Hell's Belle - Eve Newton Page 0,18

but then she has the power of Hell on her side. I’m not afraid of him, even though he could annihilate me without a second thought.

He stops about six feet away from me, his hands loosely in front of him, seemingly harmless, but I know better.

I grunt as a sudden pain radiates in my shoulder and outwards, all down my right arm. I grab the hilt of the knife he has just thrown at me, then hiss as it burns my hand. I let go of the hilt and start to sweat. The blade is coated with his blood. All of Hell’s minions are very aware of how his blood affects us. Right now, it is working its way through me, trying to burn me alive.

I return his sneer with one of my own. “I’m not so easy to kill. I was born from Hellfire, you little prick. You won’t find me as easy to take down as those recycled fuckers.”

“My mother was recycled,” he states blandly.

His tone is unnerving. It never seems to change, just this cool, level pitch that only comes from absolute confidence in oneself and immense control over one’s emotions.

I gotta say, I’m impressed.

“No offense to your mother,” I grit out.

“My intention is not to kill you, but to warn you,” Shax continues as if the last two exchanges hadn’t happened. “You know what my blood does to Demons. You may be harder to put down, Hound, but I’m willing to try by slicing your guts open and bleeding out into your stomach cavity. You will feel pain like you have never felt before and burn from the inside out as I stand idly by and watch.”

“I made a promise to Luc,” I grate as the visual he has just laid out does not seem like something I would enjoy all that much.

“Your loyalty should lie with your Queen,” he points out unnecessarily.

“I know that,” I snarl. “But what if I give her what she seeks, and it ends up hurting her?”

Understanding passes over his face briefly before his neutral look falls back into place. “You care for her,” he says. “Not just a quick fuck then?”

I clench my jaw. “How do you know about that?” My shoulder is starting to ache so badly, I can barely stand up, but I’m not giving this fucker the satisfaction of kneeling for him.

“I can smell ash and brimstone all over this place. She shifted and there is only one thing that rids her of the need to obliterate everything in her path. She used you.” He lets out a little laugh, but it’s hollow.

“I let her,” I inform him. The sweat is starting to drip down my forehead and into my eyes. “You don’t tell me anything I don’t already know.”

“So again, I state that you care for her.”

“Maybe,” I mutter mutinously. “Or maybe I used her as well. That tight pussy around my huge dick felt soo good.” I taunt him because it’s all I have. I’d hoped that it was more for her than just a fuck to make herself feel better. But I know even without Shax’s input that it wasn’t. It’s why I didn’t kiss her. If I’d kissed her, I would never have been able to let her go.

Shax takes in a deep breath and then releases it again. “Goading won’t get to me,” he says mildly. “Belle is free to fuck whomever she chooses, but if I get even one sniff of hurt headed her way, then I will be forced to step in, and believe me when I say, that there will be less talk and more action.”

He holds his hand out and mercifully, the knife zips into his hand, releasing me from its hold. I slap my hand to the wound. It’s not healing yet. I’m guessing it will but will take time. I may be a creature from the Hell-pits, but it seems some of the rules still apply to me. I’m still just a Demon that can be taken down.

Shax comes closer to me. “Now give me the box.”

“Can’t do that, man,” I tell him.

He gives me a narrow-eyed look and then a swift nod. “Then you leave me no choice but to tell Belle that you are hiding something from her that she really wants, and she will see you in the arena for treason.” He turns to leave.

I close my eyes briefly. My clenched jaw goes even tighter. “Wait,” I call out and bend down to