Lucifer's Cage (After Dark Book 6) by Sarah Bailey (short story to read .txt) 📗

her absence. Now, she just had to work out how to slip away entirely so she could have it out with Lucifer. There was no question it was going to be tumultuous.

A hand darted out and wrapped around her wrist. She was tugged into an alcove. Looking up, she found her betrothed staring down at her.

“Where have you been?” he asked in a low voice.

“I needed a moment. All of this has been very overwhelming.” The lie rolled off her tongue with ease.

“I saw you leave with him.”

The blood froze in her veins. Theodus couldn’t know about Lucifer.

“With who?”

“A fae with dark hair. You and he were dancing rather close to one another.”

He wasn’t fae. Had Lucifer hidden his identity from everyone but her? It was the only logical explanation.

“Just someone from my past, but they don’t matter.”

The more lies she told, the worse she felt. This man was to be her husband. And yet, he could never have her in the way the man who haunted her every second could. She was already owned by another. A man who made her molten with desire, drove her crazy with anger, lust, fear and who’s gentleness threatened to break her entirely. He’d almost won. If she let him in any further, he would ruin her completely.

“If it doesn’t matter then why are you so jittery?”

Fuck. He’s seen right through me. I’ve just been fucked by someone else who I can’t afford to love.

She was fucked up for loving the Devil. There was no question about that.

“Can I ask you to do something for me?”

“What?”

“I need to leave. I have unfinished business and it can’t wait. I hate to ask this of you, but can you tell her I had too much wine or something, anything?”

He stared at her for the longest time, his expression blank. Hating that she knew very little about the man she was meant to marry, she waited.

He’d said they were alike, but what did that really mean? Was he caged too? Caged by duty?

I was caged by it, but now I’m caged by something entirely different.

Lucifer.

Her heart was caged by him. He owned her body, her heart and her soul.

“Fine, go. Promise me one thing.”

“What?”

“You’ll come see me tomorrow. We have a lot to discuss about our future.”

It wasn’t a difficult request.

“Okay. I can do that.”

He gave her a soft smile. She slipped from the alcove and disappeared back through the door she’d dragged Lucifer through earlier. He was leaning up against the wall. Dark, mesmerising eyes glinting with barely controlled anger and frustration.

She took his hand, feeling the tension radiating off his skin. It made her flinch. There was none of the affection, lust, desire from before. Only the dark angel she’d come to fear yet who’s brutality made her blood pound in her ears with uncontrolled need remained.

“Come,” she said.

They walked down the long hallway together. She opened a door at the end. It was a dark room, but the moonlight shone through the large patio doors.

Opening one, they slipped out into the night.

“Where do you live?” he asked.

“Hasn’t Mall been feeding you information about me?”

His dark eyes flashed. He’d found out she was going to be here because of his assistant. She cursed Mall in her head for being so loyal to her lord and master. As much as she liked the succubus, Mall still answered to the angel in front of her.

“Do not test my patience.”

She told him, not wanting the punishment he’d dish out if she refused. Large white wings unfurled from his back and a halo of golden light appeared above his head. Her mouth fell open. Heat pooled between her thighs at the sight of him.

Holy fuck. I thought he was stunning before, but shit, this is who he truly is behind all that darkness.

A perfect angel.

His hand snapped over her wrist, pulling her to him.

“Hold on, my little witch,” he said.

The term of endearment sent her pulse into overdrive. He’d never called her anything but Candace or girl before.

His little witch. Why does that make me love him all the more?

He picked her up. Her arms curled around his neck. White wings flared out before they beat once, twice and then they shot into the sky.

“How come you never showed me this before?” she called over the rushing sound of the wind.

“The Devil cannot show himself in his true form in Hell. It would ruin his image.”

“Why me then? You didn’t need to show me all of it.”

His mouth was close to her ear, breath tickling her neck.

“It made you ache for me, didn’t it? The longing in your eyes would’ve been enough, but I feel your desire pulsating in you like wildfire. Don’t you understand by now? I want to see you burn for me whilst I ruin every inch of you. You. Are. Mine.”

Potent lust punctuated every word he spoke. The possessiveness of his tone made her core ache and pulsate. The wild, passionate fuck against the door was nothing compared to what she knew he was capable of. He’d not given her all his brutality yet. A part of her wondered if she could take it. If Lucifer well and truly ruined her, could she ever perform her duty to her family? Could she marry Theodus and provide her mother with an heir?

The darkness in his eyes glittered in the moonlight. It sent a tingle down her spine and she trembled.

What will he do to me when we get to my place? Will it involve punishment for keeping the truth from him?

Chapter Seventeen

After they’d landed and she’d let him