Hell's Belle - Eve Newton Page 0,77

matter. It must be very liberating.

“Leave us,” she says to the other men. “This is personal.”

“Are we not all one big happy family?” Drescal complains, but it’s good-naturedly.

She gives him a pretty smile which he responds to in a way that I find fascinating. She could ask him to do anything now and he’ll do it.

“Five minutes,” she says. “Promise.”

They file out, leaving us alone and she looks at me with those gorgeous green eyes.

“I know what I said earlier was heavy, but I feel quite possessive of you, Gregory,” she says with a soft laugh. “I meant everything I said about you making me want to be better. I know that this wasn’t your choice, that I made you stay here to help me, but I’m so glad that I did because I couldn’t imagine you not being here now. I get that you need time to adjust. You are a human here and I can’t even imagine how that must feel for you. Know that you can tell me, or talk to me about whatever, whenever. This will go both ways from now on. I want you to be happy and I hope that you will be here, but if you don’t want to stay, then I will return you to your life on Earth.” She looks down, hiding her upset over that thought.

If I had any doubts about my choice to stay here, that would have blown it away. She is willing to forego her own happiness for me.

“I’m staying,” I say firmly. “But I need time to process what that really means for me, along with the very important, and upsetting fact that I will age and die and all of you will go on as if I was never here.”

Her eyes widen again, but this time flood with sadness. “I-I didn’t even think of that,” she admits, embarrassed.

“Why would you? It’s not something that concerns you,” I say, perhaps more brusquely than I meant to. “Sorry,” I add quickly. “It’s just…difficult.”

“I get that, and I don’t want you to get old, die and leave me.”

“Neither do I,” I point out.

“I can find a way…”

I hold my hand up to stop her train of thought. “No, don’t find a way to make me immortal. I am nowhere near being able to wrap my head around that concept.”

She nods, but I’m not convinced. She will find a way and then I’ll be forced to face my fears about living forever in Hell. It makes it easier to think there is a shelf life on this, even if it is upsetting and morbid.

“Go now and find Shax. I’m not going anywhere but I’m not jumping headfirst into this either.”

“I accept that,” she says. “I’m disappointed as the thought of corrupting you plagues me, but I accept it.”

The twinkle in her eyes makes me laugh. “You will get your chance, Annabelle. I promise.”

She gives me a kiss on my cheek and then she flames out, leaving me in her bedroom alone. I turn to leave via the door, but the massive frame of Killian, I think his name is, blocks my way. “Got a minute, Doc? We need to talk,” he rumbles out.

I try not to show my fear, but I don’t think I succeed very well. He is the most terrifying creature of Hell that I’ve come across apart from the twins. “S-Sure,” I stammer, hoping that he isn’t going to smash me into tiny pieces with his huge fist.

“Sit,” he growls, and I do as he says.

I wait for him to start as he paces up and down, a man with a lot on his mind. When he does, I’m surprised by his revelation, but thankful that it is something I can fix.

34

Annabelle

I send myself straight to Shax. I’m surprised to find him and my mother in the caverns that run deep under the residence. They are here for our protection, should we ever need them. No one can get in without the Devil’s power, and apparently also Dark Angel power.

He has his arms folded across his chest and Mom has her hands resting lightly on them as they both turn to look at me.

“Fuck off,” Shax snarls at me.

“I know that I deserve that but please, Shax, don’t leave me,” I implore him.

He sighs and pulls away from Mom. “I’m going regardless of whether you’d betrayed me or not. I have to see what the other side is like, away from here.”

“Away from me, you mean?”