Page 88 of Hell Bound

Her lips were pressed flat, white and trembling, and her hands balled into fists at her sides.

“Do you two haveanyidea how idiotic this is?” she whispered, her voice flat with fury. Her gaze shifted from Lilith to me, full of accusations. “I could’ve beenanyone, you fools!”

Lilith swallowed hard in the sudden silence. “Hana—” she started to say, but the maid held up a hand to silence her.

“If Asmodeus had walked in that door, what would you have done?” she asked, growing louder as she spoke and pointing an accusing finger at the door. Lilith didn’t get a chance to answer. “Nothing. You would’ve had no power whatsoever if he decided to drag you out of here by your hair and roast your corpse for dinner. I know you’ve suffered, Lilith. I know you want one good thing in this world for yourself. But imagine if I had been Tavila! The maids canalwayscome in, andshewould sell you out in a heartbeat!”

Lilith raised her chin, but the furious flash in Hana’s eyes kept her quiet.

“I’ve seen you die more times than I count,” Hana said quietly. “I’ve had to watch it over and over when you never deserved it. But youcannotask me to watch it again because you two wanted to play with fire.”

Despite the wolf leaping inside me, ravening to get back to his mate and to shove Hana right back through those doors, she spoke sense.

More sense than I’d had when I’d decided to sneak in here to see Lilith. There was no doubt Asmodeus knew I was always near her, always craving her.

And part of his games was to give his enemies just enough rope to hang themselves with.

I held Lilith tightly, then released her.

“She’s right.” The words came out gruff, terse, and the wolf inside me clawed in rage. He didn’t give a damn what was right or not, only that he was near the woman he loved. “I should not place you in harm’s way like this.”

Lilith looked up at me mutinously, as though to say,you too?

“The Garden,” I reminded her, stroking her cheek.

I hated to say it, watching the darkness in her eyes at that word, especially after what she’d just done for me.

She nodded stiffly, all the light and happiness vanishing from her face.

But the Garden was the final resting place that awaited her if Asmodeus or one of his loyalists walked in on us.

She finally let out a sigh, clasping her hand over mine. “I trust you,” she said, staring into my eyes. “We can find a way out. Together.”

I nodded. “But not tonight.”

Hana shook her head, her anger spent and her words still hanging in the air. “You should go, Lucifer. By the window. I must prepare the queen for dinner.”

Lilith blanched a little at that. “Is he planning something?”

I despised the timidity in her voice at that question. Sick, hot hatred rose up in me like a flood.

I didn’t hate her; never her.

But certainly Asmodeus, for instilling that dread in her.

“Not that I know of.” Hana cast me a sidelong look, fraught with warning. “As long as the Commander gets out of here without being seen—and stops making foolish, lovesick decisions.”

Point taken, Hana.

I leaned down and kissed Lilith, trying to burn the feeling of her soft lips against mine into my brain.

She let me go reluctantly as I stepped into the shadows of night, climbing over the side of the balcony.

I had just enough time to smile at her before Hana stepped in front of her, glaring at me as she shut the balcony door.

She didn’t move out of the way before I descended, leaving me not with the sight of my mate, but a maid who had stolen precious moments from us… and was completely justified in it.

I exhaled the anger as I climbed down into the silence of the courtyard.

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