Unlocked (Hell's Throne Book 1)
Page 21
Locke moved me against the wall, dropped down to his knees and gently lifted my leg over his shoulder. My hands flew to his shoulders as he tortured me in the best way possible.
Locke’s strong arms held me in place as I came around his tongue. He stood us both upright and kissed me hard. I don’t think I will ever get enough of this man.
“I love you, little hellion,” he whispered as I rested my head on his chest. He rewashed my body and then washed my hair. I was coming out of my orgasm-induced fog when Locke turned the water off and grabbed us towels.
“I love your gifts. Thank you.” I smiled up at him. “If I knew that’s how you were going to thank me, I would have gotten something for you a very long time ago.”
I quickly got dressed and brought Locke his shirt and sweats. “I think you should pull your power back before we head back to campus, Eve. I’m not going to leave your side, but I still don’t want you to be powerless.” I looked at the bird perched on my armoire. It’s been oddly comforting having my power take the form of an animal.
“Do you think I could do both? I mean call back my power and still have it take on an animal form.” He looked at me and smiled. “How about you call it back for now, and we can try when we’re back on campus,” Locke suggested.
I nodded and called my power back into me. “A literal pet project. I like it.” Locke rolled his eyes just as Abaddon popped in the room.
He looked around the room in disapproval. “Dinner is in ten minutes. Clean up this mess before Luc has a conniption,” Ab ordered. Locke started laughing as he helped me make the bed.
“Yeah, laugh it up, big guy. You’re lucky he didn’t pop in about ten minutes ago. You’d be a pile of ash.” We finished cleaning up and strolled into the dining room.
39
Eve
My dad and Ab were in their usual seats at the table, and a smirking Ceb sat to Abaddon’s right. “Evie, you look so well-rested. You’re practically glowing, but what happened to your neck?” Ceb asked with mock concern.
I pulled my hair to the side and glowered at him. “One word, ‘boner.’” He gave me the evil eye. “Touché,” he muttered under his breath. I tilted my head at him and smiled with satisfaction.
I turned to Locke, and the smile instantly fell from my face. He looked pissed. “I want an explanation after dinner,” he whispered in my ear.
Yeah, that is definitely not happening. I quickly hugged my dad and kissed Abaddon on the cheek. “What’s for dinner? I’m starving.”
“I bet you are,” Ceb snickered. Locke sat down beside me and rested his hand on my leg. “We’re going to head back to school after dinner,” Locke told my dad and Ab. “After dessert,” I corrected. He rolled his eyes.
“Anyway, I think we should all meet at the warehouse tomorrow night to go over the campus videos. We need to figure out who was pretending to be me the other day. I hope it was Zane, but I need to be certain,” Locke said. Dad and Ab agreed and said that they’d alert the guys.
Ceb looked at Locke thoughtfully. “Something has been bothering me about the whole Zane thing. Why was Evie alone? Weren’t you supposed to be with her?” All eyes turned to Locke. Now, that is a good question. Where the heck was he?
“I went to Eve’s room in the morning to walk her to class, but she had already left. I looked in her classroom to make sure she was there when the Dean approached me. A few new guards were hired on campus, and he wanted me to meet with them,” Locke explained.
My dad slammed his cup down. “You’re telling me that you left my daughter completely unattended!” he boomed. Locke growled low in response.
“No, that’s not what I’m saying. I sent Emmett to walk Eve to her next class,” Locke clipped. I thought back to yesterday morning and cringed. I cleared my throat. “Yeah, about that…I may have turned his phone to dust and left him standing in the quad.”
Now, it was my turn to have all eyes zeroed in on me. I squirmed in my seat. “Good thing we can put all of that behind us now, right?” I asked. Thankfully, the wait staff chose the moment to bring out the food.
I turned toward waiter and smiled. “This looks amazing. Thank you.” I immediately started to shovel food into my mouth.
“Are you sure you two didn’t raise her in a barn?” Ceb asked with disgust. “I’m starting to wonder that as well,” Ab muttered, shaking his head in disapproval.
“Get over yourselves. I’m hungry. Locke loves me and my ravenous appetite. For food! I mean, my ravenous appetite for food.”
Cerberus was laughing so hard that he nearly fell out of his seat. He whipped out his phone and was most likely texting Gabe. I huffed and stole a glance at a smirking Locke.
We said our goodbyes after dessert, and Locke popped us back to my dorm room. “I’m going to go get ready for bed and talk to my brothers. I’ll pop back in soon.” He kissed me and vanished from my room.
I decided to text the guys after unpacking some extra clothes that I brought from home.
Me: Can’t wait to see you guys tomorrow. I’m officially adding Locke to our group chat.
Uncle Mikey: Tomorrow?
Dad: Warehouse at 9 PM. Much to discuss.
Gabe: Like Eve giving Ceb a boner?
Me: Gabe! Seriously?
Ceb: You’re one to talk. It’s the fucking sex vibes!
Ab: Great, now I have to get Luc a new phone.
Uriel: You guys do realize that Evie’s boyfriend is reading this, right?
Locke: Reading and plotting their deaths.
Me: Is it that difficult to act normal? This is not how I wanted Locke’s first family text to go.
Uncle Mikey: I’m sorry they ruined his first time, baby girl.
Raphael: At least they made it memorable.
Gabe: You’re right. We were too rough. We should have eased him in.
Me: I’m out of here, goodnight.
I put my phone on silent and sighed. Well, that was a complete disaster. I got ready for bed and started thinking about all of the work that I missed over the past two days. Hopefully, Ab smoothed it over with the Dean. I set my alarm, turned out the lights, and fell asleep in no time.
Locke must have popped into my room at some point last night since I was practically on top of him. I kissed his chest and tried to get off of the bed without waking him up. After turning off my alarm, I hopped into the shower. My thoughts kept trailing back to the other morning with Zane.
I will never forget Zane’s face when he found that I had no power. His face contorted with rage, and his eyes grew wild. He looked at me with utter disdain. I couldn’t help but shiver. Suddenly, the water turned off, and a towel was wrapped around me. Locke pulled me close, trying to warm me up.
“What happened? You were just standing in the freezing water, Eve. Are you okay?” Locke asked.
I nodded. “Let’s skip class today. I think you need another day to recoup,” he sighed. I shook my head and walked over to my hairdryer. Did I even wash my hair?
“No, I’m fine. I was just wasn’t paying attention. I’ll be ready in twenty minutes.” He looked at me with suspicion. “Okay. I’ll be back in a little. Let’s see how you feel at breakfast, and we can see about class.” Before I could argue, he popped out of the room. That was totally an Abaddon move.
Avoiding any more thoughts of Zane, I quickly dried my hair and slipped on my uniform. The marks on my neck were insane. I put on my heavy-duty concealer and styled my hair in an Elsa inspired side braid. By the time I was finished, Locke returned, and we made our way over to the dining hall.
After grabbing our breakfast, Locke and I sat down at our table. Judging by their concerned expressions, it’s obvious that Locke told our friends what went down with Zane. I sighed and sat down.
“Guys, I’m totally fine. What did I miss yesterday?” I knew Penny would launch into story after story, which was perfectly fine by me. I tried my best to listen, but I kept sneaking glances at Emmett. He was definitely avoiding me.
Then I remembered how I destroyed his phone the other day. Of course he’s pissed about that, who wouldn’t be? “Listen, I’m really sorry about your phone. I promise that I’ll get you a new one today.” Still nothing. Locke threw his arm around my shoulders and pulled me close.
“I already took care of the phone, so don’t worry about it. Just give him some time. He’ll be fine.” I looked at Locke in confusion. I’m completely lost. Locke took pity on me and whispered in my ear. “He thinks the whole Zane thing was his fault.”
I jumped out of my seat and threw my arms around Emmett’s neck. “Don’t you dare blame yourself for what happened. It wasn’t anyone’s fault except for that psycho. Please don’t beat yourself up over it, okay?” He shrugged, which I just couldn’t accept as an answer. So, I did the one thing that I knew he couldn’t ignore.
I tickled him relentlessly. He couldn’t stop laughing and almost fell out of his seat twice. “Tell me that it’s not your fault.” He tried to push me off, but I wouldn’t let up. Fun fact, Emmett is beyond ticklish on his neck and shoulders.
“Tell me!” I shouted. At this point he could barely catch his breath. “Okay. Okay. It’s not my fault,” he panted. I gave him a beaming smile and kissed his head. Locke chuckled and pulled me back to my seat.
“You’re evil,” Cade snickered. “You say evil, but I say victorious.” I gave him a wink. Locke grabbed my hand and gave it a squeeze. “Come on, little hellion. I know you want to be early for class.”
We said our goodbyes to our friends and made our way to the quad. “Thank you for making him feel better. You’re a good person, Eve.”
I smiled up at Locke. “You’re right. I am kind of awesome. I’d be friends with me.” Locke rolled his eyes. “You’re very modest, too,” he mumbled.
40
Eve
Locke wasn’t lying when he said that he was going to be glued to my side. He sat in all of my morning classes, which drew a ton of attention. All of my professors were trying to impress him, and the majority of the females were fawning over him.
Now, I understand why all of the heirs have such big egos. Every being in this school, kiss the ground they walk on. It’s disgusting.
On the way to my next class, Locke stopped in the hallway to speak with Miles. As soon as I entered the classroom, my professor called me over to her desk. She stood up and glared at me. Something tells me that this isn’t going to be a pleasant conversation.
“I’m not sure if you’re aware, but class isn’t optional. You’ve missed multiple lectures and tests, Evelyn. It’s insulting to me as your professor, and it’s a waste of your parents’ money,” she snapped. I was about to explain myself, but she put a hand up to silence me.
“Your blatant carelessness and negligence will no longer be tolerated. I’m calling a meeting with your parents to discuss your future in this class. In the meantime, I suggest you wake up and get your priorities in order.” Wow. My professor just reamed me out.
She looked behind me, and a broad smile grew on her face. “Go to your seat, Evelyn. Locke, how wonderful to see you. To what do I owe the pleasure of this visit?” she asked sweetly. I have to hand it to her; she can flip her bitch switch like a pro.
I tried to escape to my desk, but Locke’s hands clasped my shoulders. My professor’s eyes zeroed in on his fingers. “I’ll be joining the princess in class today.” She gave him a confused look. “Princess?”
I clenched my jaw as I pictured all of the ways that could murder Locke. Seriously, I’m going to kill him. I tried to move away again, but he tightened his grip.
“Yes, I’m sure you’re well aware that Evelyn is Lucifer’s daughter.” My professor’s face paled. She was most likely replaying every rude thing that she just said to me. She was about to say something, but I cut her off.
“I apologize for my absences, professor. I’ll let my father know that you’d like to set up a meeting.” I darted to my desk. Unsurprisingly, she refused to make eye contact or call on me for the remainder of the class.
I heard my professor call my name on my way out, but I kept walking. I knew she was going to apologize, which is ridiculous. I rather have her be pissed instead of backpedaling because I have a title. This is precisely the type of crap that I can’t stand.
Locke tried to put his arm around my shoulders when we reached the quad, but I stepped out of his hold. “I get that you were trying to stick it to her, but I don’t throw my dad’s name around. My professor had every right to be angry since I never gave her an excuse for missing class. That’s on me, Locke,” I snapped.
He folded his arms and leaned toward me. “No one talks you that way, Eve. I won’t stand for it. Believe me - throwing your title in her face was much better than what I wanted to do to her.” I was about to respond when I heard a male voice behind me.
“Need me to get rid of this asshole, babe? We didn’t get to finish talking the other day. I really need to speak with you.” I turned my head and glared at the angel.
“You seriously need to back off. I already told you not to approach me again.” Locke put his arm around me. “Who’s your friend?” he asked calmly. “This is Remiel. He’s not a friend. He’s a regret.” The angel had the nerve to step closer.
“Baby, please hear me out. I was an idiot. Let’s go somewhere and talk about this privately,” Remiel said as he reached out to me. Locke immediately pulled me behind him.
“Get the fuck away from her. If you so much as look at Eve again, I will make what Lucifer wants to do to you seem pleasant. You don’t want to test me. I can guarantee that you won’t survive the outcome,” Locke growled.
Remiel narrowed his eyes as he took in the mix of hellfire and electricity sparking from Locke’s fingertips. I wrapped my hand around Locke’s arm and squeezed. The last thing we need is for his hydra to make an appearance. Locke looked down at me with his stormy gray eyes.
“Look at you practicing some serious restraint. I’m very proud of you. I’m also famished. Any chance we can go to lunch now?” He chuckled as he led us away from the furious angel.
Jacob sent a text letting me know that he already grabbed our lunches. It’s as if he knew that I was dangerously close to hangry territory. Once in the dining hall, I dropped Locke’s and threw my arms around Jacob. “Hellfire, I love you.” He laughed and pushed me into my seat.
“How was having the BF tag along in your classes today?” he asked. I laughed and took a big bite of my burger. “You have no idea, Jacob. They were one step away from rolling out a red carpet and pulling out a throne. Heaven forbid Locke sits his royal ass on a regular chair. It legit made me sick, but not sick enough to down this burger,” I said with a wink.
Penny plopped down in the seat across from us. “I’m starting to think that you and your boyfriend go out of your way to make a scene. Everyone is talking about how Locke almost torched the new guard for saying hi to you,” she huffed, shaking her head.
“There are so many things wrong with what you just said that I don’t know what to address first.” I regrettably set down my burger, and let out a frustrated breath.
“Number one, I don’t look for drama. It’s been hunting me down as soon as I walked through the campus gates.” Penny was about to speak, but I put up my hand to stop her.
“Number two, Remiel isn’t a guard. He’s a total asshole. Number three, he didn’t want to say hi. He wanted me to forgive him for telling everyone and their mother that he stole my v-card.”
Jacob started choking. “Ugh, you’re such a lucky bitch. Jacob, wait to you see this guy. You’re going to die,” Penny gushed. I looked at Penny in disbelief. Jacob pulled me into a side hug.
“It doesn’t matter how hot he is, Penny. What he did to Eve is messed up.” At least he gets it. “He
avens, who is sitting with the minions?” Jacob asked.
Penny followed his line of sight. “That’s him,” she whispered. Jacob gave me a look. “Seriously, Eve? You’re upset because that guy is bragging about bagging you?”
Seriously, what has gotten into my friends? I rolled my eyes. “Have fun drooling over the jerk. I’m heading out.” I walked over to Locke and kissed his cheek.
“My friends caught a bad case of stupid, so I’m going back to do homework.” Locke pulled me onto his lap and glared at his friends. “Funny, it must be going around,” he said. Miles held his hands up in surrender.
“All I said is that she looked really good today. Cade and Emmett even agreed. Come on, dude. Look at her.” Miles started gesturing toward me.
I was totally taken aback. This just got weird. “On that note, I’m out of here. I’ll see you later.” I kissed Locke and practically ran back to my dorm.
Once I was in my room, I put on my favorite Pandora station and was debating whether I should start my homework or paint my nails first. Nails obviously won. I opted for a blue-gray color, which was appropriately named “less is Norse.”
Yep, I’ve officially become that girl. I sent a quick picture of my nails to Gabe to thank him for the polish. I had all intentions of doing homework in my room, but I decided to pack up and head to the library instead.
A ton of other beings must have had the same idea. The library was packed. I found one open seat at a table with a few other students. It wasn’t an ideal spot, but beggars can’t be choosers. I was able to write one paper when my mind started to wander to the prophecy.