Personal Demons 2 - Original Sin (16 page)

And I'm completely torn between going back to that house to hunt down the bastard who's stalking Lili, or following Frannie.

Do your job, Matt.

I really don't have a choice. I glance back at Lili's door as I follow Frannie and Luc down the stairs and into his Shelby, where I climb into the backseat.

Luc

Unholy Hell.

Marchosias.

Where did Taylor find Marchosias?

Frannie and I push open the doors into the arcade and see them draped all over each other between the change machine and the air hockey tables. Music pounds from the overhead speakers, and lights flash. The crowd jostles and twists through the room in an unchoreographed dance, shouting over the whistles and bleeps from the arcade machines and the blaring music. But Taylor and Marchosias don't seem to be distracted by any of it.

Frannie shoots me a grin and starts elbowing her way through the crowd. I grab her arm and pull her back. Should I tell her? Either way, it's not safe for Frannie to be here. Because Marchosias can be here for only one reason.

She spins on me, irritation pinching her brow and pulling her lips into a hard line. “What?”

“I know him.”

Her eyes widen. “From…?”

“Hell, yes. He's a tender of the Pit and a…friend, I suppose. Marchosias.”

She glances back over her shoulder as Taylor loops her arms around Marchosias's neck and nearly climbs right into him. “You can't be serious.” Her ears flush red as fear and anger do battle on her face. She turns and storms toward them, but I grasp her arm tighter. “Let go of me!” she spits.

“Frannie, stop. He's not here on vacation. He's trying to get to you through Taylor.”

She rips her arm away from me. “Well, it's working.” She continues across the arcade toward the couple, who haven't once come up for air.

I catch her halfway across the room and spin her to face me, grasping both her upper arms. “This isn't the best strategy, Frannie. Taylor can't know. It would be even more dangerous for her.”

She closes her eyes and draws a deep breath, working to calm herself. “So, what are we gonna do?”

“You stay here.” I look around, hoping Matt is in the general vicinity. As if he read my mind, I feel a flick on the back of my head. I roll my eyes and rub my head. “I'll go talk to them.”

“No. I'm coming. She's my friend, Luc.” Her eyes are hard, determined.

“Fine,” I capitulate when it's clear that she's not going to be deterred. “Stay behind me.”

We weave through the mob and finally reach the spot where Marchosias has Taylor pinned against the wall with his body. Before I know she's done it, Frannie steps around me and tugs Taylor's shirt. “Tay.”

Taylor peels herself away from Marchosias, her eyes cloudy and her breathing short. She takes a minute to get her bearings, and her eyes slowly clear. “Oh, hey, Fee. You guys made it.” She looks less than thrilled.

But Marchosias looks plenty thrilled. He hooks an arm around Taylor's shoulders and leers at Frannie. “You were at that party. Frannie, right?” he says, reaching out a hand to her.

“And I'm Luc,” I say, grasping his hand before Frannie can. There's no way in Hell I'm letting Marchosias touch her.

His smile pulls into a voracious grin. “Marc.” He squeezes my hand hard—a challenge—but his eyes stay locked on Frannie.

I drop his hand and we all stand here in awkward silence for a long second.

“So, is anyone hungry?” Frannie finally says. “We could get a pizza next door.”

Taylor looks hungry, but not for pizza. “Um…yeah, sure.”

Marchosias guides Taylor through the mass of humanity toward the door. Just as we reach it, it swings open and Angelique steps through on the arm of a muscle-bound guy about my height, with short blond hair and an unsettling look in his deep-set brown eyes—something twisted and violent. I don't need to be a demon to see this guy is bad news, and most likely already tagged for Hell. Taylor pulls up short, eyes wide, and Frannie grabs her hand.

Taylor doesn't even seem to notice Angelique. Her eyes are locked on the guy. And I remember where I've seen him. The quarry.

“Hey, Brendan,” Taylor says, looking a little shell-shocked.

When Marchosias tucks a hand into Taylor's back pocket and squeezes, her eyes cloud as his power washes over her. She leans into him and seems to forget about Brendan altogether.

Angelique's eyes slide over Marchosias and finally come to rest on Taylor. “Taylor,” she says with a self-satisfied smirk, trailing a finger along Brendan's abs. She thrusts out her substantial chest and leers at me, as if hanging on the arm of a brute that'd just as soon swing at her as sleep with her is going to make me reconsider her numerous offers. “Hey, Luc.”

Brendan's eyes pull away from Taylor and fall hard on me. It's a look meant to intimidate, no doubt. I stifle a chuckle at the memory of him screaming like a girl. That scream will go over big with the tenders when he's spending eternity burning in the Inferno. They live for mortals like him—the ultimate in entertainment.

I rest a hand on Taylor's shoulder and look between Brendan and Marchosias. Taylor's somehow managed to go from bad to worse.

“Angelique,” I answer after a minute, nodding in her direction. I can't constrain the scowl as I regard her date. “Who's your friend?”

Brendan glares harder. “Brendan,” he says, shoving Angelique off and stepping forward.

I smile and hold out my hand. “Luc.”

He looks at it for a moment then grasps it and squeezes. I squeeze back in warning, wishing I could do more.

Brendan turns to Taylor. “And who's
your
friend?” he sneers.

Marchosias's eyes glow red as he extends an arm toward Brendan with an impish smirk. “Marc,” he says.

Brendan takes his hand and smirks back as he gives Marchosias the same squeeze he gave me. But I see his eyes widen as his hand is crushed by Marchosias's. He tries to pull his hand free, but a malefic smile curls the corners of Marchosias's lips as a crackle of red lightning shoots over the surface of his hand.

“Ahh!” Brendan yells, his face twisting into a grimace. He drops to his knees as Marchosias's power surges through him. He gives a desperate tug at his arm and Marchosias finally lets go.

Jealously slices through me as I yearn for my old power, wishing I could have been the one to bring this asshole to his knees. I shake my head, pushing the thought back, and loop my arm around Frannie's shoulders as we push past Brendan and Angelique, through the door, and onto the sidewalk.

Frannie

“I can't believe what a girl Brendan is,” Taylor says with a laugh. She wraps her arms around Marchosias's neck. “All you did was shake his hand, and he's totally bawling on the floor like a baby. That was sweet.”

We push through the door into Ricco's and I keep my head down, hoping Ricco won't notice me. But, of course, he does. He holds up his hand to Luc.
“Un toro!”
he says with a wide grin.

Luc nods at him. “Ricco.”

Then Ricco's eyes slide to me and narrow to slits. “No discount,” he says.

“Whatever.” I push past him and sit in Luc's regular booth in the back. Luc slides in next to me as Marc sits across from us and pulls Taylor down into his lap. But his eyes never leave me, even when Taylor buries her face in his.

I look expectantly at Luc. He's supposed to have a plan. One that doesn't involve sitting here watching my best friend suck face with a demon.

“Hey, guys!” I look up at the source of the voice. Delanie slides four scratched plastic plates and a stack of soda cups on the end of our table. She pulls a pad and pen from her short black apron. “I'm training and Dana said I can take your table.”

I look over at Dana, who's leaning against the counter, watching Delanie. I wave and she smiles back. “Hey, Delanie. Just bring us a pitcher of Coke and…” I look at Taylor for input.

She pulls her face out of Marc's long enough to say, “No onions…or garlic.” She grins at Marc. When I look at him, he raises an eyebrow and slides Taylor off his lap and onto the seat.

“Just a large cheese,” I say, looking back at Delanie.

Delanie repeats the order out loud as she jots it on the pad. “Coming right up,” she says, then grins. “I've been dying to say that.” She turns and her long black ponytail swings side to side as she struts away toward the kitchen, where she clips our order up in the kitchen window. She spins and grins at me again, clearly proud of herself. Dana gives her a pat on the back.

When I look back across the table, Marc's expression sends a shiver down my spine. “So, Taylor says you've known each other for a long time.”

I nod.

He paws at Taylor, but his eyes are still locked on me. My frustration builds, and I find my anger directed at Luc. He should be doing something. Then I feel his hand on my knee, squeezing. His eyes slide to the back of the restaurant and I follow his gaze. The restrooms. I push Luc and he stands, letting me out of the booth.

“Hey, Tay. I need to use the bathroom. Come with me?”

Taylor hesitates and glances at Marc before saying, “Yeah, whatever,” and sliding out of the booth.

I grab Taylor by the arm and move through the restaurant to the dim corridor in back that leads to the restrooms. Once out of sight of the table, I pull Taylor up short. I stare hard at her. “Tay, this guy's trouble.”

Taylor tears her arm away from me. “Oh, this is rich,” she sneers. “You're jealous!”

“Be serious. I am so
not
jealous. I just think he's dangerous.”

Taylor's eyes spark and a smile spreads across her face. “And what's wrong with dangerous?”

“No, Tay. I mean
seriously
dangerous. I have a really bad feeling about him.”

Taylor's smile doesn't falter. “I've felt most of him, and believe me, there's nothing ‘bad.' And you saw what he did to Brendan. He was protecting me.”

“Taylor, be serious!”

Her grin twists into a scowl. “You know what, Fee? Just get out of my face. You have Luc, so it's stupid of you to be jealous.”

“I'm not jealous,” I growl. She's missing the whole goddamn point.

“Whatever.” She rolls her eyes. “So do you have to go or what?” she says, throwing an arm up the corridor to the bathrooms. “'Cause I'm going back to the table if you don't.”

I just stare at her, trying to figure out what to say so she gets it.

She glares, then wheels and struts back toward the restaurant.

“Tay, wait up.” I catch her by the arm just before she turns the corner into the room. “Luc knows him—from where he lived before. He says this guy has done some really bad stuff.”

“Well, he's doing some really
good
stuff to me, so you'll just have to get over yourself.”

He's bad for you. You don't want him.

I cringe internally as I push the thought with my mind, hating myself for doing this to Taylor.

She just stares at me.

I push again.
He'll hurt you like Brendan.

Taylor slumps back into the wall and lowers her eyes. “You think he'll hurt me?”

Her voice is suddenly unsure, and this time I cringe outwardly. But she needs to stay away from him. I'm doing the right thing. “I do.”

She shakes her head, as if trying to clear it, then lifts her eyes to mine. “But…”

“He's bad news, Taylor.”

She nods slowly. “Bad news.”

Acid builds in my stomach and I feel suddenly sick. I can't shake the feeling that what I'm doing is wrong, even if it is to help Taylor. “So, you'll come with me and Luc?”

She nods again.

I let go of her arm and we head back to the table.

Luc

“So, did Hell run out of real demons? Just wondering why they sent a rank amateur.”

Marchosias glares death at me from across the table. “You're one to talk.” Red lightning crackles over the surface of his hand where it rests on the table, fist pointed in my direction. “Show me what you've got, Lucifer.”

“Seriously, why would they send a tender of the Pit after Frannie?”

His eyes flare red heat. “Your…defection left an opening in Acquisitions, which I was more than happy to fill. It's the department with the most potential for upward mobility, what with Beherit burning in the Pit and all.” A malevolent grin stretches his face. “He was my last official assignment before making the transition.”

Delanie sweeps by the end of our table, sliding the pizza onto it. She sets the pitcher of soda down and scans the table. “Did I forget anything?”

I smile up at her, but it feels strained. I don't like the way Marchosias is looking at her. “Thanks, Delanie. I think we're good.”

“'Kay, Luc. Let me know if you need anything else.” Her eyes shift to Marchosias. “See you at the studio tomorrow?”

A purely wicked grin blooms on his face. “Wouldn't miss it.”

Her eyes light up. “I can't believe you got us set up with this demo. It's gonna be great!”

His eyes devour her as he nods.

“Okay. Let me know if you need anything else.” She moves to the table behind me as Marchosias leers after her.

I slide back in the booth and swing a leg up onto the seat. “So, Frannie must not be a priority anymore if they're sending the trainee.”

He leans onto his elbows and fingers a slice of pizza. “You forget, Lucifer. I know you better than most.”

“You need to back off, Marchosias.”

“Why the Hell would I do that? I'm making such beautiful progress. Look at me, sitting here at a table with you and my target.” His eyes flick to the hallway in the back and his mouth stretches into a slow grin. “And Taylor…let's just say she's the icing on the cake. A tasty bonus. I'm thinking of keeping her.”

I feel my blood boil, and it's everything I can do not to jump over the table and strangle him.

“This is between us, Marchosias. Leave Taylor out of it.”

His grin stretches wider and his eyes spark. “Sorry…too late. She's already
very
into…it. You've heard that saying about having your cake and eating it too? Well, I've
had
my cake, if you know what I mean.”