Hemingway and Mister Rogers were no longer present, but Dante stood in the corner behind Greed, enjoying the potential bloodbath immensely.
“I leave for ten minutes and come back to find this?” Satan bellowed.
“My liege, let me destroy him,” Satan’s second, Cole said, clearly ready to make good on his threat.
“Not quite yet,” Satan replied. “I hate to sully the house. Would you care to explain, Vampyre?”#p#分页标题#e#
Ethan’s eyes slid casually to the Devil. “Not particularly,” he answered smoothly. The smile on his lips didn’t reach his eyes. “Why don’t you ask your daughter?”
“I find that she has a tendency to lie. I’d much prefer to hear why you think it’s an appropriate idea to gut a Sin in Hell.”
Satan stood as still as a statue and waited. Ethan matched his calm. The dagger was a mere thought away from Lust’s black heart. My instinct was to reveal myself, but I’d promised the General I’d listen. Fuck, that was a stupid pact, but I was well aware the Hounds, who had disappeared as soon as we were couched up from the portal, didn’t give unwise advice. I simply wasn’t sure how long I could follow it.
“She tried to kill me,” Lust choked out. Her lovely face turned mottled red as she struggled for air. “She beat me. She’s jealous and unstable. Told me she’d turn me into a Vampyre.”
WTF? Did she really think anyone would believe that pile of shit? She was a thousand year old Demon and I was a newbie half-breed. Only my curiosity kept me from unveiling myself and plunging the knife through her heart. I wondered if the blade could actually kill her.
“Vampyre, you do realize that if you slay my child, you have signed your permanent death sentence.”
“Beelzebub, you do realize if she has killed my mate that my life means nothing. Your threat holds no weight,” Ethan ground out and tightened his hand on her throat.
“I have to agree that my daughter’s story has a few holes,” Satan said agreeably, as if he was discussing something as mundane as the weather. “Let her go and we shall get to the bottom of this.”
Ethan laughed. “I am nowhere near as old as you, but if you take me for an ass, you are gravely mistaken.”
“I do enjoy a man with a death wish.” Satan grinned and took a seat. “So how shall we solve this little dilemma?”
“Have your spawn tell me what she has done with my mate.”
“Do you plan to kill her when she submits to your demands?” Satan inquired, completely intrigued and bizarrely excited with the unfolding events.
“Depends,” Ethan winked and Satan roared with laughter.
“I hate you, Daddy,” Lust spat.
“Well now, that’s just rude,” he said and tsked. “Address the Vampyre’s concerns and I might let you get away with whatever you’ve done this time.”
“I told you she . . . ”
“I am well aware of what you told me,” Satan said in an icy cold voice that made everyone in the room cower. “Now tell me what really happened.”
“She hasss wha was mun.” Her voice was ragged and she was difficult to understand. Ethan had obviously increased the pressure on her throat.
“Vampyre, could you let up just slightly on the trachea so we could understand her?”
“The Vampyre is mine,” she gasped as she took in air. “She had what was mine and I pushed her to the Basement. She’s dead by now.” Lust smiled with smug satisfaction and tried to snuggle close to Ethan. OMG, she was insane and I was done hiding.
“I call bullshit,” the Devil said, rolling his eyes. “This is utterly embarrassing. Lust, you are infantile. I suppose it’s partially my fault for spoiling you and your sisters, but . . . ”
“Amen,” Amanda the consort muttered.
The Devil whipped around so quickly the room temperature dipped. “I have had enough of your unacceptable sacrilegious pro-Christian narration, darling. Remove her. Now.”
Three of the guards dragged a mortified Amanda from the room. No one made a move to comfort her or even acknowledged her rough departure with a glance. “Now, where was I?”
“Call your mother in,” Ethan demanded, changing tactics. My man was smart. Gigi loved me and she would not be pleased.
My uncle blanched and grabbed the back of the chair for purchase. Everyone in the room paled and glanced around in terror.
“You have no idea what you ask,” Satan hissed.
“Oh, but I do. Astrid found her quite delightful and I’m sure she’d have something to say about her disappearance. I’d be happy to call her myself.” Ethan’s smile now reached his eyes. Damn, he was hot when he got going. Hell, he was hot no matter what.