“There’s also a very important part in the bible called The Ten Commandments. Thou shalt not covet thy neighbor's wife. Thou shalt not commit adultery. There are also verses in there forbidding sex before marriage. Have you heard of the seven deadly sins: pride, greed, wrath, envy, lust, gluttony? Some of those pertain to your actions on earth. You clearly went against all of those rules, Holland, and those are only a few.”
“I didn’t covet anyone’s wife or commit adultery. I didn’t even know some of those guys were married; it’s not like I ask every man I go home with ‘hey, are you married?’ If they’re not wearing a ring that is not my problem.”
“So you have not repented then since you do not see any wrong in the things you did. Is that correct?”
“Well, I mean, I said sorry if their wives found out. Does that count?”
He shook his head in disappointment. “You see no wrong in how you lived, do you?”
“I donated to animal shelters and adopted lots of little chihuahuas. I gave a couple bucks sometimes to homeless people on the streets. Doesn’t that account for something?”
“Do you feel that you could repent to our Father if you were sent to see just how evil lives? Could you stand the tests to earn your way back into Heaven?”
“Is this like a trick question?”
“Oh, Holland, you are such a beautiful child and so naive. I wish I could say you understand what it takes to be in Heaven, but you don’t. I have no choice but to cast you down to live amongst the demons and serve our fallen angel Lucifer, lest you change your ways during your time there and prove your worth for Heaven. There is still hope for you yet, Holland Ellenberger.”
CHAPTER 2
I didn’t remember my descent into the underworld, but given the thick sweltering heat and darkness that surrounded my body when I opened my eyes, I knew where I had awoken. I shakily stood to my feet, feeling the smothering warmth fill my lungs making it hard to breathe. LA was hot, but this was unbearable.
A faint glow of flickering red and orange light broke through the dark blanket around me, lighting my path away from the blinding dark and to an exit from wherever that angel, Azriel, had banished me.
Hell didn’t look the way I had imagined it would – screaming souls drowning in a pit of eternal fire as Satan sat on his throne, torturing them all with his pitchfork and laughing at the pain he inflicted upon them. It was engulfed in fire, and it was not as bright and happy as Heaven seemed to be for the brief moment I was there, but it looked more like an old town at night that just happened to be on fire. Black buildings lined grey cobblestone streets and dimly lit red lights beamed from street lamps to illuminate the dark paths from building to building.
People were walking around, casually strolling along as if it were any normal day in the city, but they were all dressed in black, red, or charcoal grey. The whole scene was devoid of any bright or cheery colors. Some of them were dressed in solid black uniforms buttoned all the way up to their necks. They had general’s hats with a silver emblem on the front of a horned devil and a red cuff band around their arm with 666 embroidered in black. They reminded me of the old German military uniforms. They seemed to be directing souls to areas they needed to be.
I stood there, confused, not knowing what I should do next so I sauntered over to the closest man in uniform I could see. Men in uniforms usually knew information. They were also usually pretty good in bed.
“Excuse me, sir?”
A handsome man with dark blue eyes, sharp features, and sandy blond hair that was trimmed perfectly underneath his hat turned around to face me. “State your name.”
“Holland Ellenberger.”
He thumbed through a list on the clipboard he held securely in his hand. “Ah, yes, Holland Ellenberger, drug overdose. You belong to the Westside and are assigned to Roman Ackles.”
“I’m sorry, Roman who?”
“Listen, kid, I don’t have time for this bullshit. Follow that road there,” he pointed to the road to the west of us “and go to building number 82. Roman will be waiting to bring you to our Lord Satan, where you will be instructed of your duties.”
“My duties? What the hell are you talking about? I don’t have duties; I give people duties, not the other way around.”
He let out a deep laugh before bending down to stare directly in my eyes. “You’re a long way from home, heiress; you don’t give orders anymore. Now get moving!” he barked at me, making me jump before he moved onto the next lost soul looking for their direction in that place.
Being cast into Hell and ordered around by a Nazi-looking asshole was not what I had expected to destroy my weekend of sex, drugs, and being wined and dined by Bartholomew James. Given my surroundings, Azriel had really fucked up my afterlife as well. I would have loved to get to know him a little better though before he sent me spiraling into the dark abyss. I let out a huge sigh and started walking down the road Mr. Nazi dick had pointed to that would lead me to the west and to the building I was instructed to find with some guy named Roman Ackles.
Building 82 towered in front of me with the number deeply engraved above the door making it hard to miss. I pulled open the heavy steel door that opened up into a lobby-type area. Black and white checkered floors shined underneath my feet and church-like pews with upholstered red velvet fabric hosted a couple of other people inside the room. A reception desk sat in the middle of the room and a skinny blond guy sat in a chair behind it. He looked up with a scowl as I approached.
Marching over to him, I flicked my long platinum blonde hair behind my shoulder. “I’m here to see Roman Ackles.”
He nodded and stood to his feet. “Right this way.” His voice was quiet and gruff.
I followed him down a long hallway where we stopped in front of a door that he knocked on before leaving me standing there alone.
The door opened, revealing the handsomest guy I had ever seen before in my life standing in the doorway. His features were abnormally perfect with sun-kissed skin and dark brown hair, almost black if the light wasn’t hitting it right, messily slicked back. The man's honey brown eyes burned into mine as we stood face to face in the doorway. He was wearing black jeans, a black fitted T-shirt, and black combat boots. He had the bad boy look down that I definitely approved of. Suddenly he smiled, showing a row of perfect, straight, gleaming white teeth. He was the first person I had seen smile in this place.
“You must be Holland.” I nodded, still speechless at the man in front of me. “Come on in.” He opened the door wider for me to slip through.
His office was large, reminding me somewhat of some of the bachelor pads I’d seen back in LA. Thick black carpet covered the floor, two black high-backed leather chairs were placed in front of his ornately detailed and over-sized black wooden desk. There was a matching bookcase containing hundreds of books that were all leather bound and looked old and worn. Next to the bookcase was a plush leather lounge and at the other end of the office was a full bar complete with expensive alcohol bottles and crystal glasses.
He closed the door behind me and took a seat on the edge of his desk rather than in his chair, giving off a James Dean flare. Slicking his fingers through his hair, he looked at me as I stood there nervously picking at my red polished fingernails.