A Cold Day in Hell (The Hellcat Series)

by Hannaford, Sharon

  Gabi sighed and shook her head as Alexander winked at her from onstage. He wasn't the tallest male here, he wasn't the most dominant male, and he wasn't built like Vin Diesel, but there wasn't a woman (or gay man) in this building who wouldn't do him if he gave them the chance. Well, with one exception, of course. He and Gabi had started off their relationship on a particularly rocky footing; he despised the fact that his Sire had stooped to asking her for help, and firmly believed that the hype surrounding her abilities and conquests was exactly that—hype. They'd faced a lot of dangers together since then. Now he was more like an annoying older brother, one who gave her a hard time every chance he got, and she did the same in return.

  Had Julius sent him to keep an eye on her, she wondered in annoyance. If he had, the weather channel would soon be reporting the sudden development of a particularly nasty storm bringing with it the chance of tornadoes and other destructive forces.

  "Just passing through," Alexander mouthed to her, while trying to quiet the screaming crowd. "It is my pleasure to welcome you to the first ever ladies' night at Flamingo's." His announcement was met with more squealing. "We hope you enjoy the entertainment we have lined up for you. Just remember, ladies; touching…" he paused, allowing the tension to build as the crowd seemed to hold their breath, "costs extra." He gave them a conspiratorial wink, and the screaming began again.

  Some of the girls had started chanting, "Take it off, take it off."

  Gabi was pretty sure Jade had started it, and wondered if she realised she was demanding that Julius's second in command strip for them. Alexander merely chuckled and said, "I'm not nearly as talented as these guys." A muted groan of disappointment ran through the crowd. "Please welcome Primal Obsession." He spread his right arm to the side, and Kenny Loggins' "Danger Zone" filled the air; then six men in air force uniforms strode together onto the stage in a crisp, timed march. The crowd went crazy.

  Gabi wanted to simply enjoy the incredibly pleasant sight in front of her. There was not one thing wrong with any of the six men writhing and dancing in perfect synchronisation. Their bodies were perfection; sculpted by a master physical trainer to be just the right kind of muscular. There wasn't a spare microgram of fat on any of them. Their skin, lightly oiled and sheened with a layer of sweat, glistened and begged to be touched, stroked and worshiped. Four of the group were Weres, and the other two were Shifters. She wondered if the Shifters used their gift to make their bodies look perfect. She knew some of them were capable of making small changes to their bodies instead of an all-out shift to animal form. She’d even had the dubious honour of meeting a very rare Doppelganger: a Shifter who could mimic living people.

  As she'd predicted, when the guys came off the stage and began to undulate through the squealing women, they made a beeline for the trio, but stayed well clear of her and Trish, though one brave soul got close enough for her to stuff a couple of notes into the waistband of his jocks. Once upon a time she might have found him after the show and taken him to an upmarket hotel to ease some tension. It wasn't easy being an infamous Hunter and daughter of the legendary Vampire Slayer, Daniel Bradford. One night stands had scratched an itch, but never fully satisfied. Her idea of happiness wasn't the white picket fence and brood of small children. In fact, that thought was scarier than facing down a half-dozen Demons without Nex. She shuddered. It took her a few seconds to realise the shudder hadn't been brought on by the thought of being a wife and mother.

  CHAPTER 4

  The skin at the back of Gabi’s neck prickled into gooseflesh, and the tiny hairs stood to attention. She cast her gaze urgently over the excited nightclub crowd, scanning. Then she checked the vicinity around their table. The trio were fully immersed in the excitement of the evening, and Trish was following the men with her eyes while fighting back blushes. Nothing seemed amiss inside the club. It would take more than plain stupidity to try anything surrounded by so many supernaturals loyal to Julius. Surreptitiously Gabi checked Nex and the accessibility of her extra daggers, then touched Trish on her shoulder.

  "I need some air. I'll be back in a few," she said into the other woman's ear.

  Trish nodded somewhat absently, her eyes still locked onto one of the strippers.

  Gabi made her way around the edges of the huge room to the nearest exit, trying to get far enough away from the mind-numbing clamour of squeals and music to be able to concentrate. As soon as she cleared the bar area and moved into one of the dimly lit corridors leading to the kitchens, she felt the malevolence thicken and solidify. It wasn't inside, but it wasn't far away either. It was pulling her outside. The thought flickered through her mind that she should be calling this into SMV HQ and leaving them to deal with it, but her extra sense was telling her that the culprit was Vampire, and she was better at dealing with Vampires than any of the other Hunters. It shouldn't take her long to deal with this Rogue. She knew it had to be a Rogue. None of Julius's Clan or his guests would emit this kind of evil intent; Julius simply wouldn't allow it.

  She opened the staff door at the end of the corridor and let herself out into the night. Her Vamp sense pulled her down the well-lit back alley and into the car park, then towards a darker alley, leading between a coffee shop and an upmarket, boutique clothing store to more parking. She scanned again. There was only one presence. She was sure of that, and it was waiting like a trapdoor spider for something tasty to walk into its trap. Well, it was going to get a little more than it bargained for, she thought, with a deadly smile.

  As she made her way to the edge of the alley, stealthily drawing Nex, she checked the area for norms. There was a group of young people in grungy nightclub wear half a block away, huddled together as though planning their next move for the night, but they were eyeing a recently opened nightclub in the opposite direction she was headed. No one else was in normal earshot. As long as she took the Vamp down quick, she should be safe from unauthorised eyes. Adrenaline flooded her veins with an icy, exciting prickle, sharpening her focus, fine-tuning her senses.

  The Vamp would scent the adrenaline, but he would likely think it was a fear reaction to walking down a dark alley rather than the thrill of a good fight. She made her steps light and quick, like someone hurrying, and hoped he (or she, she quickly amended) wouldn't notice her lack of jacket and handbag, or the sword held tightly against her right leg.

  The slimy bastard was perched up on a first-storey windowsill, in dark, nondescript clothing with some kind of beanie on his head. What kind of Vampire wore a beanie, Gabi snorted internally, still pretending she hadn't spotted him. This kind of behaviour was exactly what would make humans think that Vampires could turn into bats. He was a disgrace to his species.

  She was only a few steps from being directly under him when she became aware of Julius's presence in her mind. He’d been alerted by her adrenaline high, and before she could cover her thoughts, he'd picked up what she was up to. Panic seared through her mind, and it wasn't her own. It was strong enough to make her steps falter. Julius swamped her mind with his demand to get the hell away immediately. She sent him a spear of thought, telling him to get here in a hurry if he wanted a piece of the Rogue for himself, then shut her mind down to him as far as she could. At that point the Vamp made his move, and then she was too busy to worry about Julius's overprotectiveness.

  The dark shape sprang down at her, silent and quick as death itself. Gabi was quicker. She spun away in a fluid motion, putting her back to the alley wall. Raising Nex warningly, she quickly appraised her opponent as he spun in surprise to find her. He was bigger than she'd expected from seeing him huddled at the window. Heavily muscled and several inches taller than Gabi, he looked to be about mid thirties in human years. Gabi's Vamp meter said he was probably several decades older than that, but nowhere near old enough to be challenging Julius on his own turf. The dead-vamp-walking suddenly grinned at her, flashing lengthened incisors.

  "Ah, not the sweet, innocent butterfly I was expecting," he drawled, lisping slightly
around his fangs. "More like a wasp, eh, with a potentially deadly sting." This seemed to delight him. "Makes life more exciting when dinner fights back, hey, sweet thing?" He squared himself ever so slightly, readying for a lunge. "I'll take my adrenaline fix any way I can. If you give me a good fight, I might even reward you with a little high of your own." His creepy smile was full of confidence at what he expected to be an easy fight.

  "What exactly are you doing in my City, slimeball?" Gabi asked, dropping her left hand down to within inches of the hidden daggers in her boot. "Bloodsuckers like you aren't welcome in these pa—"

  Before she finished the last word, he lunged for her, quicker than the eye could follow, aiming to take Nex from her hand and push her back into the centre of the alley. Gabi sidestepped, feeling his body whoosh past hers. She spun, slashing at him with Nex and feeling the sword slice through clothing and flesh. She completed the spin and danced back, giving herself room to anticipate his moves. The Vampire wasn't reacting to the inch-deep slash across his ribs as she expected; he was staring at her with growing excitement on his face.

  "You're not human, sweet thing," he drawled, in a tone just shy of awe, "and you're not any kind of nonhuman I've ever smelled before." He began to circle her, much more wary than he'd been just seconds ago. "You're quick and strong. I've heard the rumours, but I never thought they could be true."

  Gabi's eyes narrowed. Did this Vamp know she was Dhampir? If he did, she needed to keep him alive so they could figure out how he knew of her origins. It wouldn't take much effort on Julius's part to make him talk. She just needed to keep him busy until the cavalry arrived. And there was no doubt in her mind that the cavalry was on his way.

  "What exactly do you think I am, shithead?" Gabi forced boredom into her voice.

  "Dinner," he breathed. "A five-Michelin-star dinner if the stories are true. The epitome of Vampire cuisine. There is supposed to be nothing like the taste of Dhampir blood; it's the stuff of legends. I’ll have my fill of you tonight, sweet thing; trust me on that one."

  He attacked again with a focus and ferocity she hadn't expected. He was on top of her before she could move, his granite-hard fist catching her across the side of her head. He seemed oblivious to the rake of Nex's blade across his abdomen. Gabi saw stars, and the world blurred around the edges as she tried to get Nex between the two of them. His other fist crunched into her jaw, lifting her off the ground and sending her thudding into the wall behind her. She caught herself with a shoulder, but the impact sent Nex skittering from her grasp.

  "Ah," he gloated, "the little wasp has lost her stinger. Now what, little butterfly?" he taunted, rubbing at the gash across his belly. There was barely a trace of blood.

  Gabi shook the fog from her head, absently wiping the trickle of blood from the corner of her mouth, and straightened, using the wall for support. This time she didn't wait for him to attack; she already had two spare blades in her hands. She rushed him, one blade aimed high, in the vicinity of his face, and the other directly at his nether regions. She was still trying to keep him alive; as long as she stayed away from his heart and outright decapitation, she was relatively safe.

  He caught the blade aimed at his face and managed to twist away from her just enough that she buried the other blade into the meaty part of his hip rather than anywhere debilitating. For an instant they were face to face, growling at each other like rabid dogs; then Gabi swung away. Well, she tried to. His grip on her wrist holding the blade away from his face was solid. Like a vice. She couldn't break free. She twisted again, yanking the blade out of his hip and pulling back just enough to plunge it back into him when his free hand caught and held it too.

  The world narrowed, panic replaced excitement, and dark, body-freezing terror overcame her in the space of a breath.

  "Noooo," she screamed, her mind balking against the captivity. Her body writhed against his hands, but without the focus of her mind, her strength meant nothing. Triumph filled his eyes, and he squeezed her wrists harder until both blades skittered to the tarmac. Then he backed her much daintier body up against the nearest wall.

  "Ooooh, you are going to taste sooooo good," he breathed, his excitement so clear it had taken on a sexual overtone.

  Gabi knew she was screaming; she never screamed. Not in panic, anyway. Her mind was in chaos. Only one tiny shred of sanity remained, and it wasn't strong enough to overcome the mindless terror. That tiny part kept telling her to fight, to calm down, to remember her training. This Vamp was nothing special. He wasn't stronger or faster than her. He couldn't win against her.

  But nothing could overcome the fear. The Vampire's eyes had changed colour. They’d been a bland brown before; now they were liquid amber, almost glowing. He held Gabi's wrists tightly against the wall and pinned her smaller frame using his bulk. She hadn't closed her eyes. She couldn't stop herself from watching his mouth open and the grossly elongated fangs glisten as he bent closer to the side of her neck.

  There was a sudden shift in her state of mind, a sort of click, and the world instantly became calm. Only one person was allowed the liberty of claiming her blood. Only one. No other. The same person who was clamouring in the back of her mind, tearing at the mental shields and the mind-numbing panic. Yelling that he was nearly there.

  "No," she screamed again, but this time not in fear. This time it was rage. A wall of thick, red mist descended, flooding her mind, and she didn't fight it. Instead, she welcomed it.

  Julius heard her scream, heard the rage in the single word as he reached the edge of the alley. Just in time to watch Gabi head-butt the Rogue Vampire hard enough to force bits of the bridge of his nose up into his brain. The Vampire staggered back, dazed. Not even the oldest Vampire could heal that kind of injury instantly. Julius's first instinct was to seize the Vamp with the power of his mind and squash him like a bug. Every nerve in his body wanted to squeeze the Rogue's mind until it popped, but some other, deeper instinct froze him where he stood.

  Gabi was in full-blown Red Rage. This was the second time he'd seen it. The last time had been her first descent into the madness. It seemed to have been triggered by her proximity to him and needing the blood her body had been craving for years. She'd snapped for a minor annoyance and utterly destroyed his office before he managed to calm her. Now, she was using the rage as a weapon. It rode her, but she had control of the reins.

  Somehow he sensed that this was what she needed. Not the therapy sessions they'd been using to desensitize her to the feeling of being trapped. She was Hellcat. She took care of herself and everyone else around her. She didn't need to get used to the idea of being trapped; she needed to annihilate the enemy trapping her. This was the therapy she truly needed.

  It took more control than he thought he possessed to watch her fight the Rogue. Though it honestly wasn't much of a fight after that. She systematically kicked and beat the Vampire to a bloody pulp. When he lay in a crumpled heap, face down on the tarmac, no longer moving, she rolled him over with the tip of one boot to face her. Then she calmly picked up Nex, knelt over his body, and stabbed the blade directly into his heart. Then she pulled the blade out and stabbed him again, and again, and again.

  The Vampire had begun turning to dust when Alexander and Kyle arrived in the alleyway.

  "Whoa," Kyle said, skidding to a halt next to Julius.

  Alexander stopped too, taking in the sight with raised eyebrows. "Don't you think it's about time to be stopping her?" he inquired, trying to keep his voice light.

  "Is that what the Red Rage looks like?" Kyle asked quietly.

  Julius nodded, agreeing with both questions. "It would be better if the two of you weren't here. Go and cover the entrance. Make sure we're not disturbed. Alexander, get someone over here with a car; cancel the rest of my appointments for the evening."

  Julius knew that as long as he lived…existed…whatever it was he did…he would never find it easy to see her hurt, mentally or physically. There was the clear impression of a fist ou
tlined in angry red against her cheek and jawbone. Blood trickled from one corner of her mouth, and the other side sported a nasty split lip. Both wrists were already turning so blue and purple, he wouldn't be surprised if she had fractured bones. Her hair was loose from whatever hairstyle she'd had it in for the evening, and the wild curls were sticking to the sweat on her neck and forehead and catching in a trickle of blood from her hairline. Her silk shirt was ripped, leaving one shoulder exposed, and if the tiny, green mini skirt hadn't had a side split before, it did now.

  He thought he might understand a little more about the duality of Werewolf nature since falling for Gabi. And he had fallen for her, more deeply and thoroughly than he had in his previous two hundred and fifty years of walking the planet. The stark contrast between what his conscious mind told him about her being as strong and tough as most men, and the uncontrollable, subconscious need to protect her and keep her from all harm warred inside him. It was like trying to keep a lion in a cage made of twigs.

  "Lea," he called to her as he cautiously began to close the physical distance between them. He probed gently against the red fog in her mind, hoping their mental connection was strong enough to break through the Rage.

  She stopped stabbing the pile of ash and bones. Viper fast, she turned her head to him, her eyes a startling shade of blood red. There was no hint of recognition in them. Just shrewd, animalistic anticipation. She was just waiting for a new enemy. She rose to her feet in a swift move, her legs, boots and skirt covered in a fine dusting of ash. Nex was in her right hand, held loosely and confidently.

  "Lea," he tried again. "Gabrielle, it's me. There is no more danger. He's dead."

  The blanket of red fog wasn’t dissipating, so he tried a different tactic. "I like the outfit," he purred, taking another step towards her. "I wonder how many men wanted to take you to bed tonight, but knew they didn't stand a chance." Instead of sending soothing, calm thoughts her way, he sent visuals of them together: what he wanted to do to her, what they’d done the previous night.