Between the Devil and the Sea (The Devil and the Sea #1)

by Chani Lynn Feener

Apollo is…well. If you’re looking for a hero, a knight in shining armor, or an ending where the villain becomes the superhero, this isn’t the book for you. That being said, it does have a HEA. Apollo is not morally gray, he’s black all the way. He’s willing to do whatever he wants to get what he wants. He’s possessive and manipulative and if you’ve read the blurb you already know, a serial killer.

If you or anyone you know is ever in a toxic relationship, please seek help. You deserve better. And if you ever meet an Apollo, run.

But he was strict with himself, disciplined, because that made all the difference between a devil and your run-of-the-mill everyday monstrosity.

“I’d much rather accept people as they really are.” “That’s how you end up surrounded by unmentionables.” “I said I’d accept them,” Shade corrected. “I didn’t say I’d stick around.” The corner of Apollo’s mouth twitched up, but it was different from any of the other smiles he’d given before. Almost imperceptible, somehow coming off private. “See, that’s the problem then. I want to keep you around.”

“From the sounds of it, prince charming isn’t your type anyway.” He nipped at him again. “Too boring for you.” Shade frowned for what had to be the millionth time since the start of all this, opting to believe for now that he didn’t think poorly of him. “I can’t see your face because you’re behind me, but why does it sound like you’re enjoying learning that?”

But that’d never stopped him from fantasizing about being wanted so badly by someone that they’d do literally anything to him to have him. Tie him up, pin him down…His mind wandered to the slaps Apollo had given him and he bit his lip as his dick twitched at the memory. Which was so fucked up.

“How do you do that?” Shade asked. “You’re having two conversations at once.” “You’re following along just fine.” “You’re hitting on me.” “Yup.” “But also interrogating me.” “Correct again.”

“This is really an interrogation, you know that, right? Like, you could switch jobs with me right now and anyone would believe you were the detective and I was your suspect.” “Person of interest,” Apollo corrected, smirking. “You’re my person of interest at the moment, Shadow Yor. How unlucky for you. But you’re also making it pretty damn easy, which is earning you points for sure.”

“Don’t worry about that,” Apollo told him, voice dropping to a low whisper, “there’s a great chance I’ll end up hurting you on purpose.”

Apollo? A monster? Come on. Even Dario had just pointed out how well-liked he was by the entire community.

Apollo was going to find out. He was going to find out everything about Shadow Yor. The best way to conquer something was to uncover them completely. Expose them to the things that made them uncomfortable. Shine a light on the skeletons in their closest and watch how they reacted when forced to confront them.

Shade claimed he could accept him? Heavens help him if he was lying too, because he might not yet be aware of it, but he wasn’t up against your average run-of-the-mill demon. Apollo was the Devil. And the Devil took no prisoners.

Apollo was going to become his everything. He’d fix Shadow Yor, take him apart, figure out how the pieces went back together properly, and make him whole again. And then he’d slice that beautiful neck and watch as the life drained from those pretty hazel-colored eyes and get back to his regularly scheduled program.

He was going to take him and break him and make him his. But it wasn’t all selfish. He’d be sure to fix him in the process.

“You really shouldn’t push me,” Apollo told him, “I’ll like it too much.”

This morning Shade had still been stupidly in the crush stage of things and now he was chained to a wall being threatened with gardening tools by the guy he’d thought was a sweet and friendly boy-next-door type.

Are you mad that your neck looks like it was made to have my hand around it?

Shade’s brow furrowed and Apollo sighed in exasperation. “I told you,” he repeated, “you’re different.” “Different how?” “I stalked you. I hunted them. There’s a difference.”

He was falling for Apollo, not lightly or gently, but the way someone tripped and stumbled down a flight of stairs. It was painful and a struggle and more than once on the way down he prayed for it to finally end, but the landing was there. He’d reach it eventually.

Eventually, you could escape the torment from other people, but if the bullying came from within? You were trapped.

Apollo’s grin was bright and vicious. “Careful, Shadow mine, I can be obsessive.” “That’s all right. As long as the only thing you’re obsessed with from here on out,” he brushed his lips against Apollo’s in a fleeting kiss, “is me.”

“You’re the devil, and I’m the devil’s shadow.”