Flame's Dawn
Page 14
“Sir, thank you for your help, however misguided. I need to be on my way.”
“Thank you? That’s it?” He gestured at Decker’s body, motionless and silent in the cool night.
At the wry undertone, she pressed her lips together. Was he making fun of her?
Anger bubbled up. What did it say about her own humanity that the corpse at her feet disappointed her? Pissed her off. Not because he was dead, but because she hadn’t been the one to kill him.
Here she stood in her ridiculous wig and urban fantasy getup, using sex to draw in her prey, like a warped black widow. For what?
Somewhere deep down, she wasn’t this seductress, despite her fabulous disguise. All the air and energy left her in a rush. All bravado, no substance. She was a fraud, living in a shell of an existence.
Damn, how she wanted Decker’s criminal blood inside of her knife. What if she just swirled the knife in the pool of cold blood? Maybe that would work.
No, it wouldn’t. Had to be blood from the heart; the knife had to be in the chest. Damn it.
“Thank you. Goodnight, sir,” she said in her firmest tone.
He stepped close enough that she saw his closely trimmed facial hair framing upturned lips, a mouth full enough to give a provocative smirk. A combination of cologne and Cajun spice blended perfectly around him. For a moment, she wanted to indulge, to taste, to experience a different life, to be someone else.
What the hell was wrong with her? With a dead body cooling at her feet, a handsome but still-clueless Indebted before her, and citizens on their way, she fixated on his mouth?
The damn blade pulsed again, again eager for someone’s—anyone’s—blood. It insisted on her complete attention, pulling her focus away from the man in front of her.
When she tried to evade him, he snagged her arm. He was strong, but of course, she was his equal. He couldn’t budge her. At the display of her Indebted strength, shock crossed the visible part of his features. Yes, they shared the exact same secret.
“Chèri? What the—?”
Using his surprise to her advantage, she acted on pure instinct, stomping his instep with her spiked heel. He bit off a curse as his grip loosened. Dropping to a crouch, she rotated and swept an outstretched foot under the one leg he hopped on, and he fell hard onto the cobblestones. Unfortunately, when she rotated, her stupid wig caught on his hand, knocking it askew and covering an eye.
Not caring if he saw, she tugged her hair back in place. In one fluid motion, she leapt to the metal fire escape ladder and vaulted to a roof. Quite a feat in heels. How did those sexy vampire chicks in the novels manage? Never mind. No time to think about silly books.
She gritted her teeth and sprinted across the roof. Before descending the next ladder to the opposite street, she glanced back into the courtyard. She had gotten away in the nick of time. Patrons from the bar rounded the corner into the courtyard, followed by a police officer.
Decker’s body was gone, a glistening puddle on the cobblestones all that remained.
The mystery man, too, was gone. Although he wasn’t actually a mortal man but Indebted. Just like her.
He must have removed the body.
Why?
To protect her.
To take attention away from things in this world that could not be explained.
What a joke. Her entire existence couldn’t be explained. Everything she did as a result of being Indebted defied logic. How would a dead criminal change that fact?
It wouldn’t.
But a pattern of dead criminals could bring unwanted scrutiny to the Indebted that called New Orleans their home. Where had her consideration for others gone?
To hell, along with the greater portion of her conscience.
Jumping from the roof to adjacent buildings, she continued to the end of the block. There was no easy fire escape. She peered down the four story building and sighed. This was going to hurt.
She dropped off the roof, landing with an audible pop on one foot. A red wave of pain swamped her, and she gripped the edge of the brick to clear her head. Masonry disintegrated under her fingertips.
She pressed her lips together to keep from crying out.
Breathe.
Another few seconds, and she’d be functional.
With another crunch, her bones knitted back together enough for her to walk. Each step felt better than the last.
Once she reached the French District, she ducked into a dark corner behind a dumpster and pressed her fingers to her forehead. So tired. In the past, she had salvaged botched kills, but tonight was different. She still needed to kill, but the control she had exerted over that biker’s mind took so much energy. Her fatigue would keep the desire to kill in check for a short period of time. The desperation no longer consumed her.
Sick consolation. For now.
Meeting a fellow Indebted had thrown her for a loop. True, some Indebted worked together, but Ruth operated in private, always had. She hated spectators of any kind. Ironic, then, how she’d given the man in the trench coat quite a show.
Like most of her kind, she avoided hunting in the daytime. More potential witnesses. So she would have to endure a miserable day until tomorrow night. Even though time technically meant nothing to her, twenty-four hours from now seemed like years away.
Maybe as a diversion she could indulge in a tiny fantasy about her hero’s sensual lips.
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Don’t miss the other exciting books in Jillian David’s Hell to Pay series:
Relentless Flame
“The sex is hot and steamy while not being gratuitous or overbearing. I love the characters she has created, the way they support each other and feel like people I would enjoy getting to know. As an independent reviewer for paranormal books and authors that rock, I give this four firm solid and sharp fangs.” —Paranormal Romance and Authors that Rock, 4 fangs
“Dante's journey from player to genuinely caring man is amusing to watch, since Hannah does not play any kind of game he is used to, and the relationship is worth all their pain.” — InD'Tale Magazine, 4.5 stars
Immortal Flame
“Cleverly and expertly woven between their POVs, their journey is not an easy one - lives will be lost, family endangered, much bodily harm done to many - and love begins to bloom despite neither really wanting it...(T)his series will be an exciting one and well worth the time to savor strength in men, and women.” 4.5 Stars — InD'Tale Magazine
“Immortal Flame teases and taunts from the beginning, slowly building characters by revealing pieces of their lives and past in bits....Immortal Flame is a slow burn to a fiery furnace...” 5 Stars —Paranormal Romance Guild
“Intense and entertaining throughout, Immortal Flame proves a strong start to a promising new series that should prove a treat for fans of this ever popular genre. One to add to your reading list, it is strongly recommended.” —Book Viral
“A fast-paced and fun paranormal romance. This was a new author for me but one that I will definitely look to read again.” —Night Owl Romance
“Packed with scorching love scenes, a bit of mystery and plenty of action, Jillian David keeps you wanting more from the very beginning.” —Eat Sleep Read Reviews
In the mood for more Crimson Romance?
Check out Unstoppable by Lynn Crandall at CrimsonRomance.com.