Hell Hounds Are for Suckers Read online

  We drove as fast as afternoon traffic would allow back to the East Bay and a seedy part of Oakland when Diel suddenly picked up on Hades loud and clear. He had no trouble today following his signal right to a restored Victorian. I wonder if it is the infamous she-demon and if she knew she had a hell hound or if she thought he was just an ordinary black dog. Would Hades let her know?

  Diel suddenly pulled up to the authentically painted Victorian on a street of dilapidated houses. The yard had been landscaped and everything about it gave me an uneasy feeling. It didn’t fit. I squinted my eyes and dammit, there was a faint shimmer of magick around it. Someone had done a good job of trying to hide it.

  “Oh boy,” I said.

  “Yeah, I see it too. He was stolen on purpose. I want you to wait in the car, Hannah. Most likely the magick won’t hurt me.”

  “The fuck I will. They took Hades under my watch. I have some ass to kick,” I hissed.

  “I was afraid you’d say that.” His usual easy going grin gone. He took my hand instead. It was hot and my body responded. Melting. To its cold undead core. “I know you’re a strong woman and I like that about you, but I really don’t want to see you get hurt.”

  “You don’t?” I asked, pleased sounding like some simpering little girl I fought the urge to stare into his incredible eyes.

  Now he smiled. “No, I don’t.”

  “I don’t want you to get hurt either,” I said sucking it up and showing a hint of fang. “And that’s why I’m going in there. To make sure you and Hades both come out of there in one piece.” Before he could say anything else, I pulled my hand free and opened the door. I still don’t know how Diel could maneuver his large frame in and out of the little car, but he was suddenly in front of me.

  “Please, Hannah?”

  “Thank you for worrying, but it’s not the first time I’ve gone against magick. We’ll be okay.” I heard him grumble to himself and then watched as he sent a pulse of energy at his car. It shimmered like a mirage in the deep desert. I kept searching for it and then looking back at him, trying to make sure it was still there. He let a small rumble escape his chest – a demon’s version of a chuckle.

  “It’s still there but no one but us can see it,” he said.

  “I wondered what you were going to do with it. It wouldn’t have lasted long on this street.”

  “Come on. If you’re determined, then let’s get this over with.”

  “Gotcha, Ganja Girl and Hell Boy going in.” He spanked me on the ass a big grin on his face. “What was that for?” I said with my fangs out.

  “That’s Duke Hell Boy to you.” I just rolled my eyes.

  CHAPTER 11

  We opened the wrought iron gate and felt a wave of magick roll over us like a heat wave coming out of an oven, but it didn’t do anything to stop us. The flirting and friendly banter had been put aside. A sick feeling crept from the pit of my stomach. We eased up to the front door carefully alert and knocked.

  “I feel wards up on the house. They’re subtle but here. I think I can crack them,” Diel said in a low voice. I nodded. I was keyed up and my fangs were out, hands balled up, I was ready for whatever showed up.

  “Vampire, you need to leave here before someone gets hurt.” A sultry female voice said from the other side of the door.

  “Not before you give us our dog back, Josephine.” Diel said in a commanding voice.

  The voice laughed and the hair on the back of my neck stood up.

  “This is no dog and I think you know that. I found him wandering around. I rescued him from someone’s carelessness.” I would have been bright red if I could still blush. I knew I hadn’t done anything wrong. Why had I felt so guilty?

  “Bullshit, Josephine. You took him. Hades wouldn’t leave, Hannah.”

  “Hades? I thought his name was Ares. And who is this Hannah,” the woman asked with acid. “Well, it doesn’t matter. He is going to stay with me until he mates you and I and that’s all there is to it.”

  “Then we’re coming in for him,” I said in a low growl.

  Diel didn’t wait for me to finish speaking. He was already waving his hand in complex sigils and the front door burst into blue flames that died out and left a gaping hole for us to walk through. Not exactly subtle, but effective. I wanted some of that mojo.

  A woman, demon that is, stood there and was looking unsurprised while smiling. She had Hades chained to a column. Hades was snarling. He barked, starting a fire. He was battered and tried to get up but couldn’t. She had beaten him, severely. The she-demon waved a hand at the fire and it dissipated and then she flicked her hand towards us, sending a blast of energy buzzing full blast into us. I flew backwards but Diel stood his ground. I was back on my feet and at his side in an instant, hissing and circling her. I saw red. How dare she hurt my, Hades. Diel held his palm out to me to signal that he didn’t want me to attack. I hissed at him. His face was set. I knew he was upset too but he restrained himself. Hades must be in more danger than I thought.

  “Josephine, give it up,” Diel demanded. Shit. He knows her well. Her seductive name went with the curvaceous, evil body, long flowing, rich chestnut hair and pert nose. If I cared I would have noticed she had deep brown eyes a man could get lost in, not that I noticed.

  “Diel, darling, I wanted to talk to you,” she said as she walked up to him and ran her fingers down his chest. Diel bent her hand back and threw it away from him. She sneered at him. “What are you doing hanging out with a mosquito? She’s about as big as one too, isn’t she?” She had the nerve to laugh at me in her throaty deep voice. Bitch. Who’s she calling mosquito?

  “Josephine, this is Hannah and she may be small but she is mighty,” Diel said as he sent me a brief secret smile. It warmed me from the inside out, but not for long. We had to get Hades away from this hell bitch. If we didn’t, who knew what else she might do to him.

  “Please.” She rolled her eyes. “Lose the leech, Diel. Let’s talk. I want to catch up,” she said as she sashayed her way back to Diel. Hades growled, smoke curling from his mouth. I hissed. She stopped short, surprised and irritated. The mosquito was ready to bite.

  “Looks like I’m already busy, Josephine. Sorry,” he said, and he sounded anything but sorry - bored, condescending, mostly angry. “But I’ll have my hound back and then we’ll leave you to your games,” Diel said. He walked over to Hades and unchained him and Hades licked his hand and staggered over to me and loved on me, tail wagging limply, rubbing against me. Perhaps it was a good thing that he was so weak or his happiness in seing me would have put me my butt, something I didn’t want to do in front of the bitch from down under.

  “You haven’t seen the last of me, Diel. We are meant to be together. Take your trash out or I will.”

  “Okay that’s it.” I flew at her and she threw magick at me but I was ready and was too fast for her. I landed on her back, pulled her hair away from her neck ready to bite her but suddenly I was riding the back of a fiery beast. It was towering over Diel and Hades and there were ridges along its back and horns on its head. Was this really Josephine? I fell off of her or was it an it in confusion. Diel caught me around the waist.

  Diel chanted an incantation and waved at Josephine. A fiery pit opened in the floor. It was like looking into a cave of a soulless crowd in deep pain. He nudged at the beast that Josephine had become until she fell into the hole and he waved his hand over it and closed it back up.

  He hauled me out the hole in the door. One arm holding Hades and the other wrapped around me. As soon as we were through he let me go As soon as we were through he let me go, fixed the hole and boarded the door, effectively removing it as an exit. Overkill? I didn’t care.

  “I could have taken her, Diel. At least I’m assuming that was her.”

  “Yes, it
was and no you couldn’t have taken her. Not with her magick, Hannah.”

  “Where did you send her?”

  “I sent her to one of the worst hells that exists. It’s a terrible place of misery and mental pain. No one beats my hound,” Diel growled. “She’ll be there for a good while. I am her superior and there are some perks in that.”

  “You should have let me try to get her. It would have felt good to at least try to do some damage.”

  Diel erupted into a deep laugh.

  “Oh, Hannah. Sorry, Ganja Girl. The gods you are sexy,” he said. He bent down and his smooth, warm lips were on mine before I could answer him. I felt his tongue run across my lips and I opened up to him, meeting him with mine. Diel moaned and Hades bumped into us, breaking us apart. Diel scowled as did I when we looked down at our hound. We knew we had to fix him up.

  Diel looked down into my eyes.

  “You’re quite a woman, Hannah.”

  “Thank you, I think.”

  “Oh, it was a compliment. Come on, let’s get Hades back to your house.”

  “Hah! You called him Hades.”

  “Yeah, yeah, yeah. Don’t push it, babe.”

  He called me babe. I got all gushy inside. What was happening to the kick-ass Ganja Girl? Gah!

  He opened the door to his sex-magnet car for me and I got settled. Diel settled Hades on my lap. Since Hades was almost as big as me by then it was a tight fit for the three of us, but we made it work. Diel situated himself behind the wheel and got the fabulous machine purring, he slid his hand up my thigh. I gasped and he squeezed my leg.

  Little traffic thanks to more of his magick, we practically floated home. Diel parked in my driveway and moved like the wind to open my door for me. Hades was already doing better as hell hounds healed fast quickly once the thing injuring them was removed. Without the abuse she’d been giving him had stopped he was recouping and predictably growing again. Ugh.

  “Diel, I understand why she took Hades, but why did she have to beat him. That seems over the top.”

  “She’s a sadist, Hannah. She loves inflicting pain on anything she can. Any creature she can find.”

  I let all that percolate. All sarcasm aside I don’t really hate too many things but I hated that creature. When we got to my house I let us in and Hades tore through his doggie doors to check out the lay of the land. Since they had been installed by a Djinn they magically grew to suit his size. After I stowed my wine in the kitchen I came back into the living room. Diel had taken off his leather jacket and was talking to Aidan. I was able to appreciate the faded jeans and button down un-tucked shirt the color of spring grass. The color enhanced his eyes. I was soon lost in them.

  “I think I have a first aid kit around here that I bought from a Boy Scout who was going door to door. We can use it to bandage Hades up.”

  “I’ll try and corral him,” Diel said. He coaxed Hades into the living room and knelt down beside him. I came back with a basin of soapy water and the first aid kit. Mostly he just needed cleaning up.

  “Well, I see that all is right with the world once again. If I get my hands on this Josephine, though, I’ll teach her what the fires of hell are really for,” Aidan said with ill-disguised malice. “I’m going to pop over and tell Lilith that Hades is back. She fell in love with my godson.”

  “Thanks for hanging out here, Aidan, and for all your help,” I said and gave Aidan a hug. Diel shook his hand.

  “Ciao, Hannah, Diel.” Aidan popped out.

  “Come here,” Diel said huskily.

  I walked over to him and he took my hand and pulled me into him. He just held me, staring down at me for a minute before lowering his head for another toe-curling kiss. I didn’t hesitate to open my mouth up to him this time. It had been a long time for the Ganja Girl. We’re talking dry desert. Emotions flooded me. My libido and my heart were slamming into each other and both were demanding my full attention. Feelings. Passion, lust, comfort, fear, excitement and empowerment. But most of all was a feeling of rightness.

  I ran my hands up and down his chest. His muscles rippled under my hands and a soft purr came from deep inside him. He moved his mouth to my ear and gently bit my lobe.

  “Do you know what they say happens when a demon and a vampire mate, Hannah?”

  “Yes,” I whispered.

  “And you’ll take the chance?” He pulled back to look at me with heavy-lidded, lust-filled eyes.

  “If you mean being addicted to this, then the answer is yes, I’m willing to take a chance. What about you?” I asked.

  “I’m already addicted to you,” he growled and crushed my lips with his. He moved his expert mouth back down my neck and ran kisses over every soft and sensitive spot he could find until I moaned and writhed in his arms. Then he picked me up and headed for my bedroom. I wrapped my legs around his waist and enjoyed the ride.

  I tried to take off his shirt while he carried me. I finally gave up on the buttons and ripped them off. Diel laughed until I stifled it with my mouth and made him groan. He laid me on the bed, lowering himself on top of me. I wiggled my body against him until I could feel how much he wanted me. Running my hands against his bare chest set me on fire and I pulled my shirt and bra over my head so I could feel his skin against mine.

  “So beautiful,” Diel murmured, looking down at me.

  Soon we were completely undressed. Diel hovered over me.

  “There’s no going back Hannah. You’re mine after this.”

  “Take me,” I whispered, and he did.

  CHAPTER 12

  Diel and I were drinking a glass of wine in bed and talking softly when the doorbell rang. I groaned and got up and put my robe on. Diel put on his jeans. His shirt was in tatters thanks to me. I peek through the peep hole to behold a grinning Aidan. Oh man, he is so going to give me shit. I open the door and prepared for the inevitable.

  “My, my, my. Look what we have here,” he said with a wicked glint in his eye.

  “Aidan,” I said with a warning in my voice.

  “Oh no, you’re not getting out of it that easily. Big bad vampire Hannah got herself a little demon ass.” He laughed. Then he went and gave Diel a high five.

  Diel grinned and I scowled. The testosterone level was getting mighty high in here again.

  “Where’s my godson?” Aidan asked.

  As if he knows Aidan is talking about him, Hades ran out and jumped up on Aidan. He planted wet hell hound kisses all over Aidan’s hands. Aidan got down on his level and rubbed him behind the ears. Hades ran over to his basket of toys and brought Aidan a tug so they could play.

  “So you know what they say about demons and vampires hooking up don’t you?” Aidan asked.

  Diel ran his hand through his disheveled hair and grinned sheepishly. I just nodded.

  “She’s mine, Aidan,” Diel said. I looked at him and stared all starry-eyed.

  “Well congratulations are in order.” Aidan moved his hand and a bottle of Dom Perignon materialized with two champagne flutes. He popped the top and poured for us, handing us each a glass.

  “May your union be blessed with happiness and lots of sex,” Aidan said.

  I choked on my champagne and Diel’s eyes flared, ready to resuscitate or Heimlich or whatever else was needed. I waved a hand at him to tell him I’m alright. As soon as I could stop coughing I glared at Aidan and he winked at me.

  “Aidan, you’re a devil. Shouldn’t you be harassing someone or something?” I asked.

  “Despite our many similarities and popular misconceptions notwithstanding, technically he’s more of a devil thank you. Besides I thought I was harassing someone.” He gave me an innocent look. “We need to go and tell Lilith. Let me get you both dressed properly.” He waved his hand a
nd put me in a mini dress with combat boots and Diel in a new shirt and shoes. That’s a little freaky. Being dressed by a force other than my own hands, or the hands of my lover.

  “Let me take my godson over first and then I’ll come back for you,” Aidan said like we were second-class citizens and Hades was the prime character in our family. Well, as far as Aiden was concerned I’m not sure he wasn’t.

  We put the moment to good use. Diel bent down and kissed me. A long languid kiss. His hands ran down my back and I leaned into him. Aidan popped back in.

  “Tsk, tsk. None of that. We have people to see. I promised them a huge surprise. Now take my hand Hannah and let’s go.”

  We transmanifested over to the manse right into the library. Lily was down on the floor rubbing Hades’ belly. Sebastian was giving them a wary look. I was pretty sure that Hades still didn’t appreciate him. Andrew was sitting on the couch and Julian and Helena were sharing the chaise lounge. They all looked up when we popped in and looked a little startled to see us, especially when Diel moved his arm protectively around my waist and I leaned into him.

  “Hannah? How nice to see you.” Lily’s words are formal but her questioning look is the look of a confidant and best friend who expects to hear what the hell gives.

  “Everyone, this is Diel. I think most of you remember him. He’s a demon and we sorta are, well…” I make that eye movement where I glance at him then flicked a look at the group in the universal sign for help. He searched my eyes and smiled at me - before he faced my family.

  “Hannah is mine. She and I are mated.” Not subtle but it stated the point in unambiguous terms.