Benny stared up at the house. “Yeah, well his contract said he runs with a specific crowd, but no other real info. You know the deal with the supernatural ones, they only provide the target and very little else.”
Thorne grinned as he pulled the gloves out of his back pocket and slid them on. No need to get his hands bloody. “I guess it’s a good thing I decided to tag along.”
“Seriously, what would I do without you?” Benny said dryly.
Benny really didn’t need his help, but together they could wrap the job up quickly.
“You ready for this?” Thorne asked with a smirk.
Benny patted his chest, as if confirming to himself he had all of his weapons handy. “The target’s mine,” Benny warned. “You can do whatever you want with the others.”
“Wouldn’t dream of taking your mark.”
There was no use in trying to sneak up since everyone inside had surely heard their exchange with Ginger. They strolled up to the front door, and Thorne cast his senses out. A tingling sensation surged through him. Each supernatural creature gave off its own vibe, and there was no doubt there were several pissed off vampires behind the door.
The tension was thick in the air. If he knew one thing for sure, it was that these boys weren’t going to walk.
Pity for them.
Benny gave the door three quick raps. When no one answered, he used the heel of his foot to smash the door open, alerting the vampires that it was time to play.
As they entered, an extremely large vampire stood waiting. He glared down at Benny. “Benny fucking Deuces. I think you’re at the wrong address. Get the hell out of here, man.”
“Sorry, Francis, that’s not going to happen,” Benny said, his voice flat and hard. “I’m only interested in Rex. The rest of you are free to go. I don’t want any collateral damage,” he paused, “if it can be avoided.”
“Ha! Fuck you and your collateral damage. I’m not going anywhere, and neither are the rest of the boys. We’re tight like that. You two think you’re so fucking bad, don’t you?”
To make his point, two vampires dropped down from wherever they’d been hiding.
Up until this moment, Thorne had been standing quietly behind Benny; it was Benny’s hit, so it was only natural that he took the lead. However, Thorne also knew Benny and how he operated. Obeying his instincts, Thorne knew now was the perfect time for him to take a more active role.
Stepping up, Thorne put his hand on Benny’s shoulder and nudged him aside “Excuse me, Benny.” Turning, Thorne gazed at the vampire and cracked a smile. “Wrong answer, fuck-face.” In a flash, Thorne pulled out one of his knives with his right hand and sank the blade to the hilt in the vampire’s left eye before yanking it back out. In one smooth motion, he drove his left hand up to the vampire’s chin, and used both hands to twist and snap his neck before kicking him in the chest. He was launched him deep in to the house, taking down furniture and glass along with him.
Benny shook his head.
Thorne shrugged, wiping the blade of his knife on his pants before replacing it in the sheath. “Come on, Benny. That was no way to welcome us and you know it.”
“You have a point.”
The house was eerily quiet as they stepped into the living room. The two brave vamps were nowhere to be seen. In the blink of an eye, they had disappeared into the shadows. Vampires were sneaky like that.
For a moment Thorne wondered if they’d slipped out the back. Luckily, his senses told him otherwise.
Thorne called out, “One down and eleven to go. Step right up and be the next contestant, or slip out the back and we won’t darken your door again. Your choice. Unless of course your name is Rex. Rex’s number is up.”
Thorne growled deep in his throat as the two vampires reappeared and launched themselves at him. It would take more than two of them that’s for damn sure. True they were quick and strong, but not nearly as powerful as him or Benny.
Benny slipped out from behind Thorne and immediately started to work his way through the house toward Rex. Thorne knew there was no hiding for Rex; Benny would find him and kill him.
Thorne dodged to the side and out of the way of the first vampire. As it went past him, Thorne launched a hard downward punch into the kidney area. The vampire immediately crumpled to the ground, suffering massive internal injuries at the force of Thorne’s punch, which could stop a charging bull. The vampire groaned and blood trickled out of his mouth before his eyes went lifeless. Another one bites the dust.
Ah, the joys of being a half-god.
Thorne’s lips quirked slightly as his hand snaked down and grabbed his second dagger. Man, he loved this shit.
“You know what a vampire’s problem is?” Thorne said thoughtfully. “Their problem is hubris. You vamps think just because you’re supernatural, you’re better than everyone else. And even in your weakened state due to the moon cycle, you think you can still outclass me.” He threw back his head and laughed. “Now that’s a fucking riot.”
Thorne swiveled and flung a knife at the next vampire. The man was propelled backwards as the knife plunged into his neck. He was dead before he hit the wall.
A third vampire appeared and chose to close in the distance between them. Unfortunately for the vampire, he’d gotten close enough for Thorne to use his inhuman speed to wrap his massive hands around the vamp’s neck.
“The problem is that when it comes to the food chain, you’re not on top. Do you know who is?” he asked, peering into the eyes of the vampire he was holding with his feet dangling off the ground “I am.” That wasn’t really the case, but it sounded good. Thorne smashed his other fist into the vampire’s face, crushing the front of his skull and driving the facial bones halfway into the now dead brain. Dropping him, Thorne looked around and stated, “Four down. This is fun!” as five more vampires entered the room.
“Bring it!” He laughed.
The blow jerked him slightly sideways, the impact to his shoulder taking him by surprise. Suddenly his shoulder burned from the heat of the bullet. He regained his footing and felt a wave of calmness come over him. Ah, so these assholes want to use guns, do they? “Now you’ve done pissed me off. I liked this fucking shirt.”
The house became utterly silent. Oh yeah, they should be fucking afraid.
Thorne did something he rarely did—he accessed his magick. Centered and calm he flung both hands out, and bolts of electricity shot out of from the palms of his hands, searing two of the vampires on the spot. Gods, he loved the feel of his power radiating out from him. They fell to the ground in ashes. Little fuckers.
The other three vampires’ eyes widened in shock, and sweat dripped down their faces. One scrambled away, trying to run, but he was just not fast enough. Thorne hurled another bolt of electricity at the vampire and it hit him square in the back of the neck. The vampire whirled around before dropping in another pile of ashes on the floor.
Bullets flew through the air, but the vamps were so nervous their aim was shit and didn’t even come close to hitting him.
The room stank of urine. It was almost comical to see to badass vamps pissing themselves in fear.
One of the vamps got a burst of courage from somewhere and dove through the air toward Thorne. He had balls. For that Thorne ended his life quickly. Before the guy even had a chance to land, Thorne snapped his neck and tossed him aside. The body count was quickly adding up.
There was only one left.
Just then Benny strolled out of the hallway. His face was a bit flushed and eyes bright. A splatter of blood stained the front of his shirt.
He took in the remaining vampire with a raised eyebrow. The vampire was trembling like a leaf. His already pale face looked grey. “I thought you would have been done by now.”
“Just having a little fun,” Thorne said with a shrug.
Benny cocked his head to the side, taking in the vampire. “Do you want to live?”
The vamp nodded his head up and down rapidly.
/> “Get the fuck out of here.” Benny gestured with his head.
Not waiting for them to change their minds, the vampire took off in a rush. The back door slammed loudly behind him.
“You’re such a softie,” Thorne sighed.
“Wasn’t his day.” Benny shrugged before reaching for his phone. “Clean up needed.” He rattled off the address and slid his phone back into his pocket.
“One of those bastards shot me.” Thorne frowned, looking down at the hole in his shirt. There wasn’t too much blood because his body had automatically started to repair itself after the injury. Regardless, it still pissed him off. Luckily the bullet went clean through so he didn’t have to dig around to take it out. Without glancing back they strolled out of the house, leaving it for lesser beings to clean up their mess.
Thorne gripped the steering wheel as the adrenaline coursed through his veins. Nothing like a good brawl to get the juices flowing. Damn, he loved that feeling. He felt alive; his energy was zinging.
Out of habit, Thorne glanced in the rearview mirror. No one was following them. The last vamp would have to be a complete moron to attempt coming after them. The coward was probably changing his boxers now.
Flicking the blinker, Thorne turned on to a dark side street, making his way back to his apartment. Benny, who seemed tense and upset, was silent on the passenger’s side.
“You okay?” Thorne asked, breaking the silence.
Benny continued to stare out the window for a few moments, but then shook his head as if to clear it. “It was only supposed to be one guy. Not a dozen.”
Thorne shrugged. “You know we never know how this shit will shake out. They had a choice. They could have left, but they chose to stay.”
Benny shot him a withering glare. “They had a brotherhood.” He paused. “You wouldn’t have left me either.”
He had him there.
Benny was a deep thinker, too deep if you asked him. Thoughts like that would drive a man crazy.
“Do you ever wonder where they go?” Benny asked solemnly.
“Where who goes?”
“The supernaturals after they die.”
Thorne smiled ruefully as he turned his head back toward the road. “Ah, so that’s what this is about. You’re thinking about your mortality. Something an immortal takes for granted.”
“No, I’m not.” The annoyance immediately drained from his voice. “Okay, maybe a little.”
“Well put it out of your fucking mind. It’s a weakness, one we can’t afford to have.”
“Fuck you.” Benny dropped his head back against the seat.
Thorne had never given the idea any thought at all. Leave it to Benny to think of something like that. More than likely the supernatural creatures just disappeared. Most of them were soulless, so there was nothing to save. The gods were a different class. They had souls just like humans. Wouldn’t that be some shit if the gods were reincarnated as mere humans? Although, that wouldn’t really matter if Earth was destroyed. However, there were other dimensions …
5
After Thorne dropped off Benny, he sauntered into the liquor store to pick up a few bottles of whiskey. There was a cute Asian girl behind the counter that caught his attention.
“You’re new here.” His eyes trailed down her hot little body as he placed the bottles down.
She smiled back, her cheeks slightly flushed. “I just started a few days ago.”
Thorne thought about bringing her home, but he really wasn’t in the mood for company. He’d find a companion later on at Apotheca… a non-human. However, he made a mental note to come back at a later date for her.
For now he just wanted to go home, kick back, and relax.
After he paid, he gave her a wink and headed back toward his car. Casting his senses, he knew that the area was clear of supernaturals. As he drove home he mentally went over the day. A lot had transpired in a short amount of time and he was no closer to knowing anything really.
Who the fuck was Kataya? Why had his father had a hand at getting him into The Sicarii? And was there anything he could do to help save the fucked up human race? Did he even want to? As if to remind him of where he came from, a whiff of his dead mother’s smell flooded his memory. Yes, he knew he would do whatever it took to make sure Earth remained safe. Hell, who knew how many human lives he’d just saved by taking out that nest of vampires. That had to count for something, right?
The next thing he knew, he was pulling into the parking garage.
He strolled through the side door, and as soon as he opened it the cat followed behind him, rubbing against his leg. Frowning, Thorne looked down. How the hell did the cat get out of the apartment? Maybe it slipped out while the cleaning lady was in. Or maybe it was a witch’s cat and could do whatever the hell it pleased.
Shrugging, Thorne walked through the lobby. One of the security guards raised an eyebrow when he noticed the cat following Thorne. The snooty little puke had the nerve to say, “You know we’re not allowed to have pets in the building.”
“Oh yeah?”
“Yes, it was in your contract.”
The cat hissed.
Thorne just kept walking toward the elevator. With as much money as he paid for the penthouse, he could have a fucking dragon in this place if he wanted, and if that little pissant thought Thorne was going to listen to him he had another thing coming. The kid should consider himself lucky that Thorne didn’t snap his neck like a twig.
“Mr. Hollow,” the boy yelled after him. Ignoring him, Thorne entered the elevator.
He looked down at the fluffy cat. “What the fuck are you kitty?”
Before his eyes, the cat morphed into a breathtaking woman. She was about six foot tall with long, flowing golden hair, a body that had curves in all of the right places, and the face of an angel. “It’s about time you asked.”
“Nike, what the fuck are you doing here?” Thorne demanded.
“Happy to see you, too.” She gave him a scathing look.
“Who sent you? My father?”
She laughed. “Hardly! Your father couldn’t care less about you. Athena sent me.”
Thorne ran his hand through his hair, trying to figure out what the hell was going on. That was the second time today the goddess’s name came up in regards to him. “Athena?”
“Yes. She’s always had a soft spot for you.”
Okay, none of this made a lick of sense. Why the fuck would Athena send someone for him? He’d barely said more than a dozen words to her in his whole life. Not to mention that two thousand years have passed since he’d left The Realm and no one had bothered to contact him before. “Why now?”
“Because things are about to get ugly.”
Thorne rolled his eyes. As if he needed one of Athena’s crusaders to watch his back. “You have to give me a little more than that.”
“I don’t have to do anything.” Her words were laced with abhorrence.
“Well apparently that’s not true, because you sure as fuck wouldn’t be here on your own.”
“Okay, you got me there,” she conceded in a huff.
None of the full goddesses had ever given him the time of day—he was always treated as an outcast—and Nike was no different from the rest of them. Even in childhood she’d taunted and teased him. He could still remember the time he’d caught her watching while he was whipped for talking back to one of his siblings. Their eyes had met and the little bitch smiled. He would never forget that moment.
Just then the elevator came to a stop and the doors opened with a ding.
Thorne looked over his shoulder. “I liked you better when you were a cat.”
She flipped him off and Thorne laughed. He had a feeling things were going to get interesting, real quick.
As soon as they entered his apartment the room started to shimmer. A burst of gold light flooded the room, and Athena appeared before them in all of her glory. Her power nearly stole his breath.
For once, Thorne was s
peechless.
“I’m going to make this quick. Nike stays.”
Nike gave Thorne a smug look.
Clenching his teeth, Thorne forced himself not to react. He said nothing.
“Because of the Fates, I’m not at liberty to give you any real information. However, I will tell you this … unless we can prevent it, the balance of power is about to shift, and if this shift takes place, it will be the beginning of the end for all of us.”
Thorne let her ominous words sink in. He still wasn’t sure what the Hades they expected him to do about it, or why Athena was standing in his living room, but he also knew that she wouldn’t tell him much more. As she’d declared, it would be going against the Fates, and no one did that, not even Athena.
Without another word, Athena was gone.
Thorne dropped to his seat and unscrewed one of the bottles of whiskey. He took a long swig, all the while his eyes never left Nike’s. He gazed at her for a long moment, trying to wrap his mind around everything that had taken place in the last couple of days. When he wasn’t able to, he took another drink.
This day just keeps getting better and better …
6
Thorne swaggered into the club and Benny trailed behind him, lost in his thoughts. As usual, Benny’s bad mood started to fade the moment after they walked through the door. Apotheca had that effect on people. Sometimes he wondered if the club had a pathokinesis on hand to emotionally charge the patrons in a positive way and keep the creatures from tearing out each other’s throats, but he’d never cared enough to ask. As long as the assholes left him alone that’s all that mattered to him.
Clearly, news of taking out the vampire nest had gotten out. More than a few creatures gave them the stink eye. Whatever.
It was a weekend night, so the club was loud and crowded. The music thumped through his chest as they weaved amongst the crowd of bodies.
He saw what he was looking for within minutes of walking into the bar. She was wearing a short, black dress that fit perfectly over her luscious curves. Like a bee to honey, he was drawn to her … but he wasn’t in a rush. There’d be plenty of time for that later. For now he could use a few shots of whiskey. He took a moment to admire the woman’s tall, shapely body as she swayed with perfect rhythm to the music. She had mocha legs that went on for miles. He could practically feel those thighs wrapped around his waist.
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