Gluttony (Seven Deadly Sins Book 2) Read online

  Table of Contents

  Title

  Copyright

  Dedication

  CHAPTER ONE

  CHAPTER TWO

  CHAPTER THREE

  CHAPTER FOUR

  CHAPTER FIVE

  CHAPTER SIX

  CHAPTER SEVEN

  CHAPTER EIGHT

  CHAPTER NINE

  CHAPTER TEN

  CHAPTER ELEVEN

  CHAPTER TWELVE

  CHAPTER THIRTEEN

  CHAPTER FOURTEEN

  CHAPTER FIFTEEN

  CHAPTER SIXTEEN

  CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

  Thank You for Reading!

  Acknowledgments

  ABOUT THE AUTHOR

  Contents

  Title

  Copyright

  Dedication

  CHAPTER ONE

  CHAPTER TWO

  CHAPTER THREE

  CHAPTER FOUR

  CHAPTER FIVE

  CHAPTER SIX

  CHAPTER SEVEN

  CHAPTER EIGHT

  CHAPTER NINE

  CHAPTER TEN

  CHAPTER ELEVEN

  CHAPTER TWELVE

  CHAPTER THIRTEEN

  CHAPTER FOURTEEN

  CHAPTER FIFTEEN

  CHAPTER SIXTEEN

  CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

  Thank You for Reading!

  Acknowledgments

  ABOUT THE AUTHOR

  Gluttony

  Seven Deadly Sins

  Book 2

  LJ Baker

  © 2018 LJ Baker

  All right reserved.

  No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods, without the prior written permission of the publisher, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical reviews and certain other noncommercial uses permitted by copyright law.

  http://www.lj-baker.com/

  Cover by Pink Ink Designs

  “You do not have to be alone. The world never inflicts loneliness upon us.

  That is something we choose or reject by ourselves.”

  — Darren Shan

  CHAPTER ONE

  “Tell me why we needed to do this immediately?” Luc raised one eyebrow at Harley and sat in front of the mirror. He examined himself briefly, making sure his suit was up to his usual high standards, and turned his attention back to his best friend. “I was speaking to a perfectly nice woman.”

  “That tramp can wait. I thought you were excited to get started on the next pick?” Harley stood next to the mirror in her usual leather garb. The only thing she was missing was a whip to snap him to attention.

  “I am, of course, but you’ve been dragging this out for two weeks now. What is the difference if we waited a few more minutes so I could finish up my conversation?”

  “With the blond at the bar?” Az raised an eyebrow, butting his nose into Luc’s business, as usual. “Can’t you keep it in your pants a little longer until you meet the next girl?”

  “You’re assuming I’ll sleep with each and every one of these girls? Maybe I’ll choose not to.” Luc sat up straighter and waited for one of them to challenge him. When they didn’t, he continued. “Then I might need a little fun time with Caitriona out there.”

  “No fun time with chicks at the bar. “Harley shook her head. “Did you forget why we’re doing this?”

  Luc opened his mouth the speak, to tell her no, he most definitely did not forget why he was playing her little game, but she cut him off.

  “I think you have, so let me remind you. You’re doing this because you want to find your true love. You decided that being the King of Hell wasn’t enough. That having the respect and adulation of all who come in contact with you wasn’t enough. You decided that after thousands of years of near perfect existence, you needed some human bitch to hang on your arm for the rest of eternity.”

  “That doesn’t sound exactly how I explained it—” Luc stood and was about to finish correcting her, but Harley put a hand up to stop him. And for some reason, he chose not to defy her while she glared at him that way.

  “Sit your ass back down.” Her eyes focused on Luc and he lowered himself back into the chair. “Now listen here, Lucifer. You wanted this. Regardless of what words we use to describe it, you want true love, and I’m trying to help you find it. The reason it couldn’t wait until you finished your conversation, was because cozying up to that girl out there isn’t getting you what you want. You need to stay focused on the game and what we’re doing here.”

  “I am focused.”

  “You agreed to stay away from other women during the game.” Harley planted her hand on her ample hip and raised one brow.

  “I did. However, we are between sins. I don’t see the problem if I indulge in a little sexy time between women.” He tried not to let his voice take on a whiny tone. He was the devil after all, but Harley stood over him like a nun with a ruler, and he was the misbehaving little school boy.

  “Cut Luc some slack, Harley. A leopard can’t change its spots overnight.” Az put his arm around Luc in brotherly solidarity, but Luc wasn’t sure it came across as well as Az intended.

  “So you’re saying, Lucifer can’t change other than during a thousand years of evolution?” Harley swung her glare from Luc to Az, and back again. “Am I wasting my time here?”

  Harley was always a bit on the angry side, but this was something else. Luc wasn’t sure what was going on with her, but she deserved his patience while she figured it out. At least for now.

  “No, of course that’s not what I meant.” Az stumbled over his words. “It’s just that—”

  “Enough. Let’s just get on with this. Shall we?” Harley smiled, but she had that crazed look on her face.

  Luc and Az nodded, not daring to open their mouths and say the wrong thing, yet again. Messing with a woman when she had that look, was stupid. Messing with a demon in that same situation, was suicide. Not that Luc or Az needed to worry about that. Being immortal had its perks, but neither of them were stupid, so they left her unchallenged.

  Harley glared at the two of them a moment longer, then took a deep breath and turned toward the mirror. “Ronnie Falcon was a great girl, but clearly she wasn’t the one.”

  “I’d like to mention that it wasn’t exactly so clear.” Luc raised a hand to interrupt, hoping it wouldn’t piss her off more. “I definitely had feelings for Ronnie. Maybe at a different time, or in a different situation, it would have been different.”

  “Fine. Whatever. But let’s just say, for the sake of rationality, she’s not, at this time, your soul mate.”

  She waved her hand over the mirror and an image of Ronnie at home with her three siblings appeared. They were sitting at the table laughing and smiling. A big change from before Luc met them when everything was falling apart.

  “Agreed. Ronnie was great, but she’s on a different path.” Luc smiled at the scene just before it disappeared into a smoky void.

  “True,” Harley said. “That’s why I spent a little more time on this months choice. I had it narrowed down to two choices for the past week, but I wasn’t really sure until tonight. Just for fun though,” Harley smiled. “ I’ll show you both picks and we can see which one you think I chose.”

  Harley liked to think she was hard to read, but Luc had her number. He’d known her far too long, and much too intimately to be fooled by her. She was testing him once again.

  “Okay, let’s see.” Az squirmed in his seat, his blond curls bouncing around his face. “The suspense is killing me.”

  “You’re immortal, brother. Only father can kill
you.”

  Az’s eyes widened. “He’d never do that.”

  “Of course not. Take a breath and wait a few seconds.”

  “Yeah, but what if he did? He does get quite angry at us sometimes and you know Dad can be impulsive.”

  “Az, have you ever seen dad kill any of our siblings?”

  “Well, no. But—”

  “No buts. Dad loves you. You’ll live forever. Longer than forever. Until the heavens crumble and universe implodes in on itself.” Luc was growing tired of his brother. He may be Luc’s favorite sibling, but everyone had their limitations.

  “But what if—”

  “Are you two done?” Harley flashed them her usual bored look and waited for their attention to settle on the screen.

  “Yes,” Luc said before Azrael could open his mouth with any more ridiculous nonsense.

  “Good.” Harley waved her hand over the mirror once again and a new scene appeared. A young, pink-haired girl, with several face piercings sat on the back of a park bench licking an ice cream cone. She made eye contact with several men dressed in business suits as they walked past.

  “Now we’re talking.” Lucifer sat up straight in his seat and studied the girl. She had the look of trouble in her eyes, but Luc was ready to jump right in.

  “This is Candis. Candy for short. Her online dating profile says she’s looking for a sugar daddy who likes hard drinking, fast fucking, and overindulging in all of life’s desires.”

  “Those are admirable hobbies.” Lucifer had met a number of “Candy's” in his life. They were always a lot of fun and never the kind for romantic commitments. Harley was trying to trick him, but he wasn’t falling for it. Not that he wouldn’t enjoy a few nights with this particular Candy. His sweet tooth was aching for just that.

  Harley rolled her eyes.

  “It’s a trap, brother.” Az stood and walked in front of the screen. “Just look at the way she’s looking at those men.”

  “I would, but you’re blocking my view.” Luc drummed his fingers on the arm of his chair and waited.

  “It’s not a trap. Stop judging a book by it’s cover. Candis here is a lovely girl under the surface. I told you, I narrowed my choices down to these two. I’m not trying to mess with you.”

  Luc wasn’t totally buying it, but Harley had that look that told him she wasn’t fooling around. “Okay, then tell me a little more about Ms. Candis.”

  “Just listen and don’t judge.” Harley waited for Luc to nod, then continued. “A former competitive eater, Candis spent her childhood and teen years in Florida, soaking up the sun, drinking to excess, and spending her daddy’s money, until he cut her off at age twenty.”

  “What happened at twenty?” Az sat back down and waited for Harley to explain.

  “He got remarried. The new wife didn’t care for her nearly same aged step-daughter, so she got him to give her the boot. She moved up north with a guy she met online, and decided to try her hand at acting. She’s awful, by the way.”

  “I’m not seeing her redeeming qualities. Why did you think she might be a possible choice?” Luc watched the screen intently as Candy finished her ice cream, one slow lick after another, and flirted with an older man trying to eat his lunch in the park. She was obviously the right choice for the sin gluttony, but that didn’t exactly make her soul mate material.

  “I’ll show you the other girl first.” Harley waved her hand over the mirror and a new scene appeared. This time she showed them a blond downing shots at a bar with a group of frat boys. “This is Amanda.”

  “Let me guess, Mandy for short. Candy and Mandy. It’s like the beginning of a bad porn flick.” Luc laughed and figured she was seriously messing with him with these choices.

  “Amanda is a liquor distributor. She started her own company at twenty-three, been on her own since she was sixteen, and had two DUI’s by the time she was twenty-two.”

  “Now see, you started off strong, but then you had to add that last part.” Az shook his head. “I don’t see why we can’t pick women based on the seven virtues, rather than sinners. Lucifer is sinful enough on his own.”

  “That’s exactly why he needs a partner who can keep up. So she’s made some mistakes. Haven’t we all?” Harley pursed her lips together and waited for Az to settle down before she continued.

  Luc ignored their petty squabble and watched Amanda. One of the frat boys tried to shove his hand up her skirt and she grabbed his arm, flipped him around, and slammed him down on the bar. She reminded him of Ronnie Falcon in a way and he liked what he saw. She was feisty. She knew how to have a good time, but she wasn’t taking shit from anybody. That was the kind of girl Luc wanted to get to know.

  But it could be a trick.

  Even if Harley had thought either of these two girls might be a match, she was now certain one wasn’t right. There was no way she would have brought a new girl to his attention unless she was sure.

  Luc walked over to the mirror and waved his hand across it. The scene split into two halves, one with each girl on it. Candis on the left and Amanda on the right. Candis was hot and mysterious and devilish, if he did say so himself. He would have a good time with her and he didn’t just mean in bed. Everything about her screamed fun. Even if she did used to be a competitive eater, which he’d clearly said was a deal breaker, Luc knew he’d enjoy her company.

  Amanda was fun in a whole other way.

  She was a badass like Ronnie Falcon, but he got the impression that Amanda didn’t let the shit hand she’d been dealt stand in her way. Amanda went after what she wanted. But this sin was gluttony and Luc didn’t see what her overindulgence was. Maybe she drank too much? There were a number of empty shot glasses in front of her and she did have multiple DUI’s. Maybe Harley left out that she too, was a competitive eating champ, but she was far too thin to eat to excess. Although, the best of that disgusting group were thin, strangely enough.

  So what was it? Was she a nymphomaniac? That could be fun. Did she have a shopping addiction? Luc couldn’t imagine her with a room-sized closet full of shoes or handbags. It had to be the drinking. Two DUI’s for a twenty-five year old, was clearly a problem. Not one that bothered Luc all that much. If she’d killed someone, Harley surely would have mentioned that. So obviously, she just had a knack for getting caught.

  Harley and Az continued their ridiculous bickering and Luc continued to ignore them. He stepped closer to the mirror and studied the girls. Both were clearly beautiful, each in different ways. Both were clearly sculpted by unfortunate pasts, but neither seemed to be letting that determine their future. The real question was, which one did Harley pick for him? Or more importantly, which one could possibly be his true love?

  Luc couldn’t imagine either of the girls being his mate for all of eternity, but then, he felt the same way about Ronnie Falcon at first. Even if she hadn’t turned out to be the one, in a different time, under different circumstances, she might have been.

  There had to be something about each girl that made Harley think, that out of all the available women on this planet, one of them may be the one for him. She knew him best, after all. She was his best friend, the one who stood by him through anything. If she wasn’t so much like a sister to him, he might think she was the one. Well, that and the fact that she preferred women, and Luc was definitely no woman.

  Luc sat back down in the chair and spoke just loud enough to get Harley and Az’s attention. “If I may interrupt this pettiness for just a moment children.”

  The room fell to silence and Harley and Az looked at Luc.

  “Better, thank you. Now, if we can get on with this here, and stop the bickering, I’d like to get this thing moving along.”

  “Okay then, did you figure out which one I chose for you, or would you like more information about each girl?” Harley leaned her back against the wall and smirked.

  Luc definitely wanted more information, but he already knew which girl she chose. Learning about the other girl might be amu
sing, but a waste of his time. Even immortal beings had a schedule to keep.

  “You chose Candis of course. It would be too easy to just toss in the obvious red herring like last time, so it has to be her. Amanda is more mature, clearly more settled in her life, and despite the DUI situation, has her shit together. It’s just too easy. And since when have you been easy, Harley Saxon?” Luc sat back in his seat and smiled. He waited for her mouth to fall into a frown. She had put in all that work and he picked her out so easily. Poor Harley. She did try though.

  But Harley didn’t frown. In fact, her smirk grew into a full blown smile.

  “What fun is easy, Lucifer? But you should know, sometimes the cover is just that.”

  “What does that mean?” No longer confident, Luc sat forward and rested his elbows on his thighs.

  “You’re too quick to judge. Amanda might seem like the safe choice, but there is more to her than you can see on the surface. She isn’t as put together as you might think.”

  “So it is Candis then? Just for different reasons?”

  “No. It’s Amanda.” Az stood and walked closer to the mirror and studied the girls. “It’s in her eyes. It’s not about her starting her own business, or fighting her way up from a struggling homeless teen. It’s not about the way she put those assholes in their place for trying to take advantage of her. It’s not even that little hint of mystery that dances on her lips. It’s the eyes.”

  “You’re joking.” Luc looked from Az, to Harley. “He’s joking?”

  “Afraid not.” Despite not getting along with Azrael, Harley wasn’t about to rob him of his moment.

  Az swiped his hand over the mirror and Candis disappeared. They were left with a close-up of Amanda. Her brilliant blue eyes sparkled with something deeper, darker, something Luc hadn’t noticed at first. He wasn’t sure it was a good thing, or not, but he wanted to know more.

  “Tell me more about her.” Luc returned to his seat, but kept his eyes on Amanda.