Page 103 of Sleeping Redemption
“Love, you could never be like him,” Rook reassured her.
She trembled as she surveyed the damage of what she had done. Instant regret overwhelmed her face.
Then, she ran.
Chapter Forty
Iran. I ran hard.
I ran from the nightclub.
I ran toward the beacon calling out to me.
The only sounds were my heavy breaths, my feet thudding against the sidewalk and the echoing voices of three concerned men behind me.
All the buildings I passed were nothing but a blurry watercolor as my tears filled my eyes. I didn’t need eyesight to know where I was being led.
I ran until I was brought tumbling down to my knees. My body fell forward onto the steps of my destination. The cold stone beneath me was such a stark contrast to the fire that had been in my veins back at the nightclub. My cheek lay on the edge of the step as a single tear rolled over the swell and met the unforgiving surface beneath it.
With my chest heaving from the emotions that swiftly carried me there, I closed my eyes and knew it was where I was meant to be. I lay there listening to my heart until a deep voice seemed to vibrate all around me.
“Sweet Kinley,” Lucifer’s sultry voice roused me from my thoughts.
A heated hand wrapped over the back of my shoulder. His touch encouraged me to sit up.
My weary eyes scanned the front of the building in front of me. The cathedral’s architecture loomed over me, the large stained-glass window with its puzzle-like pieces of colored glass the focal point above the large wooden doors that welcomed all the faithful.
He circled ‘round until he crouched down in front of me and both hands settled on my shoulders as his flaming sienna eyes peered into mine. His appearance fully coalesced before me, with his golden honey hair neatly combed with an off-center part. The strikingly handsome features of his face filled with the dark allure of his charm.
“I can feel your desperation,” he noted. “I could feel it in your prayer summoning the use of Hell’s Flames.”
I nodded, unable to lie to him. In turn, he coaxed me to get up onto my feet.
The sound of several sets of footsteps approaching caught my attention. Looking over my shoulder, I saw Atlas, Rook, and Sy arrive at the bottom of the church’s stone steps. Rook looked particularly out of breath. Zorah must have stayed behind at the club to clean up my mess.
All of their faces remained full of concern, all of them twisted with uncertainty as they saw who was there with me. Sylas, in particular, had a streak of anger simmering beneath his gaze.
“Lucifer,” Sy spat out the universe’s original fallen angel’s name with contempt.
There was no hesitation from Lucifer in responding with a seemingly pleasant smile. “Sylas, it has been too long, brother.”
Lucifer stepped away from me, descending a few steps towards the guys.
“I see you have my former minion with you. How’s the other side of the fence treating you, Atlassian?” His eyes scanned over Atlas with intense scrutiny before they shifted over to Rook.
“And my dearest trickster, you are keeping rather posh company these days, aren’t you?” A sinister smile presented itself on his face before he continued to address the men before him.
“I’m afraid that this is a private discussion between Kinley and me. I urge you all to be on your way so I can discuss her recent behaviors without undue influence from the swath of you,” he said, glancing back at me.
Atlas stepped forward, shaking his head defiantly. “We’re not leaving her.”
There was a dramatically heavy sigh from Lucifer as he waved his hand dismissively at the guys. “Very well, then.”
Sniffling, I adjusted myself to sit on the edge of the step where I had fallen, using the back of my hand to clear the remaining tears from my face.
I watched as Lucifer made his way back to me, and when he reached behind his back, he withdrew an object.
“I come bearing a gift.”
