Salvation (The Keepers of Hell Book 2) (8 page)

CHAPTER THIRTEEN

     “You’re sure that is exactly what happened?” Marcus asked the minion.

     “Yesssss,” the minion hissed. “All for love,” the little minion snickered.

     “Well, isn’t that interesting,” Adule grinned. “Our new leader has a weakness after all.”

     “Pfft, more than one,” Marcus said. “I was in there with him for a while. He has no clue what he’s doing here. He doesn’t have the power to read minds, or if he does, he doesn’t know it, because if he heard what I was thinking…”

     “You wouldn’t be standing here,” Adule finished for him.

     “And he gave up a woman,” Marcus said. “Asked to forget her.”

     “I bet he would remember her if we got hold of her,” Adule chimed in.

     “That he would,” Marcus agreed. He scratched his chin in thought. “We should exploit this newfound weakness.”

     Adule grinned.

     “I find the girl?” the minion asked hopefully.

     “Yes,” Marcus told him. “You find the girls. Both of them. Then tell me where I can find them.”

     The minion squealed and scampered off to do its job.

     “What are we gonna do with them?” Adule asked.

     Marcus grinned even wider. “We’re gonna kill them. Then, our Leader will be so overcome with grief that it will be easy to take him down.”

     “But if he asked to forget her,” Adule said, “what makes you think that he is going to care if we kill her?”

     “He will care about the sister,” Marcus told him. “And you know how those angels are….my mate this and my mate that… the most important thing is my mate.”

     “Yeah, but he doesn’t know it,” Adule pointed out.

     Marcus shrugged. “Doesn’t matter. Once he sees her lying there, dead, with her soul in my realm, the pain will be more than he can handle. He might even off himself to save me the trouble.”

     Adule nodded. “Mates are like that.”

     “But,” Marcus added, “I think we should play with them first. Have a little fun at our leader’s expense.”

     A sadistic grin spread across Adule’s face. “I think that may be the best idea you’ve had all year. It’s been too long since I played with a human.”

CHAPTER FOURTEEN

     Ash woke from a fitful dream drenched in sweat. It had all started out innocently enough; with him standing in a park under the afternoon sun, but things quickly went to hell.

     He had been enjoying the sun on his face when Elizabeth walked by. As what he was beginning to think was the norm, he had an immediate and painful erection. He watched her dance in a white skirt that flowed around like a flower blooming when she twirled. In his dream, she was happy.

     Then dark clouds starting filling the sky. He wanted to yell at Elizabeth to take cover, that a storm was coming, but he couldn’t. He had no voice. He watched in horror as the lightning streaked across the sky and thunder rolled through the clouds. The clouds got thicker and reached all the way from the sky to the ground. They rolled ominously toward Elizabeth, who was still dancing and didn’t see it coming for her.

     Ash started to run.  No matter how hard he pushed his legs, Elizabeth got further and further away from him. It was as if the earth was stretching to keep him away from her. “Elizabeth!” he shouted silently. He screamed and screamed for her, but didn’t make a sound. The clouds got thicker and closer to her. “Run!” he was shouting, but she couldn’t hear him. It was as if he didn’t even exist to her.

     Then, the clouds overtook her. Ash ran harder into the clouds, but he couldn’t find her. He found several people, grabbed them and lifted them to his face, but none were her. He couldn’t see two feet in front of his face, but that didn’t stop him from trying.

     Ash felt something cold and hard in his hand and when he lifted it, he saw the huge sword that had come with his black wings. He spread his wings and beat them against the heavy black cloud surrounding him, but the cloud didn’t budge. He held his sword up and swung at the blackness, but got the same nothing. Not nothing….laughter. Maniacal laughter that didn’t belong to anyone he knew.

     Ash jerked upright in his bed.
What the fuck was that,
he wondered.

     He rolled out of bed and into the bathroom. He was in full-on pee mode when he realized something. He was alone. He hadn’t been alone since before he took this new job leading Hell. Antonio was nowhere to be found. He listened carefully to be sure… yep, nothing. Not a sound. The silence was somewhat eerie.

     He washed up and then went to his mirror. First, he checked on Leanne. She was sleeping soundly in her bed, wrapped around her fiancé. Satisfied that she was fine, he checked in on Elizabeth. He didn’t have any reason to be worried about her, but something about that dream just wouldn’t let him go. He didn’t have any right to be looking in on her, but that didn’t stop him from doing it.

     As the mirror changed, he saw that she was not in bed. Apparently, she was just coming home from her shift at the hospital. She dropped her bag on the living room table and pulled the tie out of her hair. Long, silky waves flowed down her back as she shook her head to loosen it more.

     He watched as she walked down the hall and into her bathroom. He should look away. Now. Did he do that, though? No. Like the voyeur he was, Ash kept watching. She pulled her scrub top over her head and dropped it into the hamper. Her bottoms followed, leaving her in only her panties and bra. In Ash’s head, he saw a glimpse of black panties ripping. He shook his head and turned away as she dropped her underwear and started her shower.

     He should have walked away. He should have taken himself back to bed. Instead, without permission from his brain, his body flashed to her home. Instead of watching the shower doors steam up from his mirror in Hell, Ash was watching it in person.

     He made sure he was invisible while he watched her silhouette rub soap all over herself. She was even singing. He was a sick fuck, but even that knowledge couldn’t make him look away.

     He watched as she turned the water off and barely managed to turn his back when she stepped out and grabbed a towel. She walked out of her bathroom, nearly brushing the side of his arm as she went. Ash cursed himself silently.

     He was just going to make sure she got tucked into bed properly. Once he knew she was safe in her bed, he was going to leave. Really. He was.

     Until she got into bed.

     She dropped her towel, unaware that he was watching her, and lay on top of her covers. Her body was naked and on display for his eyes, and they refused to look away.

     Ash adjusted himself in his pants. Leave, he told himself. When she reached over to her nightstand and retrieved a small, silver bullet, he knew there was nothing on Earth, or in Heaven or Hell that was going to move his ass.

***

     Elizabeth had just had too many rough days. Work sucked, life sucked, and really, she just needed some stress relief. Her friend suggested that she “relieve” herself. At the time, Elizabeth had balked at the idea. That wasn’t going to help her. But while she was showering, something changed. She felt like she was being watched, but not in a creepy stalker kind of way. No, it was as if she was watched by a man who wanted her. The idea wasn’t as appalling as she thought it would be. In fact, it turned her on.

     She lay back against the headboard and started rubbing her hands over her breasts. At first, she felt silly, but then a face popped into her head. Ash.  Her mind pretended that it was his hands drifting over her skin. Immediately her nipples hardened and her core ached. She palmed her bullet and clicked it on.

     The vibrations tickled her skin as she ran it over first one nipple, then the other. She trailed it down and finally settled it on her clit.

***

     Ash was going to lose it. He knew it. The perfect woman was pleasuring herself and he was watching like a horny teenager. He knew it was wrong, he knew he should go, but he couldn’t make himself. He watched as she moved the tiny vibrator over her sensitive flesh and wished at that moment that it were his tongue in its place. He could almost taste her. She moaned aloud and Ash closed his eyes only for a moment. His cock was rock hard and he had to adjust himself yet again. Just the simple brush of his own hand had him wanting to climb on her and ravish her like madman. Since that would most definitely not go over well, he forced himself to stay back. He watched while her back arched and when she climaxed, his own body shook with the need to do the same. No, he told himself. He was already way past the line of what was decent and acceptable. As her body calmed and she snuggled into her pillows, Ash forced himself to leave her. She was obviously healthy and safe, and there were no black clouds threatening to consume her. He had no right to be there. None whatsoever. He took himself back to Hell, where he belonged.

CHAPTER FIFTEEN

     Ash returned to Hell in a super foul mood. Not only was he tired, but now he was horny too. He knew he could relieve himself if he wanted to, but he didn’t deserve it. Not after the way he just acted. He could suck it up.

     Ash parked himself at his desk and opened his computer. Emails. He had thousands of them. Some were from his sanction leaders, but some were from humans. Apparently, they didn’t get the notice about Lucifer being dead and all, because these were fanatics.

     Satan worshipers.

     And just how in the hell did these humans get his email? Did they look it up in the Yellow Pages? Is it listed under 1800DIALADEMON? What had Lucifer been up to? Ash had no idea but he made a mental note to change his work email.

     Ash considered ignoring them, but… since he was in such a lovely mood; he decided to reply to them. All of them. He went through and clicked each and every one of the emails from humans. Sickos, he thought. Then he selected “reply all” and went to work typing.

     Dear pathetic pieces of shit,

In case you didn’t know, Lucifer is dead. I am the King of the palace and I have some new rules.

Number one: Stop killing animals that you are not going to eat. I don’t do blood sacrifices.

Number two: Stop worshiping me. Get a bible. Read it.

Number three: Never email me again with your childish and irrelevant requests. I will not grant you eternal life and I will not grant you riches. You will only land in Hell by being a sick fuck, and not in a way that you would enjoy.

Just for your information, I am twice as shitty as Lucifer was and twice as vindictive. Change your ways or come to me for your sins. Get a life.

Yours truly,

The King of Fucking Hell.

     “Isn’t that a bit over the top?” Antonio’s voice asked from behind Ash.

     “Fucking hell,” Ash grumbled. “How long have you been standing there?”

     “Long enough to read your email,” the angel chuckled. “Busy day?”

     Ash growled at him.

     “Hey, I’m just asking. What are we gonna do today?” Antonio took a seat across from Ash. “We gonna fry some demons? Or would you rather fry chicken? When is the last time you ate something?”

     It was then that Ash noticed the angel had a bag of chocolate chip cookies in his hand. “Is that all you think about? Food?” Ash grumbled. “We have bigger things to worry about than what’s for supper. Here I am trying to learn a whole fucking underworld, find my elite guard, and run this joint, and you want to know what’s for supper?”

     “Oh, someone got a pea under his mattress,” Antonio said. “What’s going on?”

     Ash could feel his frustration growing. It was a living, breathing thing inside him. “I’m just fucking fed up, ok?” And sexually frustrated, but he wasn’t going to add that.

     “I know what we should do,” Antonio said, leaping to his feet. “Let’s go see some babies.”

     Ash turned his back on him. “I know that I am evil, but come on. We are not cooking babies.”

  Antonio laughed. “I am so glad to know you think so highly of me,” he barked, “but no. I was suggesting we go hang out with some actual babies. They always make me feel better.”

     “I don’t think babies would be safe around me right now,” Ash told him. He was looking around; surely, there was something alcoholic in this office.

     “I think you would be surprised,” Antonio said. “And we had the liquor cabinet refilled the other day. To your left.”

     Ash looked and sure enough, there was a cabinet built into the wall. Ash opened it and found that every kind of liquor imaginable was stocked. He grabbed a scotch and opened it, put the bottle to his lips and drank from it. Then he coughed up a lung.

     “You know I am going to kill you one day,” Ash said between coughs.

     “Yeah, but not today. Come on. Have I ever steered you wrong?”

     Ash knew there was no way he was going to talk Antonio out of it. If he had learned anything from his time with the irritating SOB, it was that when he got an idea in his head, there was no turning back. “Fine,” Ash agreed with a loud sigh. “But remember to keep your personal space out of my personal space.”

     “Yay!” Antonio said, clapping his hands.

What a dork.

***

     Antonio knew it was getting bad. Ash was growling and pacing like a wolf. A hungry wolf. He needed to get him and Elizabeth together and get this whole touchy feely thing done and over with. Antonio knew Elizabeth was at work by then. He had been watching Ash for hours at his computer. The man needed a break. And a taco. And sex. Not necessarily in that order.

     They flashed to Earth and flew in silence until they were over the hospital. Antonio pointed at the helipad on the roof and Ash nodded. The pair landed and went inside the hospital before making themselves visible.

     “I don’t understand why we need to visit the nursery,” Ash complained, even though as soon as his feet touched the building he knew he was supposed to be there. It was just like the park. There was something or someone there he was supposed to see. It was like an invisible thread pulling him where he needed to go. It was stronger this time, though.

     “Babies always make me feel better,” Antonio told him as they marched through the halls. “Whenever I am feeling out of sorts, I go visit my family. Well, I used to, before all the babies were grown. Now I have to visit the hospital nursery to get my baby fix. You’ll see,” he promised.

     Ash didn’t know about all that, but he was supposed to be here, and that was what mattered.

***

     Elizabeth was running late. In her entire career, she had never been late to work. She parked her car in the parking garage, jumped out, and ran for the elevator. Then she stopped and turned around. Shit, she had forgotten her stuff!

     She ran back to her car and clicked the unlock button on her remote. She yanked open the passenger side door and reached in to get her bag and her name badge. She backed out of the car and slammed the door, except she hadn’t moved back far enough and slammed the door into the side of her head.

     “Ow,” she cried out, bringing a hand to her head. She rubbed her skin and when she felt wetness, she looked at her hand. Yep. She was bleeding. “Damn it,” she cursed, putting her hand back over the wound. She shook the stars from her vision and headed back toward the elevator. Instead of going straight to her locker, she went down to the ER.

     “Hey,” Dr. Tucker greeted as she arrived. “What brings you down here?” he asked.

     Elizabeth moved her hand and showed him her reason for the visit.

     “Ouch,” he said. “Want me to have a look?”

     “Aren’t you doing somebody’s surgery?” she asked.

     “Nah,” he said. “I was called down here for a possible emergency appendectomy, but turns out I wasn’t needed. But I think that needs stitches,” he said, pointing at Elizabeth’s head. “How about I fix you up?”

     Elizabeth nodded. Dr. Tucker was not only a coworker, but also a friend. He was marrying Leanne in a few weeks. Elizabeth had gotten close to both of them over the last year. He walked her to an empty exam room.

     “Yeah, that needs a stitch or two,” he mumbled. He brushed Elizabeth’s hair from her face and got to work cleaning the wound. “What happened?”

     “Would you believe I shut my face in the car door?” she asked with a smile.

     “Actually, I would,” he said. He soaked some cotton in betadine solution and gently patted it onto the cut. “I did it once myself. Hurt like a bitch.”

     “Mmm,” Elizabeth agreed.

     “Ok let’s get you stitched up,” he said. He took his needle and tweezers and set to work repairing the damage she caused.  Three stitches later, he was finished. He applied a thin layer of Neosporin and declared her fit for duty.

     “Thanks,” she said.

     “Now, get to work,” he laughed as she grabbed her stuff and headed upstairs. The OB unit was quiet for a change. No one was in dire need of her, and no babies were pushing their way into the world right that moment. It was just as well, seeing as how she was late and arriving with stitches.

     She briefly explained her tardiness to the nurses and then told them that if they needed her to page her. Elizabeth then took herself for a walk around the floor. She passed the nursery and stopped for a look at the babies she delivered the day before.

***

     Ash hated to admit it, but Antonio had been right. Babies were very calming. Antonio was making goofy faces at one newborn boy and the child was watching him intently. “I thought no one could see us,” Ash said.

     Antonio turned to look at him. “Normally they can’t, but babies always can. Don’t really know the whys of it, they just can.”

     Ash looked at the baby next to him. She was in her little crib, sleeping away. Her mouth twitched every now and again and he wondered what a newborn would dream about. The whole place smelled like Johnson’s baby bath and powder, combined with the scent of what he could only describe as baby. Why did babies smell so good? He leaned down and breathed in near the little girl. She smelled wonderful….like flowers, sunshine, and happiness. Yeah, happiness. That was what babies smelled like.

     Ash thought one day he would want a baby, but then immediately decided against it. He wanted a son, but who would be the mother? He didn’t want a family in the life that he led now. There was no room for that. He wouldn’t be able to give them the attention they would deserve.

     Then he felt it. That string that pulled him yanked on him hard. He looked behind him and saw her. Elizabeth. She was walking outside of the nursery, just on the other side of the glass. His brain brought up images of her lying on her bed the night before.

     “Let’s go,” Antonio said, taking Ash by the arm. “We need to get out of the nursery.”

     “Why?” Ash asked.

     “Because you have a nasty habit of getting visible at bad times,” Antonio answered him. “Just outside there.”

     The pair left the nursery and got visible before walking back toward Elizabeth. Antonio’s heart jumped in anticipation. Maybe now the SOB would touch her. As they approached, Antonio could hear a low growl emanating from Ash’s chest.

     “Dude,” Antonio said, “What’s with the angry dog impression?”

     “What?” Ash barked at him. “You’re fucking nuts.”

     “No,” Antonio differed, “you are growling. Stop it. And why?”

     Ash looked at Elizabeth who just then turned to face the men. There was a cut on her head that had recently been stitched.

     “Oh, I see,” Antonio said. “Hey, you go find out what happened and I will just stand here and look at the babies.”

     Ash barely heard him as he stomped over to her. “Who did this?” he demanded. Ok, that was really smooth. Ash was pissed though. Someone had hurt her.

     “Hello to you, too,” she smiled.

     “Who hurt you?” he asked her.

     “Oh this,” she said, raising a hand to her wound. “That would be me. I slammed my face in the car door this morning.”

     “Then I shall rip the car to pieces. Mangle it beyond recognition. I will slay the beast that has caused you pain,” he said with a smile. What the fuck? He had been hanging around Antonio for too long.

     Elizabeth laughed. “That is what I like about you guys,” she said. “You’re just so funny.”

     “Seriously, though,” Ash said, “are you ok?”

     “Yeah,” she told him. “Just a flesh wound. Your sister’s fiancé stitched me up.”

     Ash nodded his approval.

     “What are you doing here?” she asked.

     “Baby watching,” Ash told her. “Antonio says it’s good for the soul.”

     “I think it is too,” she admitted. “That’s why I’m here. They always make me feel better; like I am at peace when I am surrounded by so much new life.”

     “Oh, come on already,” Antonio grumbled.

     “What was that?” Ash asked over his shoulder.