by Brenda Trim
Anxious to get to her mate, Cailyn turned to leave, but Cade engulfed her in a big hug and kissed the top of her head. “You know where to find me anytime you want another lesson.”
Was he still talking about dancing? His eyes held something sinister that she couldn’t explore. Shaking off that dangerous thought, Cailyn quickly headed up the stairs. She wanted her sexy mate so bad she could barely stand it. By the time she got to their bedroom, Cailyn was so horny she thought she’d climax from the friction of her panties alone.
The room was dark, but the bathroom nightlight provided just enough glow for her to see Jace sprawled across the big mattress. His long, black hair fanned across the pillow, and he was face down, his bare ass peeking from under the sheet. She wanted to bite that sexy ass.
Removing her robe, she crawled into bed and curled up beside him. “Is it time to get to the hospital already?” Jace asked groggily and looked at her through narrowed eyes.
“No, it’s quarter past three. You have four more hours until your shift at the hospital,” Cailyn informed Jace as she rubbed her breasts against his back and moaned when her nipples hardened from the contact. She hiked her leg over his hip, hoping he felt how wet she was. Damn, she needed this man in the worst way.
Jace turned and wrapped an arm around her waist pulling her close. Hell, yes. This contact was what she’d needed. She leaned in and greedily kissed his mouth, but he didn’t return the affection.
Instead, he murmured, “Thank the Goddess. I have got to get a few more hours, or I’m going to be useless in ER.”
Cailyn flushed red and wanted to crawl into a hole. She and Jace had their issues in the beginning, but since Lady Angelica’s spell broke there hadn’t been a time when he rejected her advances.
“Get some rest,” she whispered.
“Love you,” he murmured. Seconds later, Cailyn heard the familiar rumble of his snore.
Conflicting emotions ran through her head. She wanted to jump naked on the bed, shouting that he was missing the best sex of his life. And then demand he quit his job. Being overlooked was nothing new but she never expected it from her mate. That’s what hurt most of all. He was the one person that should never put her second. The Goddess told her their mating stone protected their eternal union, but it seemed that was a big fucking lie.
* * *
Chapter Four
“Don’t make me do this. Kara will kill me,” the sniveling demon begged Ramiel.
Rami shook the Fear Demon, appalled by its fright of Zakara. This creature survived off the fear of others. It wasn’t supposed to cower in it.
“You’re a pathetic piece of shit. I swear I will kill you unless you show me the entrance to Seven Lively Sinz. And, I will make it long and painful. My blade will slice your flesh until you scream for mercy, only I won’t stop. It’s your choice. Suffer my wrath or take your chances with this Kara,” Ramiel growled.
Snot dripped from its nose, and its body quivered in his grip. Suddenly, a foul smell attacked Rami’s nose. Oh, hell, was that urine? Rami glanced down and shook his head at the wet spot growing on the pavement. For a brief second, he cursed the bright glow of his flaming sword. It illuminated more than he cared to see.
He wondered about the Fear demon’s true guise. No one knew what the creatures looked like because they changed their visage to frighten those around them. They might have four black horns one second only to lose them and sprout spikes down their backs. The one in his hand had pale grey skin with sharp teeth, black eyes, and claw-tipped fingers, but no horns. How disappointing. There was nothing more satisfying than slicing them off to the accompanying wails of agony. The spurting black blood was a problem, and Rami had received more than his share of facial burns. Thank God for his rapid healing. One of the few perks of being an angel.
“And you divine entities call us evil. You’re worse than us,” the demon sputtered, lifting his hands. Rami raised his sword to end the encounter that seemed to be going nowhere.
“Wrong, motherfucker,” Rami sneered and pulled the demon closer. “There’s a big difference. We don’t hunt and kidnap innocent children. Wiping your kind from the planet benefits all beings that call this place home,” Rami sneered, thinking of how vast the world was. His parents had always told him it was a small world. Not likely, he thought. Unbeknownst to humans, countless beings lived on Earth.
“I’m done playing nice. Sayonara, shithead,” Rami gritted and lifted his blade above his head, preparing to strike.
“No! Wait,” the demon yelled. “I’ll take you there. It’s only three blocks over. We’re going to have to wait a few hours unless you want humans to see us.”
“Not necessary,” Rami said as he used his powers to cloak their existence. “Lead the way.”
The Fear demon grudgingly stalked out of the park, Rami’s blade pressed against his back. It was slow going, but he refused to take a chance on this one taking off. The pressure pierced the demon’s flesh, and the sizzle and burn had Rami swallowing against the urge to vomit. Why couldn’t demon flesh smell like barbeque when it roasted?
Several streets later, the Fear demon turned down a dark alley. Rami guessed the bar hid in a similar location. It seemed he’d been in thousands of dives just like this one over the past few days. And they all smelled the same. Urine, feces, rotting garbage and mold. This one had an additional scent that wasn’t entirely unpleasant Rami thought as he inhaled deeply.
It smelled like someone was baking an apple pie, one of his favorites desserts. Did they cook? He had no clue what they did in their spare time and didn’t care to find out. The best demon was a dead one.
“There. The last door on the left,” a thin grey arm pointed. “Knock three times, wait two seconds and knock twice more. The door will open. Good luck making it out alive,” the Fear demon muttered then struggled in Rami’s hold. Rami released his grip and shoved the creature towards the alley’s entrance. The demon laughed as he stalked off and Rami debated killing him anyway. Nah, he had bigger fish to fry.
Ramiel thrust his wings back and approached the door. His body recoiled, and his skin rippled. Revulsion bombarded Rami at the evil emanating from the closed door while his mind warred with desire for pie à la mode. It felt utterly ridiculous to rap on the wood panel three times. He should storm inside and obliterate every being in the place.
No, he amended. He had to get to Izzy and killing this Zakara wasn’t going to get him what he needed. After a brief pause followed by two more knocks, the door opened, and Rami entered the den of depravity.
He was surprised to see the establishment looked like a typical sports bar. Several televisions hung from the ceiling, and it had a great sound system. The multi-colored tables sent a pang to his chest as he thought of Elsie and her love for vibrant colors. He noticed the cement floor was stained a dark gray. Or was that a mixture of bodily fluids and blood that covered the ground? One thing was certain. He’d never encountered so many demons in one place.
Rami was shocked to see the dozen or so drinking rather peacefully with one another. He didn’t think their kind mixed well with one another. It was apparent there had been numerous altercations based on the broken chair and the black liquid bubbling on the floor. Admittedly, shit went down between angels at Bladz all the time so he understood a few casualties might occur from time to time.
The long wooden bar and stools showcased numerous pits and scars he guessed told a story. But the stunning woman standing behind the bar was the shining beacon in the place drawing Rami’s eye. There was an undeniable attraction to her.
“Your kind isn’t welcome here,” said the beautiful bartender.
He wondered what someone like her was doing in a place like this. Sure, she was a bit wild with her purple hair and skimpy clothes, but she didn’t belong here. As he approached the bar, Ramiel noticed small black horns protruding from her scalp. She wasn’t a woman at all. She was a demon.
“I need to see Zakara,” Ramiel demanded, igno
ring her comment.
“You must not have heard me. We don’t allow angels in here,” the woman countered, drawing attention. As the bar fell silent and all eyes turned to him, his fingers twitched, ready to call his weapon of light.
“I heard you, but I don’t give a fuck. I’m not leaving before I see Zakara,” he replied as he closed the distance to the bar, stopping at the far end, so his back was to the wall. It put him furthest from the exit, but it was better to keep his backside safe from attack.
The barmaid plucked a towel from her shoulder and proceeded to wipe the surface. She eyes him, and her nostrils flared before she finally replied. “Why would Zakara want to talk to you? She left Heaven and its hypocrisy millennia ago.”
“She has information I need, and I’m not leaving until I speak with her. I’ll take a margarita, on the rocks,” Rami said as he tugged on his ear.
“You can leave and get a drink elsewhere. Zakara isn’t interested in helping you,” she hissed. This woman was awful confident and quick to respond to someone else.
Ramiel glanced around the bar and smirked with satisfaction when he noted several demons were prepared to fight him. This night might end better than he hoped. The longer Izzy was stuck in Hell, the more pissed he got. He needed to kill something and let off steam.
“See, Kara,” he said, emphasizing the nickname, “you’re the most powerful demon on Earth, and you are going to help me.” He chuckled at her narrowed expression. He found the Fallen he needed.
“Look,” she gritted.
“Ramiel,” he supplied and smiled.
“Look, Ramiel. Your threats mean nothing to me, so unless you’ve got something better to offer,” she insinuated as her gaze dropped to his groin.
Was she serious? Did she expect him to fuck her for information? This woman was out of her mind. Apparently, so was his cock because it jerked in agreement at the suggestion.
“How does that work around here? Do I just throw you on the bar and we go at it?” he countered, wishing the image that sprang to mind wasn’t so enticing.
“Is that the best you’ve got, Angel? Don’t flatter yourself. You couldn’t handle me. Now, I suggest you leave before I introduce you to Fred,” she countered, and her eyes blazed a reddish-purple.
Either she was turned on, or, she was pissed. Regardless, Rami was in deep shit.
“Can’t do that, my little-horned friend. You see, there’s an innocent little girl’s life at stake. I need your help,” he countered.
Zakara stilled, pinning Rami with her gaze. He glared back, willing her to consider his plea. He hated that he was at the mercy of a Fallen, but he had no other option.
Finally, she yelled, “Bar’s closed. Get out,” as she grabbed a bat from behind the bar and pointed it toward the exit.
Rami wondered if that was Fred. Dried chunks clung to some of the nails on the end of the bat, and the wood itself stained with green, black, red and blue. He guessed they were colors of Fred’s victims because her threat cleared the bar in ten seconds flat.
“Impressive—” he began, but she cut him off with a raised hand.
“I’m not looking for your praise. You’ve got balls, Ramiel. I’ll give you that. Why would you think I’m interested in helping you save this child? I’m a Fallen, or hadn’t you heard?” she snarled as her bat hit the bar with a dull thud. That explained the numerous pits in the wood’s surface.
“There you go again. You say I can’t handle you, but you can’t get your mind off my balls. Why is that, demon? Miss your brethren?” Rami countered as he stared into hypnotic blue eyes. Up close he noticed they were specked brown. Incredibly beautiful.
He couldn’t deny his curiosity about Zakara which was disconcerting. His skin no longer crawled with worms now that it was just the two of them in the bar. The air was thick with sexual tension as they continued their glaring contest.
“Hardly, Ramiel. While I’m not extremely picky about my fucks, I’m not into angels. I was just yanking your chain to see if you’re as uptight as you look. Guess what? You are. I’m done here. Leave now,” she said as she gestured to the door.
The move drew his attention to her décolletage and an ample cleavage calling his name. He couldn’t recall feeling this aroused since his time with Elsie. The fact that a demon aroused him to this degree made him question if Heaven chose wrong in selecting him as an angel. Maybe he should rot in Hell with the rest of the degenerates.
Regardless, that didn’t matter now. Rami promised to protect Izzy, and he would die rescuing her if that’s what it took.
“I’m not leaving until you help me. It’s in your best interest,” Rami informed Kara as he reached over the bar and grabbed a bottle of tequila.
“The only thing in my best interest is to check on my pie,” Zakara said with a sinful smile that made his cock twitch, “and then find a suitable partner to fuck. So, if you’ll excuse me,” she spouted and turned away. That explained the heavenly scent permeating the bar.
Ramiel got a look at two thick scars lining her back. Her tight halter-top displayed them and the marred flesh. With a start, he realized it was the result of removing her wings, and she had pierced the area with silver barbells. A pang shot through his chest at the sight, but he brushed it off. She made her choice to leave Heaven and side with the enemy.
He needed to say something and fast. Zakara hadn’t shown an ounce of concern for Izzy’s wellbeing, and he was running out of time. There must be some way to gain her allegiance. Rami remembered the demon mentioning Zakara had lived on Earth for many years. There must be a reason she chose to stay in this realm and not the Underworld. Maybe she wasn’t as loyal to the Dark Lord, after all.
“You might want to reconsider. The way I see it, Lucifer will probably hunt you down for betraying him. It seems you’ve been in this realm for quite some time. Shouldn’t you be running around the Underworld, lighting fires or whatever you do down there?” Rami mocked and took a deep swig from the bottle of tequila.
“Lucifer is frozen in Lake Cocytus, dumbass. You might want to study up on your history. He won’t be coming here but nice try, pretty boy,” she scoffed.
“Au contraire. You might want to check your sources. You see, the little girl I’m looking for is the Goddess Morrigan’s representation on Earth. She embodies the Triskele Amulet, and now she’s in Hell. What do you suppose will happen to you if Lucifer gets free?” Rami taunted and met her gaze.
Suddenly, her eyes widened with…was that fear he smelled?
“That dumb bitch. Why the hell would Morrigan do that to a child?” she spat.
“I don’t know, but Crocell kidnapped her, and I need to get to Hell and rescue Izzy before anything bad happens,” Ramiel said, trying to appeal to the compassion he’d momentarily glimpsed.
“Sorry, the crossovers are sealed. Even if I knew a secret way in, I can’t help you. You need to give up and pray for the child. Hey, maybe that divine intervention you have such faith in will raise its almighty hand and conquer all evil,” Kara said with a laugh as she walked to the front door and held it open, waiting for him to leave.
Rami sighed and shook his head. This endeavor was a waste of time. She was a selfish demon, just like the rest of them. Why did he think he could persuade her to help?
There was no way he was giving up on Izzy. She was an innocent child, and he knew she must be terrified. While the demons couldn’t physically get to her, Rami couldn’t stand the thought of her alone and afraid. She was counting on him, and he wouldn’t let her down.
Elsie was counting on him, as well. Rescuing Izzy was one thing Ramiel could do for her that her perfect Vampire King couldn’t. Dammit, he would save Isobel, he silently vowed as he left Seven Lively Sinz and the fallen angel.
Kara watched the angry male exit her establishment. It had been thousands of years since she’d interacted with her kind. Well, not her kind anymore. She related more to demons than angels. The Fallen procreated with humans, as well as, oth
er beings to create some of the creatures of Hell. Lucifer created the rest, along with the archdemons that did his bidding.
Still, Ramiel was surprising on many levels. He was sexy, confident, and somewhat charming with his dry humor. His black wings were magnanimous. She recalled the position of the AOR. They were the vengeful and not to be fucked with angels. His red eyes blazed with heat and determination. It was arousing as hell, and she wished her BOB (battery operated boyfriend) was a life-size replica of the angel so she could seek a much-needed release.
Damn, she was horny. It had been several days since her ménage à trois with Serin and the Djinn, but Ramiel ignited her desire on an entirely different level. It wasn’t just sexual. It was bone-deep yearning that needed sating. She reminded herself she wasn’t going there. Been there done that, and angels were more deceiving than the demons she bedded.
Zakara made her way to the downstairs quarters. Her pie better not have burned or she’d skin the angel alive next time she saw him. Wait? Was she hoping he’d return? No, definitely not. Hopefully, she made it clear she wasn’t going to help.
She recalled his courage and devotion. He was fiercely committed to the little girl. More loyal than she’d seen from one being. The strength she could relate to, but she was loyal to no one except herself. Life ensured that lesson was hammered into her head long ago.
Still, his sadness and despair were almost her undoing. No one had ever been willing to sacrifice so much for her. Undoubtedly, this was personal for Rami. What was the real connection to this child? Kara believed there was more to his story than he revealed.
He mentioned the child is the incarnation of Morrigan’s Triskele Amulet, one of the few objects capable of freeing the Dark Lord. The amulet was why Lucifer sent Zakara to Earth in the first place. Her assignment was to locate the amulet and bring it back to Lucifer. But, if she recalled correctly, the trinket wasn’t a person. It was a titanium charm in the Vampire King’s possession.