Gone Isn't Forever

Chapter 20

“Since you have agreed to be my wife for eternity, I grant you your freedom to roam. But speak to Sullivan about our little agreement or the operation: take over hell, and you’ll find your voice on fire and the shredding of your insides just as my hounds ripped you apart every single day for the last six months. The result of speaking any of this to your friends, what’s happened to you, you’ll return to your place on the cross living day after day of pure innocent torture. Do I make myself clear Melinda?” Arin told me as we stood at the gates of hell. There was a red clay rock terrain that I would would have to climb my way up to get out of this place. I nodded in response cursing myself for making such a horrid bargain. But I had no choice. “Good. Then we have ourselves a deal?.” he whispered, pulling me in and going in for a kiss. I turned my head and he caught my cheek. “Enjoy the climb out of hell, Fiance.” he spat, shoving out of the gates and I fell hard on my hands and knees, the red rocks scraping my skin. The gates closed and Arin vanished. I gazed up at the narrow inclined tunnel, noticing that it was designed like a manhole. Except the escape ladder was more of a rock wall of red clay and lemon-yellow colored stones. Fire and brimstone...of course. How creative.

I jolted awake in the hotel bed, glancing around the room out of breath. I looked down at my clean skin noticed the scrapes on knee were still there. It was burning and kicking the shit out of me at the moment. I looked up at the mirror that was hanging on the wall directly across the room where I sat, noticing something flashing red in the distance.

Oh god...it was me...my eyes. They were glowing red hot and face...distorted, an evil, menacing version of myself grinned back at me and I couldn’t stop the scream the escaped my vocal chords. I dived off of the bed and scrambled for the light. I gasped, trying to catch my breath and tears threatening to spill over, stinging my eyes. Unless they really were on fire. What did my time in hell do to me? Was I even still human?

I pushed myself off of the wall and slowly made my way back over to the mirror, afraid of what I was going to see. I closed my eyes and jumped in front of it, my eyes flashing open to reveal a very...normal looking Melinda. I breathing a sigh of relief and sat down on the edge of the bed, running a hand through my hair and looking at the time. 3:15am, the devil’s hour in some cultures. There are people who believe that 3:15am is the time during the night that the devils and evil spirits are the strongest and gateway between our worlds are the thinnest. What did all of this mean? I mean, I had a dream replaying my exit out of Hell and immediately come face to face with an demonic version of myself? I should be celebrating that I’m out of the hell hole, literally. But I was just as miserable on earth without my friends and family...and without Jimmy.

I longed to feel his arms around me, to smell his fragrance and drink up his image with eyes. But he was...amongst friends and foes alike who wanted to dethrone him. Even if Jimmy was the King of Hell, I still felt as strongly for him as before, maybe even more. And after encountering Zacky and Arin, I preferred Jimmy on the throne anyhow. I was going to find a way, a loophole out of this contract. I needed to warn Jimmy...and Jo for that matter. Zacky was trying to drag her to Hell too, to become his devil queen. If anyone was going to do that, it was going to be me. But not as Zacky’s or Arin’s queen, as Jimmy’s. I was probably bound to Hell anyway, so I might as well go for the top, with the man I loved from the beginning. I didn’t care what it took.

“Well...aren’t you just a sight for sore eyes.” A familiar voice that hadn’t crossed my ears in what seemed like a millenium spoke out on the bed behind me. My eyes grew round upon recognition. Was...was he really here? Right behind me...in this hotel room? I slowly turned around to find Jimmy Sullivan laying on the bed, propping himself up with his elbow just sitting there casually.

“Jim...Jim...JImmy?” I managed to croak out, my voice still inhuman. Jimmy’s eyes grew wide and he sat up.

“Melinda, what the hell happened to you? Why do you sound like a dead woman walking?” he asked me, his voice low and menacing. Hot tears threatened to spill over just upon seeing him, and now he was showing that he was pissed. The last time I saw him I ganked his black journal and ran away with it. He probably wasn’t too happy after that. Especially since I never came home. “Oh great…” he commented grabbing my arm looking at scar on my arm from the hellhounds. Some of them never went away, even when I was put back together every day only to be torn apart the next all over again. Some of the maulings were just that bad I guess. Shit...Jimmy recognized those markings.

“How did this happen Melinda. And DON’T lie to me because you know I can read your mind.” Jimmy said menacingly. I nodded. I was going to have to tell him.

“I...was in H-” I began before fire flared up in my throat and clawing at my stomach began. I let out a scream and clutched stomach, falling off the bed coughing up blood on the floor. Great. I was going to have to pay for that. I didn’t know what to do about this. Jimmy obviously knew how I had gotten them and he was right. He could read my mind. But I had to block him from finding the information, just for a little bit. Because I needed more time. Arin and Zacky would drag me back to hell and nail me to that cross in front of the Lake of Souls faster than I could get the words out considering the painful side effects if I tried to tell Jimmy.

“Christ Melinda! What the hell did they do to you down there?” Jimmy asked, worry laced his voice as he jumped off and picked me up, setting down on the bed and sitting next to me.

“You...you know?” I breathed out, panting from the exhaustion of the painful wave of torture that had just coursed through my body. Pretty sure that shit was a lot more painful than childbirth.

“I know someone dragged you to hell and oh...god Melinda...Baby, I’m sorry for what they did to you...I can’t see who did this to you or what deal you made to get yourself out of the pit, somehow I’m being blocked from that information. Are you...are trying to cover it up?” Jimmy stated, his voice wavering, running a hand over the scrape on knee. His hands felt warm and soothing a smile cracked my lips at the physical contact. My stomach was now a flurry of butterflies and I bit my lip.

“I...I can’t tell you everything. They promised me that if I tried to tell, my body would experience all of the torture I went through in one swift surge, wave and after agonizing wave and they said...they said they’d bring back if I broke the deal.” I tried to explain, my voice cracking from the tears spilling over my eyelids.

“No...no, you have to let me know what deal you made and with who so I can fix this! I may be the King of Hell but I am not strong as I used to be Melinda. I can’t help you if you won’t help me help you.” he explained and I just sat up and silenced him with my lips. He stopped freaking out immediately and moaned into the kiss, pulling me in closer. I bit his lip and clawed at my back and out of nowhere pulled away, pushing me back down on the bed, his eyes a thunderstorm. “An engagement Melinda?! What the FUCK! Who? Tell me who you agreed to marry in the underworld, because no one is worthy of taking you as their bride.” he thundered and I shrinked away. To think, he intimidated me even before I knew who or what he was. Now he was just down right scary...and pretty damn sexy now to think of it. “You’re supposed to be afraid of my temper, not turned on Mel.” Jimmy breathed out in frustration, laughing anxiously.

“Look...it doesn’t matter who it was. I did it so I could find you and warn you but...they’ve restricted that too. I can’t tell you anything or its my ass back on that cross and then I can’t do anything from downstairs now can I? You’re the King of Hell, you should know this.” I replied, my voice a little less coarse and I was starting to sound more like myself.

“Melinda...you’ve been gone for six months, vanished without a trace. And then I get this signal honing in your location all of the sudden and I find out you were in the one place I never thought to look. My own Kingdom! And if that’s not enough I learn you’re engaged! To someone in Hell! Without my blessing, gee Mel, how do you think that makes me feel?” he growled for some reason I felt scolded like a tiny child being yelled at by their father, yet I was kind of being aroused. I shifted my hips and legs mindlessly and bit my lip once again and saw recognition tune in on Jimmy’s handsome features. “You...you’ve gotta be kidding me Melinda, you’re engaged to someone else and you want to...Goddamnit Mel!” he cursed me before climbing up on top of me smashing his lips to mine.

“J-Jimmy?” I breathed out once he started to slide a hand up my shirt. He grinned against my lips and kissed me passionately again. “What are you doing?” I questioned once he pulled away for air.

“Something I should have done a long time ago.” he muttered before we lost ourselves in each other.