Burning Ash

by N. J. Walters

  “Who are you?” he demanded of the would-be assassin.

  The muscles in the vamp’s jaw and throat rippled. “Harrison Rucker.”

  “Harrison, you picked the wrong hunter to fuck with.”

  “Didn’t know the bitch had protection,” he managed to get out.

  “Harrison, Harrison, Harrison.” He shook his head in mock sympathy. “She’d have kicked your ass if I hadn’t stopped her. Really, you should thank me.”

  Harrison’s face turned an interesting shade of puce. Jo was scowling at him, too. No doubt furious with him for lying to her. Well, not exactly lying, just not telling her the whole truth.

  “Who hired you?” The only reason he was still alive was that they needed information.

  Jo was staring daggers at the remaining creature, just as interested as Asher.

  Harrison tried to shrug but couldn’t move no matter how much he tried. “This isn’t possible.”

  Feeling his age, he sighed. “It’s very possible. No matter how strong or badass you think you are, there is always someone else bigger or badder. Who hired you?”

  “Got an email. Said where she’d be and how much I’d get if I did the job.”

  “You came here based on an email?” They’d done the same, but he wasn’t going to admit that.

  “Money to off a hunter? Fucking right we came to check it out.” Harrison was talking easier, working to release himself from the partial thrall that Asher had on him. He wasn’t going to walk away from this confrontation, but the thought that he could might loosen his tongue.

  “How would you get paid?”

  “We send proof. They deposit the money.”

  Asher’s harsh laugh echoed among the deserted buildings. “No, whoever sent you knew I’d be here. Jo was bait. They knew if you murdered her, I’d end you. That I’d kill you just for attacking. They never had any intention of paying you.”

  This plot was getting thicker by the second. Ignoring Harrison’s protests, he rifled through his captive’s pockets and withdrew his phone.

  He checked through the emails and found what he’d expected. “Anonymous. Same as the ones we’ve received,” he told Jo as he pocketed the device. Not that she had anything to say to him. Lips compressed, she glared.

  “That it?” He could shred Harrison’s mind but was hesitant to do so in front of her. Bad enough she now realized he was a vampire without giving her any idea of the true scope of his abilities.

  In truth, he could have dropped all of them with a thought, but he couldn’t be fully sure she wouldn’t have gotten caught in the backlash. Expending that much energy always had some residual effects no matter how precise he was.

  And truthfully, he’d been hoping to avoid her finding out about his true identity for a while longer.

  “That’s it. Let me go, man,” Harrison pleaded.

  “How many innocents have you slaughtered while they pleaded?” he asked. This wasn’t his first kill. The fact he took a job without fully understanding what he was getting into proved he was bloodthirsty.

  “What do you care? They’re just humans.”

  No matter how long he lived, they always said the same things, used the same justifications. “You were one once. You have family and friends.”

  A brief flicker, quickly gone.

  “I was weak.”

  “You still are.” Prolonging things wasn’t helping any of them. Duty called, and he had never shirked doing what needed to be done. “For your crimes against humanity,” he stated. He slammed his hand forward, driving it through the vampire’s chest, his fingers closing around the still pulsing heart. Giving a hard yank, he pulled it out and tossed it aside. Harrison toppled forward, landing at his feet.

  “What the fuck?” Jo moved as soon as he dropped the compulsion. Sword raised, she stared at him with something akin to fear in her eyes. “You’re a vampire. You’re a fucking vampire.”

  He inclined his head even as his soul shriveled. “Of a sort.”

  “But you were out in the sunshine. You ate real food. How is that even possible? Your kind dies when exposed to the sun. They survive on blood. Food is poison to them.”

  Every single one of the long years Asher had lived pushed down on him, until the weight threatened to crush him.

  A vast ocean of time. Mountains of death. Nothing but responsibility.

  “I told you. I’m special.” The joke fell flat. There was no roll of her eyes or exasperated sigh. Not this time.

  “What are you?” The horror in her voice almost broke him.

  “It’s a very long story. We need to get out of here in case there are more of them lurking around.” If he’d been in charge of this kind of operation, he’d have left at least one as a lookout. Of course he’d always worked alone, so what did he really know?

  The back of his neck itched. Were they under surveillance even now?

  “I’m not going anywhere with you.” She raised the crossbow. Sorrow seemed to bleed from her pores. “I’m sorry. I really am.” With that, she fired twice.

  He caught both bolts in quick succession. Placing them in one hand, he held them out to her. “In case you need them.”

  Giving a shake of her head, she backed away from him. What remained of his heart withered, much like a vampire’s did when they died. He tucked the bolts into an inner coat pocket.

  “We need to check their pockets for identification and phones. Anything that might help us uncover who is behind all this.” Just because she was done with him didn’t mean he was done with her. No matter what she thought of him, he would watch over her to his last breath.

  Turning his back on her, he walked to the body farthest away, mostly to give himself some breathing space. A search turned up a wallet and phone. A ring and chain lay on the ground. He scooped them up to dump later. The money he found was left in the coat pocket. There were plenty of homeless in the area. They’d put the clothes and money to good use. The jewelry was too identifiable if any of their friends came looking.

  While he might be pretending to ignore Jo, he was very aware of her stealthy movements. He dropped and rolled in time to keep his head from being cleaved from his body. Her sword made a low whoosh as it cut nothing but air.

  Her pupils were dilated, her lips a firm line of determination. She’d faced down the attackers with steady hands. The last thing he’d ever wanted was to cause her distress. Good intentions or not, he had.

  “I’m sorry.” More than she’d ever comprehend. They barely knew each other, but there was something about her that filled the emptiness inside him, drove back the darkness.

  Maybe that was the point of all of this.

  “I’m the target, not you,” he told her.

  “I don’t understand any of this.” A single bead of sweat trailed down her cheek. She swiped it away.

  “I’ll explain everything as soon as I clean up this mess.” He slowly came to his feet. “Know this one thing. I will never do anything to harm you.” Slowly, he reached out and touched his fingers to her face. She was deathly pale, which worried him.

  …

  Jo inwardly trembled while outwardly remaining strong. It was only partially out of fear. A part of her was still drawn to him. He’d been in her home. She’d slept with him beside her. And he was a vampire.

  Or was he?

  He’d been out in the sunlight. Had eaten actual food. Something she’d never heard of or seen before. And her research was extensive. As was her personal experience.

  Whatever he was, he was dangerous. Being frozen in place had been horrifying. Able to hear and see everything but unable to move a single muscle. For someone who relied on their strength and motor skills, it was torture of the worst kind.

  And he’d done it without blinking.

  She swallowed heavily and took a deep breath, trying to get
air into her constricted lungs. I can do this.

  There wasn’t any other choice.

  While she was standing there fighting to regain her composure, he’d collected the rest of the personal belongings of the creatures he’d ashed and tossed the clothes and boots into a nearby dumpster.

  She was split in two. One part of her was standing here; the other seemed to be removed, watching everything unfold from afar. Some portion of her brain recognized she was in shock.

  Asher had called her bait. Fury rose like a wildfire within her, spreading out to her limbs and taking heat and determination with it. She was nobody’s bait, no fucking lamb to be dragged to the slaughter. When she found whoever was behind the emails, they’d pay.

  They needed to get to the bottom of this.

  Her gut clenched, and she swallowed heavily. Whatever was going on was beyond her experience. Someone had put a price on her head. The food she’d eaten earlier churned in her stomach. She placed a hand over it and took a calming breath. She was going to have to work with Asher.

  Like it or not, she needed him. He had skills and resources she didn’t. Being a hacker was probably the least of them.

  There was no point in running. He knew where she lived. Plus, she had no doubt he’d catch her if she tried to slip away.

  If he’d planned to hurt her, he’d had ample opportunity. And motive. She had tried to kill him. Twice. That hadn’t even fazed him.

  Then there was the simmering attraction between them. Denying it wouldn’t make it go away. She knew the way he kissed, the languid warmth it sent cascading through her. The touch of his hands on her face, the proprietary way he’d pressed his hand to the base of her spine as they’d strolled down the sidewalk.

  And she liked him.

  There. She’d admitted it. He was witty and funny and made her want to laugh and smile even when she was annoyed and angry with him.

  He wasn’t a normal vampire. So, what was he? Power flowed through his veins like water. It had filled the air around her, freezing her in place along with the vampire.

  Asher was one scary dude.

  “Ready?” he asked.

  Was she ready to head into the unknown with him? Not really. But there really was no other choice. On her own, she was easy pickings for a group of vamps. And with someone out there putting up a shit ton of money to have her put down, there were going to be more.

  “Yeah, I’m ready.” She sheathed her sword and held out her hand.

  Without her having to ask, he placed the two crossbow bolts in her open palm. She tucked them away and adjusted her coat to cover her weapons. A quick scan of the area assured her they were leaving no trace behind.

  A shiver snaked down her spine and made her search deeper into the shadows. Now her mind was playing games with her. There was nothing out there. Asher would know.

  But would he tell her?

  “Sorry for not helping.” She needed to pull her weight. It was difficult to act normal, but she had to try.

  “You more than held your own.”

  “Don’t patronize me,” she snapped. There was a whole hell of a lot she’d tolerate but not that.

  “I’m not.” Dark eyes narrowing, he frowned. “You held off two attackers while I handled the others. You discovered I wasn’t exactly what you thought I was and then were held in thrall while I interrogated and destroyed the final one.” His frown turned into the slightest grin. “Then you tried to kill me. Twice. I admire the dedication.”

  He was crazy. Maybe they both were. “Would have been three if I’d had my flamethrower,” she tossed out without thought.

  Asher threw back his head and laughed, exposing the strong column of his neck. The sound of delight warmed her core. His smile was infectious, making her own lips turn up slightly before she caught herself. “That’s my hunter.” The possessiveness in his tone wasn’t lost on her. Her toes curled in her boots.

  “Would it have worked?” curiosity made her ask.

  “What? The flamethrower?”

  She nodded.

  He shook his head. “No.”

  A vampire who could easily catch steel bolts midair and was strong enough to hold another in his thrall? No, it probably wouldn’t have worked.

  He’d said it before, and she’s laughed at his audacious claim, but he really was special.

  And on that note, “We need each other to figure this out. We need to work together.”

  “I’m looking forward to it,” he told her.

  “Only work. Nothing more.” The rules she’d laid down for herself existed for a reason. Getting chummy with anyone opened her up to a world of pain.

  Not that they had anything resembling a normal relationship. They’d shared a few steamy kisses, but nothing more.

  And he’d saved her life. Multiple times. Not to mention he was the only man who’d ever slept in her bed.

  “Whatever you say.”

  She wasn’t buying his easy acceptance. He might come across as laid-back, but that was nothing more than camouflage to mask the true predator lurking beneath.

  “I have to assume my apartment is compromised if the person who brought us together is sending a hit squad after me.” And wasn’t that a pleasant thought.

  “We go to my place.”

  “Is that really any safer?”

  “Yes.” He held one arm out to point the way without touching her. “And it’s time to pull out the big guns.”

  Jo stalked back toward the busy streets of the city, not sure she really wanted to know exactly what that meant. She cast one final glance over her shoulder, unable to shake the eerie sensation of being stalked.

  Chapter Eight

  Jo did her best to appear calm and collected as she peered around Asher’s home. In truth, she was bowled over. The private elevator had taken them straight to the top floor of the small luxury apartment building. When the doors had opened, it hadn’t been to a hallway but to an apartment. His home took up the entire top floor.

  “This is some place. When you said you owned property, I thought you meant houses or maybe something with a retail business and an apartment or two. I didn’t think you meant an entire apartment building. It is yours, right?”

  She’d never been around this much wealth before. The floors gleamed, making her almost afraid to step on them. It was intimidating as hell. Annoyed with herself for caring, she straightened her shoulders and affected an almost bored expression. No need to advertise that she felt like a fish out of water.

  “Yes, but I’ve been alive a long time and have accrued an extensive portfolio. Many paranormals own real estate. It’s easy to keep it all under the umbrella of a holding company and allow our descendants, meaning us, to inherit. Keeps the tax man happy and the government and authorities out of our business.”

  She’d never considered the logistics of living for so long before, but it made perfect sense.

  Asher removed his coat and placed it in the closet by the door. When he held out his hand, she shook her head. “I’ll keep mine, if you don’t mind.” Her sword, crossbow, and gun were strapped to her body, but she had more knives tucked in her coat. They were her version of a security blanket.

  “You’re safe here. But if you’re more comfortable with it, I understand.”

  She clenched her hands at her sides to keep from throwing one of her knives at him. The man knew just which buttons to push. Rather than rise to the bait, she strolled farther into the room, drawn to the large windows at the opposite end. The city was ablaze with color.

  “Bet you get a lot of sunshine through those.” It boggled the mind to imagine a vampire with all these windows.

  “They’re UV coated and, as you already discovered, sunlight isn’t a problem.”

  “But you need sunglasses.” He’d put them on as soon as the sun had risen on the drive back
to the city.

  “My eyes are sensitive.”

  It was a weakness. A small one, but she’d take it.

  When he prowled toward her, she moved away, keeping a certain distance between them.

  His shoulders stiffened, and his brown eyes darkened. “Sit if you want.” He motioned to the sofa. “I’m going to get a drink. You want one?” The furniture was comfortable and excellent quality. Her ass had never touched anything so fine.

  This was all weirdly normal. Rather than sit, she followed him into a gourmet chef’s dream kitchen. “Holy crap.” Stainless steel appliances, including a six-burner stove, light stone countertops and backsplash, and brushed nickel fixtures. Instead of dark wood or stark white cabinets, they were a warm sage green, giving the space warmth.

  “Do you cook?” he asked.

  “A little. There’s not much reason to bother. I usually grab takeout when I’m home.”

  “I have beer, wine, liquor, cranberry juice, water, or ginger ale.”

  “Water.” While she wanted a very large alcoholic drink, she needed her wits about her.

  “I have lemon water or plain.”

  “Lemon.” Dealing with the undead always left a nasty taste in her mouth.

  He put an unopened bottle in front of her and cracked open a beer for himself. He took a huge swallow before placing it on the countertop. “What?”

  She shook her head, pressed her lips together, and busied herself with the bottle of water to keep from blurting how it was weirding her out to see a vampire knocking back a beer like any normal guy. After several sips, she took a deep breath. “Okay, where do we go from here?”

  “Shall we talk in the living room?”

  “No, here is fine.” The living room seemed more intimate. That couch was big and comfy enough for two people to curl up and snuggle. Okay, they could do a hell of a lot more than snuggle. Nope, not thinking about it. The kitchen was neutral ground.

  “Suit yourself.”