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

CHAPTER 6

Katie stepped onto the beach. A cold wind pushed at her, forcing her to wrap her arms around her chest. She glanced at the sky. Dark gray clouds covered the horizon, bringing the promise of rain. They were still a ways off, but with the way the wind was blowing, it wouldn't be long before the clouds were soaking the beach and anyone on it.

She turned and looked at Josh. He stood in front of the open portal. Anger and fear showed on his face. She reached out and took his hand. He smiled wanly at her.

"You gonna be all right?" she asked.

He snorted and put on a brave front. "Yeah. I'll be fine. They can't hurt me."

Katie stepped forward and placed her hand on his cheek. His features softened, he looked almost sad. A small, genuine smile touched his lips.

"Thank you for sticking up for me. Even if it gets you in more trouble."

Josh placed his hand on her waist and pulled her into a kiss. It was delicate and full of passion. Katie felt herself melting into his body, drawn in by the softness of his lips. Everything that had just happened in Hell vanished. All her worries dissipated. The concerns about the fight Deb had with him on the beach—gone. It was just the two of them. All was right with the world. Abruptly, it was over. The kiss ended and the illusion that everything was all right vanished. Reality crashed back in, and Katie knew she had a lot of things she had to take care of. Especially after her discussion with Lucifer. She needed to figure out why she felt so comfortable in his presence and what that meant. It was really the last thing she needed. Maybe she would put it off thinking about it for a while.

"I'll talk to you tonight." Josh turned and stepped into the light.

She stared after him for a short while after the light faded. What was going to happen to him? A chill shook Katie's body, and she wrapped her arms around herself again. She turned to face the trail to the upper lake, knowing she needed to go back. If Deb wasn't already looking for her, she would be soon. Plus, with the weather moving in, they would need to head home. But her legs wouldn't move. Lucifer's words haunted her. What did he mean when he'd said, "But you'll find out soon enough." How long was that? From the way he looked at her and what she experienced in Hell, she wanted to know the truth soon. She hated being in the dark. But what other choice did she have? It wasn't like she could march back into Lucifer's throne room and demand he tell her what's going on. She saw how he reacted to Josh talking out of turn. She didn't want that to be her. She needed Lucifer on her side, not angry with her.

The wind picked up and threatened to knock her over. Sand pelted her exposed skin, attempted to enter her mouth, and stung her eyes. It was the motivation she needed to get moving and find Deb. She headed for the upper lake. Along the way, it occurred to her that she should probably cut ties with her friends—at least until she figured out what was going on. She didn't want to put them in any more danger, especially Deb, who had a hard time holding her tongue. But at the same time, her absence could put them in even more danger. But maybe that wasn't something she needed to worry about. After all, things could have turned out a lot differently with Josh and Deb. He could have dragged her into a portal and killed her in a warehouse. But he didn't. And Lucifer could have given her to Braden.

That thought sent chills down her spine. Josh wasn't perfect—he had actually done some really heinous things, like threaten her mom—but she knew him. She didn't know Braden. It was possible he wouldn't show the same restraint Josh did. And Josh did show a lot of self-control. He could have easily taken out Deb at the lake. Well, technically he still could. It was possible he was waiting for a more private moment. Katie shook her head. No, she would intervene, make Josh give her his word, and then she knew Deb would be safe. She didn't have that kind of relationship with Braden and had no idea what his intentions were. But maybe Katie had a little more power and influence than she was aware of. She was going to have to explore that further.