Free Flame Unleashed (Hell to Pay) by Jillian David

damnation are you doing here,
pisse ant
?”
    Vapors scented like rotten eggs wafted off of Jerahmeel’s raised fingers. Like great Mount Vesuvius, The Lord of Damnation was getting ready to blow if they didn’t play the situation right.
    Odie shrugged. “Ah, I was out searching for an extra kill to serve you, my lord. But it seems you’ve reduced this group of candidates to dust. Too bad.”
    Jerahmeel growled.
    In Odie’s peripheral vision, Ruth stiffened. He prayed she would stay silent and let him distract Jerahmeel. For both their sakes.
    “Since you’ve destroyed these criminals, my lord, I have no way to provide a feast for you.”
    “I was protecting her from these mortals,” Jerahmeel barked.
    “Since when does Ruth need protecting, my lord?”
    She blurted out, “And thank you for helping, my lord.”
    Did she bat her eyelashes and sway on her feet? Brilliant.
    “Hmm, well, it seemed the proper thing to do for a lady.” Jerahmeel preened beneath her false adoration and ignored Odie.
    Then, for a split second, Odie saw something he had never witnessed before in his boss: doubt. Jerahmeel’s brow furrowed and a flicker of uncertainty crossed over those black eyes. He’d been caught doing something he never had done before—intervening in Indebted affairs on Earth. Maybe he questioned whether it was acceptable or not. Or he questioned the appropriateness of his flirtation with Ruth. Either way, Odie smelled weakness, however slight. Good information to have.
    Facing Jerahmeel, Odie then pressed his luck. “I must be mistaken, but I thought the laws you are bound by disallow you from touching mortals?”
    The growl got louder as the burnt egg odor invaded Odie’s nostrils. On the edge of his vision, he saw Ruth’s posture lock into rigid attention.
    “How do you know that?” Jerahmeel demanded.
    “Common knowledge, I’m certain.”
    Jerahmeel inspected his buffed nails and brushed his sleeves. “Well then. Technically, I did not touch them.”
    Odie’s gut tightened. Jerahmeel had figured out a way around the restriction of having no contact with humans. This twist boded poorly for all humans. What limits did he truly have, then?
    “Hmm. Must have taken a lot out of you to come all the way down to New Orleans tonight, my lord,” Odie said.
    He ignored Ruth’s steady, painful stomp on the arch of his foot. The way she held her breath, she had to understand that they were literally playing with fire.
    “It’s no concern of yours, Odilon. Just continue your work. And get rid of these.”
    Jerahmeel waved toward what remained of the three other thugs. Black flakes drifted off of the drying blobs in the evening breeze. A strong gust of wind would surely take care of the mess.
    “Of course, my lord.”
    The asshole purred. “Delectable Ruth, when you change your mind, I will be waiting.”
    And in a puff of sulfur, Jerahmeel was gone.
    In stunned silence, Odie turned to face Ruth. She slowly ran her hands up her arms, as if trying to warm them, but didn’t meet his scrutinizing stare.
    “Is that courtship dance normal for you? And him?” Odie asked. “I’ve never heard of him tracking down other Indebted. I had no idea how bad his obsession was.” He put a hand on his hip and wiggled, trying to break the acrid tension. It didn’t work, as her frown attested.
    After swallowing several times, she said, “I tried to explain it to you and Barnaby. This was the most forward invitation he’s made to date. How the hell do I say no?” She gestured toward the disintegrating bodies on the sidewalk.
    Even after a brush with a disturbingly amorous Satan, this woman managed to hold herself together. Odie’s thudding heart slowed now that Jerahmeel had left.
    Unfortunately, his attention turned to the ... assets ... of the woman before him.
    One part of Odie wanted to tuck Ruth into his arms and comfort her. The other part wanted to rip off her dark pants and snug blouse and check out her curves