Catch Me (The Demon Underground Series)

by Parker Blue

After I told him about the flyer and the stones, Austin said, “Tomorrow night? I didn’t think it would be so soon. I won’t be able to go with you—we’re setting a trap for the rogues in hopes of catching Ike and Mike.”

  “I thought we agreed Ivy and I could handle this on our own,” I reminded him drily.

  “Yes, I know, but who couldn’t use backup? I was planning to stay outside, just in case you needed me.”

  I laughed. “I think I can handle a few male vamps.”

  His voice lowered as he drawled, “I know you can, darlin’, but I worry about you.”

  And didn’t that give me a case of the warm fuzzies. My heart rate shot up, and since Austin was nowhere near Lola, I couldn’t even blame her. Unfortunately, I didn’t have a clue how to respond to that. “I, uh . . . thank you?”

  He chuckled softly and said, “Well, now, if you really want to thank me . . .”

  His seductive tone made me feel warm all over. My first instinct was to run away, to deny what I was feeling. But the heck with that—life was short. I needed to grab it by the tail and hang on for a ride. Feeling suddenly bold, I said, “Do you have a suggestion?”

  “Come on over, and I’ll show you,” he said, his voice low and sexy.

  Whoa—adrenaline rush. “I-I . . . okay.” Brilliant response. Just brilliant. I could hear Fang laughing in my head, but luckily he didn’t say anything, or I probably would’ve popped him one.

  IF YOU COULD CATCH ME.

  “Good. I—” Austin broke off, and I heard a scuffling noise in the background. “Hold on.”

  After a few moments, he came back on. “Sorry about that.”

  “What’s going on?” Whatever it was, it better not keep me from seeing him.

  “We caught someone lurking around the blood bank—a rogue. He says he knows nothing about Alejandro’s kidnapping or the attack on Luis. I, uh, promised my people the Slayer would question any rogues we caught, make them tell the truth. Would you mind testing him for us?”

  “No problem. I’ll be there soon,” I said and hung up.

  Ivy glanced at me. “What was that all about?”

  VAL’S GONNA GET SOME, Fang said with glee.

  Ivy grinned, and I felt my face flame hot. “I’m going to help question a rogue Austin caught,” I told her.

  AND SUCK FACE WITH AUSTIN. GO ON, YOU KNOW YOU WANT TO.

  Ivy held up her hands. “Hey, no problem here. Good luck with that.”

  I glanced down at myself. Same old boring Val—jeans, long-sleeved T-shirt, and a vest. Should I change?

  NAW, DON’T CHANGE YOUR CLOTHES. AUSTIN LIKES YOU JUST THE WAY YOU ARE.

  “He’s not wrong,” Ivy said with a smile. “And you don’t want to look like you’re trying too hard.”

  She was probably right. “So, are you okay on your own?”

  SHE WON’T BE ON HER OWN, Fang said. I’M STAYING HERE, TOO. YOU DON’T NEED ME TO QUESTION A ROGUE OR WATCH YOU BUMP UGLIES WITH AUSTIN.

  Sheesh, where did he learn these things? I might have to hide the remote from now on.

  Fang craned his neck to look up at Ivy. HOW ABOUT YOU AND I GO VISIT PRINCESS AND MY KIDS? PRINCESS HAS GOTTA BE GOING NUTS ONLY BEING ABLE TO TALK TO THE HELLPUPPIES.

  “Sounds good,” Ivy said, her eyes laughing. “See? We’ll be fine. Go have fun with Austin.”

  Feeling as though my face had probably turned permanently red, I headed to the blood bank and took the elevator up to the penthouse. I don’t know why I felt so nervous. It wasn’t as if Lola hadn’t fed on Austin before. Then again, this time was different. This time, something . . . more . . . might happen. To tell the truth, the thought scared me about as much as it excited me.

  Austin opened the door, and I felt suddenly shy. Luckily, he didn’t give me one of his patented suggestive remarks, but just smiled and opened the door wide. “The rogue is in the kitchen,” he said.

  Grateful for his restraint, I followed him to the kitchen where a young-looking guy sat sullenly in a chair, guarded by two of Austin’s followers. They all looked a bit worse for wear.

  “Hi,” I said cheerfully. “What’s your name?”

  He didn’t look up, wouldn’t even meet my eyes. Okay, I guess it was Lola’s turn. Slowly, I sent out strands of lust to the guy in the chair, careful not to catch the two guards in her spell. The rogue’s eyes widened, and his mouth went slack as I eased into his chakras and took control. “What’s your name?” I repeated.

  “Tim.”

  “Okay, Tim. Austin here is going to ask you some questions, and I want you to answer them fully and completely. Okay?”

  “Sure,” he said, his eyes glazing over, a little drool escaping from his lips. Gross.

  Austin grabbed a chair, turned it around, and straddled it with his arms on the back so he was face-to-face with Tim. “What do you know about Alejandro’s disappearance?”

  “Who?”

  “Alejandro, the leader of the New Blood Movement. What do you know about his kidnapping?”

  “Nothin’. Don’t know him.”

  Austin frowned. “Who are you working for?”

  “No one.”

  Looking frustrated, Austin said, “So what were you doing skulking around the blood bank?”

  “I was hungry. I heard you have blood here.”

  I stifled a grin. Made sense to me. Taking pity on them both, I said, “Did you by any chance happen to attend a seminar recently with a vampire called Alexander the Great?”

  “Yes.”

  Austin glanced at me. “Great. Another newbie.”

  I continued, “Did he tell you that you had to kill someone to be accepted?”

  “Yes.”

  “And did you?”

  “No.”

  Austin leaned forward. “Why not?”

  “I-I couldn’t.”

  Right answer. “Looks like he was really just hungry,” I told Austin.

  He nodded, then told Tim how the New Blood Movement worked. “Is this a life you can embrace?”

  “Yes.”

  Everyone looked relieved, except one of the guards who seemed a little disappointed that he wasn’t going to be able to whup any more ass.

  “Good,” Austin said, then glared at the guy who looked disappointed. “One more for our side is always a plus, don’t you think?”

  The guy shrugged but seemed to get it.

  “Okay,” Austin said, standing. “You two take Tim downstairs, show him the ropes, get him some blood. Good job, guys.”

  I released Lola’s hold on Tim, and he seemed to deflate in relief. “Thank you,” he told me fervently.

  I wasn’t sure if he was thanking me for making them believe he was telling the truth, or because Lola made him feel so good. Ew. I didn’t want to know.

  “Sure thing, boss,” one of the guards said, and the three of them left the penthouse, leaving us alone.

  I smiled at Austin. “You’re good at this, you know.”

  “What?”

  “Leading others.”

  He ran a hand over his face. “Not you, too.”

  “Huh?”

  “These guys keep bugging me to take Alejandro’s place. I won’t do that.”

  “Of course not,” I said softly. “You wouldn’t be you if you did.” He looked confused, so I added, “Alejandro told me that vampires become more of what they were when they were alive. And he said you’re the most honorable man he knows.”

  Austin had such an odd expression on his face, I couldn’t interpret it. “Thank you for believing in me,” he said and drew me into his arms.

  There was nothing romantic about the hug—just Austin expressing his appreciation for my support . . . at first. Lola had other plans.
>
  She surged into him in a wave of pure need. For once, I didn’t want to stop her, but, feeling Austin’s immediate response, I felt a little guilty. “Sorry,” I said, reining her in.

  “Why’d you stop?” he asked softly, his embrace turning into something far more intimate.

  “I don’t want to force you to . . .” Feel lust for me is what I wanted to say but couldn’t get the words out. I wanted the desire to come naturally, from him. I buried my head on his shoulder, feeling out of my depth.

  He held me away from him so he could look me in the eyes. “Darlin’, did I or did I not invite you here to do just this?”

  My face flamed hot, but I still couldn’t meet his eyes. “I guess.”

  “And since I can’t feel Lola’s effect over the phone, you think maybe you might just believe me when I say I want this?”

  “Yes,” I said in a small voice while Lola whooped it up inside me.

  “And do you—does Lola—need her reservoir filled?”

  I nodded, feeling shy. She’d been subsisting on short rations for a long time, since I never let her fully fill my chakras. She needed this. We needed this.

  He grinned. “Then let’s go somewhere more comfortable.”

  He entwined his fingers with mine and led me to the bedroom. Oh, my. Was I ready for this?

  “Don’t worry, darlin’. We won’t do anything you’re not comfortable with.” He toed off his boots, then lay down on the bed and patted the comforter. “Come, snuggle with me.”

  It was exactly the right thing to say. I couldn’t help but smile inwardly at the thought of a vampire who wanted to cuddle.

  I removed my shoes and joined him, letting him wrap me in an embrace, both of us fully clothed. I sighed—it felt so wonderful to be held in a strong man’s arms, something I rarely felt since Lola had to keep her distance.

  And, of course, Lola rose to the bait. There was no going slow this time. She surged into his chakras with the force of a wooden stake to the heart. I heard him gasp.

  “Sorry—”

  “It’s all right,” he said soothingly. “You just surprised me, that’s all.”

  To tell the truth, it surprised me, too. Maybe it was because I hadn’t used many spells lately, so I was able to keep most of my succubus mojo, or maybe it was because Lola was so greedy, but she seemed stronger than ever. I reined her in, not wanting to go too fast.

  As Lola drew on Austin’s sensuous energy, his hands skimmed slowly under my shirt, over my skin, skirting the sensitive bits. I wasn’t sure if he was teasing or going slow for my sake.

  It didn’t matter. I released all my inhibitions and let Lola loose.

  Chapter Thirteen

  Val

  FANG HOOTED AS I walked in the townhouse door late the next afternoon. LOOK WHO’S DOING THE WALK OF SHAME!

  Oh, crap. I should’ve left Austin’s place early this morning. Instead, I’d conked out and slept way too late. Now, Ivy and Fang were up and waiting for me . . . and Fang could read everything in my mind about what I had done last night. As I felt my face flame yet again, I wondered if he would broadcast my special night with Austin to the entire world.

  Fang came over to nudge my shin. NAW. I HAVE SOME DISCRETION WHEN IT COMES TO PEOPLE I LOVE.

  Awww. I leaned down to hug the fuzzy mutt. Thank you.

  “So, how’d it go?” Ivy asked from the living room couch.

  “Unfortunately, the rogue didn’t know anything about Alejandro— he was a total newbie.”

  “That’s not what I meant.”

  I flopped down on the couch beside her. “I know. It went great, but I really don’t want to talk about it, okay?” I wanted to hold it close and shiny to myself for a while, not tarnish the newness of it all. I might be part lust demon, but that didn’t mean I liked to talk about what happened when Lola came out to play.

  Ivy looked disappointed but said, “Oookay, I’ll change the subject. I’ve been wondering . . . since you’re the Paladin for the San Antonio Demon Underground, why are you at the beck and call of the vampires?”

  “I’m not, really, but there isn’t much going on with the Underground that Micah can’t handle right now, and he and I both choose to have me spend time helping our allies with their problems.”

  “Why do you bother?”

  Ivy seemed more curious than judgmental, so I answered her truthfully. “The world is going to learn eventually that demons and vampires exist, whether we want them to or not. The New Blood Movement is working to make their coming out as peaceful and unthreatening as possible, plus have legislation in place to protect those of us who are the good guys. The rogues . . . we don’t really know what they intend to accomplish except for using humans as a food source.”

  “You think laws will really stop them from doing that?”

  Fang snorted, giving her the answer. But I responded anyway. “Not stop them, no, but it will allow people like the SCU—the Special Crimes Unit—to arrest the bad guys and stake them if necessary. Plus it helps protect the good guys like Alejandro’s people and us.”

  Ivy nodded. “Is this New Blood Movement happening everywhere? Or just here in San Antonio?”

  Good question. “I’m not sure. I know there’s one in Austin, too—probably most of Texas. Beyond that, I have no idea. You’ll have to ask Alejandro when we find him.” And, for everyone’s sake, I hoped we’d find him alive and well soon.

  Ivy glanced at her phone. “That seminar starts in a couple of hours. What’s our objective?”

  I thought for a moment. “We want to find Ike and Mike or learn how to find them.”

  “How are we going to do that?”

  “I’m not sure. We’ll try to weave it into the conversation. If we can’t do that, we need to get them to trust us, want to turn us so they’ll take us into their confidence.”

  Ivy looked a little sick. “Turn us?”

  “Don’t worry—they can’t turn you. If a vampire drinks a demon’s blood, it’ll make him insane long before he’s able to turn you.”

  “That’s not reassuring.”

  I grinned. “It won’t come to that—you have me as your secret weapon.” The strength spell I’d invoked to take care of the three Cs was still in place and working. “Not to mention those gemstones of yours. You think some of them might come in handy?”

  “Maybe,” she said doubtfully. “Can’t you just force the vampires to tell you what you need to know?”

  “I could, but I was hoping to be able to do this on the down low, so they don’t get wind of our intentions and warn Ike and Mike. We’ll just need to ensure we stay together, for your safety.”

  WE GOT YOUR BACK, Fang said.

  Ivy glanced down at Fang then up at me. “You know, if Fang accompanies you, they might figure out who you are—I’d think word would have gotten around by now that the Slayer travels with a hellhound.”

  I’M FAMOUS? Fang’s mouth opened in a doggie grin. WAIT, THAT’S NOT GOOD.

  “No, it’s not,” Ivy said. “Val shouldn’t be seen with you at the seminar.”

  YOU MEAN I SHOULD MISS OUT ON THE FUN?

  Ivy gave him a strange look, so I explained, “He lives for taking down vampires. But she’s right, Fang. The word is getting around. You can wait outside the lecture hall, within mental shouting distance, okay?”

  IF I HAFTA.

  You hafta.

  “We should probably change into something else, blend in,” Ivy suggested.

  “Blend in?” I glanced down at my clothes. True, I needed to shower and change, but. . . . “Don’t I look like a typical college student?”

  “Yeah, too typical, maybe. And too Val—they might know what you look like by now. We should make you over, so they won’t recognize you.”

 
“How?” I asked in trepidation.

  “I was thinking we should go Goth. You know, like the vampire subculture.”

  “Not a bad idea, but I don’t really know how.”

  “No problem—I do. I have some friends who are into the lifestyle and sometimes go out with them. I have everything we need.”

  After I showered, I found that Ivy had laid out a small selection of clothing on my bed.

  “I’m a bit taller and thinner than you are, but I think we can wear the same size.” She sorted through a collection of dark clothing. “What do you think?”

  She had three outfits to choose from—black leather pants with a fishnet top, a bustier with a long, flowing tulle skirt, and a short, tight vinyl dress with a strange studded leather belt that had chains hanging from it.

  IT’S A BONDAGE BELT, Fang explained.

  I didn’t even want to know how he knew that. Or what a bondage belt was used for.

  I glanced at Ivy. “Why do you have this stuff with you?” Let alone three full outfits.

  She shrugged. “I didn’t know what kind of organization you had here, and I wanted to be able to fit in. Besides, it’s a great disguise. People don’t notice the real you when you’re wearing clothes like this—all they see is the Goth.”

  She had a point. But I didn’t really care for the choices. “The black vinyl dress is out—I don’t know how anyone could even move in that, let alone hide a stake or two.”

  Ivy nodded. “The leather pants are probably too long for you—and tight enough that you’d have the same problem hiding a stake. The skirt is elastic, and the bustier adjustable.”

  So, the bustier and tulle skirt it was. She helped me into the bustier, and I blushed at how the tight corset-like garment pushed my boobs up and out so it looked like I really had something there. The skirt was a lot more comfortable, but stakes would show above the waistband. I looked at myself in the mirror, feeling foolish and overly exposed. “You think I could wear a vest over this?” I asked.

  “No,” Ivy and Fang said simultaneously.

  THAT WOULD LOOK DUMB. WHAT ABOUT YOUR BLACK LEATHER JACKET?