by Tara West
I clenched my churning gut. “Ouch.”
I shrank back when the Devil looked at me with a maniacal gleam in his eyes. “Ouch, indeed. Your charm amuses me, Ashley MacLeod. Witty and beautiful—what a rare gem you are.”
Aedan pulled me tight against him.
Shadows fell across the Devil’s features, his intense gaze so powerful, it was nearly hypnotic. “Your fiancé is a very possessive man. I don’t think he realizes that in my realm, all things belong to me.”
Thank goodness for my possessive fiancé holding me up, because the Devil’s sinister glare made my legs wobble.
“Hitler, show them to their chambers.” Our host waved us away with an indifferent flick of the wrist. “They can freshen up and join us for supper.”
Monkey Hitler waved us onward as the crowd backed up several more steps, giving us a wide berth. I felt like I was walking on a cloud as I followed the little dictator, and not an effervescent first-kiss cloud, but the kind that smelled like a nuclear Nephilim fart and left me on the verge of puking up my breakfast, plus yesterday’s happy-hour tacos and frozen margaritas.
Note to self: never eat Mexican food before visiting Hell.
Chapter Three
As we followed the monkey up two flights of stairs, I tried to take note of my surroundings, in case there was the very slim chance Aedan and I found a means of escape. The hotel looked like a fancy five-star resort from ancient Greece. The stairs were shiny marble, and the ivory bannister had intricate carvings of demons doing nasty sexual things to each other, things Aedan and I hadn’t even tried yet, and I doubted we ever would in all of eternity. No way could I twist my body into that position, and even if I could, I was pretty sure the demon’s pecker was the size of a football.
We walked through a wide hallway with elaborate paintings on the walls, depicting more images of kinky, fucking demons and gold-inlaid crown molding that framed a high ceiling. The slick tile floors had pentagram designs that crisscrossed the floors. Wow. This guy had a star obsession.
Monkey Hitler dropped me off at a room without a number. Instead, there was a carving of a naked woman with impossibly huge tits, bent over in a really awkward position. Jeez. The Devil needed to seek help for his porn addiction.
The tiny Nazi held up a brass ring with several keys and inserted one into the lock on the door. “You go inside!” he said with a commanding squeal as the door creaked open. “Valet come to you.”
They had valets on sub-level thirteen? Why did I get the feeling Hell’s valets wouldn’t be making me strawberry margaritas and giving me complimentary foot massages?
Frowning, I stood my ground. “I don’t need a valet.”
“No like in heaven.” The creepy creature’s eyes lit up as he rubbed his hands together. “This valet a siren.”
A siren? Weren’t they those merciless mermaids who lured sailors to their deaths? Oh, lovely. Just what I needed, to be tortured by a giant evil fish. Bride of Chucky meets Shamu wasn’t exactly my ideal valet.
“No, thanks,” I said, pasting on a forced smile. “I can manage without a valet.”
I gasped when the monkey shoved me over the threshold so hard, I nearly tripped over my own feet.
“Keep your filthy hands off me!” I snarled. Only one man was allowed to push me around in the bedroom, preferably after he tied my wrists to the bedpost, but Aedan and I didn’t have time for kinky foreplay in Hell.
Aedan tried to follow me into the room, but the monkey got between us with a growl.
“Hang on!” My voice rattled like a cymbal as I stomped my foot. I hated that I sounded like a frightened mouse. He was just a monkey, after all. “He’s with me.”
When little Hitler turned to me with a hiss that made him sound like a ghoulish cat with a raging case of demonic rabies, I reminded myself he was more than a monkey—he was a sadistic, horny Nazi with rows of piranha teeth and nails that probably cut like butcher knives.
“You’re not separating us,” Aedan commanded as he lifted his boot. “Don’t make me kick you again.”
The psycho primate screeched at Aedan and jutted a finger toward the door across the hall. “You go there!”
Aedan jerked back when Hitler snapped at him, herding him toward the other door.
“As soon as he leaves, I’ll come to you,” Aedan mouthed to me right before the monkey kicked my door shut with a sinister laugh.
Evil damn monkey.
* * *
Sergeant Santiago Sanchez
The priestesses helped us slip out of our protective suits while the heavy doors rattled with the intensity of an earthquake. I knew it wouldn’t be long before the spiders broke through, then what? The only other possible escape was the gleaming elevator at the end of the grand hall, but the priestesses had been damned to Hell. The last time we’d tried to ascend to Purgatory with Katherine, Aedan O’Connor’s damned ex-wife, the elevator refused to move until she got off the platform.
I was in a state of shock when Melanie came to me, her thick red hair pulled back in an austere braid, her priestess robe hanging off her shoulders like a sack. I stood as still as a statue when she began removing my gear, wishing the two of us could have been anywhere but here.
“Are you hurt?” Melanie asked as she pulled off my gloves, her large amber eyes dazzling even in the low light.
My breath hitched when she held my calloused hands in hers, turning them over before examining my arms. She’d never touched me before, and I welcomed the feel of her soft skin on mine. Then a soul-shattering crack from the doors brought me back to reality. I swallowed hard as the center of a massive door splintered.
“I’m fine.” I reluctantly pulled away. “Don’t worry about me.” I grabbed her shoulders, desperately searching her eyes, knowing this might be the last time I’d ever get to speak to her. “How are you holding up?”
Her lower lip trembled as she averted her gaze. “The priestesses are scared.”
“And you, Melanie?” I cupped her chin, forcing her to meet my eyes. “Are you scared?”
Her gaze flickered to mine before trailing to the door as it began to shed shards of wood. “Whatever fate God has in store for me, I’m sure will be just.”
“Don’t say that,” I breathed, unable to accept that her eternal fate had to be one of torture.
“Santiago.” She paused, biting her lip before fixing me with an unwavering gaze. “I wanted to thank you for your kindness these past months, for staying here and helping us when you could have ascended.”
“It was nothing.” Heat flamed my face when I saw that hopeless look in her eyes. She was trying to tell me goodbye.
“If the spiders get in here, I know the Archangel will summon an elevator to Heaven.” She squeezed my hand hard. “You must go with him.”
I squeezed back, steeling my resolve and squaring my shoulders. “I’m not leaving you.”
She jerked her hand free as if she’d been scalded. Then she wrapped her arms around herself. “I’m a murderer, Santiago.”
My racing heart came to a halt with a booming thud. “What?”
“I killed my baby boy.” Her gaze dropped to the floor as a lone tear slipped down her cheek. “I deserve to be punished.”
Panic robbed my brain of reason. “I don’t believe it.” This sweet soul couldn’t have killed her child.
I jerked when the tall, wooden door splintered again, and I watched with horror as it bowed inward.
“Santiago, the doors won’t hold,” Melanie cried. “You need to go.”
Determination stiffened my spine. “No.” Despite her horrible confession, I wasn’t going to leave her. Her child’s death had to have been an accident. I refused to believe otherwise.
A fire lit within her eyes as she pushed me back. “I won’t have your fate on my conscience, too.”
“Everyone onto the elevator!” Cam hollered, pointing to the gleaming metal doors at the end of the hall.
The priestesses were the only human i
nhabitants left in the pyramid, other than Cam, O’Connor, and me. Today was supposed to be the wedding celebration for our friends, Ash and Aedan, but Inés, Mar, and Boner had already gone up to warn the couple and their guests to stay in Purgatory. They were also going to ascend to Heaven, in hopes of bringing back reinforcements.
I latched onto Melanie’s elbow, pulling her along as we followed the others.
Cam and O’Connor helped the priestesses onto the elevator, yet Melanie dug her heels in, refusing to get on.
“Melanie,” I pleaded, “you must go.”
She warily eyed the elevator before shooting the other priestesses an accusatory look. “It won’t let the priestesses ascend, and you will all be doomed.”
Shattered wood particles fell to the floor with the intensity of an avalanche, and much to my horror, millions of spiders began racing into the cavern, blackening the walls like a plague.
I didn’t argue with her. With one swift movement, I yanked her toward me and slung her over my shoulder, ignoring her protests as I raced to the elevator.
We slipped in with only moments to spare. My heart hammered like a drum as the doors shut with a hiss. Melanie clawed at me like a rabid cat. I swiftly set her down, shocked by the tears that streamed down her face as she glared at me.
“We can’t be saved, and now you are all doomed,” she cried, burying her face in her hands.
“She’s right. We haven’t been forgiven.” Katherine O’Connor, Aedan O’Connor’s former wife and reformed sinner, sobbed into another priestess’s shoulder. “God won’t let us go up.”
“Good thing we’re not going up,” Cam grumbled, hitting the button to sub-level five.
I held Melanie as she wept against my chest. Though I’d been waiting for this moment for months, this was not how I envisioned our first embrace. Not to mention, there was that nagging voice in my subconscious, warning me not to become attached to a child killer.
I cleared my throat, which had somehow become drier than sandpaper. “Why are we going to five?” I asked Cam, and then braced myself for his answer.
He looked at me with an intensity in his eyes that could have made the very Devil quake in his boots. “To destroy their mother.”
Chapter Four
Ash MacLeod
I stood in the entrance to my hotel room, staring at the door for at least five minutes, still in a state of shock. I’d already tried to open it, rattling the knob so hard, I’d pulled a muscle in my shoulder, but it was locked from the outside, leaving me trapped alone in a strange hotel room at the bottom of Hell. My breaths came in shallow gasps, and the act of sucking in air made it feel as if my chest was being struck by a mallet. Actually, just about every muscle in my body was screaming in pain, my nerves were so wound up from stress.
Holy shit. This had to be the suckiest wedding day in the history of history. And now it looked as if Aedan and I would never marry, much less survive our ordeal in Hell. A sob escaped my throat as I covered my face with my hands and sank to my knees on the plush rug.
I cried for what felt like an eternity, shudders wracking me so hard, I felt as if I’d pass out if I didn’t get hold of myself, but every time I gave myself that toughen-up pep talk, the thought of being stuck in Hell for an eternity sent me spiraling into another pity fest.
What an idiot I’d been, stressing over forever being stuck with Aedan. Why’d I listen to my stupid boss? An eternity of raised toilet seats and coffee grounds was paradise compared to my current situation. Besides, I loved him. Really loved him. And if he wasn’t careful, Satan was going to throw him outside. The thought of my fiancé burning in a lake of fire made my eyes water like a busted pipe, just when I’d thought I couldn’t cry any more tears.
“Why are you so sad, my darling?”
I jerked up at the sound of the woman’s voice, and what I saw nearly took my breath away. She was so beautiful, with long ebony hair, ivory skin, and pale blue eyes. A soft, sheer gown clung to her curves, with slits going up both sides, revealing a flat stomach, round breasts and long, lean legs. How had she gotten into my room? And damn, why did looking at her darkened nipples through that sheer dress make me want to reach up and grab her tits?
“Who are you?” I asked.
She flashed a dazzling smile and held out a hand. “I’m your valet, but you may call me Thelix. Come, let me take care of you.”
I shrank back. “No thanks, Thelix.” Hot or not, I didn’t trust this vixen to “take care” of me. She worked for the Devil, after all.
Her full bottom lip turned down in a pout. Even her frown was sexy. “You’re a mess. I have drawn you a warm bath. Let me bathe you.”
“That’s okay. I just showered.” I shrugged, feigning disinterest as I resisted the urge to sniff my armpits. Truthfully, I hadn’t showered since that morning, and I’d been looking forward to taking a bath in the Nephilim’s healing water before I said my vows.
“But you are so tense. The water will soothe you.” Thelix knelt beside me, resting a damp hand on my back.
Why is her hand wet? Lord, I hope it’s water and not something else.
I pulled away when she tried to massage my sore shoulder. “If you want to soothe me, then tell your master to let us go.”
“Oh, I’m sorry.” Small creases marred her brow, though it didn’t take away from her beauty. “He takes commands from no one.” She looked me deeply in the eyes before reaching for a goblet on the table beside her. “Here. Drink this.” She held it out to me. “It will relax you.”
Something about her tone gave me pause. Yeah, I could sure use a drink, but did I really trust her enough to drink the Devil’s wine?
I had no idea what tempted me to take the drink from her. I swear, one imploring look, and I was under this woman’s trance. I frowned at the liquid swirling in my goblet, such a deep red it looked like blood. I grimaced. “What’s in it?”
“It’s just wine,” she said casually.
Yeah, that’s what Bill Cosby had said. I handed back the offending cup. “Thanks, but I don’t trust the drinks in hell.”
She heaved an exaggerated sigh. “Very well.”
After taking the wine from me and setting it back on the table, I was suddenly reminded we were very much alone together. She scooted closer, too close, invading my personal space. If any other person besides Aedan had gotten this close to me, I would have probably backhanded her. She smelled like vanilla musk and something else, something tangy, almost like the scents of sweat and sperm after Aedan and I had spent all night making love. I hadn’t realized until that moment how much that smell turned me on, but as I focused on her lush, full lips, I so badly wanted a taste of her shimmery gloss.
When she smiled coyly at me, and then traced a finger down my arm, one word projected into my brain as a tantalizing shiver wracked my body: siren. Horny Hitler had said my valet would be a siren. And now I understood how tempting sirens could be. This woman didn’t just make me want to bat for the other team. She made me want to try out for the big leagues and buy stock in the franchise.
I gasped when she crawled behind me and placed a hand on my back. “What are you doing?”
“Undressing you,” she said with a sultry giggle, her deft hands unbuttoning my dress and unsnapping my torpedo-tit bra.
I groaned a sigh of relief as my tits sprang free from their 1950s chamber of torture. Her nimble fingers turned my skin to gooseflesh as she brushed my hair to one side and pulled the sleeves down my arms. I gasped in delight when the smooth tips of her fingers traced the swell of my breasts before pulling my bra off completely.
“Do you enjoy my touch?” Her lips were dangerously close to my neck, her cool breath tickling my skin.
Oh, heck yeah! If it felt this good when she undressed me, I could only imagine the exquisite feel of her tongue swirling around that sensitive spot between my legs and those smooth fingers channeling into me. I closed my eyes and threw back my head with a groan as she massaged my bare breasts, he
r palms lightly caressing my nipples and nearly causing me to orgasm right then and there. My legs spread as I fell onto the plush rug with a sigh. I lifted my arms as she pulled the dress over my head. Her lithe body slid down next to mine, nipping my neck before she suckled one breast and then the other.
An image popped into my brain, a man with impossibly bright blue eyes smiling up at me before trailing kisses down my abdomen and then burying his face between my legs, lapping up my juices like a kitten drinking milk.
Aedan! My fiancé! How the hell had I forgotten about Aedan?!
I gasped and shot up, amazed to find I was laying spread-eagled on the floor, completely naked, and the siren, not Aedan, had her head buried in my crotch.
My body screamed in protest when I scooted back. “I like men,” I said with a shaky voice, though I had no idea how I’d summoned the sense to speak at all. “Actually, only one man. Just Aedan. I only like him.”
Thelix sat back, peeling her thin dress off her shoulders, revealing the prettiest tits I’d ever seen, round and soft, with perky nipples. “Of course you do.” She licked her lips, her hungry gaze tunneling on my very bare crotch. “I admire your loyalty.”
I shut my legs with a snap, scooting back even more until my bare ass slapped cool tiles. I tried my best to ignore the pulsating ache between my thighs. Though my memory was a bit fuzzy, I thought she’d licked me down there. Her chin and mouth were glistening with moisture. Oh, yeah, she’d licked me. Fuck. I was pretty sure that was cheating, even if I hadn’t let her finish the job. How and why did I let this happen?
And the damn siren was now completely naked. Her twat was bare and beautiful, as smooth as the rest of her. Who would have thought they had laser hair removal in Hell? She slowly walked away, crooking her finger at me as she stepped into a deep tub in the center of the room.
I sat as still as a statue, crossing my legs in an attempt to quell the ache there. Hadn’t Aedan and I just had sex in the elevator? How could I be so horny?