“What is he talking about?” I asked. “I thought you were possessed by a demon.”
“He’s the father of all demons. In every one lies a little of him.”
“You’re more like me than you want to believe,” Satan whispered. “That’s why you’re so good at killing us. You can smell evil a mile away, can’t you?”
Chavez took a deep drag and blew the smoke in the other man’s face. Instead of coughing, the devil inhaled it like ambrosia.
“That’s what I thought,” he murmured. “Here’s the deal, if you can kill everything I’ve released before the end of the world, I’ll call off the apocalypse. It’ll be like a video game, except real.”
“Since when is he in charge of the apocalypse?” I asked.
Neither one of them answered.
“When’s the end of the world?” Chavez took another drag.
“That’s for me to know and you to find out.”
Now who was being childish?
“What happens if I lose?”
“You know.”
The devil began to laugh again, then he disappeared.
I stared at the place where he’d been for several seconds before I lifted my gaze to Chavez. “What happens?”
“He gets my soul.”
Ask a stupid question…
Chavez began to gather his clothes.
“You’re going?”
“You heard him. I don’t have much time.”
“Or maybe you have plenty. No one knows when the end of days actually is. And what if he just decides to finish things when there’s only one demon left to down?”
“It doesn’t work like that.”
“How does it work?”
“There is an end of time, except no one’s been able to figure out the exact date. There are a lot of theories.”
“The apocalypse is a Christian belief, and not all Christians believe it.”
“Not believing it doesn’t make it any less real.”
“Sixty-seven percent of the world isn’t Christian,” I pointed out.
“Where do you get all this information?” Chavez asked.
“I like trivia.”
“I like smart women.”
I narrowed my eyes and he went on.
“Satan does come out of the Christian legends, but remember…all religions believe in good and evil. Just because he isn’t called Satan doesn’t make him any less the leader of the underworld. You saw him. He’s real.”
“Which makes the apocalypse real?”
“Even if he’s lying, it won’t hurt to kill all the demons. It’s win-win.”
“Unless you lose.”
“Someone’s got to do it.”
Quickly he dressed, then it was time to say good-bye. I didn’t want to.
What I’d felt for Chavez had been genuine even if what he’d pretended had been…pretend.
“You must have found my last request”—I sighed and turned away—“hysterical.”
“I found it flattering.” He inched in front of me. “And arousing.”
“As well as convenient.”
“Kit—”
“You were going to seduce me.” I shrugged. “You didn’t have to.”
He took a breath as if to speak, and I lifted my hand to stop him. I’d had an epiphany. They didn’t happen often, but when they did I listened.
“It doesn’t matter if you knew or you didn’t. You saved my life.”
My anger had faded. Chavez did what he had to do for the greater good. I didn’t like what he’d done to me—
That was a lie. I’d liked it a lot.
I couldn’t throw stones. I’d slept with him when I thought he planned to kill me. The ultimate one-night stand. I’d sworn to hold out for true love—then at the first sign of an apocalypse I’d thrown away my vow for a good time.
That I’d discovered I loved him later did not excuse me in the least.
I couldn’t stay angry with him when he’d only done what I asked—and what was absolutely necessary.
“Do your job,” I said. “Save the world.”
His gaze softened. My stomach flip-flopped. I couldn’t believe I was giving him up, but then I didn’t have much choice, either.
“I knew you were special from the beginning,” he murmured. “Can I have a kiss good-bye?”
“You can have two.”
The kiss and the one that followed were everything I’d ever dreamed of in a farewell embrace—the heat of lust, the gentleness in caring. My eyes stung, and I fought not to let the tears fall. He had to go, and I had to let him.
Chavez lifted his head. “If the world wasn’t about to end—”
I put my fingers over his lips. “But it is.”