Midnight Demons [ON HOLD]

City Rain and Back Seats

I hear a distant scream in the background of the phone call. I quirk an eyebrow up questioningly, but there's no one here to see my puzzled look.

"Luca?" Samael's voice sounds a bit hoarse. As if he spent the last hour yelling in anger.

"Are you busy?" I ask, looking down at my shoes.

I feel a drop of rain hit the top of my head as Samael asks in a low voice, "What's wrong?"

The rain picks up a bit as I feel tears start to gather in my eyes. "Well, if you're busy, it's not a big deal," I whisper as my voice begins to catch. "I'm just stranded somewhere on the outskirts of the city, and I don't know how to get home. A-and now it's raining, and I didn't have anyone else to call, and I'm honestly surprised you picked up because-"

"Okay, here's what we're going to do. Drop a pin of your location. I'll be there in less than seven minutes. Don't move." Samael hangs up, leaving no room for debate.

I send him my location, my eyes still well with tears as seeds of doubt grow in my eyes. What if he just doesn't show up, and I stand here for seven minutes in the rain like an idiot. The salty water of my tears mixes with the rain, so it barely looks like I'm crying. Other than the redness of my face, of course.

I stand there, counting down every minute. When minute six is coming to a close, and I'm beginning to lose hope, a black, expensive-looking car pulls up. I wipe my eyes with the back of my sleeve.

The window rolls down, revealing Samael, who's wearing sunglasses for some reason. He has a shit-eating grin on his face. "Fancy meeting you here." Samael sounds, earning a laugh out of me.

"I didn't think you were coming," I mumble, wiping my eyes clear of tears once again.

"Well, I'm here now, so stop standing in the rain and get in."

There was a time in my life where I would have thought more than once about getting into the car with someone who I am seventy-nine percent sure is a murderer. Now is not that time, apparently because I hopped right in as if I'm known him since childhood.

I shut the door behind me. Which if this was a Stephen King novel would be the moment I sealed my fate. Then hours later, I am found dead in a river. Hopefully, this novel has more Sara J. Maas undertones.

"Thank you," I say as Samael pulls back onto the road. I am dripping with rainwater, but I feel warm inside. As if my grade school crush sent me a valentine that says kiss me.

"Of course." Samael looks over at me. "If you wanna get out of those clothes, I have a shirt you can borrow in the back, maybe some shorts too. You could change." Samael focuses his attention back on the road.

"Yeah, okay." My face flushes a red a bit at the thought of undressing this close to Samael. I unbuckle and crawl towards the back, quickly finding the shorts and shirt he mentioned.

"So, Sammy," I start in an attempt to distract my mind from the fact that I am going to be all kinds of naked in the back of this man's car.

"Don't call me Sammy," Samael commands without taking his eyes off the road.

Making sure my shirt covers all my unmentionables, I slip out of my jean boxers and into his shorts. I bite my lip a bit. I glance up to check the rearview mirror to make sure his gaze is focused solely on the road before slipping out of my shirt. Sure, I had a bit to drink tonight to forget the fact that my date may have looked like his profile picture a good ten years ago. But that doesn't mean I've lost all proper judgment. I know for a fact that it is in my best interest to make sure this man does not see me shirtless.

I peel off the second layer of skin that was once my shirt. Then, I lock eyes with Samael in the rearview mirror. His eyes rake hungrily over my body. I flush, deeply, before he snaps out of it and returns to driving.

I, for once, keep my big mouth shut about the situation. I then slide into Samael's shirt, which is oversized on me. However, it is not comically so like it is in every romance novel I have ever read. I climb back into the front seat. The shorts hang loose on my body.

Samael looks over at me with a smirk. "Looks as though those shorts are a little big on you."

"Maybe you need to lose some weight then," I inform him crossing my arms across my chest.

"Maybe you should keep more than alcohol in your fridge and put some weight on your bones." Samael counters, poking a finger in between my ribs.

I let out a laugh before his words fully set in. "I have more than just alcohol in my fridge," I grumble.

"Oh, I'm sorry. Alcohol and two containers of old Chinese food," Samael corrects.

"Wrong. I also have a bottle of soy sauce in there to go with the Chinese takeout."

"My bad." Samael lets out a laugh.

"Can I ask you a question?" I ask, playing with the hem of my shirt.

"Depends. Do I have to answer?" Samael makes a turn, slightly cutting into the other lane.

"I would prefer it if you did."

"Fine, ask your question."

"What was the screaming in the background when you were on the phone with me?" I ask. I look up at him, studying his face intently.

I watch Samael's entire body seize up, and a troubled look graces his face.

"Do you want the actual answer, or do you want me to lie and make you feel better?" Samael quirks an eyebrow up, keeping his gaze focused on the road in front of him.

"Real answer."

"I was torturing a damned soul."