Hell's Company

Chapter 4 (Edited)

I woke up tucked into bed with a horrible taste in my mouth, accompanied by a pounding headache. One of the lights in my bedroom was still on and it was unbearably bright. I shoved my head under one of the many pillows as I groaned and pulled the blankets tighter as a wave of tremors passed through me. I threw them back as the strong urge to vomit hit me like a brick wall and a waste basket was shoved into my hands. I threw up three times before I could pull my head back and wipe my mouth. "Thanks."

"You're welcome, Persephone."

My head snapped up to look at Lord Luca. "What are you doing here?"

"Is that any way to greet one of the Lords of Hell? I think not." Luca said smugly. "Don't you remember last night?"

I groaned and rubbed my head. "Barely."

"You started another fight by the bathroom and were about to pass out when I found you. I took you home. You begged me to stay."

I gasped, in genuine horror and embarrassment. "You're such a liar! I wouldn't do that!"

He shrugged and grinned arrogantly, his facial expression pissing me off. "You did, but yeah, you were definitely drugged." He sat back in the chair in the corner of my room and rubbed his face, looking incredibly tired and almost child-like, except for the stubble that was growing in. He sighed with exhaustion and my anger smoothed out, replaced by sympathy. "You've been puking all night and I had to force water and bread into you. You finally fell asleep a couple hours ago."

"Have you slept?" I asked quietly.

"No." He said gruffly but held out a bottle. "Here, drink some."

I grabbed it greedily and chugged a few gulps, extremely thirsty and desperate to wash the horrible taste from my mouth, but I spat it back up and into the trash can. "That is not water."

"Never said it was, but you'll be super hungover so it'll help with that."

I shuddered and gave the bottle back to him, shuddering and swallowing back the urge to puke again. "Alcohol... is disgusting and a terrible idea."

"Not always."

"Always."

"A prude, goody-two-shoes in Hell? Oh, I thought I'd never see the day." He chuckled deep in his throat, the rumbling sound making goosebumps erupt over my skin. Even his voice was attractive to me.

"No!" I sputtered. "Did you see me last night? I was not being a prude then!"

"Of course, I did." Luca glanced down at my torso and I followed, realizing I was still wearing my dress. I crossed my arms over my chest, cutting off Luca's view of my assets, but was happy that he hadn't undressed me while I was vulnerable. "You started two fights that I had to intervene. Ahh, and you think you belong in Sector Pride."

A sharp pang of a memory hit me with a headache; Lucielle's argument with Luca about the marking. I rubbed my head because I couldn't look at him. It was still hard for me to figure out what that was about. "Hey, I'll be right back."

"Where do you think you're going?" He stood up with an anxious expression.

"To change," I grumbled with annoyance. Who did he think he was? He wasn't my babysitter. I moved the covers away from my legs, which was a horrible idea. Immediately, both Luca and I saw that the slit had ridden up way higher than it was supposed to. I blushed a deep red and struggled to pull it back down, knowing that without a doubt I had just flashed the Lord of Sector Violence my transparent, lace thong. "Oh, my God."

"Oh, he isn't here, Persephone." Luca groaned, closing his eyes as a smile spread across his face. One glance down at his form-fitting jeans told me he had thoroughly enjoyed what he had seen.