The bond is so strong that Bethany is able to reach you
even from where she is.”
Even though my heart was stil throbbing in my chest from
the shock of what had just happened, I stil managed to feel
proud of my relationship with Xavier. If I could reach him,
even from my underground prison, if my love for him could
break through a barrier of evil, it was truly saying something
about the strength of our connection. The phrase
how good
are we?
floated into my head and I smiled to myself,
thinking this would be an appropriate time to give him a
high-five.
Gabriel’s words seemed to have touched Xavier in a
different way.
“This is crap,” he said eventual y. “Jake’s playing us and
we’re letting him.” He passed a hand over his face and the
silver promise ring on his index finger glinted in the new
morning light. “Does he real y think we’re just gonna lay
down and die?” His expression was so hard I thought I
could see silver lightning bolts in his ocean eyes. He
dragged a hand through his hair and squinted into the
horizon. “Wel , I’ve had it. I want her back and I’m sick of
these games. Come hel or high water, I’m going to find her.
You hear that, Jake?” Xavier opened his arms and yel ed at
the open sky. “I know you’re out there somewhere and you
better believe me. This is not over.”
Gabriel and Ivy remained wordless. They stood together
like one entity, their pale eyes grave and the rising sun
setting their hair ablaze. I could see something different in
their eyes and realized with a start that it was anger. Not
just anger; but a deep, unbridled fury toward the demonic
forces that had claimed one of their own.
When Gabriel spoke, his voice was like a rumble of
thunder. “You’re right,” he said to Xavier. “We’re through
playing by the rules.”
“We need to act now,” Xavier said.
“What we need to do is get back to the motel and pack
our things,” Gabriel said. “We’re leaving for Broken Hil in
an hour.”
31
Deal with the Devil
I wasn’t hopeful. Even though I knew my family would find
the train station in Alabama where the fatal col ision had
occurred, I had no idea how they planned to get the portal
open. Portals were engineered to repel angelic power; only
agents of darkness knew how to use them. Gabriel was a
high rol er in Heaven, and even he couldn’t wrangle them
open. As far as I knew, the angels had never had any
reason to break into Hel . They were unconcerned with what
went on underground—that was Lucifer’s domain. It was
only when Hel ’s inhabitants snuck up to wreak havoc on the
earth that they got involved. A smal part of me wanted to
believe that Xavier’s stoicism would be enough to save me,
but I pushed aside the tiny kernel of hope that threatened to
blossom inside me. If I let myself wish for salvation, I
wouldn’t survive the blow should they fail.
I was so caught up thinking about Gabriel’s plan that I
almost forgot what had led them to take such extreme
action. Xavier had almost died. If it weren’t for the deal I’d
struck with Jake, he’d be gone by now, joining the mil ions
of souls in Heaven where I might never see him again. Jake
had tried to kil Xavier; he had sent Diego as bait to
confuse him and push him over the edge. The flutter of
hope I felt in my bel y turned into something fiercer,
something seething and dark. The hatred I felt toward Jake
was like nothing I’d experienced before. He had me
completely cornered, at his mercy, separated from my
loved ones with no hope of returning to them … and stil he
wasn’t content.
I flung open the door of my hotel suite and ran down the
passage toward the VIP lounge where Jake spent most of
his time when he wasn’t tormenting me. I needed to find out
what he wanted in exchange for Xavier’s safety. I found him
reclining on a leather sofa, deep in conversation with Asia,
who gave a nasty smirk when she saw me.
“Your brat is here,” she said, downing the contents of her
shot glass and standing up. “I’l see myself out.”
“You,” I said when I was within inches of Jake, “are the
most repulsive, despicable creature to ever slither out of
the ground!” I was literal y vibrating with anger. Jake sat up
and watched me with a bemused expression. I wanted to
punch him right in his smug face, but I knew that wouldn’t do
any good. I’d only end up hurting myself.
“Hel o, cupcake,” he drawled. “You seem upset.”
“I can’t believe you tried to hurt him!” I yel ed. “This was
supposed to be between me and you. Why do you always
have to go one step too far?”
“No harm, no foul, right?” Jake waved his hands as if
nothing had happened. “Now, if I remember correctly I am a
repulsive, despicable creature that
you
made a deal with.”
“Only because I had no choice!”
“The circumstances aren’t real y important,” he said.
I gritted my teeth and glared at him. “So what do you
want, Jake? What’s the trade for sparing Xavier’s life?”
Jake regarded me lazily with a stare that was like ice and
fire at the same time. His bottomless black eyes reminded
me of a deep, cold wel , the kind in which you drop a stone
and never hear it hit the bottom. But when he looked at me,
they blazed with an uncomfortable intensity that made my
skin itch. He pressed his long, white fingers together and
frowned, looking as if he wanted to say something but
couldn’t find the right words.
“Just spit it out.”
He gazed at me long and hard before leaning forward
and spreading his hands flat on the table in front of him.
“Oh, I know exactly what I want from you.”
“Go ahead,” I said boldly. “Let’s hear it.”
Jake sighed. “I’ve spent some time considering how to
best use my little bargaining chip in order to bring us
closer.”
I narrowed my eyes. “Go on …”
“I think I’ve come up with the perfect deal,” he stood up
and moved closer to me. “The one thing you want most is to
protect your polo-wearing pretty boy and keep him alive.
The one thing I want most is simple. I want you—though
regrettably you have never reciprocated those feelings
despite proof of my devotion.”
I swal owed back the urge to snort at his use of the word
devotion
.
“Okay … ,” I said stiffly. I didn’t like where this was
heading. I wasn’t exactly sure what he had in mind, but
knowing Jake, it couldn’t be anything fair or reasonable.
“I’l promise not to harm him,” Jake said. “I’l even
promise not to interfere in your little projection adventures.
But I want you to give up something in return.”
“I can’t imagine what I’ve got that you would want,” I said
in confusion.
“Maybe you’re not thinking hard enough,” Jake smiled
humorlessly. “There’s something I want very much indeed.
Think of it as a gift, in return for my clemency.”
“Quit beating around the bush and tel me what you’re
asking,” I said impatiently, trying to keep my emotions
under control.
“I’m asking you to give yourself to me,” Jake said, his
dark eyes glinting.
I had an inkling of what he was al uding to, but I didn’t
want to accept it. I needed to hear him say it aloud to
confirm my suspicions. “You’re going to have to spel it out,”
I said defiantly.
“Oh, you’re so adorably naive,” Jake smirked. “I mean it
quite literal y. I wil never go near your precious Prince
Charming again if you agree to surrender yourself to me for
just one night. I want you to give me your virtue.”
“Wait … you want me to …” I faltered as the true meaning
of his words sank in and I stared at him in disgust. “You
want me to have sex with you?”
“That sounds so transactional. I’d prefer it if you used the
term
making love
,” he said.
I stared at him, grappling to find an appropriate
response. There were so many things I wanted to say, so
many ways of expressing my repugnance for him and my
unmitigated refusal to touch him.
“You have serious issues,” was the first thing that made it
past my lips.
“There’s no need to be rude,” Jake said pleasantly. “If my
ego weren’t the size of the Northern Hemisphere, I might be
wounded right now. There are plenty of women fal ing over
themselves for a chance to spend a night with me.
Consider yourself privileged.”
“Do you even realize what you’re asking?” I spluttered.
“It’s sex, the satisfaction of a carnal appetite. No biggie,”
Jake said.
“It is a big deal!” I yel ed. “You’re supposed to have sex
with the person you love, the person you trust, the person
you hope wil one day be the father your children.”
“That’s true,” Jake conceded. “Sex can sometimes have
nasty side effects in the form of smal children, but I’l
arrange everything so there are no complications. You’l be
in expert hands.”
“Are you even listening to me?” I said. “This is as bad as
sel ing my soul.”
“Don’t be ridiculous,” Jake scoffed. “The purpose of sex
is pleasure not procreation. Al you have to do is relax and
let me do what I do best. Remember, every compromise
has a price.”
“The purpose of sex is to create life,” I corrected him. “In
sleeping with you I’d be committing to you, making a
statement that I trust you, that I
want
to create life with you.
With you
…” I repeated for emphasis. “You’re a liar and a
cheat and a murderer. I would never give myself to you!”
Jake didn’t even have the good grace to look offended.
“We made a deal,” he said tonelessly. “You agreed to do
anything I asked. If you refuse now, I’l make it my personal
mission to make sure Xavier doesn’t live to see another
sunrise.”
“You stay away from him.”
“Hey.” Jake stabbed a finger in my direction. “Don’t deal
with the devil if you can’t handle it.”
I shook my head. I couldn’t believe what he was asking.
He’d chosen the one thing I couldn’t deliver. It would be like
inviting his darkness to enter my physical body, al owing our
two violently opposite souls to merge.
“I suppose Xavier doesn’t mean that much to you after
al ,” Jake said lazily. “If you’re wil ing to let something so
insignificant threaten his life.”
I stared at him as my mind struggled to come to terms
with what I’d just heard. Would it real y be the ultimate
betrayal or the ultimate sacrifice?
“I just always imagined it would be with him,” I murmured
almost to myself.
“I know,” Jake said, his voice drenched with exaggerated
sympathy. “And usual y I’d be more than open to the
prospect of a threesome, but under such circumstances I
think it might be a little
awkward
.”
I didn’t bother trying to come up with a response. I felt
sick to my stomach. Jake had the power to kil Xavier—
he’d proved that this morning. If I reneged on the deal, there
was nothing stopping him from heading straight back to
find him. I knew Ivy and Gabriel were on the alert, but al he
had to do was find Xavier alone and in a moment of
weakness. He wouldn’t care if it took him days or weeks,
he’d find a way. I knew what I had to do before my mind ful y
grasped the concept. Xavier’s words floated back to me
then: “Beth, a relationship isn’t only based on the physical