Unlocked (Hell's Throne Book 1)

by M. L. Gabrielle

  “I thought about that too. My theory is that Eve was likely trying to burn him. The problem was that Zane was stealing the power that she uses to create the hellfire,” Uriel explained. The guys nodded in agreement.

  This is really scary. I was completely defenseless against Zane. If Emmett didn’t step in, who knows what Zane would have done to me? I jumped off of Locke and threw myself at Emmett.

  “Thank you for stalking me in the library and for stopping Zane from taking me.” He wrapped his tattooed arms around me. “We got your back, Eve.”

  I made my way back to Locke, who pulled me onto his lap. He gave me a quick kiss to the cheek. I know my acceptance of the other heirs makes him happy.

  They genuinely are good guys. It makes me loathe Hannah even more for playing them. Ab’s booming voice brought me out of my musings. “I want to know about the ropes and the shield.”

  I rested against Locke as he began to speak. “I already knew what was going on with Eve, so I had to eliminate the threat right away. I pictured what I wanted to do to Daniel in my mind and willed my power to take care of it. I didn’t have time to handle him myself since I had to get Eve’s hellfire under control.”

  Uncle Mikey crossed his muscular arms and shook his head. “You’re telling us that you just willed your power to tie Daniel up and hang him from the rafters by an unbreakable rope?” he asked incredulously.

  Locke didn’t bother responding. I’ve beginning to notice that he doesn’t like repeating himself. “I call bullshit!” Ceb shouted.

  Within seconds, Ceb was on his stomach hogtied with a golden rope and gagged by a golden apple. Gabe and I both jumped up with our phones and started snapping pictures.

  I was laughing so hard that I nearly peed myself. Gabe was wiping tears from his eyes. Locke must have thought that Ceb learned his lesson because he was suddenly unbound.

  “What the fuck, Locke? You held back my shift! You’re even doing it now!” Ceb thundered. His nostrils flared, and his body was vibrating with anger.

  He legit looked like he wanted rip Locke to shreds. A muscle in Locke’s jaw ticked. “And I’ll continue to hold your shift until you calm down,” Locke said cooly.

  “Rut Ro. Fido is pissed,” Gabe snickered. Ceb glared at us. I couldn’t even try to hold back my laughter. My dad clapped his hands once to get everyone’s attention.

  “You proved your point, Locke. Am I correct to assume that you willed your power to create the golden shield as well?” dad asked.

  Locke nodded. “I told myself that I needed an indestructible shield that could contain Eve’s hellfire. This way, I could focus on bringing her back.”

  His words wrapped around me like a warm blanket. “He always brings me back,” I said quietly. I sat sideways on his lap and snuggled into his chest.

  “What do you mean that you had to bring her back? Where did she go? She can’t portal,” Ab rushed out. How can I explain this without making my dad and Ab freak out? They already worry too much. “No, I physically don’t go anywhere. I guess you can say that I get lost in my thoughts.”

  Locke huffed. “It’s a little more than that, Eve. She becomes so consumed by her thoughts and worries that she retreats into herself. Raphael’s pot tea and vitamins have eased her anxiety, but today has been rough on her,” Locke explained.

  Raph started grumbling about pot tea under his breath. I looked at my dad, who was having a silent conversation with Ab. Yeah, they’re definitely going to worry. At least they are acknowledging each other’s existence. Small victories.

  “How do you bring her back?” Jacob asked. Locke looked up to the rafters as if he was searching for the right words. “I can sense what Eve’s feeling even when she retreats. Based on what she’s feeling, I send Eve certain emotions to calm her down through our connection. Holding her helps as well. I know she’s back when her mind is quiet and at ease.”

  I sucked in a breath. It’s a horrible feeling when I drown in my thoughts and fears. I didn’t know the lengths Locke went to help ease my anxiety. He’s my life raft. I knew I cared deeply for Locke, but it’s now that I’m starting to realize that it’s much more than that. I love him.

  “I love you too, my little hellion,” he whispered in my ear. Goosebumps prickled my skin. I can list a million excuses why we should take things slowly but, no matter which lane we choose, Locke will always be my final destination.

  Uncle Mikey’s voice brought me out of my musing. “This isn’t common knowledge, but one of Daniel’s gifts is to weaken any power that is used against him with a single thought. That’s why we thought he would be a good bodyguard for Eve. Locke, did you feel your power weaken at all?” he asked.

  Locke shook his head. “I didn’t feel my power lessen. To be honest, I wasn’t paying attention to what was going on around us. My focus was on Eve.” Abaddon stood to his full height and let out a humorless laugh.

  “This is unreal. Do you have any idea how much power was used against you earlier? The most powerful beings in Heaven and Hell couldn’t slice through your ropes or put a dent in your shield. Now, you’re telling us that you weren’t even paying attention? Who are you, Locke?” Ab snapped.

  Locke jumped to his feet and moved me behind him. “What are you implying, Abaddon?” Locke growled. I tugged on Locke’s arm. “Hey, it’s okay. Calm down. He wasn’t implying anything. Right, Ab?” Ignoring my question, Abaddon stepped closer to Locke. His body was vibrating with fury.

  “What I’m implying, boy, is that we may not know you as well as we thought. We have been watching you for years. You never hinted at the amount of power you now wield. You suddenly shift into a mythological beast, and your power seemingly has no bounds! Something isn’t adding up!” Ab thundered.

  My dad stepped in front of Abaddon and pushed him back a bit. “Abaddon, you need to relax. Trust me on this,” my dad pleaded. Ab pushed my dad’s hands off of his shoulders. “Trust you?” Ab scoffed. My dad looked like he just got slapped in the face.

  Ab threw his hands in the air. “Open your fucking eyes, Luc! We are so worried about this Zane guy when the real threat could be standing in right front of us. Locke could probably take us all out with a single thought, and he has our little girl in his clutches!” My dad rubbed his hands over his face.

  I hate seeing them argue, and it’s killing me that I’m the cause. A furious Locke began to speak. “I know you’re ancient, Abaddon, but I didn’t think you were senile. I would never hurt Evelyn. I understand that you love her, but so do I. She’s mine, and I’ll burn down the fucking world before anyone takes her from me. Don’t test me.”

  Ab’s eyes were glowing red. Oh. My. Hellfire. Locke, seriously just threatened the Angel of the Abyss, who just happens to be my second dad. This is bad. This is really bad. I don’t like being caught in the middle. I love Ab, but I also love Locke. I watched my dad whisper something to Ab while clutching his shoulders.

  What if Ab convinces dad that Locke is a threat? What if they try to keep me away from him? What if they pull me from school and take me home? They wouldn’t do that to me, right?

  Locke turned to me. He tucked a piece of hair behind my ear. “Silly girl, nothing can keep me from you.” I threw my arms around his waist.

  Locke placed a kiss on top of my head. “I don’t know what’s going on with the two of you, but it’s upsetting Eve. Sort your shit out. She has enough on her plate.” I squeezed my eyes close. Did Locke seriously just call out my dad and Ab? I swear this guy has balls of steel.

  Raph came over to us and handed me a mug. Saved by the pot tea. “Go and make sure that your friends are okay. Then you can start getting ready for bed. You’ve had a long day.” He’s right. I kissed Raphael on the cheek and walked over to my friends.

  Penny and Jacob clanked their mugs against mine. “Way to sabotage the bet,” Penny snickered. I was too tired to roll my eyes. Jacob nudged my side. “Don’t listen to Penny. She’s just jealous. You seriously look like you’re about t
o pass out. Go get ready for bed.”

  Bed. That sounds amazing. I grabbed my backpack and went into the bathroom to brush my teeth. I dug through my bag and pulled out sleep shorts and a tank top with a built-in bra. Not the best choice, but it will have to do.

  I headed back to the main room, which was littered with sleeping bags and blankets. I wanted to stay up to make sure that the guys didn’t kill each other, but I was running on fumes. I plopped down on an unopened sleeping bag and fell asleep in no time.

  The next morning, I woke up wrapped snugly in Locke’s arms. A girl could get used to this. My back was to his chest, and our legs were tangled together. He pulled me closer. I could feel every inch of him.

  I started giggling and squirming as he peppered my neck with kisses. “Turnabout is fair play if you don’t stop moving against me like that, little hellion,” Locke growled in my ear.

  While still under the blanket, I pulled myself on top of him and nipped the column of his throat. He let out a groan. “You play dirty,” he whispered. Locke grabbed my ass and pressed himself against me. Hellfire, I want him. “Can you guys stop making babies? We are literally right here,” Penny huffed.

  Shit. Shit. Shit. I totally forgot where we were. I jumped out of Locke’s arms and darted toward the bathroom. This is beyond embarrassing. “Always running from you, Locke,” Cade snickered. Yep, Cade is still an asshole.

  I eventually came out of hiding and took the cup of coffee that Gabe handed to me. He slung an arm over my shoulders and led me over to an empty chair next to Miles. I sat down too quickly, spilling some of my coffee on my thin tank top.

  “Shoot!” I was trying to wipe it off when I looked up to see Emmett’s eyes glued to my chest. Is he serious right now? He must have a death wish.

  Suddenly Emmett’s chair was tipped backward, making him fall to the floor. “Fuck, man!” A pissed off Locke tossed a hoodie in my lap. I rolled my eyes. “It’s not my fault your friends are pervs.”

  My dad and Ab popped in, carrying bags of breakfast food. Perfect timing. I’m starving. “Put that sweatshirt on right now, Evelyn. Clothing isn’t optional,” my Abaddon snapped.

  Locke gave me a smug look, which instantly made me want to rebel. I put on the hoodie pulling up the sleeves and zipping it just below my cleavage. Locke let out a low growl. “I knew you were trouble,” Cade snickered, handing me a bowl of dry cereal.

  Dad came over to where we were sitting with our friends. “You need to go back to school this morning before classes begin, so we need a plan. The Dean has already been alerted about Eve’s private lessons with the warrior angels. Penny and Jacob, you’ll be training as well.” The three of us nodded in agreement.

  “Zane is most likely still on a high from Eve’s power, but we shouldn’t take any chances. Aside from when he has class, Locke needs to be with Evelyn,” Ab added.

  Although his face gave nothing away, I knew Locke wasn’t okay with the plan. “There’s no way in Hell that I’m leaving Eve unprotected. It’s not happening.”

  Ab rolled his eyes, which was not very Abaddon-like. “If you would have let me finish, you would have heard that Cerberus will be on Eve duty when you’re in class. Legion will cover gate duty in his absence.”

  That sounded like a win-win to me. I get to spend all my time with Locke and my best friend. Ceb and immediately locked eyes and smiled. “My person” I mouthed to him. “Always” he mouthed back with a wink.

  Abaddon focused his glare on Cerberus and me. “The two need to stay out of trouble. I already made a sizable donation to make amends for Cerberus’ last visit to campus.”

  Ceb smiled at the memory. “Hopefully they’re using the money to hire some actual guards. Evie was able to knock out the entire security team when her power was bound,” Ceb said.

  “We met with the Dean, and he agreed to hire additional security. With Zane on the loose, having extra protection on campus is more important than ever,” Uriel added.

  Uncle Mikey nodded his head in agreement before he started speaking. “We don’t have time to brainstorm how to handle the Zane situation, so how about we meet back here in two days to discuss next steps. In the meantime, stay in public places and avoid contact with the siphon at all costs.”

  My dad and Locke stood up and walked over to the table together. Ab and Mikey joined in a few minutes later. I wanted to go over and listen, but I knew they would just stop talking. Instead, I walked over to the other heirs and started folding up the sleeping bags and blankets.

  “You better be safe back at school, spider monkey.” I was about to hug Gabe when he bent down and threw me over his shoulder. “On second thought. You guys can head back to school. I’m keeping this one,” Gabe hollered, walking toward the door.

  “Put me down, Goldilocks! I’ll be fine. I promise to text you every day.” He shook his head. “Daily video chats,” he countered. “Deal.” Gabe set me on my feet as my dad approached.

  “My love, you need to get going. You need to be with Locke and Cerberus at all times. There are no exceptions.” I gave him and Ab hugs. “I’ll stick to them like glue. I’ll send you guys a group text before bed. I love you guys.”

  By the time I said bye to the guys, Locke had finished popping all of our friends back to my dorm room. I blew my guys a kiss and jumped on Locke’s back. “Two days!” I shouted before we popped into my crowded dorm.

  30

  Eve

  I kissed Locke on the cheek and jumped off of his back. “Before you guys go, I want to set some ground rules. Keep your phones with you at all times. Eve will start a group text for us. Text if you have any Zane sightings, and get the Hell away from him,” Locke said as he made himself comfortable on my bed. Hellfire, he looks good on my bed. Locke smirked as if reading my mind.

  I looked up and met Cade’s gaze. He whispered something to Jacob, and they started laughing. I mouthed “asshole” to him. “Give me your phones. I’m going to put trackers on them,” Miles ordered.

  One by one, we tossed him our phones. “We should have all meals together in the dining hall. If you’re not there, we’ll assume something’s wrong,” Emmett added as he sat down at my desk.

  Penny clapped her hands. “Oh! Eve and Jacob, don’t forget our movie night this week. The rest of you will need to get lost for about two hours.” Locke narrowed his eyes at Penny. “Why can’t we come?”

  Penny looked at him like he just said the most idiotic thing possible. “We can’t talk about you if you’re there, and we have a lot to catch up on.” She’s right. The three of us haven’t hung out in a while. A movie sounds perfect. I gave her a wink. “I wouldn’t miss it for the world. We can firm up our plans later.”

  Our friends left a few minutes later, leaving Locke and me alone in my room. My eyes widened when I saw the time. I forced myself to ignore the Norse god lounging on my bed. I grabbed my clothes and darted into the bathroom for a quick shower.

  Since I was running short on time, I towel-dried my hair and put on my uniform. Walking out of the bathroom, I found a freshly showered and dressed Locke scrolling through my phone. “I need to talk Gabriel about boundaries,” Locke muttered under his breath. “Says the guy looking through my phone.”

  I noticed that I only have a few minutes before class. I grabbed my backpack and booked it. I loathe being late, so I’ll just assume Locke is following me. I made it to class without a minute to spare and took my usual seat between Cade and Nick. The professor jumped right into his lecture as I was pulling my notebook out.

  Nick leaned in close. “I like this blush on your face, Kitten. I think you should reconsider...” Nick stopped speaking when the door swung open.

  A furious Locke entered the classroom. His eyes were glued to the incubus. “Excuse me, professor. I just need to give my girlfriend her phone.”

  Locke walked over to my desk and handed me the phone. I smiled up at him. I’m sure Locke just wanted to get a rise out of me, but I’m just happy that all these thirs
ty girls now know that he’s mine.

  Before Locke left, he leaned down and whispered something to Nick. The incubus visibly paled and put as much space between us as possible. I can only imagine what Locke told him. I shook my head as Cade started snickering beside me.

  After class, I was checking my missed texts when I bumped into someone. I looked up to see that it was one of bitchy Barbie’s minions. Well, isn’t this a pleasant surprise. I went back to checking my phone.

  “How does it feel to be the laughingstock of campus? You know Locke doesn’t actually want to be with you, right? You’re just a means to the crown. Hannah will always be his first choice,” she sneered.

  I finished checking my messages and looked back up at Barbie’s minion. “Oh, did you need something?” Her pale face turned bright red. “Didn’t you hear a word I just said?” she all but shrieked. “Honestly? You’re pretty easy to tune out. See ya.”

  I walked out of the building and immediately spotted Ceb. His brown hair was pulled back into a messy man bun, and he was wearing a grey henley with jeans. He stuck out like a sore thumb considering that most of the students walking around the quad were wearing uniforms.

  I ran to him and jumped onto his back. “Onward, bestie!” I ordered, wrapping my arms around his neck. “You’re late,” he grumbled. We were getting a ton of odd looks from people, but I couldn’t care less.

  “Oh, one of bitchy Barbie’s minions cornered me after class. Apparently, Locke doesn’t want me anymore. Can you believe it? Whatever will I do?” Cerberus let out a booming laugh.

  “Sorry, Evie, he’s just not that into you. I’m sure we can find you another boyfriend. Hey! You, in the red hat! Yes, you! Do you want to date her?” Ceb asked the random guy.

  The guy’s eyes widened, and he practically ran away. I literally could not stop laughing. By the time we walked into the classroom, I had two dates, one proposal and three rejections.