Free To Hell and Back by Juliana Stone

shoulder, and turned to his father.
    “Your son was in the gray realm.”
    Logan’s father didn’t say a word.
    “I’m assuming it wasn’t sanctioned.” Lilith stared at her fingers. “At least not by you, because we all know that hellhounds don’t belong in the gray realm.” She waved away a pesky fly, eyes narrow, lips shiny where she’d licked them. “Or was it?”
    Logan watched the power play with veiled dislike. The two of them were similar enough that it would have proved entertaining if he didn’t need to get the hell out of Hell. Pronto.
    “Logan answers to me. He does not do unsanctioned runs,” Santos said haughtily.
    Lilith squared her shoulders. “I beg to differ. Ask him yourself.”
    Overlord Santos walked toward Logan, his eyes blood red, his fists clenched hard at his sides. “Is this true?”
    Logan eyed his father coldly. He hated lies. Hated what they did to a person. Lies made you weak, but in this instance …
    “No,” he said softly. “It’s not true.” He glanced to Lilith and sneered. “The bitch is using rumors as an excuse to get me into her bed. She’s bored and pissed off that I’m not sniffing between her legs like a dog.”
    Lilith’s eyes narrowed.
    “I’m loyal to you,” Logan said to his father. What was one more lie piled on top of another?
    “Prove it,” Lilith whispered. Something about the tone of her voice put Logan on alert. Her heart beat rapidly, her eyes glittered strangely and—he was disgusted—she was fully aroused. He’d never met another demon—male or female—who got off on pain and torture the way she did. Not even Lucifer’s appetites compared.
    “I’ve nothing to prove to you,” Logan said harshly as he bared his teeth and took a step toward her.
    “Prove it to me,” Santos interjected.
    Logan’s gaze swung back to his father. He didn’t like this one bit, but there was no choice. He was cornered. “Anything, my lord.”
    Overlord Santos whipped out a cell phone and spoke so quietly neither Logan nor Lilith could hear his words. Within moments, Lilith’s doors flew open once more and Kraghten, one of his father’s hellhounds, appeared, a sobbing child in his arms.
    Kraghten didn’t say a word, but set the child down on the floor between them and disappeared immediately.
    Logan had a bad feeling about this, made doubly so as Lilith clapped her hands and nodded, eyes wide, face flushed with enjoyment.
    “Yes.” She nodded. “A true test, my friend.”
    “I’m not your friend,” Overlord Santos growled.
    The child was dressed in pajamas adorned with trains, planes, and cars. He looked to be about five or six, with blond hair that curled crazily around his face as if he was just from his bed. Tears filled eyes the color of gunmetal; they were huge in his small, pinched face. In his hand he clutched a teddy bear, which was missing both an ear and an eye. It looked much loved and well worn, and the child tucked it tight against his chest as uncontrolled sobs wracked his small, thin frame.
    “What the fuck is this?” Logan exploded,
    Fear fell off the poor thing in waves, and Logan noticed that his pajamas were wet. The child was terrified, and he should be.
    Santos was silent, his expression unreadable.
    “What kind of game involves a small human child?” Logan asked scornfully.
    “Why, the kind that entertains,” Lilith replied. “The kind that thrills and pulls at your heartstrings. A winning combination, in my opinion.” She laughed, a tinkling sound that was slightly off-key. “Isn’t that true, Overlord Santos?”
    Logan tried not to think of another time. Another child. Kira . He pushed all of that away and turned to his father. “I don’t play games.”
    Overlord Santos never took his eyes from the child in front of them. “You will play this one.”
    Logan took a step forward, while beneath his skin, his beast shifted. Fire churned in his veins. It fed the power inside him and it took everything he had to