Page 56 of Hell’s Half Acre

In some ways that made it worse. Because in Hell you could never let down your guard. Never trust.

No one could afford to because every creature there was an enemy who wouldn’t hesitate to cut your throat and laugh while they did it.

But there were a number of humans here who weren’t like that. Those who didn’t betray or seek to hurt others.

Some would even go out of their way to help strangers.

Sadly, they were becoming more and more rare. Had he not had multitudinous reasons to hate his family before this, that would be enough.

Because creatures like him were what had tainted and tempted humanity to be the worst of their nature.

Starting with the Garden of Eden and moving up to now.

People had the ability to be noble and kind. Generous.

But that one kernel of evil that existed inside every human…it was a bitch. A tiny seed that with very little watering would flower into the most destructive force to ever exist.

It was so easy. A little whisper here. Insecurity there. Just play into that oh-so-evil thing called justification.

If a human felt justified in their hatred of anyone, they could commit atrocities that would make his father shudder. Atrocities no one saw coming.

Betrayal. The lowest, worst pit in Hell was reserved for those who betrayed and well it should be.

Sighing, Luke shook his head to clear his thoughts.

With a disappointed pout on her lips, Simi stood next to Sorcha. “The Simi don’t get to eats any demons?”

Luke actually felt bad for her. “Sorry, Simi. But there are still some I have to find. Maybe one of those will deserve to be eaten.”

That made her instantly happy.

Sorcha closed the distance between them and reached up to cup his cheek.

The heat of her hand seared him. Especially when she brushed her thumb against his cut lip.

“I didn’t know you could bleed.”

He watched her mouth as she spoke, the tang of blood on his tongue. “Yeah. My asshole brother wears jagged rings to cause as much harm as possible.” Just like he did. Only until now, he hadn’t had a chance to use them in the human realm.

She arched a brow at his words. “That was your brother?”

He ached to put his arms around her and pull her body firmly against his. Yet somehow he resisted. “Brassle. The fire demon who tried to take me home to collect the bounty I have on my ass. It’s why I beat him so badly. Next idiot who wants to come for me will think twice, and I doubt Brassle will be dumb enough to try again. But he is a bit thick. I wouldn’t put much of anything past him.”

“And that’s why I don’t question your methods anymore.” Her hand dropped, but she didn’t step away.

She trusted him even though Luke knew she shouldn’t. He was born from the same venom that had Envee and Trinket looking him in the eye and lying about basic information.

Information that could get his throat cut. He needed to know who his enemies were. How else could he protect himself?

That was what made him so furious.

He’d learned to trust his demons when he knew better than that.

End of the world, they were demons and they would act like it.

I should never have taken their word for anything.

“You okay?” She cocked her head to the side.