The Complete Protected by the Damned Series

by Michael Todd

  Her face was on fire, but she didn’t care. She had kicked all their asses. She wiped the blood from her nose and mouth on the back of her arm.

  She slowly walked over to the leader, who was groaning as he lay on the ground looking up at her. As she stared down at his pathetic face, she felt strong, powerful, and in control.

  “Be thankful I don’t hang your testacies around my neck like my friend told me I should do,” she whispered to him.

  Ella turned around and looking at the kid, who jumped slightly. She forced a smile, blood covering her teeth. He grimaced back as she walked over to him and patted him on the shoulder.

  “If these assholes harm you again—make fun of you, hell, even breathe in your direction—I want you to let me know,” she told him. “Next time I’ll start my necklace.”

  “B-b-but I don’t even know who you are,” he stuttered. “How can I let you know?”

  “I’m the new kid on the block,” she replied. “I’ll be around, don’t you worry, and I’ve got your back.”

  Okay, cool girl, time to walk away, Melneck suggested.

  Ella smirked and walked back past the guys lying on the ground. She pretended like she was going to kick one of them, and laughed when he flinched.

  She marched back to the sidewalk and kept walking, not knowing at that point whether to go back to the base or head to the store covered in blood. She didn’t feel any pain anymore, and when she ran her fingers over her lips they were healed.

  Melneck chuckled. I never said to use their testes for a necklace.

  I know. Ella smiled. I added that. You are too much of a pansy to say something like that.

  And I know how it feels to be punched in them, he added.

  Now who’s the big bitch? she asked, chuckling.

  As she passed a car on the street she looked at her reflection, and she realized she couldn’t go into the store covered in that much blood. She sighed and headed back toward the house. She slowed down and looked over her shoulder.

  John William Smith was watching her every move from a distance. He nodded and stepped back behind the fence.

  “You will do, little girl. You will do.”

  Why are you slowing down? Melneck asked. People are starting to stare.

  I thought I saw someone watching me. She shrugged. Guess I’m just paranoid.

  Let’s talk about that kick, Melneck said. I think you could use some help on the technique.

  Oh Lord, here we go. She sighed, rolling her eyes. Nag, nag, nag… It’s like having a grandma in my head.

  Hey, it’s my job to help you get better,’ Melneck replied. And if you think that’s nagging, you just wait until the Vegas kids are gone, I’m going to be your only friend.

  Right, because no one else will want to be my friend. She scoffed. You are a forced friend; a leech I can’t get rid of.

  A powerful one, Melneck reminded her.

  A powerfully damned annoying one, Ella shot back with a smile.

  The two argued as they walked back toward the house.

  She might have changed in that high school parking lot, but things didn’t change in her head.

  Katie sighed as she shoved her things in her bag. Before she left, she checked the room one last time to make sure she hadn’t forgotten anything.

  It was time to head back to Vegas and get settled into to their new routine.

  They would be moving to the new base soon, and she had a lot of shit to pack. Besides, she missed her room, she missed her team, and she missed normal demons without tails and snouts. She had to admit, though, it had definitely been an experience.

  She walked out of the room and out to the sidewalk, where the team had gathered. She and Damian would take a car to the airport, where John had a jet waiting to take them home.

  The other team members hugged her, some still flirting, then she went to the SUV where Damian, Ella, and John were waiting for her. It was in that moment that she realized she was going to have to say goodbye to the little one.

  She had gotten kind of attached to Ella’s snide attitude, bad jokes, and terrible sense of fashion.

  Damian turned to Ella and smiled.

  “Man, you look a bit the worse for wear there, priest,” Ella commented.

  Damian reached up and touched the bandages on his face. The last few cuts and scrapes had yet to heal. John and the others had taken very good care of them when they returned, and they had all sat around laughing at the story they told. John agreed that it sounded just like one of those ignorant assholes.

  “Yeah,” Damian said to Ella. “I haven’t quite healed yet. While my demon is pretty good at the healing thing, I didn’t get the same upgrades,” he jerked a thumb toward Katie, “as this one.”

  “Hey, I saw the bloody mess Ella was when we got back yesterday,” Katie exclaimed. “But today she magically doesn’t have a scratch on her. Pretty impressive.”

  “Take care of yourself, kid,” Damian said, hugging Ella.

  She went rigid at first but slowly relaxed, leaning her head on Damian’s shoulder and smiling. He ruffled her hair and stepped out of the way so that Katie could approach.

  Katie walked up to Ella and blew out a deep breath of air, feeling slightly emotional about the entire thing.

  “Don’t let these guys push you around too much.” Katie smiled at her and winked at John. “And remember…you are important, and you are one badass bitch.”

  “Melneck said the same thing.” Ella smiled.

  “Oh yeah?” Katie nodded. “You guys getting along better now?”

  “Yeah,” Ella replied. “Kind of. I mean, he showed me something yesterday; brought out a side of me that I didn’t know I had. I think there might be some possibilities in our relationship. Probably not like you and yours have, but he definitely has his own interests at heart, which helps me become more of a badass. He’s still a jackass, though.”

  Bitch, Melneck interjected. Tell that human to tell her demon I’ll be watching for her brother.

  “Oh, and he just said to tell Pandora that he will be watching for her brother,” Ella relayed.

  “Good.” Katie nodded. “And when he finds him, I want to get in a few blows too. He stole my damn car.”

  Ella looked confused and Katie shook her head. “Never mind, not important. Come here and give me a hug.”

  Katie pulled her in and hugged her tightly, which gave her a warm sensation in her chest. She felt like Ella had become her little sister, and there was no doubt she was going to miss her—even if she was a pain in the ass.

  Ella pulled back and quickly wiped a tear from her cheek, trying to hide her emotion. Katie rubbed the top of her head. Ella walked over to the guys and started joking around with them. Katie smiled and turned to John, who looked at her sweetly.

  “I didn’t get to take you out to dinner.”

  “I was too busy chasing hellhounds.” She laughed. “Maybe next time.”

  “Definitely,” John agreed.

  “And hey…look out for Ella. She’s a good kid underneath that tough exterior.” Katie smiled. “I’m worried that she isn’t ready, but I know she has what it takes.”

  John looked down at Katie and nodded in agreement. He knew she had what it took; he had seen it with his own eyes. Katie read the look on his face and smiled, nodding back at him before climbing into the SUV.

  Feeling at ease, she waved at Ella as they drove off.

  Chapter 25

  Katie looked at Damian, who had his head pressed against the glass and was breathing heavily, off in a dream world. She smiled and looked out her own window at the clouds. Her trip to New York—and Virginia, for that matter—had been eye-opening.

  She had learned things about herself. She had learned things about other people too, realizing that everyone was going through their own inner struggle.

  Watching Ella had made her remember all the emotions she had felt when she first joined the team, and she had realized how far she had come since then.
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br />   In the grand scheme of things it hadn’t been that long since she had become a Killer, but she felt like a completely different person. When she got home she would embark on the next chapter, finding a new place to get comfortable and continuing to kick demon ass.

  Speaking of a new place to live, she unbuckled her seatbelt and made her way to the front. She knocked gently on the cockpit doors and waited for the pilot to open it. He smiled as he took his seat again.

  “Everything okay?” he asked.

  “Yeah, I was just wondering if you could fly us over the new place before going home. I haven’t seen it yet,” she asked.

  “Sure thing! We’ll be coming up on it in about ten minutes.”

  “Perfect,” she replied, then left the cockpit and made her way back to her seat.

  Katie looked out the window in excitement as the plane broke through the clouds and he circled the new compound. She could see the whole place. There was a hell of a lot of land, and not much road. Part of it was desert, just like her old place, but part of it was dusty dry land with randomly-sprouting grasses. She leaned back in her chair and smiled, tapping her fingers on her lips.

  Okay, Pandora demanded, spill it. What are you thinking?

  Huh? Katie smirked. I don’t know what you mean.

  Come on. Pandora groaned. I know that look, and you never tap your fingers on your lips if you aren’t making some devious plan.

  Uh, devious is your forte. Katie laughed. And it’s nothing dubious. I was just thinking about the car.

  Oooh, Pandora exclaimed, excited. I almost forgot that you owed me a car. What are you thinking…Aston Martin? Another Ferrari? What?

  Actually, I was thinking that there is a whole lot of land out there, Katie told her. And maybe, just maybe, we are due for an upgrade.

  An upgrade? From a Ferrari? Pandora exclaimed.

  Yup, Katie said, smiling. Maybe something a little more appropriate for the terrain we are moving to. Something with a kick, that fits our style.

  Korbin, Stephanie, and Katie sat around the conference room at the old base talking about the Damned. Korbin wanted to know all about the trip: the details, how they ran things, and especially, to Katie’s confusion, the military escapade. She told him what she knew: that they were idiots, how they had almost gotten themselves killed, and what had happened when the general had shown up. Korbin was not looking forward to talking to the general again, although he was sure they would be having a conversation soon now that they’d seen the weapons in action.

  “Interesting,” Korbin murmured. “And John didn’t say anything about it?”

  “I mean, he rolled his eyes and said that seemed to be typical military,” Katie replied. “But other than that, no. He seemed to hate the whole part of the job that had to do with them.”

  “Right,” Korbin said, sitting back. “Thanks. And I appreciate you keeping Pandora under wraps. It’s going to be a difficult enough conversation when I have to explain the new weapons.”

  I’d like to wrap him, Pandora purred.

  Katie ignored her and smiled. “No problem, boss.”

  “Okay, so back to what I was saying.” Stephanie leaned forward. “I am telling you, I have intel on who the infected humans might be. You know, the ones wreaking havoc on society, fucking with politics and the economy, and generally doing things they aren’t supposed to. There are more demons out there than just the ones trying to kill us. There are old-school ones who try to keep a low profile, helping their human capsules and making deals with the devil. I think we should jump on this. I mean, we are demon hunters, right?”

  “You have intel?” Katie whispered, elbowing Stephanie.

  “Yes,” she replied. “But doofy over here won’t listen to me.”

  ‘Hey, doofy!” Katie smirked. “Snap out of your trance and listen up! Girl has intel.”

  “Thank you.” Stephanie smirked back.

  “Okay.” Korbin leaned forward. “And how exactly did you come by this intel? Can you trust the person who gave it to you? How do you know it’s not a trap?”

  “I can’t tell you where I got it,” she replied. “But you have trusted me with everything else, and I have the names of people who are actually infected. If I trust my source, you should too.”

  “These are the types of things we have to check out first.” Korbin sighed. “We can’t just roll into someone’s home and take them down. What if they aren’t demons? I mean, if the demon is staying on the down-low, the ring doesn’t always show. If you go to one of these places, how are you going to be able to tell if the person has a demon or is just a really big asshole?”

  “Uh, I think I can help with that.” Katie raised her hand. “Pandora can give them the demon test before the person even knows we are there, so we will know. She is that good.”

  Pandora snickered. Damn right.

  “See?” Stephanie pointed to her teammate. “I give you the names and locations, and then Wonder Girl over here can roll right up to the house and tell if they are human or not. If they aren’t and they come to the door, we’ll act like we are giving away bibles or something.”

  “Oh, yeah, that’s rich.” Korbin snorted. “The ex-madam and her superdemon sidekick posing as bible thumpers.”

  Katie and Stephanie just stared at him silently, no amusement on their faces. Korbin laughed, but slowly wiped the smile from his face. He took a deep breath and leaned back in his chair, rubbing his hands over his face.

  “Ugh. You are putting me in a really tough position.”

  “Just let us try it. Let us prove to you that we don’t have to wait for the demons to come to us,” Stephanie argued. “We can catch them by surprise, and take care of it before anyone else knows. We will be taking care of the war on the outside and taking care of the underground on the back burner. Otherwise we win the war but we are still at war, only now they are masked.”

  “Fine.” Korbin put up his hand before Stephanie could squeal with excitement. “You get one, and I mean ONE, trial run, so pick your best bet here.”

  “Yes, yes, yes,” Stephanie chanted. “You are going to be ecstatic; beyond happy with the outcome, I promise you. Come on, Katie, let’s go before he changes his mind.”

  The two girls ran out of the office, leaving Korbin kicking himself for giving in.

  They headed up the stairs and jumped into Stephanie’s little red sports car. Katie smiled, remembering what it was like to have her own car.

  Stephanie put the car in drive and zoomed down the road, heading toward the Strip. Katie leaned her head back and let the wind blow through her hair. The evening temperature was just perfect for a little excursion and some demon-killing.

  The old man drove up his long driveway to the gate in the front of his house. He pressed the code in, and waited to pull his Bentley forward until it was all the way open. In front of him was a huge white house with perfect shrubbery and a perfect artificial lawn; the perfect place to come home to.

  He was single and lived alone in the hills, working every day and then retiring to the scenic view of the lights of Vegas below him. He pulled his car into the garage and parked, opening the door and throwing his expensive designer suit jacket over his arm as he picked up his briefcase.

  He clicked the button that shut the garage door and walked through the side entrance. He made his way through the dark house and went into his office down the hall. He yawned, dropping his briefcase on the floor and tossing his jacket on the chair. He turned to walk to his desk…and froze when he heard an unfamiliar voice.

  “I know about you,” the voice whispered. “How you use the dark forces, the demon inside you, to get ahead in life. I know about your deal with the devil, and I know how you treat others. Old man, you have finally met your truth.”

  The man turned right and left, feeling someone slither around him. At first he thought it was his imagination, his demon messing with him like he did sometimes, but when he called for him, he found him hiding inside, scared to deat
h.

  “Who’s there?” he asked a bit louder. “I’ll call the police!”

  “And tell them what?” the voice hissed. “That your business has attracted too much attention and now people are starting to ask questions? That you have a demon in your head, and two in your home? That you are not what you seem? I don’t think anyone can help you now, but then again you knew that already. What’s the matter? You afraid to pay up on your debts?”

  He shuddered. “Leave me alone.”

  The demonic voice terrified him even worse than the deal he had made with the devil.

  It cut to his core. His demon continued to cower in the corner of his dark and ominous soul, begging for relief.

  The man’s hands shook wildly at his sides as he stared into a pair of bright-red eyes. He blinked, and they were gone. With a shaking hand he reached over and turned on the lamp, finding himself facing a white woman with dark hair pulled up in a knot, her eyes glowing red.

  He panicked, yelling as he knocked the chair over behind him. He tried to work his way to the door.

  Katie didn’t move. She just tilted her head and looked at him with no expression.

  He whimpered, then turned and made a run down the dark hallway. As he reached the staircase a leg shot out from the right and slammed into his stomach, knocking him to all fours.

  He groaned, holding his mid-section while trying to continue to crawl forward.

  Tears streamed down his face as he cried out for help, but no one was there to hear him.

  He collapsed onto the ground and laid there for a moment, and Stephanie stepped out of the shadows. Slowly he turned over on his back, his five-hundred-dollar tie sliding over his designer white shirt and flopping on the slick mahogany floor beneath him.

  He choked and attempted to catch his breath, trying to stop himself from blubbering like an idiot.

  Stephanie breathed in his horror, feeling every emotion he did. He didn’t know who these women were, but he was certain his time was over. He was certain the devil had returned for his payment.