Mira hugged her friend around the waist while they braced against the cold and focused on Kagan. “What’s next?”
Wyck pulled out his phone. “Xan wants to meet at my apartment. Guess we should head there.”
“Argus is close.” Kagan tracked a bus rolling past. A sudden jolt of electricity — the signal of another immortal — buzzed through his system. He glanced at Chago and Wyck. They both stood at attention, indicating they’d felt it too. “On the Metro.”
Chago unsheathed his dagger. Wyck fired off a text to Xander then glanced at Kagan. “Xan says it’s your call. What do you want to do, K?”
“Wyck, you take Mira and Zoe to your apartment. Chago and I can handle this,” Kagan palmed the Glock hidden in his pocket, his thoughts veering between defense and vengeance.
“No!” Mira stepped away from Zoe. Kagan loomed above her in an attempt at intimdation. Mira stood firm beneath his menacing glower. “I’m going with you. McClaine’s my problem too.”
“Mira, I don’t think — ” Her foot shot out and pain zipped up his leg from newly clobbered ankle. Those damn boots again! He scowled while she followed after the bus, now stopped one block ahead, and Chago took off after her. One of these days …
• • •
Argus craned his neck at the massive stone building before him. His gaze fixed on the illuminated sign for Neiman Marcus. He pushed his way through the crowds and into the revolving door. Inside, sparkling displays of jewels and cosmetics twinkled beneath the overhead lights. The smell of various perfumes wafted while he maneuvered through the center aisle, his rotund frame bumping shoppers on both sides.
An attractive woman with a crystal bottle leaned toward him as he passed. She sprayed some noxious, burning liquid in his face while shoving a sample into his palm. The fumes stung his eyes and he sneezed. Argus hissed at her before continuing on.
Humans bustled all around, stepping on the levitating steps before they disappeared into the ceiling. Stupefied, Argus gawked. He bent at the waist and peered through the hole above then straightened, took a cautious step and placed a toe on the metal stair. His leg stretched upward, creating a ten-worthy split, and he scrambled back.
“C’mon buddy, I ain’t got all night!”
Argus spun to face a perturbed African-American woman who looked like she meant business. She tapped her high-heeled shoe before knocking him aside with a swipe of her shopping bags. “Look two-pint, you need to get the hell out the way before I run your ass over.”
The voluptuous bitch bumped past him and stepped on the moving steps. Fuck. Argus squeezed his eyes shut and climbed aboard. He gripped the rubber railing with freshly formed demon claws, shredding the soft covering before they retracted. The humans around him chattered away, unconcerned.
At the top, his feet caught on the metal stop bar and he pitched forward, barely avoiding face-planting on the elegant marble floor of the next level. A shove from the shopper behind him dislodged him from the tread and sent him sprawling through a wide aisle. When he straightened, a sign before him proclaimed exactly what he’d come to find. “The Made-To-Measure Event.” He followed the arrows to the men’s department.
“May I help you, sir?” A voice steeped in condescension interrupted his inspection of handmade Italian leather footwear on display.
Argus turned to find a small, bookish man in a custom-tailored suit eyeing him with suspicion. “I need a new wardrobe.”
The sales clerk lowered his stylish glasses down the bridge of his nose and surveyed Argus before pushing the spectacles back into position. “Yes, I can see that. The ready-to-wear line is across the hall.”
“No. I want tailored.” Argus grabbed his arm when he turned to leave.
“Tailored is expensive.” The clerk flashed his smuggest smile. “How much do you anticipate spending on this wardrobe, Mr. — ?”
Argus narrowed his gaze on the pompous fuck. The shitpacker didn’t think he had the goods? He tossed a plastic card onto the counter. “Money’s not an issue.”
The clerk’s eyes flicked to the black Centurion Card. Awe replaced the look of superiority on the other man’s face. Argus hid a smirk. “Certainly, sir. Shall we begin?”
He directed Argus to a corner of the floor hidden behind glass walls etched with the name Armani then disappeared. Argus smiled, inhaling the smell of expensive leather. Yeah, this’ll do.
The man returned and asked Argus to stand and remove his coat while he buzzed about with a tape measure. Argus complied until the clerk’s hand brushed the bottom of his balls. Without warning, Argus sprang forward to pin him against the wall, his plump fist wadded in his the clerk’s starched white shirt. “Look, fucker, Argus don’t swing that way.”
“S-sorry, sir,” the clerk sputtered, his face turning a blotchy red beaded with sweat. “It was a misunderstanding. I was only trying to measure your inseam.”
Argus’s fingers twitched around the man’s neck. He fought to contain the urge to kill. After several tense moments, he released his prey with a dismissive flick of his wrist. The man slid to the floor, coughing hoarsely, while Argus coolly regarded his own reflection in the full-length mirrors. When the salesman looked up, Argus held his gaze with deadly intent. “Don’t have an accident again, fucker.”
“Y-yes sir.” The clerk crawled to grab his tape measure. “We must have your inseam measurement for the pants. Perhaps you would prefer to hold this yourself?”
Argus looked at the human groveling at his feet, and a wash of satisfaction rushed through him. He placed the tape where directed while the man marked his numbers on a pad.
“Thank you sir.” The sales clerk grabbed the edge of the counter and drew himself up, one hand fidgeting at his throat while he entered the measurements in the computer. Argus noted the dark red finger marks on the man’s scrawny neck and smirked. The clerk glanced nervously in his direction when he’d finished. “Please wait here. I’ll collect some items for you to consider.”
Argus settled into a nearby leather chair and inspected the other merchandise. He spotted several pairs of shoes and belts he desired and made a note to tell the clerk. Yeah, he could’ve simply taken the items and left, but he enjoyed messing with the humans too much. Besides, he still had four days, and he planned to enjoy them.
“May I get you something to drink, sir?” A blonde woman appeared beside his chair.
“What’re you offering?” He ran an appreciative gaze over her surgery-honed, designer-clad form and shifted in his seat, blatantly displaying the growing tent in his pants. The woman’s eyes widened before she scurried away, her heels clacking a frenetic retreat. His face stretched into a huge grin and he reached to adjust his polyester Sansabelts. Stupid bitch doesn’t know what she’s missing. Once you go demon, you never go back, baby.
An electric jolt ripped through his stomach and his grin fell. He searched the floor and the crowds departing on the moving stairs. Nothing. He stood, looking for any sign of the immortal’s presence. His phone buzzed to life in his pocket and he jumped.
Argus fished it out and answered without checking the caller ID, his attention still focused on his surroundings. “Argus.”
“Why aren’t you searching for the girl?” The monotone drone grated his nerves.
“I am looking, dammit. I’ve got time.” Argus quickly scanned to both sides. Shit. Now the lying bastards were watching him?
“No. You’re wasting time instead of completing your assignment.”
“I’ll get her, don’t worry.” A message blared across the P.A. system. The store was closing in twenty minutes. Fuck.
“You aren’t keeping secrets, are you?”
Argus fumed. The amulet beneath his shirt heated in response to his emotions.
“Find this girl, Argus, or you will cease to breathe. Are we clear?”
; The talisman burned, and his veins flooded with adrenaline. “Maybe if you’d explain your needs, I’d work faster.”
“Don’t fuck with us, Argus. You will lose.” A sudden force constricted his chest, severing his air supply. “Get her, Argus.”
The call disconnected and the invisible vise released him. Argus fumbled into his chair and rubbed a hand over his face before glancing up to see the sales clerk hightailing it out of the department.
With an inhuman growl, Argus launched himself across the department and seized the clerk by the back of his top-of-the-line jacket. The smaller man went down like wet newspaper. A quick twist of the neck, and he was gone.
Argus hauled the body into the dressing room and propped it against the wall. He raised the amulet from his chest and pressed it to the clerk’s lips, reciting a silent incantation. Within seconds, the clerk’s eyes flickered open to reveal milky-white irises, and Argus whispered into the reanimated corpse’s ear, instructing him on his upcoming duties.
• • •
Chago slipped unnoticed through the freight delivery entrance of the department store and hid behind several large boxes until the area cleared. He scanned for company before he popped open the side door and let the others in. They moved through a labyrinth of hallways and service passages before emerging on the merchandise floor. Ducking inside circular clothing racks, they waited for the store to close so Wyck could disable the security system. Forty-five minutes later, Kagan’s phone vibrated with an incoming text. Let the games begin.
After an extensive search, they found nothing on the first floor and headed to the second. Upon exiting the stairwell, Mira noticed the slight hesitation in both Kagan and Chago. “He’s here, isn’t he?” The two warriors gave her a curt nod. She retrieved a dagger from her boot. “Let’s go get him.”
Mira started off across the floor only to be pulled back by Kagan. He hiked a thumb in the opposite direction. Whoops. Lips pursed, she followed them into the men’s department. They approached the dressing room area. The sound of whistling echoed through the now empty halls. Fuck! The hair on the back of her neck prickled. She recognized the tune. Not again.
In silence, Chago crept into the changing area, flanked by Kagan and Mira. His foot slammed forward, kicking in the door while his machete sliced downward, forestalling any resistance. The whistling ceased and a weight slumped at his feet. Chago squinted into the face of a man’s well-dressed corpse, his stylish glasses dangling from the spot where half his face used to reside. The man was not Argus.
“Fuck!” Chago’s roar echoed in the deserted store. Mira peeked around his broad back.
“Who the hell’s that?” she asked, grimacing at the bloody mass at Chago’s feet.
Kagan stopped to check the body before moving to search the rest of the rooms. “It happens, mi fratello. Not your fault.”
Mira glanced at Chago’s tortured expression, his eyes fixated on his bloody blade. The sound of applause snapped everyone’s attention to the entrance.
“Wow, you Scion are good!” Argus chuckled, taking in the carnage. “Takes a special talent to kill an unarmed corpse.”
Anger tore apart her reason and Mira flung her dagger at him. It lodged in his left chest. Chago pushed Mira aside and charged Argus, knocking him backward. The blow knocked the machete from Chago’s hand. They hit the floor, and he pummeled Argus with bone-shattering blows. The demon grew motionless under the assault, yet Chago continued the beating. “You fucking bastard!”
Kagan pulled Chago off and held him at bay. “Much as I like the idea of this testa di merda dead, Divinity wants him alive. At least for now.” He glanced up at Mira’s approach. “Stay away until I get him secured.”
He crouched beside the demon and leaned across to secure his wrists. Mira spotted the sudden glint of metal moments before it struck home. Her warning shout congealed in her throat as she stared at the growing red stain on the front of Kagan’s shirt and the hilt of Chago’s machete protruding from his abdomen. Horrified, she watched his body tip forward to land atop Argus’s bloated belly.
“Should’ve let him continue, Kagan. You always were a softhearted dumbass.”
Argus yanked Mira’s dagger out of his chest and sat up. He shoved Kagan off as Chago charged again and threw the blade, scoring a direct hit in Chago’s throat. The massive warrior fell to his knees, clawing at his trachea as blood flowed over his fingers. He managed to rip the knife free before collapsing into unconsciousness. Immobilzed with shock, Mira watched the unfolding scene, torn between saving herself or the two warriors who lay dying before her. Argus’s words broke the stalemate.
“Tightest piece I ever had.” Argus’s eyes snagged on her breasts, lust seething in his gaze. “Filled out real good, didn’t you, bitch?”
Mira sprang into action, using his distraction to her advantage. She darted around him, hoping he’d reach out to grab her. He didn’t disappoint. Argus’s arms surrounded her in a bear hug, and her muscle memory kicked in. She bent over and grabbed the flesh of his inner thigh, twisting with brutal force. He grunted and tightened his grip. No success. Mira switched to plan B, and pried at his hands locked around her waist, searching for a finger to jam. She stomped hard on his foot and Argus’s grip loosened. Swinging out to the side, Mira kept his hand in a tight lock and twisted his fingers, pulling him off balance. Her steel-toed boots slammed into his torso, his groin. Argus grunted and sank to the floor. She finished him off with a roundhouse kick to the head. “Take that, fucker!”
“Hold it!”
Mira swiveled to face two armed security guards. She lifted her hands. “This isn’t what you think.”
“On the ground. Now!” One guard kept his gun trained on her while the other moved farther out into the department to radio the police for backup.
Mira knelt and he stepped forward, weapon aimed at her head. Kagan stirred with a soft groan. She had to act fast.
The guard shifted his attention to Argus and Mira grabbed his wrist, pushing the barrel of the firearm away from her temple. While maintaining a hold on the butt of the weapon for leverage, she used his struggle to gain her footing. Mira drove a hard kick into his crotch with her steel-toed boots, and he stumbled backward. She kicked him several more times before he released the gun. Mira aimed for the second guard, who now stood at the dressing room entrance, frozen in shock. “Get on the floor!”
She made quick work of binding the guards with their own handcuffs, her gaze flicking up when Chago groaned. She grinned at his stunned expression. “Welcome back.”
While she finished tightening the bonds on the second guard, a pained moan rose from Kagan. She looked away as he pulled the machete from his stomach. Mira grabbed a pair of designer socks from a nearby rack and stuffed one in each guard’s mouth before hazarding a glance in Kagan’s direction again. She found him leaning on one elbow, watching her, his expression unreadable. His voice simmered low, tinged with feral undertones. “Great work, piccola.”
Chago rubbed the front of his throat and pushed to his feet. He shuffled to the entrance and helped Kagan stand. “We need to get out of here. What do we do with Argus?”
“We need to interrogate him.” Kagan grabbed several leather belts off a rack and bound Argus’s ankles and wrists before shouldering his bulk and striding out. Chago and Mira followed, making their way down the stairwell to the first floor.
Mira cracked the door open. Several squad cars were parked outside, lights flashing. “We have company.”
Argus stirred on Kagan’s shoulder and Mira frowned, jabbing the side of the demon’s neck. When Kagan quirked a brow, she grinned. “Hey, Spock’s got nothing on me.”
Chago pulled out his phone and hit the speed dial button. “Wyck, distraction, please.” Several seconds later, the fire alarm sounded and the sprinklers rained. “Let’s go.”
They
dashed across the display floor, evading detection behind clothing racks and checkout islands on their way to the exit. Officers jogged past, barking orders into walkie-talkies. With the coast relatively clear, the group made their final drive to the side doors. Chago wrenched a fire extinguisher from the wall and smashed the glass, then repeated the action on the outer doors. Security alarms blaring behind them, they crawled through the shattered entrance and stood in the darkness, searching for their next option. A black Suburban screeched to the curb, the tinted passenger window swooshing down to reveal Xander’s less-than-pleased expression. “Get in!”
Chago yanked the door open and they piled inside. Xander swerved into the nearby traffic as police swarmed the now deserted sidewalk. Kagan hoisted Argus’s body into the cargo hold, and Chago wedged through the console area and up into the front seat with an agility belying his large frame.
While Xander weaved through the dark streets, his glare flicked between the traffic ahead and Kagan in the rearview mirror. “Way to keep things quiet.”
Kagan held Xander’s glower with an answering one of his own before slumping against the seat. “Hey, we got the job done.”
“No, she got the job done. You’re lucky Mira was there, or you’d both be in lock-up right now trying to explain how you survived all your otherwise lethal injuries.” His eyes flicked to Chago before returning to Kagan. “You two got your asses handed to you in there.”
Chago kept his gaze locked on the passing scenery. Kagan scowled out the window. On cue, Argus delivered a swift kick to the back of the seat and sent Mira and Kagan flying forward. With a snarl, Kagan leaned over the seat and punched the demon hard in the side of the head then hunkered down once more, his arms crossed and a scowl firmly in place.
“What’s the problem, Cranky Hanky?” Mira asked. “Pissed a girl saved your ass?”
“Maybe he’s considering how irresponsible his actions were,” Xander suggested from the driver’s seat.
Seal of Destiny (Seven Seals Series Book 1) Page 10