Demons Prefer Blondes (Demons Unleashed #1)(93)

She prayed like she’d never prayed before. She prayed for the strength her father had to leave her mother and her. She prayed for Rafe’s courage. She prayed that she could channel even an inch of his resolve. She only hoped whoever was listening hadn’t completely given up on her.

“What was that?” Lamia barked.

Now or never. With a quick jerk, she launched her legs higher in the air. Tumbling against the hard backseat cushion, she kicked her feet out. Neck kinked to the left, she swung her legs across the top of the driver’s seat.

Crack!

The heel of her tennis shoe slammed against Lamia’s ear, sending her head flinging to the side. Another loud crunch echoed as her head smashed against the window. Wrenching her neck around, Lamia growled, loud and primal. Clawed fingers reached out and snaked around Lucy’s leg, hurling her body to the floor.

Struggling to maintain her balance, Lucy wrestled with the handcuffs that bound her wrists. Lamia, her body snaking and slithering, hovered over her, spittle and blood dripping from her scaly lips onto Lucy’s already bloodied sweater. The car swayed and swerved with each movement. This wouldn’t be good at all.

“What would Belial say?”

A loud hiss ground from Lamia’s lips. “Belial is a fool, but he needs you.”

“The tool calling Belial a fool. Ha-ha! Very funny.”

“Don’t make me slap you.”

“Maybe I’m into that kinky shit.”

Her scaly hand lashed out and snaked around Lucy’s neck, pulling her eye-to-eye with her crimson one. Eyes flashing, Lamia’s fingers coiled around her neck, tightening their slithering grip.

A niggling deep within Lucy’s brain poked and prodded, even as she choked and gasped for fleeting air. How the hell was Lamia still driving?

“You…” Lamia squeezed her neck tighter. “are…” She shook Lucy’s head like she was James Bond’s favorite martini. “…a bloody fool.” With that, Lamia’s slithering fingers loosened, sending her crashing to the floor.

The car careened and swerved, sending her head sailing against the back door. “What the heck?” she muttered, wishing desperately that her hands were free to massage her aching skull.

Another swerve sent the car jerking to the left. Lucy’s head banged against the passenger side door and her back cracked against hard floor.

“Shit!” Lamia’s shrill exclamation shredded Lucy’s eardrums.

Tires squealing, the car veered to the right. A horn honked. Like an overused rag doll, Lucy’s body crumpled, slamming against the other side. Her head swam, her back ached, and her fists clenched.

Plastic and metal ripped and twisted in an agonizing cacophony, the impact pulsing in her ears. Lamia’s body catapulted forward, then back, her loud hiss reverberating throughout the tiny confines of the car. Or was that the radiator?

“Bloody fool!” Lamia, in her true form, hovered over her, slithering like a snake being charmed from a basket.

One thing was different. Lucy certainly wasn’t the one doing the charming. Hauling herself up, she stared her in her slitted eyes. “I did that on purpose.”

“Oh, I’m sure you did.” Lamia’s forked tongue darted out and whipped Lucy’s nose. “Belial won’t like this.”

Lucy’s eyebrow quirked up. “I thought you didn’t give a shit about Belial.”

Lamia’s scaly tail lashed out and wrapped around her neck, pulling her closer, the grip tightening. “If it weren’t for the treasures he was offering, I’d kill you right now.”

She opened her mouth to offer her usual bit of sarcasm, but only managed an intelligible gasp. Wow. Lamia finally found a way to shut her up. Score one for Lamia, much to Lucy’s chagrin.

Lamia’s tail loosened its grip and slithered away, returning to her slightly improved, human form. Crimson curls cascading down her head, she spread her lips into a wide smirk. “That got you to shut up, didn’t it?”

“Yes, mistress,” she coughed out.

Her red-black eyes flickered as a snarl revealed two very long pointed fangs—fangs she’d used to suck the souls from innocent children. She’d show her where to stick those fangs.

Up Larissa’s pert little ass.

As if knowing Lucy was thinking about her and that body that would make a model jealous, Larissa shifted in the passenger seat, a soft sigh escaping her too-plump lips. Why did the evil ones have to be so damned cutesy sounding?

“And, so you know, my dear Lucia.” A wry smile curved Lamia’s lips, her arm stretching and snaking around her. With absolutely no effort, she hauled Lucy up and flung her against the backseat. “Nothing you say or attempt to do will stop us. The Infernati will prevail.”

“We’ll see about that.”

“Oh, yes we will.” Her greenish-gray tail slinked and slithered across Lucy’s cheek, the cool smooth skin sending shivers of revulsion coursing through her. Lucy fought with every fiber of her being to keep the bile from rising to her throat.

The trilling of a cell phone broke the silence. With an aggravated huff, Lamia pulled her appendage away from Lucy’s face and snatched up the phone, her body slithering back into its human form.

She clicked the button and jerked the phone to her ear. “Speak.” A mortified gasp blew from her mouth. “My apologies. I didn’t realize it was you.” She flashed a warning glare.