Page 65 of In Between Death and the Devil

My heart sank and I felt a trickle of unease from the Devil. The hooded figure was completely covered. The cloak was plain black with no identifying marks. If this was the person who hired Colt to steal my father’s ring, I hoped they removed their hood so we could get a look at their face.

“You asked about a job. We have one for you.” The hooded figure said, the voice male.

“What will I have to do?” Colt sounded a little sick and his hands trembled, even as he fisted them at his side.

“Nervous?” The hooded figure chuckled.

“Don’t be ridiculous.”

“It’s easy. All you have to do is seduce a young woman and frame her for murder.”

My heart beat faster. I’d been right. I had been the target all along.

“And in return?” Colt asked.

“The guarantee of a better life, just as you requested.”

“I want to be successful, wealthy, and comfortable. No more being at others’ beck and call.”

The hooded figure chuckled. “Smart boy not to trust us. But it’s in the contract. As long as you fulfill your end of the deal, you’ll get what you want.” They pushed a piece of paper towards him with a gloved hand, along with a pendant and a wooden box.

I recognized the pendant as the one that Colt always wore, the stamp of two rods crossing on it as familiar as his face.

Colt signed the contract, grabbed the pendant and wooden box, and left.

I swiped down through the image to pause it, my heart racing. There was no satisfaction in being right, though I didn’t understand how Colt expected to enjoy the life he’d bargained for when he’d induced a heart attack. There was no way to tell who the hooded figure was. They could have been anyone, working for anyone.

My stomach dropped as I looked over at the Devil, who was now fiddling with the Soul Record—playing the scene back, going back in time searching for something. His face was a mask of concentration, but I felt his turmoil through our bond. Shock, frustration, and a rising dread, because the Soul Record didn’t contain the proof he expected. The hooded figure could have been working for him like Death said.

Our mission had failed. Colt’s Soul Record didn’t prove the Devil wasn’t involved. Disappointment tasted bitter. I wanted to trust him, not just because it would be easier, but because I liked him. He understood me in a way no one else ever had. And more than anything, I wanted to believe I could find safety with him. I was so tired of being alone.

My emotions must have given away the direction my thoughts had turned, because he stopped what he was doing and looked at me, anguish plain on his face.

“Maeve.” It was a plea, both vocal and emotional. I felt it everywhere.

And then we both heard it. Footsteps.

Someone was coming.

CHAPTER 19

My heartbeat pounded in my throat. I couldn’t be seen. Not here and not with the Devil.

The footsteps stopped somewhere off to our right. They sounded like they were in the main room.

The Devil flipped Colt’s Soul Record closed. With a flick of his wrist, a tendril of shadow scooped up the book and whisked it out of the alcove and around the corner to replace it on its shelf.

I watched as he peered out in the corridor, readying myself to make a run for the portal.

He took two steps out, then halted so suddenly I ran into his back.

Following his gaze to the portal at the end of the hall, I watched it ripple. Someone was coming through.

In a blink, he pushed me back into the alcove and yanked the curtain closed.

I sucked in a breath as my back pressed against the wall.

His hands landed on either side of my head, caging me in, and a cool breeze stirred as he wrapped us in shadows.