THIS TIME (The Grace Allen Series Book Three Paranormal Romance) (16 page)

Tears
spilled from Lucians eyes as he cried, helpless and paralyzed, he stared at the
back doors. I snorted. His sorrow was rather revolting.

Seth’s
eyes watched me and I smiled at his rage. His face was pale white and his eyes
had bled to solid silver. I was impressed. It must have taken a great deal of
fury to achieve even that small of a change. The drug was a powerful one.

“You
two are no longer a thorn in my side.” I leaned down and placed a kiss on
Seth’s cheek. His breath rushed out and he jerked slightly. “Oh, struggle as
much as you like.” I laughed and sat on Lucian’s chest. “You will be dead and
gone and I will spend the rest of eternity enjoying my prize.”

I
winked and blew Lucian a kiss. Then, propping my feet on the side of Seth’s
face, I willed the vehicle to Hell.

TWENTY THREE

There
are no windows in Hell. No way to see if the sun is shining or the moon. Time
was a mystery to me. I had no idea how much had passed in the mortal world. For
me it had been several weeks, but a few hours in Hell seemed to span days back
home.

Where
were my friends? Had they moved on?

I
sat on a small chair in the corner of my room. It swiveled and squeaked as I
moved. I sighed, choking back the lump that formed in my throat. Lucian’s chair
made the same sounds. I spun in a slow circle. My shoe caught the edge of the
fur carpet and it lifted exposing the dark thread that stitched the little
bunnies together. I cringed.

Screw this.

I
stood and grabbed the edge of the rug, lifting it. I yanked and began folding
the Frankenstein creation into a huge, awkward ball.

Leaning
down, I shoved it into the corner of the room. It smelled odd and I frowned and
stood up. It was a natural smell. Not the rot and decay I would expect. Not
like anything I had come in contact with down here. I walked around the mound
and, leaning in, I sniffed. It smelled like freshly cut grass.

“What
the hell?” I mumbled to myself and I knelt down again. The velvety skin was soft-looking
and I ran my hand over the surface. As my hand passed over the center, a symbol
appeared. I jerked my hand back, startled.

The
symbol glowed bright. An X with a diamond on top. I sucked in my breath
recognizing the mark. It was the
Wiccan
symbol for death.

Oh shit!

I
stood and spun in a circle, as if miraculously the answers would be painted on
the walls. A Wiccan symbol could have only come from one person, and that
person was Lucian. My body zinged with adrenaline. What the hell was happening?

I
spun to examine the rug once again, only to find that the symbol was no longer
there. I knelt and franticly ran my hand over the surface again and again.

“Fucking
rug!” I shouted, smacking my fists on it in frustration.

Nothing is happening.

“If
you do not like my gift, my darling, you need only to ask someone to remove it.
I do not believe insulting it will produce results.”

Son of a bitch! Lu’s back.

I
plastered a smile on my face and turned. My shoulders fell and my lungs
deflated. He was back and he was holding my gown.

“My
love.” I ran to him, throwing my arms around his neck.

He
moved the huge, plastic garment bag to the side as he held me close. Then,
sniffing audibly, he curled his lip. “You are a mess, my darling.” He pulled
away and frowned. “Who is responsible for this?” he scolded.

“You
are,” I smiled.

“Indeed?”
he stepped back, laying the gown on the bed.

“Yep.
You left me all alone with no one but your gross, little demons to keep me
company. Why should I bother making myself presentable when all it seems to do
is draw more of those horny, little bastards in?”

He
frowned. “They will be dealt with, and you need no one but me, my bride.” He
looked serious as he shrugged off his suit coat. His jaw clenched as he worked
the buttons on the cuffs of his crisp white shirt. I watched, hating that I was
so attracted to him. Hating that he was so impossibly beautiful. He watched my
face, no doubt aware of my rising heart rate. Attraction mixed with fear and a
serious amount of guilt. His hair was short again and white as snow. His skin
was golden and perfect.

 I
tried to steady my breathing only to breathe harder. His nostrils flared as my
chest rose and fell. His shirt fell to the floor and I took a tentative step
back. Visions of his powerful body moving on mine, his moist lips and soft
caresses. He was an enigma. How could absolute evil be so tender? Was it all an
act? Would he change when we were finally, irrevocably bound?

A
knock at the door had me sighing in relief. I turned, practically killing
myself as I vaulted over furniture in order to get to the door. It opened
before I could reach it.

“You
sent for me?” Lourdes stood just inside the door, her bone-like hands folded
demurely in front of her.

Lu
turned, his eyes flashing red.

“You
have failed,” he growled. His voice was deeper than I’d ever heard, causing the
horrid little creature to shrink back, her face a mask of horror.

I
watched her panicked little body begin to shake and a small amount of pity
welled up inside of me. I reached out, looking to Lucifer. “Lu, no. She didn’t
fail, I was just…” My words were cut short as the tiny demon burst into flames.
A scream escaped my throat as her paper skin disintegrated. It had been mere
seconds and she was gone. She was nothing more than a pile of smoldering ash.

I
tried to form words but none came. I couldn’t believe he killed her, just like
that! I stood frozen, staring at the little pile she had made. I closed my eyes
and tried to slow my racing heart.

“Get
rid of the ash, Lu.” I gritted through my teeth as I pulled the air in through
my nose. I opened my eyes. The remains were gone and I turned. “What the
fuck
?”
I stammered.

“You
disagree with the way I handled her?” He frowned, a warning in his eyes.

“I’d
fucking say so!” I yelled ignoring his threatening look. “Jesus, you are so
un-fucking-stable!” I raved, pacing.

“She
was set a single task. To construct your bridal gown. She failed.” He shrugged.
“You yourself had only to choose from her creations and you refused her.” He
waved his arms around the room. “I see none of her creations.”

“She
was making them out of
people
for cripes sake!” I shouted. I had no idea
what the hell he was up to. “And if you had such confidence in her, why the
hell did
you
bring me a gown?” I watched him. “You knew she would fail,”
I stated, lowering my brows. “What are you up to?”

He
strode to the bed and lifted the bag. “I was not aware that she was making such
gowns. I told her to please you, not me. It seems this was an impossible task.”
He hung the bag from a hook on the wall. “She is no longer a subject.” He
glared at me and I folded my arms.

“You
know, when I said I would come to you willingly, I never said I would always
agree with you and sputter and bow and kiss your tight ass. This whole pleasing
you thing is exhausting!” I glared.

He
laughed, low in his throat. “There’s my girl.” He turned.

I
opened my mouth and then snapped it shut. His eyebrow rose and I glared.

“What’s
that supposed to mean? You
want
me to be a nag?”

“I
want you to be yourself. The woman who makes my blood burn.” He unzipped the
bag and removed the gown. “The woman I marry will have fire in her blood.” He
turned and I gawked. He had the gown draped across his arm as he held it high.
“Your gown.” He smiled and bowed his head.

I
took a small step closer, my eyes wide. It was the most beautiful gown I had
ever seen. Hundreds of clear diamonds formed an elegant pattern across the
bodice. It would hug my breasts and ribcage. The skirt was long and full. Its
shining fabric was white. I reached out and touched it. I was in total shock
and suddenly, my body was overwhelmed with anger. I spun and moved away.

“Are
you not pleased?” I heard him zip the bag closed and I squeezed my eyes shut
tight, fighting against the tears.

Damn him!

I
had always wanted a beautiful bridal gown. I’d wanted the dream. Like every
girl, I wanted to have the most amazing wedding with my family and friends by
my side. A day to celebrate my love and commitment to the man I would spend the
rest of my life with. I would never get that. My dreams were crushed. The gown
was beautiful and so was the man, but I was literally in Hell. Nothing was
real, happiness was an act.

“I
love the gown.” My voice quivered and he turned me around.

“I
knew you would.” He pulled me into his arms and held me tight. I couldn’t stop
it any longer and I cried. My tears soaking his naked shoulder. I opened my
eyes and caught the glow through the blur in my vision. The symbol burned
brightly once again.

Lucian
.

I
pulled from Lu’s arms. My head swimming with questions I could never ask. What
the hell was going on with my friends? The symbol meant death.

God, what trouble are they in now? Where did he really go?

“You’ve
been out of my arms too long. It’s time for bed, Grace.” He led me to the bed.
He turned me around slowly, his eyes traveling what he considered my sloppy
clothing. As his eyes moved, the clothing dissolved. I sighed, defeated.

My
knees no longer trembled as I crawled onto the mattress. My stomach still
twisted into knots, but with time I had learned to control my fear and sadness.
It had been weeks. Weeks of solitude that I should have cherished. Now, I had
the Devil in my bed and I was afraid that it was becoming almost normal.

I
still had my soul, but the terrifying truth was that it was hanging on by a
thread. I hated him. He was the enemy and the source of all of my misery. But
once lost in his arms, lust didn’t much care about matters of the heart. At
least I was secure in the knowledge that my heart
was
safe. As long as I
kept my heart out of the mix and my feelings separate I would keep my soul.
Once we were bound, however, I figured it wouldn’t matter if I possessed a soul
or not. Once we were bound, I would be the Devil’s wife.

Stuck
.

Forever
.

The
thought caused a chill to race down my spine. That could never happen. Lucian’s
cry for help made my situation that much more desperate. I had to do something
because clearly my sacrifice did nothing to keep them safe. The Devil had
reneged on our agreement, but what did I expect? There were no spells to make
him keep his word.

I
looked up at the canopy that spanned the enormous bed. Lu shifted, his scent
surrounded me. It was a mixture of exotic cologne and camp fire. I sucked in my
breath as his strong hand gripped my arm. I cringed as he pulled me close to
his side.

“You
seem distant. What troubles you?

“You
should know better than to ask that,” I looked at him and frowned. “You take so
much from me.” I turned and allowed him to wrap his arms around me. “You offer
nothing.”

He
tensed. “I displease you?”

“It
doesn’t matter what I say.” I closed my eyes. “You do as you please. You don’t
really care.”

“True.”
He chuckled. “But I like the game.”

The
bed moved. He ran his hands down my back. Snaking his arm around my middle, he
pulled my hips close to his groin.

I
squeezed my eyes tight. There would be no sleep.

 ***

“Soon
you will be fat with child. A son.” Lu stroked my leg as I tried to block out
the faint light in the room. “Once we are wed, we shall conceive immediately.”

“Wonderful.”
I mumbled into the crook of my arm. “I’ll be pregnant with your son. Confidant
about that aren’t you?”

“Of
course I am,” he scoffed and I sat up frowning. “You have so much to learn, my
darling.” He bent his elbow and rested his head on his hand. “With all you know
about me, you think a little procreation is beyond my power?” He snorted and
rolled onto his back. His naked body was thick and perfect but I still had to
fight the bile rising in the back of my throat at the thought of having
a child with him.

“Is
this what you really look like?” I pulled the edge of the sheet up and covered
my breasts. “I’m here for eternity, the least you could do is show me what I’m
marrying.”

He
laughed. “I am not showing you everything I am and you know it.” He turned onto
his side and looked at me. “I am only
less
. If you desire more, we’ll
have to leave the room. I wouldn’t fit.” He wiggled his eyebrows.  

I
sighed. “The angel, Lu, is that the real you?”

“I
am no angel, Grace.” He stood.

“Whatever,”
I raised a brow. “You know what I mean. The
wings
, are they really you?”
His expression turned harsh. I ran my hand down my face. “Come on! Are you just
showing me this version in order to draw on whatever desire you think is hiding
deep inside, or are you really the red, cloven hooved horror we’ve all known
and despised?” I blew out my breath and he sat down again.

“Will
our son be hideous? Is that what you’re afraid of?” he snatched the sheet from
my hands.

I
rolled my eyes. “I’m not having your son. Get over it. Now, for once, be
honest. You are so strung up on my being your light and all that bull crap, why
not give me a chance to make you better?”

He
looked at me for a long time. “I see what you’re doing. You’re afraid and you
being an ignorant woman, I understand your fear.” He stood. “This is what I am,
minus several feet of flying ability, I am what you see.”