Everybody Rise
The alarm clock on my nightstand blares some song about waking up with a curse, and I groan in response.
The fact that the alarm was set in the first place annoys me, as I have nowhere to be.
I reach over, grabbing the cord and yanking it from the wall.
The music stops, leaving me in peaceful silence once again.
I kick the heavy down comforter to the end of the bed, too warm to be comfortable.
“I must say, love, I’m quite fond of that lacy thong. Black is definitely your color.”
I jump up, squealing in horror at finding Luke in my room. On my bed.
“What the hell are you doing here?” I shriek.
Without looking fazed in the slightest, he jumps right in. “You owe me.”
I clutch the covers to my half-naked chest. “Like hell I do.”
He tsks. “Don’t tell me you forgot how I saved you from Rix.”
“Rix?” I ask, voice rising in confusion.
“My hound,” he explains, picking a piece of lint off his black T-shirt.
He’s dressed in head-to-toe black, and it takes everything in me not to drool. The T-shirt molds to his body like a second skin, showcasing his toned arms. He looks absolutely sinful, and at this moment, still half asleep, I admit I’d give just about anything for a taste.
A slow grin spreads across Luke’s face. “That can absolutely be arranged.”
“Ugh,” I cry out, hating that he can read me so easily. “Get out.” I point to the door.
“No can do. I came to collect, and I’m not leaving until your debt is settled.”
“I didn’t ask you to save me.”
“You did. It was unspoken, but”—he taps his head—“I can read your mind and you wanted saving. And your debt keeps mounting.”
“How so?”
“Last night I saved you from having to drive home in that death trap you call a truck.”
“You are the most frustrating man I’ve ever met,” I say through clenched teeth.
“I’m not a man, love. I’m so much more, and you know it.”
“Semantics. You have the parts.”
He smirks. “Yes, well in that regard, I guess you could say I’m all man. Care to see?” He waggles his brows and I roll my eyes.
“Pass,” I quip, standing from the bed, not even trying to hide my basically bare ass.
Look, but you’re never touching.
“Get on with it, Luke. What do you want?”
He clears his throat. “A date.”
I turn back toward him. “A date? With whom?”
“I thought that was rather obvious,” he says, tilting his head.
“Nope. No way,” I say, shaking my head and turning around to sift through my dresser. I’m so caught off guard, I don’t even remember what I was looking for.
“Red cropped shirt,” he says. “It’s in the back.” I have to take a deep breath so as not to react to his constant invasion of my inner thoughts.
“Think of something else for payment,” I press forward, wanting to get this conversation over with, so that he’ll leave me the hell alone.
“It’s non-negotiable. That’s what I want,” he says, crossing his arms over his chest.
“It’s never happening. Besides, I’m expecting Zeke back any moment, and I have a lot to say.”
“He’s not coming home.”
My eyes narrow. “What exactly does that mean?”
“It means, you say yes. If you’d like him to return sometime this century, you’ll pay up.”
I spin on him. “Fine. Do what you must with him. You’re saving him from my wrath.”
“We need him for the war.”
It’s the first time Lucifer has admitted there will be a war. Even if it was in a roundabout way.
“Let me get this straight. You say we need him, but you’re threatening him?”
“I’m simply saying he can run errands for the next decade, if that’s what it takes.”
I huff, crossing my arms over my chest. “I’ll go wherever you want me to, but it’s not a date, Luke. After it’s done, you return Zeke. Unharmed.”
“You have a lot of requirements for a debtor. Just agree and all will be right in your world again.”
“What are the full terms? No tricks, Satan.”
He chuckles. “Glad to see your rage is still intact. I was thinking you were going soft on me.”
I wave my hands in the universal sign for get on with it.
“Twenty-four hours. We start with breakfast, hang out all day, have dinner, stay out all night and sleep together. Your debt is paid at sunup.”
My laugh comes out sounding maniacal. “You’ve lost your damn mind. I’m not sleeping with you. Twenty-four hours is astronomical.”
“Your life isn’t worth a simple twenty-four hours?”
“It’s not worth giving my body to you,” I say, covering my exposed midriff with the red shirt he knew I was searching for.
“I didn’t say anything about sex, Victoria. I said sleep.”
“Sleep together were your exact words and everyone knows the devil is in the details.”
“Touché,” he says, pursing his lips. “Then let me clarify,” he stands, walking toward me and removing the shirt away from my stomach and discarding it on the bed behind him. “I only want to spend time with you. Nothing more. Nothing less.”
“And if I don’t? What really happens?”
“Rix will drag you to Hell.”
His penetrating stare unnerves me and weakens my knees. “Promise me. No tricks.”
“You have my word,” he says, nodding curtly. “Now get dressed. We’re going to breakfast,” he calls out over his shoulder as he heads down the loft stairs, leaving me alone to ponder just what I’ve gotten myself into.
Fifteen minutes later, I’m dressed and descending the stairs. He’s waiting at the bottom, looking up at me as though I’m his prom date unveiling my dress for the first time. His eyes are wide, and his mouth is agape.
I hide a smile under a contrived yawn. Something about the way he’s looking at me has my walls dropping. He’s making me feel important, which makes it even more imperative that I guard myself with him.
“Ready?” I ask, walking right past his outstretched hand. When I make it outside, I stop in my tracks at the sleek black car that waits. “An Audi R8? What’s the occasion?”
“Valentine’s Day,” he deadpans.
“It’s April.”
“So we’re celebrating late. I thought you might like to ride in something that is sure to actually start and not rust out while we dine,” he says, motioning to my truck.
“My truck runs.”
“It didn’t the other night.”
He opens the passenger door for me, and I stop, turning toward him. “What are you up to?” I ask, searing him with a look of warning. If you mess with me, I’ll find a way to end you.
“I’m just trying to have a semi-normal day. With you. Could you relax and try to enjoy yourself?”
“If I agree and truly try, do you swear to me that you’ll leave me alone? No more drop-ins. We work together to end this evil and that’s it. No more invading my dreams. One day and that’s all?”
“You dream about me?” He smirks, and I groan. “Please, tell me what sordid things we do. I’ll live vicariously through your nighttime imaginings.”
My entire body feels like it’s on fire from pure embarrassment. Why did I have to mention the damn dreams?
I don’t say another word until we’re seated on the patio of a café in the Garden District. Across the street is one of the oldest cemeteries in New Orleans, and as creepy as that should feel, considering I’m sitting with the devil at my side, it’s actually quite beautiful in the light of day.
“What are you thinking?” Luke asks, examining the area.
I turn my gaze on him. “Nothing, really. I’m a fan of this part of town.”
His eyes roam the area, seemingly unimpressed. “It’s a bit boring for my taste, but I suppose it’s a nice change of pace.”
“Boring? Do you mean lacking debauchery?”
“A bit of debauchery never hurt anyone, love.”
“Why do you call me love? What happened to angel ?” I ask, rolling my eyes.
“For those of us in the underground, that carries derogatory connotations.” He picks at something on his fingers, not meeting my eyes. “As you are no longer walking with the hordes of heavenly angels, I thought a changeup would suit.”
“Let me get this straight. That whole time, what I thought was an endearment was really an insult?”
“Quite.”
I huff. “You’re evil.”
He smirks. “Says who?”
“Everyone,” I snap, growing annoyed with him.
“That’s only because they’ve been fed the wrong narrative. The story you’ve heard is not the whole story.”
I raise my eyebrow. “You want me to believe there’s more to the story? That I shouldn’t judge a book by its cover and all that.”
He nods. “Exactly.”
“If you’re not evil, then what are you, Luke?” I lean forward, dying to hear how he’s going to spin this one. The smirk on my face dies when I see how serious he is. His expression bounces from nervous to frustrated, and I’m not sure how to take this outwardly vulnerable side of him.
“I’m the caretaker of Hell. Just like inmates need wardens here on Earth, Hell does too.”
“You incite sin, Luke. That’s not what a warden does. They prevent evil deeds.”
“That’s what I do as well.”
I shake my head. “Father cast you to Hell because you embodied evil.”
He tsks, wagging his finger. “I challenged him, and he retaliated with a punishment, damning me to rule over the truly evil.”
“What about the Bible and all the teachings?”
He scoffs. “That old thing? Do you not know this world’s history? The early days of humanity were brutal. Order was nonexistent. The Bible is merely stories that God whispered into the ears of men, giving them something to hold over other humans, to keep them in line.”
“How so?”
“Humans fear the unknown. They need something to explain what happens after this life. They need a reason to toe the line. Fear the devil and Hell, and you stay in line.”
There is logic in his words, but why would God damn his son for simply questioning things? Lucifer was his favorite. He adored him. The punishment doesn’t seem to fit the crime.
“He was trying to teach me a lesson, while also giving me the opportunity to experience life, which is all I wanted.”
“You wanted to be human?”
“I wanted to feel something more than what was allowed in Heaven.”
His gaze pierces mine, and there’s a shift in the air. I don’t speak and neither does he. Several minutes go by and I avoid his stare at all costs. When I finally do turn my head toward him, he seems more relaxed.