Lothar didn’t even glance my way as I neared him, his entire focus was locked on the dance floor.Again, I didn’t look because I knew who I’d see.Instead, I let the yearning that filled me, the dark need for her, build inside me.It wasn’t like I had any control over it.When I knew I’d get to see her, I fucking damn near vibrated with anticipation, and when we finally came face to face, Ursula would curl her lip in disgust, definitely not suffering the same affliction as me.While I was desperate to be close to her, she made it crystal clear she’d happily slit my throat.
Dragging out a seat at the table, I planted my ass in it.
“Lothar,” I said, when he finally turned my way.I could smell the brimstone on him.He’d come from Hell.Two weeks had passed since Lucifer had asked me to take part in the tournament, but with the way time moved differently there, only a few days would have passed in Hell.
The hellhound took me in.“What brings you here, brother?”
I crossed my arms and jerked my head in Ursula’s direction without actually looking at her.“I wish I could say pleasure, but I have a feeling the next week is going to be far from that.”Ursula was aware she’d be receiving further instructions tonight about the mystery assignment Lucifer was sending her on, but that was all she knew.
The chair beside me slid out and Zenon sat.He put his beer on the table, slid one to me, then jerked his chin up at Lothar.“Loth.”
“Zen, brother.”He frowned.“You both here for Ursula?”
“Lucifer has me playing delivery boy,” Zen said.
“And you?”Loth asked me.
“A lot more than that,” I said, and my voice sounded tight as hell.
Lothar sat back.“Urs never said it was you she was meeting.”
Because if she’d known, she wouldn’t have set foot in this bar.“She doesn’t know.I’m not Ursula’s favorite person.When she realizes what’s up…” I realized my fingers were curled in a tight fist.I blew out a breath to ease some of the tension running through me.“Let’s just say, she won’t be happy.”
“Best you try harder to make amends, my man,” Zen said.“Lucifer said she’s still seriously pissed at you.”
“What did you do to piss her off?”Loth asked, pity or maybe that was concern in his eyes.
He knew as well as everyone else, pissing off Ursula was a dumb fucking thing to do.I couldn’t bring myself to say my transgression out loud, so I tilted my head toward the other side of the room, to where I spotted Ursula’s twin, Uma.
Understanding instantly dawned in Lothar’s gaze and he winced.“Fuck, man.”
“You could say that,” I muttered, then unable to stop myself any longer, let my gaze slide back to the dance floor.Right as I took a sip of beer—I spotted her.I tried but couldn’t stop from flinching, even as velvet slid over my skin.My heart slammed into the back of my ribs, and my gut clenched so tight I felt like I might throw up from how strongly every cell in my body roared.
Ursula was with Roxy and a bunch of other handmaids.They were dancing, drinking, singing.Tall and strong, Ursula’s body was finely honed.A warrior’s body that was all long, lean muscle.She wore dark jeans and a leather jacket that I knew concealed an arsenal of weapons.Her thick, red hair was high in a ponytail, pulled off her lovely face the way she always wore it.Her green eyes sparkled down at Roxy, her perfect lips, full and deep crimson, were curled up while she listened to whatever it was Roxy was saying.
“Lucifer must have something pretty good on you to get you on board with this,” Loth said.
I tore my gaze from Ursula, and it wasn’t easy.“Nah, the knights are my family.Lucifer needed someone with my…special abilities, and since Heaven has locked me out, I don’t see any problem with it, I certainly don’t owe them my loyalty.”And if I said it enough times, then I might actually believe it.
“You think our missions are connected?”Lothar asked me before glancing back at Roxy.
“I think it’s highly likely, given the timing.”
Loth curled his fingers around his glass.“So this thing you have for Urs, why does Zenon have to give it to her?”
“Lucifer said something about bloodlines and him not being able to leave Hell.Cryptic as usual,” Zenon said.
Avoiding Ursula’s wrath when she found out who he was sending her into the tournament with was no doubt another reason.
The song changed, and I turned back to the dance floor.Urs wasn’t there.I scanned the room and spotted her by the jukebox.A gritty, guitar riff echoed through the room a moment before she turned to me.I was hit with a blast of fury before she smirked and lifted her middle finger, then went back to dance with her sisters.
I knew the song, it’d been on her playlist when we’d been spending time together.“Why’d Ya Do It?”by Marianne Faithfull.I only knew that because it’d been playing the first time I’d kissed her, and I’d asked her what it was afterwards.It was far from romantic, in fact it was about a male cheating on his female, but the lyrics hadn’t mattered, only the memory I’d wanted to keep.
That wasn’t why she was playing it now though.Yes, for me it was a reminder of our first kiss, but for her it was an anthem for how badly I’d fucked everything up.For Urs, it was all about the lyrics.
I stiffened as she stepped away from her sisters on the dance floor, her sights now locked on me as she strode toward our table.I was the cheating male in the song and she wanted to make sure I knew it, that everyone knew it.A low sound rolled from me as I shifted in my seat, not sure what the hell to do.My senses shorted, sparking but not igniting, like someone had dumped water on my imaginary electrical circuits.Only she could make me feel so utterly fucking powerless.I wanted to stand, but she’d take that as a challenge, and I would never hurt or fight her.So I sat there, paralyzed, as she closed in, and I braced for whatever she was about to throw at me.
Not stopping, she shoved the table aside, and Zen and Lothar both snatched up their beers before they hit the floor.