Chapter 3

Raphael

The roarof my rubellite red metallic Mercedes-AMG SL63 reverberates through the night, but it falls to a low purr as I hit the wall of traffic before me. I weave my fingers through my midnight mane and feel a pair of eyes drilling into me. To the left, in the jet-black RAM truck, sits a girl too beautiful for words. When our eyes meet, she throws me an enchanting smile that draws me in like a magnet.

Humans, with their fiery passions and alluring beauty, never cease to amaze me—and this one especially entices me. The prospect of talking with her is thrilling. Just as I’m ready to approach her, my phone rings.

The smile on my lips fades as I look down. A sigh escapes me. It must be kid duty again, pulling me back to the hospital. I check my phone, pleasantly surprised as my dating app’s notification pops up—new match! I click over and a tanned goddess fills the screen.

“Well, hello there…” I croon. She’s an intriguing Brit. Her profile reveals that she’s recently relocated to LA for work.

After chatting for a bit, it turns out we’re both heading to the DeLux tonight. “Maybe I’ll see you there?” she coyly messages me.

I grin and fire back, “It’s a date!”

She responds with an innuendo that sparks my blood to boil. “I still can’t believe a handsome angel like you is single. The things I would let you do to me...”

I chuckle, wondering how she knew exactly what to say to make my heart race. I tap out a response, “Careful now, you might just cause a fender bender.”

We decide to rendezvous inside around ten. Her name is Claire. As traffic sluggishly starts moving again, all I can think about are those emerald pools and her charming accent. Tonight is shaping up to be one hell of a night.

My sports car rumbles as I cut through the glittering LA streets. On nights like these, with adventure calling, I’m reminded why I love this city. The energy buzzes through my veins like electroshock therapy, jolting life into a flatlined heart.

I pull into the alley behind the DeLux Café. It’s eerily quiet back here, the pulsing beat of the club muted through cinderblock walls. A stray cat darts across my headlights through trash-strewn puddles. I check the time—still early.

A resigned sigh escapes me as I sink into the leather seat. I probably should have given Eve some warning before just showing up tonight unannounced. But subtlety has never been my strong suit.

With a shrug, I decide to go ahead and find my way inside. My demon pal once mentioned there’s a cellar door that could get me into the heart of the club unseen. Less awkward for my date than if I make a big flashy entrance out front and get swarmed by adoring fans… or ancient enemies.

Climbing out into the cool night air, I straighten my leather jacket—the one I save for nights I’m aiming to get lucky. Which, if all goes according to plan, is precisely what I’ll be later.

I can’t resist a devious grin at the thought. My angelic brothers would have a fit if they knew I was sneaking into Lucifer’s den of sin tonight. According to them, I’m the black sheep of the bunch, the one who’s gotten too close to humans, absorbing their vices. But hey, what can I say—eternal life gets boring. I’m long overdue for some fun.

My boots crunch on gravel and broken glass as I make my way down the alley. The directions my demon buddy gave me echo in my mind: “Back left corner, look for a metal cellar door. Loose brick on the right wall holds the key.”

Sure enough, I spot the weathered grey door tucked in the shadows. My hands run along the crumbling brick until one shifts under my fingers. I pry it free and fish out the tarnished key within.

The padlock clunks open with some effort and the doors groan as I shove them inward. A rush of cold, stale air escapes the dark void within. I squint, making out a concrete stairwell descending into pitch blackness.

This is gonna be one hell of a night. I can feel it in my bones. And if this Claire chick is as dynamite as her pics suggests, maybe she’ll end up back at my place later for some real fun. For now, it’s time to get this party started.

Well, this is it. No turning back now. I take a steeling breath and a tentative first step downward.

The heavy doors swing shut behind me, sealing away the last slivers of light. I have to grope blindly along the clammy stone walls to keep my balance as I descend the winding staircase.

I reach for my phone to use the flashlight, but it slips from my clumsy grasp. I hear it clatter down the steps, the sound echoing through the inky darkness until it goes silent. Now I have no illumination at all in this windowless stairwell.

With one hand trailing the slimy wall, I carefully make my way down the remaining stairs. The muffled throb of music grows steadily louder the further I go. I sincerely hope this date is worth the trek.

At the base of the stairs, I halt and glance around. My supernaturally sharp eyes adjust quickly to the enveloping darkness. Stacked crates and shelves packed with bottles of expensive wines and spirits surround me—looks like I found the club’s legendary wine cellar.

I spot a faint glow on the ground and kneel to inspect it. It’s my phone, its screen now a spiderweb of cracks from the long tumble down the concrete steps. I press the power button, but the device remains dark. Completely dead. So much for using the flashlight to navigate this subterranean maze.

With the broken phone now useless, I slip it into my pocket and stand up, peering into the gloom. Now to locate that hidden passage connecting to the dance floor...

I’m gazing into the shadows along the back wall when a sudden noise whips me around, muscles tensing. That almost sounded like... a voice? But who else could be down here?

I hold dead still, listening intently. The cellar remains silent as a tomb. Probably just the music vibrating the pipes or something. With a shake of my head, I continue searching for the way into the heart of the club. I didn’t come this far to get spooked.

Still, though, I can’t ignore the uneasy twist in my gut. This place radiates a strange energy I’ve never encountered before. Like a subsonic vibration just out of range of the senses. It sets my teeth on edge.

The echoing silence presses close from all sides, heavy and oppressive. I’ve never been fond of enclosed spaces. Hurrying my steps, I comb along the rows of dusty bottles and crates. Where the hell is this secret door, anyway? The suspense has my pulse racing like I just downed a case of the club’s stimulant elixir.

“Who goes there?”

I freeze, every muscle tensing. The voice echoes through the darkness—female, cultured, with a musical lilt—a British accent. Oh, fuck! My unease vanishes, replaced by bewilderment. Somehow, Claire found me. If this isn’t a sign of fate, I don’t know what it is.

I decide to play the stranger’s card and get things started.

“My apologies, miss,” I reply, injecting charm into my tone. “I seem to have lost my way down here. Would you be so kind as to show me the exit?” Look at me, poshingout to please this woman.

Her response is a snide laugh. “Am I supposed to believe that? Reveal yourself this instant, intruder!”

I grin into the blackness. She has spirit, this mystery woman. I’m liking Claire more by the second.

“Now, is that any way to speak to a guest?” I chide playfully. “Perhaps if you asked more politely, I’d be inclined to introduce myself properly.”

I hear the swish of her dress, the click of heels on concrete as she moves closer. She scrutinizes the darkness, blind to my presence.

“I promise you, sir, you don’t want to cross someone of my connections,” she feistily threatens, and yet, I detect a quaver of nerves beneath the teasing bravado.

I clench my teeth tightly together, willing myself to remain calm and collected. “Well darling, that goes both ways. You should be careful not to cross me either.” A smirk tugs at the corner of my mouth before I allow it to soften again. “But how about we call a truce? This bickering gets us nowhere.”

The silence returns, tense and considering. I hold motionless, waiting for her response.

Finally, a resigned sigh. “Very well. A temporary truce it is. Now state your business here or kindly show yourself out.”

She’s really committed to the role, I see. All right, I’ll play along. No problem whatsoever—whatever floats her boat.

Grinning victoriously, I begin moving through the maze of shelves towards the sound of her voice. She makes no move to flee as I approach. Either incredibly bold or incredibly willing, this one. Both traits I find impossibly alluring in a woman.

As I draw near, her form takes shape through the gloom—tall and curvy, back held in perfect, elegant posture. A wavy ponytail spills over one bare shoulder, whispering past pale sculptural curves I cannot help but admire.

Her slender waist is accented by the clinging velvet dress, ending at long legs that are left temptingly bare. Unable to resist temptation, my eyes follow those toned lines up her arresting silhouette, drinking in the vision of beauty before me, eager to be explored.

How she brings sensual form to life so effortlessly, I cannot fathom. But I know already my hands will linger over every inch, chasing the promise of delight embedded in her graceful frame.

But it’s the face that entrances me most—chiseled cheekbones, full lips curled in a slight scowl, and eyes that blaze with inner fire. Even through the pitch-darkness, that penetrating gaze pierces my soul.

I’m no stranger to beauty, having consorted with the divine for eons. Even so, the sight of her steals my breath away.

Collecting myself, I offer her a devilish grin. “Well hello there, gorgeous,” I purr, stern and determined to have my way. “Seems you’ve caught me sneaking in. What do you propose we do about it?”

I await her reaction, utterly transfixed. All thoughts of locating the club’s secret entrance, banished. The possibilities are far more intriguing down here in the dark.