I kept running, using my last stores of energy to slide the deadbolts loose on my apartment door. One-handed, I flung it open and slammed it behind me, drowning out Rourke’s questions.
From inside my jacket, a burp echoed off the sad space that made up my entryway, living room, and dining room in one. The burp was followed by a demonic giggle.
“Fuckery,” she said again.
“Ugh. Bath time,” I announced, heading for the tub.
Thirty minutes later, I had a clean demon baby again. When she was dressed in an old t-shirt of mine, I burned what was left of Patrice’s rib bone in a barrel underneath my kitchen window. It was the best I could do for evidence destruction on short notice. Half a bag of gummy bears later, the little nightmare on T-rex legs was asleep.
Again.
Afterward, I’d just found the demonling’s escape method from earlier—a broken window leading to my fire escape—when the exhaustion finally hit me. I did my best to push through and clean up the glass littering the floor. But eventually, keeping my eyes open became too much.
My lids fluttered shut and I sank, slumping onto my lumpy couch.
Finally, oblivion grabbed me with both hands and yanked me under.
Long before I would have liked, something woke me up. I rolled over, surveying the room through slitted eyes. Sunlight streamed in, casting my hardwood into a dirty-honey glow that warmed my shoulder. But judging from the positioning, it hadn’t been up for long, which meant I still had zzz’s to catch up on.
I shut my eyes again and began to drift when a thump sounded behind me. Immediately, panic sent a shot of adrenaline through me, and I prayed demon-spawn hadn’t escaped again.
I sat up quickly, wobbling as I caught myself on the arm of the couch before I could teeter over onto the floor. At the sight of my still-closed bedroom door, I frowned. If she hadn’t made that noise, what had—
I blinked in disbelief at the sight of Jax McGuire standing in my living room. He wore combat boots and a pair of dark denim jeans that were snug in all the right places. His hair was just messy enough to make me want to run my fingers through it—and he was looking at me like I was a snack.
The feeling was mutual, but the fact remained that he had just broken into my home, and I was obligated to yell about that for a minute.
“What the hell?” I demanded in a voice I hoped conveyed fury while not waking my flesh-eating roommate.
Shoving to my feet, I marched around to meet him, demanding, “What are you doing here? How’d you get in?”
Jax shrugged, gesturing next to where he still stood beside my broken TV. “Window was open.”
He pointed, and sure enough, the window beside him was wide open.
I wasn’t sure whether to be more pissed about the fact that he’d used it to come inside uninvited or that my little toddler-beast had ignored the easy exit in favor of creating her own.
Parenting wasn’t just hard. It was also expensive.
“Uh-oh.” Jax frowned as he took a step closer. “What’s that face for?”
“Toddlers are assholes,” I muttered, folding my arms across my chest, mostly to hide my still-hard nipples. Jax had that effect.
His mouth curved at my words, and I tried not to notice how his smile made him hotter while also less trustworthy—or that it was a combination that heated my panties despite everything else going on in my world.
“Uh-uh, don’t smile at me like that,” I warned.
His brow arched. “Smile like what?” he asked way too innocently.
“Like you got a full night’s rest and a hot meal on both ends of that sleep and now you’ll waltz in here and flirt a little before heading off to an easy day of slaughtering your enemies. I can’t handle it at the moment.”
Jax’s ensuing laugh made me want to kill him—and make out with him at the same time. “Ah, the life of a single mom.”
My eyes narrowed, and I did a quick sweep of the area for an easily reachable weapon. Maybe I’d skip the kissing part and go straight to murder.
“Jax, do not start with me right now.”
“No starting, got it,” he said, striding closer with a swagger only egomaniacs who were great in bed could pull off. “What about finishing it?” he murmured, stopping in front of me and letting his lips brush my earlobe.
Like a switch being flipped, my body reacted. My nipples hardened, and my thighs ached instantly. Lust rolled off me, and my aura became a cloud of desire shoving us together and sealing us inside. Fucking hell, it had been way too long. One tickled ear, and I couldn’t keep my energy on lockdown, much less my hormones.
“Jax,” I said through gritted teeth, but I didn’t move.
I should have moved.
Jax’s lips brushed my cheekbone then lower, trailing whispery kisses along my jawline. I stood utterly still and tried not to give in to the desire to let my hands shift into griffin’s claws and use them to shred his clothes clean off his chiseled body. And I knew it was chiseled because I’d gotten a firsthand feel-up the night we’d met at The Monster Ball.
When his lips hit the hollow of my throat, my body shuddered.
In response, Jax growled low.
The sound of it was enough to jolt me out of the lusty haze Jax’s mouth was currently sending me into.
“Whoa, hold on.” I wrenched away and ran a hand through my short, blonde hair. “The growl.”
Jax straightened, still standing way too close as his brows drew together in confusion. “You don’t like when I make noises?” he asked.
“No, I do,” I blurted.
Jax’s eyes gleamed. “Good to know.”
“That’s not what I—” I squeezed my eyes shut and took a full step back. “I saw something. Outside in the alley. Before I got home.” I realized telling him probably wasn’t as productive as reporting it to the SSF, but Jax had helped me kill a five yesterday. Maybe he knew something about it.
“You saw something. Something that growled,” he said uncertainly.
“Yeah, it wasn’t a werewolf though. It was too big and,” I looked back at him, remembering the power that had clung to the creature, “It had blue glowing eyes.”
Jax’s smile vanished. His expression hardened, and he stared back at me. “Are you sure?” The energy rolling off him now was a churning sort of violence that made my stomach clench.
“Sure as I can be considering it’s my first level six sighting outside of a textbook.” I shook off the angsty fear still curling inside me. “What I don’t understand is how in the hell a six got here. And by here, I mean this dimension.”
Jax sighed, and all of the alpha energy seemed to slowly drain from him. By the time he was done, he looked nearly as tired as I felt. “Do you remember the case I asked you to brief me on?” he asked quietly. “The attacks outside the city?”
I nodded and nearly groaned as I remembered the cleanup Adrik had scheduled for today. No rest for the wicked. “The rogue werewolf?”
His jaw tightened. “It’s not a werewolf,” he said in a hard voice.
I stared at him, understanding slowly dawning. “You think it’s the six attacking people.”
“It’s called a lupis demon.”
My eyes widened. “You already knew it was here.”
“I’ve heard rumors,” he admitted. “A couple of my pack members have reported sightings. I haven’t seen it for myself.”
“When were you planning on reporting it?” I demanded.
“When the SSF stopped using a scapegoat to cover up their own failure,” he hissed.
I stared back at him. “What is that supposed to mean?”
“It means plenty of people have died from greater demon attacks in the last few months, and almost none of them get reported,” he said. “Increased numbers of demons are terrorizing major cities, and it’s all being swept under the rug. The SSF has given this one a spotlight because the attacks can be fit into a neat little box that points to a frame-up they’ve already put togeth
er. It’s bull shit. And I’m not stupid enough to stick my nose into something that smells corrupt from a mile off.”
“Are you saying the SSF knows this isn’t a werewolf?”
He pinned me with a look. “Have you heard a word I just said?”
“Of course, I just . . . it’s kind of crazy,” I admitted.
Jax’s gaze remained steady. “You know, I expected you of all people to read past the writing on the wall when something doesn’t smell right.”
“What does that even—” My mouth went dry. “You know about my dad.”
“I know he was a good agent,” Jax said quietly.
“How do you—”
“It doesn’t matter. What matters is the truth about this case.” His eyes glittered with something close to pleading. For an alpha like Jax, I couldn’t imagine it was an expression he wore often.
“What do you need?” I asked quietly, fully aware that by asking the question, I’d essentially already agreed to whatever he asked for.
But Jax shook his head. “What we need is a lead about how it got in.” When I didn’t say anything, he arched a brow. “I know you saw that pentagram underneath the gorscht.”
Well, damn.
“Maybe I did.”
“I’m willing to bet whoever’s letting them in is also responsible for planting the cover story blaming a supe for the deaths these demons are causing.”
My eyes narrowed. “Look, I’m not saying I don’t believe you about the increase in demon activity. But how do you know this particular case is a cover story?”
“Have you even looked at the photos?”
“No, how would I have seen— Wait.” I remembered the file Adrik gave me and hurried to grab it.
When I turned back to Jax with the folder in my hands, he was staring at me like I’d lost it.
“What?” I demanded.
“You keep important papers in the freezer?”
“You don’t?” I shot back.
He shook his head then followed me over to the counter where I spread the contents of the folder out. I set aside the half-dozen reports and slid the two photos of the crime scenes to the top of the pile.
Three bodies, two men and one woman according to the case notes, had been torn apart, their flesh shredded beyond recognition.
“Shit,” I breathed, staring at the carnage.
It was definitely unlike any supe kill I’d ever seen or heard of. Including a werewolf.
I looked away.
“What does the incident report say?”
Jax stood close while we both leaned in to study the case notes.
Scanning quickly, I frowned as I realized most of it was either redacted or useless. Adrik either thought I was stupid, or even he didn’t have any intel on the real story.
I flipped through the rest of the documents.
A handwritten scrap of paper caught my eye, and I stared, trying to make sense of it.
“What does it mean by activated portal count: four?” I asked.
Jax leaned over my shoulder, and I became immediately more aware of his closeness. “No idea.”
I struggled to focus past the delicious way he smelled. “Portals mean demon activity,” I said.
“Demon activity like the surrogate birth mommy we just put down,” he said, and I shook my head at his description.
“Yeah, but when we were at the academy, we were told nearly all portals had been identified within a hundred-mile radius and are being properly shut down by agency warlocks.”
“Maybe this isn’t talking about traditional portals.”
I straightened and looked over my shoulder at Jax, who was still standing way too close for me to think straight.
“You think this is a reference to the pentagram we saw?”
Jax shrugged. “I don’t have all the answers.”
I scowled. “Neither does this damn file.”
He stared back at me, his eyes intense—like he knew something I didn’t.
I licked my lips, and his gaze flicked to my tongue.
Without a word, he stepped closer. The air between us thickened.
Like a switch had been flipped, my brain shut down. I couldn’t remember what we’d been talking about. All I could think about was the perfectly delicious specimen before me.
He smelled like muscles and foreplay, a combination I was finding harder and harder to resist. I wondered if alphas bought their soap at an exclusive store or something because the scent was like nothing I’d ever smelled before.
The hungry rumble in my belly tightened into a different kind of craving, and once again, I had to work hard to rein in the lust that was quickly becoming a force field between us.
I turned back to the file, trying to get enough space to think straight. But the scrawled notes swam before my unfocused eyes. And the sexy panther wasn’t giving up that easily.
Behind me, Jax sniffed the ends of my hair, his nose brushing along the exposed skin at my collarbone.
I shivered.
“Darling, you really need to just give in and let it happen. We’ll both concentrate better that way.”
His voice was a hard edge raked over a smooth surface. My nerve endings tingled at the sheer feel of his breath on my body, and my knees threatened to buckle.
Some sex-crazed part of my brain registered his words as pure logic and I turned to face him. Immediately, his hands came around to brace the counter on either side of me. I was trapped in the best kind of way. He leaned down, his eyes glittering with anticipation.
The leash I kept on the full force of my desire began to slip. Shit. Not good. An alpha with complete awareness about how much I wanted him was a dangerous thing.
Jax inhaled, and his mouth curved into an appreciative smile. “Mmm. You’re even more delicious than I imagined when you let your guard down.”
His breath hit my face, and a moan escaped me.
Jax’s mouth crashed over mine even before the sound could fully escape. The next few moments were an extrasensory blur of wandering hands and exploring tongues. I barely registered the fact that gravity was no longer an issue when the papers covering my counter flew sideways and Jax lifted me up to set me down on the kitchen counter.
Strong hands parted my legs, and he slid forward to meet me, his mouth and hips both straining toward mine. I reached for him, lost in the sensation of his hardness pressing against me. My head swirled, and my thoughts were replaced by nothing but sensory pleasure.
His tongue slid along my bottom lip, and my moan turned to a whine before I nipped at his top lip with my teeth. Jax’s hands slid around to cup my ass, and he pulled me against him, rocking into me.
“Clothes,” I panted. “No more.”
My words were just coherent enough to deliver the message. Jax pulled back long enough for his eyes to gleam with a triumph that almost sent me over the edge right then and there.
With eyes locked on mine, his hands dropped to the button on my pants, and my phone rang.
Jax’s expression tightened.
He stared back at me, panting, as he waited.
The disappointment that sliced through my arousal felt like a punch. I wasn’t sure whether I’d regret my next words or not.
“I have to get that,” I said.
Jax nodded and reached to grab my phone off the counter, handing it over. I pressed my lips together at the number displayed on the screen, bracing myself.
With a quick intake of breath and my best sleepy voice, I answered it. “Hey, Boss.”
“Hawkins,” Adrik returned.
His voice sounded strange. Stiff, even for him. “Listen, I just heard from dispatch. There’s been another attack, and the injuries match the description of our current case. Can you meet me to take a look?”
“Now?” I couldn’t help but ask. My thoughts were racing over what he’d just said and what Jax explained earlier.
“No, next week when the trail’s gone cold,” he shot back dryly. “Of course now. Is t
hat a problem?”
“In case you forgot, I actually need sleep to survive, unlike yourself,” I snapped. “You think you could give me a solid four hours before I punch in again?”
He paused, and when he spoke again, his tone was calmer though still strained. I wondered idly if being polite caused him physical pain or if it was something about me he couldn’t stand. “Considering the body was a resident of your building, I doubt you’ll get any sleep once the investigation begins.”
“My building?” I repeated, dread curling in my gut.
“An elderly woman. Patrice something. Look, the agent on call is already there with a suspect in custody. Lester Harper, I think. I need you to meet me at the scene.”
“What about letting the investigation team do their thing first?”
“The council just made this a top priority, which means we need to get ahead of it. Too many humans around to let this one lie for long. Ten minutes. Understood?”
I sighed. “Understood.”
Instead of replying, he ended the call.
“Shit,” I muttered, sliding the phone away.
I looked up and found Jax watching me, his lips pressed together into a hard line. Lips that had looked so kissable just a moment ago. For some reason, his stare didn’t stir any of the same desire I felt before. Thanks to the hot-as-sin angel with a chip on his shoulder, my loins were once again properly girded. It pissed me off almost more than Adrik’s demand that I work twenty-four seven.
“Your apartment still smells like burnt flesh,” Jax said, and I froze.
“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
He rolled his eyes. “Right.”
Then he pushed off from the counter and stepped back, giving us both some breathing room. “It’s a setup,” he said, rubbing his jaw where a five o-clock shadow was just beginning. “I know Les, and he’s not a killer.”
“How can you be so sure?” I asked even though I already knew the answer since I’d caught the real culprit red-handed earlier.
Not to mention the fact that Adrik had straight up lied. Patrice’s wounds were consistent with a demon baby’s midnight craving. A messy kill, sure, but nothing like the photos of those three victims shredded to ribbons. Why pretend they were all victims of the same killer?
Knock Em Dead (Supernatural Security Force Book 2) Page 8