Page 84 of Her Deadly Angels (The Seven Sinners of Hell's Kingdom 2)

“I didn’t jump from Heaven to see you lose your soul to him. I will fight with everything in me to see it come to fruition, if this is truly what you want, my beautiful heathen,” Micah says, closing the space to caress his lips to mine again. “My queen.”

“Say that again,” I tease, smiling.

“You’re my queen. My purpose. My everything. I’ll even bow.” Micah hooks his arms around me and rolls with me off the bed, setting me on my feet.

I have no idea how Elias sleeps through my laughter, but I cover my mouth, trying to muffle the noise as Micah gets on his knees in front of me. He bows forward and kisses my feet. My laughing turns into psychotic cackling that only worsens when he crawls forward, grabs my leg and puts it on his shoulder, looking ready to devour me like he survives off eating me out.

The scent of sulfur trickles to my nose, and I grip Micah’s head, stopping him from continuing. He flares his nostrils and glares toward his window for a moment before pulling himself together.

“It’s them,” I say, excitement coursing through me. “Save that tongue. I’m going to want it later.”

Micah chuckles and shakes his head, smiling at my happiness instead of getting annoyed. I beat him to the door and dash ahead of him, teasing him by swaying and spinning and ensuring he gets a show as I rush downstairs and toward the backdoor.

I hesitate and spin toward him. “Let me handle telling Kase and Dante about Cassius, okay? I don’t want them to inadvertently take out their anger on you, especially with everything you’ve been through. I’m afraid you’ll say something that will end with one of them stabbing you or some shit. I don’t want them worrying, okay?”

Micah cocks an eyebrow. “If they’re that insecure—”

“Micah, stop,” I say, clasping the doorknob. “I don’t want them to think you’ll do something insane. Not that you will, but you all just started getting along.”

“For your sake.” His jaw twitches with his words.

It’s like something shifts inside Micah, his devil side threatening to steal away the softness he’s been showing me tonight. Firelight dances in the corner of my vision, and I realize why. Hell’s gate is open, and as much as I want to pretend it doesn’t mess with him, I know it does.

“Well, keep it up.” I twirl my finger at him. “And maybe stay here until the gate closes. You’re hot enough.”

That gets him to smile, and he remains firmly in his spot a couple feet away with his muscular arms crossing his chest. I fling the door open and stride outside, only to slow down at the sight of the summoning circle lit with no one inside. My stomach twists, my nerves tightening. If Kase, Dante, and Andre were returning, they would’ve put that shit out and be waiting for me.

I stop in my tracks, glaring at the flames of Hell as they explode and reach toward the sky. I open and close my mouth, trying to summon my voice to call for Micah, but Lucian’s hulking form appears before me, his horns glowing like molten lava swirls within them. He stomps his hooves, shaking the ground hard enough to send me to my knees. I scramble away, trying to get up. The world quakes again, and the earth splits open, shooting a crack right toward me. Hell peeks through, the fire burning away from the gateway and to me.

“This is not how you should greet your master, Raven. Bow forward and worship the ground before me until I’m content,” Lucian says, his grumbly voice humming through the air.

I tip my head up and glower. “What the fuck?”

A smile curves his lips, and Lucian shudders, ridding his devil façade to take on his human form. “Crawl forward to me. Do it now before I make you.”

My heart ricochets around my ribcage and my mind whirls with a million racing thoughts. What is going on? Where are Kase, Dante, and Andre? If they’re not here, does that mean...no. I refuse to believe it.

“No,” I say, pushing up to my feet. “You actually can’t make me. You can’t leave that damn circle.”

Lucian’s eyes flash with firelight, sending my heart sinking into my stomach. Oh, fuck. Ah, Hell. Damn it. Something has changed, and the dread coursing through me explodes into full-blown panic.

Snarling, Lucian gathers hellfire in his hands and winds it into a whip like the one he threatened me with before. The same whip he’s lashed across both Kase and Dante’s backs. “It is your last chance to bow to me willingly, Raven, or were you deceiving me when you asked to be by my side as I destroyed Heaven and took Earth in my control?”

“I—I wasn’t,” I lie, choosing to be smart over brave in this moment, watching as the fire around him lowers to a circle of calm flames. “I’m just—where are Kase and Dante? Andre?”

“I said to bow!” Lucian flicks his wrist, lashing the whip at me.

To my utter horror, it breaks through the barrier and stings across my shins, knocking my legs out from under me. I shriek in pain and drop to my knees as tears burn my eyes. I toss my hair out of my face, tipping my head back, my body stiffening at the sight of the summoning circle extinguishing completely.

And then Lucian strolls toward me, leaving the closed gate and Hell.

I cover my mouth, trying not to lose my shit. “Oh, God.”

“Don’t speak of the Higher Power!” Lucian roars, his devil façade rippling over his skin as his horns jut from his forehead as the rest of him remains in his mortal form. Fire licks over his smooth, bald head and dances down his thick beard. Locking his fingers into my hair, Lucian drags me upright and bows into my face. “Do you understand? You are no longer in control, and it’s time you realize your place.”

I swallow and inhale a few deep breaths, staring at the empty ash ring where the gates of Hell would be, praying that I’m hallucinating or something. “I don’t understand,” I repeat, wishing the fucker would answer my questions.

Lucian releases an exasperated laugh as if my comment is the stupidest thing he’s ever heard. Tightening his fingers through my hair, he yanks me closer until I look directly at his cock, the hunk of flesh growing immediately under my attention. I stretch back, afraid he might poke me in the eye to fuck my brain, not caring what hole he puts it in me because he can surely ravage my body with just a flick of his finger.

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