Straight By The Rules. Michelle Scott
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him unpredictable. My inner demon shouted at me to fight back, but I was sick and dizzy from a blow to the head. Concentrating was difficult. The man’s partner was setting up a camera, ready to film whatever was in store for me. I wanted to plead with them and let my succubus talk her way out of this mess, but duct tape sealed my lips. The man with the gun faced the camera and began to rave against the government. He gestured wildly with his free hand, but he kept the gun pointed at me. It was only a matter of time before he pulled the trigger. If I didn’t do something, I’d never make it out of the basement alive! Pushing aside my nausea, I struggled against the restraints. All I had to do was reach the otherworld doorway at the top of the steps. It was so close, yet so far away. Just when I thought that I was headed for an unmarked grave, my succubus came up with a plan. A plan that saved my life.
I realized that Miss Spry was still waiting for my answer. “Well, yes, they do deserve to be punished,” I admitted, “but…”
“But what? Do you want to overlook bad behavior? Let every offender get off scot-free?”
“No, of course not…”
She raised her eyebrows. “So what’s your objection?”
Miss Spry’s logic always twisted my brain. As I struggled to come up with a good rebuttal, she asked, “Did you think the names I give you were picked at random?”
I had, actually.
She smiled grimly. “Those names are given to you for a reason. If a human is being tempted, it’s because he deserves it. Heaven delivers rewards, and Hell delivers punishment. You may not like your job, but I assure you, it’s necessary.”
She was a liar, but a good one. I sensed there were flaws in her arguments, but I was too overwhelmed by her order to get pregnant to refute them.
“Now, I’ll give you some time to decide how you want to proceed with your insemination. But if you continue to stall, we’ll do things my way.”
In the short time I’d known her, Helen Spry had threatened my family, stolen my daughter, and nearly killed me. She’d spent the last nine months terrifying me, and as a result, I’d caved in to her demands over and over again. But like I’d promised Patrick Clerk, I was done being Helen’s toy. I’d won a reprieve for my daughter. I’d win this battle, too.
Feeling far less brave than I sounded, I lifted my chin and said, “I will not get pregnant for you. Helen.”
I’d never before used her first name to her face, and she blinked. “So it’s Helen now is it?”
“Yes.”
She smiled nastily. “Feeling powerful are we?”
It’s a good thing I was sitting down because I’d started to shake. I gripped the arms of the chair with sweating hands.
She came around to my side of the desk and sat on it. “Before you do something you’ll regret, let me give you some advice. I’ve seen seven generations of your ancestors pass through my office. At one time or another, each of them tried to grow a spine and defy me. When that happened, do you know what I told them?”
My mouth was too dry for me to speak, so I shook my head.
“I reminded them that I owned them body and soul.” As Helen became more and more angry, the forties-era glamour disappeared. Her demon took over, and her eyes grew hot. “I can do with you whatever I want. I can hurt you in ways you could never imagine. I can drag you to levels of Hell so terrible that a rational woman would go insane simply hearing about them.”
I began to sweat at my hairline. A trickle of moisture ran from my temple.
“I know more tortures than any other creature in the human universe, and I show no mercy. Try to cross me, and I will instantly have you cursing your own name.” Her neck stretched, becoming long and sinewy like a snake, and she put her face very near to mine. “Do you understand?”
It was all I could do to look at her terrible face. “Perfectly. Helen.” I squeezed my eyes shut and braced myself, trying to prepare for whatever she sent at me next.
She laughed. “Oh, Lilith. You do amuse me, you poor, pathetic creature.”
I opened one eye, and when I saw that she no longer appeared monstrous, I opened the other one as well. She put the brochures back into her desk drawer. “I’ll give you some time to make a decision,” she said. “But don’t take too long.”
I hadn’t bested Helen – I certainly hadn’t expected to – but I’d held a measure of ground against her. That tiny victory had to count for something.
When I left Helen’s office, I found William Benedict sitting on the corner of Delilah’s desk.
William, my incubus counterpart, was as seductive as only a demon could be. Dark hair, dark eyes, strong chin, broad shoulders – these were only a few of his alluring features. Most of his charms had to do with his incubus. Because of his demon, William could play to every fantasy. Over the time I’d known him, I’d seen him act strong and silent, dark and brooding, humble and helpless. The man had literally seduced angels out of Heaven.
Seeing my ashen complexion, William said, “It looks like someone was taken to the woodshed.” His tone was jocular, but his eyes expressed concern. “Are you all right?”
“Helen and I had a little disagreement, that’s all.” I forced myself to smile.
William quirked his eyebrow at my use of Miss Spry’s first name, but said nothing.
Deciding the drama was over, Delilah turned her attention back to William and said, “Don’t you have somewhere to be right now?”
Over the past few weeks, William had been using all of his charms on Helen’s new assistant, hoping to melt her layer of ice. Every day, he sent her bouquets of flowers along with boxes of candy and other treats. He chatted with her, complimented her, and asked questions about her life before death. Delilah, however, must have had an entire glacier surrounding her because she barely gave him a smile.
“I’m free for lunch,” he told her. “Care to join me?”
She glowered. “Get your damn butt off my desk.”
William stood up. “Most women love my damn butt. Isn’t that right, Lil?” He winked at me.
“Don’t kid yourself, William.”
He stopped smiling. “You are a coldhearted she-demon.”
“It’s better than being an egotistical, condescending know-it-all,” I retorted.
“Stop it!” Delilah glared at both of us. “If you two are going to start fussing at each other again, then get out of my office!”
William, sulky, left without saying goodbye. I waited exactly five seconds before following him.
Just as I’d hoped, he was standing around the first bend in the hallway. My heart lit up when I saw him, but I couldn’t let my affection show. Not here in the middle of Hell where all could see it. If Miss Spry ever found out my true feelings for William, she’d take him away from me just to laugh while my heart broke.
“‘Egotistical know-it-all’?” William said. “That was harsh, Lil. Very harsh.”
“What about ‘coldhearted she-demon’?”
We began walking. I let the backs of my fingers brush against his and wished I could hold his hand. “Technically, you are a she-demon,” he said. “Whereas I am not a know-it-all.”
“Says you.”
We entered yet another, much longer, corridor. This one was lined with dozens of doors. In front of one lay a small backpack, the kind a day hiker might use on an outing. William stopped and picked it up. “Did you get my note?”
“I did.” In fact, I’d tucked it under my pillow so I could fall asleep dreaming