Chapter Seventy-Eight Charlotte
Chapter Seventy-Eight
Charlotte
When I finally stumble back through the pearly gates, it’s like stepping out of a dream. The gates tower above me, brilliant and blinding. My knees nearly buckle from the weight of everything that’s happened.
But then Azrael is there by my side like he sensed the exact moment I came back to him, his hand firm at my elbow, anchoring me.
For a heartbeat, we just stand there, his eyes flickering with pride. His gaze falls to my bump, and he licks his lips, his expression full of longing. I want to say something, anything, but all that escapes me is his name.
“Azrael . . .”
The sound of it on my lips feels like home.
“You perfect, clever girl,” he breathes.
I collapse into his arms, his hand falling protectively to my belly like I’m his, and his mouth twists into a smile. At first, he just looks at me, like he’s trying to memorize me all over again, his eyes shining. Then he tugs me to him, claiming my lips.
His kiss is fierce, desperate, unrelenting.
When he releases me, I wrap myself in him, my tears dampening his shoulder as I cling to him. For the first time in what feels like forever, I relax completely, allowing myself to believe we survived.
“Lucifer?” I ask, pulling back from him.
“He’s at Fashion Week. You’ve been gone about a week and a half.” Azrael cups my cheek. “I’ll take you to him.”
Only a little over a week?
It feels like a whole lifetime has passed for me. I glance down at my bump.
Or a few months at least.
Azrael chuckles like he can see all the wheels inside my head turning, before he rubs a hand over my belly. “I didn’t think you could be any more beautiful, little siren.” He leans down and kisses me, long and deep.
Death draws me to him, my toes curling in pleasure, until I’m panting.
He holds me tight, barely any space between us, and I feel a rush of wind as his wings flap, and then the next thing I know, we’re standing backstage at the Grand Palais éphémère.
“Go.” He swats me on the ass, grinning. “I’ll be in the playroom when you both get back.”
“Do I have to?” I whine, even though I’m eager to see my husband.
He gives me a stern look. “You’ll regret it if you miss it. Be a good girl for me.”
I blush, ready to obey, eager to please him.
The only thing more terrifying to a brat than a hard Dom is a pleasure Dom.
And I’ve been getting the best of both lately.
Azrael rubs a hand over Faith, dropping a quick kiss there, too, like she and I are just as much his as we are Lucifer’s. A kinky, immortal family.
But what else is new?
He nods to the stage. “I’ll keep an eye on you until you’re back.”
I smile. “Of course you will, you freaking stalker.”
I give him one last kiss, reluctant to let him go.
But Lucifer and I will be home in only a few hours.
His wings beat again, and then he’s gone, leaving me standing among the backstage chaos.
I’m still in the tattered remains of my wedding dress, the back of my bodice hanging open from where I had to unlace it, and I’m pretty sure my makeup has long gone to hell and back. I look a lot like I do whenever Lucifer and Azrael have had their way with me in the playroom. But I don’t care.
I’m here for me.
No one else.
To take my victory lap for quietly saving humanity.
I navigate backstage until I spot Xzander. He’s pacing back and forth in front of Imani, looking as if he’s about to lose it—he’s likely terrified that I won’t show—but when he catches sight of me, his eyes go wide, his gaze darting over me, and then, “Diva!” he shrieks.
Clearly, he doesn’t even know where to begin.
I shrug. “The show’s celestial themed. This is what being a celestial looks like.”
He places a hand on Imani’s shoulder like he needs her to give him strength. Imani just shakes her head. “You’re on in five, Charlotte.”
The next few minutes are a flurry of hair and makeup.
Xzander furiously cuts and stitches and throws together what remaining pieces he can salvage from his original design, and to be honest, it looks almost the same, other than the artfully placed midsection to accommodate my baby bump, since he didn’t know I was expecting.
All in all, it’s not my worst look.
But I would have gone out there in my wedding dress if he’d let me, honestly.
Imani was right.
The world will see who I am if I let them see.
But it’s a minute before I’m about to go on, and I still haven’t spotted my husband.
“Where’s Lucifer?” I ask Imani.
“He’s closing out the men’s show just before you. You’ll cross paths on the catwalk.”
Of course we will.
“You’re on, Charlotte.” Imani moves to usher me out onto the stage.
I grip her hand. “Thank you, Imani. For everything.”
She grins, waving me forward. “Girl, get out there already.”
I head onto the stage. It may not be the most elegant strut that Imani’s taught me, but I don’t really care.
I’m confident in who I am.
In who the devil’s made me.
When I reach the main runway, I spot Lucifer at the other end, his back turned to me, and I grin from ear to ear.
I can’t wait to see the look on his face when . . .
He turns and spots me, his eyes roving every inch of me. He strides toward me, his stare never leaving mine as I walk toward him.
I expect to brush hands with him, meet him in the middle, but as soon as he reaches me, he snatches me into his arms, viciously kissing me.
The crowd goes wild, the cameras flashing.
The next thing I know, he’s hauling me offstage by my collar, not even allowing me to finish. But I don’t particularly want to.
I’d much rather be in the devil’s arms than in the public eye any day.
The moment he has me backstage, he pins me to the wall, knocking over a rack of clothes and shoving everything in our path aside in order to get to me.
He has me caged beneath him, my leg over his hip so that his erection’s pressed against me, and the only bit of space between us is because of my belly.
His gaze sweeps over me hungrily. “Oh, darling. What a right mess I’ve made of you,” he growls.
He tangles his other hand in my hair, gripping it roughly at the base as he kisses me. He snaps his fingers, and we become shadow, and then we’re standing in the middle of the playroom.
Azrael’s already there waiting for us, a slow grin pulling on his lips, like it’s no surprise to him that we’re back so quickly.
Lucifer palms my breasts, moaning slightly at how they’ve grown in size. “Look at how gorgeous our girl is, Reaper.”
Azrael’s large form approaches at my back, his massive cock pushing between my ass cheeks as he takes hold of my hips, leaning over me in order to kiss Lucifer. “She’s perfect.”
“She’s—”
“Ours,” they say in unison.
That word goes straight to my pussy, making me hotter.
The hormones are driving me wild.
Thank God I have both of them.
Azrael walks me backward toward one of the benches, lowering down onto it behind me so that I’m propped against him, my ass positioned at the edge of the seat.
His hands come to my breasts as he peels down the costume I’m wearing, kneading and touching and palming me until I’m practically feral with need.
Meanwhile, Lucifer strips off his own costume, and then he’s standing before us in all his glory. He drops to his knees in front of me, touching and playing with me until, between the two of them, I’m nearly coming apart.
“Be gentle with her, Lightbringer,” Azrael warns as Lucifer positions his cock just outside my entrance.
“He is, sir,” I breathe. “He always is.”
In his own way.
Lucifer eases into me, rocking his hips as he throws back his head with a groan. “My wicked, wicked girl,” he purrs. “You’re soaked for me.”
“For us,” Azrael mutters, kissing me deep, his hands still working over my breasts. “She’s already losing it, Lightbringer.”
And he’s right.
I feel a flutter, an ache igniting inside me.
“Such a greedy little siren, aren’t you?” Azrael kisses my neck.
I groan as Lucifer pushes deeper and deeper, my head dropping back onto Azrael’s shoulder. “Give me more. Please, Daddy,” I beg.
Lucifer growls in approval. “You’re going to be calling me that both in and outside the playroom now, little dove.” He rubs a hand over my belly as he thrusts into me, until I’m practically mewling.
The pressure inside me builds, my whole world narrowing to where Death and the devil touch me.
I’m never going to survive eternity with the two of them.
But I’ll take all the pleasure they give me with the pain.