Page 24 of Her Darkest Devils (The Seven Sinners of Hell's Kingdom 3)

“God? Pfft. God had nothing to do with her wellbeing.” Dante’s low words growl against my forehead.

“I went by Joel’s a couple weeks ago after I got your message. I thought something happened to you. The apartment manager said Joel stopped paying rent and when they checked, it was empty.” Tamia manages to spin me around, ignoring Dante like he’s not even here, but I know she sees him. Her eyes flick to look over my head and back to mine. “You better have a good fucking reason you haven’t called me back, and it better not be that you lost your phone. You know where I live.”

I rub my lips together, trying to think of a reasonable response. I can’t exactly tell her that Joel tried to murder me, and I was saved by the devils themselves.

“Raven has been living through Hell. I suggest you take a step back and control your anger. You are not concerned about her wellbeing. You act as if you’ve been through turmoil all because of her inability to contact you. What about when she called you and asked for help? What about when she needed you after she lost her job and found herself turning back to a monster of a man because you refused to return her calls?”

Damn. He really did listen to me when I told him about my life.

I touch my fingers to his lips, silencing his words. “Dante, it’s okay. She has every right to be mad.”

Tamia places her hands on her hips. “I’m not—”

“It’s about time you fucking showed up, you bastard.” Lucian’s smooth voice cuts my cousin off. “It’s been, what, a week?”

My blood cools at the sight of Lucian strutting from the side of the building and out of the shadows. How the fuck did he know we were here? Why show himself now? Whatever the reason, it can’t be fucking good.

“And who’s this?” Lucian has the nerve to give Tamia a long once-over, making her shift on her feet under his intensity. He offers his hand to her, and she automatically takes it, flushing in her cheeks. “You joining us for the night...Tamia? Beautiful Tamia. I’ve heard of you.”

Fuck me. What kind of game is the bastard playing?

I huff a breath and force my legs to work, stepping between the two of them. Dante grips my hand, turning my fingers numb, but he doesn’t loosen his hold. “No, she’s not. None of us are, you dick.”

Lucian’s eyes flash with hellfire, and he tightens his jaw. “Think carefully about how you treat me, Raven. It doesn’t take much to give a soul a little push into the pits of Hell.” Glancing over my shoulder, he smiles at my cousin. “I suggest you play nice and do as I ask. You don’t want to find out what happens if you misbehave again. If you thought a stroll through Wrath’s Kingdom was bad...” He lets his words trail off, words quiet enough that only me and Dante hear.

“There you fucking guys are. Come on. I got us a booth.” Kase stands in the opened door to the bar and remains expressionless.

Micah stands by his side, flexing his muscles and looking ready to explode into his devil form. His gaze remains locked on mine, and I try to force myself to smile. I have so many questions. How are they here too?

I twist and grab Tamia’s hand. “You don’t have to join us. We can catch up some other time.”

Her eyes shift from me and to each of the devils. She looks ready to run, but then Lucian offers her a handsome smile. One that could pass for angelic. “I have time. I work the afternoon shift tomorrow. I can stay a couple hours.”

Shit.

Lucian laughs and drapes his arm over her shoulders, guiding her away from me. In a moment she’d usually scowl and shrug out of a strange bastard’s bold infiltration of her personal space, she accepts his fake friendliness with ease and smiles, laughing at something he whispers.

It takes everything in me not to hop on Lucian’s back and start pummeling him with my fist. I love Tamia. I know we’ve had a rough last two years, but we were so close before my engagement with Joel. We moved out here together from across the country in our early twenties and even lived together. I know my decisions revolving around Joel hurt her now. At the time, I was so caught up in his manipulation, I thought she was jealous or something.

That time seems so long ago. My hurt feelings have healed or have been diminished by my current circumstances. Regardless of everything, it never affected how much I cared and still care for my cousin and her wellbeing. She shouldn’t be wrapped up in my devilish affairs. I’m afraid that if I don’t do something to stop Lucian, she will become collateral damage.

“Just take a breath. He’s trying to get to you, Raven,” Dante whispers, snaking his arm around my waist. “He can try his hardest to charm her, but we will intervene if he tries anything.”

I suck my bottom lip into my mouth, stopping it from trembling with worry. Lucian’s going to use this against me. I know it deep in my bones.

Kase and Micah surround me alongside Dante when we reach the entrance. I gaze around the place and notice a brightly painted slogan above the bar. Bottoms up for tops down? Classy. The clientele in the place scream skeevy, and I wonder why Tamia was even here.

“Mr. Lucian, what an unpleasant surprise,” a man says, materializing a few feet in front of us. “Had I known you’d manage to get out of Hell, I’d have left town.”

“You fucking bastard. Come here.” Lucian surprises me by stepping forward and shaking the man’s hand. I clearly missed the guy’s teasing. “It’s been far too long.”

“Centuries,” the guy says, smiling to reveal perfectly straight teeth. “Not long enough.”

Tamia laughs in exasperation, her eyes darting to mine in confusion. She’s not the only one. Usually demons are bowing and throwing themselves at the devils or trying to test their power. This guy seems just so blasé about everything.

“That’s going to change. I’ve made some new arrangements.” Lucian cranes his neck and motions at my devils standing around me. “So why don’t you get us a booth and bottle service and let me show this stunning mortal on my arm what it’s like to catch the attention of a devil.”

Again, Tamia laughs and blushes.

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