Hell's Belle - Eve Newton Page 0,80
have a damn good reason.
I don’t.
I have the opposite.
“I saw her shift outside, not to mention the stories I’ve heard since I returned, about her earlier days as Queen. You’ve all seen that she has the power. Do not question that.”
I feel her eyes on me and cast my gaze to her. Those emerald eyes are filled with something that I have seen a thousand times before, but never, ever paid attention to.
Adoration.
It hits me hard.
Fucking hard.
I want to go to her and wrap my arms around her, protect her from everything and everyone. I never want her to come to any harm and just like that…I fall.
If I was mostly doing this for Elijah before, with a few benefits for me on the side, I am now with her for me. She has done what no one, not even Elijah has been able to do and that is make a crack in the rough exterior that I hold close and never drop, even for him. He gets a glimpse of what’s behind it sometimes, but that’s my limit.
Until now.
I do go to her, wrap my arms around her, hold her close to me, drawing in her scent. “It makes no difference how you got the power, just that you have it. Your birthright. Actually, I’m quite pleased that Luc isn’t dead. We always got along,” I add with a smile as I pull back and cup her face. “I hope that he still feels the same way when he finds out about us.”
She snorts with amusement. “Thank you,” she mouths at me, taking my hand and kissing my palm. “Same here,” she says out loud in response to my last sentence. “But I have to find him first.”
“We will help you with that,” Elijah says, also coming to reassure her. “The hounds can find almost anything.”
“I tried with Mouse, she didn’t come up with anything,” Annabelle says with a sigh, digging between her tits and pulling out the key that Shax threw at her. “This key that Shax took from you opens the door that he’s behind. I’m sure of it.”
“But Luc gave that to me,” Elijah says, confused. “How could he give it to me if it opens the door he is locked behind?”
Her face falls. “What?” she croaks. “He gave it to you?”
“Err, yeah.”
“Dammit!” she roars.
“Look, Annabelle has trusted us with this information. I, for one, am committed to helping her find her father and keep it a secret until we do, and then we come up with a plausible story at that point. Are you all prepared to do the same?” I ask.
I look at each of them in turn, receiving a verbal confirmation.
I look at Annabelle.
She looks like she’s wrestling with something else, but she gives me a quick grin and says, “Thank you. I know this is shocking and unexpected. I didn’t want to keep it from you now that we are officially doing this.”
“We will find out how Luc gave the key to Elijah, what it opens and get to the painting,” Aleister says. “You said before that you thought Leviathan could help? I can make her talk.”
I watch as Annabelle goes apoplectic and I hide my smile. I recall now that the Gargoyle used to be married to Leviathan. Oh, how that must be biting her on the ass right now.
“Over my dead body!” she screeches and fires off a ball of magick that hits the window overlooking the sin bin, shattering it into a million pieces.
“Hey!” comes a plaintive cry from below.
I frown and cross over to the gaping hole, along with the other men. We peer down and see a male Demon waving at us with both arms.
“Devlin!” Drescal calls and waves back. “Come up!”
“I can’t get in!” he shouts back.
“Anna, let him in,” Drescal turns to her.
“In a minute,” I interrupt before she can reply. “Annabelle, if he can help, let him. You told us about this for a reason, let us help you. You trust him, do you not?”
“I don’t trust her,” she growls deeply.
“He will be fine,” I brush it off.
She fixes her livid eyes on mine, but then turns to Aleister with a fierce grimace. “Fine,” she grits out. “But if I find out that she has done anything except talk to you, you are both dead meat. Got it?”
He gives her a soft smile. “Got it.” He goes to her and she kisses him lightly.
“Hellloooo?” Devlin calls up.
Her face brightens slightly as she hears his