Page 75 of Fear the Fall

For so long, I felt isolated and alone.Until Zeke.

“You’re doing God’s dirty work for him here on Earth. You fell, yet you’re still working for him. You’re cheap labor, and it saves his precious angels,” he grinds out the words. “The others, those who fell to simply enjoy Earth’s trappings...” He wiggles his brows, but I don’t react. I want him to continue. He frowns but relents. “You serve a purpose. They don’t.”

“They tried to do the same to me.”

“They were messing with you, and only because you insulted one of them. I didn’t really need to save you, Victoria. God never would’ve allowed Malachi to kill you. He would’ve intervened if I hadn’t.”

“I don’t think so,” I say, shaking my head.

“Iknowso. You are part of a bigger picture. This war you speak of—” He stops, staring intently into my eyes. “You’re right. It’s coming.”

There are so many questions running through my head, and I want to ask them all, but he puts his finger up and shakes it back and forth.

“This is my night, and I’m done talking aboutHim.”

I bite my lip, one more question on the tip of my tongue, and I can’t help but spit it out.

“Do you know why Zeke betrayed me?”

He picks at something on the table, averting my eyes. “You already know the answer to that, love.”

“Was anything he said to me true?” I wish I could take the question back, so as to not sound so pathetic. Seeking validation from the devil is a recipe for disaster, and I’m feeding right into it.

He blows out an exasperated breath. “You’ll have to ask him. Though why you’d bother is the greater question. He’s God’s pawn, Victoria. I doubt you’ll get the full truth.”

“I’m sorry I asked.”

“The truth is hard to hear. He stole your innocence and sold you to God as a prisoner of war.”

“Unreal, Luke. Why would you even need to bring that up?”

“Why not? It’s true. He deflowered something that wasn’t meant for him.”

“Yuck. Why don’t you just pee on me now?”

He raises a brow, smirking. “That sounds devilish.”

“One more word and deal or no, I’ll break this arrangement and take my chances in Hell.”

“You know that’s not exactly a threat. I want you in Hell.”

I groan, snapping my attention back to the people swaying to the music.

A cover band plays on stage, the current song something new by MGK. It feels appropriate, considering Luke has dubbed tonight Valentine’s Day. I chuckle at the words, so very freaking fitting.

“Dance with me,” he says, standing and holding out his hand.

“Nope.” I shake my head. “Like I said, I can’t.”

“My night. My rules. Up,” he commands.

I glower back at the devil but concede, knowing that if I don’t, he’ll find some loophole to extend my sentence.

Luke slips right into the fray, bouncing around like every other twenty-something in the joint. He looks like he fits, his youthful features making him look no older than twenty-five. I savor the way his black tee showcases every exquisite muscle underneath.Stop!

He bumps his shoulder into me, the universal sign forget your ass moving. I roll my eyes and decide to just let go. This is his night, and I’ll play the game. The atmosphere is charged, and with the low lighting and deep bass pumping below our feet, it’s easy to throw caution to the wind and get lost in the fun.

It has been years since I’ve allowed myself to get caught up in human traditions. It seems ridiculous, considering the alleys right outside are crawling with demons. My hands come up above my head and my hips sway in time to the beat.

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