In the Arms of the Beast (Kings of Hell MC 5)

“May we finally find out how you intend to use the Pigeon Heart?” Laurent asked, attempting to maneuver himself between Magpie and Malachite, but the demon’s servant was protective of the short distance between his master and him and forced Laurent back with his presence alone. Despite the serious nature of the situation, Beast had to bite his lips not to snort.

Magpie looked back with a pleasant smile reminiscent of the Mona Lisa. “My boy, I will tell you everything in due time. I wish to see the jewel first,” he said as they all entered one of the many rooms dedicated to common use. “And what in the world happened to your hair?”

Laurent stumbled, clearly not expecting the tactless question. “Nothing... just an experiment with a hair washing method for curly hair. It is not of importance right now.”

But Magpie was dead serious. “When you visit New York, I will make sure to book you an appointment with my personal stylist. That woman has magical hands.”

Laurent, whose face was pink like a ripe raspberry, struggled for breath even as he faked a laugh. “Certainly. But as I was saying, we are all curious about your plans. I hope you don’t just intend to keep it for yourself. I can imagine it would make a delicious snack for your kind.” Laurent said, but he wasn’t doing a very good job at making it sound like a joke, and Joker actually hid his face in his hands, staying behind.

Fantastic.

Magpie’s chuckle was like the ring of a bell—full and thrilling to the ear. “Ah, they are sweeter than maple syrup, but this time, I’ll restrict my diet.”

Vars glared at Laurent, rubbing his graying beard. “We all want this world to survive.”

Laurent frowned, even though his skin got even darker. “I am not implying otherwise,” he said curtly.

“Actually, you are,” Joker said, catching up, with a cool frown.

Beast stopped in front of a large mirror, hit by the realization that it appeared so much clearer than usual without the odd dark sheen at the edges. That dusky effect was a sign of Baal’s presence and always made him feel like he was being watched, but the moment Magpie had marched into the building with the leopard print coat floating off his shoulders like a cape, even the light coming in through the windows seemed brighter.

“Maybe we could continue discussing this without outsiders?” Laurent suggested as if he were a patch and had the right to all the information he wanted. And to make his thoughts even more obvious, he glanced at Malachite, whose face revealed nothing. If Beast didn’t know better, he might have assumed the man was a robot.

Magpie pursed his lips, but after a moment’s reflection, he pointed to the wall and Malachite stood by it without a word. “Lead the way then.”

Beast swallowed when he saw Laurent flinch once they left the corridor and met the large gargoyle sculpture at the foot of the circular staircase, which led to Knight’s apartment. Laurent always felt uneasy in this part of the clubhouse, close to the secret passage into the cellar. Over two hundred years ago, or last year—depending on how one chose to look at things—Laurent had killed William Fane in one of the dusty rooms below and barely made it out alive. It had been what triggered the chain of events that brought him to year 2017, and while Beast detested seeing his partner’s unease, he couldn’t help but be grateful.

Laurent had been a beacon of light in Beast’s world of self-loathing and loveless misery, and as much as Beast wanted Baal gone forever, he owed the demon for changing his life for the better. No matter how snotty, reckless, and self-righteous Laurent sometimes was, he was Beast’s family and offered him the kind of unconditional love Beast hadn’t known existed before they met.

But there was no time for sentiment. Beast walked behind the statue and pushed the carved wooden tulip, which served as a hidden button to open the passage, and while he should’ve asked Laurent to leave, he didn’t have the heart to push his husband away when he joined them. After all, Laurent was in this mess as much as everyone else.

Beast looked down the narrow stairs leading to the threshold of hell before facing his men. With Knight, Elliot, Gray, and Shadow gone to investigate a lead on a ruby that could keep the latter alive, there weren’t that many of them. But even a group so small would end up crowding the cellar.

“Jake, get the drivers to park in the garage and take them to the kitchen. They’re surely hungry. Fox, take care of Malachite. Joker, make sure the girls have everything ready for the party. We shouldn’t be long,” Beast said.

Once jobs had been assigned, the dim lightbulb downstairs went on, and Beast led the way into the abyss that smelled of damp stone. He needed to hunch over in order to fit his bulk under the ceiling, but his shoulders still rubbed the walls of the narrow tunnel. But this place had not been made for people their size, and Laurent was the only one who didn’t have to watch his head on the way down.