Why don’t you go through the ads in the papers for hitmen? You’d be good at that.
‘I didn’t ask for your input.’ I snark at him. ‘Besides you’re the killer, not me.’
We’re one and the same. Besides, hitmen get paid a decent wage. Better than all these barely over minimum wage jobs you’re shooting for. My talent, your face — the elite team!
Shut the fuck up. I didn’t need pep talks from him.
I knock on the heavy metal door. “We’re not-” Stevie stops his sentence, seeing it’s me, eyes lighting up. “Gabriel, long time, no see. What a pleasant surprise.” He unlocks the door. “Come in and follow me.” He leads me to the bar. “It’s great to see you again.” A business opportunity.
He wasn’t lying. I was his best seller, I’m a shark. I keep coming and going is the issue though. Never consistent. The wanderer.
“Would you like a drink?” I nod. He pours my usual bourbon neat, then slides it down to me. “I hope you’re here to get back into the business.”
I nod.
At least it’s not hours of card sorting, I guess. Demon boy is unenthused either way. He wanted to be in charge, not dealing with me working for others.
I actually liked it, mind numbing hours of doing tasks that would make demon boy snooze.
“When would you like to start?” He’s eager for my reply, eyes enigmatic like he’s on some high of his own. He likely is.
“As soon as possible.” I flash him a pretty smile.
Take charge of that. Don’t make yourself sound like his bitch. I ignore that comment.
“Perfect,” he nearly purrs. I can see the wheels turning in that naughty brain of his. “I’ll have you start tonight. Are you just interested in the pushing, or other sources of entertainment as well?” He wags his eyebrows suggestively. He had a small crush, but I try not to mix business with pleasure.
“Just the pushing this time.” I may have slept with him once or twice in a drug induced haze but faces just tend to blend together after a while. He’s a good-looking guy with his chiseled cheekbones and full lips.
xxXxx
The club is in its opening hours. People, demons, creatures alike enter through the doors. I pick who may be interested. Most people who come to this club anyway are young adults with too much money from daddy. Or others who want to be out without their veil to hide behind. To be their true selves. To have what everyone wants, acceptance.
It’s an easy sell.
With a cringe, I see an old fling approaching me. She’s waving to me in her skimpy, barely there outfit. She’s one of the dancers in the club, it’s where our story came to a start. Our first date we did lines of coke off each other’s bodies. Romantic, I know. I’ve hooked up with her far too many times afterwards, since well she was there. And sexy as hell, but also a splurge of a special brand of crazy.
She runs up, kissing my cheek. “Gabriel I’m sorry about the other day.” Her shaky hands running over my torso, hair, every surface her fly kiting ass can reach. “I miss you so,” her voice comes out in an annoying, needy whine.
Cut her loose.
“Don’t worry about it.” I shrug it off, just wanting her to meander off.
“I don’t want to lose you.” There’s such pathetic desperation in her eyes, that I almost pity the bitch. The poor lost soul.
CUT HER LOOSE. Maybe advice worth following for once, not that I haven’t tried.
“I’m not yours to lose.” She’s looking at me like I just struck her across the face, and not in the good, rough sex kind of way.
Ouch. And you call me the mean one? He scoffs.
She pouts, tears threatening to spill. Wouldn’t want to mess up her prettily done face before the show. “Gabriel you’re such a jerk! Fuck off!” I’m not the one who keeps begging to be back.
“Later.” I wave, unfazed.
Cold.
A husky brunette approaches me. “I heard you have the goods,” she whispers huskily in my ear, breath tickling my neck, nipples brushing against my back. Braless, making my dick ache. Five minutes later were fucking on the bathroom floor. She’s a good girl, unwinded, and probably trying to piss off daddy.
Not that I was complaining. Once things are finished, she runs off. That’s how things should go. No commitment, no strings attached. My stalker, though, can’t get enough of me. Better not let her near Aura, I wouldn’t want to think about what she’d do to her. Fuck. Why would it matter anyway? I didn’t want blondie on my mind; I scowled while going to the bar for another drink.
Screw her, then you can get that tight little body off your mind. It crossed my mind far too often since I ran into her at Luke’s diner the other night. Her white dress was soaked through, her perfect, practically naked body displayed in front of me. The imagery flashes through my mind far too often.
No. She’s too good. I’m not going to do that to her. I argue with him. This is one thing I won't change my mind on.
Since when did you get all moral-like’ His voice disgusted at the very concept.
I have some morals.
Says the guy who plays god by wiping people from existence. And breaks the hearts of many. He’s bemused and unimpressed.
I don’t know how I fucking do that. If I did my demon would be gone, problem solved. I wouldn’t have to erase the existence of anyone if you didn’t go killing people! I feel my temper rise. I need to simmer down and have another drink judging based on the looks I’m getting.
Cheryl knew what she was getting herself into. If she thought differently, that was her problem.
“Gabriel you okay?” A face I haven’t seen in a while. Tony steps up to me, his deep-sea green eyes filled with concern. Their green like a wooded forest, giving off a sense of peace. Peace that I so desperately needed. I needed him.
“I am now that you’re here.” He scoffs at the cheesiness of the line. I go in for a needy kiss, him eagerly returning it. It quickly turns into tearing at each other’s clothes and bodies. He was the best. The next seconds, minutes, hours, days, however long blending together in a frenzied blur. Sex, drugs, and booze. A bender.
At some point I’m sure I must be hallucinating. The little blonde is walking into the club, looking for someone. She looks hot as hell, tantalizing in a tight little black dress, hair in beach waves with made-up eyes that you couldn’t tear yours away from. I feel my jaw tighten as I see other guys in the club notice as well. Luke’s behind her, dressed for the occasion, so it can’t be a dream. Her eyes scan the room, looking for someone. I don’t want to be too vain and think it’s me. But why else would she bring herself to this part of town? Damien’s part.
Probably wants to offer you help again. Silly girl. He’s laughing so hard he’s nearly crying. Who knew he could?
I don’t need her help. I have everything I need. Medicine, if that’s what we’re calling it. Affection. False pretenses of love because the genuine thing was far too much.
“So, what do you think Gabriel?” Whatever he was asking my opinion on didn’t reach my ears, so I just nodded. “Sounds great.” I try to ignore the blonde’s presence in the club.
“Somehow I don’t think you heard a word I said.” His eyes follow mine to the pretty blonde. “Who knew Aura could clean up so well?” I get a sense of possessiveness as his eyes rake over her body. He wanted her, I wanted him? “We could invite her to join us for the next round.” He whistles, staring at that tight round ass, and those legs that went on for miles.
“She’s far too much of a prude to go for anything like that.” If she was as much of one as she was insistent on portraying. Not that I’d want to share her with him. Or that I wanted her to begin with.
Possessive much?
“Looks like she already has company, anyway.” I frown, seeing the guy lurking around her. Judging by the coy smile on her face, she didn’t seem too bothered. She even looked like she was playfully flirting. Who knew she could let go?
‘Jealous much?’ Shut up.
“Jealous much?” Pretty boy Tony unintentionally mocks, as I bite my tongue to refrain from snapping.
Aura is drawing closer, eyes narrowed into slits as she tries to piece together if I was her culprit.
Can she not even recognize her own charity case?
Fuck off.
I’m caught off guard as I feel Tony’s teeth teasing at my neck, a crooked smile lightning my face as moans are released, as I give my body over to him. He had a wicked way with that mouth of his. “I thought I lost you there.”
I switch things around by pinning him against the wall. “You are something incredible.” I graze my fingers across his beautiful face.
He giggles, a velvety sound that brings me some sense of life.
I see from the corner of my eye, the guy roughly grabbing her wrist. Playtime gone wrong. “You really think you can pull that stunt on me, bitch? Fix it, or I’ll have the demon’s in here tear your ass apart.”
Fucking piece of shit.
“Why don’t you pick on someone your own size?” I snarl, coming up close to the guy harassing her. Who the hell did he think he was, and why did Luke ditch her?
Finally, the real fun begins. I ignore him.
“Stay out of fights that aren’t your own little demon.” He snarls at me. I feel my eyes flashing red.
Overconfident young demons, they think they run the place with their new power. Someone had to teach a punk a lesson. “Watch what the hell you say. I have no qualms with tearing your heart out.” The voice doesn’t sound like my own, as my grip of control slips, and my hands go for his throat. Maybe rougher than intended; but it all felt so right.
Why don’t you let me take this over? He’s about to take the reins, then everything goes black.
xxXxx
I feel the comfort of the familiar lumpy couch beneath my back. Familiar voices fade in and out in the distance. Aura and Luke, maybe? I feel some claws swiping at my ankle, jolting me awake. “Stupid cat.”
“Don’t kick her,” Aura snaps, angry, before anything else. Blood drips from the wound. I bite my tongue from saying something deeply offensive about bitchy catto.
I look down at the wound, as it quickly heals. A beneficial perk of my wonky genetics. The bus memory of the kittens comes back to mind; I could really do without cats for a while.
Maori is still glaring daggers at me, testing me to go against Aura’s demand. I throw the comforter on me over the cat, seeing her shark demon teeth when she hisses at me before running to Aura for snuggles. It’s like she couldn’t see the form changing on the damn cat. How it could become something of a Lovecraft creation.
“You’re awake.” Luke walks over, not pleased by my current state. I must have killed the rapey guy. If I did that course of action then how did I end up here, instead of passed out in some random location, as usual? My head pangs from old habits I hit up last night. Fml.
“Can you talk quieter?” I moan, my head in agony.
“So, did you have fun partying?” he purposely asks louder, denying my requests. Days… it didn’t feel anywhere near that long.
They caught you. Great, make me feel like a kid with his hand stuck in the cookie jar.
Did I kill him?
Wouldn’t you like to know? Cryptic, he loved the power of knowing, making me sweat.
“It makes him less potent.” I yell, defending myself in my altered state. The more I kept up with those activities, the less he bugged me. “Did I kill that guy that was bugging Aura?”
“No.” Luke shakes his head, surprising me. I was sure the demon was ready to take over. “Aura used her powers to make you fall into a slumber.” What all could that girl do? I guess she was stronger than I initially gave her credit for.
“What about the guy then?” He couldn’t just walk away scot free.
“He’s taken care of.” Luke shrugs, with a look saying not to ask anymore questions on the subject.
As if noticing, she walks into the room, handing a mug over to me. “It’s coffee. It should help with your hangover.”
I take a sip from it, feeling like a complete dick. She was being kind, trying to help me, and I kept acting like a dick. Like me.
Isn’t she sweet? he growls. No doubt he’d try to get her back for her ruining his chance at a public killing.
“So, we never got the chance to finish our conversation from earlier.” I feel a pang of annoyance as she mentions those words.
“Aura you don’t want to help the likes of me.” Why couldn’t she just accept that? And move on?
“I’m not accepting no as an answer Gabriel.” Her persistence is a breath of fresh air. “I didn’t even want to help you in the first place.” Ouch never mind that then.
“Then why do so?” My voice comes off as snarky, but it doesn’t hilt her lecture one bit.
“Your mom sent me to help you.” My heart stops for a second. That was impossible.
Liar.
“You may not want my help, but this is about more than just you.” I feel a pang of guilt hit men with the way her accusatory, crystalline blue eyes are staring at me, making me feel like I have to be better, like I owe her or something...
“Aura—” I start to say something, but she cuts me off. I have so many questions about her though.
“No, you’re going to let me speak, without interruption or fucking running off this time.” That shuts me up If I wasn’t going to accept her help, I could at least hear her out.
Weak. The demon shakes his head in disapproval.
“You running off has given me a lot of time to research.” My ears perk up. “There are several trials we could use. And I think I found some combination of various substances mixed together to try to quiet him talking in your head.” At my gawked look she explains, “Luke filled me in on everything. It’ll still be a few days until I obtain the materials.” Her forehead creases, probably thinking of all the things that could go wrong in the next few days.
Don’t accept it. Of course, he’d say that he didn’t want to be shut up.
“What are the side effects of the pills? What type of trials? And how does she hold so much meaning to you, that you would help me, anyway?” I ask a flurry of questions. So much I wanted to know. “What’s in them?” What could be in the drugs that took so much more time than just going to a pharmacy?
She frowns. “Not sure of that yet. It’s a trial drug, your case is rare.” Comforting. I guess I would have to try though. “I will note the trials when needed.” Controlling much? Wow. “And Theresa is like a mother to me, she saved me from the cruelty of the human world years ago.” I want to pry more into that subject, but I doubt she’d open up about it. Whatever it was, had to be horrible by the pain flashing in her eyes.
He’s being strangely quiet. Maybe a plot up his figurative sleeve, maybe I’m just paranoid. I feel a pang, like a hammer pounding in my skull. Fuck my head.
“We’ll try something later tonight when you feel better.” She leaves, not offering me sympathy other than the coffee. I was the one to do this to myself, so it’s on me.
Chapter 16
Aura
As if I summoned him, I hear a pair of feet making their way down the flight of stairs. Gabriel. At least, he wasn’t a no show this time. Luke hasn’t really let him out of his sight though, with the other day’s act.
“Feeling any better?” I ask when he rounds the corner. Him acting like a faded version of himself was less annoying, but somewhat worrisome. What was demon boy concocting in his brain?
“Mostly.” He shrugs. He spent the day upstairs sleeping, eating crackers, and drinking sprite like it's a lifeline. Moping.
“If you’re not feeling up to it, we can postpone.” I hope he doesn’t. despite the offer. So much time has already been wasted. I’ve been here nearly a week. If he runs off again, I’m giving him angel imprisonment. Neither of us has time for
that bullshit.
“No. I can handle it.” Thank god.
We make it down the creaky wooden stairs leading to the basement. The opening of the door reveals a relatively spacious room, with enormous walls covered in magic protection. The walls are soundproof to human ears which makes me question if that applies to vampire hearing as well. Other than that, it was a normal workout room aside from Luke’s massive collection of blades and the cage adjacent from the door we came through. I never, in my lifetime, want to be on Luke’s dangerous side. It would be better to never have to face that wrath.
I turn toward Gabriel. “So, what do you think?” I ask, a coy smile on my face at his fearful expression. This was a room that most would never see Along with all Luke’s other personal rooms, this one held trinkets he’d found through his travels. He was nice enough to let me use it for training, and Gabriel was just getting his first peek at it.
“It looks like immediate death” -he looks toward the weapons- “and torture. The weapons are cool though.” His eyes flash with interest as he goes to inspect the wall full of an arsenal of weapons. Hopefully, demon boy didn’t see the need to play with them.
Typical guy response, no matter the species.
I walk toward the collection of blades that are no doubt from all over the world. How can something so deadly be so beautiful? I blush at the thought before brushing it off to focus on the daggers to find one Luke showed me a few days ago.
Within seconds I found it, a shorter than the average dagger, with a gem-encrusted handle. The Blade of Eadon It was rumored to be able to rid a human of a demon possessing them if stabbed precisely in the lower left side. It must be done in such a way that it barely misses the heart. Luke told me it was from a city that once stood strong and proud to be overtaken by agony, despair, and demons. A few of the town’s residents had miraculously changed into creatures, unreal and deadly, while the rest were killed.
The Demon Inside (Hell's Creatures Book 1) Page 9