by T. F. Walsh
You’re going down. He narrowed the distance between him and the Corvette. Possessed items could be eliminated by trapping them in a holy protect box or object. Not so easy when dealing with a car unless he could somehow take it out ganger style in a cement grave. If only. An exorcism had to work if he got it to stand still long enough.
Weakening the demon was the answer, yet his mind kept buzzing with Brent’s warning. Damaging property. Getting sued. Pressing charges. Every recollection only fueled the volcano rumbling in Levi’s chest. His jaw rooted and his fists curled.
Brent could go fuck himself. Demons never played by the rules, and he sure as hell wasn’t going to tiptoe during a hunt. Lives were more valuable than any damn building.
He broke forward, seized a vial of holy water from his pocket, and hurled the contents onto the driver’s door.
The car’s engine erupted into a roaring discharge, the whole frame trembling. Fuck, yeah.
Levi pulled the driver’s door handle and jumped onto a leather seat: attacking from the outside just hadn’t been working. He was getting shit done today. The inside even smelled new and leathery, reminding him of his old car.
With another vial, he splashed holy water across the dashboard and wheel. “Tastes good, doesn’t it, asswipe?”
The Corvette sped off, thrusting Levi backward. The seatbelt snapped across his body, strangling him. Fear was a knife twisting in his gut, but he wasn’t there to cower.
“Two can play this game.” He thread Noose’s loop over the steering wheel.
The racing car jerked from side to side across the road. It sped toward oncoming traffic with no intention of slowing.
Levi’s heart hit the back of his throat. He tugged on the door’s handle with no luck. Darkness blurred the corners of his vision as a desperation to stop the speck roared through his veins.
“Fuck you.” His insides were tighter than a bull-rider’s straps.
A four-wheel-drive swerved out of their path, honking. Tires screeched as the driver in a utility van slammed his breaks to avoid hitting the car in front of him. Thrown about within the confines of the seatbelt, whiplash stung Levi’s neck. A flash of dread twitched in his mind. Time seemed to pass in slow motion. He imagined people run over with him sitting in the driver’s seat.
He dropped the lasso and gripped the steering wheel. Beneath his hands, the steering veered left and right, jerking him around.
“That all you’ve got?”
The Corvette skewed right in a tight swing. He reached for the cell in his back pocket and thumbed to the Lord’s Prayer. He hit play and drove the volume button to max and tucked it back into his pocket.
At once, the car vibrated, slowing in pace.
When the Corvette’s radio flicked to full blare, Levi’s ears rang. His seatbelt pressed into him. The chair jutted back and forth, ramming his knees into the steering wheel as his feet tried to work the pedals.
Breathless, his ribcage exploded with pain. “F…fucking bitch.” He grappled with the seatbelt.
They emerged into an empty parking lot, and the Corvette broke into donut, drifting in a circle as if pumped on heroine.
Caught in the belt, Levi coughed from the rubber stench assaulting his nostrils.
In a sudden jolt, the seat belt unbuckled and snapped upward. The metal buckle smacked him in the nose as it thread back into the seat.
A pinching ache pulsed across his brow and behind his eyes. His mind screamed with torment. Something primal spread within him, demanding he curl up and ride the excruciating torment. Not in that lifetime. Giving up wasn’t in his vocabulary.
The driver’s door swung open and his seat shifted. An invisible punch slammed into his lower back and hip, shoving him out the door. His hands reached out for leverage, but it all happened too fast. He hit the asphalt. Arms and elbows scratched raw, he rolled from the momentum. His vision blurred.
A rip-roar circled him. He staggered to his feet, and every bone ached. His muscles quivered, and he wiped his nose, blood streaking his hand. Time to leave before he turned into road kill. Heaviness gathered on his shoulders. He didn’t usually get scared, but fear collected in his veins like gold deposits. He spun to find the perimeter closed in by wire fences. If he retreated down the road they’d come, he’d get run down in a second flat. His sight landed on a section of the fence with no barbed wire along the top—his getaway.
The Corvette continued its circular spin, its windows open and music blaring.
Levi couldn’t stand there, waiting to die, even if he had left Noose in the car. He eyed the opportunity for escape straight ahead, and as the car passed, he charged.
Tires skidded against asphalt, the sound scratching in his ears.
Levi leapt onto the fence. His fingers thread the wire, feet scrambling for purchase. He gripped the top just as the Corvette smashed into the fence beneath him. The wall rocked back and forth. With each backward lean, Levi squeezed the wire biting into his palms. Don’t fucking fall!
On the next sway forward, he scampered over the barrier. Landing on his hip hadn’t been his intention, or crying out. He scrambled to his feet and sprinted forward. A sharp cramp thumped up his leg each time his foot hit the grassy field. No time for that.
High beams lit up the park. A shadow of apartments lay against the night’s backdrop. No lights or cars nearby. Abandoned years ago.
He checked over his shoulder.
The car reversed and drove into the fence repeatedly. The metal crumpled forward. Only seconds before it broke through.
No more games. He had to bait the fucker and trap it as Cary had suggested. A knife-like pain pierced his chest. He’d left Cary in the restaurant… blind.
Without looking back, he kept going. Limping, battling for each breath.
The roads in that part of town were bare, dark, without a soul in sight. With no idea where he was, he followed the glimmer shining from the high-rises to his left. It wasn’t over… He retrieved his cell and dialed Chase’s number. The shit ended tonight, and he needed backup.
Behind him, the familiar roar of the car’s engine seemed to howl through the night.
Every fiber in Levi’s body ached while his mind yelled at him to keep going or die alone.
Chapter 11
That bastard. Cary shifted in her seat for the hundredth time. Levi had ditched her. He took off to destroy the speck car demon and probably got himself hurt or worse. And that single thought chilled her body. She couldn’t even reach out for a complimentary bread roll without knocking over a glass of water, let alone help him.
Voices surrounded her, along with the smacking of lips. Her stomach grew nauseous and her hands twisted a napkin. Sweat rolled down her back. She sat in her chair, the world blackened by her eye patches, waiting to hear Levi’s voice and smell his musky cologne.
What if he never came back? Her knees bounced beneath the table and she chewed on a hangnail. Blind. Penniless. Vulnerable. Her eyes burned from holding back the tears.
Think. A cab had brought them to the restaurant and she could hail one back to Lux hotel, but with no money how would she pay the fare? No friends to call. The chef from her last job came to mind, but he’d expect payment. She cringed, then remembered Tasha from Argos.
“Ma-am, are you almost done? Sorry, we have the table booked for our eight o’clock reservation,” the waiter asked with a low voice.
She wouldn’t be just sitting at the table alone, sniffing uneaten pizza that rolled her stomach out of choice. With her handbag in her lap, she dug inside until she found the inner pocket where she’d put Tasha’s business card. Asking for help went against everything her dad had taught her. But she had zero choices left.
“Can you dial a number on my cell, please?”
“Of course,” the waiter said.
Cary handed the phone and business card to the guy and sat there helpless. And on cue, her dad’s words streamed through her mind as if mocking her. Trusting anyone will get you kill
ed.
“One more step and you’re inside my apartment.” Tasha’s words guided Cary forward. This being blind business was getting old fast.
“I can’t thank you enough for collecting me.”
Tasha took her elbow and directed her a few paces forward where the air smelled like sweet floral perfume. Her knees hit something. She bent forward and touched a fabric covered couch.
“Take a seat, and I’ll make us a cup of tea.” Tasha’s voice chirped as if Cary’s sudden intrusion brought her joy. And in a strange way, it softened the knots in her muscles.
Cary flopped onto the sofa and let silence engulf her. Fear strangled her at the thought of Levi lying dead somewhere on the road.
“Anything from Levi?” Her insides were brittle glass, and its shards tore at her stomach because she’d already sent him several messages.
“Not yet.”
She should have asked Tasha to take her to his hotel. Or driven her around the city to search for him. In the morning, she’d get these stupid eye patches removed, then she’d comb the city until she found him.
The water pipes creaked through the walls. And the clinking of ceramic told her Tasha busied herself in the kitchen. Cary hated imposing on anyone, but Tasha had insisted. Just how she’d expect a friend to react. Something she’d been lacking since her father left, but maybe with a new job, friends were a possibility.
“Hey,” Tasha called from Cary’s right. “Hungry? I’m warming leftover spicy wings and ribs.”
“Sounds great.” Food never lasted in her place because she ate so much. And the sucker punch reconnected with her throat. But nothing compared to the worry cramming into the corners of her mind as she pictured Levi dead in a back street.
“Do you think Levi’s all right?” She hated how desperate she sounded, but her rising panic refused to settle. A few years ago, a jumper had attacked Cary. It snapped both her wrists and left her with so many bruises and cuts, walking straight was impossible. Her saving grace had been a passing car that ran the dickhead over. She had expelled the demon, and the victim survived after a mild concussion. Thankfully, due to the fast healing perk of her bloodline, she didn’t need to visit the hospital. A few days at home did the trick. So, shit could turn horrible within seconds for a normal human. For Levi.
“For sure. The guy can handle himself,” Tasha said.
With a deep exhale, Cary slouched and allowed the couch to cradle her. She took a cushion and hugged it to her chest, pushing aside the imagery of Levi dead. If she’d never slept with him, perhaps her chest wouldn’t be a black hole. Levi had taken her in, fed her, and… Well, Tasha did the same.
Shifting in her seat, Cary sighed.
Half an hour later, she’d devoured five spicy wings and half a rack of ribs. Sure, reflux was now a bitch, but every bite was worth it. She set the plate on her lap. The salt stung worse than the chili. Except, tonight she didn’t care, because the ache occupied her mind.
“Are your eyes still itching?” Tasha asked.
“Just now and then.” Even with her healing ability, the tiny irritation in Cary’s eyes told her removing the patches wasn’t a good idea. And considering she’d never had any surgery before, she couldn’t risk damaging her sight. Instead, she grabbed another wing from her plate and stuck it into her mouth. Maybe if she ate ten more, she’d put herself into a food coma.
“You’re healing fast. The first night I got my surgery, I considered tying my hands behind my back so I didn’t rip my eyes out.”
Wiping her mouth with a paper napkin, Cary set her plate on the floor near the couch. “When I was eight, I got a terrible case of poison ivy after playing in the woods behind our house. Red blotches covered my body, and I scratched like a baboon. My dad shoved me into a warm bath with baking soda and made me tell him every fairy tale I knew. I spent so much time trying to remember them I forgot the itchiness.”
“Smart man.”
“Yeah. I miss him more every day.” Cary froze as the words fell from her lips. Damn, there wasn’t a day that passed without her dad filling her thoughts. Did a demon take him, or was he keeping his distance as his parting note had said? He’d insisted it was for her protection. Bullshit. Sharpness sliced through her heart. God, she better not cry now, not with the eye patches.
“Parents do the best they can.” Tasha’s voice interrupted her thoughts. “My dad’s been in prison since I was fourteen. The cops accused him of breaking into a bank, killing a security guard, and being in the mob. If he was in the mob, I’d have seen signs. I think someone framed him. I visit him once a month, but it kills me seeing him behind the glass window, looking older each time. He always has new bruises on his face.” Her voice faded to a whisper.
Cary stuck out a hand across the couch and landed on Tasha’s knee. No words, just the comfort of someone listening helped. At least it did to Cary. She’d spoken more about her dad these past few days than she had to anyone since he vanished. In a strange way, it felt warming.
“Anyway,” Tasha sniffled. “Let’s change topics. Memory lane sucks.”
A cell pinged, and Cary stiffened. She patted her pocket when Tasha’s words stopped her. “It’s Levi.”
Cary’s lungs closed. She sunk into the couch. For hours, she’d hidden behind a mask, concealing the panic chewing her insides raw. Levi’s message brought her more relief than any comfort Tasha could offer. He was alive, and suddenly her defenses were like thin paper, shredded by the slightest breeze.
“Says he’ll come and pick you later tonight if you want.”
“Is he okay? Where is he?”
“Doesn’t say.”
Later meant he was still hunting the car. While her first response involved the word yes, she shoved it aside. Tasha had opened up her house for Cary, and getting more friends in the city sounded incredible. “If you don’t mind me staying the night, tell him I’m fine here.”
“You bet. I’d love the company. Hard to make new friends when I can’t tell anyone what I do for a living.” The tapping of Tasha’s fingers on the phone sounded. “Told you the guy was unsteady. He means well, but hunting always comes first.”
Cary’s throat thickened. She agreed with Tasha. He wasn’t relationship material. Woah… Who said anything about relationships? Damn, he’d gotten into her head, and for a short stint, she let herself imagine there might be more possible.
Within seconds, another beep hit Tasha’s cell. “Persistent bugger. Must have a thing for you.”
“What’d he say?” She twisted her fingers over one another. Was he too proud to admit he needed her help with something?
“He wants to know if you’re sure that’s what you want?”
He was doing it again. Drawing her to him with his sexy words. Okay, they weren’t exactly sexy. But Cary imagined him saying them with a smirk on his face, then she recalled his ravenous kiss, fingers pressed into her flesh, licking her to orgasm. Shit. But he hadn’t even said sorry for leaving her at the restaurant. She wasn’t at his beck and call.
“I’m fine right where I am.” A part of her demanded she reconsider. If Levi showed up any second, she’d jump into his arms. The logical side reminded her of the danger he posed to her safety as a half-demon. Ending now was the right decision. She had to pull away from Levi, not give him the wrong impression.
Then why did her heart clench?
The mid-morning sunlight poured through the Argos warehouse windows. Breathtaking to view the light again. Cary bathed in its warmth as it washed across her face.
“You should be good to go, hon.” A petite blond in her fifties patted Cary’s shoulder, folded the bandages in her hands, and walked out of Brent’s make-shift office.
Despite Cary’s eyes stinging from the brightness, it was the best sensation in the world. She glanced around the office coated in dust, expecting objects to shine, but everything seemed the same, except for sharpness in her peripheral vision. She bit her lower lip. For some reason, Cary had imagined the sur
gery would enhance her advanced eyes. Maybe see human auras, but the nurse looked normal. Damn, she didn’t go through that crap to get no reward, other than the amazing sex. She hurried out of the office, needing to test her eyes on a possessed.
“Cary,” Brent’s voice called from across the warehouse.
She jogged toward her potential new boss. His hands dug deep in his dress pants. No jacket or tie today. Just a blue shirt, buttoned to his neck. Must be casual day. Lucky she wore her frayed black jeans and a hooded jersey she’d borrowed from Tasha. Her bag of clothes remained at Levi’s, and after today, she’d have to go collect it. With still no moola or a home, she’d have to decide on her next move. Though, it depended on today. If Brent offered her a job, she’d ask for an advance pay check.
“Are you okay to train today?” he asked, though his deep undertone seemed to dare her to say no.
“Yep. For sure.” Pondering about Levi wasn’t helping.
“Tasha tells me your eye surgery healed without a glitch.”
She nodded, curious what else Tasha had told Brent. That she was homeless and left alone in a restaurant last night? Surely not.
“Come, I’ve got a demon for you to meet.”
Cary didn’t move at first, coldness hitting her core. She didn’t have her weapons or gloves. Should have listened to her niggling gut that morning. Should have left home prepared. But she’d lowered her guard. Her mind had floated in a puddle of confusion over Levi. No job. Where she’d live, and getting her damn sight back.
“I should collect my—”
“No. You’ll use our weapons.” He smiled in a way that shone with pride.
Cary scraped a hand through her hair and pulled it into a tight ponytail with the elastic band from her wrist. If it was the lasso like the one Levi used the previous night, she’d be outed. When she had touched the handle, it burned up her arm ten times worse than her gloves.
“Let’s go.” Brent didn’t wait and hiked across the warehouse.
The test might expose her, and if it did, they’d kill her trying to exorcise the demon out. They wouldn’t succeed since she wasn’t possessed. But she’d die in horrible agony from the holy objects. Her heart throbbed against her breastbone and sweat collected across her brow.