Time to hunt.
Chapter Two
Morrigan ducked down an alleyway, avoiding stepping on the broken glass and garbage littering the area from the overflowing dumpster. As if her job wasn’t already hard enough—find and kill Maccus Fury for Lucifer—her supervisor, Emmett, had sent her a contract for a lesser demon who thought the rules didn’t apply to him.
Why were demons always so stupid, especially once they had a taste of living in the world above? Not that she could blame the guy. Hell was not a nice place to be. But rules were rules, and he understood the consequences of not returning as well as she did.
Lucifer doled out assignments and vacations sparingly. By abusing the privilege, this demon would never see topside again. Not to mention the torture that awaited.
Not my problem.
Emmett obviously had no idea she was doing a side job for their boss. Otherwise, she would have been left alone to do it. At least the job had sent her to New York, so she had a legitimate reason for being here. And Emmett had a line on where to find this wayward demon.
She sniffed the air, trying to tease out the slightest scent of her prey. She’d always had exceptional senses, but they’d been considerably enhanced since she’d signed on to do the job. On nights like this, it wasn’t pleasurable. The smell of garbage, the hint of water in the air, and the stench of humans combined to make a particularly nasty soup. Her nostrils burned.
Deodorant shouldn’t be considered optional.
The tiniest hint of sulfur mixed with the rest. The demon was trying to hide amongst the humans. A good ploy, but she was better.
The path was easy enough to follow and led her to a dilapidated building. Most of the paint had long ago faded, leaving it mostly gray with sad patches of white, all of it covered with graffiti.
Music and rowdy laughter spilled out from a broken window on the second floor. Some of the windows on the first floor had been boarded up with plywood, stained from the weather. The rest were smashed.
Her stomach clenched, and she squared her shoulders. Catching a demon alone made things easier. Having humans involved was messy. Even Hell’s bounty hunters had rules. Killing humans was frowned upon by management, since it tended to piss off the angels. No one wanted that kind of attention.
But demons always sought out humans, for entertainment and to help mask their scent, making her job more difficult.
In her experience, humans scattered at the first sign of the supernatural, unwilling or unable to believe their own eyes.
They were nothing more than pawns for angels and the demons.
She no longer considered herself one of them—human. Not quite demon, either. Something in between the two. She neither belonged in Hell nor here on Earth. And Heaven was out of the question.
“Get it done,” she muttered. The pep talk didn’t help much. She drew her gun. The silver bullets she carried were etched with arcane symbols. They wouldn’t kill the demon but would slow him down. And bullets were bullets, silver or otherwise. If hit in the right spot, a human would die.
She tugged the front door open, not surprised to find it unlocked. These were the kind of men who didn’t care if anyone found them.
Keeping her back to the wall, she quietly climbed the stairs, being careful not to step on any debris that might alert them to her presence. Not that they’d notice. They were laughing and talking, not quite as drunk or high as she’d hoped they’d be. The heavy thumping bass notes from the music beat in time with her heart.
When she reached the landing, she peeked through an open door on her right. Drugs—pills and powder—were strewn over a large coffee table. Alcohol flowed freely, and men sprawled on large sofas that had seen better days twenty years ago. There were women there, too. One of them—a busty blonde—was busy giving one guy a blowjob. Not pretty.
Still, she’d seen a hell of a lot worse.
And there was her bounty. He called himself Clem, and his persona appeared Caucasian, with blond hair and blue eyes. Good looking. In reality, his skin was reddish-brown and thick like leather. Lucky her, she saw past the glamour to the demon beneath.
Just another perk of the job.
He was a low-level demon, basically harmless in his world. But up here, he would be powerful.
When she stepped into the room, one of the men jumped to his feet when he saw her weapon. “What the hell, bitch?” He reached for the gun tucked into the back of his jeans, but she raised hers first.
“Don’t. I have no quarrel with you. Just him.” She pointed at Clem. The demon had lost every ounce of color in his face. “You should have gone home when your time was up.” Now it would be worse for him. Lucifer had to make an example of every demon who dared to defy orders. Otherwise, demons would run rampant up here. For such a wicked creature, the devil did have his uses.
“You can’t have Clem. He’s one of us.” The man who’d stood was tall and strong. His skin was as dark as mahogany, and his shaved head gleamed. He was also sober, not impeded by either alcohol or drugs.
“No, he’s not. He’s one of Lucifer’s demons, and the big guy wants him back.”
The man shook his head. “I don’t fucking care who this Lucifer guy is or what gang he’s a part of, but we don’t turn our backs on our brothers.”
Just great—a thug with a sense of loyalty. “I’m sorry to hear that.”
This situation was one wrong move from becoming a free-for-all shootout.
The blonde giving the blowjob hadn’t even broken her rhythm. You had to admire that kind of dedication. “What will it be? Are you loyal to your friends, or are you going to let them die for you?”
Not that she doubted the answer for one second. A demon always looked out for itself.
Clem bolted toward the window, but she’d anticipated his move and fired. The silver bullet struck him dead center of his chest, the impact knocking him to the floor.
“You killed him.” The guy in charge seemed shocked.
“He’s not dead,” she assured him. It would take a hell of a lot more than a bullet to the chest to kill a demon. That was just to slow him down. If she’d needed to kill him, she’d have brought an ax along and taken his head before burning the body and sprinkling the ash with holy water. “You better run while you have the chance.”
One of the other men gave a roar and shot at her. Morrigan ducked out of the way of the bullet and swung around, keeping her back to the wall. Before she could return fire, a low growl split the air.
“Seems Clem is back with us,” she told them in a cheery tone. Humans never listened to her. They all just stood there, staring with their mouths hanging open in shock and disbelief. “You’d better run.”
But they all seemed rooted to the floor as Clem’s eyes popped open. No longer blue, they were now blazing red. He smiled, and there were two rows of teeth, sharp as razors.
“Now, Clem. Fighting won’t get you anywhere. You’re still going back to Hell.”
“Shit. What’s wrong with Clem?” one guy asked, his pale skin going even whiter with shock.
Even the woman giving the blowjob paused, fear crossing her pretty face. She screamed, jumped to her feet, and scurried for the door, proving she had a better instinct for self-preservation than the others. As if that was a starter’s pistol, the rest of them raced after her, plowing down the stairs as fast as they could go.
All except the big guy, the one who seemed to be in charge. “You going to be okay?” he asked as he sidled toward the door, all the while never taking his eyes off of Clem.
She was shocked. Not an easy thing to do. “It’s what I do,” she told him. Then, while she’d been stupidly thinking that there might be some decency left in the world, she almost didn’t see the knife coming.
The drug dealer had gotten close. Because she was a woman, no one ever expected her to be as strong or as fast as
she was.
But she was more than human.
With lightning speed, she yanked the sword from the sheath on her back, swung it downward, and severed his index finger from his hand. The knife clattered to the floor, and blood spurted from the wound. Shocked, the man fell back against the wall and slid down until he was sitting on the floor.
“What did Clem promise? That he’d share his power with you?” Humans were always so gullible. But this guy was close to passing out and bleeding heavily.
“Fuck.” She sheathed her sword and ripped his shirt over his head. Using the material, she bound his wound. “Could have been worse,” she assured him. “I pulled it, so I only took one finger and not the entire hand.”
His eyes glassy, he stared at her. She dug into his pocket and found his cell phone, putting it in his good hand. “If you get to a hospital, you should be fine. Maybe they can even reattach the finger.” She pointed to the severed digit lying next to an empty beer can. “Up to you.”
Clem had taken the opportunity to slip away. Morrigan bolted down the stairs in pursuit, all the while cursing herself for bothering to stop and help. If she lost the demon now, it might take her weeks to find him again. And while her mission for Lucifer was her most important task, she still had an immediate boss to satisfy. And Emmett didn’t accept failure.
…
Maccus walked the streets, as he often did at night, minding his own business and enjoying the balmy summer evening. After all his time in Hell, even the smells didn’t bother him.
A black cat with ragged ears darted out from an alley and rubbed itself against his calf. He bent down and ran his fingers over the creature’s soft fur. A heavy purr vibrated through his palm.
Animals were more honest than humans. They were the true innocents of the world, having no ulterior motives.
It stilled, hissed, and raced away.
The skin on the back of his neck prickled. He faded into the shadows.
A long-legged beauty strode down the alley, prowling with the same feline grace as the cat. Her short auburn hair glowed in the streetlight when she passed beneath it. She stopped and raised her head, looking right and left before picking her direction.
Curiosity aroused, he followed at a distance. She barely even paused before entering a dilapidated building that was obviously occupied. She was a tall woman, slender too. But it was the way she carried herself with an utter lack of fear that drew him.
He admired courage.
Making his way to a fire escape around the back of the building, he scaled it and slipped inside undetected. He immediately picked out the demon in the group, a pesky creature barely worthy of notice.
He pulled a cloak of shadows around him. She was here for the demon, which meant she was one of Hell’s bounty hunters. Was that what had drawn him to her? Had he sensed the darkness inside her?
When the demon bolted, Maccus vaulted over the fire escape and sailed through the air, landing two stories down in a low crouch. The demon was so busy checking over his shoulder, he almost ran into Maccus, stumbling to a stop at the last second.
The demon’s eyes widened. “I’m not looking for trouble.” He put his hands out in front of him and backed away.
It seemed as though his reputation had preceded him. Always a good thing. Saved on bloodshed. “Then you’ll wait for the bounty hunter and go peacefully back to Hell.”
The creature’s eyes narrowed. “Not happen—”
Maccus extended his arm, flinging two throwing knives at once. Both slammed into the demon’s heart with unerring accuracy. The creature toppled back and fell to the ground just as the hunter came charging around the corner.
As soon as she spied him, she raised the gun in one hand and drew a short sword in the other. Magnificent. Her gaze went from the demon on the ground to back where he was standing.
“Thought I’d save you the trouble of having to chase him.” He kept to the shadows, not allowing her to see his face. Demons knew about him. After all, he’d spent thousands of years in Hell, leaving a swath of death and destruction in his wake. One that was extreme, even for that place.
But bounty hunters had no idea he existed. Why would they? Lucifer certainly wasn’t talking.
“Thanks.” She stayed where she was, not getting any closer. Smart hunter. “You a bounty hunter?”
A perfectly innocuous question in case he was human. “No.”
She frowned at his short answer. Something pulsed deep inside him. It might be pleasure, but it had been so long since he’d experienced anything remotely like it, he couldn’t be sure.
This woman is dangerous.
He should kill her now and be done with it. She was no innocent. Not if she was one of Lucifer’s hunters. He’d killed so many, what was one more?
But his soul teetered precariously on a precipice. Most days, he believed it totally gone, yet the tiniest sliver stubbornly lingered. He was in no hurry to rid himself of what remained, fearing what he would become when that infinitesimal piece of light finally deserted him.
“I have a contract to take this man in. He’s dangerous.” She strode toward the demon, who was now groaning and struggling to sit up in spite of the blades sticking out of his heart. “Did you do that? Stupid question,” she muttered. “Of course, you did.”
“What’s your name?” If he had to leave her, he wanted a way to find her.
“What’s yours?” she shot back.
“I asked you first,” he pointed out, keeping his voice level. The corners of her lush mouth turned up in a slight smile, and his breath caught in his throat. Tasting those lips was quickly becoming a priority.
“So you did.” She slammed her booted foot into the demon’s chest, knocking him back to the ground. It was done casually and with little effort. Maccus’s cock stirred. This was a woman who could handle him in bed.
He hadn’t had sex in a very long time. Humans were too easy to break, and he tended to stay away from other paranormal creatures. He made them nervous. But as one of Hell’s bounty hunters, she was more than human, stronger and tougher. She was used to dealing with demons and might not shrink from the darkness in him.
“Morrigan Quill.”
His erection died, and his blood ran cold. He didn’t believe in coincidence. The very woman Gabriel wanted him to kill stood in front of him.
Was it possible she was working for him?
She took a step back and raised her sword, sensing the mounting tension. “What’s wrong?”
He needed to play this smart. Better to keep his enemy close. And if he took her to bed, that was a bonus. Wouldn’t be the first time he’d killed a lover who’d been sent to murder him.
He stepped into the light. She gasped and took another step back. “Maccus. My name is Maccus Fury.”
…
Shit! Shit! Shit! She was totally fucked. Maccus Fury. How the hell had that happened? Coincidence was pure bullshit, and she wasn’t buying it.
Lucifer had lied to her. No, that wasn’t quite true. He’d omitted some very pertinent facts. The man standing before her was the same one in the picture, but he was so much more. He’d taken down the demon on the ground without breaking a sweat. And this was the guy she was supposed to kill?
Closing her eyes, she took a deep breath. In days gone by, she might have said a prayer. She no longer believed in those.
Time to regroup before she did something terminally stupid. “Nice to meet you, Maccus.” She forced herself to look down at the demon, who was strangely quiet. “Time for you to go home.”
When she glanced up, Maccus was gone. Damn. She had no idea how she was going to find him again. When she looked back down at Clem, the daggers that had been protruding from his chest were missing. Who’d done that? It hadn’t been Clem, or he’d have stuck them in her, and rightfully so. She’d deserve it for letting hers
elf get distracted.
Maccus was some kind of powerful paranormal creature.
She grabbed the titanium cuffs from her pocket and slapped them on her prisoner. They were thick and covered with arcane symbols that glowed red as soon as they touched the demon’s skin. A unique set came with every contract, each specifically designed to contain the power of whatever demon she’d been sent to capture.
But she had to get them there first. That was always the challenge.
She secreted her weapons, pulled out her phone, and dialed. How she got reception from Hell, she had no idea. It worked. That was all that mattered. “Emmett,” she said when he answered, “one demon ready to go.” He appeared by her side the next instant, and she tucked her phone away.
He glanced at Clem and back at her. “That was fast.”
“I got lucky.” Usually, she’d have had to search for days, even with a lead on the bounty’s location. She’d stumbled onto Clem’s path. Another coincidence?
“I probably won’t have another recovery for you for a couple of days at the earliest.” Then Emmett was gone and the demon with him. Morrigan was glad she no longer had to personally return the prisoners, as she’d had to for the first five years until she’d passed her probationary period. Now, they preferred her topside rather than languishing below for an undetermined time while the bounty was processed. The red tape and processing procedures were… Well, they were hell.
She rubbed her hands over her face and rolled her shoulders. Even though she needed little sleep, she was tired, but it was more a weariness of the soul rather than the body.
A siren blared in the distance, getting closer with each passing second. The guy upstairs must have called for help. She was sorry about his finger, but he shouldn’t have tried to stab her.
Blood stained her clothes and caked under her fingernails. The stench of sulfur was pungent. Humans tended to notice such things. A shower and a change of clothes were a priority.
She could wipe the blood from her leather pants and jacket, but the tank top was done for. She wasn’t even going to try to get it clean. Easier to toss it and buy a new one.
Fury Unleashed Page 2