Chapter 24
Jasper had completed his mission, fulfilled his obligation in the devil’s bargain. It was time to reclaim his love, Savannah, and their unborn child.
Jasper inhaled a deep, satisfying breath of the crisp mountain air of Montana. The tortuous flight from Ireland, and at least five different layovers due to inclement weather, had him envious of the pure-blooded angels. At least they had wings to fly, and it didn’t hurt they could also just appear anywhere at will if the need arose.
Not him. A guardian angel might have some cool special abilities to help them fight evil and save humans, but he was just as landlocked to the earth as every other mortal. No wings. No teleporting. If he needed to be somewhere, he had to walk, run, drive, ride, or fly there via whatever transportation was readily available. Not exactly convenient.
And to top it off, his vintage Harley Davidson—the only item he owned and took pride in—was somewhere in Kansas. He’d left it near a portal at Stull Cemetery when he and the insane Etruscan god, Manus, had gone in search of Savannah and her maniac goddess mother, Manea. But that had been months earlier.
Lucifer had instructed him, after Greylyn had been resurrected once again, to return directly to the rodeo. So, he’d foregone picking up his bike. He doubted it was there anymore. Probably some kid thought he’d hit the jackpot to find an unattended classic motorcycle with the keys still in the ignition.
He vowed to track his bike down after he found the woman he loved and rescued her from the damn Devil. He’d rebuilt it all himself, dammit! It was his bike!
That was if Savannah wasn’t already completely possessed by Manea. Then nothing mattered, not even his Harley.
How had he gotten to such a place? He’d spent centuries bedding any and every woman he wanted and promptly leaving her for “the job.” He’d never once regretted or missed any of them.
And then… Savannah.
Would’ve been a perfect match only to discover she was the direct descendant of one of the most criminally insane goddesses to ever have existed—and the one who had murdered him when he’d been mortal some six hundred years ago.
That put a damper on the relationship.
It’d startled him to realize he didn’t give a damn about any of that. He just wanted her. Discovering she was pregnant with his child had further sealed his resolve to somehow make things work out with her. After centuries alone, why couldn’t he enjoy the fruits of being mostly human? What guardian angel could claim to have a child? Hell, he hadn’t even known it was possible for his kind.
But then Mommy Dearest had possessed Savannah, more likely integrated with her. At least that was how Lucifer had described it. That was the worst-case scenario.
So, he’d made a deal with Satan. Jasper would help Greylyn thwart the prophecy no one (neither Heaven nor Hell) wanted to take place. Lucifer would safeguard Savannah and her unborn child until Jasper could return. Together they’d figure out how to subvert Manea.
Funny how the Devil could be helpful when he wanted, particularly when there was something in it for him.
Jasper had fulfilled his end of the arrangement. It was time for Lucifer to do the same or the rage brewing in his chest all these months of separation from Savannah would unleash hell itself on the Devil. Despite being a guardian angel for Heaven, the all-too-familiar fury and penchant for destruction still pulsed in his heart, barely contained during the best of times. Now, a violent inferno threatened to engulf him.
***
The noon day sun beat down heavily on Jasper’s brow, sweat dripping like the leaky spicket next to the miniature horse barn that had formed a muddy puddle of bright red clay that stuck to his boots like cement. He’d been working for the same rodeo company Savannah had spent so many years with in the hope she’d stomp back through the barn doors. Otherwise, he had no clue how to go about finding her. Lucifer had instructed him to return to Montana. Weeks had passed, but the bastard had yet to show. Jasper had been on the verge of madness—certain the Devil had betrayed him and absconded with Savannah, never to be found.
“Howdy, partner! It has been far too long.” Lucifer purred from behind him.
Jasper nearly jumped out of his skin. He whirled around, ready to throttle Lucifer.
The Devil’s back was against the side of the chain link fence separating the parking lot from the main rodeo fairgrounds. He was wearing skinny black jeans, a white button-down shirt with the sleeves rolled up and too many buttons left undone to display his smooth pectorals, shiny boots that looked like they’d been made of alligator skin, and a stark white cowboy hat.
“I thought the bad guys wore black hats and the heroes wore the white ones,” Jasper quipped, fighting the urge to storm over and smash Lucifer’s face into the fence posts.
A chuckle reverberated through the air. “Thought I could do with a little image restructuring. After all, I am not the villain in this piece.”
“That remains to be seen.” Jasper sneered. He was under no delusion that the Devil wasn’t out for his own self interests.
Lucifer pushed off the fence and strolled over to where Jasper had been mending a trailer hitch so the rodeo crew could move out later that day. Red dust swirled in his wake, but none touched his pristine outfit. He had the appearance of a book cover model for a cowboy romance—all the right clothes, but without the dirt and grime to mark a true cowboy.
“Do you doubt, even me? I swear, I never get any credit when credit is due. I fished your friend’s, Greylyn, soul out of the pit, forgave the debt she owed for my help, and she is now living the sweet life with that traitor husband of hers.” He shrugged. “I could have allowed her to rot. But something about their story touched a teeny tiny sliver of my heart. Perhaps, I am reformed. What do you think, partner?”
Jasper smacked away the hand Lucifer offered. “What you did for Greylyn, I am indeed grateful. But you of all people know she didn’t deserve Hell. She fucking saved it, and Heaven, for you so you’re not out of a job.” He turned on his heel to stomp away before the urge to punch Satan was too great. Just a moment or twenty to calm his frayed nerves before he made the situation worse by pummeling the one person who could give Savannah back to him. “Granting her life was the very least you could do.”
In a blink, the Devil appeared in front of him. “True. But the point is… I did not have to do anything. A contract is a contract. Binding. Only breakable if I allow it and I never allow it… except this once. Do not expect such compassion with our deal.”
“Watch it, Lucifer. Your good guy persona is slipping.” Jasper grabbed his thermos of lukewarm water and chugged its contents. Despite the cool weather, sweat coated his body and dripped from his hair into his eyes.
“Gotta keep it real, I guess. This better?”
When Jasper looked up, the hat had indeed changed to black. He nodded in response.
“So where is Savannah? Bring her to me now.” His heart thundered in his chest.
“As long as you admit you understand our agreement. My services are not for free.” The sneer curling Lucifer’s lips sent a cold wave of foreboding down Jasper’s spine.
“Our agreement was I help Greylyn for you. You protect Savannah and the baby until I return.” The words seethed out between clenched teeth.
“Ah, but you did not really complete your task as instructed. Greylyn did not stop the prophecy. She fulfilled it, just with a twist no one saw coming so things worked out. But it could have gone wrong, then where would we be now?”
Jasper’s hand shot out to grab Lucifer by the throat. “I did my job. Things worked out. I did my part. Now you… give me Savannah,” he growled.
Lucifer grinned even bigger before vanishing from his grasp.
“You really need to work on your negotiation skills, guardian.” The Devil’s voice spoke softly into his ear. “You are in no position to demand anything from me. Doing so would only place your lady love, your child, and this little thing we call humanity in danger.”
Jasper spun around only for Lucifer’s voice to taunt him from further away. “The stakes are much higher than you can imagine.”
“Show yourself, you damn coward!” Jasper roared, startling the horses grazing in a nearby pasture. The dust kicked up by their hooves swirled in the air, obscuring his vision.
“Tsk. Tsk.” Lucifer clucked. “Do you really believe an incredibly powerful psychic possessed by a maniac goddess bent on destruction and going through the ups and downs of pregnancy hormones is even remotely stable right now? She could sneeze and set off a tsunami or crack the earth in two.” He reappeared directly in front of Jasper. “Are you capable of controlling that kind of unstable power?”
“I will do whatever it takes to ensure her safety and that of my child. They certainly aren’t safe with you!” Jasper’s stomach knotted. He wasn’t as convinced as his strong words would’ve implied.
Was that sympathy behind Lucifer’s beady black eyes? His smarmy smile had vanished, too.
“Jasper, be realistic.” His hand clamped onto Jasper’s shoulder. “Savannah is not just possessed by Manea, they have integrated. She is Manea. And the child… who knows what kind of power he may have. Perhaps he could one day wipe me out, or he could wipe out the world. Or he could be a sideshow freak, for all we know. Regardless, he will need to learn control. Something I hear infants do not know about. Until he can leash his abilities, he will need to be managed delicately.”
Jasper smacked Lucifer’s hand away. “This is my family, and I will see to their well-being and”—the words etched deep into his soul—“will manage whatever Savannah or the baby must deal with. It’s none of your business.”
A grin spread up the Devil’s face. “Ah! Of course. Family. Something you know so much about.” He winked. “When was the last time you saw your own family? Six hundred or so years ago? You ran off to war to get away from them. They despised you. What do you know of family?”
“More than you, apparently. You are the quintessential black sheep of your own family, are you not?” Jasper shot back.
The smile vanished; replaced by a deep scowl. “Guess that is why I like you so much, Jasper. We are so much alike.”
The urge to pound Satan into the ground ravaged Jasper’s emotions. But a sliver of reason intervened at the last second. He needed Lucifer to get Savannah back. He wouldn’t be so amenable if he was pummeled into mounds of bull shit.
“As much as I’d like to deny that, I’ll let it go for now for I will prove myself worthy of a family. I doubt you will ever be given that opportunity again.” He had tried not to voice that last dig, but he couldn’t let it go. His emotions were on edge the longer he was separated from Savannah, the longer he didn’t know how she and the baby were doing. He had no clue how he’d manage all the challenges they’d face, just knew that he couldn’t fail them, wouldn’t fail them.
“Undoubtedly.” Lucifer’s voice softened.
Was that regret I just heard?
In a stronger voice, the Devil continued. “I stand by my word. Savannah and the child are dangerous, just as the prophecy could have brought it all down, ending life everywhere as we know it, so can they. You cannot manage them on your own, not both.”
Jasper’s throat constricted. Lucifer was leading up to something… something he wasn’t going to like.
“Brave, foolish, guardian. You must choose. It is a slim chance—you could save one, but not both. And the longer we stand around arguing, the more likely your chances of saving either dwindles to zero.”