“Her fiancé might have a problem with that,” Devil remarked blandly from over Molly’s shoulder, resting one hand against Molly’s stomach as he smiled icily at the younger man. “Darlin’, why don’t you tell Sean our happy news? I don’t think he knows yet.”
Sean stuck his hand out to the older man. “I’m sorry. I don’t believe I know you. Although, I gotta say, you look real familiar.”
“I bet I do,” Devil replied evenly as Molly tensed in front of him, ignoring the younger man’s outstretched hand in favor of drawing Molly closer. “My name is William Delancy, but most people just know me as Devil.”
Molly couldn’t hide her satisfied grin as Sean’s jaw dropped. Her ex-lover had instantly recognized the powerful name. Why shouldn’t he? Half of Atlanta hoped to meet Devil Delancy one day, and the other half lived in fear that he would show up in their nightmares. Obviously, Sean the Snake was in the latter half.
“Soon, however, I’ll be pleased to be able to call myself Molly’s husband,” Devil continued, pressing a kiss to Molly’s temple. “She’s going to make me very happy and make an honest man of me.”
Looking between Devil and Molly, Sean swallowed. “You’re marrying Devil Delancy?” he asked Molly, wide-eyed.
“I am,” Molly said cheerfully, nodding as she gripped the hand Devil held around her waist with her right hand and raised her left for Sean to see the ring Devil had slid on her finger last night. “We’re very happy. We’re actually announcing our engagement to my family after lunch today.”
“Married,” Sean echoed, looking between Devil and Molly.
“Yes, married, Sean.” Molly smirked. “You know, that holy institution wherein two people enter into and promise to do things like remain faithful to each other. Based on my past experience with you, I’m betting you probably wouldn’t like it very much,” she clarified with a grim smile, stepping out of Devil’s arms and twisting the metaphorical knife in her ex-boyfriend’s chest. “What with your wandering penis and all, fidelity is just a challenge I doubt you could meet.”
Sean winced, reaching out a hand to touch her arm. “Aw, Mols, don’t be like that. I’m a different man now.”
Quickly sliding in front of Molly, Devil intercepted Sean’s hand before he could touch his future wife. “Touching her would be a very bad idea, son,” he drawled, staring at the other man with eyes that glittered dangerously. “Molly, go inside with Vivian and wait for me in the lobby,” he ordered without taking his eyes off Sean. “I just want to have a little visit with Mr. Barlow.”
Okay, Molly thought, she was all for torturing Sean a little. After all, the guy had wrecked her life a couple of years ago. He deserved to twist in the wind a bit. The look in Devil’s eyes, however, indicated that he’d rather see Sean’s lifeless body twisting from the end of a rope tied around his neck. Normally, that would thrill her, but they were at church. “Devil, let’s just go inside together,” Molly murmured, lightly touching his tense back.
“Don’t worry, babe. I won’t commit any mortal sins in the parking lot. Sean and I are just going to have a man to man talk,” Devil assured her without taking his eyes off her now-sweating ex-boyfriend.
“Molly,” Vivian said softly, stepping forward to hook her arm through her friend’s, “Devil is right. I need a drink from the water fountain before church begins. Pastor Martin is conducting services today so you just know we’re going to be here late. We’ll wait for Devil in the lobby. You’ve got about ten minutes,” she said with a smile at Molly’s fiancé. “We’ll wait inside.”
“But…”Molly began to argue, abruptly closing her mouth as Devil turned to stare at her. She could see the determination shining in his blue eyes. He wasn’t going anywhere until he said whatever he had to say to Sean. “I’ll see you inside,” she murmured, letting Vivian drag her toward the steps. Looking over her shoulder one last time, she watched as Devil smiled coldly and took a step toward Sean.
She almost felt bad for the younger man.
Almost.
But not quite.
Chapter Thirty-Six
Devil waited until Molly began climbing the brick steps into the stately church before he turned his attention to the other man. Then, he smiled – that smile that he reserved for that moment right before he ripped the throat out of his competition. “Well, Mr. Barlow, now we can have a little discussion. You’re either very brave or very stupid. Since I know what you did to my fiancée two years ago, I feel more comfortable believing the latter rather than the former. After all, only a fool would have let Molly go.”
Turning, Sean followed Molly’s progress up the steps with an interested gaze. “Molly did not look like that two years ago,” he murmured, licking his lips. “She was cute as a button, but on the plump side, if you know what I mean. Our Molly has become quite the vision.”
Tilting his head, Devil’s eyes narrowed. “Believe me when I say that she’s not our Molly, Mr. Barlow. She’s most definitely mine. And I don’t share. Ever.”
“Of course not,” Sean scoffed, shooting Devil a grin. “But, if she wasn’t taken….”
“She’d still hate you,” Devil supplied evenly. “See, I was around for the fallout of your little affair two years ago, Sean. I’ve known my Molly since she was born. The only reason you stayed around as long as you did was that she was at college and you were just some name I heard mentioned by Grant a few times in reference to his sister. If I’d been around, you wouldn’t have lasted as long as you did, and Molly would never have gotten hurt.”
Sighing, Sean shook his head. “What happened between Molly and me was a huge misunderstanding, Devil.”
“Mr. Delancy,” Devil corrected. “My friends call me Devil. You and I are never going to be friends, Mr. Barlow. You became my enemy the day you took another woman into Molly’s bed and allowed her to find you there, betraying her.” Seeing that he had the younger man’s full attention now, he shook his head. “I don’t know what Molly saw in you at one point in time. I don’t really care. Fortunately, she sees you for what you are now, and that’s all that matters to me. I don’t know what your angle was approaching her here today, but you’re not going to make that mistake again.”
“I’m not, am I?” Sean asked, lifting his chin defiantly. “Shouldn’t it be up to Molly whether or not she wants to talk to me?”
Devil chuckled as he slid one hand into his pants’ pocket. “You obviously don’t know Molly as well as you think you do.”
“Molly and I were together a long time; I probably know her better than you do,” Sean countered, crossing his arms over his chest and narrowing his grey eyes on Devil’s face. “You may have more money than God, but that wouldn’t have impressed the Molly I knew much. She won’t let your money and power influence her. She and I have some things between us we need to resolve.”
“Is that so?” Devil drawled easily, his deep voice deceptively smooth and low. “Unfortunately for you, Molly is probably going to choose to resolve those issues with a well-aimed gun. You see, I do know her. She hates you. Emphatically. Seeing you makes her uncomfortable. That makes me rather edgy. See, I have quite a few suspicions about you, Mr. Barlow.”
“Really? Do tell,” Sean invited, his own jaw clenching as he stared back at Devil.
Biting back a smile, Devil wondered if the man was actively seeking to be crushed like an ant or if he was dumber than dirt. Not that it truly mattered. The end result would be the same. “You really aren’t very smart, are you, kid? Because of you, Molly doesn’t trust her instincts where men are concerned. You see, with your callous actions two years ago, you’re directly responsible for the mistaken belief she’s developed that all men can be lying, cheating, self-serving bastards. That irritates me since I’m still trying to overcome that particular obstacle with her. Add that to the fact that I do believe you’re at the root of her self-confidence issues - what with your snide, tacky comments about her former weight - and I find myself having developed a very active dislike o
f you, Sean.”
“No offense, Mr. Delancy, but I think I can live with your dislike, active or otherwise,” Sean retorted cockily.
“Can you?” Devil questioned curiously, slowly moving in for the kill. Evidently either his opponent for Molly’s affection had been hiding under a rock for the last several years and didn’t know what he was capable of or he was so arrogant that he thought he was a match for Devil. Either way, he was about to learn a very hard lesson.
“I think I can handle another man not liking me… even a man as successful as you, Mr. Delancy.” Sean smirked as he turned to walk away.
“You’re still at Fenton and Danvers, aren’t you, Sean?” Devil asked casually, dropping his hands into his slacks as the other man turned to face him again.
Sean frowned. “You know where I work?”
“I know everything about you, Sean,” Devil informed him pleasantly, enjoying the glare of the Georgia sunlight that suddenly seemed to blind the other man. “I didn’t get to be where I am by being uninformed. I make it a habit to know everything there is to know about my enemies.”
Hesitating, Sean held up his hand to cover his eyes. “Maybe we got off on the wrong foot here. I’m not your enemy. I’m just a guy that used to date Molly.”
“That’s where you’re very wrong. You are my adversary. You hurt Molly. Deeply. I take that very seriously. You’re a rotten human being that betrayed her trust, violated her home, and damaged a truly beautiful woman. I’ve left you alone for two years because you had the sense to stay the hell away from her. You changed the game today, Mr. Barlow. You tried to ambush my future wife on her own turf – at her church, of all places. I don’t know what your motive was or what you thought you could accomplish, but this wasn’t a coincidence. You planned this, and that was a very foolish mistake on your part. I protect what’s mine, Sean.”
“Does Molly know that she’s just a possession to you?” Sean growled suddenly, his eyes now shining with jealous rage.
“Molly knows there isn’t anything I wouldn’t do for her. I don’t think you can say the same,” Devil replied evenly, taking a step closer to the other man. “Here’s what’s going to happen, Sean. You’re going to go inside the church and enjoy today’s services with Ms. Higgins. Then, you’re going to leave, and you’re never going to come back. Not here and not any other place that Molly frequents.”
“You’re so sure of yourself, aren’t you?” Sean bit out, his hands balling into fists at his sides.
“I am,” Devil agreed easily, nodding his head as he offered the other man a predatory smile. “Let me tell you why, Sean. In this city, I lead a very influential pack of wolves. I don’t have a problem in the world ripping your metaphorical heart out of your chest. If you harass my future wife in any way from this point forward, I’m going to be forced to take action. That means that I’ll start with a phone call to my good friend, Alan Danvers, and tell him all about the questionable character of his newest associate. Really, screwing the managing partner’s wife isn’t a great way to make an impression on your boss, is it?” Devil enjoyed the horrified expression that crossed the younger man’s face and he made a silent note to give the private investigator he had on staff a raise.
Still grinning, Devil continued, “When I’m done filling in Alan on your extracurricular activities, I’m then going to make it a point to put out the word about what kind of man the sharp, young, up-and-coming attorney Sean Barlow really is. I’m a powerful man, Sean, and I don’t bluff. People who matter value my opinion. It could become quite difficult to find a job as so much as a dishwasher in the city of Atlanta if you aren’t careful, which would be unfortunate. The debt you’ve accumulated from those student loans and that pesky gambling addiction you’ve developed is staggering, after all.”
Sean gulped audibly, his eyes dilating as Devil paused.
“Are you alright, son? You look a little ill.” Devil asked, feigning worry.
“F-fine,” Sean returned hoarsely, shifting slightly as he ignored the gazes of the parishioners walking by them.
“Hmmm, my mistake.” Devil shrugged. “So, tell me, Sean,” he continued conversationally. “Are we understanding each other now?”
Pale now, Sean nodded wordlessly.
“I’m going to need verbal confirmation, Sean,” Devil ordered harshly, glaring at Molly’s one-time lover with pure hatred.
“I’ll stay away from Molly after today. I won’t go anywhere near her,” Sean stated softly, his words barely loud enough to be heard.
“Good. Then this will be the last conversation you and I have. For the record, though, I appreciate what you did. If you hadn’t thrown away the best thing to ever happen to you, she’d never have happened to me. So, for that, I’ll give you this one pass. Cross me again and I come for you, Sean,” Devil warned one last time as he stepped around the other man. “If I were you, I’d stay out here and get some air. You look like shit,” he said in parting before walking toward the church… and his future.
Chapter Thirty-Seven
As Devil stepped into the small lobby of the Baptist church, Molly immediately hurried toward him. Latching onto his arm, she lifted her gaze to his. “You didn’t leave a mangled body in the parking lot, did you?” she whispered frantically. “Seriously, it’s still a crime even if he had it coming, Devil.”
Smiling benignly down at her, Devil bent to whisper in her ear. “Careful, darlin’. I might get the idea that you care what happens to me.”
“I care enough not to want to be a witness at the murder trial,” Molly whispered back as Devil wrapped one arm around her waist and tucked her against his side.
“Everything’s fine, baby,” he soothed, squeezing her hip. “Sean is just taking a moment to think about some things I shared with him. He won’t create any scenes for us, I promise. Now, let’s go find our seats before the service starts,” he suggested, urging her toward the arched entrance into the church’s sanctuary.
Breathing deeply, Molly let Devil guide her down the center aisle, nodding to several people she knew as they turned to look at them. Lord, this was worse than the time she’d tucked her dress in her pantyhose, she thought hopelessly. It seemed like everyone was staring at them – especially the women. Not that she could particularly blame them, Devil cut a handsome form in his tailored suit. Between his rugged good looks and attractive body, she was the envy of most every woman inside the church under the age of fifty.
When she spotted Sami waving at her from the pew behind Grant and Karen, Molly smiled in relief. “Here, Dev. This is where we sit,” she whispered, pulling him into the wooden seat and plopping down beside Sami.
“You okay?” the blonde murmured as Molly dropped her purse to the floor by her feet and settled against the pew beside Devil. In front of them, Grant and Karen stole peeks at them over their shoulders.
Leaning toward her model friend, Molly nodded to her concerned mother as she turned around to stare from two pews ahead. Trying to smile reassuringly, she lifted her hand in a tiny wave and sighed when she got a hard look from the woman who’d given her life. She could tell the older woman was trying to figure out why Devil had accompanied her to church, but good manners prevented her from jumping the two rows of seats it would take to find out. After all, her mother was the model of Southern grace and decorum...at least in the Lord’s house. The inquisition would come as soon as the final Amen was uttered; of this, Molly was certain. “Please, tell me your flask is in your handbag,” she begged her best friend in a quiet voice.
“Oh, honey, you know I’m always packin’.” Sami grinned, staring straight ahead as Vivian snickered softly from the other side of her.
“Wonderful. Don’t move far from my side then,” Molly returned in a hushed voice as Grant turned to stare at them again, his eyes dancing merrily.
“Did ya kill ‘im?” he asked Devil in a low voice as the choir shuffled in at the front of the church.
“Not yet,” Devil denied with a faint smile,
sliding his arm around Molly’s tense shoulders. “But he won’t be making any more problems after today,” he assured his best friend.
Throughout the three hymns the choir sang over the next fifteen minutes, Molly tapped her foot nervously, singing along as she stole looks at Devil. She’d seen Sean wander in about five minutes ago and take his seat beside a woman she didn’t know. He didn’t look any worse for wear, but she’d known him long enough to see he was shaken. She knew it was un-Christian to wish a plague of frogs and locusts on her mortal enemy as she sat in the house of the Lord, but she couldn’t help the glee she felt.
Frowning at her brother when he looked at Devil over his shoulder for the fourth time in as many minutes, Molly leaned forward, grabbing the back of the pew in front of her. “What in the world are you looking for, Grant?” she whispered to the amused man as Devil took her hand in his, lacing their fingers together.
“Honestly? I’m trying to spot The Four Horseman of the Apocalypse, sis.” Seeing the confusion in her green eyes, he grinned. “You got Devil Delancy inside a church,” he explained softly. “That’s GOT to be a sign that the end times are nigh!”
“Yeah,” Sami chortled softly, overhearing Grant’s statement. “I’m pretty sure I heard Gabriel blowing his horn when Devil walked through the door.”
“Shhhh,” Vivian shushed them all. “The preaching is starting,” she warned, nodding to the head of the church where Pastor Martin was climbing into the pulpit.
Shifting in her seat as Pastor Martin cleared his throat and faced the gathered congregation, Molly felt Devil’s arm snake across the back of the pew and around her shoulders, unobtrusively tugging her against his chest. Relaxing against him, Molly sighed as his broad hand massaged the tense muscle in her shoulder just as the Pastor began his sermon. She owed that to the older man; he had, after all, been her pastor since she was knee-high to a grasshopper.
“Friends and guests, I want to welcome each one of you back into the house of Our Lord and Savior. Today, our scripture reading is taken from Ephesians 5:22-23,” Pastor Martin announced as he held up his Bible for the assembly to see. “Luckily, I don’t even need the Good Book to quote this verse, friends. I know it well. Wives,” he recited in a booming, charismatic voice, “submit to your husbands as to the Lord. For the husband is the head of the wife as Christ is the head of the church, his body, of which he is the Savior.”
Sizzle Page 20