Demon King (Claimed By Lucifer Book 1) Page 10

  “You did all that?” Hannah asked, tilting her head as she studied me.

  “It’s the least I could do. She was kidnapped from my hotel, after all.”

  “Can I see her?”

  I shook my head. “Your friend has been through a traumatic experience and is exhausted. Right now she needs sleep more than anything.” Her shoulders slumped in disappointment and I quickly added, “However, I booked you both a spa day tomorrow. A slothful day, if you will.”

  “A spa day sounds good.” Her eyes focused on my white shirt, and she reached out to touch a spot on it, her palms resting against my chest. “Are you bleeding?”

  My muscles clenched under her touch. “I’m fine. It’s not my blood.”

  “I guess tonight was wrath.” Her words were barely above a whisper and she looked away, her face twisting to a grimace. “For both of us.”

  I sensed the turmoil inside her and guessed it had something to do with the attack. “Do you want to tell me what happened?”

  She looked at me with wide, shocked eyes. “These…gargoyles flew in and attacked us. Zel fought them off, but there were so many of them. I ran to the library and got that sword off the wall, and it was like I’d been trained in how to use it. My body moved and worked on its own, without me controlling it. It was like…” She hesitated and frowned. “Muscle memory or something.”

  She looked at her hands, shocked and maybe a little excited. Of course, there was no mystery as to how this had happened, her being able to handle a sword. Not for me, anyway. But was it the right time to tell her?

  “Perhaps you tapped into some deeply repressed memory?” I suggested, hoping my words might create some recognition.

  “Maybe,” she murmured, but nothing changed in her expression.

  “That sword was mine when I was in the Angelic Army, created to cut through demons using heavenly light. Few others can wield it without it burning them.” I reached up and stroked her cheek softly. “I’m glad it protected you tonight.”

  One bare shoulder lifted in a shrug. “Zel did most of the hard work.”

  “From what she said, it sounded like you held your own against them.” I slid my fingers into her soft, golden hair. “Are you all right? You weren’t injured?”

  “I’m okay. Physically anyway. Emotionally… I’m pretty shaken up.” She drew in a long breath, but then smiled weakly at me. “At least Brandy is okay. I’m so grateful to you for everything you’ve done for her. And for me.”

  “It’s my pleasure and my duty.” The way she looked at me made my chest tighten with longing. “I would do anything for you.”

  She raised her eyebrows at that. “Maybe the devil isn’t the bad guy everyone thinks he is.”

  I laughed darkly. “I assure you, I’m every bit the villain they think I am.”

  “I don’t think that’s true.”

  “Shall I prove my point?”

  I took her chin in my hand and turned her head to the side, then leaned in close, breathing in her sweet scent. I wanted to fill my lungs with her, to drink her in until she suffused my empty, dark heart with her light. My soul ached to consume her, but it settled for me pressing my mouth to the spot just below her ear. The slight taste wasn’t nearly enough to sate me, especially when I felt her pulse race faster and her breathing grow shallower. Was she growing wet for me? Did she crave me as much as I craved her?

  I ran my thumb across her soft lips, imagining them wrapped around my cock or shouting my name as she came. Her eyes fluttered shut at my light touch, her breasts rising and falling in time with her heavy breathing, her nipples straining against the thin fabric of her nightgown. My mouth trailed down her neck ever so slowly and she arched her back toward me, unable to help herself.

  “Lucifer,” she gasped softly as my lips reached the curve of her neck. Her fingers grasped my shirt, digging into my arms, though not to stop me, but to pull me closer. Her desperate need matched my own, and a low groan of masculine satisfaction hummed deep in my throat. This woman would be my undoing and my absolution, as she always was.

  I turned her face toward me and met her eyes, then captured her lips and claimed the kiss I’d long awaited. For years I’d dreamed of this moment, but the reality of it was even better than I’d imagined. As my mouth captured hers, time stood still. For the first time in an eternity, I felt alive. Whole. Complete. Blood pounded through my veins, and my senses sharpened, while darkness swirled around us. I deepened the kiss, wrapping my arms around her and probing her delicate mouth with the tip of my tongue. Her fingers slid around my neck, pulling me closer, kissing me back with as much passion as I felt. Even if she didn’t remember the truth about us, her body did, her instincts telling her that she belonged to me.

  When I pulled back, she licked her lips and stared hungrily at my mouth, eager for more, and fuck, how I wanted to give it to her. Everything inside me surged with the need to possess her body again, and I knew she’d let me do anything I wanted to her. Within minutes I’d have her begging for me, until she knew deep in her soul that she was mine, and mine alone.

  But I couldn’t do it.

  Not yet.

  Those crystal blue eyes were hazy with sleep and desire, but something held me back from making her mine. A slight hesitation in her gaze, a small tremble in her touch. She wasn’t ready for this. Not after the night she’d just had. The act of restraining myself nearly undid me, but I told myself it would only make my claiming of her even sweeter when it did occur. I pressed one last hot kiss to the hollow of her throat, and then relaxed my hold on her.

  She looked confused for an instant, but then footsteps sounded outside the door. Rage threatened to bubble up inside me again—who dared interrupt me with my woman in my bed?

  Gadreel strode purposefully inside and then paused when he saw Hannah in my arms. She looked a little stunned as she touched her lips, like she was still dazed from the way I’d kissed her. I couldn’t blame her.

  “I’m sorry to interrupt,” Gadreel said, averting his eyes. “I’ll come back later.”

  “It’s fine.” I let go of Hannah, though it pained me to do so. “You have a report for me?”

  “Yes, we managed to capture one of the shifters at the motel. We’re holding him for questioning now.”

  “Very good. Did they find anything else at the motel? Any indication of who was leading them?”

  He kept his head bowed. “No, my lord.”

  A low growl rumbled in my chest. Imps, shifters, and gargoyles had all acted against me or Hannah in the last few days. Ever since she came into my life, demons who were once loyal to me were turning against me. Was it a coincidence or part of a larger conspiracy? The Fallen and the Lilim still seemed loyal, but what of the dragons and vampires? I needed to question that shifter tonight and find out the depth of this mutinous plot. Either way, I would have to deal with this problem before more demons got any ideas about defiance.

  I ran a hand through my hair, the anger and pent-up lust making my movements sharp. “Thank you, Gadreel. I’ll meet you in the war room soon.”

  He bowed and then departed, and I turned back to Hannah, who’d watched the conversation with questions shining in her intelligent eyes. Damn it. I needed to tell her who she was, but first I needed to deal with this insubordination problem. Besides, she wasn’t ready for any more surprises tonight.

  “Sleep,” I told her, easing her back into the bed, putting a touch of power in my words once more. “Stay here in my bed, where you belong. I’ll make sure you’re safe.”

  She nodded slowly as she settled down, her eyelids growing heavy. “Don’t leave just yet.”

  My heart twisted at the soft plea. “I’ll stay until you’re asleep.”

  That seemed to satisfy her, and I stroked her head softly as she relaxed, no longer tense like before. I longed to crawl in beside her, to curl up behind her and wrap my arms tight around her small frame, but I had matters to attend to tonight.

  Tomorrow. I’d tell
her the truth tomorrow.

  13

  Hannah

  Sleeping in Lucifer’s room was like an extra level of decadence. I’d escaped there because it was the only untouched room in the penthouse after the gargoyle attack, and sheer exhaustion and lingering shock had made me pass out in his bed, amid black silk sheets that smelled like him. When I awoke to his touch and his news that Brandy was alive, I’d never felt such overwhelming relief and gratitude. He said he was a villain, but last night he’d been my hero.

  And then there was that kiss, and the way he touched me like he already knew every inch of my body. I grew wet again just thinking about it, imagining him here in bed with me now as I stretched out upon his soft sheets with morning sunlight filtered through sheer black curtains. I had no idea where he’d slept last night, or if he’d slept at all. The last thing I remembered was him stroking my hair as sleep overcame me.

  Lucifer wasn’t in the kitchen either, I discovered with a pang of longing. I was sure he was dealing with the aftermath of last night’s events, and I wanted to go see Brandy anyway, but I still felt his absence in the big, empty penthouse. I quickly downed my coffee and ate a muffin, then threw on some yoga pants and a t-shirt from my own wardrobe.

  Once I was ready, I hurried down to The Celestial’s day spa to meet Brandy, with Azazel and a few other guards surrounding me. It was no surprise that The Celestial had its own luxury day spa. There seemed to be nothing that Lucifer’s resort and casino lacked. I even saw a champagne vending machine on my way down the marble halls. I could probably live my entire life in this hotel without needing to ever step outside again—especially if Lucifer continued to bring the world to me. Memories of his kiss flooded back to me at that thought, practically setting my panties on fire. Maybe being the devil’s captive wasn’t so bad in the end.

  I stepped inside the Diabolique Day Spa and marveled at the large, relaxing fountain in front of me. Everything was white marble, shining blue glass, and smooth, curved lines.

  “Ms. Thorn,” a beautiful woman said, stepping forward to meet me. I briefly wondered if she was a demon, and if so, what kind? “We’ve been expecting you.”

  “Is my friend here yet?” I asked.

  “No, but we will bring her in as soon as she arrives.” She gestured down the hall. “Follow me.”

  I was led down shimmering floors and through a frosted blue door into a room with two massage tables. Another woman approached with a glass of champagne, and I waved her away. “No, thank you.”

  They left me alone in the room. To change, I supposed. I’d never actually been to a spa, at least, not that I remembered, and wasn’t exactly sure what all it entailed. Instead of getting undressed, I paced the room with butterflies in my gut. Brandy was supposed to be here any minute.

  When the door opened again, I rushed toward my best friend. She looked too thin, and bags stained the skin under her dark brown eyes a purple-gray color, but she was alive and safe and that was all that mattered.

  “Brandy!” I threw my arms around her. “I’ve been so worried!”

  Brandy hugged me tightly. “Thank you for coming to Las Vegas to look for me.”

  “How could I not?” We didn’t let go of one another for several moments, neither of us entirely steady. Tears filled my eyes, and I heard her sniffing too. “I’m so glad you’re okay.”

  I pulled back and examined her again. I was right—her face was just this side of gaunt and her normally glowing dark skin looked ashy. She mustn’t have eaten well in captivity, if at all. Thank goodness Lucifer had rescued her when he did. There was a darkness in her eyes too that hadn’t been there before, like she’d seen and learned things that had shaken her to the core. I wondered if I had the same look in my eyes.

  As we hugged and cried, the masseurs kept checking into the room to find us still clinging to one another, and it took us several attempts to separate and lie on the tables for our first appointment of the day. But full body massages waited for no one, and Brandy looked like she really needed the care and attention.

  “We better let them do the massage before they combust,” I said.

  Brandy managed a ghost of a smile and nodded. “I could definitely use a good massage.”

  We stretched out and tried to keep the conversation vague while the women were in the room. I told her about her mom and son, how worried they’d been, and we discussed what we’d seen of Vegas, but the conversation made me prickle with an urgency to know more, and I could hardly wait until the massages were over so we could talk properly.

  Once our massage was finished, the women led us to another room. It was dimly lit, with a long, expensive-looking counter and two reclining chairs, similar to those usually found in a salon. Various pots and machines sat on the counter. The tools of the trade, I assumed, although I couldn’t begin to guess what some of the machines did. One of them offered us champagne, which Brandy gladly took.

  “Your facialist will be here soon,” the woman said. “Mr. Ifer instructed us to give you at least a half-hour break between each session. He said you’d be eager to catch up.”

  I thanked her with a smile, though I wondered if I should be thanking Lucifer. Again. How could he be the actual devil, with all the wickedness and darkness that brought, and still melt my heart with his small gestures of consideration? But my smile quickly disappeared as I looked at Brandy once we were alone, and I shuddered at the thought of the things she must have gone through.

  I sank into one of the chairs. “Tell me what happened.”

  “This is some high-class shit,” Brandy said, before she downed the champagne. I got it—it was easy to be distracted by the trappings of Lucifer’s life, especially when the other subject might be more difficult to address. She stared into the empty glass. “I guess you deserve to know, more than anyone.”

  “If it’s too painful to talk about, I understand.”

  She sat beside me and shook her head. “No, it will help to talk about it. It’s so crazy I have to share with someone.” She drew in a sharp breath. “Well, you know I came to Las Vegas for a librarian conference, right? But when I got here, there was no conference.”

  I nodded. I’d learned the same thing when I’d started poking about.

  “I didn’t know what to do. I mean, I was in Vegas, by myself, with nothing to do. In the end, I went to the bar to get a drink.” Her face took on a far-off, dreamy look. “That’s where I met Mo—Asmodeus, I mean. He was probably the hottest guy I’ve ever seen, and charming as all hell. Before I even got my drink, I wanted to take him back to my room and do naughty things to him.”

  My jaw dropped. Brandy had never been the hooking up in a bar sort of girl. Maybe that was his incubus powers at work? “What then?”

  “He convinced me to go out to dinner with him. While we were leaving the hotel, we were attacked. By these…monsters.” She shook her head like the disbelief was still real, and I gripped her hand as horror showed again in her eyes. “Giant wolves and bears. It’s such a cliché, but it all seemed to happen so fast, and it was totally unbelievable at the time. Then I got knocked out.”

  “That had to be a big shock.” From what I’d heard, it was shifters who had captured her. I’d never seen one in animal form myself, but I’d seen gargoyles and Fallen angels, and they were scary enough, thank you very much.

  “I’ll say.” Brandy snorted before reaching over to grab the champagne bottle and pouring herself another glass. “When I woke, I was with Asmodeus in a small concrete room—some kind of basement I guessed, because there was a tiny thickened glass window at the top of the wall. It didn’t open and there was no point banging against it.” She laughed a little. “I mean, I tried. But it just hurt my fists and barely made a noise. We couldn’t even see through it.” Her eyes took on that distant look again. “Asmodeus was with me the entire time, and we talked a lot. There wasn’t much else to do. He…filled some things in for me.”

  I looked at her, trying to figure out what she a
nd Asmodeus had spoken about. I didn’t want to dump a load of information on her that she didn’t need. Being taken hostage was probably traumatic enough without learning all about Lucifer and associated paranormal beings. I could hardly believe it myself still—and that was after all the things I’d experienced. “What things?”

  “Things I still find hard to believe,” she muttered.

  She knew. She had to know. I was just going to come right out with it. She was my oldest friend—we didn’t have secrets. “He told you about demons, didn’t he?”

  Her shoulders dropped and a huge sigh of relief rolled from her. “So, you know? Please say you know.”

  I pulled Brandy into a hug and tried to reassure her, but what could I really say? She hadn’t said what exactly Asmodeus had shared with her. I probably did know, but she didn’t need to hear any kind of uncertainty from me. “Yes. I know. You can be totally open with me. Of all people, I’ll understand.”

  “How?” Disbelief rang in her tone.

  “You know the guy they call the devil of Las Vegas?” I asked. “Turns out he’s the actual devil. Not just of Las Vegas.”

  “Asmodeus told me he worked for the devil. I didn’t believe it at first, but…” She nodded slowly. “I met him last night. He was fine as hell, but…intense. You should have seen what he did to those demons who kidnapped me.”

  I sat up a little straighter, curious what he’d done. “Did he kill them all?”

  “He sure did.”

  “Good.” The word slipped out of my mouth, surprising us both. I’d never wished anyone dead before, but all I felt was a deep sense of satisfaction knowing the people who hurt Brandy had been punished.

  “He saved us.” Tears filled her eyes again. “And he said he found me because of you. Thank you.”

  I still hadn’t let go of her hand, and I let her hold onto me as tightly as she needed. “Of course. You would have sent the devil himself to save me, too.”