Hades (19 page)

She climbed the narrow, winding stone staircase and found Hades sitting on a stage before a horrified audience. As she entered through the door behind the stage, Hades spoke, reading from a book in his hands.

“Fill me with your filthy pee stick.” He paused for dramatic effect. “And lick my lush, melon-like boobies.”

She tripped over her own feet. Pee stick? Boobies? What the hell?

“Come on, boy,” Hades drawled, his voice pitched high as he read from what was clearly a woman’s point-of-view. “My old pussy needs some young meat.”

Cat cleared her voice to announce her presence, although, really, it was more like choking. Hades looked over his shoulder, his face split in a wide grin.

“Baby! Hey, it’s good to see you.” He waggled his brows as he gave her outfit a once-over. “It’s especially good to see you in that.”

She looked out at the roomful of demons, all human in appearance, as they sat in their too-small chairs, their eyes wild, their faces pale. Clearly, they were miserable.

“What
are
you doing?”

Hades held up the book. “I’m reading bad porn to a captive audience.”

“Bad porn?
Bad?
That’s a compliment. Whatever it is you’re reading is horrifying. Whoever wrote it should be roasted slowly over a bed of coals.”

Hades’s grin widened. “I like the way you think.” He waggled his brows. “Wanna play with my pee stick?”

She did, but not until he stopped calling it a pee stick. “Is that an actual offer or are you just having fun saying ‘pee stick’?”

“Tell you what,” he said, bounding to his feet. “What do you say we head back to my place, and I’ll whip us up a nice pot of mac and cheese––the good kind in the blue box––and you can tell me what you like to call dicks.”

“Does this mean we’re done?” someone called out from the audience. “Please?”

Hades snorted. “Stay put. I’ll get a sub in here.” He glanced at his watch. “You only have twenty days and three hours left of listening to atrocious porn, and then you can go back to being the perverts you are.” He waved, and they groaned. “See ya.”

“That was kind of cruel,” Cat said as they headed toward the portal that would take them to the house.

“But funny.” He threw his arm around her and planted a kiss on the top of her head. “So? What’s up? Are you breaking me out of prison for something good?”

“Yup.” They entered the portal, but instead of passing her hand over the symbol that would take them to his place, she took them to Azagoth’s realm. As they stepped out into the receiving room off the kitchen, she explained. “We’re having a picnic.”

He scowled. “Here?”

“Hardly.” Taking his hand, she led him through the mansion and outside to the portal that could whisk them to the human realm. Azagoth had released his restrictions on Hades’s travel, but so far, Hades hadn’t taken advantage of his newfound freedom. It was past time he did.

He kept silent until they arrived at a sunlit meadow surrounded by mountains and looking out over a vast, azure lake. A bald eagle cast a shadow on the water as it flew overhead in search of a meal, and somewhere in the forest, a coyote yipped.

“Crater Lake.” He inhaled the fragrant air, a bouquet of pine and summer wildflowers. “It looks just like the picture.”

She’d done a lot of scouting to find the exact location where the photo had been taken, and Reaver had escorted her to keep her out of danger. Heck, Reaver had even arranged for her parents to meet her here a couple of days ago. They’d been sorry for the way they’d treated her, although her father had still been a little cool. But then, he’d always been a bit stuffy.

They’d been horrified by the thought of their daughter hooking up with the Jailor of Souls, had tried to make her reconsider going back to Heaven, and when she refused, they’d promised an open line of communication. Even her brothers and sisters had agreed to contact her. It was far more than she ever would have hoped for.

“Come on.” Squeezing Hades’s hand, she led him to the bottle of wine and basket of fried chicken, potato salad, and fruit she’d laid out on a red and white checkered blanket. Thanks to Reaver and a little invisibility spell, animals had left everything alone.

Hades sank down on the blanket, extending one leg and propping up the other to rest one arm casually across his knee. He looked absolutely edible like that, more at ease than she’d ever seen him.

“I’ve never been on a picnic before,” he said as he peeked into the basket.

“I know. You told me once.” Kneeling next to him, she poured two glasses of red wine and handed one to him. “My coworkers and I used to do it all the time in Heaven. Everything is so beautiful that it makes you want to be out in nature, enjoying every minute of it.”

His gaze dropped, and even his blue hair managed to look sad. “Do you miss it?” he asked quietly, as if worried about her answer. “You gave up so much to be with me.”

“No,” she said fiercely, reaching over to tip his chin up so she could look him directly in the eyes. “I would have given up far more if I’d gone.”

“I love you, Cat,” he whispered. “I don’t know what I did to deserve you, but I hope you know that I’d do it all over again to be with you. Thousands of years of loneliness was worth every second you’ve been in my life.”

Something caught in her chest. Tears stung her eyes. That was the first time he’d told her he loved her.

“I love you, too,” she rasped. “I can’t believe I ever thought that Sheoul-gra couldn’t be my home. You were right. Home is where the people who want you are.”

“Mmm.” He looked at her from over the rim of his glass, his gaze heating, focusing. Holding her in place.

Very slowly, he set down the glass and shifted so he was on his hands and knees, prowling toward her like a tiger with prey in its sights. Excitement shot through her. Electric, shivery excitement.

“Do you want me?” He pushed her backward, lowering his body over hers.

“Yes,” she hissed as he scraped his fangs over her jugular. “Oh, yes.”

One hand slid beneath her skirt and found her wet and ready. “Then take me home.”

With so much love she thought she might burst, she very happily welcomed him home.

<<<<>>>> 

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According to the news, the weather system bearing down on Damon Slake was a proven killer.

But then, Slake was also a killer, and he could guaran-damn-tee that he was far more lethal than a thunderstorm.

Rain and hail pelted him as he stood outside one of several secret entrances to Thirst, a vampire nightclub that operated in the shadows of a human goth hangout called The Velvet Chain. Like most upscale vamp clubs, this one catered to all otherworldly beings, as well as humans who were willing to give themselves up as a snack for those who fed on blood. And, like most upscale vamp clubs, this place even had a medical clinic. Reputation was everything, and no club owner wanted to deal with a bunch of human deaths from overfeeding, or demon deaths from a drunken bar fight.

Which was smart, especially now, when the recent near-apocalypse had revealed the demon world to humans, causing tension, fear, and chaos. Humans were now in extermination mode, while demons were dealing with some sort of political shakeup in Sheoul, the realm humans called Hell. Slake had no idea what was going on in Sheoul, and frankly, he didn’t care. He had a job to do, and he always completed his tasks.

After a lot of time and effort, he’d tracked his prey here, and it hadn’t been easy. The wily succubus had covered her tracks well over the last couple of decades, but Slake had a knack for ferreting out secrets, and as good as the female named Fayle was at hiding, Slake was better at finding.

He entered the dimly-lit club, his status as a demon providing him with the ability to enter through a doorway only supernatural creatures could see. Instantly, the blare of rock music, the stench of sweating, dancing people, and the electric, sensual energy of sin assailed him. If he hadn’t been on the job, he’d revel in the club scene, would be scoping out potential partners to take home for the night.

Partners like that sexy-as-hell medic propped against the wall near the medical station, his gaze sweeping the crowd with the intensity of a battle-wise soldier in enemy territory. Even from across the room, Slake could see the alertness in the guy’s green eyes and the readiness for anything in the subtle tautness of his body.