Hell's Belle - Eve Newton Page 0,33

daren’t go back to sleep. I simply cannot end up in a position of weakness again. I strip off my dress and shiver slightly as an unnatural coldness passes over me.

I grimace and yank out a short black denim skirt and white shirt that I don’t button all the way up.

I admire myself for a moment and then wonder what I’m doing. Am I expecting to go down to the kennels and get smashed through a desk again?

“Belle?” Shax asks as he pushes the door open. “Can we talk?”

“Sure,” I reply, shutting the closet door and leaning against it. “What’s up?”

“I’ll cut to the chase,” he says unnecessarily. He always does anyway. “Have you lost your powers? Or are you now into some fucked-up sex game where you pretend you have?”

I raise my eyebrow. “Neither,” I respond carefully. “Why?”

He sighs with relief, which surprises me somewhat. “Razor was being a dick before. I overheard his idiot sidekick saying that you had no powers and then they went on to imply that…stuff happened.”

“Stuff?” I mock him.

He gives me a death stare. “So you’re okay?”

“I’m fine,” I lie. I’m not telling Shax about the Night Mare fucking with me. He’d only worry and fuss.

“Belle…”

“Look, I’m not going to regale you with tales of how I spend my nights. Just drop it. I’m fine, powers are working as normal, see?” I hold out my hand and a fireball appears on my palm.

He gives me a worried look, but he nods anyway. “Fine. Just watch your back. Razor isn’t to be trusted.”

“Are any of them?”

“No, not a single one so don’t be swayed by any of them,” he says fiercely.

I bite my lip. “Uhm, there is something you should know though, while you’re here.”

He folds his arms across his chest as if bracing himself. He knows me too well.

“Drescal has retired and I’ve decided to make a go of it. You know, in the couple's sense.”

Silence.

“Drescal?” he spits out. “May I inquire, why him?” he adds in a slightly less aggressive tone. I’ve never heard his tone quite so sharp before.

“Yes,” I say, smoothing down my hair. “He loves me, and I like him. I want more, Shax. You know that I’ve been getting bored and unfulfilled.”

“How sure are you that he hasn’t just said those words to fool you?”

“Fool me into what?” I ask.

He rolls his eyes at me. “Eventually into trying to take your throne from you.”

“No,” I say, shaking my head. “He wouldn’t do that. He has no desire to challenge me. Why can’t you just be happy that I’m growing as a person and realizing that I want more from my relationships?”

“If I felt he was worthy of you, then I would,” he says.

How can I stay mad at him after that?

I smile beatifically and blow him a kiss. “I told him I’d make a go of it and I meant it. He’s moving into a room here, so get used to seeing him around, and don’t screw this up for me.”

“I’ll stay out of his way, as long as he knows I’m going to be watching him,” he says before he leaves me to contemplate that.

“Fabulous,” I mutter.

I change my mind about where I’m going, and head down to see Gregory instead. There is something about his change of attitude towards me this morning that has made me want to see him instead of it being a chore. It has me intrigued and I know that I definitely have to get my hands on those books of his so that I can see what he really thinks about me.

I knock and push the door open to find him in a rather compromising, yet quite interesting, position.

16

Gregory

I hear the door open and look towards it quickly. My heart thumps and my blood freezes. The very woman that I’d been thinking about when this Demon dropped to her knees, is now staring at me with a raised eyebrow.

Annabelle slams the door shut and walks forward. “Am I interrupting?” she asks calmly.

“No,” I croak and shove the Demon who’d been about to give me a blow job away. I do my pants up with shaking hands.

I see Annabelle take in the Demon’s looks and I cringe.

“Got a thing for redheads?” she asks archly.

I don’t say anything. If I tell her that I was thinking about her it will sound crass and she will dismiss it and me and probably send me back to Earth. While I wanted that in the beginning, getting