Touched by Fire (Demons of New Chicago #1) - Kel Carpenter Page 0,52

his was white, whereas Ronan wore black, at least the times I’d seen him.

“Piper Fallon,” he said in a voice like velvet. He could make humans weep just from the sound of it. I was glad he didn’t now. “And Nathalie Le Fay.” He turned that blinding smile on her. Nathalie jumped to her feet, knocking the chair over in the process.

“Boss,” I said the word sarcastically.

That voluptuous smile faded. The mirth in his expression dimmed as the rage that he was equally known for started to surface.

“Ex,” he snapped. “You betrayed me.”

“You were a job,” I said. “Grow the fuck up. It’s not like I was contractually bound. You hired me to hunt down the people that pissed you off, and this time I chose to use them for my own benefit.”

The room went silent as everyone held their breath. Those golden eyes focused on me.

“Yes,” he purred. “I hired you to bring me the people who lied to me. Stole from me. Imagine,” he said, striding forward and reaching up to run his fingers down my cheek, “what I do to people who betray me.”

I spat at him. The wet glob hit him right in the face.

His ire rose. Power gathered in the air around us. The tattoos that peeked out at the neckline and cuffs of his suit flared to life, glowing white hot.

A cold hand wrapped around my throat.

It felt like marble, smooth and strong.

He started to close his fingers, cutting off the air in my windpipe.

Panic flared inside me, and I had to fight my heartbeat to slow.

It wasn’t time yet.

Lucifer leaned in, and I got the impression he was going to tear me a new one. Then he paused.

His rage evaporated like alcohol in open air. His fingers loosened, taking a different hold. A possessive one.

He leaned in, his nose trailing along my jaw, inhaling deeply.

Then he purred.

Goosebumps pebbled my skin.

“Uh, boss?” the man holding my arms behind my back said.

Lucifer lifted his head and stared at the guard. There was death in his eyes when he let out a growl. “Why are you questioning me?”

“I, uh,” the man fumbled. I wanted to roll my eyes. While big and clearly strong, they weren’t the brightest. At least this one wasn’t.

“You don’t have a reason?” Lucifer asked, voice clipped.

“Well, I—”

“You don’t have a reason,” Lucifer repeated, not a question.

“I don’t have a reason,” the guard repeated slowly. Fear crept into his voice. Lucifer tsked.

“Perhaps you shouldn’t speak unless spoken to, then? Hm?” he said, his eyes glowing. “Cut out your tongue.”

The hands gripping me turned sweaty.

“Sir?”

That ire inside him burned once more. “I said, Cut. Out. Your. Tongue.”

I didn’t look, but the hands that were holding mine behind my back released me. I kept the shock from my face as the sounds of whimpers and pain started. I tried not to react as wordless cries fell on deaf ears. Blood dripped to the ground. A pool began forming around my left boot.

I heard his knees hit the cement floor and couldn’t stop my nose from wrinkling as his hand fell to the side. Holding the bleeding stump of his tongue.

“Does anyone else feel like questioning me?” Lucifer asked, looking around the room. “No?” Everyone save me shook their head. “How about you, Piper? Feeling mouthy?” he said, giving me an amused grin as he pulled the handkerchief from his suit pocket and wiped the spit off his face.

“No.”

“Good,” he beamed, flashing me that radiant smile. “Because I’m sure we can find much better uses for that mouth of yours if you feel like running it again.”

Heat blossomed in his gaze, and my stomach turned.

First Ronan, now Lucifer.

Both were vile creatures from Hell. Except where Ronan’s intensity made my heart beat wildly, Lucifer just made my skin crawl. He was a level of crazy that the rumors didn’t do justice.

“You,” he said, turning to the alpha. The man swallowed hard and pointed at himself as if in question. Lucifer rolled his eyes. “Yes, you. I find myself in need of another guard. Congratulations. You’re hired.”

“But I—” the alpha started.

“But you what?” Lucifer said, his voice going quiet as a hiss.

“I need clothes,” the man finished. While it wasn’t all that uncommon to see naked people in New Chicago because of the large shifter population, most at least had the common decency to cover it.

“Anders, get the man some clothes. New guard, grab her,” he pointed at Nathalie.

She backed away, lifting her hand. Winds started to whip