“Or he’ll just kill me and put me out of this fucking misery.” Her eyes glass over with her tears, and she sucks in her bottom lip to stop it from trembling.
“He won’t,” I say, turning toward the door. “I know souls like his. He craves the power of control. He needs you alive for that, so he can obsess and play with you like his doll every day. Lucian will ensure it with a bargain he won’t be able to resist. He’ll be the one to get the deal, and I can sense the fucker wants nothing more than seeing you bend and break to his will.”
A tear escapes her lashes and trickles down her cheek. “This is so fucked up,” she whispers. “What have I done wrong? I don’t deserve this.”
“You deserve more, pretty soul. You’re broken, and we can mend you. Make you stronger, better,” I say, wiping her tears away. I prefer her to be angry, but she doesn’t give me what I want.
“I will not damn myself to eternal punishment,” she snaps, resting her head against the rough texture of the wall.
“You will if you don’t make your own deal.” I lean in closer, trying to get her to look from the roof of the porch to me. “Think about it. Use Lucian’s need to have you to your advantage.”
Her lip trembles as she finally looks at me. “You’re lying.”
I shrug. “You are welcome to find out.”
Grabbing her wrist, I tug her from the wall and guide her to the door. “The bastard is waiting for you. If you want to test your luck, then go on. I’ll give your deal to him. You will discover your mistakes soon enough.”
I twist the doorknob and fling the door open. Raven screeches as the bastard waits for us on the other side with a knife in his hand. I let him grab the front of her robe and drag her away from me. The guy rushes me, shoving his blade into my gut. I don’t fight or do anything to protect myself.
His eyes widen in shock, and he drops his hand away. “What the fuck?”
I lock my eyes on him, shoving my darkness into his soul, making him scream. “What is your name?”
The bastard wobbles on his feet. “Joel.”
I flick my gaze to Raven, paralyzed in fear behind him. “Well, Joel. I have a deal for you involving Raven. Want to hear me out?”
“Yes,” Joel responds, his voice monotonous as I pry into his essence.
“I will guarantee Raven remains in your possession for the rest of your life in exchange for making her life a living Hell. The cops will never interfere, and you are free to do with her as you please. When the deal is complete, your soul will belong to me.” I flare my nostrils with my words. “If you choose not to, I will feed you to my favorite devil.”
Joel opens and closes his mouth. “I ag—”
“No!” Raven screams. “No!”
I press my hand to Joel’s mouth, cutting off his response. Turning to Raven, I meet her gaze. “Does this mean you’re ready to see Lucian again?”
Her lips tremble and she swallows. “Yes.”
Swinging my fist, I punch Joel in the temple hard enough to knock him out. I offer my hand to Raven. “Good. Now remember, pretty soul. Think about what you truly want.”
“I don’t even know what that is besides saving my soul from Hell,” she whispers, tilting her face toward the sky.
I bump her shoulder. “I’m sure you’ll make one helluva deal with Lucian. He underestimates you. Think big.”
“Why are you suddenly helping me?” she asks, grimacing.
Because I want your full lips sucking my cock. Your body bent over so I can fuck you every way I please. I don’t say my thoughts out loud. I’ll save them for when she’s warmed up to me. Instead, I grin. “Because I think I’ll enjoy having you around.”
Chapter 5
Deal with the Devil
RAVEN
THE LAST PLACE I want to be is on my knees in front of Lucian—the fucking devil. Satan. Lucifer. Whatever the hell name he goes by—and in a world that isn’t quite Earth but it’s not Hell either. At least here, I can’t see his demonic, horrifying, monstrous form. Here, he looks as breathtakingly handsome as I’d expect from an angel, even an evil one cast from Heaven.
He steps closer, and I shift and train my gaze on the black stone floor. At least his cock isn’t at my eye-level as he stands butt-ass naked in front of me. I can’t help thinking about my conversation with Dante and how he insinuated he’d give Lucian a blowjob. I have no idea if he was kidding or not, but I wish I could forget it ever happened. Blowing the devil should not be on my mind, even if I definitely don’t plan to. I’m only kneeling in my attempt to grovel.
“I’d appreciate it if you looked at me, Raven. I’m in this form only for your benefit.” Lucian’s fingers touch my chin, guiding my head to peer up. “Show me the same respect and courtesy I’m giving you...unless you don’t want me to hear you out.”
My heart races as I draw my gaze up his perfect body and how his dick, even flaccid, hangs only inches above his knee. If it were hard...I shudder. His chiseled perfection is far nicer than any statue I’ve seen, and to be fair, I’ve always looked at their marble junk too. But unlike the stone statues, Lucian’s deep tawny skin has black hair traveling up his happy trail and across his chest. He’s handsome, not beautiful, yet something about him scares me on a soul-deep level, like my spirit knows that I’m at the mercy of the one being I’ve been taught shows no mercy at all.
“You have a lot to learn and understand about the purpose I’ve given myself.” Lucian’s voice trickles into my mind.
Shit. He can hear my thoughts.
“I can see your past and your possible futures as well, which is why I know if I place you on the right path, you will help give us what rightfully belongs to us,” Lucian continues, “but I also know that you’re afraid of what great power can do and what your true purpose is. Since you’re only mortal, after all.”
“I’m not afraid of power. I’m afraid of burning in Hell for all of eternity.” My voice laces with anger. I don’t care who he is. He obviously doesn’t know me regardless if he can read thoughts or touch my soul or whatever.
“But you so easily let others control you,” he quips, bending closer into my personal space.
Am I really going to argue with the devil? Fuck yeah. I guess I am. I already question my sanity, so why the hell not? “How? I had no idea Joel was drugging me. I thought he was being nice to let me stay.”
“You can’t lie to me. I’ve touched your soul, Raven.” Grabbing the front of the robe, Lucian hoists me to my feet and locks his hands to my shoulders. He closes the space, leaving only an inch between our faces, forcing me to share his breath. “I know you unlike anyone. You are afraid of power. Of the possibility that there might be more to your existence than just surviving. If you didn’t think so, you wouldn’t have returned to me. You’d have continued to pray to forces who’ve never responded to you instead of choosing to finally stand up and do with your life as you want.”
My heart thrashes, the erratic beats picking up my breathing. His words swirl through my mind, and I find myself hypnotized with his black gaze, the depths fissuring with molten light like obsidian stones turned into charcoal, alit with flames. Lucian’s eyes search mine. Caressing his hot fingers along my jaw, he sets my skin ablaze with crackling energy that zings through me, drawing me even closer until my lips brush his. But we don’t kiss. It feels as if my very being drifts from me, yearning to be close.