaths dissipating in front of my face as I struggle to keep moving.

  “What’s that over there?” With a shaking finger, I point to the outline of a building I can just make out in the distance.

  Raziel makes a deep humming sound in his throat. “That’s somewhere you hope to never be put.”

  Rubbing my hands together, I attempt to relieve the numbness seeping in through my skin. “Why?”

  His expression grows sombre. “That houses certain souls the Boss keeps imprisoned so
he has the pleasure of torturing them himself. When he’s not stripping them apart piece by piece they’re starved of contact. Kept in isolation so they’re driven mad.”

  The revelation is unsettling. The Devil has a prison for his own personal amusement. It’s somewhere I hope I never find myself to be.

  Chapter Twenty-Four

  With a friendly wink, Raziel leaves me by the gates.

  Retracing my steps, I head back towards the great hall. The fire place will offer welcome heat to my frozen damp limbs.

  Trailing through the wooden doors, I find the Devil sitting on his throne, wearing a brooding look.

  A long wooden table has been placed in the centre of the room. On the surface of delicate looking china dishes an assortment of foods sit waiting.

  “Are you hungry?” He enquires the second he sees me, not looking surprised at my appearance.

  My stomach takes the opportunity to rumble loudly. “Yes.” My answer is stiff. The fact I haven’t been able to escape stings like a bitch. It would’ve been better to avoid him, but it looks like I’m stuck with his company.

  “Strip.”

  Raising an eyebrow at his commanding tone, I draw closer to the toasty warmth of the roaring hearth. “I’m not taking off my clothes.”

  “They’re wet. You’ll catch pneumonia and then you’ll be no good to me.”

  A logical argument. One I know is right.

  With a reluctant sigh, I slip the bag from my shoulder. Toeing out of the soggy trainers, I remove the socks.

  With graceful ease, Lucifer gathers up one of the long furs and brings it to my side.

  Aware of him watching, I shimmy out of my jeans, followed by the sweatshirt. Left in my panties and bra, I allow him to wrap the covering around me. The softness brushes over my naked figure tearing a soft moan from my throat.

  For a beat he hovers behind me.

  I can feel his breath tingling over the exposed top of my shoulder.

  Steeling myself against the erotic sensations it evokes, I remain tense and withdrawn.

  “I knew you wouldn’t get far.” He smirks, drifting away to take his place at the head of the table.

  “This is all one big game to you, isn’t it?” With a hostile glare, I seat myself as far as possible.