Her Darkest Devils by Ginna Moran
Chapter 16
RAVEN
Hunted
“ARE YOU FUCKING kidding me? We can’t stay here.” I follow behind Elias, trying to ignore the fear tightening my chest. “The angels have a deal with the hunters.”
Elias grabs my hand and forces me to keep up with his brisk pace. “Neither a strong one nor one to the guardians. Some of the Hell-bound were afraid of an angelic smiting after the shit they pulled despite Cass-hole forgiving them. He’s the one who arranged for the hunters to get me from Vincent and to Lucian.”
“That’s why we found one of the holy weapons.” It’s not a question. I just assumed maybe Lucian made the deal since Vincent wasn’t going to give Elias up.
“That’s right. When it comes down to it, all these fuckers really want is to survive and kick some ass no matter the consequences. They also still have the banishing room. We can use it to open a portal for access to the devils.” He sounds so confident in his plan that it settles my nerves, especially seeing a guard wave at us instead of trying to kill us on sight.
“Okay, if this is what you think will work, but if anyone tries anything...I’m cutting their dicks off to offer Dante and Kase a cock bouquet. They like that kind of thing and it’ll stop them from trying to disembowel everyone here.” Twisted? Most definitely. It’s not something I want, but these fuckers would deserve it.
Elias raises his eyebrows, but doesn’t call me out on my psychotic thoughts. “I’ll restrain them.”
I smirk without comment.
Elias slides his arm around my waist and pulls me close, adding, “Preston might be a bastard and can’t grasp the concept of me being anything other than a hunter and his best friend, but he won’t hurt you, so you won’t have to resort to it. I have a plan to keep everyone calm. You just have to trust me.”
I unfasten the strap on the helmet but don’t take it off in case. The fuckers here might not try to kill Elias, but they think I’m Hell’s whore for loving the devils beyond their narrow scope of thought. “I do trust you. It’s just—I fucking hate them all. I can’t promise to be nice. They arranged a ghost to possess me. That shit lingers with me, you know?”
A frown pouts his lips and he subtly nods. “I hate them for that too. We’re only here out of desperation. Don’t think my nicety toward Preston is real, okay? He will pay for what he did. When I take my throne, I’ll guarantee it. I traded my life for his, and he fucking shit on me.”
I bob my head, hugging his side. I don’t want even an inch of space to get between us. “I want him to regret his actions for the rest of eternity. The selfish prick.”
Elias digs his fingers into my hip, slowing down outside the warehouse door to the hunter’s compound. Different marks glow around the frame in both red and white light. I don’t recognize any of them, but they must be the wards. It’s still strange to me how they know how to create them—learning from who knows where. A ghost, for one. Maybe even angels from long ago.
“Elias! What the actual fuck? You’re supposed to be on your deathbed in the arms of the saviors.” Preston’s familiar voice cuts through the room in a part of the building I’ve never seen. The open warehouse has been converted into a huge living space partitioned off into rooms to create more privacy.
Elias lugs me along, half carrying me as I drag my feet. “What? You want to get rid of me so easily? I’m dying but I still have some life left. And so you know, I never made it to Cassius. Fucking Lucifer had other plans in store. We barely escaped those devil monsters.”
Preston’s brows pinch together. “Shit, I knew it. I fucking warned that angel that he has too much faith for this to work out. He swore to me that you’d be safe.”
Elias rubs his hand up and down my arm. “Raven saved my ass, but now we’re in trouble. They’re after us and Cassius has vanished. We need somewhere to crash until I can get him to show up.”
“We won’t stay long. We would hate to put you in the line of Hell after everything you’ve done for Elias.” It hurts me to my core to say the words and play along, but I can tell it’s what Preston needs to believe us. “I have some family we can stay with, but I need to use your phone.”
“I get that, but it’s not necessary,” Preston says, tightening his jaw. “We can handle ourselves. Your family? Why would you risk it?”
Wow. This asshole. What a way to twist my good intent and make me feel like shit.
Elias tightens his hold on me. “Raven’s just worried about them and wants to protect them too.”
I force my lip to pout instead of scowl. “Lucian—Lucifer brought my cousin into this bullshit. I’m scared for her.”
“Oh, shit. You should still stay here. I can send some guys to her place to keep a lookout until things settle down.” Preston’s eyes lock on mine as he tries to figure me out. He reaches into his jacket, and I take an automatic step back. But he only tugs out his phone. “Why don’t you call her? It might make you feel better.”
It takes all my will not to snatch the phone and to accept it politely. I just want to call my devils and get out of here.
“Thank you,” I mutter, flipping the old-ass phone open. I haven’t seen one like this since high school. Good fucking thing I have Kase’s number memorized. “I appreciate it.”
Breaking away from Elias, I finally tug the helmet off and hand it to him, feeling a bit vulnerable. I don’t stroll away for privacy as much as I want to and instead just turn my back and dial the number.
The line clicks but no one speaks. I peer at the tiny screen to make sure I’ve connected.
“Tamia?” I ask, trying not to sound as if I’m on the verge of crying. “Tamia, it’s Raven.”
“Angel-girl, fuck. You’re in so much trouble for scaring the hell out of us. Where are you, so I can disembowel anyone who dared lay a finger on you. Andre said you refused to leave the Jizz-Master alone.” Kase’s voice growls with his words. “Do you know how badly I want to spank and then fuck that ass of yours for being a disobedient soul? They want you, not Elias.”
I want so badly to tell him to shut the fuck up and focus, because the guardians definitely have a boner for killing Elias too. If only I couldn’t feel the weight of Preston’s stare on the back of my head as he murmurs quietly to Elias while trying to discretely listen.
“I know. I’m sorry for that. I’ll make it up to you as soon as I can. I have some things I need to take care of first. I’m staying with Elias’s family for a bit.” I try my best to sound inconspicuous. “They want to spend as much time as they can because...” Stupid eyes. Everything suddenly gets to me, and I have to wipe my cheeks.
“The smart bastard. He’s going to get one helluva reward for this. We’ll wait for your summons, okay? I swear we’ll be there faster than a virgin angel getting a blow job.” Kase sighs with his words. “Just hang tight.”
“I love you,” I whisper.
“And we more than love you, pretty-soul. Obsessed,” Dante says, his comment making me smile.
The line clicks, and I swivel and hold out Preston’s phone, keeping my gaze on the shiny concrete floor. Tears burn my cheeks, not helping me any. I shouldn’t be crying. I’m tough enough to handle this, but sometimes I just don’t want to. I’m going to need a good cuddle session and a round of letting Dante have his way, so I don’t even have to think or decide on something as simple as which color panties to wear. I love this about my devils. They don’t ever judge me when I want to be tough or to just be coddled. They taught me that wanting to put control in their hands isn’t a sign of weakness. It’s a sign of complete trust, which is what I’m doing now with Elias. What I want to get to with Micah and Andre. What I’ll fight like hell to maintain with Kase and Dante.
“Why don’t you take her to the showers and help her get cleaned up? Whoever you two fought to escape looks to have suffered some wrath. I’ll ask Dolly to fix her something to eat.” Preston pats Elias on the shoulder. He thinks the blood on my clothes belongs to someone else.
Elias doesn’t correct him and only nods. “Same room?”
Preston nods. “Same room. I’ll grab a couch until we can arrange things to give you a room.”
Preston doesn’t say anything to me, letting Elias guide me deeper into the warehouse and down a hall made from plywood, partitioning things off. It’s now that I spot a platform above with a lookout in front of what probably used to be an office. There really isn’t much privacy with someone watching. I bet they get a fucking eyeful of all these dudes jerking off at night.
I shudder, pushing away the thought.
“You okay?” Elias whispers, keeping his voice low. “You got ahold of them?”
“They’re ready. Apparently you get a reward for your smart thinking and I’m going to get punished for being naughty and not leaving you.” I smirk at him, already feeling better with the space we put between us and Preston.
“Hopefully not by Andre’s cock in your ass. I don’t think I can handle knowing that you’d agree to doing that for the sake of making them happy.” Elias tightens his lips and tries not to react. “I don’t care how wide they claim an asshole can stretch.”
I laugh in exasperation. “That’s definitely a hell no to Andre. Technically, my deal is with Kase, but maybe he’s planning to give it up as a reward to you.”
The look he gives me speaks volumes. He loves the sound of it. And shit. They can’t all want a piece of my ass, can they?
He clears his throat, his cheeks reddening. “I’m good with whatever you want from me. I’ll never ask. You get that enough from them.”
I giggle and lean into him. “I love you, you know. Maybe I want you to ask me.”
“Damn,” he mutters under his breath. “You’re so fucking bad. The devils are going to be pissed because now I plan to join you in the shower. Fuck you for as long as I can. I can’t get enough of you and those asshole angels ruined everything.”
“Or we could summon them now and go home, take a hot bubble bath, let Kase make us some sandwiches and Dante wash our hair. Light some candles. Each get a little venom bite...” I grin like crazy, watching his expression morph into full-blown lust. I knew he liked Dante biting him, though he’d never admit it.
“Shit, darlin’. I shouldn’t like the sound of that, but damn. I’ll fucking let the devils pamper us until the day I die. But I want you to wash my hair.” He winks and picks up his pace. “No fucking way I’m getting between Dante’s legs.”
“Could be worse. I swear Kase’s tail has a mind of its own.” I crack up as he scrunches his nose, his gray eyes sparkling in the harsh lighting overhead.
Elias leans in and kisses the laughter from my mouth, quieting me down as we sneak past what looks like communal showers and along the back wall. I suck up the fear tightening my chest, remembering exactly what went down in this back room the last time I was here. People died. It’s where I saw Elias’s angel wings from after his fall.
Closing the door quietly, Elias peers around the room with scorch marks on the floor. The faint smell of Hell lingers in the air. It probably wasn’t long ago that the hunters sent a demon to Hell. Maybe even one of Vincent’s associates if they were the ones to get Elias.
“Grab the salt over there. I’ll get the other supplies. I want you to draw the circle. Your hands are steadier.” Elias motions to giant bags of salt on a shelf. These guys really are prepared. “We have to move fast.”
I race across the room and heave a twenty pound bag of salt from a stack under the shelves of holy water. Elias points to the ash ring from the last time these hunters opened Hell, and I use the line to dump the salt in a ring, ensuring there aren’t any breaks. Elias sets a couple candles within the ring and surprises the hell out of me by cutting his finger and drawing some weird ass symbol. This isn’t the same as what he taught me about sending demons to Hell. This portal is intended to bring one out.
Elias pulls a lighter from his pocket. I haven’t seen him smoke in a while, but he must carry one out of habit. “Stand within it, darlin’. It’ll help with your contract still in place. It took me a long ass time to get it right for Andre. We need this perfect now—”
A gunshot rings through the air, startling me and Elias. He jumps forward and crashes into me protectively, instinctually. If I thought Preston would try to kill him, I’d flip Elias onto his back and take the bullet.
“What the fuck, Elias? You’re trying to unleash Hell after everything you have been through? I don’t understand. I thought you were coming around.” Preston waves his gun, pointing it at the ceiling. “This is her doing, isn’t it? What were you planning? You were trying to end us, weren’t you?”
Shit. Shit. Shit.
Elias raises his hands in surrender, slowly easing off of me to get up. “I wouldn’t do that to you. It’s just—it’s not what you think. I’m trying to—”
Aiming the gun in my direction, Preston fires, sending a bullet ricocheting from the concrete floor to the drywall behind me. “Shut up! I knew this was too good to be true. I knew she was too far into your head for you to make the right decision.” Preston glowers and points the gun again. “I damn fucking knew that she let Hell get too deep inside her. She’s the fucking slut of Satan. She’s dragging you down with her.”
Hey now. I haven’t even slept with Lucian yet.
Preston glowers at me. “I won’t let her. This ends here.”
I brace to be shot. I brace for my life to end. What I don’t expect is for Elias to flick his lighter, drawing Preston’s murderous glare away from me. It’s all I need to launch forward. I crash into the bastard at the same time Elias ignites the candle wick, sending billowing flames around the circle as a portal to Hell opens up.
Swinging his fist, Preston punches me in the cheek. Pain explodes through my head, and my eyes burn with tears. I haven’t been hit like this since Joel. The action sets me off, shadowing my vision. I flail my hands, smacking Preston over and over again. Elias shouts something I can’t decipher, my anger stealing the world around me away.
Preston manages to get an opening in between my hands and shoves me off. I hit my back on the floor with a gasp, the air exiting my lungs in a painful breath. I can’t roll away fast enough. Tackling me with his heavy body, Preston grabs my head between his hands. His nails bite into my cheeks as he prepares to break my neck.
“Preston, no!” Elias shouts, rushing toward us. “Stop!”
I scratch at Preston’s arms, trying to get him to stop.
“This must be done, brother.” Preston snatches a knife from his belt and swipes it at Elias, cutting the fabric of his pants. “Stay back or I’ll make it painful. You have to let her go. God will bless us for following his will.”
“You don’t even know what the hell God’s will is that you’re truly following. Now let her go. This is your last chance.” Elias stands nearby, his voice deepening with his warning.
“You’ll have to make me. I won’t let her drag you down with her. Not after everything you’ve done.” Preston flares his nostrils, fighting against my Hell strength. His determination and position stops me from getting leverage. I’m trapped.
“Preston, please. Please.” Elias’s voice cracks.
Preston doesn’t listen. He doesn’t respond.
I squeeze my eyes shut at the tightness of my muscles in my neck. Preston keeps twisting, turning my head in an agonizing position. I can’t scream or concentrate on anything but trying to scratch him. He doesn’t even flinch as his flesh gathers under my nails.
Gunfire rings through the air and blood and brain matter splatter across my face. I stare in shock, my hearing muffled from the pop. Preston’s dead body slumps on top of mine, still trying to trap me even with his death.
I screech and fling him off with all my Hell strength, the pain and exhaustion of the last few hours wearing heavily on both my body and soul. Haze turns my vision fuzzy as Elias stands above me. hellfire leaps toward the roof behind him, haloing him in fiery light. One second I stare into his glassy, steel-gray eyes as a man, and in the next, a huge foxlike beast with a coat the same color as hellfire towers in front of me. Long canines jut from its elongated mouth and two horns stretch toward the ceiling next to triangular ears.
I open and close my mouth, trying to form words, but nothing comes.
And with a blink of my eyes, the strange demonic apparition disappears and Elias stands before me once again.
Another figure joins him, and then another and another until five silhouettes hover around me, the world still glowing with the fire of Hell.
“Raven, shit,” Micah says, stepping closer.
“Fucking stay back. Dante will look at her and heal her if needed. You take care of the hunters.” Kase growls and locks his tail around Micah’s neck, pulling him back. “I’ll handle Elias. We’ll meet where we discussed. Make sure no one follows.”
“Don’t kill anyone else,” I murmur, stretching my arms up, waiting for any of them to pick me up. “It was all Preston.”
“You heard her. Lock them up, and we’ll deal with them later. We have more important things to do.” Dante scoops me up into his arms and buries his face in my hair. “Like taking care of our soul first.”
“And fucking taking out the guardians after,” Kase adds, picking up Elias without even asking him. He turns to Andre and kicks Preston’s body. “Take this fucker with you.”
“Gladly,” Andre says. “I have a special place for him. He will pay.”
