Page 66 of Touched By Death

“What’s that supposed to mean?” I ask, taken aback as I walk up behind him.

He tries a door, but it’s locked. “You both like challenges where the female species is concerned. Don’t tell me you hunt for fun.” He flashes a smile over his shoulder. “You hunt for sexual gratification.”

Shaking my head, I scoff, but he ignores me completely as he continues, “Your father, on the other hand, takes it to the extreme.” He tries another door, rattling the handle. “Boredom is a cloak your father has worn since the Light spat him out. No matter where he is—surrounded by pussy, riches, and depravity—nothing brings him excitement. Not anymore. If ever.”

“Why are you telling me this?”

“I don’t know,” he admits, moving to the next door in line. “But I do know one thing…” His lips spread into a smile. “This door is open.”

“What will we find on the other side?”

“I don’t know, but we’re about to find out. Unless, of course, you want to stay here?”

I look behind me at the parked bike, the mist swirling on the cobblestones. “No…” Turning back to him, I jerk my chin in the direction of the weathered door. “Let’s do this.”

Chapter Twenty-Three

LUCIFER

“Where do you think you’re going?” she asks as I head for the door.

It slams shut in front of me with such force, a breeze tickles my feathers and threatens to snuff out the sconces on the walls. They soon burn brighter in response to my growing annoyance. Swiveling on my heels, I narrow my eyes on her. She stands beside the bed with her hand outstretched.

“That’s a neat little party trick,” I muse, walking closer. “Manipulating matter. How did you get out of the handcuff?”

“What can I say? My time in exile has been spent well.”

I hum under my breath, stopping just a few feet away and watching her comb her fingers through her dark tresses. “Any other tricks I should know about?”

Her smile takes on a filthy edge, and she saunters up to me with swaying hips and flames that flicker in the depths of her darkening eyes. “You have no idea, Lucifer.”

I clear my throat, debating my next move, when my eyes snag on the vial on the bedside table. Swiping my tongue over my bottom lip, I focus my attention back on her face, noting the perfection of her flawless skin. “I have a question.”

“The mighty Lucifer, the ruler of Hell, admits he’s not ahead of the game for once.” Her taunting smile begs to be punished.

Sidestepping her, I walk up to the bedside table, and with my back to her, finger the small vial. Her gaze burns my neck. “You and Aurelia are inseparable, is that correct? Light and dark. Yin and Yang.”

“Born of the same flame, yes.”

I leave the vial. “That’s interesting.”

A frown mars her forehead when I slowly turn and make my way over to her with slow, measured steps, ensuring her eyes track every ripple of muscle. I know she can sense the shift in the air. Tingles between my shoulder blades spread out in anticipation of what I’m about to do.

My eyes lock with hers. “You’re here to kill me.” It’s not a question. “To seek revenge for what I did to you.”

Genesis is a smart girl, sensing that I’m preying on her. Her lips stay firmly shut, eyes watching. Assessing.

The best part of the hunt is always the stalking.

To toy with the prey while their mind tries frantically to analyze the situation.

“I should give you credit where credit is due. Few angels would have the patience you have. It must have been torture to hide in the shadows all that time, trying to blend in and not let the darkness bleed inside the gates. Watching and waiting for the perfect opportunity to leave Eden.”

A muscle clenches in her jaw. “The Light let me out. It seeks revenge. Everything in the universe has a balance. Your betrayal shifted the scales.”

Leaning in, I whisper in her ear. “On the contrary, we created balance when we left.” I place a kiss on the slender column of her neck. She smells divine, like the night draped in stars. Gripping her left hip, I let my other hand get lost in her hair. “How do you plan on killing me, Genesis?”

“Now that would be telling,” she breathes out, and I don’t miss the slight shake to her voice. While she’s born from the ashes of pure evil, she also inhabits Aurelia’s body—a prone angel from Eden. Innocent and fragile, like a petal, and bound by desires that should have no place in the wicked games of deception that we play. It’s her greatest weakness and my weapon of choice. “Beasts roam the dark woods that line Eden. You should be careful lest you get lost and devoured.” My lips find hers in an explosive kiss. The kind of kiss that threatens to bring a man to his knees. She tastes and feels like heaven—my own elixir.

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