Her Deadly Angels by Ginna Moran
Chapter 9
Demon Bait
DANTE
“COME ON, ANGEL-GIRL. Don’t be a tease.” Kase’s voice trickles from his cracked open bedroom door.
Raven squeals and laughs. “Watch your fucking tail, or I’ll tie it in a knot.”
I stop short, seeing one of my cock rings hanging on the handle. That fucker. I leave the room for ten minutes to shower, and he takes advantage by declaring he’s taking some alone time with our girl. Sure, it might be his day, but I endured torture during my time with Raven all because she didn’t want Elias seeing us getting it on in the living room, and Kase would want to join in his room. It might be petty that I want her to myself, but I can’t see things going as perfect as I want them to otherwise. Kase is more dominant out of the two of us, and he will control both Raven and me. It’s not worth the power struggle.
“Twist it, tie it, suck it, fuck it. I love all the ways you think you can punish me.” Kase purrs deep in his throat. “We have to pass the time somehow until our sources get back to us.”
Clenching my hands into fists, I swivel on my feet and stare at the living room. If that’s what we’ve been waiting on, then it’s time for a better plan. Kase doesn’t mind waiting around, but I’m fucking tired of having to resort to hanging out in my least favorite area of the apartment now that Raven abandoned sleeping alone on the couch. I’m sure Kase will devour the rest of his time with our girl, considering she’s supposed to hang with Elias next.
“How about we go angel watching instead?” Raven asks, her comment helping to ease the jealousy rising inside me. It’s like she can sense it and chooses not to test me, for which I’m thankful. “As much as I have fun riding you like the beast you are, if we start, I won’t want to stop. It’ll cause problems in approximately four hours and twenty-seven minutes.”
Kase groans and something thuds against his bedroom wall. “Elias is a lucky bastard that we can’t kill him. You deserve a powerful devil and not some half-alive mortal who has as much sex appeal as your father in a speedo.”
“Kase, ew!” Raven laughs again.
“If you think that thought is gross, let me get started on your uncle L—” Something cuts off Kase’s teasing, and I hear Raven’s whispery voice offer him a deal.
I rub the back of my neck and wait until I can hear a soft moan from Raven. They’re not getting it on, but she’s giving Kase the affection I crave.
Forcing my attention away from their bedroom, I redirect my focus on the bigger problem in my existence. It’s already been three fucking days since Elias made Raven the deal without consulting me and Kase. And because the dickwad was already in my room, I had no choice but to suck it up and let him remain there—not like Elias could stay anywhere else. It’s the only room without an easy exit. Sure, he could try to climb through the window, but he’d step right into a trap I set to keep bastard Hell-bound souls out. No matter what, I’m over it. I want my space back, and the only way to get it is to find the demon who owns his soul.
Curling my fingers into fists, I barge into my room and drop my towel to the floor. Elias gawks at me from my bed, reading one of my old Kama Sutra manuals like he could even successfully perform any sex position beyond missionary—or if he could survive the act at all. I have a sense for death, especially with Hell-bound souls, and his will come soon.
“Have you ever heard of knocking?” Elias asks, getting the nerve to speak to me.
“What for? This is my room and I don’t need a fucking invitation in.” I stroll to my dresser and pull out a T-shirt, shrugging it on first, knowing my swinging cock makes him uncomfortable. I purposefully give him a show, swaying my hips as I close the space. I stand at the end of the bed. “Now I want you to get ready. You’re coming out with me.”
“No way. This was part of the deal. You take care of my contract, and I hang out.” Elias closes the book and tosses it on the nightstand.
Snatching his ankle, I drag him toward me and dangle him upside down high enough that he can’t take his eyes off my cock. It’s like he’s afraid it’ll strike him, and it might if he doesn’t do what I need.
“Nothing about the deal says you get to sit on your ass all day in my room.” I set him on his shoulders and ease him onto floor, despite my raging desire to drop his ass. “Our contracted contacts are taking too long to find answers, so it’s up to you.”
I leave him in shock on the floor and head back to my dresser to grab a pair of jeans. I slide them on commando and adjust my junk. Watching me in silence from the floor, Elias remains frozen. I hiss and startle him, loving how he’s lost his tough-ass attitude. He realizes he’s the prey, and I won’t hesitate to devour him if he gets under my skin. I know how to keep him alive and complacent during the process.
“I’m incapable of telling you anything about my master. I’ve told you this.” Elias scoots back until he hits my bed.
“I can use other information. Like where you signed your deal,” I mutter, stomping closer. Crossing my arms, I tower over him. “If you tell me what you got in exchange for your soul, that could help me as well. Demons have specialties. Now get up. We’re going hunting.”
“I’m not feeling good enough. You didn’t let me take my pain meds,” he says, scratching his arms. “I can barely function without feeling like I’m suffocating, you asshole.”
Elias grips the bed frame, trying to pull himself to his feet. His pathetic attempt fails, and I crack my neck, bend down, and help him up. I don’t want to do it, but I also don’t want him giving up and lying on my bedroom floor until he keels over. I don’t want him in my room at all. I’ll carry him if I have to.
“We will stop by and grab them. Until then, let me bite you. A bit of my venom will help. I won’t release as much as last time, because I don’t need you soaring like you grew your wings back.” I adjust him like a big-ass angel baby. This is far less fun with him than it is with Raven. It doesn’t help that he smells like cigarettes, the fucker really not caring about dying. “Give me your wrist.”
“Fuck no. Put me down.” Elias shoves his palm against my cheek. “Keep that filthy mouth away from me.”
“Don’t be a weak-ass ball sack and accept my help. It just makes me want to toughen you up when you resist. It’s just a nip.” I lean away as he tries to swing at me.
“It’s more than that. I bet you get off on sinking your teeth into anything you can. It’s not going to be me.” Elias raises his voice and manages to clock me in the jaw.
Clenching my teeth, I stride toward the hallway and toss him out of my room. “You ungrateful piece of shit. I’m trying to help you with no fucking strings attached for the sake of Raven and you’re being a dickhole. Why suffer through pain when I can help you? I don’t get it.”
“You’re only trying to help yourself,” he says, groaning from the floor.
I swing and punch the wall in anger.
“Dante, Elias. What the hell is going on out here?” Raven hovers in the doorway to Kase’s room wearing only one of his shirts. “Why are you fighting?”
It takes everything in me to control my anger, especially when Raven helps Elias off the floor. I want to cut off his hand for even having the chance to touch hers. My jealousy gets the best of me, and I spin and storm away. I know I’m fucked up when I start hating something as little as a gesture. Hell, I might even hate Kase’s shirt, because it’s where I want to be, wrapping myself around her.
Raven chases after me. “Dante, come back here.”
I slow to let her catch up but don’t turn to face her. Hopping onto my back, she ensures I can’t escape by clinging to my shoulders and hooking her legs around my torso. She stretches and presses her lips to my ear. I shiver under the sensation of her breath as she kisses my lobe.
“What did the asshole do?” she asks, keeping her voice low. “Did he fuck with your stuff?”
I groan and flip her around to face me. The fact that she assumes it was Elias’s fault lights a fire inside me. I fucking love her. She understands me on a level no one else does, and even if she knows I might be caught up in my own emotions, she will never make me feel bad about it.
“He’s in pain and wouldn’t let me help him. I figured the two of us could go demon hunting since our contracts haven’t responded yet, but I need him in better shape. A little bit of my venom will take the edge off until we can get his pain meds.” I look past Raven and glower at Elias. “He only wants to lie around, waiting to die.”
Something indecipherable crosses Raven’s face. Her bottom lip puffs out with her pout, and she knits her eyebrows together. I wish I could hear her thoughts in this moment to know what she’s thinking. If I could, I might be able to figure out how to return her breathtaking smile to her beautiful face.
Raven shifts slightly in my arms, trying to look behind her. “Why didn’t you tell us you were suffering, Elias?”
“Because I didn’t think it mattered to you.” Elias wobbles on his feet and leans against the wall for support.
“Of course it does. We’re not monsters, despite what you think. Now stop being stubborn and let Dante help you. He’s right about the contracts. If he has a plan to hunt your demon down, we should go for it.” Raven smirks at me, her eyes lighting with her words. “I’ll come too.”
I scowl, unable to control my reaction. “Like hell—”
She slaps a hand over my mouth, cutting me off. “Kase mentioned he had some business to take care of, so you don’t have a choice. I’m coming.”
“Not in the way you think,” I mutter under my breath, peering toward Kase’s shadow looming in the hallway. I don’t know what kind of business he claims he has to do, but it better be important.
“If you’re good, maybe I’ll say the same about you.” Licking her lips, she bows closer. “Kase promised he’d look into a bigger place for us. He feels bad about you giving up your room...though I like being in the middle of you two. It’s hot.”
“Don’t let him fool you. It’s about his need to have you to himself,” I murmur.
“Maybe it’s also about me having you to myself as well. I know you and Kase have fun together, but I love having your undivided attention.” Her voice lowers with her words, and she slides her hand across my shoulder and to the back of my neck. “He won’t let me have it if we have to share a room.”
I hum in my throat, her whispery voice awakening my cock. And damn it. I want to prop her on the wall, tug my pants down, and fuck her until she screams my name like I’m the one she worships.
Sliding my hand down her back, I pull up her shirt and dig my fingers into her ass cheek. “If you’re teasing me or trying to distract me—”
Her lips mold over mine as she silences me. Kissing me deeper, she explores my mouth with her tongue, not giving me the control I crave. Raven knows exactly what she’s doing to me and she relishes every second of turning me on. She even reaches down to feel my cock through my pants, not caring that we’re being watched by Elias.
She breaks away from my mouth. “Kase, grab Elias. I need you to pin him down, so Dante can help him.”
Elias raises his hands up. “That’s not necessary. I’ll fucking let him bite me as long as you swear I don’t have to go alone with him.”
Raven nods. “I promise. I’m not letting you out of my sight.”
I flash my fangs at Elias. “At least for now.”
***
“Are you sure it was here? It’s a playground.” Raven tightens her jacket around herself, peering at the dozens of children playing while their parents, nannies, and other relatives watch them. “It’s fucking creepy.”
“Parks, stores, bars, restaurants—demons will go where the humans go, pretty soul. This park happens to be the breeding ground for a lot of despicable behavior. I mean, look at that asshole over there. He’s been stalking the babysitter for weeks, waiting until he catches her alone.” I blink my eyes, letting loose my Hell power to get a better reading on the souls in the area. The stalker is bound to Hell without even a contract.
Raven covers her mouth with her hand. “Oh, my God. We have to do—”
“The woman’s soul isn’t exactly shining. She’s done some shitty things too,” Elias says, speaking up. Reaching into his back pocket, he pulls out a pack of smokes and waves the box.
Before he can light up, Raven surprises the both of us and steals the pack and hands it to me. I wonder if she knows and has been ignoring the fact that he’s been sneaking cigs in my room.
“You can see her soul?” Intrigue laces Raven’s voice. Look at her, not giving him a hard time. I’m torn between wishing she would and knowing if she did that it might mean she cares more about his health than she lets on. The guy is dying already. There is no stopping it.
Elias rubs the back of his neck and shifts on his boots. “I read auras. Always have. It’s how I got into hunting demons.”
“You mean it’s what got the demons hunting you.” I crack my knuckles and peer around the park. “Your soul matches Raven’s. You’re a beacon, and it’s getting on my nerves.”
Raven smacks my arm. “Knock it off.”
I return the gesture, but instead of her arm, I spank her ass hard enough to make her jump. “Make me.”
Her eyebrows peak on her forehead. “Don’t test me.”
Elias twitches his fingers, bouncing with anxiousness. “Yeah, don’t. Anytime she gives you a little attention, you try to devour her completely. We don’t have time. I don’t want to be out here longer than I have to. My demon—”
Unfurling my wings, I flap them and throw him off his feet with a gust of wind. Raven tries to dodge out of my reach, but I’m faster. I hook my arm around her waist and scoop her into my arms. She doesn’t get a chance to fight me to stay before I launch us into the air. Wind whips Raven’s hair into my face, and I inhale a breath of her floral fragrance like the cherry blossom shampoo she picked out.
“Hey! Wait! Don’t leave me here!” Elias swings his arms over his head and runs a dozen feet like he’ll sprout wings to chase after us.
I adjust Raven’s legs around me and wave. “You’ll be fine, demon bait. Get your master to come out, and I’ll get you.”
Raven screeches as I fly us higher and land on a nearby roof. No one notices our dramatic exit, the power of Hell compelling them to mind their damn businesses. Raven gasps a few deep breaths, her heart thudding against mine. She clings on tighter, burying her face into my shoulder. Fuck, I love it. I love it so much that I plop her sexy ass on the ledge, so her instincts kick in and refuse to let me go.
“Dante, what are you doing? We need to go back.” Raven eases away and realizes there is a four-story drop behind her.
Huffing, she tightens her ankles across my ass and pulls me so close that if I tugged down my zipper and shifted her emerald green thong an inch, I could fuck her right here. And damn, do I want to. It’s been days since I’ve been alone with her with no chance of interruption. I hadn’t realized how starved for her attention I was.
“Relax, pretty soul. We’re demon repellant. If someone senses us, they’ll think we’ve stuck a claim on their domain. Elias needs to be alone for this to work. If his demon offers deals here, then he’ll come around. We just have to wait.”
She grips the front of my shirt. “Dante.”
“Keep saying my name. I love it.” I slide my hand up her back until I tangle my fingers through her hair.
She moans a breath as I pull it, forcing her to tip her head back to look at me. Her big blue-green eyes sparkle in the light of the sun, and she yanks me closer by my shirt until I crash my mouth to hers, our lips and tongues battling for dominance. She loves being controlled. Her pleasure. Her needs. As long as it’s in ways she enjoys from the clothes I pick out to the shade of red lipstick she wears. But she also loves feeling power, my power, especially when I give it to her. Right now, I’m willing to compromise and give her what she wants. If she wants to taste my mouth and bruise my lips, I’ll take it to make her happy.
These last few days have made me realize the kind of power she holds over me and how I’m willing to gut anyone who tries to get between us. I need my piece of her soul. I’m not willing to give it up. If other fuckers like Elias want even a molecule of Raven, they’re going to have to earn it. Fight for it, even. She only deserves the best from the bastard who will go to Hell for her. Elias isn’t there yet. Maybe after today when I find his demon and disembowel him in a way that keeps him on this plane but also makes him wish he were in Hell—and then get the fucker to give me Elias’s contract—will I consider it okay for him to share her breathing space. For everything else? He better horn up.
Raven moans dragging her fingers down my abs until she cups my hard-on through my pants. “I should punish you for getting me worked up.”
Grinning, I flex my cock to tease her palm. “Punish me? You’ve been testing my strength for weeks. Giving me only a taste before pulling back. You’re driving me batshit crazy with need for you. If anyone is getting punished, it’s going to be you. And don’t think I won’t. I bought a spanking bench to restrain you too. As soon as we get the chance—”
I feel the shockwave of Hell pulsing through the air as a demon taps into Lucian’s kingdom to secure a human façade. Raven senses my distraction and stops rubbing my aching cock, my balls screaming at me to ignore the demon’s approach down below for a couple more minutes. If I knew Raven would be up to the challenge, I’d fuck her while flying and fighting to show her how talented I really am.
“Dante! It’s not him!” Elias’s yell catches on the wind.
I jerk my attention to the park below and spot Elias breaking into a jog, running in the opposite direction of what I can only describe as one of Hell’s shit piles of a demon. If the fucker is here, it can only mean that it’s trying to scrounge up a couple of deals Elias’s demon didn’t care to negotiate before moving on. And if he moved on...fuck.
Raven tries to twist in my arms to see what’s going on. I don’t let her and push her back, startling her. She screams as she freefalls a dozen feet until I swoop down and catch her. I need her a bit scared to kick her adrenaline on. She’s feistier this way. More likely to fight. It’ll also piss her off, and when she’s angry, she can summon a bit of Hell’s strength.
Skidding my boots on the grass, I slow to a stop behind the demon. I flap my wings, sending a gust of wind in his direction, but the bastard only uses it to push himself forward instead of eating shit on the ground like I had hoped.
“Dante!” Elias shouts, feeling his jacket for the knife I took from him.
The demon explodes from his human façade, shaking the ground. Like a demented rhinoceros with blood-red skin and two heads, the beast charges at Elias on four legs. It doesn’t bother trying to do anything except attack, knowing Elias’s soul is already bound to another.
Lowering his head, the demon rams into Elias with his massive horn, throwing Elias a dozen feet.
Raven screams, her voice ripping through the air.
Elias hits the ground.
He doesn’t move.
The demon shrieks and tramples over Elias, realizing I’m chasing him. The damn demon will have more than a little Hell to pay.
