Hell is a Harem [Book 1]

by Kim Faulks

  Not anything like me.

  And yet those thoughts were nothing more than ash, dancing on the wind, only to blow away. I clenched my fist, and the ache of his words bit deep. Lucifer. My father.

  The thought was surreal. Brutal and surreal, and, yet, deep down I’d known Alma lied to me. I wasn’t a witch…not like any witch I knew. I used people, manipulated people. I hurt people.

  That was what I was good at—and now I knew why. “Couldn’t look out for me…or wouldn’t?”

  He didn’t want me. He was the damn Lord of Hell. If he wanted to…if he really wanted to…he would’ve moved Heaven and earth to find me.

  “Couldn’t,” Gabriel growled. “Your grandmother…is very persistent.”

  “Alma? He stayed away because he was scared of an eighty-year-old woman?”

  There was a flash of that dark, feral anger in his eyes once more. “He stayed away because he didn’t want to hurt you. He stayed away because that eighty-year-old woman is one of the most powerful hunters alive and is still, even after all these years, pissed.”

  My father…my father was Lucifer?

  I lifted my hand and turned my wrist. Gabriel glanced at my palm. Pain twisted his features. His hand was gentle, capturing mine, and he lifted my palm to his cheek. “It’s his mark. You belong to him. You must feel him…feel his power inside.”

  “Yes,” I whispered. “And it terrifies me.”

  His forehead furrowed. “Terrifies you? He’s your blood…your line. His power is your power—all you have to do is own it. Let me help you…let me…let me be with you.”

  There was a rustle of the blankets from the bedroom. Feet hit the floor with a soft thud and echoed. I swallowed and held Gabriel’s gaze. “Being with me means being with us.”

  He flinched, straightened as Rival stepped into the room, and Titus a second later.

  “I don’t…” Gabriel jerked his gaze to Rival. “I won’t.”

  Rival gave a snort. “Don’t fucking flatter yourself, KFC. I don’t do dudes either.”

  “Or me,” Titus snarled. “But to be with her means we share. It means we push our fucking egos to the side, for her.”

  “If you can’t do that,” I whispered, “it’s okay.”

  “There’s no other way?” Gabriel murmured, pleading with his eyes.

  I shook my head. “There’s no other way.”

  Terror and torture fought a battle in his eyes. He needed time…time to process, time to understand. “Stay with us, until you decide.”

  “And do what?” Gabriel asked.

  “For one, you can come with us and see Redemption,” Titus growled. “You seem to know the guy better than we do.”

  “You mean, a little good cop, bad cop?”

  There was hope in Gabriel’s tone.

  Titus chuckled and answered. “Yeah, sure. Why not.”

  “I can do that,” Gabriel murmured. His eyes came alive with purpose. That was all he needed, something to keep him around. My pulse raced with the thought. I loved Gabriel—loved and wanted. And, somehow, deep down inside, I’d fallen in love.

  Even if he hurt me. Even if he didn’t want to try with us.

  Even if he left.

  An ache carved a line across my chest. I turned to Titus, and Rival, both shifted their focus to us. A slight nod from Titus, and then Rival was all I needed. I felt like a newborn, standing on trembling legs for the first time.

  “So, we just head to the station, interrogate the suspect, and then what’s the plan?”

  “No interrogating,” I couldn’t stop the smile. “Just talk. First we need to sleep. Today has been hard…”

  “Lorn needs to sleep, and eat,” Titus growled.

  Something unspoken passed between them.

  “What happened?” Gabriel murmured. “Lorn, what happened?”

  I closed my eyes for a second. He’d find out sooner or later. “You asked me if I felt…my…my…felt Lucifer’s power, and I did. A little too much.”

  The word was a hiss. “What?”

  “I killed people…wolves…demons…” I jerked my gaze to his. “I didn’t mean it…I couldn’t control it.”

  “May the Father have mercy,” he murmured, staring into my eyes. “Why didn’t you call me? Why didn’t you scream my name? I would’ve come. I would’ve protected you. Were you hurt?”

  His gaze skimmed my body, but stilled at my eyes. Every supe knew the deepest cuts lay inside. “Tell me…tell me everything.”

  I stilled a yawn and gave a nod.

  “Sleep first, for her own safety…and ours,” Titus urged. “Hang around if you want, or come back in a few hours. We won’t be going to the station until tonight anyway.”

  Gabriel’s brow rose. He glanced from Titus to Rival and then to me. This was the first test, and, without knowing it, Titus had drawn a line in the sand…or maybe he did know it. Maybe he was giving Gabriel the push he needed.

  “You ready?” Titus murmured and held out his hand.

  “There’s omelet in the fridge, and juice,” Rival nodded toward the kitchen. “Help yourself.”

  Gabriel swallowed hard and gave a nod. Strike one for courtesy. It was a start.

  I gave Gabriel a smile, and then reached up on the tips of my toes and gave him a peck on the cheek. “I’m glad you’re here,” and then took a step before I turned and reached for Titus’ hand.

  Rival leaned in as I neared and I met his kiss with my own. We all had our own way of comfort, and the subtle touches, the gentle kisses…the drive to feel, protect, and nurture were theirs.

  My heart ached, leaving him back there. But he needed space…and time to make the right decision. Fingers tightened around mine. Rival broke the kiss and turned as we headed back to the bed.

  Bedsprings creaked, sinking deep with the weight. It was a good sound, a comforting sound. I piled in between them and felt cotton sheets skim my thighs.

  One hand rested on the curve of my hip, another captured my hand. I closed my eyes, listening to the floor creak out in the living room. I tracked his steps as he moved through the apartment.

  He’d been here before. Many times. Been in my kitchen, my life…my heart.

  Breaths deepened around me. I yawned, and then sank down into the feel of their touch and the warmth of their bodies.

  Stay…please, Gabriel. Stay.

  The plea raced across my darkening mind as sleep finally took hold.

  ***

  A glass clinked. A plate clattered. I opened my eyes and moved my foot along the mattress behind me. The faint warmth of an outline beside me was fading fast. I rolled, searching the sheets, and breathed deep.

  The sky was on fire, pouring red light through my open window. I blinked and then shoved up from the mattress to stare into the sunset sky. Dark clouds hovered on the horizon like a threat.

  Then sound came once more, a clink…and then a rattle, followed by a guttural snigger. I rushed back into reality, Gabriel…Titus, and Rival.

  One glance at my clothes whispered the truth. I dropped my hand to my thigh and crept my fingers higher. No panties. My pulse sped with the memory…a flare of heat made my body come alive, Titus…oh God, Titus, his body moving underneath me, cock seated deep inside.

  I clamped my thighs together and rolled. And Rival. Dear. God. His tongue in my mouth, hands cupping my breasts. I could still feel them, still see the hunter in his gaze, still feel like I was loved, and wanted, and devoured.

  I lifted my hands, cupping the swell of my breasts, as Gabriel’s thunderous gaze filled my mind. My hands stilled, breaths raced…

  My father…Lucifer…the Lord of Hell.

  The words were an icy bucket to my desire. I dropped my hands and listened, finding the thud of heavy steps, followed with the muffled growl. “She’s gonna kill you. You know that, right?”

  Jesus…what the fuck now? I dragged in a breath, let it go, and rolled to the edge of the bed. The lacy black panties sat on a dresser beside the bed. Titus
must’ve picked them up.

  I snagged them from the surface and stepped into the openings before dragging them high to settle around my hips.

  There was a scrape, then a grunt. I closed my eyes and tried to steel myself for what I was about to walk into, then opened my eyes and headed for my men.

  Sunlight poured through the living room window. Not just perfect, warm, delicate rays. It was like a wall of thousand-watt spotlights were trained on one tiny twenty-four by twenty-four-inch window. The result was blinding. I dropped my gaze and yanked my hand high. “What the hell?”

  “Oh, you’re awake…sorry,” Gabriel murmured, and in an instant the light dulled, softening to retina scarring.

  “What the hell are you doing?” I muttered.

  Stars danced behind my eyes. I tried to blink through the blur and find the familiar. The apartment was glowing. And not just clean, freshly swept floors glowing…but actually fucking glowing.

  “I thought…thought you could do with some sparkle.”

  His tender words were filled with every kind of child-like emotion. I stared at the shimmering counter, the gleaming kitchen: somehow the old green seventies-laminate had changed into polished, gleaming white marble.

  “I started to clean,” Gabriel murmured. “I do that when I’m nervous. I started to clean, and then I thought, why not.”

  “Why not, indeed,” I muttered as a guttural snigger came from my left.

  I wrenched my gaze toward the sound and narrowed in on the two culprits. Standing like damn statues, eyes riveted to my face as they bit the sides of their mouths and fought the need to burst into laughter.

  My old brown sofa had been transformed into the biggest, pinkest, plushest thing I’d ever seen. The place gleamed with soft whites and baby pinks. It looked like Barbie fucking threw up all over the place.

  “Sparkle, huh?”

  “You know how I get,” Gabriel muttered, and the words sounded far too close to a warning for my liking.

  I stepped around the polished wood floors that also gleamed. My apartment hadn’t been much, small, tiny, sparsely furnished with the basics…they were all I could afford.

  But this…I reached out, touched the plush back of the sofa, and stepped on the inch- thick gorgeous arctic-white rug, then lifted my gaze to the massive TV anchored to the wall.

  It was a different apartment. A different place. Gone was the tiny two-seater dining table and here was a gorgeous, tinted-black glass-top table, big enough for six.

  I stared and moved, making my way slowly toward the kitchen.

  “Ah,” Gabriel raised his hand, finger pointed in the air. “I may’ve gone a tad overboard in there.”

  There was a cough, and a hard bark. I stabbed the air with a hunter’s gaze and curled my lip. Titus lifted a fist and shoved knuckles into his mouth.

  Goddamn children. I took a step into the small opening to the kitchen and stopped. “Oh my God.”

  “It can be changed,” Gabriel gushed. “I mean, if you don’t like the diamond shimmer, I can change it.”

  I shuddered…actually fucking shuddered. It was too much, overwhelming. Diamonds sparkled from the doorhandles. Chrome glinted from the counters, from a damn coffee machine that took up half the back wall, to the gleaming rows of frypans and utensils. The tiny little fridge with its ruptured seals was gone and in its place was a massive fridge and freezer combo.

  I reached for the door and yanked, feeling the perfect seals suction and then release. Every shelf was full to overflowing. Bacon, eggs, fruit…grapes…beautiful big red grapes.

  My fingers trembled as I plucked one free and popped it into my mouth.

  “It’s not my strength, I must admit. I’m a messenger, so I delivered a message,” Gabriel murmured, and looked to the ceiling.

  I made the mistake of doing the same. “There’s diamonds on the fucking ceiling, Gabriel.”

  His eyes widened with fear. “You think it’s too much?”

  A sharp utensil…I looked around for something to stab myself with and caught sight of the plate of perfect cupcakes…shaped in fucking hearts.

  Silence settled hard, and the longer I stared, the more the light dimmed through the window. The guffaws and choked laugher fell silent across the other side of the space. “It’s not too much…okay, maybe the diamonds are a little too much, but everything else is perfect.”

  I turned toward Gabriel and took a step. In my head, all I could see were the damn cupcakes and hear the fear in his voice.

  He was a damn mountain to look at, towering over six-foot six, with a body that made most men weep, and massive wings that spanned the entire length of the apartment at full stretch. But underneath, he was no different than Titus…and no different than Rival.

  He was alone…and more than that, he was lonely. “But the coffee machine is a winner.”

  Brows shot high. Eyes widened. “Really?”

  “Yeah, really, and the fridge is the best thing I’ve seen in ages. The grapes are delicious.”

  “They’re your favorite,” He sighed and gave a smile. “Red and cold, just how you like them.”

  “I love them, and I love what you’ve done to the apartment. Thank you, Gabriel, you didn’t have to, but thank you.”

  Gabriel turned his head, gave the guys a quick glance and then closed the distance. Feathers rustled, and then eased as his wings settled. Was all of this him making the decision to stay?

  He’d never involved himself before, not in my life, not like this. He was the distant friend to talk to, the one who always held himself at arm’s length. The one I always needed to feel, even when he stood right in front of me.

  “I’ll come with you to the station,” he murmured. “And this club…Wicked, Titus has told me about. If your father is coming, if he’s really coming, then you’ll need all the support you can get.”

  My stomach tightened. He answered a question without answering anything—without giving me a damn thing to work with. I opened my mouth, needing to push the point…was he with us, or not?

  But as I opened my mouth to ask the same, the words disappeared. I couldn’t push him…wouldn’t push him. Hope flared in his gaze as I answered. “That sounds perfect to me.”

  “Time for coffee and a shower?” Rival muttered, and stepped nearer.

  There was a flare of hate in Gabriel’s eyes. His nostrils widened, drawing in the heady scent of hound.

  “Always time for coffee and a shower.” I turned to the hellhound and reached out, spreading fingers wide against his chest.

  The act spoke volumes. There’d be no taking sides, no choosing. A sly glance at Gabriel, and Rival motioned him forward. “You want one, brother?”

  I could hear a pin drop.

  “Yeah, sure,” Gabriel muttered.

  I breathed a sigh of relief and turned to Titus. He was watching me like a proud lover, gave me a smile and a nod. Three men…my own little harem.

  I took a step forward as he opened his arms.

  No blood was spilled.

  As that thought took flight, there was a clatter, and then a growl…one that grew, reverberating through the walls loud enough to shudder the wooden floors.

  Jesus, a Harem of Hell.

  Chapter Sixteen

  “Why am I here?” Redemption snarled as Titus entered the interrogation room. “And where the hell is my lawyer!”

  I stood on the other side of a one-way mirror and stared at a complete stranger.

  Gone was the unseelie fae that’d been both lover and colleague, and in his place was someone savage, someone unhinged.

  Titus moved slowly, reaching for the handcuffs that bound his wrists, unlocked the cuffs and glanced at the plainclothes sergeant behind him. “Your lawyer has been delayed.”

  “Delayed how?” Redemption snarled, and took a step closer.

  Titus straightened as the unseelie hunter moved close. “Apparently, The Circle is denying you access to their lawyers’ services, any reason they’d do tha
t?”

  Redemption’s lips curled with the answer. Hate rolled in waves I felt through the thick glass. He was unshaven, his clothes crumpled. But there was something else wearing at him, something more than a night in the Harbor Metropolitan’s lockup.

  Redemption glanced from Titus to the sergeant and then slowly shook his head. “I get it. I get what you’re trying to do. Three fucking words…my lawyer…now.”

  “Veronica Falls…” Titus started…and then stopped.

  Redemption’s eyes blazed with rage. “That fucking bitch! I’m going to kill her. I’m going to bury her so deep under the ground no one will ever find her.”

  “Now that’s something I can act on,” Titus answered. “Threats against The Circle’s employees are something the Harbor Metropolitan Police take extremely seriously.”

  Redemption flinched with the words. He shifted his gaze from Titus to the sergeant again, then remained silent.

  “Now, Sergeant Huskings here, is going to see about getting you a state-appointed lawyer for the moment, and you and I are going to have a little chat.”

  “About what? The drugs? You’re wasting your breath.” Redemption folded his arms across his chest and leaned backwards.

  “Yeah? Well, you let me worry about that,” Titus turned and gave the sergeant a nod, and in that moment he’d never looked so fucking gorgeous.

  I knew the man, knew the feel of his body…and I saw him…through flesh and bone, right into his soul. And I saw all of him, saw he was powerful in his own way—that he was loyal, and kind. Heat raced through my body with the thought. He carried my mark, but this was more than that.

  Two damn days and I wanted more…I wanted so much more. I wanted every day…I turned my head to the hellhound beside me, and Gabriel shifted his wings. My heart lunged, slamming against the confines of my chest.

  A hellhound.

  An archangel…

  And a human.

  “You okay?” Gabriel murmured behind me.

  And for a second, I couldn’t breathe. I couldn’t answer. I tried to swallow the lump in my throat and nodded.