by L-J Baker
Again, it was a personal question. The story was about Luc as a businessman, as a club owner, and how he became as successful as he was. It wasn't about who he's dating, what kind of women he's interested in, and what he does for fun. But those were the questions she wanted answers to.
"There's not a lot of free time, to be honest, but I enjoy good meals, spending time with interesting people, and maybe getting into a little mischief." He shot her a sexy half-smile that made her want to find out exactly what type of mischief he liked to get into.
She was about to ask, when he looked at his watch.
"We better get back. I have some work I need to get to."
She wanted to tell him to screw work, come back to her apartment and show her the mischief he might be interested in, but she kept her mouth shut. They'd just met and she didn't normally take home strange men, but damn did she want to take home this one. Everything about him drew her in, made her want more, brought out an ache deep inside her that screamed to have him touch her. But she nodded and followed him back to the counter to return her skates instead.
They made small talk in the car. She asked him a few actual work related questions and they said their goodbyes at the door. She would be back tomorrow to shadow him for the whole day, but she didn't want to leave.
Tomorrow was so far away.
"How did your date with Ms. Lust go?" Uriel sauntered over to Luc as soon as he walked through the door. She was dressed in a blood red, floor length gown, which was far overdressed for the club, especially in the afternoon. That was Uriel though.
"Her name is Annalee." Luc brushed past her and headed for his office, but she followed.
"Pretty name."
"For a pretty girl."
"Eh, she's okay." Uriel shrugged. "I liked the last one better."
"Well, then it's a good thing she's single. Why don't you give her a call?" Luc wasn't sure how he'd feel if his sister hooked up with Talia, but he had no right to stand in the way. He and Talia were just friends and if his eccentric sister could make her happy, then he would be all for it. Even if it was just a little weird.
Uriel scrunched up her nose. "I don't chase after women."
"Okay then," Luc said, taking the seat behind his desk. "This conversation is over. Any new developments while I was out?"
"I saw Gabriel."
"And?" Luc reached behind him and grabbed the bourbon bottle. He held it up in offering and Uriel nodded, then he poured two glasses.
"I was trying to convince him to come sooner."
"As I recall, he had something he needed to attend to?"
"He did. I helped with that, so he should be finished sooner than expected." Uriel swirled the drink in her glass, but made no move to drink it. Instead, she watched the liquid churn and slowly settle down.
"Would you care to elaborate on what was so important to him that it couldn't wait until after we saved the world from certain destruction?" Luc watched his sister toy with her glass before taking down half of his own in one gulp.
"Don't be a drama queen, Lucifer." Uriel rolled her eyes. "Michael isn't going to win." She took a small sip of the bourbon. "And no, I don't care to elaborate."
"Okay." Luc took another gulp of the drink and refilled the glass. "Then what are you willing to share?"
"Gabriel isn't thrilled with helping. To be honest, I'm not one hundred percent sure he is fully committed to our cause. However," she picked her glass up and sipped off her drink once again. "If Michael is really planning on using the Hell Tablet, Gabriel will help stop him. He has no desire to see the humans destroyed, nor to be on the side against what Father wishes."
Luc wasn't sure whether to be relieved, or worried. If Gabe wasn't committed, then he very well may switch sides. If Michael could convince him that he only wanted to keep the tablet safe, then Gabe might agree, and help him instead. There were too many variables, too many unknowns.
"So now what?" Luc drank down the contents of his glass, suddenly needing a bit of the dullness the alcohol afforded him. Even if it only lasted a short time.
"Now we wait. What else can we do?" Uriel crossed one leg over the other, revealing a long slit up the ridiculous gown she was wearing and Luc shook his head.
"Maybe you should dress appropriately for the battle we may find ourselves in at any moment."
Uriel snapped her fingers and was transformed into a warrior outfit, complete with weapons strapped to her hips. "Better?"
Luc stared at her with a blank expression.
"I realize you prefer to play by human rules, Lucifer, but I hold no such values, and it would serve you good to remember, neither does Michael. I'm an angel, not a pretend human. And don't you worry about me being ready. I haven't been hanging around on Earth playing club owner the last few years. I've been using my skills. You might want to brush up so you're ready."
She wasn't wrong. Not that Luc thought he wasn't prepared, but he hadn't actually been in a battle in quite some time. It wouldn't be a bad idea to get back into the swing of it, just to be on his toes. Michael was sure to be ready when he finally showed up. Maybe it was better that he hadn't immediately came when the mage set his lures.
Uriel stood, finished off her drink, and turned to go. "You know, Lucifer," she said near the door. "If you'd like to spar, I'm always up for it."
"Maybe."
It might not be a bad idea to take her up on the offer. He just wasn't sure he wanted to find out he was out of practice with Uriel. She would probably have him on his ass in seconds flat and she would never let him live it down.
But better to end up on his ass sparring with Uriel, than with Michael during their showdown.
4
Sitting cross-legged on the chair in the living room, Anna scribbled notes in her pad, ripped them out, crumpled them, and tossed them on the floor. A growing pile, matched her growing frustration. Nothing she wrote sounded right. It was missing something and she couldn't figure out what it was.
"You know, there's this new fangled device called a computer. It lets you write things, then delete what you don't like," Georgia said, glancing at the mess with her lips pulled up at the corner. "It cuts down on the dead trees and trash on the floor."
Georgia had OCD. Any sort of mess made her crazy. Poor thing didn't know what she was getting herself into allowing Annalee to move in. Cleanliness wasn't exactly high on her priority list. In fact, she was comfortable in a mess.
"I'm old school. Just wait until I pull out the typewriter."
"What is this, the nineteen-fifties? Buy a damn iPad." Georgia pulled a hair tie off her wrist and pulled her long, blond hair into a ponytail.
"First of all, I can't afford an iPad, and second, it just feels better to hold a real pen, or type on real typewriter keys. It's vintage."
Georgia rolled her eyes and started picking up wads of crumpled paper. "It's stupid. You can use my laptop. Doesn't your boss make you write that shit electronically?"
"Yeah, of course, and I have a laptop for work. This isn't work, though, so I can do it my way."
Georgia spread open one of the paper wads and started to read. Anna jumped up and snatched it from her hands.
"Oh no you don't. That's not for public consumption."
"Why not? Are you writing some sort of evil manifesto, or something?"
"Yeah, exactly. I'm planning world domination."
Georgia tried to grab a few more off the floor, but Anna scooped them up before she could get to them.
"Seriously though, what are you working on, and why are you being so sketchy about it?"
"Just some silly stories that I write for myself. I don't like anyone to read them." Anna carried her pile of discarded ideas to her room and deposited them into her trash can. She could get rid of them later when her nosy roommate wasn't around to pluck them from the trash. Not that she would likely risk the germs, but just to be safe.
"So how did it go with that club thing? I thought you'd be gone longer." Georgia called
out from the kitchen, where she started doing breakfast dishes. Not her own, of course.
"It was okay." Anna wandered into the kitchen and poured some juice. "The dude had some shit to do, so I guess we'll get started for real tomorrow."
"What's he like? I heard he was a total hottie."
"What do you know about it? You wouldn't be caught dead in a club." Anna drank down the juice and handed the glass to Georgia, who took it without question.
"That's not true. Besides, I have other friends. Sean goes to that place sometimes."
"And Sean told you the owner was a hottie?" Anna laughed. "I find that hard to believe. That guy is the most homophobic moron I've ever met."
"Eh, he's okay. Maybe a little on the caveman side, but he has good qualities, too."
"What are they?" Anna hopped on the table and swung her legs back and forth, waiting for an answer. She was sure Georgia couldn't come up with a good one. She just liked Sean because he fucked her on the down-low. She thought no one knew about it, but everyone who knew them both, knew it. Not that she was going to call her out on it. That was her business.
"Anyway, I know other people who've been there too. Stacey went there a couple weeks ago."
"The chick from your office that you're always complaining about?"
"Yeah, her." Georgia turned off the water and wiped her hands on the towel. "I think you're just avoiding the question, Annalee."
"What question?"
"What is the hot club owner like?" Georgia pulled out a chair and sat, eyeing Anna's choice of seats with a judgmental stare.
"Well, he's not a great ice skater."
Georgia narrowed her eyes. "What does that mean? Is ice skating some weird sex euphemism?"
"What?" Anna hopped off the table and stood staring at her friend. "Did you forget some medication today?"
Georgia blinked her eyes a few times, not saying a word.
"Ice skating means exactly that. We went skating. He didn't want to be all formal and shit, so he asked what I wanted to do."
"And you just popped up with ice skating?"
"Yeah. It was something I've been wanting to do."
"Weirdo."
Anna shrugged and leaned her back against the counter. "It was fun."
"And what else did you learn besides the fact that he's not headed to the winter Olympics?"
"I don't know… he's single, looking for something serious, his best friend is a girl, and he does this half-smile thing that makes me want to climb in his lap and bite his neck."
"All great pieces of information for your article."
"I have a whole week for that."
"How long before you get his pants off?" Georgia picked crumbs off the table and put them on a napkin.
"Hopefully by the end of the week, or I'll have to find an excuse to see him after." Anna stuck her tongue out and walked away.
She wouldn't feel bad about liking sex. Georgia was no different, she just hid it behind shame and denial. Anna never understood that about girls. It wasn't like men were all having sex with each other. The good majority were hooking up with women, yet the men were the only ones who were allowed to be open about it.
There was a clear attraction to Luc, and she was pretty sure, he felt the same. If he did, they could enjoy each other, and explore where it might go. If not, at least she had some new fantasy fodder.
After a long day of work, Luc climbed the stairs to his apartment hoping for a bit of peace before a new day began. All he needed was a few drinks, some good music, and to get out of the tie that was beginning to feel like a restrictive leash around his neck. He might even take a few moments to think about seeing Annalee tomorrow.
For a first meet, things had gone well enough. He'd have rather ended their time in his bed, but he reminded himself this game wasn't about random sex. At the very least, he had the next week to get to know her, to get a few glimpses if she might be the right one for him.
The physical attraction was there, on both parts. That much was clear. There were a few moments, when he looked at her the right way, that he was pretty sure she was imagining him naked. Luc laughed at the image in his mind of her face the first time she might actually manage that. The shock women had over his size never ceased to amuse him. Even for an angel, he had a lot to be proud of.
He passed Jason on the way up, and two more of the security team sat in chairs near his door. One was asleep, but he couldn't blame the guy. They'd been working around the clock the past few days. Oz had come through with gathering some mages to join the team and help to not only guard Luc's apartment, where the safe was, but to help keep the humans who populated the club downstairs safe.
Now it was just a matter of time before Michael made his move.
Luc punched in the code to open his door and immediately he knew something was wrong. There was a scent of burnt marshmallow in the air and the feel of dissipating magic. He stepped back out, kicked the chair of the sleeping guard, and barked out orders to get Jason and his sister immediately.
Seconds later, there was a swarm of angels, demons, and mages standing around Luc. Together, they entered the apartment behind Luc. Harley tried to push herself to the front, but Luc wasn't about to put his own safety ahead of hers. This was his fight most of all.
He didn't sense anyone else there, but it wouldn't the first time Michael used magic to hide what he was doing. They moved together, checking the small apartment. When they came to Luc's bedroom area, the folding glass doors that partitioned off the space were closed. Luc rarely closed them, and he certainly hadn't done so that day.
Uriel used her power to swing the doors open, revealing dark red letters dripping down the wall above his bed, that looked, and smelled, like they were written in blood.
It said, I'm coming.
It was just like Michael to stoop to such theatrics.
Jason and the rest of his team went to check the rest of the apartment, leaving Luc, Uriel, Harley, and Az standing there looking at the literal writing on the wall.
"What a dick," Harley said, walking closer and sniffing the dripping words.
"Blood?" Az asked as she stepped back.
"Yep," she said. "Wouldn't expect anything else, to be honest.
"How the hell did he get in here?" Uriel shook her head. "You have security everywhere. The mage put sigils in place that should have alerted us. And why not just attack while he was here? It's like he's toying with us."
"Unless he wasn't really here." Luc took a deep breath and walked out to the living room. So much for his few moments of peace.
"That's his handwriting, Lucifer," Uriel said, following him out and settling herself into Luc's favorite chair. "He was definitely here."
"Not necessarily." Luc went to pour himself a drink. He wasn't in the mood to be polite and offer the others one. They could get it their own damn selves.
"What does that mean?" Uriel huffed. "If you know something, just spit it out."
"I don't know something," Luc said. "Not for sure, anyway." He made his way to the window and stared out at the street below. "But if he still has a mage working for him, and I'd bet that he does, then he could have managed to do that without actually being here."
"Makes sense that he wouldn't risk showing up here until he was ready." Az squeezed past Luc and poured a whiskey. "He might be a dick, but he's not stupid."
"If he's leaving blood messages in my bedroom, he's probably not too far off from being ready." Luc turned to look at the group of his family and close friends, the ones who had his back. "So we need to make sure we're ready for this. If any of you aren't sure you want to be in this, leave now. I won't hold it against you."
"I'm not going anywhere." Harley was the first to step forward. Her rage was like a charge in the air. It wouldn't have mattered if her death was certain, she wouldn't back down from a fight.
Especially not with Michael.
"You know I have your back, brother." Az slipped his arm around Luc's shoulder and
patted his arm. "I'm always with you."
Luc already knew Az would be with him. He was too young the first time around, or maybe the last battle with Michael would have ended very differently. It wouldn't have mattered that their father forbid any of his siblings from getting involved. Az would have defended Luc with his dying breath.
Luc just hoped it wouldn't come to that.
Jason and the rest of the group gathered around. No one was backing down. There were head nods and muttered agreement from each one. Everyone had something to say, except Uriel. Something about that made Luc uneasy. With their track record, he would have liked confirmation, but he wasn't going to ask her for it. She would either offer it up, or not.
Jason instructed a couple of the demons to get to work cleaning up the blood mess on the wall, while the others returned to their posts. The last thing they needed was to leave other areas vulnerable. Before long, everyone had gone back to what they were doing before the ruckus.
Everyone except Uriel.
"Don't you have somewhere to be, sister?" Luc settled on the couch, since Uriel was still in his chair. He was ready for her to be gone, to have a few moments in his own mind, but she wasn't great at taking a hint.
"Not really." She propped her feet up on his coffee table, despite his scowl, and rested her head back comfortably.
"I'm kind of tired. It's been a long day."
"Don't let me stop you."
Luc growled low in his throat and drank down the drink in his hand. "Maybe you should let Gabriel know Michael is sending me messages."
"I will. I doubt it will make him show up any faster than he plans on, but I'll let him know." Uriel popped her head up and looked at Luc. "Something else on your mind?"
"Everything is just perfect." Luc leaned back and rested his eyes.
"You can talk to me, Lucifer. I know I haven't be there for you for a long time, but I'm here now."
"Are you?" He opened his eyes and looked at her, hoping she would actually answer.
"Of course I am. Do you really need constant reassurance? What happened to you?"