Demon Tempted (Karmic Lust) (13 page)

“We’re wasting time. Get off the phone and get over here. Clay is with me. We can figure something out.” She hung up the phone and looked directly at Clay. He spoke before she could even say anything.

“Liliana’s missing.” She nodded, and tears filled her eyes. He pulled her close and kissed the top of her head.

“Samael can’t find her.” Being what he was, Clay would know what was said and wasn’t said. She was happy that he didn’t state that fact. She didn’t need to hear that from him.

“Which means a demon or demons have her, right?” It was scary, but it was the only possible explanation for her disappearance.

He got out of bed, picked up his clothing and dressed hastily. He didn’t answer her at first, which in itself made her even more nervous. She followed his lead and tried not to think of what could have happened to Liliana. Lili was still a human. Which meant that Lili could be in grave danger, especially if a demon had her.

“Clay, you have to find her.”

“We will find Lili. I promise you that.”

As they made their way downstairs, Clay took ahold of her hand and squeezed it gently. She kept her hand in his, needing his strength. If anyone could find Liliana it would be Clay and Samael.

At the foot of the stairs was Samael. He looked as intimidating as ever, perhaps even more so now that she was a human.

She let go of Clay’s hand and rushed the rest of the way down the stairs and pressed her hands to Samael’s chest.

“Samael, this isn’t Lili. She wouldn’t just walk away.” She knew how much Lili loved Samael. Eva had spent most of her existence trying to mess up what they had. So she knew that Lili would never just walk away, at least not by choice.

“I know and I will, Eva. I just needed to make sure she wasn’t here and being shielded from me for some reason. It’s the main reason I’m finding it so hard to locate her.”

Eva turned to look at Clay. “The two of you should be able to find her, right? I mean, if you put your heads together? Besides we also have Remie and others we can call on, can’t we?”

Clay took her hand once more and strode past Samael. Taking her to the couch he sat her down and then took a seat next to her. Samael stayed where he was at the foot of the stairs. His face was an unreadable dark mask.

“We’re going to do everything we can to find her.” Clay placed a hand on her knee and stroked gently.

“Then you guys need to go now. Don’t sit here with me. Get out there and find Lili, please,” she urged him.

“Eva, you have to promise me that you won’t go off and do anything crazy. Leave this to us. Promise me that before I leave here.”

“I won’t go anywhere except here and work.”

“You know that if you call my name I will come, right?”

“Yes, I know. Now please go find Lili. I’ll be okay, just keep me informed of what’s happening.” They both stood, and Clay leaned down and took her lips in a deep kiss. When he pulled away she stroked her fingers over his cheek softly.

“Go.” Nothing more was said, and Clay and Samael disappeared as demons often did, leaving Eva alone. She sank back down on the couch, hugging herself, and tried to think good thoughts about her sister.

“God, please help Lili wherever she is. I have so much to make up for.”

She was just going to put that out there to the universe. She knew she wasn’t in good favor with the One who could perform such a miracle, but it never hurt to ask for help when one required it.

“I did what you asked me to do, Asmo.” Vestis stated as if he were waiting for some form of approval.

“Yes, you did quite well, Vee. You did quite well indeed.”

Asmoday threw a glance at Vestis who stood just off to the right of him in the nether and was wringing his hands together, obviously proud of himself. It was dark and dank where they were. Deeper in the belly of the nether where the cross over from the human plane began to blur, becoming nonexistent, and more and more demons were present.

“Then what are you going to give me for completing the task for you?”

Asmoday regarded Vestis sharply. “Who are you to ask what I’m going to give you? Remember that I told you I am the top? That would be in all things, Vestis, and you best remember that.”

Vestis shrank back, and Asmoday placed his gaze on the spot where angels and demons crossed from one plane of existence to the next. He was looking for a certain demon to cross through. He couldn’t have made it more obvious that a demon had taken Liliana Jackson. So the issue of Clay taking so long was a mystery to him.

“As, what do you wish me to do with the woman?”

“There’s nothing you need do with her. You have her shackled here in the nether as I requested? Then she can’t get away. Your job is done, Vee.”

Vestis didn’t move, and Asmoday knew he was still waiting for some kind of handout or reward for following Asmoday’s orders.

“Yes, I have her fettered here in the nether where you asked. She is unconscious. She doesn’t know where she is.”

“She wouldn’t know. She’s human and pretty much clueless, as they always are.” He paused for a moment, seeing movement at the crossover point. It wasn’t Clay. Nor was it the other demon Samael who seemed to always show up around Clay. They were fucking tied at the hip. But then their history was common knowledge, though one would have thought that Samael and Liliana would go their own way.

Holding Liliana captive he would be a fool to think that Samael wouldn’t try to find her. It would all work out; this was part of his plan. Samael would come, and the others would follow. Destroy one and he’d destroy them all.

“Asmoday, why do you hate them so much?” There was caution in Vestis’s voice as he asked that question.

“Why do we demons do what we do?” He posed the question back at the other demon.

“It’s because we can?” There was still hesitation in the other demon’s voice.

“Bingo. We do what we do because it’s what we do best and since we can’t do anything but that.”

“So there isn’t any revenge that you’re seeking?”

“No, it’s nothing as hardcore as revenge, just plain and simple wanting to do evil for the sake of evil. No big epiphany. It is what we do and what we do best. What better kind of evil to do against one that didn’t see it coming?”

“I suppose you’re right,” Vestis said.

“You suppose I’m right?”

Asmoday hated to be contradicted and to have this little maggot of a demon do it infuriated him. He fixed his gaze on Vestis and as Vestis cowered from him a wicked grin curled at his lips. As he walked forward Vestis backed up until he was pinned against the sharp wall of the nether. Asmoday hooked a sharp claw under Vestis’s chin and glowered. Vestis tried to make himself as small as possible against the jagged rocks.

“You’d better think before you speak from now on, Vestis. As easily as I give you pleasure I can give you pain.”

Vestis shook his head vehemently and held his hands up as if to ward off Asmoday. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to overstep my bounds. I got too comfortable. Forgive me.”

It was pathetic when a demon pleaded, thought Asmoday. It lessened the other demon in his eyes. Though he ascertained that he needed to keep this particular coward around in case there was some cleanup that needed to be done once he had everyone where he wanted them.

“Damn right you did. Now as for a gift, I will give you the girl once I’m done with her.”

Asmoday saw the light of interest that entered Vestis’s beady eyes. He was such spineless vermin, but Asmoday would keep him around to get things he wanted done.

“Asmo, that would be a perfect present, I accept. I promise to break her.”

Asmoday jeered and shook his head. “Oh I know you’ll break her. You can’t seem to keep your toys in working order.”

“I can’t help it that they’re so fucking squishy.”

“Now it’s time to play a little game with the soft human.”

Perhaps Samael and Clay weren’t as smart as he thought they were. They should have been looking for the female so he’d just modify his plan—he was versatile like that. He was smarter this time, and he’d make sure that they all knew it.

“Now, Vestis, I want you to watch the portal.
If you see Clay or Samael come through, you tell me that very instant. You got it?”

“Yes, I got it. But it will cost you extra.”

Asmo watched him tense as if he were waiting for him to blow up. He didn’t give him the pleasure; he was surer now that Vestis would love to be hurt by him. He’d give him pain on his own time and not before. After all he was the one in charge of everything, not the other way around.

“Cost me extra, Vee?” He leered wickedly.

“Yes, I want more of you plus the girl.”

“You’ll get more of me when this is done and done to my satisfaction and not before. Now watch the portal. No one is to come or go without me knowing. Got that?”

“Yes, yes I got it. Watch the portal and let you know who comes and goes.”

“Good boy, I may just fuck your ass yet.”

He left Vestis in search of his other prey with the sound of the other demon’s moans of want in his ears.

****

Eva had decided that she couldn’t stay home. She needed to be busy doing something while Samael and Clay looked for Liliana. So doing the only thing she could, she went to work at the store. At the moment she was knee deep in products and pricing them and setting them up on the display table. She was hard at work in the back of the store setting up a display when she heard someone come up behind her.

Hands slid over her eyes and she struggled, using her elbow to hit whomever it was. She heard a male grunt, but the arms didn’t loosen. She revved up to scream when she heard Oz’s voice.

“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to startle you.” He let her go.

“Damn it, Oz, don’t do that.”

He held his hands up as if he was trying to ward her off. “I’m sorry. I didn’t think it would affect you like that.”

“I don’t mean to fuss at you. Just some shit has hit the fan, and I don’t know what to do about it.”

“Maybe there’s something I can do?” Oz offered.

“Don’t think anyone can help with this.”

“You may be surprised at what I can do.” His words struck her as odd, but then she dismissed that feeling. This was Oz, and he was her friend.

As they talked, she continued to put the small dildos on the shelf.

“Maybe but this is something that I don’t think anyone can do. No offense to you, but yeah, this is something that will take a lot more than just being nice to get it done.”

“One thing I can do is to take you from here for a walk.”

She shook her head. “I can’t. I promised Clay I would stick close to the house or here.”

“Ah, he wouldn’t begrudge you a little walk. Come on, just for a little while.” The smile on his face was charming, and she found that she wanted to go. There was a park just down the street a few blocks. Why not go there and enjoy herself to take her mind off what was happening?

“Okay, okay, you’ve twisted my arm. Let’s go for that walk.” She looped her arm into his and allowed him to lead her out of the store. It was a beautiful day; she would stay optimistic and believe that Clay would find Liliana. In her haste she’d left her purse and cell phone, but she figured they wouldn’t be gone long.

“So you going to tell me what’s wrong?”

“Oz, you’re very persistent.”

“Yeah, I am. I want to know what has such a beautiful woman so upset.”

She still had her arm hooked in his. They’d walked several blocks, and she could see the park in sight in the distance.

“My sister is missing.”

“The sister you said you had problems with?”

“Yes, one and the same. I only have one sister.”

“What makes you think she’s missing?”

“She isn’t the type to just leave and not say she’s going. She’s totally in love with her man, and she wouldn’t have just left him like that. Me, she probably would have. But I deserve everything she wants to dish out.”

“Ahh, I can’t believe that. You’ve only done what you wanted in life. Nothing more.”

She couldn’t help but look at him funny. How’d he know what she’d done or hadn’t done?

“It’s just a guess,” he offered.

“I have wanted what I shouldn’t want and that is what I’m paying for right now. Liliana deserved a better sister than me and if she comes back, I plan to show her.”

“Why don’t you go tell her?”

“Go tell her? I don’t know where she is.”

“What if I do?”

“Oz, what are you getting at? And why would you play about something like this?”

“Who says I’m playing, Eva? I never thought you were this fucking dense. Fuck, have I been wrong about you all this time? Please don’t tell me I need to spell it out for you.”

She gasped. His voice sounded like the snake in her dreams. He still held on to her arm and tightened his hold like a vice. She jerked to get away.