“How do you know all this about my family?”
“Because I’m the king’s right-hand man.” He sighed sitting on the edge of the bed next to me.
“Excuse me?”
“Yeah, well I had to keep it a secret, remember?”
“From me? You had sex with me! Remember that? You couldn’t have mentioned between the stripping off our clothes and the intercourse part?”
“That would have killed the mood.”
I stood up. “It’s a lot better than me feeling like a fool for even thinking that this was something more than you just wanting to become king of Hell.”
“That’s not even what I care about right now!”
“Right now?”
“Well you know what I mean. Ever. That’s not what I care about.”
I shook my head. My chest was hurting, and I was freaking out more than I wanted to let on. That wasn’t me. I was usually the one in control. Super girl as I liked to call myself. Always helping others. That time I felt like I am the one that needed the help, and I didn’t want to feel like I was weak.
“Look, if you don’t want the responsibility, tell that to Roderick. He will understand. He isn’t telling you that you have to do this.”
“No, but if I don’t what kind of person am I?”
“What kind of person do you think you will be if you do? You know Hell isn’t like Earth. The people down there aren’t exactly the best around.”
“I’m aware. You are from there aren’t you?”
“That was cold,” he snapped, standing up.
“Look, I’m just not sure I can do this. I know nothing about this life. And that still doesn’t explain the actual tattoo. Why the hell do I have it on my body?” I screamed.
“Have you even looked at it?”
“Yeah because I can just turn my head all the way around my body and stare at my back.”
He grabbed my arm and pulled me into the bathroom.
“Shirt. Off.”
I gave him a look.
“Nothing sexual. Just take the damn shirt off.”
I pulled my shirt off over my head and let it fall to the floor. He handed me a smaller mirror and told me to look in it.
His finger touched a spot on my back.
“See this?” he questioned.
I nodded.
He ran his finger down my back, sending a chill down my spine.
“This is a road map. Only the person who runs Hell gets it.”
He stopped in the middle of my back.
“This right here. This is the key to everything that every demon in hell wants.”
His finger moved back up and down my arm.
“This is how you know you are part the legacy family. See what most people don’t know is that the former king of Hell was your grandfather.”
I turned to face him.
“What?”
“Yeah, I’m sure Roderick would have told you all this if you didn’t run out of there like a bat out of hell.”
“Do bats really leave Hell that fast?” I smirked.
“Demons do. They are more than happy to surface to Earth. Fresh meat and tons of people to torment.”
“And your reason for being on Earth?” I questioned as I set the mirror on the sink without pulling myself away from him.
“I already told you. You. I came here to keep you safe. I came here to make sure that no other demon was able to hurt you or Lela.”
“And what would you have done if Lela decided not to come with us?”
“I would have sent someone I trust to stay in town and watch her. Colt being here just made things easier for me.”
I nodded, my face inches from his. I knew I shouldn’t. I was still mad, but I couldn’t resist.
Our lips touched, and I felt myself back in that same feeling from last night. The feeling of wanting him so much my body ached.
Chapter Eight
Theo
I slipped myself out of bed and tossed on clothes. I was being called. When the boss called, you came.
I pulled my hoodie on over my head and headed downstairs and down the street.
I walked down the road until I came to a graveyard.
“Really?” I asked out loud.
“I feel comfortable here,” I heard Roderick say from behind me.
I spun around, my hands in my hoodie pocket.
“What’s going on?” I questioned.
“How’s Kass?”
“She’s okay.” I smiled as thoughts of earlier came to mind.
His hand was on my throat and my body was back against the gate.
“Are you sleeping with my daughter?” he growled.
I choked and tried to answer.
His finger dug in deeper into my throat.
I tried to push him, but my strength was nothing compared to his.
“What the hell is going on here?” Kass’s voice came from the distance.
Roderick let go, and I fell to the ground coughing.
“What were you trying to do? Kill him?” she questioned.
“What is going on between you two?” Roderick asked her.
“That’s not really any of your business.”
“It damn well is. Remember, I changed the rule once, I can do it again in a heartbeat.”
“Oh, you have one of those?” she snapped at him as she bent down to my level.
I shook my head and stood up.
“I’m fine,” I gasped.
“I didn’t expect the two of you to get together like this!” he yelled.
“Well it’s not really something anyone can control, now is it?” she asked him.
That shut him up, and I’ve never seen the king look so defeated in my time of knowing him.
“Why are you stepping down anyways? I read that the king of Hell usually stays the king for as long as he can. It’s almost unheard of for one to step down.”
“I’m stepping down because I want to.”
She shook her head. “No. That’s not a good enough answer. There is something you aren’t telling me and until you do, I’m not taking your place,” she spat.
She grabbed my hand as we walked away, the graveyard disappearing behind me.
“What the hell was that?” I stopped and turned to face her when we were out of view.
“What?”
“All of that you spewed back there.”
“You mean the truth?”
“How do you know it’s the truth?”
“Because Lela did some research and showed me. She woke me literally moments after you left.”
I shook my head. No this wasn’t from Lela. It was from Colt. He clearly wanted them to know this for reason.
I shoved my hands back into my pockets and headed back to the hotel.
I could feel Kass walking behind me.
We walked into her room where Lela and Colt were sitting at the table.
“What the hell man?” I asked rushing at him and pinning him against the wall.
“What?”
“You are telling them things they aren’t to know!” I growled.
“No!” He pushed me back giving him the space he wanted.
“I told them exactly what they needed to hear. The shit that for some reason you and Roderick aren’t telling them!”
“Lela isn’t even a demon! She’s the enemy!”