Free Straight to Heaven by Michelle Scott

Hell’s furnaces.
    He grabbed my arm, keeping me in place. “Not until you tell me what the hell was going on between us tonight.” Anger flashed beneath his smirk.
    I yanked myself free. “I drank too much, and my succubus got the better of me. That’s all. I’m sorry I put you out.” And I was. Deeply sorry. I should have sent him packing the minute he stepped into my living room.
    Unfortunately, his temper didn’t cool. “I hate a woman who sends mixed messages.”
    “You should talk!” I shot back. “I hate a man who worries about my wellbeing one minute and wants a romp between the sheets the next.”
    “I was never worried about you,” he snapped. “I always let people worry about themselves. Makes my life much easier that way.”
    “So why the lecture about not drinking alone?”
    He frowned, but it was more thoughtful than angry. “I don’t know,” he admitted. “Somehow, you always sneak behind my defenses.”
    “I wish I could get past that damned angel’s defenses,” I said. I’d now botched two assignments in a row. Miss Spry’s patience was bound to run out sooner or later. “Any advice?”
    He shrugged. “Try harder next time.”
    “Thanks,” I said sourly and continued down the hall. I didn’t want to visit Miss Spry, but hearing about the Militia had frightened me. Getting mixed up with that crowd could be dangerous, and I wasn’t about to risk my life for an assignment. I wanted to put in a request for a bodyguard.
    William followed me to the door of Miss Spry’s office. “Was it really only your succubus who wanted me tonight, or did you want me there as well?”
    I squirmed, remembering how much I had longed to be in his arms. “It was all her,” I lied. “I don’t need the heartache.”
    “Then neither do I.” He walked away with his hands in his pockets and his head down.
    Predictably, Mr. Clerk was in Miss Spry’s study. The two of them were sitting on a couch drinking tea. Mr. Clerk looked freshly showered and had changed his clothes while Miss Spry wore a velvet dressing gown and a pair of embroidered slippers. If I didn’t know I was in Hell, I might have called this a cozy scene.
    Deciding that the direct approach was best, I said, “I got closer tonight, but I didn’t entirely succeed.”
    “You failed, Lilith,” Miss Spry said tartly. “Call it for what it is.”
    “Okay, I failed. I’m really sorry, and I swear I’ll try harder next time!”
    Her eyes went hot, and I tensed, sure she’d turn into a beast and eat me alive. To my relief, however, she regained control of herself. “I appreciate your enthusiasm,” she finally said. She picked up the teapot and poured me a cup. “I must admit, your disguise is wonderful.”
    “Thanks to my tutelage,” Mr. Clerk said proudly.
    I took the cup she offered and sat down on an ottoman. My carefully-molded body loosened back to my familiar shape. Although this meant that I was now wedged into the ridiculously tight clothing, resuming my real form was still a huge relief, like taking off a pair of pinching pumps after a long day on your feet.
    “Your tutelage didn’t help me win my client over, though,” I told Mr. Clerk. I took a sip of the tea. It was as fantastic as I remembered, smoky and rich. Once again, I wondered if I could get some of it for my father, the tea expert. “You could have at least warned me about him.”
    Mr. Clerk frowned. “Warned you about what?”
    “That he’s a member of the Great Lakes Militia.”
    The two demons stared at me.
    “And why would that matter?” Mr. Clerk asked.
    “Why? Are you kidding me?! The man is a member of a secret paramilitary organization.” When they still didn’t respond, I grew frustrated. “Those people are dangerous! They make plans to blow up government buildings! They kidnap police officers and hold them hostage! If I’m going to be around my client, I’ll need some protection.”
    “Really, Lilith. Don’t be so dramatic. Patrick and