by T. F. Walsh
“That was a legit demon hunt.” Levi’s muscles hurt all over and tomorrow would be worse. “I didn’t cause this damage.”
“I can’t believe you. You’ve always hunted by your own rules, but this is a fucking joke.” Brent’s voice trembled as he struggled to contain himself. “You never think of the consequences. You could have killed people. I was watching from upstairs, and there were plenty of opportunities to avoid this damage.”
Levi’s shoulders squared. “Demon’s fault, not mine, so back off.”
Brent’s gaze swept to the unconscious man in the mobility vehicle.
The poor innocent would wake up disorientated and not remember a thing since his possession. His symptoms would mirror those of an overdose or being super drunk. But after a few weeks or months, he’d get over it.
Sirens wailed in the distance. Gawkers from nearby buildings spilled out onto the sidewalk.
Boss man dragged a hand down his reddening face. “You endangered people, acted recklessly, and this—” He pointed to the wall behind him. “It’s not the first time you’ve pulled this kind of shit.” His voice rang across the road so everyone in the next town could hear him. “The last time, you caused a five car pileup. And I had to pay for damages. Or when you half burnt down that old woman’s house.”
“So? This is my job. This is what we do! Who cares about damage if it saves a life? And that house was a health hazard and needed to be torn down. That woman was a hoarder. She lived with rats and dead cats and other crap.” The only reason he’d stayed in the job was because the scouts were incredible at their jobs and tracked down demons in ways he could never do on his own. And he promised himself that after his best bud died because of a possession years earlier, he’d do whatever it took to destroy as many of the fuckers as possible. Even if that meant putting up with a dickhead like Brent.
Boss man’s lips thinned to a white line. “You’re paying for the damages.”
Levi flinched, his arm twitching with the urge to reach across and fisting Brent’s perfectly pressed shirt. “Hell, no. That’s what insurance is for.”
Brent shook his head. “You need a lesson in responsibility. I can’t let you get away with this in front of everyone.”
“Bullshit. I’ve been your best hunter, and you reward me by throwing crap into my face.” His voice exploded, and he didn’t care that everyone from Argos listened to every word. “I’ve just sent a jumper back to Hell. What more do you want from me? I’ll snag the speck controlling the car in no time, but not if you’re threatening me.”
Brent stepped so close that Levi inhaled his all-spice cologne and almost gagged. But Levi wasn’t backing away. He wouldn’t give Brent the satisfaction.
His boss released a long exhale and shook his head. “This is your last chance. That’s it. Return the car and its black demon stone. Only then will I consider dropping the charges.”
All Argos cared about were those damned stones that an exorcised demon left behind. Who knew what they did with them.
Levi’s response flat-lined just as another section of the wall collapsed. Chairs, desks and computers crashed to the ground. Demon set him up good. But his gaze shifted to movement at the entrance to the street.
It was the stunner girl he’d bowled over on the street earlier in the day. Was she following him? The breeze sent her locks into a wild wave across her shoulders. His gut fluttered. Which was insane—he didn’t do girly emotions, but that kitten was doing something to him.
Brent followed Levi’s gaze and waved at the girl. “Cary, give me a moment, and I’ll be right there.”
Cary. He tossed the word around in his mind, liking the sound of it. “She your daughter?”
Brent’s expression warped in a way that said no. “Stop gawking and go do your damn job. Get the stone and car, and I may drop the charges.”
A tiny smile curled the edges of Brent’s mouth that carried the promise that he wouldn’t keep his word. Like the time he agreed to pay Levi for all demons he caught, even if they weren’t issued to him. Never happened.
And what Levi loathed more than demons was anyone playing him.
Levi wiped his lip with a thumb. “Here’s the thing. You and this job can go fuck yourselves.”
Brent folded his arms across his chest, his voice stern and matter of fact. “Then you’ll be arrested. And I’ll sue you for destroying my building.”
Chapter 3
Cary coughed on the acrid smoke and dust strangling her throat. People milled about everywhere on the street near the Argos building, and she shouldered through the crowd to get a better look. Emerging into the open, she stopped cold as a shudder gripped her insides. Half of Argos’ wall lay toppled across the road.
Damn!
Brent glanced her way from farther down the street and raised a palm in her direction. “Just a sec.”
She simply nodded. Did she even want to work for Argos if that kind of thing happened regularly? Acting freaked out would not win her the job. Besides, she had bills to pay.
But when her gaze landed on Hottie, the guy who’d knocked her over on the sidewalk earlier, her stomach turned into a pretzel. Sure, the bridge of his nose was pinched and his lips twisted as he glared at Brent. Still, for those few seconds, she let her gaze devour him. Shoulders to carry the world, and muscled arms flexing when he folded them across his chest. Their strength still tingled across her body from when he caught her on the sidewalk. Wind fluttered through his shoulder-length hair, and Cary imagined herself running fingers through it and then drawing him into a kiss. Insane, but a girl could dream.
Why was he chatting with Brent? Hottie’s mouth warped into a sneer, making it obvious he was involved in the mess.
“This is bullshit!” he yelled. “I followed your instructions to eliminate the speck. It caused this, not me. I won’t pay for the damages.”
Brent casually tucked his hands into his tailored pants pockets. Damn, the man was smooth. “I pay you for capture and retrieve, not to destroy my property.”
Cary’s mouth dried. So, Hottie worked for Argos. She should have suspected as much. And was speck another word for demon? Perhaps it was slang used by Argos hunters. Whatever happened to the wall, he shouldn’t have to pay. Surely Brent had insurance for such accidents.
Hottie stood toe to toe with Brent, and in a way, it made her admire him more. The low, husky tone beneath his words sent tingles through her, and she would have loved to wake up to the sound of his deep voice.
Except, if he was a demon hunter, she had to throw a bucket of ice water over her libido. Her true nature would make her a prime candidate for exorcism in his eyes. She’d seen the movie and no way would it turn out well. Being on the receiving end of an attack from a bulky hunter like Hottie wasn’t her idea of fun.
He towered over Brent and had to be six-foot-four or five. His toned chest was on display through his tight, black T-shirt. The shadow across his strong jawline added two notches to his sexiness. Hell, he could do her for a week straight.
“This isn’t an idle threat, Levi,” Brent continued.
So, Levi was his name. Sexy.
Without a response, he brushed past Brent, knocking his shoulder against the boss’s. He strutted with a limp toward Cary, dried blood across his forearm, and up close, his top was dotted with singed holes. His forehead was a tangle of lines, and his hands were fisted by his side. His boots hit the asphalt harder with each long step.
When he came to an abrupt stop a few paces from her, she met his hooded gaze. His dark-honeyed eyes glinted. The guy liked the outdoors by the look of his sun-kissed skin.
“Cary, is it? Listen, sorry for bumping into you before.”
Goosebumps lined her arms. “Hey, it’s fine. I survived. You caught me.”
His eyes narrowed and a twitch at the corners of his mouth tugged upward.
Cary admitted to herself she wanted to drag him to a dark corner and show the strange all her dirty secrets. That wasn’t her style
, but Levi confused her mind. She should have run in the opposite direction, but her desire wouldn’t give a hoot if his middle name was, danger.
“Feel like getting a drink tonight?” She paused, waiting for an answer, but when none came and he kept staring at her with a cocked eyebrow, her words poured out. “Geez, that came out desperate.” She swallowed past the rising mountain in her throat, glancing at the way his jeans sat low on his hips and how perfectly they cradled his package. Her gaze shot north, and her cheeks burned. “I mean, you work for Argos, right? I was thinking I could pick your brain. Brent might offer me a job.” The speed of her words mangled her sentences together, and her head screamed to stop talking.
Levi chuckled. “Sure. Why not? Eight at River’s Pub?”
Cary nodded, not trusting herself to speak.
“See you then.” He strolled past her.
Well, that wasn’t too terrible. Right. She drooled like a starved hyena. Didn’t matter. She’d get the lowdown on Argos from him before deciding whether to accept the job from Brent. An inferno lit up her veins at how easily she lied to herself. Who was she kidding? She craved more eye candy.
Her phone chirped, and she checked it. Damn, another voicemail from her landlord. She had to make the job work.
The wind rushed at her and tempered the firestorm clinging to her skin.
Brent marched in her direction. She pushed her shoulders back and plastered on her best business smile.
“Cary.” He stuck his hand out, and she accepted his firm handshake. He had his shit together despite his building’s wall laying in pieces over half the street. No sign of perspiration, a tense body, shakes, nothing. Cary had to do the same if she had any intention of impressing him.
“Can you give me an hour?” he asked. “There’s a café just around the corner called Sparky’s. Tell the owner you’re with me and put what you want on my tab.”
“Do what you need. I’ll wait.” A free meal was on offer, and her stomach grumbled. Even if she didn’t get the job, she’d be fed.
“Thanks.”
He returned to the accident as a police car pulled up from the street.
After devouring a burger and chocolate muffin, she guzzled three cups of coffee. The caffeine was a carnival in her veins. Her knees bounced beneath the table in the far corner of the restaurant with no one nearby. When Brent arrived, two hours late, he sat across the table from her.
With his sleeves rolled and the top two buttons of his shirt open, he looked ready to wrestle a bull. “I won’t keep you much longer. Tell me about yourself.”
Ah, straight to business with the open-ended question she despised. Would she indulge him with her upbringing, her hobbies, or hunting experience? By the stoic expression sliding across his face, she had to impress him.
“Hunting’s in the family. My father and grandfather were both in the business.” Well, the demon blood definitely ran in her lineage all right. From her dad’s side.
An eyebrow cocked, but Brent didn’t budge from his stiff posture. “Who do they work for?”
“For themselves. Keeping towns safe.” If Cary hadn’t been studying Brent’s every move, she might have missed the way his mouth twitched or the flare of his nostrils.
“Fighting alone gets you killed quicker.” He scoffed and shifted in his seat. Patronizing much. Yeah, Cary could see why Levi didn’t back down to Brent.
“I’m still alive, and my dad taught me everything about fighting.” At once, she regretted her stern response, especially with the way Brent sighed and lowered his head, clearly unimpressed. But, she was the perfect hunter for his team.
“Agreed, it’s better to hunt in a team,” she said. “And every monster I cross paths with ends up expelled. I’d say, I know my stuff.” She lowered her voice. “I want to keep everyone safe.” And most importantly, destroy the soul-suckers before they dragged her into Hell. Her mother might have been human and gave birth to Cary in a hospital, but where exactly she belonged was anyone’s guess. And how her ancestors ended up living on Earth wasn’t something her father had discovered. Just like her, he was a cambion as was her grandfather.
Brent nodded for her to continue. He was interested.
Without missing a beat, she dove into an in-depth monologue on her fighting accolades, how she hadn’t been living in Detroit long, and even how she crafted her own weapons.
“Where’s your father now?” Brent shifted in his chair, crossing his legs, his attention never leaving her.
Cary shrugged. “He left a few months after my eighteenth birthday, so I don’t know.”
Which was the truth. He disappearance, and she’d gotten over the pity and woe is me emotions. Now, a cocktail of anger filled her. Some days, she loathed her father for leaving. Others days, she roamed the streets, grilling every demon on his whereabouts. Each emotion tugged at her insides as if they were boxers in an arena.
A crease captured Brent’s brow. “I’m sorry that happened to you. I never knew my father either. He left my mother when I was a toddler, but haven’t looked for him. Figured if he didn’t want me in his life, I didn’t need him.” He paused for a moment and shifted in his seat as if opening up wasn’t a common occurrence. With his stoic composure fixed back on his expression, he asked, “So are you aware of the different types of demons?”
Cary nodded. “There are the human possessions, which can only last six days. Demons have six seconds outside a human host. After that, they’re sent back to Hell. Then there are the ones that inhabit objects, like a doll or painting.” Plus, the third kind which was part demon, part human, and all Cary, but she wasn’t sharing that intel.
Brent rubbed his chin. “The ones who possess humans we call jumpers since they hop from one person to the next. The object possessions are called specks. They cling to the inanimate entity for as long as possible like a speck of dust.”
His casual demeanor had Cary relaxing in her seat. He offered her a gentle smile, the kind she’d often seen on her dad’s lips.
If he explained the details to her, well, it only meant one fabulous thing. “Okay, cool.”
He broke into a long-winded explanation of the terms. Cary felt the words were self-explanatory, but she smiled and nodded.
When he took a breather, she interrupted. “What happened to the Argos building?”
Brent shook his head. “A speck ran into the building.” His tone dipped into the quadrant of this conversation ends now. Plus, he made no mention of Levi.
Message received loud and clear.
If Brent offered her a job, she’d pay her bills, move into a new apartment, and buy a car. The universe was paying her attention in a good way for once.
Brent ran a hand across his mouth. “As a next step, I’ll set up a test, as I do for all my candidates to see if you’ve got the stamina and mental capacities for the job.”
A cold snap encased her lungs. He wasn’t giving her the job yet? Even after already seeing her fight with the demon, or the years of experience she meticulously detailed? She straightened her posture. “What kind of test?” What if it somehow revealed her demon side, like pumping the Lord’s Prayer through speakers, blasting through her so the loud it killed her, or being drenched in a pool of holy water?
“All our hunters go through this, so don’t worry. In your case, it’s more a formality. We have a warehouse for this.” He slid a business card across the table. “Be there at nine tomorrow morning, and we’ll get started.”
Despite the heaviness settling on her chest, she squeezed out two words, “Thank you.”
Brent climbed to his feet, and she accepted his outstretched hand. “Bye, Cary. Good luck.”
Once he left the café, she slumped into the seat. Sure, it wasn’t her job yet, but after Brent watched her kill the test tomorrow, he would hire her on the spot. He had to.
Then why wouldn’t her knees stop bouncing?
What if she couldn’t use her layered gloves to dampen the searing pain of anything holy? W
as the test about her identifying who was possessed because he didn’t raise that topic? Shifting in her seat wasn’t helping. She picked the last crumbs of the muffin from her plate and stuffed them into her mouth. At the end of the day, she wasn’t getting paid, so it couldn’t be anything too insane. Probably just an entrance exam. Right?
Her father’s words careened through her mind. You can’t trust anyone. The world hates demons. Yeah, she hated the fiends too, but without money, she wouldn’t get far.
Maybe it was what she needed. A new start, a new job. If she kept to herself, got the work done, and… Her thoughts sailed to Levi, his muscles, his jawline, his raw sexiness. Now if there was anything dangerous arising in her near future, he was it. Even the way Brent’s voice dipped when Levi came up demanded she keep her distance. But she’d promised to meet him for drinks. What could it hurt?
Chapter 4
Not every day did a hot-ass-girl ask Levi out for a drink—and after his shitty day, he’d take it. But what was she doing at Argos? Too skinny to be a hunter. Taking on jumpers and specks usually came down to sheer brawn. There was a reason most hunters spent their nights pumping weights. Maybe she was a paranormal tracker?
The creak of the front door of River’s Pub snagged Levi’s attention. A couple walked inside, not the redhead. He slouched in his seat. The cozy place resembled a train compartment in size. Chandeliers overhead, fabric wallpaper, and floral chairs transported visitors to another time. Across from him, stools lined the wooden bar. Back home in Ann Arbor, he’d visit his local Irish hangout to catch up with buddies. But a bar was a bar, and having drinks with a sexy girl was all that mattered tonight.
The door opened again, and his sights landed on the sexy creature striding inside. His breath locked in his lungs. She wore a long skirt with a slit half-way up her thighs, flashing skin with each step. Toned legs and tennis shoes. The black and white striped V-neck top pulled tight across her chest emphasized her hourglass figure.