Page 81 of A Chip on Her Shoulder

The driver, who appeared human enough but wore a suit the perfect match of the Devil’s, bowed and gestured to the vehicle. “Everything is as you requested, sir.”

“Excellent. Thank you.”

“That earned you a spot,” I informed the Devil. “Good behavior is rewarded.”

The driver smirked and headed for the limousine. When we reached the black car, Lucifer opened and closed the door for me before circling the vehicle to join me. A bottle of champagne and a tray of cheese, crackers, various meats, and seafood waited for our attention. I eyed the clams and shrimp, licking my lips.

“A man should aspire for his woman to look at him like you are looking at your appetizers.” The Devil snagged the champagne bottle and opened it, and while it made a startling bang, he somehow kept a hold on the cork. He poured a glass and offered it to me. “As you refused to adhere to my plans and take a nap, I do not have as much information on Gallo and his operations as I would like, although I have handled some of the work. His wife—”

“He’s after me when he already has a wife?” I growled, flattening my ears. Taking the glass, I took a single sip before snagging a chilled clam, still in its shell and garnished with a dab of cocktail sauce and a sprinkling of green onion. I made it disappear into my stomach with a happy purr, setting the empty shell down. “This guy is a class act, isn’t he?”

“Yes. Upon securing your person, his plan is to murder his wife so you can take her place. He has poisoned her like he had you poisoned, and she’s already lost a significant portion of her memories. Should his plans go unimpeded, she will die by the morning.”

The more I learned about Gallo, the more I wanted to bash his brains in and decorate the entirety of New York with his pulverized remains. “What a nice gentleman. What is best for her?”

Before meeting the Devil and his brothers, I would have been inclined to save her and to hell with the consequences. I’d learned a lot in a short period of time, and a future in a different life might truly be the better option than continuing a life of misery and unhappiness.

“She has a strong spirit.”

“That doesn’t tell me anything.” I snagged another clam, and unlike the first, I took my time savoring it. “What is best for her?”

“It’s not that simple. Every choice has a thousand consequences or more. Every word you speak can trigger a cascade of change. A life is an endless chain of consequences and possibilities. What is best for her may not be what is best for many. At what point do you assign such a value to her life and her perception of it? If what is best for her hurts many, which is the greater sin? Ending one person’s misery when they can struggle through and do great good or evil because of their suffering? Right now, mercy would be to end her suffering—but in five years, she could spawn many new beginnings that make her life a priceless treasure. What is best for her evolves with every breath.”

I thought about it, snagging a shrimp and nibbling on it. “That headache is pretty miserable.”

“It is. Right now, she suffers. But I can’t help you decide what is best for her. Life is an ever-changing path, and everything can become new with but a single word. For example, if you were to accept me as your husband, there would be great change. If you tell me no, there will also be great change and even more sulking on my part. Be responsible. You wouldn’t want to make me sulk.”

Several shrimp and another clam fell to my appetite before I grinned and pointed the shell at him. “I already told you what you needed to do to get an answer out of me.”

“At least you’re not making me ask your brother for permission.”

“He’d say no, and I would be forced to put him in one of my tanks for shitty behavior. He doesn’t get to dictate who I may or may not wed, if you please—and even if you don’t please.”

“But would you have made me ask your father?”

“Absolutely. My father was the best despite everything, thank you.”

“Well, of course. He raised you to be as you are, after all.”

I blinked and stared at the Devil. “What?”

“You are a product of your parents and their upbringing of you. From your first breath, they molded you. You are as you are because of their actions. Had you a different father, you would not be who you are today. Humans are imperfect, and that is part of what makes them interesting. But your father and mother had a hand in every part of your life, and I find myself disgustingly appreciative of that in this moment.”

“That doesn’t explain how Jonas turned out.”

“He’s male.”

I frowned. “What? I mean, yes. He is my brother rather than my sister.”

“Men are often raised differently from women in religious environments. Your brother grew up feeling a certain amount of entitlement due to his position as a preacher’s son. You grew up with the burden of expectations. That is how two humans could produce two children on entirely different behavioral spectrums. It was all in their care with your upbringing. Jonas did not have the same upbringing as you despite the fact that you share parents. He spent all of his life being told he should expect certain things, and that became the seeds of greed, sin, and treachery. You spent all of your life being cultivated to be a responsible wife and mother with a splash of the crueler realities of mortal life. Jonas will learn quickly how to become self-reliant, for I am not as kind as your parents were in their mortal life. You are not meant to be his mother, and I will put my foot down if I must. Or put him in one of your tanks in time out until he learns to be self-sufficient. And I have plans on how I’ll handle you should you fall prey to those old habits.”

“What plans?”

“Test me and find out. We’ll both enjoy it, that much I can promise.”

Ugh. All the Devil had to do to make me enjoy myself was take his damned shirt off. “I can’t tell if I’m supposed to be falling prey to these old habits or not.”

The Devil thought about it, and he claimed one of the clams for himself. “You know, I’m not sure, either. I seem to have created a dilemma.”