I grin and look at Kase. “She can’t make up her mind, can she? First we’re kidnapping monsters. Now, we fucking saved her. Is she insinuating we can perform miracles?”
Raven tries to kick me for what seems like the hundredth time tonight. I hope she keeps this up for the rest of eternity. It’s so much fun. “You’re worse than monsters. You’re kidnapping demons!”
Lucian growls in annoyance and sends hellfire billowing around him. She screeches, her eyes widening, clearly still gripping tightly to the fear the saviors instilled in mortals over the millennia. And that fucking uptight, impatient bastard of a devil. He needs to decide which direction he wants to take things with her. I thought I was the jealous one, but he doesn’t enjoy the fact that the broken soul—that Raven—gives us her attention, refusing to look at Lucian in all his sexy, hellish glory. It’s obvious he revealed himself as his former self, because she would’ve never grabbed at his horns any other way. Kase will have to convince her otherwise if he hopes for her to ride his.
“Enough! If the mortal refuses a deal, then she will return to where she belongs and we will continue to search for someone else like her.” Lucian’s deep voice rumbles through the room, and he bares his sharp fangs. I try not to smirk at his threat. He’s so full of shit and everyone except for Raven knows it. We’ve waited long enough already for this perfect, angel-kissed soul. He’s not going to give her up so easily. Waving his hand at me, he adds, “Offer the mortal man a deal instead. I’m sure he’d be willing to do what we need in return for giving him what he wants. He won’t be able to resist.”
That evil, brilliant bastard. Raven is afraid of us, but damn, I can smell the scent of her terror from here. It’s intoxicating. Lucian was always far better at manipulation through figuring out someone’s worst fear and using it against them. It’s not often that it happens to be another flesh bag either.
“I know I couldn’t,” I say, winking at Raven. She’s so much fun to tease. The perfect plaything to pass time by once she’s in my hands, and I’m in her. “Come on, pretty soul. Time to get you home. I’m sure you’re missed and we don’t want the dumb shit to think you’ve gotten away.” If I didn’t think the plan would work, I’d despise even the thought of returning her to the asshole flesh bag. She’s far too alluring, sexy, and feisty to waste on him.
Raven doesn’t have a chance to open her mouth to respond before I scoop her up and toss her on my shoulder. She screams out and whacks her hands to my back, trying to get me to let her go. Kase watches me carry Raven from our apartment, and I flip her into my arms when we’re out of sight. I shouldn’t, but Lucian shouldn’t get all the credit for cornering her and putting her into a position she can’t refuse.
“You can change your mind at any time, Raven,” I say, leaning in close as to not give her space to head-butt me. She might knock herself out and force me to actually follow through with Lucian’s plan. “The saviors ensure those of us who seek justice and balance with the soul...mortal population look like evil douchebag monsters. We only punish and torment those wicked enough to deserve it.”
“You were going to leave me to die in a dumpster. You are a fucking monster.” She slaps her hand to my shoulder with her words. “Evil incarnate. A liar. You said it yourself that you punish the wicked. I want to speak to whoever is really in charge if that’s the case. I’m not a bad person.”
I chuckle. “That’s subjective. Plus, I was speaking about your average flesh bag. You, pretty soul, are an exception.”
I ease away a bit, inviting her to do her worst to me. Maybe she’ll sink her nails into my skin and let me feel her envy over not having the power I do. I don’t control those souls who let envy consume their existence without a reason. I can feel Raven’s annoyance and resentment over basically every mortal in the world. She’ll learn soon enough that it’ll be them envious of her and everything she will acquire...if she accepts Lucian’s deal.
“It was nothing personal. I’d have done it to anyone left to die out in the open around here. This isn’t a fucking landfill to dump bodies in,” I add, tightening my mouth, watching the grimace puckering her brows. “Mortals are a fucking mess. Sloppy.”
“And you’re a fucking psycho.” She smacks her hand to my cheek. “Now let me go! I’m not going back to Joel’s. He’ll kill me.”
I shrug, enjoying her attempts to overpower me. “Probably not for a while. You are obviously not the soul to go down without a fight.”
I hate the idea of obeying Lucian and taking her back to the mortal bastard. Just because Lucian thinks putting her in her own personal Hell on Earth will break her and turn her compliant doesn’t mean I have to like doing this. I want her here with me, especially with her perfect pet names. I can’t wait to hear what else she comes up with. The mortal bastard shouldn’t get the power over her I crave, nor should he get to play with her even a second more. He won’t appreciate her like I do.
“You fucker!” She smacks me again. “You cocksucker. Bitch ass devil minion. I’ll figure out how to send you to Hell.”
“See? Pretty souls don’t brave challenging and threatening a devil. You won’t stand by and do nothing with the flesh bag. You won’t be his good girl. Which is exactly what Lucian expects.” I turn the corner and head in a direction that makes Raven tense. Her fingers pinch my shoulders in desperation. I’d love to feel her grip somewhere else.
“Please. You don’t have to do this.” Gasping, she inhales short, shallow breaths.
“Neither do you. The offer stands. But if you prefer to test your luck...I know you’ll put the bastard where he belongs. You’ve already felt the darkness of a devil, and your misery will feed it and help it grow. You’ll bow to it. And when you do, that’s when we’ll return.”
I can see the blue door with the broken porchlight appear in my mind’s eye. The energy radiating from the end of the building draws me closer, sending a deep-seated need through me. Fucking Lucian. He loves testing me. It’s agonizing having to resist the urge to drop Raven on the pathway and storm forward to ensure the fucker doesn’t get the one thing I want in this moment. I’ve never envied a mortal, and it ignites a rage and hunger inside me. If I don’t convince Raven to comply, I’ll have to accept Lucian’s punishment for devouring the man’s soul.
An image of the dark soul swirls through my mind as we draw closer, and Raven shudders. Her worst nightmare currently lives in apartment number thirteen. I should’ve known.
The lucky bastard is about to get luckier.
Raven flails, trying her hardest to break from my arms. “Please, don’t do this.”
“It was an order.” I stop in front of apartment thirteen, listening to someone throwing things around inside. “I’m not going to piss off Lucian. If he thinks this will help us, then I trust him as I always have.”
“Because you’re his little bitch servant,” she says, kicking her legs, trying to throw me off balance. “What do you get out of this besides making your master happy?”