Deal With the Devil

DEAL WITH THE DEVIL THE RECKLESS DAMNED BOOK THREE LARK TAYLOR Devil With the Devil by Lark Taylor www.larktaylorauthor.com Copyright © 2023 by Lark Taylor Book cover design: Ashwood Designs – www.cateashwooddesigns.com Edited by: Anna Britton – www.annabritton.co.uk Copyedited and proofread by: Abbie Nicole Formatted by: Leslie Copeland – lescourtauthorservices.com All rights reserved. This literary work may not be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, including electronic or photographic reproduction, in whole or in part, without express written permission, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews. This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are products of the author’s imagination, or are used fictitiously. References to real people, events, brands, organisations, establishments, or locations are intended to provide a sense of authenticity and are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events, locations, organisations, or persons living or dead is entirely coincidental. WARNING This book contains material that is intended for a mature adult audience. It contains graphic language, explicit sexual content, and adult situations. Dedicated to Hannah My partner in crime CONTENTS Synopsis Prologue Chapter 1 Chapter 2 Chapter 3 Chapter 4 Chapter 5 Chapter 6 Chapter 7 Chapter 8 Chapter 9 Chapter 10 Chapter 11 Chapter 12 Chapter 13 Chapter 14 Chapter 15 Chapter 16 Chapter 17 Chapter 18 Chapter 19 Chapter 20 Chapter 21 Chapter 22 Chapter 23 Chapter 24 Chapter 25 Chapter 26 Chapter 27 Chapter 28 Chapter 29 Chapter 30 Chapter 31 Chapter 32 Chapter 33 Chapter 34 Epilogue Stalk Me Acknowledgments About the Author SYNOPSIS When you make a deal with a devil, you must prepare to face the consequences… MORI I’ve loved and lost once before, and it nearly destroyed me. One might think I’d be scared to try again, but since discovering the existence of fated mates, I’ve waited on tenterhooks for mine to appear. Fate, apparently, is content to keep me in suspense. When a nervous human brokers a deal to find his brother, I can’t refuse. My tracking days are over, but there’s something about River that makes me want to get back in the game. Besides, it’ll be a good distraction from waiting for my dream guy. It quickly becomes clear that River isn’t all he seems. And even worse…I can’t deny the attraction between us. But can I go there when I can’t promise River forever? RIVER I’ve always been a liar…but this might be the most dangerous lie I’ve ever told. Making a deal with a son of Lucifer to track my brother is a bad idea. Especially since he currently holds the number one spot on Mori’s hit list. I’m asking for trouble. But I’m out of options. Blaise’s death creeps closer every day, and despite his past misdeeds, I have to save him. Even if it means pretending to be a human, when I’m anything but. The more time Mori and I spend together, the harder it is to hide my true identity. How can I when he’s everything I’ve ever wanted in a partner? There’s no point dreaming of a future with Mori. Even if he forgives my deception, he has a fated mate out there somewhere. And it isn’t me. Deal With the Devil is an exhilarating, forced-proximity M/M paranormal romance with a HEA and no cliff-hanger. It is the third book in The Reckless Damned series, which is best enjoyed in order due to the overarching plot. Each book focuses on a different couple and will have a HEA. CW: references to off page domestic abuse and anxiety attacks. Includes references to torture and murder. One scene of homophobia, including the use of a homophobic slur. PROLOGUE MORI 1922 I never thought this day would come. Never thought there would come a time when my brothers and I would stand up to our father and say enough was enough. But here we were. The odds of us walking away from this were slim to none, but I’d known the second the command left my father’s lips that I had no other alternative. You’re too close to the human. Kill him. I hadn’t expected my siblings to support me, but I should’ve known better. Even without the deal we’d made aeons ago to protect each when we were in mortal peril, we always had each other’s backs. Refusing to kill the human I was in love with? That definitely qualified as mortal peril. Father lounged on his throne, a goblet loosely held in one hand as he lazily perused us. You’d be forgiven for thinking this was a casual conversation…until you looked at any other demon in the room. The inner circle ranged around the walls, weapons already drawn, shields in place. They knew what was coming. So did we. There was no way I was backing down. “What do you mean, no?” Father drawled the question like he was completely unbothered by the answer. He couldn’t hide the fury in his eyes though. Once upon a time, it would’ve sent me running for a corner to hide in. Those times were in the past. “I mean, no. I will not kill Eric.” “I can’t understand why you’re refusing this,” he said with faux amusement. My brother, Harlow, bristled next to me. We all knew, Father included, exactly why. This was all a game, an elaborate dance Father was conducting before he unleashed his wrath. I wasn’t about to follow the steps. I’d often done so before, but this time, I was dancing to my own tune. “And I can’t understand why you’re asking me to kill an innocent.” “Mori’s right,” Cal interjected, stepping forward. As the oldest, he was the one we often let speak for us. “To do so would be to break the treaty with Heaven. We cannot harm an innocent.” Lucifer snorted, throwing his goblet against the wall, narrowly missing a demon. She didn’t flinch, knowing better than to give Father a reaction when he was