"How the hell did a demon get into you, Bruce? Don't you know better? You run away from demon smoke," Cat’s watery eyes sprung a leak and soaked her face.
“I never lose people; I’m supposed to save them. I can’t, no, why, please.” Her voice stumbled around so quiet, but she could barely hear herself. She shook her head as a horrible raw pain squeezed at her heart. It was a cold sensation that crawled inside of her.
She turned her head to the right and noticed Bruce's head. It just laid on its side, mouth open and hair still perfect. Cat went to the head. She wasn’t sure if she walked or crawled, her brain was a fuzzy mess.
His cloudy, staring eyes made her face heat in anger.
She knew she shouldn't touch evidence, but it didn’t matter. She would burn the body. If she didn’t, someone could sew the head back on and turn him into a ghoul.
"I'm so sorry Bruce. All I wanted was one normal date. I didn't mean for it to kill you," she said softly at a level beyond the hearing range of normal people.
***
As quiet as a roach, Hendrick approached Cat. He moved slow to not scare her. He watched her shoulders stiffen, and in a fast-jerky movement, she turned towards him. His heart sped as her green eyes darted up to his face.
Hendrick cautiously put his hands out to comfort her. He wouldn't hurt her, and it broke his heart to see her cry.
He didn't say anything for a long moment. His eyes absorbed her tears and pain. He remembered what his mother used to tell him when he lost people in battle. “You gain strength, courage, and confidence by every experience in which you really stop to look fear in the face and then say to yourself, I lived through this horror. I can take the next thing that comes along.”
Hendrick gave Cat a half smile. It always worked for him to know that things happen for a reason.
***
Hendrick’s exquisite voice vibrated in Cat’s being. His voice restored confidence to her, like a best friend holding her in his arms. She closed her eyes and let the sensation drown out her sorrow.
Her emotions were all over the place. She wanted to be angry, sad, afraid, and grateful all at once. She didn't know what to say to the pity in his blue eyes. It was enough to make her forget how to breathe.
She didn’t want to feel sorry for herself. She wanted justice. She shook herself mentally; this was not the dominant Cat she knew. This was the weak Cathleen coming to the surface. She focused on what he said, not just the sound of his voice.
She looked at him as the weight that made her heart heavy with understanding. No one can help a person cursed by a demon.
Her mom used to say, we all dance with death every day, but a person that danced with a demon is already at death’s side. There was no way Cat could have saved him. She didn’t know a demon lurked inside of her. As soon as the demonic being had him, he was already dead.
That thought helped her have a clear mind. So, she was able to concentrate on the man in front of her. She knew the moment she laid eyes on those bulky muscles and sculpted body, he was her Viking hero the Goddess had mentioned. There was no way she would let him leave alone. She was too curious.
He looked a little scruffier than her vision, but his kind eyes were the same.
She wasn't sure what to say. Often, she was the one who dealt with other people crying. “Eleanor Roosevelt was a smart woman,” was all she could say. She had to admit it was a good quote. One of her favorites, in fact.
He stepped forward, as he came out of the darkness completely, "I'm impressed," he said, as he took another step closer.
She was a great fighter with excellent skills with her weapons and amulets, but she wasn't sure how she could help a massive man such as him. He looked like he could fight his way out of anything.
Cat sighed. She’d seen the look in his eyes many times. It was the look a man can only get if he has been through a war.
"What's your name?" Cat asked while still on the ground.
"Why? Are you going to arrest me, detective, because I killed a demon?" Hendrick crossed his arms and smirked at her. She noticed her wallet in his left hand.
He knew well that she couldn't take him in for that. Demons don't have rights. She had never been to hell, but she was sure they had their own rules and laws there. But they didn’t cross over here.
She smirked back at him, "Why? Do you need to be arrested?"
"Not likely," he mumbled absently and leaned back to put some distance between them.
"Well, then put away that guilty look. Or I might have to put some cuffs on you." Her face got warm. She couldn’t remember the last time she had flirted like this.
His daring stare made goosebumps ripple along her skin. His eyes said he might put handcuffs on her if she kept that up.
The silence was too much for Cat, so she blabbered on, "My name is Cathleen, but people call me Cat." She stopped, pointing at the wallet in his hands, "But I guess you already knew that, didn't you? Stealing is something I could take you in for," she said, only half-serious.
"Oh yeah." He held up her wallet and tossed it over to her. "I only borrowed it. I have a lot of enemies, and I wanted to make sure you didn't work for any of them."
She lifted her eyebrow at him, as she waited for his name. The way a mother does to her troublemaker child.
"Hendrick," he said, those blue eyes showed how uncomfortable he was to talk about himself.
"Alright Hendrick," she paused and softened her eyes to say, thank you for trusting me. "I need to repay you for your help, so let me give you a place to rest for the night,” she said without thinking.
Should I take this man to my home? I don’t even know him. But he did save my life… That would be the best way to offer up my assistance when he needed it and be safe with my weapons. She mentally drummed her fingers, Okay, my house it is.
"Why would you invite a stranger to your home? And what makes you think I want to go home with a woman that had demons at her side?" The last part hurt Cat a little, but that was him just fishing for answers.
"First of all, my invitation to you is a kind gesture for the guy that saved me from a horrible experience with a demon," Cat said, as she raised her voice to nearly a yell.
"And second, my ex-boyfriend from high school, the dirtbag he is, put a curse on me. So, if I ever had another sexual partner, the demon could possess his body and make me his slave." Cat's arms flung around in frustration and fury.
She was livid at her ex, Lance. It was one thing to ruin her life emotionally. Now, the bastard wanted to destroy her actual life by getting her enslaved by a demon.
She passed Hendrick with a scoff. She was madder at Lance than him, but he was an outlet for her.
Right now, all men were the enemy.
"Come with me or don't come with me. I could give a-" that's all she got out before he interrupted her.
One moment he was ten feet behind her deep in the alley and the next, she was pressed against the wall, his face inches from hers.
"Sweet kitty, do you always trust strangers? For all you know, I'm as bad as that dirty Blaigeard." He got closer to her. Close enough that Cat could feel the heat of his body on hers.
For some reason, she wasn't afraid. The weird feeling in her stomach spoke of something else entirely. Her lower belly threatened to flutter like in the romance novels her friends made her read. Cat didn't like it at all. Anything that could affect someone’s body like that was dangerous.
***
Hendrick thought the same thing, but the lack of fear on her face made him smirk inwardly. He kept his face in the crease of her neck as he breathed in her scent. That sweet honey scent of hers was intoxicating. His beast threatened to come out and play.
It has been so long since a worthy fighter had tangled with him in his bed. They had all been broken from the war. There was a snake-like sensation up his spine that warned him his vampire beast wanted to take control.
***
Even though she wasn’t afraid of him, he was to
o close for her liking. Without thinking, Cat put her hands on his shoulders and wrapped her legs around his knees which made his knees buckle. She heard him make a startled sound, which only fueled her excitement.
She quickly put her right foot on the wall and pushed as he lost his footing. The momentum made them roll to the ground. Cat used this move all the time, so she knew exactly how long it would take for their bodies to hit the ground. It was just enough time for her to grab a dagger from her hair.
Cat pressed her dagger to Hendrick's throat as he hit the ground. She landed with one foot on the ground and one knee on Hendrick’s chest to pin him down. She hovered over him like a warrior princess. The way her hair fell on either side of her face meant she probably looked like one, too.
She bent her head lower for a dramatic effect, "I don't like people in my personal space. Next time you do that, I won't hesitate to use my blade." Cat loved the look of surprise in his eyes. She prided herself on being the best, and when people doubted her, her soul hums with excitement when she proved them wrong. Yep, good old Chinese hair daggers were the best. She only had half her hair up, so the blades were smaller than her other ones. Yet still very effective.
She got up fast and hauled him up with her like a sparing buddy. Her eyes drifted down, so she didn’t have to look at him. Holy Goddess, Cat sucked in a breath as she gave her bloodied clothes a disparaging look. My white blouse has seen better days.
"You didn't answer my question," Hendrick folded his arms against his chest like she didn’t have a knife pressed against his throat. She liked that. Most men stomped away, angry that they had lost to a woman. But she didn’t like him asking questions.
The tables have turned, and it was her turn to look at him suspiciously. Cat knew two things, she was an Unnatural and she had the power to prove it. But what she didn’t know was if this guy could be trusted with her secret. Not too many people could do what she could. The more powerful the Unnatural, the more hunted they become.
If people found out, she was an Unnatural all her hard work would be for nothing. She’d lose her job, friends and put her mom in danger. They might even make her move out of her neighborhood.
The Goddess wouldn’t have put him in my life if he was a bad person. The thought made her shoulders feel relaxed and words coming out. “I can sense evil in people.” She shrugged, “For the most part."
Cat scanned his body. If he squirmed under her gaze, she would know he felt like he was evil. Only insecure and guilty people move. She was disappointed when he didn’t. "You are not evil, just cocky and annoying."
That stern persona of his melted away and he stifled a laugh as he brushed off his clothes, "No wonder Izzy warned me about you. You are quite a firecracker.”
She straightened, and a nervousness made her body quiver. As if she had passed a test of his or something. "You know Izzy Flake?"
"Aye, I saved his life a while back. He has been a troublesome but faithful friend since. But he told me not to tell anyone you are an Unnatural," he looked up at her as he took his gaze off his pants.
“That’s not something people in this town know.” She gave him a pointed look and dared him to say something stupid, so she could use her daggers on him.
He shrugged at her and smiled.
Cat was taken aback by how different his body language was. He looked like he was talking to a friend. Whereas ten seconds ago, he looked like he was talking to an accused felon.
That sounded like her Izzy though. So, she tried to follow his lead and relax. Izzy had always been clingy when it came to influential people he could add to his collection. Although, what can one expect from the town gossip. He knew everything and was eager to tell his secrets to anybody he considered an ally.
The funny part was, he was attractive. When she first heard of him, Cat had pictured big glasses and zits, not the sculpted frame with perfect blonde hair he turned out to be. His friend, Rebecca, wanted her to date Izzy, but Cat was never interested in the blabbermouth.
Rebecca wanted Cat to hook up with everybody, though. So, that’s not saying much about him.
"Sounds like him." Cat turned and walked away from Hendrick. "So, let's just go get some rest. By the look of it, you need it."
She could feel his eyes on her back. He sarcastically spat at her, "Lead the way, then."
Six
As she stepped out of the dark alley onto the street, she saw the local street lighter bring the lanterns to life. This is the last time I come to this neighborhood on a date.
There is nothing bad about the lower income neighborhoods that can’t afford light bulbs; she used to live in one. But every time she agreed to meet in a place like this, dreadful things happened.
The first time, the guy was a nose picker that carried around a doll. Then, of course, the incest twin that liked to talk nonstop about how his sister broke his heart. And now, I have a vision that almost blows my cover and my date was murdered. Nope, her poor heart could only take so much.
Cat smiled when she saw her faithful black sidekick still parked out front, in good health, with nothing wrong with it. “Alright Yari, what's the big idea leaving me alone tonight?” Cat cocked her hip as she rested her hands on them and faked disappointment.
If Cat could have her car as a partner, she would. Human partners didn’t last long with her, which is why she didn’t want one. Although, the one she had now wasn’t too bad.
She pressed the button as she smiled at her car and made it beep to life. For as long as she could remember, her family had Toyota cars. This one though, was the first with a clicker. The sweet beep made her chest swell with pride. Most cars didn’t have that anymore. But there weren’t too many cars around anymore either.
During the war car bombs were popular, also something happened to the fuel, and now, not a lot of people know how to work on cars because, so many people didn’t have them.
With another click, she opened the trunk to grab the gasoline and matches. This wouldn't be the first time she’d had to burn a body to prevent it from becoming a ghoul. Against the laws of nature, ghouls can survive almost anything. Although, it was hard to come back from being turned into ash, no matter what the person had been.
She looked at her shaky hands with disappointment. Get on with the program, body. As always, her mind and body didn’t see eye to eye. She looked at the alley as if it was a horror house. This was the first time she had to burn someone she knew. It was apparent that she had an issue with it, but her body wasn’t as good at hiding the truth. Traitor.
Hendrick noticed her unease but kept silent. He knew all too well the horrible torture involved to burn a friend. Before either of them could think of how it happened, the dead body was already on fire in the blazing flame.
Cat stood dumbfounded, the gasoline container and matchbook weren’t in her hands anymore. She licked her lips and looked behind her to where Hendrick now stood, “You must be a vampire. I didn't even see you move.” She straightened, as she tried not to admit how grateful she was. “Good for you. Not many can startle me,” she gulped, distinctly uneasy. She was glad the Goddess had spoken to her before that information revealed itself. She didn't know too many vampires. The ones she did know can't be trusted.
Her eyebrows narrowed at his ‘I told you so’ look. “Still want me to accompany you home?” Hendrick said and did not make an attempt to hide the taunting tone.
“Yes, you saved my life. As long as I'm not on the menu, I don't care what your diet is.” She couldn't help herself and taunted him right back, “But if you are scared, I understand. I did just kill the master vampire of this area for being loose-fanged,” Cat pushed past him and went inside the bar to grab her purse. With luck, her properties would still be there.
The sweaty bodies and beer smell pushed her face back. Ewe, not one of my favorite smells. At least, the table where she sat was close to the back exit, so she could leave out that way.
Her eyes roamed her booth, “Awe, come on.” S
he grabbed her black shiny purse with a loud angry sigh. “They took my lip gloss too. Assholes.” Her purse was still at the brown table, but the contents were scattered on the seat. Anything of value was gone. She silently thanked her mom who taught her to keep her wallet and keys with her, always. If only she would have included her cell phone.
She turned to the bartender and pointed her finger like a pistol ready to put a hole in his head, “Send your surveillance amulet to the CIU immediately. Tell them to give it to David.” She stormed out when he nodded. Cricket chirps could have sounded in the background if not for the dominating bass in the next room.
When she got back to her car again, she pressed the button to unlock her door. She hopped in and turned on the engine, as she totally forgot about Hendrick.
When Cat remembered, she looked around. Her anger was ready to peak. She spotted him in the shadows of the alley with his arms crossed like he spent most nights there hanging out. When he still didn't move towards the car, she gestured to the passenger seat.
Why the hell is he just staring at me?
“Fine,” Cat said as her anger got the better of her. She pushed the pedal as if her life depended on getting away. Her car never went mind-bogglingly fast. She was sure it had something to do with the crappy gasoline, but the way Yari picked up speed and zoomed away, Cat wondered if she had held back for so long.
She could help him another day. If he wants to be a jerk, that’s what he’ll be treated like.
Cat was miles away when Hendrick’s blurry body stopped in front of her car. She knew the dark imprint of a man in the middle of the street was him because of his eyes. They always seem to be staring into her soul.
Cat slammed on her brakes, “Are you crazy?” she yelled out the window. “I could have hit you.” He tilted his head and looked at her with a bit of craziness in his eyes. But they turned back to their usual sarcastic orbs.
The Smokiest Grave (The Unnatural Series Book 1) Page 4