Jenna Black - The Devil Inside

The strangest thing of all was the pair of tables set up one on each side of the entrance. One table held headbands with cheesy devil horns on them, and the other held headbands with cheesy angel halos. Many of the milling crowd wore one or the other.

“I told you this wasn’t just an S&M club,” Adam said, practically shouting into my ear to be heard over the music. “If you’re here looking for a partner for some vanilla sex, you wear a halo. When you find a partner, you go to Heaven.” He pointed to the balcony. “And you rent a room. If you’re looking for something more exotic, you wear the horns, and when you find a partner, you go to Hell.”

My gaze followed his pointing finger until I found the sign saying Hell. It loomed over a heavy wooden door that looked just how you’d expect the mouth of Hell to look.

I swallowed hard. “And that’s where we’re going.”

His answer was a curt nod.

We fought our way through the crowd toward the bar, Adam forging a path while Dominic and I struggled along in his wake. We hovered like vultures until a table opened up, then dove for the high stools. I wasn’t sure if I could sit on one without flashing, but figured it was dark enough that no one would have much of a view even if I did. Adam sent Dominic to the bar for drinks, laughing when I ordered my trademark piña colada. At least he didn’t insist I order something more in keeping with my costume. I was nervous enough I wasn’t sure I’d be able to keep any alcohol down.

Dom returned with the drinks and pulled his stool over very close to Adam, their knees touching under the table. I immediately felt like the third wheel, which I supposed was okay since that was my role for the evening.

There wasn’t a whole lot of chatter-the music was too loud for it-and I tried to concentrate on my drink as Adam and Dom got progressively…cozier. It seemed Dominic had forgotten his discomfort with public displays of affection. Good thing for him, seeing as Adam’s tongue was down his throat most of the time. If only I felt more comfortable with it, this wouldn’t be quite so hellish. I battled to seem nonchalant and sucked down my drink in big swallows, hoping the alcohol would soothe my nerves.

Dominic was practically on Adam’s lap when an unfamiliar woman appeared seemingly out of nowhere.

She was tall, maybe even taller than me, and her skin was that deep ebony hue you associate with people from the heart of Africa. Close-cropped hair showed off the artistically perfect shape of her skull, and she had the longest, most elegant neck I’d ever seen. She looked Adam and Dom up and down with an almost proprietary expression, then looked at me and raised an eyebrow.

I didn’t know what to say or do, so I settled for giving Adam a nudge with my elbow to let him know we were no longer alone.

He came up for air, his eyes dark as sin. He blinked a couple of times, as if he’d forgotten where he was; then his eyes focused on our visitor.

“ Shae!” he said, sounding delighted. “Long time no see!”

She threw back her head and laughed like he’d said something really funny. I didn’t get the joke.

“I hear you were giving my people a hard time, you naughty boy,” she said. Her voice was as dark as her skin, and something about it chilled me. Or maybe it wasn’t her voice. Maybe it was that predatory glint in her eye.

I reminded myself that she was an illegal demon, and that made it easier to understand my quick and comprehensive dislike of her.

Adam grinned. “You could get me in trouble, Shae. It’s against regulations for me to go unarmed.”

She grinned back. “I promise not to tell on you.” Her gaze moved to Dom. “I hear you’ve had a spot of trouble.”

He nodded, but didn’t elaborate. I got the distinct feeling he wasn’t terribly fond of Shae, though he hadn’t given me that vibe when Adam had talked about her earlier.

Shae’s eyes found their way back to me, and she raked me with a head-to-toe examination that felt invasive and not at all friendly. “And who might this lovely creature be?”

Adam’s hand closed possessively around my wrist. For the moment, I didn’t feel inclined to object. He smiled at Shae.

“She’s my new pet-in-training,” he said, his fingers tightening on my wrist in warning. Guess he knew I’d be tempted to object to that. Honestly, he didn’t need the warning. I objected, but this was the role I’d agreed to play, and if it was what I needed to do to save Brian, then so be it.

Shae stuck out her lower lip. “But, Adam, you’ve been shamefully neglecting the poor creature. I’ve had my eye on you for a while.”

He let go of my wrist. “That’s because she’s being punished. She needs to learn to control her temper around her betters.”

I lowered my gaze, hoping I looked ashamed of my disgraceful behavior while I clamped my jaws together and fought the urge to retort.

“But you brought her out on the town anyway.”

I could almost hear Adam shrug. “What better punishment than to be forced to see what she’s missing?”

“My, aren’t you the cruel one.”

“Always.”

“So you’re planning to visit Hell tonight?”

My insides clenched, but I managed not to gasp or cringe. I was trying to take everything one step at a time, but my mind kept racing ahead of me, wondering what I would see down there, wondering if my rescue attempt was doomed before it began, wondering if I was going to get myself and Lugh killed before the night was over.

Thank God I wasn’t expected to talk.

“Naturally,” Adam answered.

Shae made a sound I might almost have described as a purr. “I’ve missed you. You always put on such a good show.”

My stomach turned, and I couldn’t help raising my gaze. Adam looked completely at ease trading quips with Shae, and she showed every evidence of enjoying it, too. Dom, on the other hand, sat rigidly straight on his stool, and his jaws visibly worked.

No, he definitely didn’t like Shae. And he was not happy with where this conversation was leading.

Adam sighed dramatically. “I’m afraid my showmanship days are over.” He reached over and put a hand on Dominic’s knee. “He’s too fragile for the dramatic.”

Shae’s eyes were razor sharp. “And yet you’re bringing him to Hell.” There was a challenge of some sort in her voice, though I didn’t understand it.

“Testing the waters,” Adam said. “You have a wider selection of toys. Mine are all for rougher games than Dom is up to handling these days. I figured I’d take some for a test-drive.”

Shae’s eyes seemed to gleam in the darkness. Maybe that was her demon shining through, or maybe it was my imagination. “Oh, I think this is going to be an excellent show. I think it’ll be so good I’ll take you down there myself. On the house.”

Adam met her gleaming eyes with a gleam of his own. “You are the most generous of hostesses.”

While they congratulated each other with unpleasant smiles, Dom’s face went white, his shoulders so tense I wanted to massage them. But he didn’t protest when Adam threw an arm around his shoulder and dragged him down off the stool. Guilt gnawed at my stomach. I hated that I was putting Dominic through this. I wished I’d realized in advance how uncomfortable this plan made him, but I’d been too absorbed in my own problems to notice.

The three of us followed Shae through the crowd toward the back of the club, where the door to Hell awaited us.

As soon as the heavy door closed behind us, completely blocking out the drone of the music, I heard the screams. I couldn’t force my feet forward, so I stood hesitating at the head of the stairs as the others descended.