Devilish - A Demon Stepbrother Romance (3 page)

Chapter Three

              I groaned as I stretched slowly in bed. I breathed in deeply, the scent of my clean cotton duvet waking me with the usual comforting ease.

              I wondered how late I had slept in. I could tell it was well past morning even without opening my eyes. I knew as soon as I went downstairs, Ethel, our cook and sometimes maid, would shake her head and call me “Miss Lazybones.”

              I grinned at the thought.

             
Miss Lazybones.

              Bones….

              The sudden snap of my arm breaking. The crack as my cheekbone shattered.

              The quickness of being shot.

              I jerked up.

              My room. I was back in my room.

              I looked down at myself. No broken bones, no blood, no bullet holes. I was completely whole and clean. I was even wearing my pajamas. “What the hell….”

              Was this real? Had that all just been a dream?

              But it couldn’t have been a dream. The pain had been all too real. Even now, I was too scared to put a hand down between my legs, afraid I’d feel the blood and semen of the men who had tortured me.

              Raking a hand through my hair, I tried to think back on that horrific night. I had been shot. I had been killed. And I had died. And then what?

              Blackness. All consuming, airless blackness that had surrounded me. I remembered the glowing embers. And I remembered a voice….

              A shiver ran down my spine as I remembered the voice. That raspy, harrowing voice that had promised me something dark and tempting.
My heart’s desire.

              Was that what had happened? Was I sitting in my bed, whole and healthy, because the voice had followed through on our bargain?

              It seemed so crazy now. Now that I was in my room, daylight shining through my windows, all of it seemed absurd. What? I made a deal with the devil and now I was back in my old room?

              Whatever had happened,
that
was impossible. No devil. No deal. And just as I was about to get out of bed, ready to hear Ethel call me Miss Lazybones, the doorknob turned.

              I gasped, unable to help myself, and whirled around towards my bedroom door. I watched as the door slowly swung open. Standing in the doorway was the impossible.

              Liam grinned as he stood casually with his hands in his pants pockets. “Hello, Soph,” he said, his usual greeting to me.

              My mind raced. It was Liam. Liam hadn’t been here the night of the attack. And from what her murderers had said, Liam had been murdered as well.

              But here he was. Alive and whole and gorgeous as usual. My heart always sped up when Liam was around. I couldn’t help it. I watched as my older stepbrother crossed the room and walked towards the end of my bed.

              He looked taller than I remembered. Standing easily over six feet, his body seemed harder and wider than usual. His arms were sculpted like they were made from marble and his broad shoulders seemed stronger. Everything about him screamed fierceness and power. He looked primed and ready for battle.

              But that wasn’t what Liam was like. Her fun loving, sweet, protective Liam. He wasn’t fierce or battle ready. He was kind and funny. He liked to tease her about her boyfriends or take her out to lunch. This man in front of her looked like he would cut a man down for looking at her the wrong way.

              “Liam,” I said, my voice unsure and unsteady.

              Liam smiled. His smile still just as devastating as ever. But the smile never reached his eyes. His dark, emerald green eyes.

              My breath stopped.

Liam had brown eyes.

              The green eyes glowed, throwing the rest of his chiseled face in shadow. With a sudden start, I remembered those glowing green eyes. I remembered our bargain. I remembered
him.

              “It’s
you
,” I breathed, unable to accept the truth.

              That voice…that
thing
…had come back with her. Except he had come back in the bodies of one of the most beloved people in her life—her stepbrother.

              Liam’s grin widened, his eyes glowing. “That’s right,” he said, his voice taking on a familiar rasp. “It’s me.”

Chapter Four

              “It’s
you
,” I said again, unable to tear my eyes away from him. “You’re not Liam.”

              The demon that inhabited Liam’s body smiled wryly and lowered his head. “Well, I’d say I did a pretty fair job in copying him, don’t you think?” He ran his fingers through his dark brown hair, made darker still now thanks to his green eyes.

              “Why?” I demanded. “Why do you look like Liam? Where’s Liam?”

              The demon walked over to my side of the bed. I tried my best not to recoil in fear. Standing over me, he ran a hand down the side of my face. Warm. Nearly human.

              How many times had I wanted Liam to do this in real life? How many times had I wanted him to look at me the way he was right now—with that burning heat that made my pulse race and breath pant?

              “Why do you care, Sophia?” he asked softly. “Isn’t this something you’ve always dreamed about? Your darkest fantasies?” He leaned down, his breath brushing against my cheek. And goddamn it all, I could feel my body heat, my thighs clenching.

              His hand ran down my neck and down my chest till he was cupping my left breast intimately. I gasped as his touch seared across my body. “Your body doesn’t seem to have a problem with it. In fact,” he whispered, the smile clear in his voice, “it seems to
ache
for it.”

              My mind was swirling as I tried to grasp at the situation at hand. Demon. Dead. Bargain. Murder. Family.

              I gasped.

              Liam’s hand was cupped between my legs. “
Really
aching for it,” he whispered, his amusement clear in his voice now.

              I shoved him away.

              Liam laughed as he stumbled back. He straightened up as he continued chuckling to himself.

              “Where’s Liam?” I asked again.

              “Dead,” the demon said shortly. “Well dead and in heaven or hell, depending on how good of a boy he had been while alive.”

              I could hardly breathe. Hearing Liam’s death spoken so nonchalantly made my heart nearly stop. It brought back every harrowing detail of that terrible night. I could only imagine what Liam had suffered as well.

              “Did he…Did he die quickly?” I whispered. Please let it be so.

              Demon Liam looked at me, his eyes detached and curious. “No,” he finally said. “It was quite slow. And quite agonizing.”

              I closed my eyes. Hot tears scalded my cheeks. Everyone I loved had been brutally ripped from me. They had had their lives ended viciously and abruptly. My heart broke in two, only to harden and turn into a stone filled with a fury that I didn’t think I could contain.

              I opened my eyes, glaring at the man that stood before me. “Then why are you here as him? Why do you look like Liam if he is dead?”

              Liam looked at me as if he was speaking to a slow child. “You said you needed help to find your murderers. I promised I would help.” He made a sweeping gesture down his front. “And here I am—help.”

              I opened my mouth to say that that didn’t answer my question but he raised a finger at me, shushing me. “And I’m here as this boy because I assumed it would be the least suspicious figure to take. Enough eyebrows will be raised when they realize Sophia Madewell has come back from the dead. No need to raise more by being accompanied by a mysterious stranger while on your vendetta.”

              I swallowed. It made sense. But it was still so jarring to see Liam like this. He was the same and different. He was familiar…yet frightening.

              “And,” I started, straightening my spine, forcing myself to have courage in this most surreal of situations, “you’re going to help me. And then afterwards, eat my soul.”

              It was a statement but I ended it on a question. I ended it as a question in the hopes that maybe, just maybe, this wasn’t real.

              But Liam tenderly placed a hand against my cheek. His eyes warm and tender with something akin to affection. “Oh yes, my Sophia,” he murmured. “It takes everything I have not to eat you up right here. So believe me, once our bargain has been met, I will own your soul. And I. Will. Eat it.”

              My pulse raced. My thighs clenched. My stomach tightened. And I wasn’t completely sure these reactions were from fear alone.

              And in those glowing green eyes, bright with amusement, I could tell the demon saw that as well.

Chapter Five

              “These would be the top three suspects,” I said, pulling out three separate files filled with contracts and reports.

              I was dressed and in my dad’s old home office. I felt a mixture of sadness and loss when I had entered the room and taken my seat at his old leather chair behind his desk. But as soon as Liam had entered the room, every emotion evaporated from my body.

              All I could see was Liam.

              God, he looked
just
like Liam! The same tall, lean body. The same defined physique with muscular arms and a flat stomach. The same chiseled jawline and piercing eyes.

              Except now the eyes were green.

              And his chiseled face held a note of something dangerous. His muscular arms and flat stomach seemed powerful and threatening. His tall body loomed over me like a shadow in the night. I felt like I was trapped in a room with a rattlesnake—so smooth and entrancing to look at but still incredibly lethal and dangerous.              

              Liam strode to my side of the desk and looked over my shoulder at the three folders. “Why these three men?”

              I leaned back in my seat. Raising my head, I asked, “Why don’t you know who did it? Don’t you
know
who sent the men?”

              He quirked an eyebrow at me. “Why should I know? Don’t
you
know who sent the men?” he countered.

              I gave an aggrieved sigh and threw my hands up in the air. “Well because I’m not some demon from hell! Shouldn’t you know everything? Who died, how they died, who killed them—all that?”

              Liam paused in surprise before chuckling in amusement. Putting a hand on the back of my chair, he leaned over and explained, “I’m not omniscient. I’m not the devil and I’m not a god. I only know what I can see of people en route. I can see how you died because you were already dead. With things regarding the living, I am just as informed as you are. Maybe less so because after all, I am not a human and don’t live in this realm.”

              It was jarring to hear him talk about the afterlife so frankly in the daylight. It felt like he was talking about a dirty secret. But it also took away any hopes of all of this being some kind of elaborate hallucination. I don’t know why I had to keep looking for signs that this was all real but I couldn’t help myself.

             
Maybe because I didn’t think making a ‘deal with the devil’ could ever be an actual option,
I thought sardonically.

              “Then what kind of help can you be to me?” I asked, honestly perplexed. I thought he would be providing some kind of inner insight to who my murderer might be. Or at least, the name of the man who had sent those three men to attack us that night.

              Liam pursed his lips as if considering his response before swinging my chair around to face him. Putting his hands above my head on the chair back, he leaned over me.

              God, this was something else. Of course I had always had a crush on Liam growing up. How could I not? He was my gorgeous older stepbrother. Every girl from high school to college would sigh dreamily whenever he picked me up or visited me. They would always say how envious they were of how sweet Liam was, how protective he was.

              And I couldn’t disagree. He was the perfect older brother and yet I couldn’t help but always hope he’d someday look at me as more than a little sister.

              And now here was
this
Liam. Except it wasn’t him. It was just his body. And yet it felt so real. He now looked at me with a hunger that I had only fantasized about in the depths of my dreams. I could feel the heat of his body as he trapped me between his arms.

              “I promised you help,” he said slowly. “And that help is
me.
With me, nowhere will you be alone or unprotected. I will aid you in everything that you want me to do from breaking into an office to breaking a man’s neck. You will have to do nothing alone. I lay down my word and my body for you. I promise you, you will get your revenge.”

              I looked up at him. His face was so achingly familiar and yet the heat of his gaze so raw and foreign.

              Feeling too hot, I tried to turn the chair around but Liam kept me in place. A small smile played at the corner of his lips. “You don’t believe me now,” he said, “but you will see. I’ll be your best asset in this game.”

              “It’s not a game,” I murmured, my cheeks flushing against my will. “My family was murdered.”

              Liam raised a brow. “Will there be a winner and a loser?” he asked.

              I didn’t answer.

              He nodded, satisfied. “Then it’s a game. And we’re going to win.”

              He let go of the chair and I turned around towards the desk.

              Breathing out, I opened the first chart. Maybe I would win by gaining my revenge. But who would be losing their soul at the end?

              “Before my dad was killed,” I said, trying to refocus on the matter at hand, “he had been a part of an alliance with three of the biggest mining and mineral companies. They were pushing for a government contract that would hire this alliance. If anyone has the most to gain from my dad dying, it would be these three men.”

              I pulled the first file closer to me. “Ron Lawson of RL Co. He owns the second biggest mining company, next to my father. He has been extremely vocal in how this alliance was formed. He made it a stipulation for each of us to stake 25% of our companies within the alliance’s bonds. He said it was to make sure that all of us were evenly contributing.”

              Liam looked over the paperwork. “But you don’t think that was the reason why?” he asked.

              I shook my head. “25% means a lot. That means each member gets access to 25% of our resources and assets. Ron has always been gunning to be number one and has resented my dad getting so many higher level contracts because of his place as the number one mining and minerals company. Plus, he also made another stipulation.”

              “What’s that?”

              “That if for whatever reason, we fail to continually support the alliance with our 25%, we immediately forfeit our place in the alliance.
And,
we could be subject to breach of contract.” I pulled out some of the copies of the original alliance contract. “Lawson is ruthless. I wouldn’t be surprised if he still sued Madewell Ltd for breach even though the CEO was murdered.”

              Liam quickly read through the papers. Nodding, he jerked his chin towards the second file. “Who’re the others?” he asked, completely focused.

              I pulled the next file up. “Harrison Dell of Dell Drilling. He was probably the closest to my dad. They even shared a contract once. He was in favor of the alliance and did nothing to hinder it. He was a little hesitant about the 25% stake until my dad agreed to it. Then he put it up and joined.” Pushing the files towards Liam, I said, “I feel he’s probably the least suspect.”

              Liam rifled through the pages. “Everyone is suspect here. Murdering an entire family, including stepchildren is quite the move. No one is above suspicion.”

              I glanced at him through my lashes. I guess he really did mean to help.

              “And the third?” he asked.

              “T.J. Mackson of Mack & Sons Ltd. He is the shakiest member of the alliance. He is 82 years old and still running the company. He really wanted to pass it on to one of his sons but none of his three sons or five grandsons have shown even a remote interest in the business. He was very reluctant to join the alliance since he’s the smallest company and also the weakest. Their growth has been stagnant for the last eight quarters. I’m not sure what he’d have to gain by having Madewell Ltd collapse. Mack & Sons is in no position to absorb us.”

              Liam straightened and tapped a finger on the last file. “Okay, so our first plan of action should be to feel them all out as soon as we can. We have surprise on our side. It’ll be a good test to see who has the most visceral reaction to seeing you alive.”

              I bent a corner of a stray piece of paper. “So I’ve already been announced dead?”

              “You’ve already been buried,” Liam replied matter-of-factly.

              That bit of news hit my gut like a punch.
Buried.

              “So meeting these men…it’ll be like I’ll be coming back from the dead.”

              “Hence the surprise.” Liam grinned.

              I rummaged through a small file box on the corner of my dad’s desk and pulled out a large formal cream envelope. Inside was an invitation to a fundraising event for Senator Sebastian Folsom, which would be held this coming weekend.

              I handed the invitation over to Liam. My dad had gotten the invitation a few weeks before his murder. “Senator Folsom is the one who’s been helping the alliance push for a government contract. Everyone in the alliance always attends Senator Folsom’s events to woo him and keep him on our side. I’m sure all three men will be there for this dinner.”

              Liam nods, turning over the very luxuriantly printed invitation. “Perfect,” he said quietly. “It’ll be a good splashy way to get you back into the media light—‘Madewell Ltd heiress and daughter still alive!’ and all that. It will also give us a chance to observe all three men and how they react to seeing you alive.”

              I stood up, looking over the files and papers, realizing the scope of my revenge. It would not be a simple task that could be completed in a day or two. It would take time to figure out who killed my family and me. I only hoped I succeeded.

              “What about you?” I asked. “Where are you going to be in all of this? On some rooftop watching over it all like Batman?”

              Liam raised his brows in a mock wounded expression. “And leave my defenseless little sister all on her own in a room with her murderer?” he asked. His lips curled up into a scheming smile and his eyes glittered like gems. “No. Let’s see how everyone reacts to not one but two ghosts. Two murdered and very vengeful ghosts.”

              It was true. If I had been declared dead, so had Liam. As far as the world knew, both of them were dead.

              I thought about the living room that was right down the hall from the office. I remembered my mom’s screams and my dad’s painful grunts. I remembered the smell of drying blood and the shooting pain of my own body as it tried to hold itself together.

              Yes. Whoever was the murderer would most certainly see one hell of a pissed off and vengeful ghost.