Chapter 9 Oh, Lordy Be
OH, LORDY BE
“Fuck,” I whispered on a frightful breath, one that left me all at once.
Because now I knew why I had seen that seemingly random vision.
A vision that hadn’t been random at all.
No, it had been a warning. A warning I hadn’t listened to.
Just like I foolishly hadn’t listened to Bo.
Because he had known. He had known what I would find here, and now I was faced with this demonic god on the throne… Well, I finally got it.
I finally understood.
Understood the danger I was in.
I started backing away and, as if he felt my presence, he lifted his head and turned toward me.
That was also when I realized that the other doorman, the one I had first encountered, was now there at his side speaking with him.
No doubt alerting him to my presence, something that may have been my intention when I first entered this place, but now… it just felt dangerously na?ve.
Because I knew that I had made a huge mistake! That this dark Lord finding me here was the very last thing I wanted.
Which was why, in a heartbeat, my mind quickly adjusted to trying to make a life with Bo work. Because getting rid of him was not worth the risk.
I knew that now.
I quickly turned and started walking back the way I had come, hoping the rage demon below had calmed his ass down and decided all he needed was a stiff drink.
Of course, my escape would have been more successful had I not suddenly found myself faced with two men standing in my way.
One of which had a face full of metal, as anywhere the face could be pierced, it was.
All along the bridge of his nose was a ladder of bars, each with spikes on the ends.
Something that seemed to be a continuing theme, like the three spikes framed under his bottom lip and the spike through his septum.
Then there were two at his cheeks, and a row of spikes that framed each eyebrow.
In fact, I couldn’t help but wonder if his name was Spike.
Weirdly, I hoped it was, or it was such a waste if it wasn’t.
As for the other guy, he was every inch the intimidating henchman, with a single plait of black hair running down the center of his head, the sides shaved bare.
His skin was covered in tattoos, including his head and face, and where the first man favored spikes, this one’s chosen theme seemed to be thunderbolts.
Black lightning strikes were painted all over his skin, making me wonder what the guy would look like naked.
The thought was prompted by the obvious abundance of muscle, as, well, it had to be said that I was a sucker for a big guy.
However, this time, it wasn’t his muscular body that held my attention, but the ink itself.
The unspoken question of how much of it was truly etched into his skin rather than painted on.
Even so, more than anything else, all I wanted was to get the fuck out of here!
A hope that felt increasingly unrealistic now that I was standing face to face with two thugs who looked like they’d been planted there specifically to make sure I was going nowhere.
“Going somewhere, human?” the tattooed giant asked, the man I’d privately named Thunder, as if giving him a title made the situation any easier.
I gave them both a nervous giggle, shrugging my shoulders before I suddenly made a run for it. However, running away didn’t exactly go to plan, just like everything else on this fucking day!
Which meant that I was grabbed by Spike, the one closest to me, and his bruising grip made my fucking eyes water!
Which, in turn, made me react in kind. So, I quickly spun around and kicked Mr. Metal-Face in the shin.
He bellowed in rage, at the same time as letting me go and giving me another chance to run.
But with Thunder there at the ready to catch me, that chance quickly vanished.
“Give it up, woman. There is nowhere for you to run!” he warned with his arms held wide as if ready to catch me.
“You know, I think I prefer girly!” I told him before grabbing the back of a chair and swinging it around, knocking it into him.
I almost couldn’t believe it had worked, once again giving me the opportunity to run for it.
Something I might have achieved far more easily if I hadn’t seen four other men appear from the sides, as though they’d been ordered to step in should anything go wrong, because they looked as if they’d been waiting for me.
Which meant that I had no choice but to stop and give up.
Although when I was suddenly spun around, I had a moment of panic when faced with Spike, the guy I had kicked.
The rage on his face was easy to see, his narrowed dark eyes promising retaliation.
Something I was about two seconds from receiving as he lifted his arm up and pulled it back, readying himself to slap me across the face.
I even winced, closing my eyes and tensing as I prepared myself for the painful blow. However, all I felt was the air whoosh across my face, and I was quickly left questioning if he had missed.
“AHHH!”
The sound of screaming made my eyes snap open, and in front of me was the very last sight I ever thought I’d see.
Spike was now on his knees, clutching at his wrist. Meaning the reason he had missed became horrifyingly clear as his hand began to cave in on itself.
It was as if the bones and flesh had been crushed and were now being sucked into his wrist, like when you pull a rubber glove off your hand.
I gagged and forced myself not to be sick at the sight, unable to take my eyes off the horror even as I was taken gently by the arm and led away.
Taking notice of how everyone else in the club swiftly gave me a wide berth.
It was only then, once some distance had formed between us, that I saw the hand begin to reconstruct. To be honest, the reformation looked just as painful as the destructive force had been, his body refusing to rise as he stayed on his knees, teeth gritted, moaning through every second of it.
“Dear Goddess,” I muttered, making the guy I had named Thunder laugh next to me, before reminding me,
“You won’t find such holiness here, human.” This comment was enough to make me look away from the man’s misery and torture, one whose hand had now grown back.
I now focused back on what would most likely soon become my own agony and faced the man on the throne as I was pulled closer.
The sight of him quickly took my breath away, just as it had in my vision. Because he was just as handsome as he was terrifying… if not more so.
The only difference was that what I knew was a sinfully sexy body was now covered in a fitted jacket.
One that had a high, stiff collar squared off with the edges level with his chin.
A different, thicker material than the rest decorated the shoulders and joined the lapels in a riot of fine silver thread.
One that looked so chaotic, it didn’t look like a pattern at all, but more like some overlapping spiderwebs.
As for the rest of the jacket, it was a thick black suede, with wide cuffs that brushed his knuckles and had a row of metal clasps at the side.
Over this, he had one wickedly spiked shoulder armor that looked to be a part of the long cloak he wore.
It made him look every bit the Lord of his realm he was rumored to be.
Underneath, I could just see the hint of the black shirt he wore.
But like the rest of his attire, it wasn’t the usual style I would have expected.
Not with its piped edges and lack of buttons.
It was also open at the neck and folded back at the sides, revealing pale skin and an impressive muscular chest.
As for his features, his face held that natural-born, regal air, with high-cut cheekbones, a slim nose, and a handsome jawline. He looked like he had been born to rule, and his eyes looked both curious and cruel.
Unlike what I’d seen in my demonic vision of him, his eyes no longer glowed white, the darkness that had once framed them was gone.
No, this time they were startling light blue and utterly mesmerizing to look at.
As if they had the power to hold me prisoner and keep me there for as long as they wished to stare.
Something he freely did now.
As the moment those eyes ran up and down the length of me, I couldn’t help but shiver…
or was I just quaking in terror? Either way, my body shook when he reacted the same way as he had done in my vision.
Now leaning forward and motioning me closer with a flick of two fingers.
Something that made me swallow what felt like a lead weight, forcing it down and trying not to choke on the fear.
“Get moving!” one of his men ordered behind me, before taking me by the top of my arm and forcing me closer.
However, their lord reacted to this, and not in the way I would have expected. His eyes narrowed dangerously on the hand that held me, and, at the same time, one of his own hands fisted on the throne of twisted bone and what looked like obsidian.
Then, with the other hand, he flicked it to the side as if issuing a silent order for his thug to release his hold on me. Unsurprisingly, this was something he did quickly, especially after what happened to the last guy who tried to touch me.
Which meant I stumbled forward a few steps before righting myself, putting me closer to the throne than I really wanted to be.
An action he didn’t miss, as his eyes roamed freely over every inch of me, as if it was his right to do so.
And well, I was here in his club, after sort of sneaking in uninvited, so I guess he had the freedom to do whatever he pleased.
“Come closer, little Inanna, don’t be frightened,” he said, the command in his voice making me flinch despite the fact that I could tell he’d consciously tried to soften it.