Dealing with Devils (Book 2 in the Road to Salvation Series)

CHAPTER 1

Katie leaned against the railing, staring into the night. A warm breeze touched her face, bringing with it the scent of salt and fish. Every so often, droplets of water touched her skin as the waves lapped against the side of the boat. The bass from the music that played behind her vibrated through her feet and into her chest. Lights flashed at her back, throwing her shadow onto the waves below in spastic fashion. She took a deep breath and squinted her eyes. On the far horizon, just to her right, she could barely make out the lights of Liberty Island. She sighed again and leaned forward farther, resting her elbows on the railing.

She had always wanted to see New York. She and Deb had tentatively planned a trip for the summer after graduation, before going to college. Katie thought maybe it would be a trip to orient herself with the city—attending college in the city was high on her list of things she wanted to do—but she hadn't decided where to go yet. In fact, it was the last thing on her mind at the moment. She needed to get her life back first before deciding what she was going to do with it. As usual, when Josh had showed up in her room earlier tonight and asked her to come with him, she couldn't bring herself to say no. She knew the possibility existed that she would be involved in something unpleasant such as witnessing Josh taking a soul, but she told herself she was going to stop it this time. She wouldn't stand idly by.

Arms wrapped around her waist, and the heat from a body penetrated into her back. She leaned into the familiarity and placed her hands over his. This was also why she hadn't refused his request. She enjoyed the safety she felt in his arms. The way the world melted away and only the two of them existed.

"What are you doing out here?" Josh whispered in her ear.

She shrugged. "I needed some air. It was hot in there."

Why was it so comfortable in his arms? Why did it feel safe? It shouldn't. His nearness should have made her skin crawl and nausea creep into her gut. He was a demon, an unholy creature that thrived on human misery. Yet, that wasn't how he acted. He cared about her, protected her, kept his promises to her, actually wanted to be with her. He had completely turned the few notions she had of good and evil upside down and instilled curiosity in her. She wanted to know about his world. And that should have been distressing to her. Despite the comfort and safety Josh offered her, she knew he was dangerous. Katie had experienced first-hand how demonic he could be. He had used her to get to Wes. But more distressingly, he'd threatened to kill her mom. How could she stay with him? A part of the reason she did was to keep her mom safe. How had her life gotten so messed up?

"It's a nice night." He nuzzled against her neck. "But I really need you to help me inside."

She nodded. "Sure."

She took a deep breath and stiffened. This was her moment. She had to stay strong in her resolve to stop the soul gathering from happening.

He loosened his grip on her waist, and she turned to go inside with him. When she faced him, he placed his arms around her shoulders and softly kissed the tip of her nose.

"On second thought, we have a few minutes. Let's enjoy it."

She relaxed slightly. A few minutes would be nice. Katie smiled and placed her hands on his hips. She hooked her middle fingers around his belt loops, and he pulled her into his body. His heart beat against her. His arms tightened around her shoulders. Once again, the net of safety dropped around her. Once again, the world melted away. Nothing mattered but being in his arms. She closed her eyes and inhaled the spicy scent of his cologne.

Her pocket vibrated, pulling her out of her reverie. She released Josh and moved to get the phone out. He stepped back to give her space. It was late, who would be texting her right now? Crap! What if it was her mom? Katie didn't think her mother had a habit of peeking in on her in the middle of the night, but she wasn't entirely sure either. No, it couldn't be her mom. If she discovered Katie missing she wouldn't text, she would call. She stared at the screen and frowned.