Pure & Sinful (Pure Souls) - By Killian McRae Page 0,39

His face fell into his hand as he rubbed his eyes, realizing just what he was up against. “What was that castration thing again?”

“It just doesn’t make sense.”

“What?”

Ramiel took another drag off his cigarette. His words came out as huffs of smoke. “Believe it or not, every so often we still get prophetic messages direct from the big guy. Most prophecies are done freelance now, you know. Since the crash of the euro, the Oracles work cheap. But when y’all found Riona, we were told, and I quote, ‘Upon Keystone’s altar shall one born of Hell be laid, and in her embrace he will be reborn to her world, cleansed of his evil. And having brought Hell to Earth, she will pull Heaven to Hell and circumscribe creation.’”

Dee balled up the financial statement he was reviewing and sent it on its merry way into the recycling bin in the corner. “What the hell is all that supposed to mean?”

“Well, as usual, His messages aren’t given to transparency, but what we think it means is that a Keystone’s going to hook up with a demon, free him from Lucifer’s service, and their kid is going to lead the next generation. Since the message was revealed when Riona’s mantle was laid upon her, we assume it refers to her.”

“So, Marc and Riona...” he let the words dance off the end of his cycling hand.

“Not going to happen in the long term, according to our intel. But that doesn’t mean shit, frankly, and we could be wrong. And more, it still doesn’t mean they both couldn’t screw around and damn themselves, in which case, later Riona somehow finds herself living out the prophecy. You know how complex these things can get, especially when glamour and all sorts of magic are involved.”

Yup, a quick study of Dee’s own father’s dalliances could make an episode of Jerry Springer look like the Christian News Network. Some philanderers got around, but Zeus got around, in, under, between… The god held patents on every sexually deviant act that men had the balls to think they came up with first.

Dee began to realize this was something that shouldn’t be left on its own. “So what do you propose, exactly?”

“A big boy talk,” Ramiel suggested. He rose, using the corner of Dee’s desk to stub out his butt. “Sit Marc down and put it plain. Nip the passion of the Father Angeletti right in the rosary.”

Chapter 13

“So then I put the fish in my mouth and bit its head off.”

“Oh, yeah. That’s nice. Ow, what the devil?”

A bright red spot on Riona’s arm suspiciously matched the exact size and shape of Lucy’s balled up fist. The twin glares from each side of the table would have been taken for a bad mime practicing session to a random observer.

“What was that for?”

Lucy’s chin dipped as she mustered her best you got to be kidding eye roll. “Have you heard a single word I’ve said?”

“Yeah, you were talking about how one of your workers was mouthing off at you.”

“Well, yes, I was.” Lucy crossed her arms over her chest. “Five minutes ago. Riona, what’s up? You’ve been distracted all evening. Are you… Didn’t you want to go out?”

Riona bit her lip, and the hesitation to answer sent both of Lucy’s hands shooting up.

“Fine. I get it. You’re not that into me. It’s cool. Just, please, be honest about it and don’t sit there patronizing me with your company.”

The guilt plowed over her like a steam roller, making Riona feel as shallow as a mud puddle. “No, Lucy, please. I do want to be here with you. It’s just… I haven’t been sleeping well, and work is… demanding and a little hard to handle right now.” She reached across the table and pulled Lucy’s right hand from where it was resting on the edge and rubbed it between her own. “I’m sorry I seem disconnected. I am though. Into you, I mean.”

The bewitching, black-haired beauty seemed incredulous. One eyebrow perked up. “Really?”

“Really.”

Lucy leaned forward, flipping Riona’s hands over and running her fingers teasingly over the softness of her inner wrist. “Good, ‘cause I ‘m really into you, too. In fact, I’d like to be really into you right now, if you get my drift.”

She was much too young to have hot flashes, but Riona would place a hopeful wager that the heat passing through her was hormonally-based.

Lucy licked her lips as her finger began rubbing suggestively against the slight rise at the edges