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94: The Gates Of Hell

Author: Lavender Pen
last update Last Updated: 2025-08-06 06:13:01

ETHAN

The second I saw Rafael's face, I knew something was wrong. He'd gone terribly pale. His phone buzzed again in his hand, and he looked down. Judging by his expression, I figured out who the caller was right away.

I was across the room in an instant, my hand closing over his before he could tap the screen. "Don't," I said.

Rafael didn't argue. He just stood there, looking dazed.

I gently pried the phone from his fingers and declined the call before it could cause any more damage. The moment the screen went black, I tossed the phone onto the bed and took his hand again.

His palm was cool, but not cold. And when I rubbed my thumb over his knuckles, his skin felt... a little warmer than it should. It was subtle enough that most people wouldn't catch it. But I wasn't most people. I knew his body.

I frowned, lifting my hand and pressing it lightly to his forehead.

He blinked at me.

"Feels like you're running a low-grade fever."

"I'm fine," he muttered.

"Don't lie to me right now."

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  • His Bride By Force   111: Yin And Yang

    SERA Fundraisers were nothing but fancy excuses for rich people to flex their egos. Except tonight. Tonight, the guest list had one very special maybe-attendee: the priest. Or rather, the bastard in robes who thought he could play God and executioner. I'd suggested the idea. Correction: I had insisted. Killian had glared at me as if I'd suggested salsa dancing with the Grim Reaper. "You're pregnant, Sera? Have you lost your goddamn mind?” he'd hissed when I first mentioned it. I had kissed him on the lips and called him 'dramatic.' Which he absolutely was. Now there we were, Killian in a black tux, oozing with a dangerous aura even when smiling at donors. On the other hand, I was wearing a silk dress with a thigh-high slit and enough hidden steel to arm a small militia. My heels were a little too high for subtle murder but perfect for stabbing throats. Killian's hand hadn't left my lower back the entire evening. It wasn't a romantic thing. Instead it was a territorial 'don

  • His Bride By Force   110: Touch Me

    ETHAN Rafael finally slept. The pills had dragged him under, his breathing uneven. His fever burned hot, sweat dampening his long curls, and I pressed the cold towel across his forehead again, my jaw tight. Dios, even while he was unconscious, he looked hunted. It was as though his demons had followed him into his sleep.My gaze slid to the book in the trashcan. The carved leather gleamed in the low light, Rafael's name gouged into it.I pulled out my phone and dialed Killian's number. He responded on the first ring."Ethan," Killian's voice was rough.I kept my own voice even. "He got the Bible."He said nothing at first. For a few seconds, I could have sworn that I could hear him breathing through his teeth. Then a low laugh rolled out, full of the fire that was so uniquely his, laced with dark satisfaction."So the priest finally marked him too," Killian said. "Good. The bastard's making his move. The war's only just beginning."I looked back at Rafael, his chest heaving.

  • His Bride By Force   109: What In The Horror Movie?

    RAFAEL My knuckles tightened around the steering wheel as I drove towards Ethan's penthouse. It was raining again. Of course it was. The universe had a sick sense of humor. Honestly, it felt like it was a moody teenager with a grudge against me personally.I hadn't slept in three nights. Not really. Maybe an hour here, twenty minutes there, before the sound of a phantom box at my door snapped me back awake. Red boxes. Always red. Carlos had taste, I'll give him that—sick, psychotic taste, but consistent branding nonetheless.The boxes usually contained nude photos of me from years ago. Things I didn't even remember taking. My old medical badge soaked in something that looked an awful lot like blood. A tooth once. Human? Animal? I wasn't about to run a lab test.I pressed harder on the wheel, the veins in my hand twitching. My head was a drumbeat, pounding with every passing streetlight. I needed painkillers and sleeping pills. Anything that could shut my brain up for just one night

  • His Bride By Force   108: Sins Of The Father

    KILLIAN "You were right. He is impersonating the priest," Roman said to me, and I closed my eyes, anger bubbling inside of me.It was clear that they were playing games with me. First, it was Black Scorpion. Now, a fucking priest was messing with me?What the hell was going on?"Get rid of that bastard," I hissed."Copy that," Roman responded."Make sure Black Scorpion gets my message," I told him."Yes, Cap."The line went dead, and my Angel lightly tugged at my arm. "There's something you need to know," she uttered, and I cupped her face, feeling uneasy about the sudden crease in her brows."Sofia told me that there's a priest going on a rampage. Apparently, he's getting rid of top dons and claiming that he's exorcising them. And Killian, he might be targeting you. I don't know how he does it, but it looks like he plays mind games exceptionally well, and I'm…I'm worried, babe."For a second, the thought of someone daring to play mind games with me made my blood hum with excitem

  • His Bride By Force   107: Shouldn’t Be Awkward

    SERA Rafael didn't even give me time to protest before steering me towards the couch as if I was a fragile antique vase about to topple over."Sit," he ordered, dropping the med kit on the coffee table with a soft thud.I sat, partly because I was too tired to argue and partly because I was distracted by the fact that he looked like he'd just rolled out of a horror movie marathon. There were dark half-moons under his eyes, his skin was pale as though he'd been locked in a basement for a week, and his hair... okay, his hair was gorgeous. Still, this was unlike him."You look like death warmed over," I informed him, leaning back into the cushions. "Like, not even fresh death. More like death that's been microwaved twice and forgotten on the counter."He smirked, the corner of his mouth tilting up in that smug Cross family way. "Cute. But maybe you should be a little more concerned about yourself, sweetheart.""Oh, I am," I said, gesturing vaguely to my whole fever-ravaged self. "B

  • His Bride By Force   106: Incoming Bad News

    SERA The knock made me flinch. It wasn't because it was loud. It wasn't, but because my head felt like it was stuffed with wet cotton and every sound vibrated straight through my skull. Killian's hand froze on my arm, and just like that, my internal alarms went off.Adam's voice came through the door. "Boss."It wasn't the 'we're-out-of-coffee' kind of tense. It was the 'someone-might-be-dead' kind.Killian didn't move for a moment. Then he rose to his feet, and the bed instantly felt colder."Don't move," he told me.Which, frankly, was adorable. As if I could run a marathon in my current state. I gave him a weak thumbs-up because speaking required too much effort.The door clicked shut behind him, but I could still hear the rumble of voices just beyond it. Fever or not, I'd always had a good ear for trouble."...priest...""...daycare...""...seen again..."Well. That was comforting. Nothing says 'sleep tight' like hearing the words 'your daughter and a possible stalker' in the

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