The Billionaire's Demon (6 page)

“But, Melody, don't you see?” His fingers gripped her arm and forced her around. “I can't do it. I—I care about you.”

Melody jerked her gaze from his, afraid to make a mistake. Her heart tightened in her chest as she agonized over what to believe. Every cell in her body screamed for the man in front of her and she was afraid.

Lies and deceit filled her world now. Innocence and faith didn't belong. Yet that small kernel of humanity remained—the piece that made her want to believe. To give the man she loved another chance. Sure he hadn't given her the declaration of love she'd been hoping for, but she had to take a chance. Deep down, her instincts told her how he felt about her.

“I won't stop you from getting your souls. I want Harold to pay for his crimes, but I'll have to find another way. The price is too high.”

Melody thought on this for a minute. Puzzling through the details. The agonized pain in his voice gave her insight into a man tortured for too long.

“Drake, how long have you been trying to take care of Harold?” His hesitation was more telling than she imagined. “How long?”

“One hundred and forty-five years.”

A chill swept over Melody. She loved Drake and his pain tore at her insides. One hundred and forty-five years was a long time to live with that kind of torture. Too long. He didn't deserve this.

“I'll do it.” She blurted out with little thought to the consequences. Sure she knew the results, but she refused to dwell on that now. Her self-centered behavior had gotten her into this, and now she would be free.

“You'll do what?” His brows pulled together in a puzzled expression.

“I'll refuse my quota. Yeah. I'm not bringing Harold any more souls tonight. I'm tired of the threats.”

“Whoa, hold on there, Melody. Listen to what you're saying.” He grabbed her shoulders. “I can't allow you to sacrifice yourself like this.”

“Ha. This is one time, Sir, when you do not have any control over me.” She jerked from his grip.

“Listen to me, Melody. If you go through with this, you'll go with him when he's banished. Do you think the Lake of Fire will be fun? You haven't even thought this out.” He paced the floor in front of her. “Don't you see? You gave your soul to Harold. Where he goes, you go.”

“Then let's get it back.”

“What?” A deep laugh rumbled in his chest. “Yeah right, Melody, let's just take a trip down to his office, let him know you don't want to play his games anymore, and by the way, can you please have your soul back?” Drake doubled over in laughter. Tears shone in his eyes when he looked back at her.

“Drake, you don't have to be such an ass. I wasn't suggesting we ask him to give it back. I was instead suggesting that we steal it.”

His laughter broke off, his eyes boring into hers. “What did you say?”

“Yeah, that's it. I'll just go to his office pretending to bring him souls, and find a way to snatch mine back before he realizes he's been duped.” She turned to face Drake. “What do you think? Can we do it?”

“Of course not. He'd see that coming a mile away, sweetheart. He hasn't been in charge for this long because he's stupid, Mel.”

She sat on the bed with an exasperated sigh. “Then that's it. I just won't complete my tasks tonight and be done with it. You and your friends can go back to hell, and the world will be less one evil demon and one rather pathetic one.”

“There is an alternative.” Drake's voice lowered to a near whisper. “You weren't too far off track when you said we could steal it. Although your soul can't be stolen. It has to be given.”

“Drake, you're not making sense. You already said he won't give it to us. And if we can't steal it, what else can we do?”

“Well, there's one thing I haven't told you yet.”

“Oh boy. This is the part I'm not going to like, right?” Asking questions she really didn't want the answers to would one day be her downfall.

“Depends.”

“On?” She tapped her foot, waiting.

“What you feel like doing for the rest of eternity.” Amusement flickered in his eyes.

She strode over to him, grabbing at his shoulders to shake him. “Stop laughing and tell me what the hell you're planning.”

“Wouldn't you like to know?” His fingers grazed her lips, softening them from their grim line. “I love the shape and color of your lips.” His head bent, his mouth slanting over hers. Instead of the hard and fast kisses of before, his lips were soft and gentle as they caressed and explored. “And the taste. Oh, baby, you taste like honey.” She edged her hands across his thick broad shoulders to flatten her palms against his muscular pecs before shoving him away as hard as she could.

“Stop trying to distract me with sex and tell me.” Her breath came in heavy pants, revealing a desire stronger than the outrage she didn't want to let go.

“Yes, Drake, tell her so we can both have a good laugh. Although the show was just getting good, and I wouldn't mind watching that either.”

She jerked at the sound of Harold's voice behind her and turned to see he wasn't alone. He'd brought several of his playmates with him, who were now blocking the door. Demons of the unfriendly and extremely ugly sort, ones who wouldn't hesitate to get their hands dirty. She spared a quick glance at the clock. Five minutes to midnight. Where had the time gone?

“You're too late Harold. I can't fill my quota.” Somehow, that fact didn't comfort her when he caught her with his gaze, and she felt his power wrapping around her. Tight, powerful bands biting into her flesh. Her back teeth clenched while she fought with the full force of her will, to no avail. She'd been down this road before, and no amount of struggle would set her free.

“Quotas don't matter anymore little one. We're beyond that now.” He walked forward, keeping his power focused on her. “What does matter; however, is that you belong to me and I'm the one that decides your fate. Not that half-breed over there.” He snarled, nodding his head to Drake.

A roaring blast of heat pushed at her and Harold from Drake's direction, but she was powerless to look. Harold's demons shielded him, protecting him from the heat and whatever other strike Drake might have been considering.

“Randy!” Drake yelled, his voice contorted with anger.

Behind Harold, Drake's Chaos Demon shimmered into view, two other lesser demon guards at his side.

When Harold motioned to his guards, an adrenalin-laced shot of fear rushed through her, giving her just enough control back to scream. “Harold, wait! What do you want from me?”

“I told you if you didn't complete your job there would be hell to pay, and I'm here to collect. You're going with me.”

That familiar pull of power propelled her forward, closer to her boss one step at a time. Why couldn't she fight it?

She whimpered when a meaty hand wrapped around her throat.

“She's not going anywhere with you dickhead.”

Momentarily caught off guard, Harold turned to Drake, lessening his hold over her. The vise of his grip loosened, and she sagged to the floor.

“You have no say-so in demon matters Drake, and you damn well know it, so stop butting in where no one gives a damn about what you have to say.” The satisfied smirk across Harold's face made her want to puke. She had no idea who was the more powerful of the two, but she suspected the outcome of a power struggle would be ugly for everyone involved.

“Your arrogance astounds me, asshole. You know you've lost and yet you still can't slink away without causing trouble.” Drake stalked toward Harold, his guards sticking close. “You messed up with this one.” He motioned to Melody. “Some people can't be made bad no matter how hard you try.”

Harold leaned forward, putting his face right up to Drake's nose. “Don't be so sure about that. She may have had a hard time with the soul collecting, but she took to the fucking like it was nobody's business. But I guess you've already found that out firsthand. And I've heard she's quite the fuck.”

Her jaw dropped open. When she finally came to her senses and thought to say something, she was too late. Drake pulled his arm back and planted his fist into Harold's face, the bone of his nose crunching under the force. Before she could haul herself from the floor, demons swarmed the room. Demons and arms and legs were flying in a flurry of male posturing to prove who knows what.

“Enough!” Hands placed on her hips, she yelled at the top of her lungs. The deafening sound bounced around the room, catching everyone's attention long enough for her to get in a word.

“If I'm going to die in the next few minutes, the last thing I want to see is a bunch of idiots fighting over hell knows what.”

“Die? What are you talking about?” Harold looked genuinely confused.

“The three-month rule you idiot. Did you think no one knew? Or would be watching? I've been waiting a very long time for this. I never expected you'd make it so easy by making a bargain your butt couldn't cash,” Drake exclaimed.

“That bargain doesn't mean shit. No one will bother to cash it in. Without me, things would be chaos. Even more so now.” The angry words vibrated the air around them as he paced. “I do, however, get the pleasure of administering some of Melody's punishment at my own hand and I can hardly wait.” He turned quickly, catching her off guard. His hand gripped her chin and forced her face upward.

At the last second she squeezed her eyes closed, remembering not to look at him.
Don't look. Don't look. Don't look.

“You're not the only one who can do the job, Harold. There is someone to replace you.” Drake said it so quietly, she almost didn't hear him.

A rumbling laugh exploded in front of her. She couldn't escape from the sick and twisted sound.

“And who would that be? You? That's hilarious. A half-breed?”

A growl exploded from Drake and he snapped. “This half-breed just beat you, so face it. You know as well as I do how things work around here. Rules are rules.”

“I make the fucking rules,” Harold snarled, baring his teeth. Very sharp teeth that had given her nightmares on more than one occasion.

“Not this time. You made a deal, gambled with your position and life, and you just lost. No amount of bullshit will get you out of it this time. Now get the hell out of my bedroom.”

“If you take my job you'll never get to return to your precious home or the woman who waits there.”

Harold's words lashed across her as if he'd slapped her with the sharp edge of a knife. His hand loosened, releasing her jaw and she stumbled backward, a faint tremble rippled through her body. A woman? She'd never once considered Drake could be involved with someone else. Even as a sexy demon, she'd managed to fuck everything up.

She implored Drake with her gaze to deny, to rage, to call him the liar he had to be.

“Leave my sister out of this.” Drake lunged for Harold and more demons arrived blocking Drake from her boss.

“Sister? He meant your sister? Not wife or—or girlfriend?” She stared at Drake, desperate for confirmation.

“Just a sister, love. You're the only woman for me.”

“Aww, so sweet. Now I need to throw up.”

“Shut up, Harold!” they yelled in unison.

Drake moved, faster than any human, grabbed her around the waist, and hauled her close to him, his heat enveloping her. One of Harold's guards raced forward in attack, claws extended and aimed at her throat.

Melody grabbed his claws, forcing his hand back until he howled in pain, giving her the opening she needed. She drove her own nails into his throat before pushing him away. Blood gushed down his chest and onto the floor.

Melody gazed at the injured demon, amazed at what she'd done. Well, he'd gotten what he deserved for trying to hurt her. She was getting pretty sick of being pushed around.

“I'm impressed, babe.”

She inclined her head, “What does that mean that you can't get back to your sister? Is she in some sort of trouble?” Time was ticking, but not having all the facts threatened to drive her nuts.

“Yes and no. They like to use her as a sort of leash for me when I don't toe the line. She belongs to a demon, but he's not a bad guy and I suspect she doesn't hate being there, even if it is technically against her will. So she's safe, but she's not allowed to leave or move through hell, much like me when I’m in residence. The deal is as long as I stayed here, Harold had to offer her his protection, which in most places of hell is enough to keep the worst of the demons in line.”

“But if you break your end of the bargain?”

“Then all deals are off, and he and his crazy ass sister are fair game. Enough explanations. I'm bored now. Let's go.” Harold's gaze darted to the clock.

“Wait.” She took a step away. It still didn't fit. “I don't understand. Why is everyone so afraid of you?”

Harold snorted behind her. “It's not fear, but revulsion.

Drake ignored him and continued. “My mixed heritage makes me unique. Able to occupy both heaven and hell, although not welcome in either. It gives me an unpredictable power that can't be controlled by the likes of him.” Drake's chin lifted toward her boss.

“Okay, I think I get it.” Finally. “You need to find a way back home, a loophole of sorts, that allows you to get around some of these assholes that fear what they don't know?”

“Exactly, and until you came along nothing stuck. Harold found a counter to everything we tried, and more than once my sister took a punishment for me, so we quit trying. Decided to bide our time, knowing eventually he would fuck up.”

“Enter Melody, the bungling Sex Demon unable to fill her quota.” She tried to swallow the lump forming in her throat.

“Yes,” he whispered.

“What now?” This was the part she didn't like. The one selfish answer that would save her and ruin him.

“Now I take over that bastard's job because his fuck up backfired against us all.”

“Not gonna happen, Drake. I'm not going anywhere.”

Drake glanced over at the big clock hanging on the wall behind the bed. “I beg to differ. In about thirty seconds you'll be leaving whether you want to or not.”

Harold glared at Drake, his power obviously having no affect on Drake. The demons around Harold fidgeted, obviously anxious about what they overheard. Suddenly two of them leaped in Drake's direction, catching him off guard and pulling him to the wall where they attached him to the metal cuffs hanging there.