Twisted Luck

by Mia Downing

  Leo was gone.

  I stared at the sand, reality socking me like a sucker punch. I heaved in a breath and doubled over around the pain exploding in my chest. The cool, black sand greeted my knees as sobs tore up my throat. A hand gripped my shaking shoulder, and my mom hunkered down next to me.

  How could he be gone?

  “Oh no.” Mom drew in a ragged, pained breath as she shoved her forearm in my line of vision.

  I wiped my eyes. Her signature and Leo’s glowed under the sheen of black sand sprinkled on her skin.

  “Now my back hurts. Olivia, what’s happening?”

  An odd sensation scrambled up my arm, the pain searing my back as it had when my contract with Leo had ended. This pain was nothing, though, and I welcomed the clarity it brought to my numb brain. “The contracts must be breaking. I felt this earlier.”

  She grabbed my hand. “Does it mean what I think it means?”

  “Yeah. We’re free, Mom.” I bit back a sob at what freedom meant.

  “Thank god.” Mom hugged me close. “I was so scared I’d lose you.”

  I clutched her hand, unable to form words. I’d accomplished what I’d set out to do—save my mom. But my shredded heart ached in my chest as I stared at the hole, hoping Leo would pop up through the black sand and shout, “Surprise!”

  I closed my eyes and searched for the luck I’d once owned. I silently begged it to return Leo to me, to let me be happy just for once. I deserved to be happy, damn it. I deserved at least part of the fairytale.

  In the distance, voices shouted in Spanish, and footfalls dug into the sand as people ran our way.

  So much for the reign of the twisted luck.

  “I loved him,” I whispered. “And he’s gone. If the contracts are broken, they must be gone for good.”

  Mom hugged me closer. “I know.”

  I swiped a fresh batch of tears and leaned on my mom’s shoulder. The tilt of my head gave me a fresh angle across the wedding area, one that revealed a pair of Italian shoes and black pants sticking out from part of the collapsed tent.

  I stared, blinking as hope mixed with terror. Leo had huge feet, but Samuel was only an inch shorter. Both men loved expensive shoes. I scrambled to my feet, taking my mom with me.

  Mom spotted those shoes, too, and she halted, pulling me back. “No, what if—”

  Steel resolve edged the fear into the background, and I stooped to pick up the knife. “Then I’ll kill him. Again.”

  Together, we crept to that end of the tent and yanked away the cloth, carefully lifting the broken tent post away from the man’s firm thighs. Afraid, my hands shook as we peeled back the damp canvas. The stained, once-white shirt sans jacket gave me hope. I ripped away the last bit of fabric.

  Leo.

  I gasped and dropped to my knees next to his unconscious form, feeling his neck for a pulse, listening to his silent chest for a heartbeat. Nothing beat or pulsed.

  “Live, damn you,” I sobbed, my ear still pressed against his silent chest. “I love you. Live.”

  I sat up and slapped his face with little pats that grew stronger and stronger until my mother grabbed my hands.

  “Olivia.” She gave me a hard shake. “He’s dead.”

  “No!” I grabbed his head and tilted it back to clear his airway and start CPR.

  And his eyes popped open.

  “Leo?” Oh God. Or Hell. Or whoever. Thank you.

  He drew in a ragged breath that seemed to go on and on, pulling air down to the tips of his toes. He blew it out and drew another until his breaths turned shallow. His vacant gaze tried to focus. He blinked rapidly, his dark irises narrowing and widening as he looked around, his gaze finally settling on me with steadying clarity.

  “Liv,” he croaked. He fumbled for my hand and coughed.

  My mother jumped to her feet, calling for help.

  “Leo.” Joy swirled inside me with dizzying effect. I kissed his hand and clutched it to my chest, using my forearm to wipe away the elated tears. “Take it easy. Help is coming.”

  “I feel like…I was trampled…by elephants.” He coughed again and craned his head to look down his body, his expression horrified. “I’m bleeding.”

  Terrified, I scanned his length. A tiny cut along the crest of his bare knee dribbled blood. Relief flooded me, though that strip of red meant a whole new batch of trouble and issues loomed. “Grow a pair, Weston. You won’t bleed out.”

  He gave a strangled laugh and let his head plop down in the rumpled tent fabric. “I haven’t bled in centuries.”

  I didn’t dare ask what that meant, nor did I dare hope. I smoothed his hair back. “Do you remember?”

  “Yes.” He winced and closed his eyes, clutching my hand tighter. “Don’t leave me. I don’t want you getting into more trouble.”

  “I promise.” I kissed his cheek where a bruise was beginning to form. “I’ve had enough trouble for a lifetime.”

  ****

  Leo ended up being fine after sipping water and receiving a thorough checkup from a local doctor who had heard about the accident and had rushed to help. His knee had been tended to with antibiotic ointment and a Band-Aid. A few beach-goers were injured, too. All were supportive of my poor mother, who had lost her fiancé right before her wedding.

  Little did they know what a blessing in disguise that was.

  Long after dark, we made our way to the penthouse suite with the help of hotel staff. It had been booked for my mother and Samuel, but given the events, we all decided to stay there.

  We settled Leo in the king-sized bed, and as soon as my mother left to see the hotel staff out, I pounced on him, landing a million small kisses all over his face. I couldn’t help the relief and joy that battled the surreal fog that hovered. Leo was real. And alive. I was hanging on to that for dear life.

  “Liv,” he groaned as I kissed too hard.

  “Sorry,” I mumbled and sat back.

  “Just be gentle.” He turned his head toward the doorway and held a hand out. “Muriel.”

  My mom entered the bedroom, her hand fluttering at her throat, her wedding dress ripped, torn, and bloody in places. She rounded the bed, her expression shell-shocked and fragile in a way I hadn’t seen in over a decade.

  Leo took her hand, tugging her down to sit next to him. He offered a one-armed hug. “I’m sorry.”

  Simple words I hadn’t had a chance to say yet. I had so much to apologize about.

  My hand reached across Leo’s body to grip her free one as I fought for the words. “I’m sorry, too. I tried to tell you, Mom. Samuel threatened to kill me. To kill us both.”

  “I know.” Mom sighed and wiped a lock of hair from her face. She held Leo’s other hand on her lap. “You tried to warn me, several times. I honestly didn’t want to hear it. Samuel was perfect in too many ways, and I thought I deserved perfect for a change. He knew exactly what to say and when to say it, and I wanted the fairytale.”

  She drew a deep breath. “But after seeing the two of you together last night at dinner and watching you on the plane, I had decided to call off the wedding. I just didn’t know how. He’d paid for all this…”

  Glancing around at the gorgeous room, she shrugged. “Somehow, I finally worked up the courage to end it. I was leaving my room to find Samuel and tell him when Leo arrived instead.” She dabbed a tear from her eye. “I just wish I’d seen the truth sooner.”

  “He had magic on his side,” Leo murmured as I handed Mom some tissues. “It wasn’t your fault.”

  I cleared my throat, the questions brewing inside me threatening to leap out in a jumble. “I still don’t understand how this all played out. Why are you still here, Leo? What happened to Samuel?”

  I didn’t want to ask, how did I avoid being tied to a bed while Samuel bled me out like a sacrificial lamb? That hit a little too close to the truth. I’d fucked up royally.

  “It’s all hard to explain, but let me try.” Leo shifted, wincing as he adjusted the pillow. “Samu
el had taken me aside after we arrived here. He offered me a small fortune of wealth and power to call Olivia’s contract in—tonight—so we could celebrate with an ancient ceremony. Though I despise blood, the old me would have taken the deal because I had wanted the power that badly.” He looked over at me. “But the new me loved you.”

  My heart seized in a good way, warming my cold skin.

  “If I had confessed my love for you, you still would have been protected. A human who is capable of earning a demon’s love is marked so other demons are warned away.

  “It dawned on me that the only way I could keep you both safe was to own both contracts. If I also owned your mother’s soul, my love would have branded you both. Though not the same premise with Muriel, my love for her as a mother figure would have counted as well.”

  “Mom would have been safe, too.” Wow. “I fucked that up.”

  “Olivia. Language.” But Mom smiled just a little when she said it.

  “Yes, you did,” he said. “But that was my fault. You wanted me to fix things, and I couldn’t find a way to give you everything you wanted.”

  Leo hugged me closer. “Last night, I was too afraid to see a solution. And after our day in Italy, I had thought releasing you would make you happy even if I couldn’t save your mother. Most clients would have wept with joy at the offer to live a full life as they saw fit. But instead of being grateful, you crumbled. Your silent tears convinced me that maybe you loved me, too.”

  “Oh, I do,” I whispered as the warmth of love swirled in my belly.

  He brushed his bruised hand over my cheek. “The only way you’d believe that I loved you was to go all or nothing, so I went to your mother. For a split second, I had you both, and I can’t explain the simple joy I felt, knowing you were both safe. But then your contract broke, and it was as if you had left me, leaving me cold.” His swallow was audible in a touching way. “I knew you’d gone to Samuel.”

  “You kissed my mother,” I accused as I tamped down the jealousy and sense of ew that surfaced.

  “You kissed my father, so I think we’re even in the jealousy and taboo department. It was a deal. Nothing more.”

  He kissed the back of my hand, his brown eyes shining as he met my gaze. “But promise me you won’t scheme and go over my head again. Getting my signature on the plane was brilliant, but I’d rather you work with me, not against me.”

  “I promise.” I glanced away in shame.

  My mother cleared her throat. “What was the storm? Did that pop up because of your confession?”

  “The storm was a long-shot I had counted on,” Leo said slowly. “Samuel had gambled on a deal in Hell and had used Muriel’s soul as advance payment. Dealing in pure souls is a gray area to begin with, especially the way Samuel went about doing so. My contract with Olivia was sketchy. He’d taken heat for that, as had I. But betting a soul he had yet to contract pushed the rules too far. When I contracted Muriel instead, his superiors were not pleased.”

  I cocked my head in understanding. “The storm was Samuel’s smack-down.”

  Leo nodded. “Samuel’s superior had come for him, not me. Samuel knew that at the end.”

  “When you laughed,” I said, intrigued.

  “Yes. The demon voices were audible to us, but not to you. Stabbing him felt good, but it made no difference in the whole endgame. He’ll be dealt with accordingly. In fact, Olivia contract should have broken as part of his punishment.”

  “It did, but so did my mother’s. What does that mean?”

  Leo sighed. “It means I’ve been punished, too.”

  Somewhere in the room, a clock chimed eleven. I shuddered to think how close I could have been to being inches from death, begging for the last, longest last hour of my life under Samuel’s cruel hands.

  Clearing his throat, Leo asked, “Did you know about the love curse?”

  Shame heated my cheeks as I explained about Babu and the cherry pie. I had expected him to be angry, but he and my mother laughed about the meeting.

  “The luck directed me,” I said with a self-conscious shrug. “But it was a guess.”

  He nodded. “All demons know love is bad. We limit our exposure to humans just in case, because there’s nothing more a demon would like than to be human again. I knew I was in trouble the minute the magic left me alone with you. But a part of me was tired of that life, and I think the magic knew it.”

  He turned to Muriel. “Samuel was driven to make the next tier in the demon world and had often said he preferred that life to what he had as a human. Love wouldn’t have tarnished him. It was nothing you did—or lacked.”

  “I know. It will hurt for a bit, though.” Mom patted his hand. “I don’t understand why you didn’t just tell Olivia you loved her if it would set her free.”

  “I couldn’t. Once those words were uttered, I would have been banished to Hell. Olivia would have been safe, but she wanted me to protect you as well. I had to be here to make sure Samuel didn’t hurt you. The only way I could think to protect you both was to hold both contracts.” Leo smiled at my mom. “The hardest part was convincing you I was sincere in my feelings without saying the words.”

  Mom patted his hand. “You did a good job. I saw how you looked at her, Leo. I may not have been good at seeing my own circumstances, but the love that had blossomed was so evident and touching. I envied you both enough to come to my senses.”

  “I’m glad you did, Muriel.” Leo tugged me closer and kissed the top of my head.

  My cheeks pinkened under my mother’s teary gaze. “So…why are you here, Leo? You should be in Hell, too.”

  He shot me an arched brow.

  I hastily added, “I’m not complaining.”

  He smiled fondly. “I don’t know why I’m here. When I first saw the storm, I had stalled some, hoping if Samuel was punished for his gambling debt then your contract would be released. But yes, I should be in Hell, paying my penance for loving you.”

  My mother cleared her throat. “I think I know how you’re still here.”

  Both of us turned to her, expectant.

  “When you explained the contract, Leo, you had said I needed to sell my soul for a price. You hurriedly told me to just whisper something—anything—as I signed. You didn’t care what it was as long as I was safe.” Shredding the tissue in her lap held her attention for a moment.

  Then Mom looked to me. “I wanted the two of you to have the fairytale, Olivia. I was hurt and angry, but I know what I saw—a man in love. My price was for Leo to be able remain on Earth as long as his love was true and sincere. But he had to make me believe it.” She nodded slowly. “When he faced Samuel and offered his life for your safety…I believed.”

  My heart swelled at her acceptance, at the depth of what Leo had been willing to risk for me. No man had done that. Ever.

  Leo hugged her close and kissed the top of her head. “Thank you, Muriel.”

  Someone rapped at the door, and my mother excused herself to answer it.

  “You feeling better?” I asked Leo.

  “I feel…weird. I fear the magic is truly gone if your mother’s contract has broken, too. Though I’d experienced this loss on the weekends, it’s hard to believe.” His lips twitched. “You’re stuck with a mediocre cock now.”

  I smacked his shoulder. “I love you for you, not your dick size.”

  “Thank goodness, though I’m thinking a career as a porn star will be out.”

  I rolled and snuggled against his chest, taking comfort in the beating of his heart under my ear. “What will you do now?”

  “Well, Samuel’s business wasn’t just a front for demon activities. It’s a legitimate, multi-billion dollar affair that will belong to me now that he’s gone.” He shrugged. “I’m legally Leonardo Weston in your world. So that’s who I’ll remain.”

  “And the demon side?”

  “Well,” he said slowly. “We don’t know who or what I am yet. But there are demons I can approach to run that. I’
ll disassociate that from the main business, of course.”

  He held up his hands to ward off my glare. “Demon activities are going to happen, no matter what. I promise I’m done with that world, but if giving someone that business garners us a few friends, who are we to say no?”

  I didn’t like it, but I’d fight that battle another day. “And will you live with me still?”

  Leo stared as if I’d grown ten heads. “What part of ‘I love you’ didn’t you get?”

  “Well… You sort of said it under duress.” I swallowed. “And I looked like Beatrice.”

  “Beatrice couldn’t hold a candle to you.” He captured my chin in his hand. “Olivia Denning, I love you. I knew I loved you the first time you made me toast.”

  I laughed at the memory, at him loving me over the simple task of heating bread until it browned.

  “You know,” Leo whispered as his finger traced a path down my neck to run along the tops of my breasts in my now-ratty dress, “you never let me fuck you in those pumps. And I think you owe me a month of breakfasts in bed with lots of toast for not believing me.”

  “That’s it?”

  He kissed me slowly, one that drew the breath from my toes and made me boneless. Stroking my cheek, he admitted, “I’m teasing. As long as your mine, despite your twisted luck, I’m a happy man.”

  I hugged him as I fought tears. Happy ones. “I love you.”

  “I love you, too.”

  About the Author

  Mia Downing started creating heroes at age four, but her heroes back then rode ponies to the rescue and only kissed her on the cheek. Today, Mia’s heroes still rescue those in need, but the price of their toys and the expertise of their seduction leads to a whole lot more. When Mia isn’t busy creating new stories for her readers she fills in as an underwear model for a prestigious lingerie company. She also lives in New England with her family where she enjoys horses and knitting.

  Fun facts: Mia can juggle (poorly), create balloon animals, and face paint. She was the hit entertainment at two family parties. No clown suits were involved.