Chapter 9
Two Months Later
“I can’t believe we’re going above for a whole week.” I sigh, my body relaxed from the pleasure Mammon has just given me. “I can breathe air that isn’t tainted by smoke for a little while.”
“And you’ll get to sit in the sunshine again,” Mammon replies, his fingers trailing through my hair. “You’re beautiful in the pool out back, floating around naked, but in clear daylight? You’re going to keep me busy. I can feel it.”
I snuggle closer, resting my chin on his mountain of pectorals, loving how big and strong he is, like he could protect me from the world and my father. I sniffle a little at the thought of the man I once adored and turn away from Mammon.
“Hey, what’s wrong?” he asks, rolling toward me.
I hear the concern in his voice and feel ashamed. “Nothing, just thinking about… The Above.” I wipe my eyes and nose, smiling up at my husband. “My mom was right. All those years, I thought she was jealous of me, that she hated how much attention my father gave me, and she was right. He didn’t love me at all, did he?”
I look up into Mammon’s face, but I don”t see the word ”no” forming on his lips. Instead, he sighs and traces a long talon down my face. “Penelope, you’re more precious than gold or diamonds. Your father was a stupid man, but he brought you to me, so I can’t hate him for that. I do hate him for how he hurt you, though, and made you doubt yourself.”
“It’s not just myself. It’s everything I thought I knew. I mean, I was complicit in my father’s cruelty to my mother. I never once doubted his word, only hers. I hated when he locked her away when she ranted and raved about what a bad man he was, but I never tried to stop him because I thought he was doing it out of love for me. He told me she was jealous, that I filled his world after she had me, leaving no time for her, and that made her twisted and angry. But all that time, she was right. He was the monster. Not her.”
“You can’t blame yourself for that, Penelope. You were raised to think that and had nothing to compare your life to. Yes, I know you got to watch TV sometimes, but that’s all fake, too,” Mammon says, holding up his hand when I start to protest. “You weren’t given a life, my lovely Penny. You were raised to believe what he said. You should be proud that you see him for what he is now.”
“I’m not sure that’s something to be proud of,” I reply, burrowing back into his arms, still too hungry for him to go without touching him for long. “Ignorance isn’t always an excuse.”
Mammon sighs, letting me crawl over his chest as he rolls onto his back. “You have to stop beating yourself up, Pen. You can’t treat yourself like this. I won’t have it.”
I nestle into him, my face in the crook of his neck. “Maybe one day I’ll believe you, but I wish I could tell my mom I’m sorry,” I mumble, trailing my hand through his thick ebony hair and stroking his horns.
“Did she ever apologize for putting you in that situation? You were a child, Penelope. Please stop beating yourself up.”
I close my eyes, letting his words and calming touch soothe me into sleep. He”s right. And tomorrow, after he’s done making his deals, I”ll see sunlight again, real sunlight. It won”t make the world entirely better, but it will be a good start.
When I wake up, something feels off. I pat the bed next to me and find Mammon is not there. I sit up and look around, panicking for a moment until I find a note on his pillow.
Penelope,
I”m getting the day over with so I can take you to The Above a little earlier than planned. You deserve it after being so patient and supportive.
Mammon.
I smile, wondering how I’ve gotten so lucky with this weird arrangement.
My father made a heinous deal and treated me in an unacceptable way. He hurt everyone in his life who could love him for fortune and power, but I”m beginning to think I got the better deal. I got Mammon.
At first, I was so scared and heartsick. But Mammon treats me better than I could have imagined. He makes my time in The Below bearable. And he gives me all the pleasure I could want. Who knew this sheltered princess would have such dark desires in the bedroom?
My body heats at the thought, and my hand slips to my core. I’m about to dare to touch myself at the thought of my sexy husband when I hear something.
I stop and listen. What could it be?
I’m not supposed to leave the house, but as I pay closer attention, I recognize Mammon’s voice. He’s calling to me.
I leap to my feet and dash downstairs, wondering if something’s happened. I know he and Lucifer have had a strained relationship lately, and I’m partially to blame. Not that I don’t want to give that awful boss of his a piece of my mind, though. It figures Lucifer would be a slave driver.
Seeing Mammon so uptight about whatever Lucifer threatened has been worrying me. Something Mammon refused to tell me.
I head to the front door, pressing my ear to it to be certain of what I heard.
“Penelope, my queen.”
Yes, that has to be him. I open the door and peek out, trying to locate the source of his voice. I see no one.
“Mammon?” I call, taking a few tentative steps outside.
The moment I do, a smoky smell assails my nose, and Lucifer appears in front of me, his teeth bared in a satisfied grin. He looks different from earlier, looking painfully handsome in his angelic form. I know it”s an illusion, but I can”t help admiring his ethereal beauty. He still stinks, though.
“I’m afraid it’s only me,” he says, scooping me up as I choke on his sulfuric fumes. I’ll at least give him credit for being delicate with his claws.
“I should have known it was a trick! Put me down!” I screech as my surroundings blur. A sharp tug on my stomach tells me he”s transporting me elsewhere just as another estate materializes—a midnight-black castle with grounds sprawling as far as the eye can see. It expands into the void and screams rent the air every few moments.
“As you wish, human,” Lucifer says, practically dropping me on my ass.
“What are you doing? What’s this all about?” I hiss, standing and brushing myself off. “You know Mammon will be furious at you for this.”
Lucifer waves a dismissive hand. “You can’t be that na?ve. I”m Mammon”s master. I”m the King of Hell.”
I stand my ground, appalled at the turn of events. Usually, I would cower, but he’s made me mad. This could ruin our plans to go to The Above. “And you need him as much as he needs you. So, as far as I can tell, you’re on a more even footing than you realize.”
“You are quite the specimen… Pauline, is it?”
He switches to his incorporeal form and dances around me. I don’t know if I prefer him solid or this way. I could at least punch him and believe it might hurt if he were solid.
I scowl at him as he skips around to my front again. ”Penelope,” I say keeping my voice calm as if I”m dealing with a petulant five-year-old. “What do you want from me? I’m Mammon”s wife, and I won’t be traded to anyone else.”
He laughs. “If I wanted you to be my bride, you already would be, Phoebe. I would break and train your mind to be mine.” He gets in my face, allowing his smoky hand to become corporeal while he strokes my cheek. “I assure you that’s not what this is about. Consider it proving a point. And a warning. One Mammon obviously needs since he seems ready to bow out. I can feel it. He wants to get back to you and take you…” Lucifer points upward.
“You’ve always allowed him to go to The Above. What’s so different now?”
Lucifer”s expression becomes menacing. He’s no longer playing, and the wickedness in his crimson eyes shakes me to my core. “You are what is so different, Pamela. He has enemies, and you are his weakness. I like Mammon, as much as I like anyone, so I protect him from those enemies, maintain his powers, and give him a safe place to be. You are now a part of that protection. But you’re also my bait, especially when he’s slipping. He needs a wake-up call.”
I shake my head, not wanting to believe it. Mammon warned me about the dangers to me, but I never thought about how I could make it worse for him. Like Lucifer said, I”m his weakness. But I”m done being weak.
I raise my chin and stare The Devil in the eye. “We’re still going to The Above. Now, if I’m going to be staying here for a while, I need something to eat and somewhere to sit.”
Anger simmers in Lucifer”s eyes, and his lips pull back in a snarl, revealing razor-sharp teeth. He stalks toward me. ”Well, well, it seems little Patricia has claws of her own.”
”It”s not Patricia, it”s?—”
”Penelope!”
My husband”s voice booms from behind me.
I cross my arms and smile smugly at Lucifer. He says nothing, so I call out. “I’m here and fine, Mammon!”
He appears before me, reaching for me and checking every inch of my body to ensure I’m unharmed. Still clinging to me, he turns on Lucifer. “You touched her. You took her!”
“Yes, and now my suspicion is confirmed.”
Mammon”s eyes narrow. ”What suspicion?”
”You care for the human,” he says as if the thought disgusts him. ”You need to be careful, Mammon. You are neglecting your duties and walking a very dangerous path.”
“I am your servant, Lucifer. I have never let you down. You want more souls, fine. I’ll double my daily count, but only when we return from The Above. My wife needs sunlight and fresh air if she is to survive down here.”
Lucifer growls but gives a dismissive wave. ”This is your last warning. Do not disappoint me again, or you will no longer have the benefit of my protection. Now, off you fuck, the both of you.”
Lucifer turns his back and disappears in a flash of light.
I focus on my demon as he grabs me, snaps his fingers, and takes us home.
On the second day of our trip to The Above, I notice something. When Mammon goes into the house at night, an odd sensation prickles along my spine. At first, I dismiss it, but on the second night, when he goes into the house to get another bottle of wine, the sensation returns with a vengeance.
I look around the pool area and beyond, reclining on a lounger, the pool lights illuminating the area. Someone is watching me, and it makes me feel…dirty. I pull the towel from the table beside me and place it across my bikini. The towel doesn’t make me feel more protected, but at least I’m less exposed.
“What’s wrong?” Mammon asks as he steps through the sliding glass doors, an uncorked bottle in his hands. One glance, and he knows something is amiss.
“Probably my nerves, but when you go into the house, I feel like I’m being watched,” I say, laughing nervously at my overactive imagination. “It’s probably nothing.”
Mammon is immediately on alert. “You have good intuition. Give me a second,” He vanishes in the blink of an eye before reappearing. “I’ve instructed my security to increase the guards around the perimeter of the house.”
“Thank you,” I say, feeling silly for bothering him with my worries. “It’s probably me, still getting used to this new life.”
“No. You need to be aware of things like that, Pen. I have enemies who would love to steal you away from me, not that I would ever let that happen, I promise.” He leans down to kiss me before sitting on the lounger beside mine. “I’ll kill anyone who tries to harm you and have them tortured for eternity.”
I smile, taking his hand. “Aw, you really know how to charm a girl,” I tease.
I know he means to reassure me, but his conviction and fierceness are a little scary. It reminds me that he’s a demon and would be any other woman’s worst nightmare. But not mine. Because I’m in love with my husband. And nothing will harm me as long as he’s here to protect me.
Still, I know something is wrong. Since my world was turned upside down and I became the bride of a demon, I’ve questioned my instincts and intuition, but this unease is bone deep—the sense of danger present whenever Mammon isn’t close by.
I play with his fingers, blushing when I note he’s filed his claws. I know why he’s filed them, why he’s rounded the pointed edges, and it’s all about pleasing me. He wants to use every inch of his body to please me. My blush deepens when I spot his tail waving in the air as if reading my thoughts.
He’s a talented man, I’ll give him that, and I wonder about all the creative ways he could use that tail. My desire builds quickly, as it always does when he’s near. The pleasure he gives me is like a drug I’ve quickly become addicted to. I was terrified of him when my father dragged me into that room and cast me away like garbage. Now, I crave Mammon’s touch, crave what only he can give me.
“You’re thinking about sex again, aren’t you, little one?” my husband asks, suddenly looming over me. “I can smell your arousal. Do you want me to take you out here, in public?”
My spine tingles at his words, but I shake my head, still uneasy. “I don’t want anyone but you seeing me naked or how only you can give me what I need.”
“Perhaps it’s what they need to see, little one,” he growls. “To know that you belong to me and only me.”
I love his possessiveness, but… “And are you mine, Mammon?”
“Oh, I’ve been yours since I first looked into your beautiful eyes.”
I gaze at my husband, letting his words sink in. “Take me to our bedroom, Mammon. I don’t need an audience. I need only you.”
I melt into him the moment his massive arms wrap around me and his lips find mine. He strides into our bedroom and tosses me on the bed. Then he makes me forget that there’s a world outside his eyes.