“Damn,” Kai rasped.
Another demon popped back in, glamoured as a little girl.
Kai let go of me, stumbling forward toward them. “Alice?”
My heart twinged as I grabbed his shoulder. “It’s not her, Kai. That’s one of the demons.”
His gaze snapped to mine. “But…”
“I looked into the afterlife of both of your sisters. They’re both in Heaven. I can take you to see them.”
His tongue pressed into his cheek as he shook his head. “No. I don’t want them to see me like this.”
“Like what?” I stepped closer. “A vampire? Kai, you’re perfect as you are.”
“I’m not perfect.” He huffed a laugh. “It’s not that I’m a vampire, either. I murdered our father. What I did to him…it was fucked up. Even if it was deserved, I—” His voice cracked.
“It’s okay. You don’t have to explain.”
His breaths were becoming shallow again, and he forced a smile my way. “I’m ready to face him.”
My brows raised up, but I nodded. This was Kai’s decision. If he thought facing his father would help give him the closure he needed, then that’s what I wanted him to do.
I waved a hand over us and cleared my throat. “Gerlick,” I called out, and the demon gave me a small nod before dissipating from the room.
It was just Kai, Gerlick, and me now.
The man continued sobbing, unmoving from under the covers. “G-Go away!”
I rolled my eyes. Most of the damned souls I’d encountered were weak, and Gerlick was no different.
Kai’s fangs dropped as he stormed over and ripped the blanket off him. “Get up, you wanker.”
The man had rich red hair, just like Kai, but that was the only thing they had in common. Their features were nothing alike, and obviously Kai won the award for best personality.
He scrambled back on his ass, eyes wide in fear of Kai. “What are you? You killed me!”
Kai chuckled darkly. “How’s it feel to be in Hell?”
My thighs clenched together from the thoughts bombarding my mind. Something about bad boy Kai was fucking hot, and my body was reacting from the dangerous vibes rolling off him.
“Can you help me?” he asked, voice weak.
“Help you?” Kai snarled. “Who helped me and my sisters when you wouldn’t work? Who helped us when you beat us unconscious? Who helped us when we had no food? Who helped us? Not you.”
Gerlick flinched back, covering his face. “I never asked for children! They’re nothing but a burden.”
“That doesn’t mean you treat them the way you treated us!” Kai exploded, fist flinging out to punch Gerlick in the face.
The bones in his face snapped from the impact, and Gerlick did nothing but sob. “Please, no!”
Kai spat at his feet. “You’re nothing but a lazy, worthless bum, and I can live peacefully knowing you’re getting what you deserve for what you did. I’m disgusted to be in the same vicinity as you.” He turned to face me and nodded.
I waved another hand, and the alley fell away. We stood in the white space of nothingness that was the door to Gerlick’s Hell.
“Can we head back now?” he asked, eyes sunken in like that’d been too much on him.
“Fuck the portals.” I grabbed the back of his neck and pulled his lips to mine. The sweet taste of rain exploded as our tongues slid against each other.
