Page 479 of Evil Hearts

Cocky bastard, wasn’t he? Who’s to say I was thinking about him in any other way than how to kill an unwanted demon?

I stared at the spot where Hawkins had been, the ground still unnervingly undisturbed. “I find you…interesting, to say the least,” I muttered, feeling a rush of something I couldn’t yet name. “Do you always find damsels not in distress and erase people from existence as some demon in shining armor?”

The thought that I wasn’t the only one he offered this too grated my nerves and I didn’t understand why.

Belraxas stepped closer, his presence looming, suffocating the air around us. “No,” he said, his smirk never wavering, as though it were permanently etched into his face. “I have no interest in miserable mortals. But you, my dear, you’ve somehow managed to capture my full attention with your...talentsandpastimes.”

“Lucky me,” I mumbled and he threw his head back and cackled.

I swallowed hard, suddenly aware of how little I truly understood about him—or what I was getting myself into. But whatever it was, it wastoo lateto turn back now. With Mr. Hawkin’s body, a deal had been struck.

He lifted his claw tipped hand with his palm up, expectantly. He studied my hesitation with a look of dark amusement. If eyes were the window to the soul, did that mean he didn’t have one? The demon seemed to have the upper hand, and I couldn’t shake the feeling that he was already several steps ahead of me.

I raised an eyebrow, eyeing his outstretched hand with suspicion. “This isn’t some trick, is it? If I put my hand in yours, I’m not signing away my soul, am I?” I said bluntly.

Belraxas let out a low, mocking laugh. It annoyed me how rich his voice was, the longer he spoke with me. “Oh, little mortal,” he purred, his grin widening, “if I wanted your soul, you’d know it by now.”

“But first,” he said, his voice taking on an unexpectedly playful tone, “let me court you, as your kind does. We wouldn’t wantyou rushing into something so... life-altering without a proper introduction, would we?”

I blinked, unsure if I’d heard him right. “Court me?” I repeated, unable to hide the incredulity in my voice. “You mean, like...dating?”

At thirty-nine, I was too busy killing people and torturing them on my off days to even consider the dating pool. So, why did his offer intrigue me so?

He nodded, the arrogant smirk never leaving his face. “A few romantic gestures, perhaps a nice walk through the darkened forest, followed by dinner by candlelight—something to ease you before I show you the wonders of my home. Think of it as... foreplay.”

He really didn’t know his geography. This was the city, bud. But the sentiment remained.

My jaw dropped, a mix of disbelief and confusion swirling inside me. It didn’t escape my notice that my nipples peaked behind my top and my pussy throbbed at the suggestion. I looked him up and down again, wondering if such a creature even had the appropriate…organs for such a thing.

“You’reserious?” I managed, still trying to wrap my mind around the idea that this ancient, terrifying being in front of me wanted to ‘court’ me before dragging me into the horrors of his world.

Was this his version of netflix and chill?

He raised a brow, his tone teasing. “Assuage your worries, mortal,” he added, clearly enjoying my discomfort, “I’m not planning to take you to dinner and then call you a cab afterward. I promise, you’ll be more than satisfied by the end of it.”

I couldn’t decide if I wanted to punch him, scream at him, or laugh hysterically at the absurdity of it all. So I did the only thing that felt right: I scrunched my nose in distaste, and muttered, “Fine, but don’t expect me to go home and change for your sake.”

It wasn’t like I had anything else planned tonight besides torturing Mr. Hawkins. Thinking about missing out on the opportunity made me scowl. This demon owed me for messing up my plans for tonight, date or not.

Belraxas let out a low chuckle, as if it was exactly what he expected me to say. It was annoying. “You’ll be wearing more than a dress soon enough, little hunter,” he said with a wink.

Great, a demon that came with pick up lines.

He took his hand back and gave me an exaggerated bow. “Shall we begin the courtship, my lady of darkness?” he asked with mock formality, a grin spreading across his face.

I stared at him for a long moment. Was this really what my life had come to? Human men and their perchance for vile tastes disgusted me. Could a demon be any different, I wondered? Well, I shouldn’t knock it until I tried it, I told myself before finally sighing in exasperation. “You’re ridiculous.”

“Oh, I’mfarmore than that. But tonight, we’ll begin with the basics.”

And with that, he took my arm with exaggerated gentleness—two very different beings pretending to walk the same path, at least for now.

Chapter 3: A Drink with a Demon

The bar wasdim, the air thick with cigarette smoke and low murmurs. The kind of place where the world seemed to blur around you, where you could fade into the shadows and no one would notice. Perfect for someone like me.

I leaned back in the creaky chair, watching the bartender mix a drink with practiced ease. My gaze kept flicking to the thing across from me—Belraxas. He was an odd one, but Halloween was the perfect opportunity for him to be out in front of the world without questioning his monstrous form too deeply.

Clever. And I liked cleverness in a man.

---