Undeniably Hellbound Read online

  “Wonderful,” I admitted. “Are you trying to seduce me?”

  He stopped dancing and walked me to a less noisy corner of the club. One hand reached out to cradle the side of my face as he leaned in until his lips hovered close to mine. I could see the struggle in his eyes.

  “It’s okay,” I assured him. “I want you to kiss me. I want you.”

  A shudder ran through his body, and his eyes shut tightly. For several breaths, he simply stood in front of me with his lips so close I could feel his ragged breaths against my mouth. With obvious effort, he pulled away.

  “I’d like to see you again,” he told me. “After tonight.”

  I blinked twice. My body was throbbing with need, and he hadn’t even kissed me yet. I was already so turned on, I wanted to beg him to take me.

  “Beatrice?” he prompted. “Do you want to see me again?”

  I nodded, my tongue darting out to wet my lower lip.

  Dev groaned. “You’re going to kill me.”

  “I don’t understand,” I admitted.

  “I want very much to take you back to my place and make you come a dozen different ways,” he confessed in a ragged voice. “I want to make you scream and beg me for more.”

  “Oh,” I replied lamely. “That sounds nice.”

  Nice? Did I really just say it sounded nice?

  He chuckled. “I was hoping for a different word, but nice will do for now.”

  “Are you inviting me back to your place?” I asked.

  He shook his head. “Not tonight.”

  “Why?” I asked.

  “I want much more than that from you, Beatrice,” he explained. “Can I see you again tomorrow?”

  “Are you saying you want to date me?” I asked.

  “Yes,” he replied.

  “Okay,” I agreed. This wasn’t how I’d expected my evening to go. I’d gone from annoyed with Persephone for dragging me out, to expecting to have a one-night stand with a hot guy. Now, I’d just agreed to go on a date with Dev.

  “You look confused,” he remarked with amusement.

  “I didn’t expect my evening to go this way,” I confessed.

  “I’d hoped mine would,” he admitted. “Now, I think I should go before I forget all the reasons I need to take things slow with you.”

  “You don’t need to take things slow,” I assured him.

  It seemed he was going to change his mind on waiting. His eyes met mine before drifting down to my mouth. His desire was unmistakable.

  “No,” he finally said. “There’s too much at stake.” Before I could comment on those strange words, he continued. “We should exchange numbers. That way I can arrange when and where to pick you up.”

  “I can meet you,” I offered.

  “We can discuss that when I call you later,” he stated arrogantly. Again, it surprised me how much I liked his arrogance.

  We exchanged numbers, the tension still thick between us. Much to my disappointment, he left. No kiss. No hot sweaty sex. My vibrator was going to get a workout when I got home.

  Chapter 5

  Desmond

  I had no idea how long I’d been imprisoned in Hell. It could have been only months, but it felt like decades. Days blended together when you were suffering unimaginable horrors. Each passing second increased my resolve to make those who’d put me here suffer.

  The door to the little hovel I shared slammed open, and Zareya stormed in.

  “What’s wrong, love?” I asked. There was plenty to be upset about when you were banished to this section of the demon realm. This wasn’t like a human or witch prison. Most demons in this prison truly were animals, and we were all housed in one big cage. While there were small shelters, none had locks, and only the strongest demons could protect themselves.

  When I’d first arrived, I’d struggled to survive. I wasn’t a demon, so the other prisoners had considered me prey. Then, I’d met Zareya. She’d become my protector—a fact I resented at times. The demon was small in stature, standing just shy of five feet tall with a slight build. Her iridescent blue skin glowed. Her features were almost doll-like, unreal. Dark blue hair styled in ringlet curls completed the look. Despite her appearance, she was one of the most feared demons in prison. Zareya was brutal. That brutality was her most attractive quality.

  “Your plan failed!” she accused.

  It was always my plan when it failed. Until a plan failed, she would glory in our plan to overthrow Lucifer and take over Hell. In truth, I didn’t give a fuck about ruling Hell. I just wanted out. My goal involved revenge against those who’d put me here. My bitch sister was at the top of my list of people to kill. She’d betrayed me more than once, and she had to die. I’d dreamt of her death many times.

  All I’d ever wanted was to move up the witch hierarchy. When a witch by the name of Julia Dupree ruined that for me, I’d decided to kill her. It was the only reasonable solution. My own sister had worked against me to save Julia’s life. There were others who needed to pay for ruining my plans, but Beatrice would be the first person I dealt with once I made my escape from Hell.

  “Are you listening to me?” Zareya demanded.

  I nodded, even though I hadn’t been listening to her complaints. “I’ve failed you, my love,” I said in a suitably solemn tone. “I don’t deserve your protection.” On those words, I stood to leave. This was a game I’d played with Zareya countless times, and the results were always the same. I was her one weakness, and that gave me power over her.

  “And where do you think you’re going?” she asked with a huff.

  “Out into general population,” I replied with a shudder. The shudder was genuine. The thought of returning to general population frightened me. Having been sodomized by a flaming cock, I now had a whole new understanding of suffering, which said something considering the many other atrocities I’d suffered. While I expected her to stop me, I lived in fear that Zareya would one day let me walk out the door. No matter how much she cared for me, she was still a sadist.

  “They’ll destroy you,” she stated simply.

  When I looked at her, I saw both curiosity and concern in her eyes. She was curious to see what the others would do to me, and she might let me leave just to find out. Still, I was all she had. The others hated her. They followed her because they believed she could free them, but few would hesitate to put a knife in her back.

  “I love you, Zareya,” I told her with a small smile, and I did. It was the most genuine love I’d ever experienced. While I might be using her to gain my freedom, I intended to do my best to see that her dream of taking over Hell came true. If that wasn’t unconditional love, I don’t know what was. I would miss her when it was all over, but I had no intention of ruling this place. My future didn’t involve Zareya.

  “Don’t go,” she said almost desperately. “You know I love you.”

  “Yes, I do,” I replied, somewhat humbled by her love.

  “I can’t imagine ruling Hell with anyone else by my side,” she uttered.

  The strangest feeling came over me. I felt bad about lying to her. I almost wanted to tell her the truth or promise to stay by her side, as if I couldn’t stand the thought of hurting her. That feeling would pass.

  Chapter 6

  Lucifer

  After spending time with Beatrice, the last thing I wanted to do was question the prisoners involved in the most recent riot.

  “This shit is getting old,” I muttered as I made my way to the interrogation room with Rainer by my side. We’d both stripped out of our shirts upon returning to Hell, and our black wings rested against our backs. With our wings out, we could tap into more of our fallen angel power, not that we were likely to need it when questioning these demons. They weren’t going to be in much of a mood to fight.

  Xavier and Hades had three demons locked in a room I liked to call the nightmare room. It took whatever you feared most and made it a reality. It was often messy but effective. There was always at least one demon o
r fallen angel who lost control of their bowels in the room. The screams from the room’s inhabitants echoed down the hall.

  Xavier and Hades were leaning against the wall, watching my approach. Both were still shirtless, but neither had their wings out, likely at Xavier’s urging. While he was willing to draw on his fallen angel powers when he had to, he preferred to rely on his witch magic. Xavier was Rainer’s younger brother by just over a year, but they looked nothing alike. Rainer had dark brown hair and harsh features. His brown eyes glowed silver in his fallen angel form. Xavier had pale blond hair that rested at his shoulders. His blue eyes became almost purple in his fallen angel form.

  “Did you get anything out of them before you put them in there?” I asked.

  “Not a peep,” Hades replied with a cruel twist of his lips. His black hair was a tangled mess, and his golden eyes held more than a hint of madness. My cousin was losing what little empathy he’d once possessed. I’d begun to wonder if I’d need to end his existence at some point in the very near future. He didn’t need to be here. Hades voluntarily worked in the detention areas for his own twisted reasons.

  “We checked twice to see if their pleas for mercy meant they were ready to talk, but they all refused to give us any information,” Xavier added. “I’d say we have two possibilities.”

  I raised an eyebrow and waited for him to continue.

  It was Hades who spoke next. “Either these dumb fucks came up with this idea on their own, or they’re too afraid to turn on the real leader.”

  “Some of our most vicious demons are housed in this prison,” I mused. “This particular riot wouldn’t surprise me were it not for the other uprisings we’ve had in recent months. They’ve all been in the same area, yet involved different demons each time. Someone else is pulling the strings.”

  “That is the most likely scenario,” Xavier agreed.

  “I need to see a list of prisoners,” I told Rainer.

  Rainer pulled up the information on his phone and then mouthed the words to a spell to make it display on the wall across from him.

  As I scanned the list of prisoners, highlighting the ones I felt were smart enough to pull something like this off, I paused when I came to one name in particular. “Desmond LaCroix. That’s not a demon name.”

  “He’s the warlock who stole your SUV,” Xavier explained.

  “You put the warlock who stole my SUV in this prison?” I asked Rainer incredulously. I held an ugly grudge, but I’d never consider putting a warlock in one of the toughest prisons in Hell simply because he’d stolen from me.

  “He’s also Beatrice’s brother,” Rainer added. “The little bastard tried to kill her, and that’s far from the worst thing he’s done.”

  My eyes narrowed. “The Council of Witches won’t like this.”

  “I don’t plan to tell them,” Rainer said with a shrug.

  “You know his sister?” Hades asked.

  I nodded. “Yes, I met her tonight. I’m seeing her again tomorrow.”

  “Dev is seeing her tomorrow,” Rainer corrected me, laughing at my glare. “I need to update them on this. You wouldn’t want one of them blowing your cover, would you?”

  “She doesn’t know who you are?” Hades asked with wide eyes. “Where has she been living? In a cave in the middle of nowhere?”

  “Beatrice is a loner,” Rainer explained. “At least, that’s what I’ve heard.”

  “And you didn’t tell her who you are?” Xavier asked.

  “It’s better this way,” I replied.

  “I guess it could work if you’re only looking to have a little fun with her,” Hades remarked.

  “She may be the one,” I confessed. “I don’t want her to base her opinion solely on me being Lucifer. If she gets to know me before discovering who I am, her feelings will be more genuine. I like her.”

  “She’ll be pissed when she realizes you lied,” Xavier pointed out.

  Rainer said nothing. We’d already talked about this, and he agreed with me. This was the only way.

  “I like that idea,” Hades said thoughtfully. “Maybe I should try that when I meet Persephone.”

  “You’d be better off if you stopped meeting Persephone,” I muttered.

  My cousin frowned. His curse had ruled him for thousands of years. It was long ago foretold that Hades could only love Persephone. He’d laughed at the seer and mocked her prediction. As it turned out, the seer was a favorite of Aphrodite, and that bitch can be more than a little nasty when she’s angered. Not only can Hades only love the Persephone who he’s destined to end up with, he also can’t come with any other woman. The man’s had blue balls for about three thousand years. It has definitely affected his mood. It’s also made him more than a little crazy. He’s kidnapped more than one Persephone, hoping each would be the woman for him. He had yet to find the Persephone he was fated to love.

  I was determined to make sure he never met Beatrice’s friend. Aside from not wanting my cousin’s insane desire to kidnap every woman named Persephone to ruin my chances with Beatrice, this Persephone couldn’t be the one. She was far too sweet and innocent. Fate would never put her with someone like Hades, who often made me seem good-natured.

  “Let’s see if we can get any information from our guests,” I told the others.

  As soon as we entered the room, the screaming stopped, and the demons collapsed to the floor. They were all the same variety of demon. Vicious by nature, we had many of them imprisoned because they often went around slaughtering others in the demon realm just to drink their blood. They were never allowed in the human realm, and I’d often considered doing away with the species. They were all short and wide, with skin so translucent you could see the blood flowing through their veins. Each had a large horn on their hairless head and razor-sharp teeth that hung over their lower lip.

  “Are you enjoying your stay here?” I asked with a pleasant smile as I strolled around the room.

  “Please,” one whimpered. He was shaking. The others were curled in on themselves. “We’re sorry. We won’t do it again.”

  “Who put you up to this?” I asked.

  “No one,” wept one of the demons.

  “It was our idea,” another insisted.

  “I don’t believe you,” I told them, grabbing one by the horn and tossing him against the wall at the far end of the room. He whimpered as he collapsed to the ground. “Now, you can either answer me honestly, or you can spend some more time enjoying this room. All I need is a name, and I’ll send you back.”

  “Can’t we play with them a little first?” Hades asked, rubbing his hands together in anticipation.

  “I don’t see why not,” I replied casually.

  “Should we cut their horns off?” I asked.

  “And shove them down their lying throats,” Rainer added in a bored tone.

  I shrugged. “Why not? It will give them an excuse for not talking.”

  “Lashton!” one shouted. “Lashton is behind the riots.”

  “Go check it out,” I told Xavier and Rainer before smiling at the demons. “I think you’re lying.”

  None of the demons said a word. All looked terrified of what was to come. “We’ll be back for you in the morning,” I began as I headed to the door. “If there’s time,” I added.

  Hades chuckled as they screamed. “Now, that was fun.”

  “It was,” I admitted with a grin before a frown marred my face. I wondered how Beatrice would feel about what I’d done. With a shake of my head, I reminded myself, I wasn’t torturing the innocent. My job wasn’t always easy, and she didn’t seem terribly timid. At least, I hoped she wasn’t timid.

  Chapter 7

  Beatrice

  “What am I going to do?” I asked Persephone as I looked through my closet in hopes of finding something I could wear on my date. I don’t normally date, and my job doesn’t require me to dress up. I counsel familiars, and they don’t care what I wear. Their owners will put up with my worn jeans sinc
e there are few witches with my ability. They might look down on shapeshifting witches, but they’d look past it when their familiar needed a therapist. Dev had dressed casually the night before, in jeans and a t-shirt, so maybe it didn’t matter. I felt ridiculous getting this worked up over what I was going to wear. This wasn’t like me.

  “We should go shopping,” Persephone suggested.

  “Again?” I asked. “We just went shopping two weeks ago.”

  “Grocery shopping doesn’t count,” Persephone told me.

  “You’re right,” I replied with a frustrated breath. “I hate shopping.”

  “Dev won’t care what you’re wearing,” she pointed out.

  “I’m being ridiculous, right?” I asked. “What I wore never mattered to me before.”

  “You like Dev,” Persephone replied with a smile. “This is so exciting!”

  “You think everything is exciting,” I accused. It was one of the things I liked best about her. Persephone made me see the world in a much more optimistic way.

  “You love me,” Persephone insisted as she grabbed my purse and handed it to me. “Let’s go. We have plenty of time to shop, and you obviously aren’t happy with your wardrobe selection.”

  “Fine,” I relented as I made my way to the door.

  Twenty minutes later, we were walking along a row of shops while I did my best to avoid acting like I was heading to my execution.

  “While we’re out, you should get a few new outfits,” Persephone suggested.

  I stopped to scowl at her. “A few? Why do I need that many dresses?”

  “Dresses?” she asked with a laugh. “I thought you should get some new jeans and a few nice shirts.”

  “That doesn’t sound too bad,” I agreed.

  We were about to head into a store when I saw four small white dogs racing toward me. They were growling like demons as the crowd jumped to the side.

  “Get back here!” called the woman chasing after them.

  “Hey!” I shouted at the dogs, and they immediately stopped to growl at me.