Koivu (Demons After Dark Book Three)

by Laurie Olerich

  In another twenty seconds, they were gone. Tallia dropped her arm around Micki’s shoulders and said, “They’ll sort it out. Let’s get your donations wrapped up and get out of here.”

  “Yeah, let’s do that.” Micki had lost all interest in smiling and fawning over their guests. She was dying to know what was going on with Larry. From the sound of things, he owed this Solos character money and wasn’t paying it back. Did Solos burn down the shelter as a warning? Why on earth would Larry borrow money from a gangster like that? It was crazy. She set her friendly smile to autopilot and wove her way through the guests, chatting them up and thanking them for their support. All the while, her mind was reeling with possible explanations for Larry’s behavior. In the midst of the thoughts racing around, one lone niggling question began to take shape . . . He thought she hadn’t heard him, but she had.

  I’ve seen such things done in Hell . . .

  What was that all about?

  Expat Security was filled with Trinity when Koivu drove up with the moron Larry still bitching in the passenger seat. The man was spewing a steady stream of curses and threats that Koivu mostly ignored until they pulled up and parked the SUV. Clearly he had no friggin’ idea how close he came to losing his entire finger. If Koivu hadn’t jacked the guy up when he did, the damage would’ve been much worse. As it was, he had a nasty burn. The moron should be terrified, not pissed off. He turned to Larry and snapped, “For fuck’s sake, shut up! You’re giving me a headache!”

  Larry’s mouth dropped open in a surprised O and he edged closer to the door. Koivu rolled his eyes and growled, “What?”

  Larry considered him slowly, licked his fleshy lips and cautiously unbuckled his seatbelt. “Nothing! I’m not saying a thing.”

  “Great. I have work to do. Let’s get inside so my buddy can wrap up your hand before you get chunks of human meat all over the leather.”

  Larry blinked but climbed out of the vehicle. He kept his trap shut when they entered the building and even when they walked into ops, despite the crowd that waited there. Benn, Nash, and Sid looked up from behind Sid’s computer monitor. “Is Vanek back yet?” he asked Nash before waving Benn over. “Dr. Benn? Can you take a look at this burn? This is Larry. He’s a friend of Micki’s,” he added in explanation.

  “Sure.” Benn immediately came over to do triage; healing was in his nature. “You must be Larry from the shelter. I helped save a bunch of puppies. Cute little guys too. They’re settling in here already. I might even keep one.”

  Larry’s tense expression softened in the face of Benn’s easy bedside manner. He offered his wounded hand, saying, “I should’ve stopped by to thank you for helping us. I meant to, but the days got away from me. It’s been a crazy week. I really appreciate everything you all have done for Dal Pals.”

  Benn bent his head over Larry’s hand and murmured something appropriately modest. Demon, human, it didn’t matter. Benn was a healer in any form. Whether he was performing his job as SuperMax inmate psychiatrist, or putting med school to use fixing minor wounds, he healed dirty souls, demons, and sometimes humans. It was simply who he was. When Koivu first regained consciousness in his transporter’s body, he had wondered whether he would keep his personality and stay true to his nature. Completely opposite from his cousin Benn, his demon nature was violent and destructive. He was a fighter—a warrior of pure blood with wickedly uncanny instincts that he had honed into another weapon. Was this still his nature?

  Nash pushed away from the desk, saying, “V’s with Nikita in his room.” He jerked his chin towards the door and strode through it with Koivu on his heels. Once they were clear of Larry’s ears, Nash filled Koivu in. “Vanek and Nik got back an hour ago. Nik’s not looking too good, but his doctors signed the release. He’s got a long road to recovery ahead. He’ll be out of commission for months.”

  “Did they have any problems on the way here? Any attacks?”

  “No, it was uneventful, but they’re both beat. Long drive.” He paused just outside Nik’s new room. “Listen, I want you and Derick on the road first thing in the morning. Head to Pittsburgh and get Alyx. Sid’ll give you the last known address for his transporter. I’ve got a shitty feeling crawling under my skin. The clock’s ticking for us. The quicker you pick up Alyx, the better off we’ll be.”

  “Pittsburgh? Huh. That’s where my transporter’s from. Do you mind if I take a few extra hours? This’ll be a good chance to empty out my storage unit. I keep getting bills for payment. Might as well go through the junk and close out my account since I’m not moving back there.”

  “Fine. Just do it after you get Alyx and don’t take too long. I want you back here in two days.”

  “You got it, man.” He rapped softly on the doorframe.

  Vanek opened the door and waved them inside. They shared a bro hug and Vanek whispered, “Nik’s out. He’s still medicated but come in and hang out. He’s been slipping in and out of consciousness. He’ll wake up again in a few.”

  Lainey and Dylan had made the room as comfortable as possible. It was sparsely furnished with a new bed, a small chest of drawers, and a nightstand made from a refinished barrel. A small clock and a stack of books rested there. In addition, the room was spotlessly clean and smelled of lemon and mint. He knew without looking that there was clothing in the drawers. The ladies had gone off the deep end when they found out that Nik was in such bad condition. They wanted him to recover in the most comfortable space they could make.

  Nik lay on his back with a fluffy down comforter tucked around his chest. Koivu stared, eyes searching for a trace of his friend in the human body lying in front of him. Nik’s transporter was thick, stocky, and heavy with muscles. The long, flowing tattoo that was inked down his left arm jumped out vividly against the dark complexion of his skin. The Nik he knew had been a little on the short side without any extra bulk. Twin-horned and golden scaled, he’d been quiet, reserved. Not shy, he just wasn’t a fan of other demons. He kept to himself a lot. How would he respond to this new body? What memories did he keep? What did he see when he closed his eyes? Koivu continued studying him, wondering for the millionth time why they were being targeted. Why did they have to suffer? They were all innocent. This was so unfair. Someone—Carrick for starters—was going to pay for this pain. One day soon Koivu would be back in Hell, his athame sharpened and ready for battle. He would personally skewer that fucking traitor and send his corpse to the Great Abyss.

  Mocking his rage, Nik’s hated Trinity tat glimmered with a dull, red light. Koivu leaned closer, muttering, “What the hell?”

  Nik’s eyelids fluttered a few times before they rose to reveal a pair of unfocused deep brown eyes. His frame tensed when he spotted Koivu hovering over him.

  Vanek reached out and gripped Nik’s hand, saying calmly, “It’s okay, man. This is Koivu. Derick’s coming by later. Everyone’s worried about you.”

  Koivu forced a grim smile, and said, “You look like shit. How’re you feeling?”

  “Like shit.” Nik cleared his throat and tried to push himself into a sitting position. Koivu and Vanek both reached in to help him sit up with his back against the headboard. Once he was comfortable, he rasped, “Thanks. Hurts to lie down. Fucking pain sucks.”

  Nash rapped on the door and stuck his head into the room. “Koivu, your dog lady’s here. She’s grillin’ the old guy. You might want to put her fire out before she explodes.” He scowled and added, “She dragged Tallia and Dylan with her, for fuck’s sake. Get her out of here so we can get the rest of the plans together for your trip.”

  Koivu gave Nik’s shoulder a light squeeze, and said, “I’ll stop by before I take off. Get some rest.”

  Well, this can’t be good. He heard them before he entered the hallway to ops. It sounded like one hell of an argument. He really didn’t have time to play referee. He and Derick had plans to make. A lot was riding on tomorrow’s rescue mission. The last thing he needed was a crowd of people hanging around. With this in m
ind, he strode into ops ready to toss everyone out, but Tallia caught his eye and gave him a negative shake of the head.

  “I can’t believe you gambled away our shelter! How could you?” Micki shouted at Larry.

  Larry threw up his hands and shouted back, “I didn’t gamble away the damn building! I used it as collateral. It was supposed to be a sure thing! I thought I’d have the money back in time.” The flash of anger fizzled and he hung his head in despair. “I’m sorry about the fire.” He glanced up, sincerity shining in his eyes. “I had no idea they would burn the building. You have to believe me.”

  “Oh, I believe you.” Her face scrunched with disgust. “Why did you do it? Just tell me why.”

  The room went suddenly quiet when Larry only stared down at his feet. The tips of his ears burned red. Koivu stood in the doorway unsure whether he should interrupt or not. Micki was obviously upset. Her ivory skin was flushed with anger, but her eyes glittered with unshed tears. Her overly soft heart was breaking for this dumbass who’d gotten into some bad juju with a bunch of trained killers. Hell was full of dirty souls who’d made stupid decisions out of greed and ended up on the wrong end of the deal.

  The tension stretched until Larry finally explained, “I . . . I made a few bad personal investments and I needed cash to get out. One gamble led to another and the money didn’t materialize.” His voice cracked with desperation. “I’m broke.”

  In a few short steps, Micki crossed the room and hugged him. “You should lay low until we can figure a way out of this mess. You’re not safe on the streets. Solos’ won’t let this go unless you pay off your debt.”

  Koivu decided this would be a good time to interrupt. “How much do you owe, Larry?”

  Larry flinched at the sound of his voice, but answered, “75k.”

  Across the room, Benn whistled in amazement. Koivu agreed. That was a lot of money to owe. Micki blanched. No one said anything for a whole minute. Koivu finally said, “Unless you’ve got a fairy godmother who’s just late to the party, you’ll be dead in a week. You need to disappear—for good. If you stay, you’re putting anyone who knows you in danger, and that would be selfish. And since I know you’re not a selfish bastard, you need to get gone. Tonight.”

  Micki glared at him and seemed to be grappling for something to say. Her face went through a series of expressions before it settled on indignation. “Where do you get off telling him he needs to go? This isn’t your business. It’s his. You have no right to say that.”

  Koivu smiled tightly at her loyalty, but that didn’t matter. Her safety mattered, so he doubled down before Larry could come up with a reasonable second option that kept him here in Brooklyn. “Now see, you’re wrong about that. It is my business when it puts people I care about in danger.”

  Larry broke into their conversation before Micki could counter his point. “Look, Micki, I know you’re worried about me, but this guy’s not wrong. He’s an asshole, but he’s not wrong about this. I’m a dead man if I don’t start making payments to Solos. Since I don’t have any cash, I’m going to have to run. It’s the only way to stay alive.” He squeezed her hands and added, “I appreciate your loyalty, but this is dangerous, kiddo. You know it. I’m going to be fine. I’ve got a few places to go. I’ll come back when I can. In the meantime, I need you to get the new shelter up and running. Get some volunteers to help you. I don’t want you burning out by trying to do it all yourself.”

  Micki shot an angry glare at Koivu, but she seemed resigned. She hugged Larry again; this time she clung a little longer before disengaging with a deep frown. “You have my email. Use it. Be careful.”

  He gave her a crooked, pained smile and nodded. “Yes, ma’am. I’d tell you to be careful too, but,” he cut his eyes to Koivu, “I don’t think you’ll be unguarded for long. I’ll keep in touch if I can.” He looked around the room at the tiny audience and said, “Thanks for your help. I’ll be going now.”

  Benn stepped forward and said nicely, “Come on. I’ll take you to your place and watch your back so you can pack a bag.”

  Chapter 10: Search and Rescue

  Western Pennsylvania was coated by a thick layer of late autumn snow. It hung in clumps from the trees and dried grasses sticking up in the median. The interstate was a wet, black ribbon that wove in and around the hills that surrounded the greater Pittsburgh area. Low clouds threatened more snow as Koivu drove onto I-70 and turned southwest. Riding shotgun, Derick scanned the GPS map on the SUV’s navigation touchscreen.

  “Looks like we’re heading away from the city completely. The directions have us going into the countryside. Is this right? I thought we were going to Pittsburgh?” Derick mumbled around the tail end of a strand of black licorice.

  He frowned at a barrage of fresh snowflakes and flipped on the windshield wipers again. “Pittsburgh is the closest big city. We’ll head there after we’ve got Alyx. My transporter had an apartment near downtown. After I transitioned, I put everything into a storage unit until I had time to go through it. This seems like a good time to check it out. I don’t want to leave any loose ends hanging around after we get home. I’d rather sell what I can and donate the money to Micki’s shelter.”

  “Sounds like a good plan. I can’t wait to get back. Lissa’s probably going crazy with worry. What do you think Carrick told people?”

  “About our exile? My guess is he lied and told everyone we’re traitors and had to be punished. I’d bet our families are catching a lot of flak for this. It’s fucked up.”

  Derick snapped off another strand of licorice and stabbed the air with it. “No one better be messing with my wife! Scales will fly if I find out any fucking demon’s giving her a hard time.”

  “Amen, brother. I’ll help you kick ass.” He huffed a cynical laugh and said, “You can bet my family has already disowned me. The Ice Princess wouldn’t associate with a traitor. She’s probably already cut my branch off the family tree.”

  Derick grunted in agreement. He didn’t need to comment. He knew Koivu’s family as well as he knew his own. Their dysfunctional families were one of the things that sent them onto the rooftops and into The Glory Pit.

  “How much farther?” he asked after a few minutes of comfortable silence.

  Derick went back to scanning the screen and said, “Another hour or so.” He feathered his fingers over the bumpy scar on his neck and sighed. “I hate this place, man. I miss my wife. I can’t wait to get home.”

  “Yeah, I know. We’re going to make it back. There’s no other option for me.”

  Staring through the side window, Derick sighed again and asked absently, “What about Micki? You’ve been seeing her for five months or so.”

  “What about her?”

  “She likes you.”

  “I like her too, but we’re both adults. We’re just—”

  Derick held up a hand to stop him. “If you say fucking, I’ll call you on it. There’s more than sex between you two. I’ve seen the way she looks at you. She’s halfway in love with you already.”

  Koivu burst into a good laugh that settled into a wide grin. “That’s bullshit. She’s just using me to move on from her ex. If we have fun together and turn each other on, that’s a bonus. Trust me—she’s not in love with me—I’m not her type. She’s looking for marriage and babies someday. She’s too smart to settle for me.”

  Derick’s sudden grin dissolved into a soft chuckle of doubt. “Huh? Okay, I guess I misinterpreted the emotion in her eyes. Not a surprise since I’m new at being human.” He chuckled again and said casually, “Forget I said anything. She’s a big girl. I’m sure she won’t even miss you when you leave.”

  They spent the next twenty minutes going over the things they had to do once they returned to Hell and their former lives. Conversation halted when they dropped into a valley and right into another squall. The wind whipped against the vehicle hard enough to move them around the road as Koivu white-knuckled the steering wheel. The sun was nowhere in sight now
and the temperature inside the SUV was uncomfortably cold. Fabulous. He hated being cold. He’d give his left nut for ten minutes in one of Mt. Akanni’s hot springs.

  Derick nudged him after a bit, saying, “Make a left at the next side road. Drive another five miles and take a right. The house should be right around that turn.”

  “Got it. This snow is a pain in the ass. I can’t see shit through the window now.” The wipers were flying at full speed, but the snow was falling too fast for them to keep up. He slowed the vehicle to a crawl and leaned closer to the window with his teeth clenched in annoyance. “I thought it wasn’t supposed to snow until winter. I was hoping to be gone by the time winter came. This sucks.”

  Leaning forward to squint through the windshield, Derick used a paper towel to wipe off the inside of the glass. “Man, this place is in the middle of nowhere, isn’t it? I’ve never seen this many trees. It’s kind of cool though. I wonder what it would be like to hike through here. Do you think it’d be easy to get lost?”

  “Maybe for humans. Not for us. We’re too smart to get lost.”

  “Dude, we are humans now.”

  “Humanity is only a state of mind, and I’m not buying into it. As long as I’ve got my demon soul, I’m a demon.”

  Derick didn’t comment. He let the topic die. He wasn’t wrong about being in the middle of nowhere. The last little town was miles away in the rearview mirror. They were driving through a thick forest, broken up by occasional open fields filled with dead corn stalks and dotted with lonely barns. Koivu ran his eyes across the scenery and shivered with cold and a twinge of apprehension. Off in the distance, a wisp of smoke curled above the snowy treetops. That solitary sign of humanity seemed very far away. It was more than a little creepy.