The Road To Hell. Jackie Kessler
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Outstanding Praise for
HELL’S BELLES!
“Kessler’s debut novel will captivate fans of Sherrilyn Kenyon and Laurell K. Hamilton from the very first page. The novel is steamy, humorous and fast-paced, with tons of imagery and symbols that take it to a deeper level, similar to that of Neil Gaiman’s Sandman series.”
—Romantic Times
“Wicked, sexy, and delightfully funny, Hell’s Belles is hot stuff. I’m burning to get my hands on the sequel.”
—J. A. Konrath, author of Whiskey Sour
“Ms. Kessler has hit the jackpot with this debut novel of dark fantasy. Hell’s Belles offers something for everyone; devilishly witty humor, a sassy heroine, a hunky hero and demonic creatures; what more could a reader ask for? Don’t miss it!”
—PNR Reviews
“Jackie Kessler has one hell of an imagination! Hell’s Belles is Anita Blake, Neil Gaiman and Dante’s Inferno flambéed and served with a side of sizzling paranormal romance.”
—Michelle Rowen, author of Bitten and Smitten
“With characters that are intriguing and fully developed and a plot that’s out of this world, this is a fabulous start to the ‘Hell on Earth’ series. Hell’s Belles will enchant paranormal fans.”
—Romance Reviews Today
“This book is so hot that it needs to be handled with a pair of tongs!”
—RomanceReaderatHeart.com
“Give in to the sin of temptation and pick up Hell’s Belles. You will be so glad you did!”
—Coffee Time Romance
And Praise for
THE ROAD TO HELL!
“This is writing of blistering splendor: Kessler’s acid wit and wry style make for damn fine reading. Trust me, the seven deadly sins have never had it so good!”
—Cornelia Read, author of A Field of Darkness
“Jezebel is a refreshingly angst-free character, cheerfully libidinous and very, very funny.”
—Elaine Cunningham, author of Shadows in the Starlight
Books by Jackie Kessler
HELL’S BELLES
THE ROAD TO HELL
HOTTER THAN HELL
Published by Kensington Publishing Corporation
THE ROAD TO HELL
JACKIE KESSLER
ZEBRA BOOKS
KENSINGTON PUBLISHING CORP.
http://www.kensingtonbooks.com
This book is for Brett, my very own White Knight
(with just a hint of demon).
I love you.
Acknowledgments
Lots of people made this book possible, and they all deserve to win the lottery. Or, at least, own a private island or two.
To the Kensington team—John Scognamiglio, Magee King, Maureen Cuddy, and the whole Zebra gang—and to my agent, Ethan Ellenberg: you made everything possible.
To everyone at Backspace and to my writing group: You people rule. As always.
To the following people, who are invested in all things Hell: Jaci Burton, Cathy Clamp, Elaine Cunningham, MaryJanice Davidson, Ty Drago, Lila Dubois, Zinnia Hope, Brian Howe, Caitlin Kittredge, Joe Konrath, Richelle Mead, Diane Nudelman, Rainfeather Pearl, and Michelle Rowen.
Without the following people, Hell would only be a state of mind:
Renee Barr: Love your inner demon, baby!
Heather Brewer: Words cannot describe how seriously you rock. Seriously.
Stevie Guttman: L.A. is a different sort of Hell completely.
Most of all, to my mom and dad, who absolutely promised to skip the nookie scenes; to my wonderful boys, Ryan and Mason, who won’t be allowed to read the Hell books until they’re at least thirty-five; and to Brett, as always—it’s all good, love.
Thank you all.
Contents
PART ONE: JESSE AND THE ANGEL
Prologue:On the Precipice
Chapter 1: Spice
Chapter 2: Paul’s Apartment
Chapter 3: Paul’s Apartment
Chapter 4: New York City
Chapter 5: New York City
Chapter 6: The Bar Fly
Chapter 7: Spice
Chapter 8: New York City
PART TWO: THE FURY AND THE DEMON
Chapter 9: Paul’s Apartment
Chapter 10: Paul’s Apartment
Chapter 11: Spice/Paul’s Apartment
Chapter 12: Paul’s Apartment
Chapter 13: In the Arms of Don Juan
Chapter 14: Across the Dimensions
Chapter 15: Pandemonium
PART THREE: PAUL AND THE KING OF HELL
Chapter 16: Hell
Chapter 17: The Endless Caverns
Chapter 18: The Endless Caverns
Chapter 19: Hell
Chapter 20: The Throne Room
Chapter 21: The Throne Room
Chapter 22: Limbo/Paul’s Apartment
Prologue
On the Precipice
Whoever said you see your life flash before your eyes when you die was full of crap. You don’t see your entire life. Just the most important parts.
Or, in my case, just the most recent parts.
As I die now, feeling strong arms holding me tight, hearing a voice whisper that it’s okay, my mind plays back the events that set me on the road to Hell, good intentions and all. Faces flash behind my closed eyes, almost too fast to follow—the incubus’s fang-filled grin, the Erinyes hissing with reptilian fury, the angel crying fat, salty tears. My love, my White Knight, a name on his lips that isn’t mine.
Nice to know there’s a “rewind” button that comes with life. If only there were an “erase” button for the really sucky parts…
Darkness pulls me down, my heart slows, stops…and once again, I’m in Spice.
Chapter 1
Spice
“I’m from Death Valley.”
“Really?” I smiled as I poured champagne into two long-stemmed flutes. Death Valley. Heh. People had such a sense of humor when it came to naming things. Take Slaughterville, Oklahoma, or my personal favorite: Hell, Michigan. There’s also Paradise, Pennsylvania, but I don’t hold that against them; they also have the spiffy town of Intercourse.
Handing