Where There's Smoke (21 page)

“See what your life became,” he told her.

Jack said he would take care of her. She believed him. He said he loved her and she believed that, too.

He sent her out to shoplift, coercing her to earn money for the both of them. Jack told her this was what love was, and if she wanted to keep his she’d better do as she was told.

And so she did, because even a scrap of love was better than no love at all. But nothing was ever good enough for him. Jack began to slap her around. The slaps turned to a doubled fist. She cringed.

“No more,” she whispered, trying to turn away from her life as it unfolded in front of her. “I don’t want to see any more.”

“This is all life can ever be for you. No one loved you, no one took care of you until I came along. I saved you. Me! No one else.”

Her spine stiffened as she gritted her teeth, knowing she would have to face her past once again.

Life with Jack became too much to bear. The gun was in her hand. She pulled the trigger. The explosion made her ears ring, and the force of the gun kicked her against the wall. But she hadn’t looked away.

Relief flooded through her when he gasped, grabbed his chest, and fell to the ground, blood staining the dingy carpet. He wouldn’t hurt her again. Never again.

She didn’t look away until he stopped breathing. It all happened in a matter of seconds, but time seemed to move in slow motion.

Then fear set in. They would come for her, his friends. She fumbled with the doorknob, finally getting the door open, but it was too late. Jack’s friends had heard the gunshot. One of them hit her, then another. Over and over. The pain was too much.

Destiny tried to draw in a breath but she couldn’t. Her battered and broken body felt as though it were on fire. She whimpered, but they didn’t stop.

“I can make the pain go away,” Vetis whispered again.

One of them kicked her. A bone broke. Their laughter filled her ears.

“We’re gonna make you wish you were dead, bitch. Then we’re gonna make your wish come true. Just not for a long time yet.” He pulled her up by her hair and looked into her eyes. Destiny knew he meant what he said and they would keep her alive until they tired of torturing her.

“I can make it all go away,” Vetis whispered.

A fist slammed into her stomach. She doubled up on the floor, gasping for each breath as she wrapped her arms around her middle. The pain blurred her vision but she saw him, this strange being that no one else could see. She saw the pity in his eyes.

“I’ll end it. Just give me your soul to keep.”

A booted foot landed hard against her back. Pain exploded through her body.

“Yes,” she gasped. “Make it stop,” she repeated the words from that night so long ago.

With one wave of his hand, the screen was gone. Vetis opened his arms and she willingly went into them, crying against his shoulder.

“You don’t want that life again, do you?”

“No,” she sobbed.

“It looks good at first,” he soothed. “But that life only gave you pain. It would be no different now. Get your quota and come back to me. I have never hurt you.”

“No, you haven’t.” But a shiver of apprehension traveled over her.

“One more soul, then I’ll make you burn for me,” he promised.

In a swirl of smoke, he was gone. Destiny stumbled to the sofa and dropped onto the cushioned seat. How could she have been so stupid to forget why she was here? Vetis took away her pain.

But she doubted him. Her gaze skittered around the room, searching. He was gone, only his presence lingered.

Oh damn, she still doubted him. It was as though she was seeing him in another light. As though the gold paint was rubbed off in places and the tarnish was becoming more visible.

How could she doubt him, though? Vetis kept his promise and took away the pain.

But deep down, she knew why the trust was no longer there. He promised her life would be good, but she was still waiting for everything he swore would be hers. Maybe it was all a lie.

No, she wouldn’t think like that! Something in her life had to be real. Once she convinced Chance to return to Hell with her, she would have everything she ever dreamed of. Vetis wouldn’t go back on his word. She was the one who had to fill her quota.

A new resolution filled her. She would have it all, and that included Chance. He wanted her. He wasn’t able to resist her. She only had to convince him that they could have everything if only he would follow her back to Hell.

It was time to start playing for real. What man could resist the world if it was given to him on a silver platter?

She pushed off the sofa and scrubbed the tears from her face. She could do it, would do it.

After a quick shower, she dressed in a pair of tight-fitting jeans, sandals, and a body-hugging top. Still, he didn’t show. The clock ticked down the seconds. By noon she was going stir crazy. Did he get what he wanted and move on to his next challenge?

Anger burned inside her. It wouldn’t be the first time she was used. Damn, how could she have been so stupid as to believe in someone again?

Crap, she still needed another soul. What would happen if she went back empty-handed? A shiver ran down her spine at the thought of facing a court of demons. She heard about things like that happening and it wasn’t something she planned to go through herself.

She would get her soul and return to Hell, and then everything would be better. Something stabbed at her heart when she thought about not seeing Chance ever again. But she had no choice, damn it! Never once in her life did she have a choice. Why should it be any different now?

She grabbed her purse, slinging the strap over her shoulder. Her steps were quick and jerky as she made her way out of the apartment. As she rounded the corner toward the elevator, she met Beulah.

Destiny stumbled, but quickly caught herself and stared at the other woman. Was she wearing makeup? She’d changed into a light blue top and black slacks. The clothes and makeup softened her appearance. A far cry from when Destiny first met her. Beulah looked almost like someone’s grandmother.

“What are you staring at?” Beulah grumbled.

“Really?”

“A person has a right to try something different.”

“Whatever.” She was wasting time talking to her.

Destiny hurried down the hall, then stepped into the elevator and punched the main floor. The box moaned and groaned as it descended. What was she going to do? She had to find another soul to steal. She had pinned all her expectations on Chance, but he wasn’t around. She couldn’t just walk up to someone and ask them if they would like to go to Hell.

No, it took finesse and time to convince someone that it wasn’t so bad to die. People were afraid of death. But time was running out for her.

The elevator came to a jarring stop. As soon as the doors opened, she hurried out. Destiny didn’t waste any time leaving the building and striding down the street. She sized up every person she met as a possible candidate, but there was something wrong with each one.

A man who already looked angry at the world strode past, glaring at her. Evil oozed from his pores. Just to look at him made her skin crawl. She knew men like him. Way too many, in fact.

Destiny quickly turned her head and hurried past. No, the stranger wasn’t a good candidate. Vetis would only laugh and say her efforts were amateurish at best.

Her gaze flitted from person to person as she pushed past people on their lunch breaks. She had to find someone. What would Vetis do to her if she returned empty-handed? No! She refused to think about the consequences. She raked her fingers through her hair, desperately searching the faces of people as she hurried down the sidewalk. Her heart pounded and her palms grew damp.

A cowboy stepped from a store that displayed boots, jeans, and hats behind a plate glass window. He might do. Fortyish, so not too old. When he was closer, the man politely tugged on the brim of his hat. “Howdy, ma’am.” The sun glinted off his plain gold wedding band.

She nodded and hurried past, knowing she wouldn’t be able to convince him Hell was better than what he had. The man had that comfortable, married look about him. She frowned. He probably married his freakin’ high school sweetheart.

What about the more mature woman strolling toward her? Destiny quickly ruled her out. The woman had a diamond on her finger that had to be at least a couple of carats.

Just down the street, a woman parked a coughing minivan and opened the creaking driver’s door. Destiny walked nearer, slowed, then came to a stop.

“Beautiful day, isn’t it?” The woman wore a tired smile as she carefully counted out change and put it in the parking meter. Her clothes were clean but beginning to show signs of wear.

Life could be so much better for this woman. She could have new clothes. Jewels. Anything her heart desired. Destiny studied her. Yes, she would do just fine. Surely she would want to leave her poor existence for something so much better. Vetis would be so proud of Destiny.

“Yes, it is a wonderful day.” Destiny smiled, knowing she was about to meet her quota. The tension drained from her body. The woman would please Vetis. Destiny would be safe from his wrath.

As the woman opened the sliding side door, Destiny couldn’t help feeling empty inside. She’d thought there was something special between her and Chance. That he would be the one to leave with her. She was wrong, of course. She never was a good judge of character, especially when it came to men.

But it didn’t matter now. Soon it would all be a distant memory. Destiny squared her chin. Prepared to use all her charm to convince the woman that a better life awaited her.

But as the woman straightened, small hands wrapped around her neck. The toddler couldn’t have been more than four. The little girl smiled, clutching her mother’s hand when she stood her on the sidewalk.

The blood ran cold through Destiny’s veins. The little girl suddenly broke free and hurled herself at Destiny, giggling and laughing. Destiny instinctively knelt down. The little girl threw her arms around Destiny’s neck and hugged.

Destiny inhaled her little girl fragrance like it was an expensive perfume. She absorbed her pudgy softness. That was what it felt like to love something.

“Oh my, I’m so sorry. Melissa, what has Momma told you about this?” she said with a slow Texas drawl.

“Pretty,” the child said.

The woman laughed. “Yes, she’s very pretty. I’m so sorry. Melissa can be a handful.”

“Not a problem,” Destiny told her as she bowed her head and stumbled away. Tears filled her eyes. No, she couldn’t take the woman. She just couldn’t. Not and leave the child to fend for herself.

Destiny quickly moved farther down the street. Her gaze darted over the thinning crowd. What if she didn’t find someone? Desperation weaved its way through her.

A young man with longish hair was walking toward her. Homeless? Maybe. He was dressed as badly as some of the kids she used to run with. His jeans were ragged and torn—obviously too big. They hung past his waist, boxer shorts showing. But clean.

Destiny couldn’t tell.

Her move was calculated. When he passed, she casually dropped her purse. She vowed to take his soul if he snatched it up and ran, but no, he stooped and picked it up, then hurried to bring it back to her.

It wasn’t working out. What the hell was she doing wrong? She was almost a demon.

After all she’d suffered through, she should be able to take anyone. She should be able to just say, screw them! Take their soul any way she could and finish what she’d started.

Then why couldn’t she? Why was she finding it so difficult?

The crowd thinned until there was no one on the sidewalk. She absently reached up and fingered the necklace Chance had given her as panic began to set in.

Vetis was going to destroy her. A shudder wracked her body. She needed a place where she could plan a new strategy. Where she could gather her thoughts.

She rounded a corner. The bar loomed ahead. She glanced around. Hell, even the bum was nowhere in sight. She quickened her pace until she was pushing on the door and stepped into the cool interior. Once inside, she glanced around—hoping, but no. She was the only one inside the bar other than the bartender.

If she wasn’t so desperate to get her quota, she’d laugh. Her situation was pretty funny when she thought about it. Really, what kind of demon was she going to make if she couldn’t even find one soul to steal?

She moved to the bar, sliding onto one of the stools. “A beer.” Drowning her sorrows was sounding pretty good. Drink enough so she wouldn’t have to think about her life—or her death.

The bartender uncapped a bottle and brought it to her. She pulled some money out of her purse and dropped the bills on the counter.

“The cowboy not with you?” he asked.

She was in the middle of taking a drink, but his voice startled her so that the liquid went down the wrong tube. She coughed, trying to catch her breath.

“Sorry about that,” he said. “I was just making conversation.”

Destiny eyed him, remembering that she first thought he might be a good candidate to seduce back to Hell. The guy was maybe in his mid-thirties and kind of cute.