A Cold Day in Hell (The Hellcat Series)

by Hannaford, Sharon

  It was shaping up to being a great day, she thought as she sipped her caramel latte and navigated the rush-hour traffic on her way to a photo shoot for a print advertising campaign. The ad called for shots with lions, which just happened to be her favourite big cats to work with. Julius had come to her place last night after he was finished with his normal evening business. For the first time in weeks he'd allowed himself to drift into his daysleep well before sunrise, and had given Gabi a chance to catch up on some much-needed sleep as well. She'd left him entwined in her sheets, barely resisting the urge to take a picture of him in the dim artificial lighting. She'd had sun-blocking blinds installed throughout her house so that he didn't have to go back to his estate before sunrise. Lying on his side, his face relaxed, looking more boyish and carefree than anyone else ever saw him, his one arm was wrapped around her pillow, as though trying to keep her scent close to him. His muscular legs were entangled in the sheet, leaving his buttock and thigh exposed. Delectable, she'd thought before forcing herself to leave the bedroom.

  She waved at the two teams of Werewolf guards sitting in SUVs outside her gate. One team immediately started their vehicle and followed her. The other team simply waved back; they were there for Julius. She'd been in such a good mood this morning that she even picked them up some coffees on her Starbucks stop-off. If she hadn't spent hours yesterday cataloguing all the reasons for suspecting something was wrong, she'd have brushed it all off today, thinking the nagging voice in her head had it all wrong for once.

  It was only mid-afternoon when she packed up from her photo shoot, which had proved surprisingly

  hassle free, and drove home. She had more than enough time for a couple of hours of sleep before she'd arranged to pick Trish and the other girls up. Ah, a night to have fun and let her hair down. What could possibly go wrong?

  CHAPTER 3

  The girls were all buzzing, and the car was full of excited chatter and teasing. The other three Werewolf girls were in the back seat, ragging each other mercilessly. They were all young, around Trish's age. Two of them had been friends for a couple of years as they were both from the large, influential Blackriver Pack. The third was from one of the smaller Packs and was by far the youngest member of that group. Up until recently there'd been little contact between the various Packs, but recent events meant that the Alphas had finally started to get over themselves and no longer strictly forbade contact with each other. Young Adriana had quickly sought out some friends her own age and the 'Unholy Trinity' had been formed. Trish was not quite as outgoing as the other three, but Gabi knew the contact and company would be good for her. And she was laughing along in the passenger seat at the outrageous insults being thrown around behind them.

  They'd all dressed up for the night out, even Gabi. Short skirts, low-cut tops and high heels were the order of the night. Gabi's shirt covered more than the other girls', as she had a sword to hide down her spine. She was also wearing knee-high boots instead of strappy heels, affording her another four short swords: two matching butterfly swords tucked in each. Also armed with a stash of small bills, she felt ready for just about anything a night club could throw at them.

  By some mischievous twist of fate, there happened to be a male strip show at Flamingo's tonight. Usually a 'gentlemen's' club, tonight was for 'Girls and Gays' the advertising blurb had cheekily stated. The thought gave Gabi a twinge of sadness. If Marcello was still alive, she'd have brought him along tonight; he would've loved every second. But Julius's Clan member and long-time friend had been a casualty in the war against Jason. He'd died the True Death right in front of her. The thought still brought an ache to her chest. Marcello had been a good friend; his locket lay on her dressing table, a daily reminder of the consequences of evil being allowed to exist in the world.

  "Hellcat… earth to Hellcat," sing-songed Jade, a tall, willowy girl with luminous lilac eyes and platinum blonde hair, cut short and gelled into spikes. While not classically beautiful, she could've graced any catwalk in the country if she'd been so inclined. "You just drove past the club."

  Gabi grinned, returning to the present. "We have VIP parking tonight, girls," she declared, "along with VIP seats and VIP treatment."

  The back row shrieked and giggled.

  "Oh, what it is to be the main squeeze of the Master of the City." Casey sighed breathlessly, fanning herself dramatically.

  "And have you seen the man?" Adriana demanded. "That is one hot piece of—"

  Gabi cleared her throat pointedly, and that sent the trio off into renewed spasms of laughter. Gabi glanced sideways at Trish as she eased into a parking space at the rear of the inner City building. The other woman's face was a mixture of amusement and outright shock.

  "You get used to them," Gabi advised her with a smile. "They'll get worse after a couple of drinks, though, so brace yourself."

  They all hopped out of the SUV into the brightly lit car park, and the trio linked arms, quickly pulling Trish into their midst. They knew better with Gabi, but that didn't stop them from continuing to tease her. It was an odd assortment with Jade sticking out as the tallest by far. Adriana, the shortest, was blonde and pretty, bordering on cute, and could've easily pulled off a cheerleader costume and pom-poms. Casey was undoubtedly the most beautiful of the group, but disguised her looks with garish Goth make-up, dyed black hair and Goth-chick chic outfits. Most men were too intimidated by the get-up to notice the naughty but sweet-natured girl under the facade.

  Trish fitted right in by being as completely different as the rest of them. She'd pinned up her stunning brunette locks on one side, and the rest tumbled down her back, almost the exact same rich chocolate shade as Derek's. She was average height and definitely pretty; Gabi thought some might call her beautiful. She'd had a softer, more feminine figure a few weeks ago, but the Lycanthropy virus was stripping every extra ounce of body fat from her, and reshaping her body into a leaner, more toned and muscled version of itself. Trish version two-point-Werewolf. She absolutely loved the changes, but Gabi thought she'd looked wonderful before. The softness of her figure had embodied the softness of her nature. Not that she was any kind of wilting violet or pushover. She had a backbone of titanium and was amazing at coping with the horrible things life had thrown her way, but she hadn't allowed those things to harden her or to dampen her spirit. Gabi liked and respected that about her.

  A Vampire that Gabi knew only vaguely was on bouncer duty at the door. He quickly ushered them past the line of ticket holders and hopefuls already forming a queue halfway around the block. They earned a few scowls and jeers, but the Unholy Trinity blew them kisses and swept inside, dragging Trish along in their wake. Gabi paused, automatically looking back and running a quick, studied eye over the gathered crowd and out into the nearby shadows, before following them in.

  The club was crowded, noisy and filled with odours, some pleasant, some not. The music wasn't playing quite as loudly as it would if there were less Vampires and Werewolves present. For that Gabi was grateful; her senses had always been better than the average norm's, but lately they were even more heightened, to the point that overly loud music was almost physically painful. A scantily clad usherette was showing the other girls to their table near the stage and taking their drinks order. Gabi followed more slowly. She hadn't been into this club before, and habit made her map the layout with a quick, practiced eye. Doors, windows, fire escapes, tables, chairs, bars and kitchens. As well as staff. She knew the one barman at the busier bar counter to her left; Ben was a Werewolf who'd been with them on a patrol once and had had his leg broken by a speeding car.

  She nodded a greeting to him as he noted her in the crowd. She sent out her Vamp-sense to scan the room as well. Something just wasn't sitting right in her mind tonight. Something was tugging on the little warning bell that lurked in the back recesses of her mind. She'd learned to listen to that warning bell; it was just a pity it couldn't be more specific about the threat. Her Vamp-sense had always been good, best at id
entifying Vampires within a half-mile radius of her, but also enough to pick out the other supernaturals, if not their exact race or power level sometimes. It was always harder when there were so many of them close by, and recent events had also taught her that danger didn't always come from the obvious sources.

  Nothing stood out. There were half a dozen Werewolves in the back parts of the club; they would be part of the night's entertainment. You didn't get much better than a Werewolf's body; the humans would have a hard time keeping up. There were several Vampires, Gabi could pick them out with ease, but they were all within sight of each other. If one didn't belong, the others would've raised the alarm. A few Magi and some Shape-shifters were in the crowd, but none of them seemed threatening.

  Gabi mentally shook herself, she wouldn't let the warning spoil her evening, not just yet at least. If something was going to go down, she'd be ready when it happened. She joined Trish at the table; the other three were on the open dance floor, attracting loads of attention. It seemed the event hadn't only attracted girls and gays. A whiskey on the rocks was just starting to sweat onto its raunchy coaster, and a large, fully-laden platter of antipasto dominated the centre of the table. It smelled divine. Gabi sat and snagged the whiskey. The other girls drank stuff mixed with other stuff that just diluted the taste of any alcohol; it didn't make any sense to her. She drew in a long appreciative sniff. It was Irish and a good vintage. She took a long, slow sip. A comfortable, familiar burn coursed down her throat and into her stomach.

  "How's the wolf?" she asked Trish, reaching for a tiny sausage off the plate.

  Trish gave her a quick smile. "She's calm," she replied. "I was a little worried about all the stimulation and excitement around here, but I think I'm all under control."

  "Tell me if you're having any problems," Gabi said, reaching for more nibbles.

  Trish nodded agreement without hesitation. She was a practical woman when it came to life. Gabi knew she wouldn't take the chance of Changing in front of norms.

  It helped that Kyle had made it clear she was under his protection. He hadn't formally laid claim to her, but Gabi knew it was only a matter of time. Kyle was giving Trish space to get used to her new situation. While Kyle had never pushed the issue of his dominance amongst the City Packs, and had preferred to keep to his Pack of one, nobody was in much doubt of what would happen if he was challenged by another Werewolf. To Kyle, being Werewolf wasn't an adaption, it was a completely normal way of life; he'd never known anything else. Born already infected with the Lycanthropy virus, he was simply bigger, faster, more controlled and more naturally Werewolf than any other Lycanthrope. No one from the Werewolf community was going to try to ruffle Trish's feathers. In their world she was strictly off limits, not even the strippers would push things too far with her.

  Gabi snorted when she realised that the same probably applied to her. There wasn't a supernatural soul in the City who would challenge the Master of the City for his woman. The thought made her want to growl in annoyance, though. She'd never had any problems keeping men at arm’s length before. Just one look from her could send most of them cowering, and that was without the Angeli Morte legends. Those that knew her by that name either wanted to attack her on sight or run like spooked gazelle in the opposite direction. She let go of some of the annoyance. It wasn't really Julius's fault that he intimidated almost everyone he came into contact with. It was simply a side effect of his natural power. He kept it in check as much as possible, but anyone with an iota of ESP could easily pick up on it. Even if they had no idea exactly what 'it' was. 'It' was what drew her to him, like moth to moon, bee to pollen, gravity itself; insistent, undeniable, inexorable.

  "So," she said to Trish, "Kyle tells me that you want to sell your place and shack up with him?" She quirked a meaningful eyebrow Trish's way.

  The other woman blushed and dropped her eyes. "Well, my place is so far away from the estate," she stuttered. "And we spend so much time together anyway…" She trailed off, obviously embarrassed. "I hope I'm not getting in the way of…of…" She made a vague hand gesture towards Gabi. "I know you two were close…friends."

  Gabi burst out laughing, almost snorting whiskey out her nose as she finally understood why Trish was so uncomfortable.

  "You thought Kyle and I were friends with benefits?" She knew she should be more sympathetic. Trish wasn't the only one to think that; she and Kyle had never gone out of their way to deny being involved. "Lord and Lady, Trish, you should've guessed by now that it was only a ruse the two of us used, a joke at the Community's expense."

  The Community was the greater network of supernaturals in the City, a bigger bunch of gossips and tattletales would be hard to find. She and Kyle loved to tweak their noses whenever possible.

  Trish blushed an even deeper tone of pink and looked chagrined. "Sorry," she muttered. "You two are just so comfortable together; the stories seemed more than plausible."

  Gabi got her snorting under control. "No, I'm the one who should be sorry." She patted Trish's hand across the table. "We should’ve made the situation clear early on. We just forget how others view us, I suppose." She paused thoughtfully for a moment, a small puzzle piece fitting into place in her mind. "So you have actually been avoiding me lately. It’s not just in my mind?"

  Trish nodded, guilt on her face now. "It's horrible. I'm really sorry,” she stammered. “I knew I needed to bring the topic up, but I just didn't know how."

  "So why tonight, then?" Gabi asked.

  "I knew it was way past time and figured it would be better if Kyle wasn't present. And I thought with a couple of drinks in me it would be easier." Trish was still clearly embarrassed.

  "Well, I hope you know I'm really happy for both of you. It's not always going to be an easy road, especially now that Kyle has essentially started his own Pack, but I think you two are strong enough to pull it off." Gabi knew it was a cruel thing to do, but having Trish off balance was the best time for her fishing expedition. Her gaze flicked to the trio still dancing their booties off amid a small crowd of admirers, and then checked her watch. The show would start in ten minutes, plenty of time.

  "Thank you, Gabi," Trish said earnestly. "I can't tell you what a weight that is off my shoulders. I wish I'd spoken to you weeks ago." And her whole demeanour did seem to lift and lighten.

  "So in the vein of getting things off your shoulders," Gabi said, carefully keeping her tone light and selecting some cheese and cold meat from the platter, "are things really okay working for Julius? You know that you can find other work if it's not your thing."

  Trish shook her head vehemently. "Oh no, I'm loving the work, and it's so convenient not having to dress in office wear or keep strict office hours," she gushed immediately, then pulled a little face. "I still find him a bit intimidating, I have to admit." She glanced shyly at Gabi. "I don't know how you can be so casual around him, never mind order him around or tell him off. I mean, I know he wouldn't do anything to hurt me, but still…it's like having a tame tiger pacing the room with you. My whole body screams at me to run. It's taken some getting used to."

  Gabi smiled. She knew the feeling, but it hadn't taken long for attraction to replace fear in her case.

  "He's not pushing you to do anything you're not comfortable with, is he?" she asked Trish. "I've told him not to put you in any danger. I hope you're not doing stuff that can get you into trouble. He has some powerful enemies and even more powerful frenemies." She didn't crowd Trish, didn't hold her stare or infuse any urgency into her tone; rather she pushed the platter towards her, noting that she hadn't had anything to eat yet.

  Trish absent-mindedly picked up a couple of stuffed olives. "Oh, no. I'm not in any danger. I'm very careful to lay down multiple layers of false trails, so no one can trace anything back to Julius."

  "So has he got you working on something in particular? Not just the tracking down of the groups looking for info on Vamps and Weres?" Gabi pressed.

  "Well, um, a bit of both, rea
lly," Trish said hesitantly. She'd dropped her eyes from Gabi's and was looking uncomfortable. "He's…uh, made it very clear that I'm not to discuss it with y—anyone."

  "Trish," Gabi said, waiting until Trish looked up at her. "You don't need to tell me any details. Just answer one thing."

  Trish bit her lip, anxiety scenting the air around her.

  Gabi pressed on, feeling it was imperative. "Is there something I need to be worried about?"

  Trish didn't nod or shake her head, didn't answer at all, but it was written plainly on her face.

  Gabi grabbed her arm and squeezed gently. "It's okay," she reassured her friend. "Don’t let it stress you out. I'm sorry for pushing. Let's enjoy the evening, and tomorrow we'll worry about the other stuff. Okay?"

  Their conversation was brought to a halt by the arrival of the trio giggling, shrieking and tumbling into their chairs like a bunch of overenthusiastic puppies.

  A shirtless waiter arrived with a basket of warm bread rolls and fresh drinks for them all. He was human, but with a delectable build. The trio looked ready to pounce. He quickly took their meal orders and strode cockily towards the kitchen as floodlights flashed into life, highlighting the central stage. The music changed beat and took on a raunchier tone as a drop-dead gorgeous hunk of male Vampire took to the stage with a mic. He was dressed in a skintight black T-shirt tucked into fashionably ripped denims and sporting a leather duster. The women went berserk, screaming loud enough to pop Gabi's eardrums.