“Shit.” I had a feeling whatever was waiting for me in a week was what was supposed to happen after my thirty-day probation. “So, what evil plot of sly torture is waiting for me?”
“The Granite Brotherhood.” Well, that sounded just peachy.
“Let me guess, a gang bang of yetis just like you who are going to suck me dry?” I shook with the thought of more than one Coal feeding from me. How erotic that would feel, but he confirmed my other guess with a narrow stare. He didn’t like it one bit either. My thoughts soured. “I’m also going to guess that their feeding won’t be the orgy I’m hoping for, will it?”
He just continued to stare. Damn it.
Feeling a bit faint, I rested my ass against the stove while Coal finished cleaning himself off.
His head jerked up when mine thudded against the cupboard. “Are you alright?”
“Oh, you know, I can barely stand straight right now, but soon I’m going to be tossed around the playpen by who knows how many statues if Chronos is willing to even wait that long.” In a second, he was on me, eyes plastered to my face, worry oozing off of him.
“You need to feed. Take from me.”
“I can’t.”
“You can,” he reassured me.
“No, like, I literally can’t. Apparently, you’re a fearless bastard.” A smug yet pained smile inched across his lips. “Trust me, I tried to pay you back for what you took from me, but I couldn’t feed on a damn thing.” He frowned, and where I would expect another gloating smile, I got nothing but more concern. It ticked me off just a little. I didn’t need his pity.
“Well, we have orders tonight, a serial killer. You can feed then, I guess.” I scoffed. Orders? Hades tried to have me killed and still wants me to snatch for him?
“Orders? Does he think I’m going to just kill for him? What does he think happened when you tried to kill me?” His face went grim, like he didn’t want to answer that question. I pushed him off from me, needing space and remembering that we weren’t in a relationship. Despite how I was truly feeling, I couldn’t let myself go there with him.
What if we did and he died or left? What if I died? What would it do to him? I didn’t intend to find out.
Or worse, what if my selfish survival instincts kicked in? What would I do to him then?
“I told them that you believed we were training to balance your shadows, and I took too much. As much as I want to do nothing for Hades, we have to act like things are normal.”
“They believed it just like that.” Judging from the wounds on his chest and face, I would say that was a hard no.
“It took a little coaxing.”
“And what did you say that got them to release you, that convinced them that you were still on their side? Judging from the looks of your body and face, they weren’t pleased about it.”
“They believe I want you dead, just as much as they do.”
“Right, okay, and why would you want me dead, aside from the obvious?” He grimaced.
“Because you’re the vile creature that is wearing my mate’s face, and I won’t have you tainting her body any longer with the things you do.” He laced his tone with murder. I blanched. Holy shit. He hit the fucking nail on the head with that one. I would indeed have believed him. If I didn’t know any better, I would say that his words were the damn truth.
Were they? Was he playing me? Was I walking in there planning to come back alive with my father’s head on a silver platter, or was he leading me to my death, where he would help? Could he seriously not kill me on his own?
This information only solidified my need to keep my distance. I still didn’t know what I was up against. I may have a partner who wanted Hades dead, but he could be a wild card all the same. He could turn on me at any moment. I couldn’t get too comfortable.
Coal is honorable. He wouldn’t do that.
Honorable with a side of vengeance, bitch. Even you know that.
“It's not the truth, Shay. You know that, don’t you?”
“Well, no, it is true. Every bit of it is true. I’m just as vile as my father. I’ve done terrible things in my life. I have thought about them all, every second since I found out I look like her.”
“You let me live,” he argued. “And you’re not responsible for looking like my mate.”
“And I already told you why you're still alive. It wasn’t for lack of trying.” I sighed. I guess I would just have to get used to my blubbering mouth. “Besides, I need you alive because I need your connections to the other worlds. Without you, I have no chance. And it's my fault that this body has done the things you’ve seen. Which means in your eyes, your mate has done everything.” I folded my arms haphazardly beneath my boobs, still too weak to commit. “Besides, as it stands now, I’m not sure how I would kill you.”
“You don’t trust me.” His frown deepened, and he sounded hurt.
I wanted to give him the answer he wanted, but it just wasn’t in me. “I don’t trust anyone, and you’d do well to remember that fact.”
“At least you’re honest.” He backed entirely away from me, tossing the towel down on the counter.
“I’ll never be good, Coal.” He grunted and took off for the shower.
“Are we going to finish this conversation?” I called to his back, exasperated.
“What do you want to know?” he asked smoothly, though I could hear the frustration in his voice.
“What happens in a week?”
“The Brotherhood will arrive, and I am to feed from you enough to subdue you and get you to the Underside where they will finish you off,” he stated matter-of-factly. My body went cold, then I forced myself to see the light in his statement. If he were here to kill me, why would he tell me exactly how he intended on doing it?
“Just like that?”
“Just like that,” he confirmed, unbuttoning his jeans. “But I’m not going to let anything happen to you whether you trust me or not.” He stepped in and turned the bathroom light on, decidedly done with the conversation. His body took up the entire doorframe. Not an ounce of light appeared on the hallway wall.
“So, you have a plan?” I asked, but the door shut. I laughed, not realizing how much I missed having him around in just the two short hours I was awake without him.
I was so doomed. It was obvious that I was going to have no control over how I felt about Coal. The big lug had gotten his hooks in, and he knew it. He and my inner self just had to convince my brain to let him in.
I wasn’t exactly sure what I had done to deserve his kindness, if that's what it was, other than live a life of chaos and killing and indirectly stealing the face of his mate, but for the first time, things didn’t seem quite so lonely.
11
The night passed by at a snail’s pace as I waited for Coal to finish primping his princess ass in the bathroom. I was sure he was doing it just to annoy me because normally, he would dress with a snap of his fingers. When he came out, though, he looked like a million bucks and had my mouth watering. He wore a too-tight red t-shirt that had his eyes popping, the fabric strained against his movements, rippling over the muscles within his muscles. He wore a black leather vest with crisscrossing leather straps that held a knife under each arm across his torso. Black jeans and shit kickers were a good change from his usual attire.
His dark hair was wet from being freshly washed. His musky scent wafted through the air, teasing me and testing just how strong my need to keep distance between us really was.
Damn him.
“Are you up to this?” he asked as he finished mopping up some of the moisture from his shaggy hair and tossed his towel into the laundry basket in the hallway closet.
“I need to feed, I know that. As far as wanting to do this, no, I surprisingly don’t,” I admitted. Who knew the idea of snatching would ever not appeal to me. Coal smiled. “Don’t get it twisted, I’m not interested because it is work for my father who wants me dead, not because I’m changing and sucking the life from
someone is suddenly not appealing.” My shadows twitched just thinking about it.
“Keep telling yourself that,” he said. He grabbed a bottle of water and sucked down half of it. I licked my lips as I watched the veins in his neck pulse with each swallow. My stomach jumped with the memory of his mouth working to urge moans from me. I swallowed back the saliva that had my mouth watering and reached for my keys and leather jacket. I twisted the doorknob. “Where are you going? We can just blink there unless you’re not strong enough at the moment?” he asked with a genuine regard for my health. I snickered.
“I’m going to Zee, of course.” A grin accompanied my statement. He looked at me sternly, but I was serious as could be. He wouldn’t bring down my enthusiasm for driving. It was the only good thing I had in my life.
“Should you be driving in your condition?” He had a slight point. I stuck my tongue out at him and whipped the door open.
“It won’t kill me if that's what you’re asking.” He chuckled dryly behind me. “You’re more than welcome to travel your way, but as you said, I’m not strong enough right now,” I tried for an argument and failed. He could just take me himself to where we needed to go.
“I could easily get you there,” he shut me down, but I was determined to drive. I never passed up an opportunity. “You’re insisting you drive, aren’t you?” I smiled like a ten-year-old with a firecracker. He sighed heavily.
“You can blink there if you’d like.”
“I’m not leaving you by yourself. If you insist on driving, then I will oblige you.” A devious snort had him rolling his eyes as he opened the door and sized up the tiny space. This was going to be good. After about five minutes of skillful folding and turning and me laughing my ass off, he was in the car, and we were speeding like a torpedo locked on a target down the winding back roads.
Besides the putrid sewer and old gas, the night was cold, and the promise of snow was in the air. The weather was starting to feel more like winter, and it couldn’t have made me happier. The moon was high, the stars out in full swing, glinting and shining proud, just like me. My eagerness to get out of the city and get my feed on had finally sparked. Time to incite some real fear.
We decided to stash my car at a nearby power station. I pulled in and cut the lights, then the engine, yanking up the e-brake, I looked over at Coal. He was stuffed into my two-seater like a sardine in a tin can—poor guy.
Crouched down so his neck didn’t have to stay bent, he tucked his knees neatly into his chest and crossed his arms over his bulging pecs to give me as much room to shift as possible. Regardless, he was so broad that our shoulders touched the entire time. I was starting to get used to having some part of the big dope touching me. A sour look distorted his handsome face, and he grunted, letting me know he wasn’t happy in the least.
“I know, I’m a damn good driver, and you really like my car.” Slowly, dramatically, he turned to look at me. “Easy now, keep pouting, and your face might just turn to stone.” I threw my head back, laughing. The gargoyle innuendos were neverending and came so easily. Coal didn’t seem to appreciate my jokes, though. He sure was cranky, and I couldn’t imagine why.
But then again, when you could just blink and be in your next location, it was probably very annoying to have to travel in a car—especially one as tiny as mine.
At least I wasn’t one of those inattentive, distracted drivers. I prided myself on how good of a driver I was. I was smooth on the clutch, hugged the turns, and hit the apex like a professional. Something he should appreciate when he was tucked so precisely into the car. I could’ve made the ride super jerky and bashed his knees in the dash.
But I didn’t. I was nice to him.
And besides, I zapped from location to location far too often because it was more convenient. I was not missing an opportunity to get out and drive the back-country roads.
Coal shook his head, irritated.
“Okay, sorry, I’ll try to stop with the statue jokes. But really, dude, you shouldn’t be so sensitive. They are only jokes.”
“Whatever. Let’s get this over with. I’m ready to go home.”
“Home? No, I'm going home. You’re squatting.” Despite my jokes, my heart gave a little pitter-patter at the thought of my home being his, and before my inner bitch could latch on to it, I told her to shut up.
Coal pushed the door open and lifted one stiff leg with both hands to place it on the ground outside. He followed suit with the other, ducked his head, then pushed off the doorframe on either side and lifted himself from the car.
I watched the entire thing, laughing silently and slapping my thighs. When he was finally out of the car, the suspension sighed as the springs released, happy to be free of his weight. I tapped my dashboard. “Good girl Zee. You did well getting him here. Don’t listen to him. He’s a meany-head.”
“You ar––” His words cut off as the door shut behind him. I’m what? Hilarious, intelligent, a hell of a fighter? I finished his sentence in my head, as I stepped out of the car myself. “—ing.”
“What was that?”
“Annoying. You are annoying, and sometimes I question why I stay.”
My good mood faltered a fraction. Riding in the car could hardly deserve that sort of reaction. I tried not to let it get to me and just chalked it up to the fact that I was so far from his mate that it must still be hard for him sometimes. “You knew from day one what you were getting into, buddy.”
“Yeah, I guess I did.” He raised both brows in exasperation, and I wondered just why his mood had soured so much. Maybe it was just that he was worried about what we were up against.
What, are you afraid he’ll leave? I ignored her dumb ass.
“You don’t have to stay if you don’t want to,” I tried not to sound disappointed, but I was, just a hair. I thought things were going well. Maybe Coal didn’t want to be here. “You can leave anytime. As I said, I don’t need your protection.”
I brushed off his words, he was so hard to read, and instead of hitching a ride on the shadows, I started through the woods towards the farmhouse. I figured a hike might do me some good. A few paces behind me, Coal followed.
12
A few minutes later, a clearing spanned the edge of the tree line. In the middle of the plot, surrounded by wilting crops on all four sides, was an old farmhouse, straight out of the 1800s. It was two stories, with a rock foundation and dilapidated wood siding. Shutters were falling from the busted windows covered in plastic. The front porch caved in on one side, and the gas lantern by the front door looked unused for a few decades.
A gravel pathway led to the front steps. The night was so still that even my light steps ground the rocks together, and I could hear the crunch beneath my feet.
There didn’t appear to be anyone around—no cars in the driveway or the old barn. The house was dark. All I could hear was the constant chirping of crickets and the rustling of dried corn stalks in the fields around us.
The darkness had me questioning if they had the right guy? I couldn’t help but feel like we were walking into a trap. It would be just like Hades and Chronos to pull something like that.
That didn’t last long, though. I could sense a pull and instinctively made my way to the barn, but I couldn’t feel any malice. No fear or pheromones were present. My shadows lay dormant when they usually would be itching to let loose, especially in my state of hunger. Unusual.
I checked my six. Coal stepped lightly behind me, walking like a smart person quietly in the grass. I drifted off the path, following suit, prompting a smug grunt from him. Righteous asshole.
“Four souls, female, beneath the barn,” he murmured. I nodded, curious why I couldn’t smell their fear and annoyed that he knew when I didn’t. Something wasn’t right here. Why didn’t he sense the killer, and why couldn’t I get a feel for any of them? I glanced at him over my shoulder to see if he seemed uneasy. He just looked handsome as ever in the moonlight, even with the grumpy, pouty look that he carri
ed all the time.
“Hang back. I’m going to go in and scope it out,” I ordered. My shadows took the stage, making a show as they worked their way up my legs and torso. Coal started to protest, but I was gone before he could get his sentence out. He wasn’t taking control on this one.
As I drifted through the air in a black mist, I could hear him growling. I would surely hear about running off on my own and my safety … blah blah blah later.
As I said when Chronos arrived and started barking out orders, I worked best alone.
I slipped through the cracks in the barn, riding the shadows that the faint moonlight provided. I searched the barn for anything I could find that would let me know where the action was. I sifted through dried straw and manure. In the very back corner, I found a clearing of debris. There was a diamond-plated metal door with a tiny hole one could use their finger to lift with. I filed through the teeny opening.
Candlelight barely lit the room beneath the barn floor. Shadows danced about, swaying and glitching. The air was hot, humid, and thick with the smell of mud. The floor was exposed earth, as were the walls, as if someone had spent hours upon hours digging the dwelling with just a shovel and sweat. They were uneven and botched, causing lots of little dips for shadows to hide. I flattened myself out over the span of the ceiling that was shrouded in darkness.
Perched comfortably and waiting, I reached out a wispy tendril testing the air for fear. Nothing. I quieted all movements, listening carefully. I could hear the soft, muffled whimpers of a couple different women. Ragged breaths and shuffling ensued. But where were they?
I felt Coal’s footsteps rather than heard them as he marched through the barn above me. If this creep got away because of him, there was going to be hell to pay. Serial killers were my absolute favorite. They were dark and creepy and just plain yummy.
Pawns Daughters of The Underworld Book 1 Page 11