by JL Weil
Bastard.
The hope in his eyes made me sick. Pacing, I kicked the stupid gaming device with my foot, watching it skid across the hard, cold floor. I couldn’t just sit here, waiting for him to take away what I had just gained. Power.
Why does he get all the demon benefits?
Even if he managed to save me, I could never forgive him for locking me away. How could I? I had no idea if I’d been here for days or weeks. Hell, a year. Days and nights were nothing but a blur of rage and bitterness.
Chapter 5
{Chase}
I had a full tank of gas, a half-eaten package of Red Vines on the passenger seat, and the classic rock station pumping through the car speakers—all the good road trip essentials. If only this was a vacation and not a death sentence.
The black leather interior warmed the car from the sun beating down above. I’d been on the road for ten hours, only halfway to my destination. It would have been much faster to fly, but I didn’t trust myself thirty-five thousand feet in the air, going over five hundred miles an hour sealed in a pressurized containment.
Disaster in the making.
Not that what I was doing was exactly smart, but there was little choice in the matter. The kind of information I needed came only from a certain breed. Demons. And the best place to seek out a great deal of demons was the City of Sin, obviously. I was never a fan of the hot, dry heat of Nevada, but demons gravitated to it like flies on shit. What better place to conduct sordid dealings than right here in Las Vegas? Demons fit right in, and it didn’t matter what kind of suit they wore. There were a hundred different kinds of weird walking around. They loved the chaos of the nightlife. The sex, the lies, the gambling, the splash of lights…
Demons thrived in Vegas, surrounded by willing participants ready to trade just about anything, even their souls. And oh, how Hell’s hierarchy loved the taste of human souls. My soul, however, was the cream of the crop.
Half-breeds like me avoided this place. The overwhelming presence of so many demons did strange things to us, in a not good way. Many Divisa considered coming here a death sentence, but because I was linked to Angel, it didn’t matter. Either way our time was ticking. If the demons uncovered my weakness, I was as good as dead. If I didn’t save Angel, she was as good as dead. Options were limited.
Surprisingly, there were demons who didn’t want to make corpses out of us at first glance—a rare commodity, but they existed, and I was banking on one of them helping me.
First, I had to find one without having my head decapitated or my heart carved out.
I rolled down the strip at about noon, and although I should have been calculating a plan, the only thing I could think about was catching a few hours of Zs. After being cramped in the same position for twenty-plus hours, I wanted to stretch out. There was a motel not far, just outside the city limits, where questions weren’t asked, exactly what I needed. It wasn’t the Bates Motel, but damn was it close.
I swung the car into a near-empty parking lot. Overhead a neon sign glowed ACANCY in a dim red. The V had burned out. Classy. I was too tired to even muster a chuckle. “This should be fun.” My muscles were tight as I unfolded my body from the car.
I wanted to stay off the map. This place couldn’t get any more secluded. As I walked the distance across the road toward the lobby, not a single car drove by. No shocker. It was the kind of place people avoided, unless they were looking to get high or hang themselves.
The building was a ranch-style, one floor with the lobby at the far end of the L shape. A little bell dinged as I pushed open the door and entered. The air smelled of cigarette smoke and apple spice freshener, doing nothing to mask the pungent stench. If anything, it magnified the cheapness.
An older woman drooped behind the counter, everything about her sagged. Her eyes. Her skin. Her tits. The source of the clogged air and clover-spice stank hung from the side of her lips. “Hey, handsome,” she greeted, eyes roaming over my physique. “Need a room?” She made it sound like an invitation.
Gag me.
I approached the counter. “Yeah. Got any available?”
“For you, sugar, I think we can make room. You looking for a few hours or overnight?”
“Possibly a night or two.” This was going to be a short visit. I was optimistic—about myself and my ability to kick major demon ass.
“You can stay as long as you like.”
Normally, I creep people out, but this lady with her sea-green eye shadow was starting to give me the heebie-jeebies. “I’ll let you know.”
“How about you pay for the night and we’ll see where things go?” She turned around, plucking a single key from the rack.
“Sounds good to me.” I dug into my back pocket and pulled out my wallet. “Cash okay?”
Her eyes lit up. “You’re speaking my language, honey.”
I was pretty sure she and I would never speak the same language.
“That’ll be eighty-nine for the night.”
I handed over a crisp hundred dollar bill. “Keep the change.”
After safely tucking the money in between her airbag-sized boobs, she dangled the key from her lengthy nails, leaning forward on the counter. “You just let Sasha know if you require any service.” Then she winked, part of her false eyelash getting stuck on her lid.
I thought I’d just been propositioned for sex or something. The need to shower was overwhelming. Nodding, I took the key to the room, and because I didn’t want any unexpected visitors showing up in my bed, my silver eyes flashed gold and I said, “Make sure I’m not disturbed.”
Sasha only nodded, her eyes glossy under the flickering florescent lights. I backed out of the room, glancing at the number on the tag dangling from the key ring. Room eleven.
The space could have been worse. There was a double bed in the center, sheets turned down. Across from the bed was a console with a TV that looked like it still needed to be adjusted by an antenna. A nightstand sat on the left side of the bed. Dropping the key next to the alarm clock, I crawled into the bed, fully clothed. My face planted on the fresh linen pillow. It was a welcome scent. Fishing out my phone from my pocket, I set the alarm for midnight.
Then I dozed.
~*~*~*~
Buzz. Buzz. Buzz. My hand shot out across the bed, landing on my discarded phone. If the noise didn’t stop now, I was going to Hulk smash it. My eyes snapped open, lighting up the dark room. I clutched the device in my fist, swiping across the screen angrily until the constant buzz ceased.
I turned on my side, spying the clock.
Midnight.
Nothing good ever happened after midnight. That was Devin’s motto. And he was right. Back in Spring Valley it was my favorite time of day. Then again, I’d been on my turf. At home I took care of business. I protected my family. Now I was outnumbered, out powered, but never outwitted.
It was go time.
Less than a half hour later, I was stashing my car behind a rundown convenient store on the strip. A circus of colors buzzed with live energy in the city that never sleeps. This place had a vibe about it—an ill effect on me, and on them, and an even nastier one on my demon. It wormed its way inside me, snaking around my humanity and threatening to smother it. Something in the air amplified the darker side of me, and I knew it was only a matter of time before I would no longer be in control.
It wouldn’t be the first time I’d lost myself.
I shuddered.
Unfolding my tourist guide I’d picked up from the motel, I scanned the list of bars. There was one that literally jumped from the page. Demon’s Breath.
Now that was my kind of establishment.
The last thing I wanted was for them to know I was coming. I wanted the element of surprise on my side. I was sort of counting on it, really.
I took off down the alley, weeding in and out between businesses, staying in the shadows. The trickiest part was keeping my demon at bay. Bloody bastard was being persistent. If anything were going to
give me away, it would be the eyes.
Bright moonlight filtered in between the alleyways, and the balmy evening air rushed over my face as I moved over the uneven ground. Minutes later, I was standing outside the backdoor to what had to be the seediest joint in town.
I mean it reeked of dirty deeds, among other things. There was a distinct smell of smoke and alcohol in the air. Vines so thickly covered the side of the building that it resembled a tree.
Placing my hands on the steel door, I gave a push, expecting to find it locked. Not that a locked door was going to keep me out, on the contrary, but as luck would have it, there was no need for forced entry. The door squeaked as I quickly eased it open and stepped into a dark hallway, bathrooms on either side. Sticking to the shades of blackness, I hugged the wall, my eyes flitting down the corridor leading into the lobby.
Jaw clenched tightly, I stepped out into the main room. I was used to drawing attention, so when no one bothered to so much as glance at me, I raised my brows and looked around. Nothing special, a few pool tables, scantily dressed servers, and plenty of dim lighting. As my eyes roamed the room, I counted at least a handful of demons. Not unreasonable, I should be able to hold my own.
It was in that moment one of them noticed me. I leaned my hip against one of those cigarette vending machines, waiting to see what would happen next. Eyes void of color met mine. My nostrils flared. I was about two seconds away from snapping someone’s neck. Anyone would do. I wasn’t feeling picky.
Smiling coldly, I let my demon encompass me, flaring to the surface. This was where things could have gotten hairy, and I needed to tread carefully. If I didn’t, my biggest problem wouldn’t be a demon brawl. It would be the internal battle with my temperamental other half.
The demon looked me over and I was sure he was going to fly out of his human suit, coming straight for my heart, but he only turned back toward the bartender and downed the tumbler of whiskey.
Feeling I’d dodged a bullet, I continued my perusal, seeking out a demon who looked like he wasn’t dumb as rocks. Big Boy and his buddy at the bar were nothing but lower demons. I needed someone higher on the food chain. Good lord, this better not be a bust. I couldn’t afford to waste a single second. Already, I was beginning to feel the first inklings of being apart from Angel. In twenty-four hours, I’d be lucky to throw a worthy punch.
Then I saw her across the bar. Instinctually, I wanted to dagger her.
Demon. Male or female, my instincts didn’t discriminate.
Curious, I stayed where I was, waiting for… Actually, I didn’t have a clue, but as I stood there she leaned over the pool table and expertly sunk the nine ball into the left corner pocket.
Dropping the end of the cue stick to the floor, her cherry lips curled in a satisfied grin. She was dressed from head to toe in black leather that fit like second skin. Great. A demon hustler and a temptress.
With a sinister sparkle in her unusual eyes, her bold lips puckered as she spun to face the two pathetic suckers. There was something about her that struck a chord of familiarity. Had we fought before? Was she one of the countless demons I’d sent back to Hell?
I shook my head. It didn’t really matter. She was only the means to get what I wanted.
One of the guys she’d been playing went for his wallet, but Duck Lips put her index finger in the air, waving the blood red nail from side to side. “I’m not interested in your money, boys.” I heard her say. She ran the tip of her nail down his shirt. “You’ve got something else I want.”
“Oh yeah,” the scruffier one replied, intrigue lacing his tone.
What a fool.
I knew exactly what she was looking for, and it was most definitely not what this imbecile was thinking. No one was going to get lucky tonight. Not even the platinum-haired seductress. I was about to ruin everyone’s good time.
Hey, I was just that type of guy.
Letting my eyes rim in gold, I stepped out of the shadows and intercepted. This wasn’t me being a nice guy; it was me being selfish. My wants and needs came first. “Let me do you both a favor,” I said, catching them each in my gaze. The ability to force my will on humans was second nature. I’d been doing it for far too long. “Scram. You don’t want to get on my ugly side.”
Their eyes went glassy, and it wasn’t from the booze. Another few seconds went by as my compulsion worked its way into their tiny brains. The tension in the air went up several hundred degrees. Shit. Nothing like pissing off an entire bar of demons. I positioned myself between her and the two jokers stumbling toward the exit.
She spun on the spike of her heel, facing me. “Now, that wasn’t nice.” She drifted toward me. “You owe me a soul. Two actually, Halfling.”
My nostrils flared. “By the end of the night, it’s going to be you who owes me.”
She looked me up and down. “Intrigued. Take a seat. I’ll let you buy me a drink.”
Chapter 6
{Chase}
The high-handedness of demons drove me nutty. Sure, I could be a pompous ass when I wanted to be, but it was different. I slid into one of the round barstools, dark shadows drifting over my face. “My name’s—”
“I know who you are, Chase Winters, son of Alastair,” she said, slinking into the seat beside me. A subtle scent of jasmine and something a tad bit tangy followed her.
I made an ugly face. “Well that’s unfair. I know nothing about you.”
“Kira.” She smiled.
“Cute. Is that what they call you in Hell?” I couldn’t keep the judgment from my tone, and why should I?
“I’ll hand it to you. It takes a lot of balls showing your face in this town.”
“That’s me. I’ve got kahunas of steel.”
She let out a husky laugh, her slim fingers wrapping around a glass half filled with a pink drink.
“I didn’t come here to amuse,” I stated flatly.
“You do know that Daddy has sent out an amber alert on your girlfriend and a wanted bounty on you. Dead or alive.”
“What’s new? I’ve spent my life sending his devoted kiss-ass puppets back to Hell.”
“But I’d bet my soul you’re here more out of desperation.”
She was toying with me, and the knowledge made my blood pressure spike. “Tell me what you know about why I’m here,” I grated out. I was grabbing at brittle straws, but it was better than doing nothing. That nearly drove me over the edge.
She put her lips to the rim of the glass, taking a sip and leaving behind a perfect imprint of her mouth. “You have something Hell would destroy for, will destroy for. You’ve been lucky up until now.”
I snorted. “Obviously, you haven’t heard the best thing about me.” I leaned over and whispered, “I don’t give a flying feather about the wants of Hell.”
“And that will be your fatal flaw. Like father, like son.”
My voice dipped into frozen tundra levels. “Don’t ever compare me to that bastard.”
“I guess I don’t have to ask how you feel about Alastair.”
“Oh, and you’re a saint?”
“We’ve both done things. It’s in our nature.” She plucked the spear from her drink, twirling the cherry at the end. “But believe it or not, we do have a few things in common.”
“How about we cut the crap? I didn’t come here to bond over Dirty Shirley’s and chitchat about whose killed more people. If you know who I am and why I’m here, why haven’t you taken my soul? Why haven’t you turned me into the a-hole who condemned me?”
Crossing her legs, she sat back in her chair. “Good question. I’m still considering it, but I believe we can help each other.”
I snorted. “What could you possibly want from me besides my life source? I’m sure it’s almost run dry.” I’d challenged the lines of life and death one too many times.
“The strength of your soul is not in question. What I need to know is just how far you’re willing to go to save the girl you love.”
I cast a dark loo
k. “Tell me how to save her.”
“Who said she could be—?”
Determination burned through me like a righteous fire. “Don’t say it. I refused to believe she is lost to me. Let’s get that clear right now. Got it?”
There was a pause. “If you say so. Doesn’t change that I can’t help you.”
My fist came down on the bar top, splashing her drink over the rim of her glass. “I have a lot of pent-up anger I’m just dying to take out on someone. Don’t push me.”
Her scarlet eyes moved from her glass to me. “Duly noted, but don’t forget what I am, halfling.”
“As if I could. The stench in this place is sickening.”
“Boys,” Kira said, sliding off her chair. “I think the halfling has overstayed his welcome.”
Chairs scraped against the sticky wood floors, but I wasn’t the least bit concerned. “I’m not leaving until you give me what I want.”
The short-fused demon who had earlier given me the stink eye took a step forward. “You think you can take me, hybrid?” he spat.
“Why don’t we find out?” I scoffed, cracking my neck. A hot rush of rage twisted my insides into giant knots. Whipping around, I let out a deep roar just as a demon shot across the bar, heading straight for me. So much for escaping without a fight.
We slammed into each other like a crashing avalanche. Everything in our path was destroyed. The impact shook the walls, knocking over bottles and glasses. Gripping onto his forearms, I spun around, pinning his back to the wall. Plaster cracked and paint chips sprayed the air, but I hung on.
“You should have listened to me,” Kira said.
The strong SOB swept his arms up, looping them in a circle that forced me to lose my grip. His shadowy arm coiling out, aiming right for the center of my life source. I was pretty keen about keeping my soul intact, whatever I had left at least.
Darting to the side, I threw my fist into his beer belly. “You should really lay off the spirits, old man.”