Demon Angel

that moment. "You two? Even with your hellhound and an arsenal of weapons, you'd fail. And I don't think you play to fail, Lilith—so I wouldn't believe you."
    "I don't. Thomas, be reasonable. You know I won't kill you, because then I wouldn't get any weapons. But what if I ask my puppy to eat your limbs one by one? Sure, they'll grow back, but—and you can believe me on this, because I speak from experience"—her lashes lowered, and she smiled down at the hellhound—"it really, really hurts."
    Sir Pup woofed, as if in agreement.
    Carefully maintaining his psychic blocks, Hugh turned away, and wandered over to a large fireplace. Pretended to study the pictures atop the mantel, though he didn't see them. She'd spoken the truth about her experience. Beelzebub had also mentioned a similar torture, but it had been so wrapped up in his manipulation and lies that Hugh hadn't been able to separate them perfectly.
    He closed his eyes. Not now. He couldn't think of Beelzebub now. Lilith was carefully dancing around every reason but the real one; though the truth might be reason enough for Rael to offer his help, to tell the demon of their intent would also carry the risk that he'd betray them. One phone call would ruin the only real weapon they possessed: surprise.
    And neither Hugh nor Lilith trusted the demon not to give them away.
    Exhaling deeply, Hugh faced them again—and caught the flicker of unease in Rael's expression when the demon glanced at him.
    "You could rob a gun shop," he said.
    Lilith's brows rose. "That's completely inane. They don't have the kind of weapons we need, Thomas." Then her eyes narrowed, as if she too noticed something off .
    Slowly, Hugh turned. Saw the wedding picture. Without a word, he picked it up and tossed it to Lilith. Rael groaned.
    "Fuck me," she breathed, and peered closely at the photo. "Is she a demon? She looks bitchy enough to be one. Do you love her?"
    "Yes," Rael said quickly.
    "Lie," Hugh said and glanced with new eyes around the room. "Human, and you don't love her. And I'd wager she's an heiress."
    Lilith grinned. "You kept this quiet, Tommy."
    "You don't pay attention," Rael said, exasperated. "You never have. It was the Wedding of the Year in 2004."
    "And it will be the Divorce of the Year in 2007 if I tell her about your lovers. I imagine she'll believe it readily enough; you aren't a sexual creature, can only simulate it, so you're probably cold in bed. Do you think it'd be hard to convince her you're getting it elsewhere? Do you think her daddy would like to receive a letter, complete with photos? Or the local news?" Lilith tilted her head. "Voters are unpredictable when it comes to these things. How far do you think you'll get with that kind of scandal? I don't believe for a moment you are aiming for anything less than president."
    Rael was unimpressed. "In ten years, it will have been forgotten. Infidelity won't damage my political career—and my wife is as ambitious as I am. She'll accept that I might have other women, and eventually we'll spin it to our advantage: the couple who persevered through adversity."
    Hugh stifled his laughter; Rael didn't think Lilith was done, did he?
    Her eyes gleamed with amusement. "Have you seen what happens if pure hellhound venom gets into a demon? It paralyzes them. Think how easy it would be to pose you for photos then. I'll probably keep a few for my own enjoyment; you're both so handsome."
    "I want to be on top," Hugh said.
    Startled, Rael glanced at him, then turned to stare at Lilith. "This is San Francisco," he said weakly.
    "True. But you don't plan to stay in California, do you? And we could always put Sir Pup on the bottom, make him a poodle; then there wouldn't be a conservative or a liberal in the country who would support you." She sighed. "I suppose you could remake yourself in another identity, but that takes so much work . Would that be worth it for a couple of weapons?"
    Rael held up his hands, a smile twisting his mouth. "Very well." His eyes glowed. "But I can't just give them, Lilith. You'll owe me a favor."
    She agreed before Hugh could object. "I can live with that."
    They found a motel in the Tenderloin to wait out the afternoon. It was cheap and ugly, but it wasn't any worse than her apartment had been. As long as it had a sink so she could wash away the blood later, Lilith was fine with it.
    Sir Pup lay stretched out on the bed, and she practiced with him, asking for specific weapons and rewarding him