Unlocked (Hell's Throne Book 1)

by M. L. Gabrielle

  Locke pressed his lips against my forehead. “You already have my heart, but that’s not enough for me. I’m going to make you mine in every way possible, Eve. I’m going to put my ring on your finger and my baby in your belly. I’ll give you some time to let that sink in, but it’s going to happen.”

  I tapped my chin. “I’ll think about it.” He nipped my neck, making me giggle. “Cute. There’s nothing for you to think about, little hellion. You’re mine forever.” I smiled. “‘Forever.’ I like the sound of that.”

  He ran his thumb over my lips and kissed me. It wasn’t a sweet kiss. It was raw, untamed, consuming. It was as if he needed to make sure that I was really here. He pulled back to let me breathe, but it wasn’t air that I wanted.

  He kissed his way to the crook of my neck and then bit down hard. I was too wrapped up in him to register the pain. He found my mouth again and devoured me. I was completely lost in him.

  It wasn’t until Locke let out a threatening growl that I realized we had an audience. I couldn’t even look. I buried my face in Locke’s chest. “We were gone for five minutes. Five minutes, Locke!” Abaddon shouted.

  “My daughter is recovering from having her fucking heart ripped out, and you’re busy shoving your tongue down her throat!” Yeah, my dad and Ab are not happy campers right now. This seriously could not be any more awkward.

  Gabe started laughing. “You guys should have knocked, Luc. I told you that they were probably busy making babies.” Locke pressed a kiss on top of my head. “Not yet, but it will be very soon.”

  Nope, I take that back. Things can definitely get more awkward. “I’m going to kill him,” Dad and Abaddon growled in unison. “How about you guys kill him after I check Eve,” Raph suggested.

  Locke immediately shook his head. “Back it up, Raphael. Everyone out, Eve needs a few minutes.” Uncle Mickey let out a humorless laugh. “We don’t take orders from you.” I inwardly groaned.

  “You do now. Ash get them out of here,” Locke barked. I have no idea how Ash did it, but soon the room was nice and quiet. Locke gently rubbed my back. “You can relax now. Everyone is gone.”

  I let out a breath that I didn’t know I was holding. “I love you,” I whispered. Locke and I laid together in comfortable silence for a few minutes. We didn’t talk. We aren’t ready for that yet.

  I started to feel tired. I couldn’t pinpoint if it’s because I’m still recovering, or because I’m so comfy. I yawned into Locke’s chest. “I’m going to have Raphael come in and check you. We may have overdone it before. Go get him, Ash.”

  Raphael was wrapping up running some tests when the guys came back into my room. They were on edge and barely talking, which was making me even more nervous. Raph sat on the side of my bed and gave me a quick smile.

  “Things are looking good, but your body is still healing and adapting to the changes. You need to take it easy, Evie. Your body will tell you when it needs to rest, so don’t ignore it. Luc, let’s pull her from combat and weaponry classes. Eve can do no heavy lifting. I’ll get weekly checkups put on the calendar,” Raph said.

  I felt like a huge weight was lifted off of my shoulders. The guys all visibly relaxed. “Lucifer, I want to be moved into all of Eve’s classes. Can you make that happen?” Locke asked.

  “We want to be in her classes too,” said a voice from the doorway. I turned to see Cade, Emmett and Miles with huge grins on their faces. “The four of you are sophomores. Eve is a freshman. You can’t just switch classes in the middle of the semester, let alone grades,” my dad snapped.

  I felt Locke’s shoulder lift. “I’m sitting in her classes, no matter what,” Locke insisted. My dad rubbed his hands over his face in resignation. He knows this is a battle he won’t win. “I’ll talk to the Dean and will get it sorted out.”

  The guys had to go back to Heaven soon, so I tried to spend as much time with them as possible. To my relief, they avoided talking about Leviathan. If they were still upset about me keeping them out of Hell, they didn’t show it.

  They filled me in on what they’ve been up to, and how they took turns sparring with Locke over the past week and a half. It looks like Gabe has a new favorite sparring partner. That made me laugh. I’m so grateful that the guys were there for Locke, even if it was under the guise of sparring with him in the ring.

  Once the guys left, Ceb laid down on the bed next to me. “You gave us all quite the scare, Evie.” I tangled my fingers with his. “I’m sorry for making you go, Ceb. I know it was unfair. I just needed to keep you all safe in case Locke lost his shit and destroyed Hell. You know that I love you, right?”

  Locke tightened his arms around me. I could tell he was eavesdropping even though he was still talking to his brothers. Cerberus squeezed my hand. “Of course I do, Evie. I get why you did it, but I didn’t like it. You took key players out of the game and got yourself hurt. Fuck, you almost got yourself killed. From now on, we fight together.”

  I nodded as Ceb wiped a stray tear from my cheek. “You’re still my person, Evie. Even though you come with a six and a half foot shadow now,” Cerberus grumbled. That made me laugh out loud.

  “No matter how many times I try to get rid of him, he keeps coming back,” I giggled. “I hate to break it to you, Evie, but I think he’s here to stay.” I smiled at Ceb. “I sure hope so.”

  It wasn’t long before everyone left Locke and me to rest. I snuggled into Locke’s side as he flipped on a movie. It was just background noise to me. My mind kept drifting back to everything that had happened.

  I almost died. I should be dead. It’s a lot to digest. The only reason I must still be here is for Locke’s sanity, and that worries me. My gut says that something big must be on the horizon.

  Locke lifted the remote and turned off the TV. “I need to ask you something.” I sat up and be turned around to face him. His face gave nothing away, but I knew that he was angry and upset about something through our bond.

  Locke took a deep breath. “Eve, I need to know what happened to you before you went to the gate. Daniel…did he touch or hurt you?” My eyes softened. My avoidance of the subject must have led him to think the worst.

  “No, he just scared me. I’m sorry for not talking about it sooner. Honestly, I just want to push it all from my mind. That’s a terrible way to handle it, right?” I let out a humorless laugh and toyed with the hem of my shirt.

  Locke shook his head but didn’t speak. I looked down at my fingers and sighed. “It’s strange. Before college, Daniel and I used to talk. I had a silly crush on him, but I never got the impression that he was interested in me. I kind of forgot about him when I left for college.”

  I stole a glance at Locke. He looked pissed. I guess I forgot to mention the crush. “Daniel left me texts and voicemails when I was at school, but I never thought much of it. I had no idea how obsessed he was with me until I was in Leviathan’s palace.”

  Locke moved my hand away from my shirt and laced his fingers with mine. “Explain,” he ordered. I swallowed hard.

  “He was so insistent that we were going to be together. When I pushed back, he genuinely seemed confused. He seemed hurt. I think Leviathan must have convinced Daniel that I wanted to be with him too. He fell for me.”

  Locke’s eyes narrowed. “What do you mean? He fell in love with you?” I shook my head. “No, he fell from Heaven. He told me that he killed Remiel for talking badly about me. The Daniel I knew would never have done something like that. Leviathan must have done something to him.”

  I know the guy did terrible things, but it’s hard for me not to feel sad for Daniel. He had had so much life to live before Leviathan sunk his claws into him.

  Locke pulled me close. “Leviathan must have been working closely with a being who could manipulate the mind. I’m just thankful that he didn’t get to us.” The mind manipulator may not have gotten to me, but Leviathan certainly did.

  I’m pretty sure that he’s going to star in my nightmares for years to come. I d
on’t want to admit that to Locke or the guys, though. It will just give them another reason to worry, and that’s the last thing I want for them. They’ve been through enough.

  I snuggled into Locke’s chest. His one hand gripped the back of my neck while the other settled protectively around my waist. I know his mind is whirling. We’ll eventually have to talk about everything but now isn’t the time.

  To say that my dad was pissed would be an understatement. He wanted me to stay home and recover for another week, but I wanted to get back to school. In the end, we came to a compromise. I had to stay home for three more days and could only go back to school if Raphael gave his approval.

  Locke has been surprisingly quiet about the issue, which makes me think that he agrees with my dad. It doesn’t matter, though. Today is day three, and Raph just gave me a thumbs up. Thank hellfire. “I honestly think that you should reconsider. A few more days at home would do you well, my love.”

  I smiled and zipped up my suitcase. “I love you, Dad, but I’m going back. I need to get back into a routine. Plus, the threat is gone now. I can finally enjoy the rest of the semester without having to look over my shoulder constantly.”

  He sighed and kissed the top of my head. “You still need to be cautious, Evelyn. We don’t know how beings will take to you and Locke arriving back at school. From what I’ve gathered, the majority of beings are glad that Leviathan is gone. However, there may be lingering supporters of his,” dad warned.

  Abaddon nodded in agreement. “Evelyn, you need to take it easy. Your body is still acclimating to the changes...” Ab let out a frustrated breath and turned to dad.

  “Fuck, Luc. This doesn’t feel right to me. Eve should stay home for a while,” Abaddon said. I wrapped my arms around his waist.

  “I know you’re worried, but you have to trust me. I’ll take care of myself, and I won’t overdo it. You guys will be the first to know if I start feeling unwell,” I promised.

  Ab leaned his cheek against my head. “Okay. We’ll give it a trial run, but you must have a guard with you whenever Locke isn’t around. Locke, I’m trusting you to keep an eye on our girl.” It wasn’t long before we said our goodbyes, and Locke popped us back to my dorm room.

  50

  Eve

  “I’m excited to see everyone later today,” I told Locke as I unpacked my suitcase. I’m so grateful that Abaddon thought to have my laundry and bedding cleaned. I went to hang up my uniforms when I noticed that there were a few additions.

  “Locke? Why are your uniforms hanging in my closet?” He was lounging on the bed, texting on his phone. “You mean our closet.” I sighed. He cannot be serious. “You’re not moving into my dorm room, Locke.”

  He set his phone down and gave me a pointed look. “It looks like I already did.” I stormed over to my dresser, and sure enough, his clothes were in one of the drawers.

  “Seriously? This is not okay. There are two people in this relationship. We need to talk about these types of things, Locke.”

  He shrugged his shoulder. “There was nothing to talk about, Eve. I already sleep with you each night. It was the logical next step.”

  His muscles flexed as he put his arms behind his head. I narrowed my eyes. Is he trying to distract me?

  “We may sleep in the same bed most nights, but you’re also transferring into my classes. We can’t spend every waking minute together, Locke. We’ll be at each other’s throats by the end of the week!”

  “I’m only in a few of your classes. Cade, Miles or Emmett will be in the other ones, but that’s beside the point. Are you honestly concerned that our feelings will change by spending more time together?” Locke asked incredulously.

  I leaned against my dresser. “I just think that having some space is a good thing.” He stood up and put his hands in his pockets. “Space? No, space is not an option for me. Do you want to know why that is, Evelyn?” It sounds like he’s about to tell me.

  “I’ll tell you why. I know what it’s like to lose you. I know what it’s like to hold your lifeless body in my arms. I know what it’s like to beg and plead for you to come back to me. The fates gave me a second chance with you, and I’m not wasting a fucking minute of it. That’s why space will never be an option for me, Eve.”

  I swallowed hard. This is the first time that Locke has opened up to me about what he went through, and it’s heartbreaking. With eyes full of tears, I walked over to Locke and threw my arms around him.

  “I hate that you had to see me that way. I saw the fear written all over your face and just hoped that you knew how much I loved you. I don’t want to waste a minute of our second chance either, Locke. I want to experience everything with you. I just ask that we make decisions together.”

  He pulled me closer. “I’ll try. I’m not moving out, though.” I laughed into his chest. I never thought he would. I snuggled closer, and a yawn slipped out.

  “Come lay down with me. I must have worn you out this morning, little hellion.” I smiled, thinking about the things he did to me this morning in the shower. “It was worth it.”

  Locke and Emmett had to speak with the Dean about their new schedules, so I went to Locke’s old room to hang out with Cade and Miles. Jacob and Penny joined us for a bit but went back to see their roommates. Most beings were coming back to school today since classes start back up tomorrow.

  I was getting my ass kicked in the video game that we were playing when there was a knock on the door. “You guys keep playing. I’ll see who it is.” I opened the door to see a tall girl with an olive complexion and dark brown hair glaring at me.

  She was wearing a low-cut black shirt, a pair of jeans that looked like they were painted on, and knee-high boots. She would have been beautiful if she removed the scowl from her face. “Who the Hell are you?” she sneered. Seriously?

  I smiled at her. “Well, aren’t you sweet.” She looked at me with pure disgust. “Where’s Emmett? Tell him that his girlfriend is here.” I rolled my eyes.

  Either Emmett forgot to tell this chick that she was just a one-hit-wonder or she’s just delusional. “He isn’t here, but I’ll let him know that his girlfriend stopped by. What’s your name?”

  I heard Cade and Miles snickering in the common room. “My name is Talia. It’s okay if he’s not here. I’ll just wait in his room.” Right. Like that’s going to happen. “Hum. It doesn’t ring a bell. I’d love to let you in, but I have no clue who you are.” I closed the door in her face and walked back over to the guys.

  They were laughing so hard that they had tears running down their faces. “That was amazing. I wish I could’ve seen her face,” Cade laughed. Miles wiped the tears from his face. “That was Emmett’s ex. The one Locke told you about.”

  That girl is lucky that it was just the door that I slammed in her face. I’ve come to care about the guys. They’re like brothers to me. There’s no way that I’m letting toxic people, like this chick, weasel their way into their lives. Miles gave me a wink. “We love you too, Evie.”

  “Stop hitting on my girlfriend, Miles,” Locke said from behind me. They must have just popped in. I smiled up at Locke and waved Emmett over.

  “I just had the displeasure of meeting the infamous ex. She referred to herself as your girlfriend, Emmett. Please tell me that’s not true.”

  He ran his hands over his face. “Seriously, Eve? You know that’s not true. I guess she decided to up her game since I’ve been avoiding her calls,” Emmett grumbled. Cade cursed under his breath. “We have a problem.”

  Cade passed around his phone. There was a picture of Talia posing in front of the campus gates wearing a Trutina College sweatshirt. You have to be kidding me. Another manipulative bitch is trying to sink her claws into one of my guys.

  “The Dean mentioned that a handful of students were transferring here this semester. The other two colleges are having retention issues. You need to stay away from her, Emmett. That means keeping your dick in your pants. She’ll be looking to trap you i
n a heartbeat,” Locke cautioned.

  Emmett threw himself on the couch next to me. “I know. Talia’s already blowing up my phone. She’s not a fan of you, Evie. Although, that will probably change once she finds out that you’re the princess,” Emmett laughed, nudging my arm. “Ugh! Don’t call me that, King Emmett.”

  A knock sounded at the door, and we all stilled. Locke took one for the team and answered. “Locke! I’ve missed you so…” The door was slammed in Talia’s face before she could finish.

  “She’s not going to let up. You need to make it clear that it’s over,” Miles said to Emmett. He’s right. Talia’s not going to give up anytime soon. I looked down at my phone, noticing the time. I’m starting to get nervous.

  I turned to Locke. “Would you mind popping me to my room? I want to get changed before dinner.” He looked at me curiously and held out his hand.

  We were back in my room before I could say goodbye to the guys. Locke put a finger under my chin, tipping my head up. “What’s going on in that head of yours?” I bit my lip as I collected my thoughts. It’s still hard for me to talk about what happened at the gate.

  “I’m nervous about how everyone is going to react to seeing us. It’s not a secret that we were involved in Leviathan’s death. I’m just worried that they’ll think the worst of us.”

  What I actually wanted to say is that I don’t want them to see me as a murderer. That’s what I am, though. I killed those two soldiers without hesitation. I looked down at my hands.

  “Baby, listen to me. You did nothing wrong. You were put in an impossible position and fought to keep the ones you love safe. Our family and friends are still alive today because of your quick thinking and bravery. Be proud of yourself. I know that I am.” I gave him a small smile.