“So, this whole time you’ve known I’m a demon? And the others at the club? You knew about them, too?”
“Ah.” I winced. “No. Idiot that I am, it never occurred to me.”
He turned to Serena then. “So, you did tell her what I am.”
“Oh, don’t be a dick,” she countered. “She already knew about supernaturals. I think it’s fair game to tell her at this point, especially since you had her sign a contract without telling her what it meant. That’s not allowed, and you know it, Asmodeus. You have to inform humans that they’re signing a soul contract.”
His expression darkened. “Just because you’re an attorney at Parkins, Weller, and Smith doesn’t mean you can lecture me about contracts.”
I whipped my head back and forth, watching the exchange. What did he mean about Serena’s job and demon contracts? Puzzle pieces began to click together in my mind. Serena had always been incredibly smart and driven, but she’d managed to snag a competitive job at a prestigious law firm in Manhattan at the age of twenty-three. Surely not…
“Serena,” I said slowly. “Do you work for a supernatural law firm?”
She flushed, avoiding my gaze by staring at the soap dispenser by the sink. “I wouldn’t really call it a supernatural law firm. It doesn’t use magic or anything. It’s just…most of our clients are vampires, demons, or fae. Werewolves, too, but mostly the others.”
“And I am a client of the firm,” Az added. “Which means you need to stay out of this. Otherwise, I will have to tell Parkins that you instructed Mia to tear up one of my contracts.”
Serena growled and whipped her head to me. “This guy is a dick.”
“Tell me about it,” I replied.
“You’re really not supposed to let a human sign a contract without telling them what it means,” Serena said, not missing a beat. “It’s against the rules. It won’t hold up, regardless of who your lawyers are.”
Asmodeus shot her a wicked smile. “For other demons, yes. But I am a Prince of Hell. Those rules do not apply to me.”
My heart flipped, and for the first time, the reality of my situation sank into the very depths of my bones. A part of me hadn’t believed it. The guy was an asshole, but he didn’t look like the kind of person to feast on souls. Not that I had any idea what a soul-eater would actually look like. Maybe a red dude with horns. And a tail. Definitely a tail.
Did he have a tail?
“So, it’s true then,” I said, my breath rattling in my lungs. “If I break our deal, you’ll get my soul.”
He leaned forward and tucked his finger beneath my chin. Those wicked eyes cut through me. “I will not only get it, but I will enjoy taking it straight to Hell.”
11
“Now that we’ve settled that,” Asmodeus said, pulling away. “All three of us are going to return to the party and act as though nothing has happened.”
Serena snorted. “Not a chance in hell.”
“Neither one of you has much of a choice,” he said, his voice dropping into an irritated growl. “A deal has been made. One month, and then it’s over. I’ll give you two a minute to collect yourselves, but if either one of you does anything remotely against me, I will not hesitate to alert the law firm and take Mia’s soul. Got it?”
I swallowed hard and nodded. The asshole had us exactly where he needed us, and he knew it. Too much was at stake. Serena’s job, and…well, my entire life, apparently. If he took my soul, what would happen to me? Would I die? Or would my body continue to live on, like some kind of zombie?
Serena grunted but then relented. Asmodeus gave us a wicked smile and then vanished through the door. A pocket of sound escaped into the bathroom: laughter, clinking glass, and booming music. It was a whole other world out there while we were stuck beside a golden toilet with our nightmares.
“Well.” Serena blew out a long breath that rustled the ebony hair framing her face. “So, I guessthathappened.”
“I don’t think he is going to tear up the contract, shockingly enough,” I said dryly. “I think it’s more likely that hell will freeze over first.”
She cut her eyes my way. “This is really bad. You know that, right?”
“Nah, I’m having a whale of a time. My soul is bound to a total dick of a demon. How could I have more fun than this?” I turned to Serena. “Speaking of dicks, I have a question. Do demons have weird ones? With a pointy thing at the end. You know, like demon tails? And also, does he have an actual tail, too?”
She gave me a blank stare. “Did you just ask about his dick?”
I shrugged. “Aren’t you curious?”
“No. No, I am not.” She shook her head. “I feel like you aren’t taking this seriously.”
