The Devil made meâ¦
Iâm Lilith Straight, the Devilâs servant. Youâd think that it would be straightforward, wouldnât you? Carry out the Devilâs work, thatâs all: wreak havoc and cause carnage on Earthâ¦
The problem is, I still have a conscience. Which makes life just a little bit tricky in Hell, as you might imagine. And when your sister actually belongs in Heaven, the hot man in your life has his own devilish agenda and the rest of your family wonât stop meddling in your unfinished businessâ¦well, letâs just say itâs complicated!
No one ever plays by the rules in Hell, so maybe itâs time to make up my own!
Straight by the Rules
Michelle Scott
Copyright
HQ
An imprint of HarperCollinsPublishers Ltd.
1 London Bridge Street
London SE1 9GF
First published in Great Britain by HQ in 2015
Copyright © Michelle Scott 2015
Michelle Scott asserts the moral right to be identified as the author of this work.
A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library.
This novel is entirely a work of fiction. The names, characters and incidents portrayed in it are the work of the authorâs imagination. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, events or localities is entirely coincidental.
All rights reserved under International and Pan-American Copyright Conventions. By payment of the required fees, you have been granted the non-exclusive, non-transferable right to access and read the text of this e-book on-screen. No part of this text may be reproduced, transmitted, downloaded, decompiled, reverse engineered, or stored in or introduced into any information storage and retrieval system, in any form or by any means, whether electronic or mechanical, now known or hereinafter invented, without the express written permission of HarperCollins.
E-book Edition © October 2015 ISBN: 9781474045889
Version date: 2018-10-30
MICHELLE SCOTT
has been a fiction junkie all of her life. Although sheâll read everything from literature to mystery to modern classics, she has a special penchant for urban fantasy. She is also a huge nerd and an unapologetic Doctor Who fan, preferring Tom Baker above all others. In college, Michelle earned her BA in psychology and met the guy of her dreams. Thirty years later, she has never once used her psychology degree, but is still married to Mr. Right, which proves that a good college education is worth every penny. Currently, she is a straight-laced community college English teacher by day, while at night, she stalks supernatural beings in her hometown of Detroit. Michelle lives with her husband and three children, all of whom are addicted to Doctor Who (and urban fantasy) as much as she.
A huge thank you to everyone who helped me with the latest Lilith Straight installment. First off, to my loving and patient family. Next, to Nancy Fulda and Maria Schneider who were invaluable as beta readers. Then to my friend and writing buddy, W. G. Garvey. Finally, an extra-special thanks to my HQ Digital editor, Charlotte Mursell, for helping to turn this raw material into a polished gem. I hope that every writer is as lucky as I am in having such a wonderful, supportive group of people.
To my ever-supportive family
Chapter One
For the first time since being forced into service as the Devilâs temptress, Iâd reached a doorway in Hell that I couldnât enter.
With its industrial gray paint and silver knob, the door was nearly identical to every other one in Hell, yet it made me pause. It had been labeled âAuthorized Personnel Only,â and mounted above it was a single, red light bulb in a metal cage.
For the most part, the Hell I traveled appeared like a dreary office building. With its endless corridors, flickering fluorescent lights, and scuffed walls, Hell was more depressing than intimidating. But I wasnât fooled. Ever since Iâd been hit by a car and died seven months before, Iâd seen enough of the place to know a nightmare lay underneath the façade.
My mind went back to the final moments of my life. Even after all this time, I relived those seconds over and over again. As I crossed the street, my eyes were glued to my cell phone screen and the dirty picture that I was texting my stepsister. A flash of white caught my attention, and I glanced up to see the Volvo speeding towards me. It was too late to run, and to my horror, the car never swerved. A second before it hit me, I got a look at the driver â a grim-faced man dressed in white. Then my feet were knocked out from under me, and I flew up and hit the windshield. It was like being run over by a charging elephant. The impact knocked the shoes off of my feet and my soul out of my body. One minute, I was walking on Earth, and the next I was deep in the bowels of hell.