When her exit was in view she flipped her blinker and waited the agonizing ten minutes to her turn off. She could see the street lights along the cemetery road. Eternal Rest Cemetery was one of the oldest in Bellevue sitting on the border of New Castle. The lake that separated the two cities had a park and a long winding back road that had a few houses on a lot of property. Bri’s was the one directly across the street.
She parked her Audi and dashed across the street the minute she was out of the car she had an undeniable urge to get to Fangs, to his comfort and the thought terrified her.
She needed him.
She looked to the western sky and watched as the last spotted rays of the sun dipped down until she was cloaked in shadow. Turning to the stone door she went to pull the handle when the door slid open and Fangs was…there, pulling her into his arms.
“ Bri…” He whispered and cradled her against his chest his arms tightening as he shuddered. “I was on my way to get you.” He pulled her back and cupped her face in his hands, his heart fucking breaking at the pain lanced across it. “I’m so sorry.”
And she cried because it was all she had left inside, complete and utter loss. Turned out the only word to describe such pain was in the word itself.
Simply, it was loss.
*
Hours later Bri woke from Fangs bed to the sounds of dozens of Vampires. The crypt had a room divider for privacy, but all in all the crypt was his emergency place when daylight got a little too close. She had spent so many days in his bed, him wrapped beside her that the crypt, though she knew he hadn’t been there in a while, still held his scent and his energy. It was imprinted with the essence of Fangs.
It was peaceful.
She could hear the din of voices because a divider was not a wall and Fangs knew it because the minute she stirred he began sending the Vamps away. “Go check it out, Ezek has given his assistance in the search so anything you need call me and I’ll let him know.”
She could hear the approval in the various grunts and agreements from his Posse. And from what she gathered Fangs Posse had joined the search for the knife. She would have rather had them looking for the two remaining demons who came for Belle. In the mess of emotion at Belles they learned that Beast was more than …hungry and the two demons holding the guns at his beloved, well they were his meal.
When she heard the last Vampire leave she rose from the bed just as Fangs stepped behind the divider. “No stay down, rest a little there’s no rush.”
Was he nuts?
“Fangs I appreciate the Posse’s help looking for the knife but do you think they could maybe help find the two demons that were casing the front of Belles? I know it’s a lot to ask but that is taking priority over everything now.” She took a deep breath and waited for his answer. To ask for help from a Vampire seethe had a cost behind it and they didn’t come cheap. It was actually the first time she realized that in dangerous situations Demons always hired Seethes to help in the fight. In that instant she realized they were the stronger species. Hell they were damn near indestructible.
“That’s what they are doing.” He said and held up a hand as she went to ask the obvious. “And before you ask, this is a favor from my Posse.” He stopped and she watched the look of fury turn into a look of sadness. “Belle was a friend of mine....." Silence. Then... "I am taking this as a personal attack.”
As the words fell from perfect lips the temperature in the room plummeted as the anger inside of him grew. “As far as I am concerned your girls are mine because you are mine.” The look he gave Bri said that he was done playing by Hells rules and that it had become a Vampire war. “There is no more playing nice Bri. I will not ask my men to politely ask questions and investigate the Demons that work for Fil. We are playing by my rules now and I do not fight fair. My men have been given orders to slaughter any demon that is under Fils law.”
“Fangs not all those guys are bad. They have families and real jobs and they don’t have a choice when Fil demands them to do a job. If they don’t then he kills them.” The words made her stomach turn because Fil had ruined so many lives for selfish reasons. “There are some that do not deserve this.”
“And those will be saved if they swear to offer guidance to me and mine and their servitude as well. I am not above forcing a demons hand.”
“That’s acceptable.” She said and rose from the bed. “What time is it?”
“Almost ten.” He placed his hands on her shoulders and guided her back to the bed. Looking in his deep black eyes she saw no lust but worry. “I want you to rest a little longer Bri, this is bound to take its toll and you haven’t slept since last night.”
“I can’t sleep Fangs. I need to find the knife and kill Fil.” Killing him now had become a fight for Belle and not herself. It was all that consumed her. She let her memory take a stroll down the past and she saw every fist that hit her, every demon that violated her and every vow that he would bathe in her blood. And even then, all the pain and all the threats didn’t compare to what he cost her today. Belle may have taken her own life but she did it because of Fils threat. That made him solely responsible.
As he pushed her back to the bed, her knees buckled as her legs came up against the side and she fell to a sitting position. Fangs fell to squat before her, taking her hands in his she had no choice but to spread her legs apart to accommodate his size. This wasn’t about sex or wanting one another, this was him getting on her level and asking her to see him.
“This one hit harder than anything he has done in the past. I know you want vengeance and I promise you, that you will get it if I have to hold the fucker still. But rushing off into danger with no plan of action or attack will get you killed.” He stared at her for a long time wanting her to see that what he offered was support and fear and strength. Wanting her to see that she was all he wanted.
“I know what I am doing and this fight is no more dangerous than any other. But the man you are going to see from me Bri, it will be different than the one who watched your back all those months ago. I have to lead my Posse and they follow my example, and that is nothing less than torture. The things you are bound to see me do may disgust you but I need you to know that I am still me.”
“I know the type of man you are Fangs." She cupped his cheek in her hand and wanted desperately to kiss him. "I know how ruthless you can be…” She watched him hang on every word waiting for her approval, her acceptance. She could see how afraid he was of her rejection and she wondered again how the hell she was supposed to make it without him when the fight ended. “I want to see you ruthless, I need ruthless because this is killing me.” She felt the tears form in her eyes and could have slapped herself for crying again. What she needed was a fight, anything less would only break her more.
“Don’t let it.” He spoke, his voice deep and dark and full of the fight she needed to have.
“What?”
“Don’t. Let. It. Use the pain Bri and let it flow through every cell in your body and fucking use it. The pain, the anger, the hate, they are your best weapons, not a fucking contract linked to a knife.”
She smiled. “You’re my best weapon.”
He laughed. “That’s true but even I won’t be as terrifying if even half of what you have buried inside of you comes out to play. You’re a demon Bri, a vengeance demon so be it.”
“Be what?” She asked her tears gone and that anxious feeling inside coming to a head like a bee’s nest had set up shop in her chest.
“Be Vengeance.” He smiled and Jesus how she wanted him now. She wanted angry fast sex followed by hours of thorough fucking followed by weeks of touching that alabaster skin that felt like the smoothest flesh stretched over lightening. He was all she could see in that moment.
He must have caught her thoughts or… shit… her scent because he stood and walked toward the laptop sitting on his table. He leaned over the screen, eyeballed it for a few minutes and then paced slowly back and forth for a second before leaning
back over the screen. He rubbed his hand over his hair and she knew he had a plan, some idea he was working toward. It was what he did seconds before making a big decision. She reached for her boots because whatever he decided she was going with him.
When she was dressed and good to go and needed him to weapon her up she waited for his word, but he just sat there, that hand rubbing back and forth…back…and forth until she wanted to scream.
“Whatever it is Fangs I’m on board so just decide already.”
With a dark laugh he nodded his head once and went to the weapons chest he kept at the foot of his bead. “Got your pirates blade Princess?”
She reached for the blade that was with her at all times, dull as usual, and pulled it from the slit in her boot she had made the minute she bought them. She was smiling because of the smile on his face when he called her Princess.
“Good.” He handed her a shoulder holster and two sig45’s and enough ammo to snap along the holster he slipped around her hip, in it was a 9mm and two cypress stakes.
“Stakes?” She asked knowing he wasn’t sending her on a vamp hunt.
He stood and strapped his own stakes in his boots and reached for his jacket. “In case we come across Crave.” He held the tomb door open for her and she stepped from into the utter darkness of night.
“Are we looking for Crave?”
“Between you and I yes we are. The night of Winters party the Sires council met to try and figure out who his Sire is and where he is coming from. We have no leads and with everything else going on right now, Crave unfortunately is taking a back seat.”
“There has to be more than that Fangs.” Bri said following him to his Cruiser. “I haven’t seen a single ghost since the night of Winters party. Craves victims alone should have me bombarded.”
“One thing at a time Bri.” He said as they took off out of the graveyard.
“And where are we going?”
The look he gave her melted her heart and made her knees like jelly, because he was almost too much. “Want to sneak up on a fear demon?”
*
It turned out that Ezek had received a tip from Delkon once Bri and Fangs left the previous night. The demon had no desire to hold back any information from the arch demon. Even though his leadership was hindered by law, the one that held true no matter what, was if the Arch demon asks for the truth you do not fuck around.
Delkon had a hell of a clue for the location of the knife and the poet it turned out would have been a waste of time. Luckily the Fear Demon lived in Snoqualmie right along the pass and he had no choice but to invite Fangs and Bri in, because her daddy said so.
“Do you know what to expect?”
Bri looked from the passenger seat at Fangs who was hand steady on the wheel, eyes heated and on her. “Not really, I assume he likes it when people afraid but I have seen some ugly demons in my time and let’s not forget my loving ex is half evil and all Incubus.”
The snarl that came from Fangs was all the indication she needed that Fil was not to be addressed as her ex. Funny was all she thought, how he didn’t admit he wanted her but yet his jealousy was pounding through the air at the rate of her heartbeat.
“I can assure you that he will look as natural as you or I. Fear demons are all about the inside. He is going to tap into every secret you have and exploit the shit out of it.” His gaze met hers again for a brief second. “I need you prepared because of the place your at emotionally right now is like feeding snakes to a gator. He is going to want to break you.”
In English what he was saying was that she had openly admitted her failing five days after Fil sold her and that this demon would have a heyday with any negative thoughts she was mustering up.
In the fairy tale world that humans lived by she would have loved her story to be true, that her Happily Ever After came with nothing more than her one true loves kiss. As kisses went she preferred Fangs and she resented him for that. Resented that he had faith in her sure, but he had faith she would fail.
As anger fused inside like a fire cracker Bri stayed silent while trying to sort the rip-his-ass-apart fit she was about to throw. He wanted a piece of that anger she had, oh she wasn’t going to make him wait any longer.
“Fangs, I need you to understand that I have only broken once and if you had any idea any indication of the hell I was put through you wouldn’t ask me if I could take it! I assure you I can take a lot more than any fear demon can muster up. I also know that if he wants into that dark place I have burrowed inside of my brain where I keep my anger and my pain, then you will see exactly what I am made of.”
She didn’t know if he was shocked quiet or if he had so little faith she didn’t deserve a response but the rest of the drive was spent in complete darkness and silence.
*
Chapter Sixteen
Fangs pulled the cruiser along a narrow dirt road that was packed until it created a fine dust that spread like fog as they drove slowly toward the large home before them. It wasn’t what Bri expected, perhaps she thought it would be gothic and surrounded by motes but as they stopped in the large circular driveway of a very modern tri level home she saw nothing out of the ordinary. There was a set of rose bushes on each side of the stairs that lead to an enormous porch and a welcome mat at the front door.
She expected the typical old haunted house tune to ring when they pressed the doorbell and the basic ding-dong was a complete let down. For a Fear Demon the guy didn’t give it up easy. Perhaps he liked to keep his victims guessing.
When the door was answered she was certain they had the wrong place because the gentle blue eyes staring back at her were from a child no more than twelve maybe thirteen.
“Hello.” She asked her look annoyed as if we interrupted the newest episode of Jersey Shore.
“Is your father home?” Bri asked her voice calm and gentle as the girls eyes.”
“Just a sec…” She said and shut the door halfway and screamed at the top of her lungs. “Dad, there’s a Vampire and a Demon at the door.”
Fangs looked at Bri and the tension from the car had given a reprieve courtesy of the girls’ pre teen angst. When a man no more than forty with inky black hair came to the door Bri was taken aback.
He was dressed like her father, his expensive three piece suit had not a crease in sight and his Hermes shoes shined beautifully. He carried with him an air of seriousness but civility and she wondered if he was already reading her secrets prepping himself to torture the new visitors.
“Not just any demon but Ezeks daughter the living breathing Princess Briar. Tell me Sleeping Beauty what on earth brings you to tap upon my door.” His voice sent a thousand pinpricks of fear across her spine and his emerald stare had her taking a step back. When he laughed she wished like hell that she hadn’t jumped Fangs shit in the car, perhaps she needed a warning about this guy. “My name is Adam Cane and you are more than welcome, the both of you, to enter at your own risk.”
He locked gazes with Fangs and an intense moment passed between them. She could see the frustration in Adams eyes but looking at Fangs he looked completely relaxed and prepared for whatever the demon had to offer. With a nod from Adam the tension broke and Adam stepped back to allow entry into his home.
As if he had set some kind of block Bri became unable to focus on her surroundings. She knew she was passing a room with a couch and TV but try as she might she was unable to see the room. She knew he was protecting himself and had cast a net of confusion called fesh, around his presence. They would only see what he allowed.
He lead them to an office that upon entering the fesh broke and stayed behind the threshold to the office. The room was dimly lit and the cherry wood book cases that lined both walls were stacked floor to ceiling with thousands of books. The remaining two walls were painted a deep red and black crown molding at every crease. They stepped over the Persian rug that covered the majority of the room and took a seat at the two large King Louise chairs that sat before the enormo
us cherry wood desk.
Adam took the seat behind the desk and steeples his fingers across his chest and relaxed into his chair. Upon the wall behind him Bri gasped at the decoration hanging on the wall. It was a shield and crossed over the front, it’s blade, a nasty spark of light, was a replica of her knife. The energy in the room was stifled and buried among emotions she couldn’t filter and was unable to sift the energy to get a vibe on the knife.
“It’s a fake I assure you but you are more than welcome to touch it, hold it and see for yourself.” The smile on his face was meant to soothe but she felt a roll of fear, pure fucking fear at the white teeth he bared.
“That’s not the only reason we are here. We assure you.” Fangs stated pointedly. “Seems the Arch Demon believes that you are one of the only demons in the entire pantheon that has an inkling where the original might be. I suggest you talk or I give you a dose of your own power and have you bleeding on this very expensive very old rug.”
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