Iput my hand on Chavez's shoulder and spun himaround. "You knew that sacrificing the virginity would work as well as sacrificing the virgin."

No wonder he'd been so insistent that he wasn't going to kill me. He'd known he wouldn't have to.

I'm not sure why the truth hadn't occurred to me before now. Just because I'd been told the sacrifice would be my life didn't make it true, especially since I'd been told that by a demon.

"Don't listen to him," Chavez said. "He wants to put a wedge between us. I'm just not sure why."

I wanted to believe he hadn't known. Really I did. But there was that voice in my head that kept saying, Did you really think he wanted you? Look in the mirror, then look at him.

But there was another voice that insisted Chavez was different. He knew about the ugliness that lived beneath the beauty. He killed it every day. He'd said he liked women with glasses, women who read. Of course that sounded like a bigger lie than any of the others.

"What were you talking to Samantha about all that time?" I asked.

Anger flared in his eyes. I couldn't believe Chavez had the balls tobe angry. "What did you think we were talking about?"

"Where to bury my body?"

"I told you, I've killed a lot of things, but I don't kill people."

The demon snorted. "Men. They'll say anything, won't they?"

I didn't even glance his way, instead holding Chavez's eyes. "You should have shot me."

It might have hurt less.

He winced. "Just because Samantha suggested that removing the virginity the demon craved might be the answer doesn't mean I don't care about you."

The demon in the doorway began to laugh.

"You shut up!" Chavez snarled.

"Why is he still here?" I demanded. "You sacrificed the virgin. Shouldn't he be demon dust?"

"That isn't a demon."

I switched my attention to the now giggling stranger, and I realized what was different. I didn't want to jump him. I only wanted to slug him - and every other guy in the room. The sexual obsession was gone.

You'd think I'd be happier about it.

"What is it?" I asked.

"Beelzebub."

I glanced at Chavez. "Again?"

"He seems to like me."

For a minute I sympathized. Imagine spending half your life chasing evil, killing it, and enjoying periodic visits from Satan whenever things got really rough.

Not much of a life, but that still didn't excuse him.

Chavez had betrayed me in the worst possible way a man could betray a woman. He'd pretended to want me, but he'd only been using me. Not for sex, but to save my life and the lives of others. I still wasn't going to thank him.

"So the earth moved for you, Kit?" Satan asked.

I could feel the blood drain from my face. He'd beenwatching ?

I glanced at Chavez, who appeared as horrified as I was.

"I hate to be the one to break it to you, Chavez, but that wasn't a result of your prowess. The demon was dying."

Chavez ignored him, reaching for me. I stumbled back. I didn't want him touching me. Not now or ever again.

Pain flickered in his eyes, turning quickly to fury when the devil snickered. Chavez spun toward him.

"You did this. You sent the demon; you made it so I'd have to hurt her in one way or another."

"What's your point?" Satan asked.

Cursing, Chavez snatched his pants from the floor and withdrew a vial of holy water. The devil rolled his eyes. "That isn't going to kill me."

Chavez tossed the contents into Satan's face. Steam, the scent of cooking flesh, the hiss of flames, for an instant I saw the monster behind the mask.

"I know it won'tkill you," Chavez murmured. "But it sure does sting."

The devil writhed for several seconds. I was hoping he'd begin to cry, "I'm melting!" then do so.

Instead, he straightened and lowered his hands from his face. I tensed, expecting something ugly, but he appeared exactly the same.

"Quit being childish," he snapped. "I came to offer you a deal."

"A deal with the devil? Hmm, let me think." Chavez tapped his fingernail against his chin. "No."

"Don't be so hasty. The end is here. Demons are pouring out of hell even as we speak. You're the only chance the human race has got."

"Why me?" he asked.

"As you said - I like you. Always have. When I was inside you for that brief time, I felt at home."

"Fuck you," Chavez snarled. "I cast you out. And you aren't getting back in."

He yanked a cigarette from his pants and hurriedly lit the end. His hand shook, causing the devil to smirk and me to take a single step closer. I might want to stick a sharp implement repeatedly into Chavez's eye, but I wasn't going to let Satan hurt him.

"What is he talking about?" I asked. "I thought you were possessed by a demon."

"He's the father of all demons. In every one lies a little of him."

"You're more like me than you want to believe," Satan whispered. "That's why you're so good at killing us. You can smell evil a mile away, can't you?"

Chavez took a deep drag and blew the smoke in the other man's face. Instead of coughing, the devil inhaled it like ambrosia.

"That's what I thought," he murmured. "Here's the deal, if you can kill everything I've released before the end of the world, I'll call off the apocalypse. It'll be like a video game, except real."

"Since when is he in charge of the apocalypse?" I asked.

Neither one of them answered.

"When's the end of the world?" Chavez took another drag.

"That's for me to know and you to find out."

Now who was being childish?

"What happens if I lose?"

"You know."

The devil began to laugh again, then he disappeared.

I stared at the place where he'd been for several seconds before I lifted my gaze to Chavez. "What happens?"

"He gets my soul."

Ask a stupid question... Chavez began to gather his clothes.

"You're going?"

"You heard him. I don't have much time."

"Or maybe you have plenty. No one knows when the end of days actually is. And what if he just decides to finish things when there's only one demon left to down?"

"It doesn't work like that."

"Howdoes it work?"

"Thereis an end of time, except no one's been able to figure out the exact date. There are a lot of theories."

"The apocalypse is a Christian belief, and not all Christians believe it."

"Not believing it doesn't make it any less real."

"Sixty-seven percent of the world isn't Christian," I pointed out.

"Where do you get all this information?" Chavez asked.

"I like trivia."

"I like smart women."

I narrowed my eyes and he went on.

"Satan does come out of the Christian legends, but remember...all religions believe in good and evil. Just because he isn't called Satan doesn't make him any less the leader of the underworld. You saw him.

He's real."

"Which makes the apocalypse real?"

"Even if he's lying, it won't hurt to kill all the demons. It's win-win."

"Unless you lose."

"Someone's got to do it."

Quickly he dressed, then it was time to say good-bye. I didn't want to.

What I'd felt for Chavez had been genuine even if what he'd pretended had been...pretend.

"You must have found my last request" - I sighed and turned away - "hysterical."

"I found it flattering." He inched in front of me. "And arousing."

"As well as convenient."

"Kit - "

"You were going to seduce me." I shrugged. "You didn't have to."

He took a breath as if to speak, and I lifted my hand to stop him. I'd had an epiphany. They didn't happen often, but when they did I listened.

"It doesn't matter if you knew or you didn't. You saved my life."

My anger had faded. Chavez did what he had to do for the greater good. I didn't like what he'd done to me -  That was a lie. I'd liked it a lot.

I couldn't throw stones. I'd slept with him when I thought he planned to kill me. The ultimate one-night stand. I'd sworn to hold out for true love - then at the first sign of an apocalypse I'd thrown away my vow for a good time.

That I'd discovered I loved him later did not excuse me in the least.

I couldn't stay angry with him when he'd only done what I asked - and what was absolutely necessary.

"Do your job," I said. "Save the world."

His gaze softened. My stomach flip-flopped. I couldn't believe I was giving him up, but then I didn't have much choice, either.

"I knew you were special from the beginning," he murmured. "Can I have a kiss good-bye?"

"You can have two."

The kiss and the one that followed were everything I'd ever dreamed of in a farewell embrace - the heat of lust, the gentleness in caring. My eyes stung, and I fought not to let the tears fall. He had to go, and I had to let him.

Chavez lifted his head. "If the world wasn't about to end - "

I put my fingers over his lips. "But it is."

"Yeah." He stepped back; I clung just a little. "If the worlddoesn't end... "Give me a call."

He never would. A guy like him, a girl like me - heat of the moment and all that. As soon as I was out of sight, I'd be out of mind. But it sounded good - as if I didn't care, as if I weren't dying inside.

"Hasta luego, chica."

The tears were blinding me. I wiped them away, but he was already gone.

Thesnick of my apartment door closing echoed in the suddenly silent room. I was alone again.

Just me and my big fat boring life.

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