Paranormal After Dark: 20 Paranormal Tales of Demons, Shifters, Werewolves, Vampires, Fae, Witches, Magics, Ghosts and More

by Rebecca Hamilton

  I froze, completely bewildered. He pulled away from my lips and buried his face in my hair, and then I heard him speak.

  “There’s a lookout at the edge of the bridge. Bald, six feet tall, past my right shoulder.”

  He wrapped his arms around my back and shifted a little so I could see a big man in all black standing at the top of the hill near the edge of the bridge. We had gotten out of the cab several feet away so he was out of earshot, but we’d definitely caught his attention. That must have been why Gabriel had decided to play the lovey-dovey couple routine. Though I really wished he’d told me ahead of time.

  “What’s the plan?” I whispered.

  He kissed my cheek, keeping his lips near my ear. “He’s going to come over to get rid of us. Pretend like you’re drunk until he gets close enough that one of us can knock him out.”

  “Got it.”

  He nuzzled my neck and I giggled loudly, running my fingers through his feathery hair. The lookout had started walking towards us, calling out “Oy!” to get our attention. I pretended not to notice, counting down the seconds before he’d be within range.

  Gabriel pulled away and held my hand, tugging me towards the edge of the bridge. We both looked over the side, spotting a group of men below by the shore. There were six of them plus Lewis, who was handcuffed on his knees by the water. Thankfully, we were too far up for them to hear or see us.

  “Oy! This ain’t a party. Piss off,” the lookout said through an Irish brogue, glaring at us.

  “Aw, c’mon, man, check out this view!” Gabriel slurred, brandishing a hand at the skyline. “It’s awesome!”

  “I don’t care. Get out of here or I’ll kick your drunken ass back to wherever the hell you came from.”

  I smiled, stumbling a little as I shuffled closer to him. “Don’t be such a party pooper, baby. We just wanted to sightsee.”

  The lookout sneered at me, cupping his crotch. “I got somethin’ for you to see right here, sweetheart.”

  “Don’t mind if I do.” I kicked him in the nuts as hard as I could. He groaned, dropping to his knees, and Gabriel punched him in the right temple. The lookout hit the pavement like a sack of hammers.

  We checked for witnesses—it was pretty late so no one seemed to be around at the moment—and I found another .45 like Jules’ on the unconscious henchman. Maybe it was a theme thing, just like the Pulp Fiction names.

  “Nice work,” Gabriel said as we hurried towards the end of the bridge.

  “I know, right? Although you could’ve warned me first.”

  “My apologies,” he said, checking the safety on the .45 as we slipped into the woods lining the river’s edge. “It was a spur of the moment idea. I hope you weren’t traumatized.”

  “I’ll survive. I just hope it wasn’t weird for you.”

  “Nonsense. It was like kissing someone you care about. Like a friend. Or a dog.”

  My mouth dropped open. I smacked him in the shoulder. “A dog, Gabriel? Really?”

  He shot me a look. “Is this really the time to discuss that?”

  I scowled at him. “Fine, but you’re not getting a Christmas present this year.”

  The archangel rolled his eyes. “I’ll go out first. If Lamont’s as arrogant as I think he is, we may be able to end this if we threaten to kill him unless he lets your father go. All we need to do is stall them. The cops will do the rest when they get here. If things turn nasty, do not be a hero.”

  “When have I ever done that?”

  “You really don’t want me to answer that.” He nodded towards the shore. “I’ve got the men on the outer rim of the group. Ready?”

  “Yeah.”

  “Three…two…one!”

  Gabriel leapt out from behind the tree, his Gators sliding against the gravel. Four gunshots bit through the air, echoing into the night. Three of Lamont’s men instantly dropped and the rest turned around, whipping out their weapons.

  “Don’t move!” Gabriel commanded, holding the gun on Lamont.

  While the men were distracted, I snuck my way through the tree line until I reached the edge of the bridge. I pressed my back against the wall and peeked around the corner, analyzing the remaining three men. Two of them were black guys, tall and built like Wallace had been, and the third was white, about five-foot-six, and overweight. The dim light overhead shone off his bald spot and the assortment of silver rings on his hands. His trench coat looked expensive and crisp as if he’d just bought it. I’d bet money he was Lamont.

  “Who the hell are you?” one of the bodyguards barked.

  Gabriel smiled as he kicked the guns away from the injured Mooks. “Just a Good Samaritan.”

  “Cute. You know what we call them in real life?” Lamont asked, his silky voice filling the clearing with pure sleaze. “Suckers. Plus, I don’t recall the Bible being fond of men with guns.”

  Gabriel’s smile widened. “Well, it has strict rules about killing, but fortunately, there aren’t any passages about knee-capping folks when the situation calls for it.”

  Lamont laughed. “Well done. I gotta admit I like your style. Too bad my boys have to kill you.”

  I darted around the corner and pressed the barrel of the .45 against the nape of Lamont’s neck. “Not gonna happen.”

  He didn’t move an inch. I also noticed that his breathing didn’t hitch up. Either he was a fool or a lot of people had pointed guns at him in his lifetime. Neither option made me feel any better.

  One of the bodyguards trained his gun on me, but I stayed behind Lamont, one hand on his shoulder to keep him from running off, the other holding the gun steady. The others stayed where they had dropped on the ground, nursing their wounds.

  Lewis’ gaze switched from Gabriel to me and a look of both astonishment and horror crossed his bruised face. A chain connected the cuffs around his wrists to the ones around his ankles, both tethered to a sizeable cinderblock.

  “Jordan? What the hell are you doing?” he asked hoarsely.

  Lamont spoke up before I could answer. “Well, well. Looks like I underestimated you, little girl.”

  “A lot of people do that,” I replied, letting the anger bleed through. “It keeps my list of enemies short.”

  Lamont chuckled again, still sounding casual as if we were talking about the weather. “Oh, I don’t think that’s the case anymore, kid. You just opened up the proverbial Pandora’s box on you, your dad, and your handsome friend over there.”

  “Really? Doesn’t look that way to me. I could just shoot you and drop you in the river like you were planning to do to Lewis.”

  “That’s hardly necessary. I’m a businessman. There’s always time to negotiate.”

  I gritted my teeth, stopping myself from telling him to blow it out his ass. He was right. We were in a good old-fashioned Mexican standoff, and I needed to get Lewis out of here. His survival meant more to me than killing this bastard.

  “Fantastic. Here’s what’s gonna happen. Your bodyguard’s gonna untie Lewis and let him go. As soon as he’s out of sight, I’ll back off and so will my friend. Sound like a good deal to you?”

  Lamont nodded. “I can see where those terms are fair. But honestly, I prefer deals that are more beneficial to me. If I let you go, my reputation will take a massive hit.”

  “Too bad. That’s your only option.”

  Lamont tilted his head until I could see one of his eyes. It was dark brown, nearly black in the poor light above us, and something inhuman had crept onto his face. It was a look I had seen in the demons I’d fought just before they did something unforgivable.

  “That’s where you’re wrong.”

  The bodyguard closest to Lewis kicked him in the chest, sending him flying into the river with a huge splash. I heard someone scream. I realized it had been me seconds before Lamont whirled around and grabbed my wrist. My training kicked in and I blocked the incoming punch with my left arm, kneeing him in the groin. The hit connected and he stumbled backwards for a second, bu
t just as I aimed the gun at his head, he tackled me. I crashed onto the ground, winded. He landed on top of me, pinning my right wrist.

  Behind us, Gabriel had taken off to find cover as one of the bodyguards opened fire. He’d shot the one who kicked my father, but that left me alone with Lamont. Lewis would drown in less than two minutes. Shit!

  I slammed my left fist into Lamont’s rib cage again and again, holding onto the gun with a death grip. He punched me in the mouth once and pain exploded across my skull, rattling my teeth, but I didn’t let go. He reached for the gun. I shoved the heel of my hand into the soft flesh of his throat. He gagged and loosened his grip for a split second, which was all I needed. I smashed the butt of the gun into his temple. He rolled sideways, nursing the wound. I scrambled to my feet, spitting out blood, and aimed the gun at Lamont.

  “Don’t move!”

  He stayed where he lay, staring at me with those lifeless eyes. “Do it. Shoot me. I fuckin’ dare you.”

  “Shut up!” I spat, checking the shoreline for any sign of Gabriel. I couldn’t see very far in the dark and the only sounds around me were the lapping of the water and the pained groans of the barely conscious bodyguards. Less than a minute now.

  “It’s me or him, little girl,” Lamont said, grinning at the panicked look on my face. “What are you gonna do? Shoot me or save your daddy?”

  I turned and scoured the black water, searching desperately for any sign of bubbles coming up to the surface. Nothing but waves. Had I failed? Had another person died because of me?

  “Tick tock, tick tock,” Lamont whispered. A cold sensation filled my chest as I stared at him in all his arrogance, enjoying my pain, enjoying the fact that my father was drowning and I couldn’t save him. It would be so easy to put a bullet between his eyes. Watch the lights go out. Watch him bleed all over the ground and never hurt another human being again. Just one squeeze was all it would take.

  I walked closer to him, tears burning down my ice-cold cheeks. The wind kicked up, whipping strands of hair into my eyes as I glared at him.

  “It’s too late, kid. He’s already dead and you don’t have the guts to pull that trigger.”

  A weak laugh spilled from my lips. “That’s where you’re wrong.”

  I shot him in the right thigh. He screamed. It was the most beautiful sound I ever heard.

  I threw the gun into the bushes and walked towards the river. Thirty seconds left. Either I would save my father or die trying. Time to find out what I was made of.

  Just as I stepped towards the water, I heard a man’s voice—one word, one syllable.

  “Oy.”

  I turned and saw the Irish lookout standing there. He smiled and shot me twice in the chest. Everything faded to black before I even hit the ground.

  Chapter 18

  Jordan

  MY CHEST HURT.

  I woke up coughing and clutching the two spots on my chest where pain burned like someone had stabbed me with a red-hot poker. It took me a moment to breathe normally and open my eyes to see where I was. I was lying on a fold-out couch with powder blue sheets that were so clean they had to be new. I wasn’t in a bedroom, but rather what looked like someone’s den. Across from me sat a coffee table, a bookshelf against the far wall, and a flat-screen television. The walls were wood paneling instead of concrete and a ceiling fan twirled above me.

  I tried to push myself into a seated position, but then a female voice spoke. “Whoa, take it easy.”

  I tilted my head to see a black woman in her early thirties walking towards me from the kitchen. She wore a dark green button-up shirt and slacks. I’d never seen her before in my life. Panicked, I stretched out my energy and then relaxed when I realized she was an angel.

  “W-Who’re you?” I said, clearing my throat.

  She held out her hands for me to use to pull myself up. I took them, groaning as I moved. “Filipa Ferguson. Nice to meet you.”

  “Catchy,” I rasped, relieved after my back nestled against a small pile of pillows. “You should be in television with a name like that.”

  “Yeah, I get that a lot. How’re you feeling?”

  “Shitty,” I said. No reason to lie.

  “I’ll bet.” She pulled up a chair from the corner. On it I spotted the bulletproof vest I’d been wearing when the lookout shot me. I lifted the neckline of my shirt and saw the two gigantic bruises on my chest that matched the divots on the vest.

  Filipa tossed me the vest and took a seat. “You were out for more than an hour. I’m surprised you woke up so soon. Most people need more rest after getting shot.”

  “Yeah, well, I’m definitely not most people,” I replied, mentally thanking God I’d survived a gunfight. The vests had been Gabriel’s idea. Yet another thing to thank him for.

  In a rush, memories of the entire evening came back to me and another surge of panic went through my body. “Where’s Gabriel? Where’s my dad?”

  Filipa held up her hands, trying to calm me. “They’re okay. Gabriel’s taking a shower. He should be out in a second. Your father’s in the guest room recuperating.”

  A flood of relief went through me. “Thank God. What happened?”

  “I think I can answer that.” Gabriel walked out of the kitchen in a tank top and loose jeans with a towel around his neck. Water dripped from the mass of blonde curls piled on his head. Normally, it was straight, but it curled a bit when wet. It was the first time I’d ever seen him look so normal, and somehow it made me feel closer to him.

  He sat on the edge of the bed and I hugged him, ignoring the way my chest stung when it brushed against his. He held me for almost half a minute, mostly because I didn’t want to let go since I had been scared I’d never see him again.

  “Are you okay?” I asked when he pulled away.

  He let a little humor slip into his voice. “I’m fine. Just had to get my body temperature back up after I took a dip in the river.”

  “What happened? The last thing I remember is that damn lookout shooting me.”

  Gabriel continued drying his hair, the smile disappearing. “Most people think getting shot is nothing because of the movies. It depends on the size and weight of the person. You’re not even a hundred and fifty pounds so the force took you right off your feet and knocked you out. I came up right before he could make another shot and took care of him, then went for Lewis. He wasn’t in great shape, but I managed to resuscitate him and called Filipa. This is a safe house. I didn’t want to take you guys to a hospital if Lamont has as many people on his payroll as Detective Henry suspects.”

  “What happened to Lamont and his men?”

  “The cops showed up not long after we left. They’re all being held for kidnapping and premeditated murder, among other things.”

  I shook my head. “That’s never gonna stick. You said he owns a lot of cops in this town.”

  “That would be why I wore a wire.”

  My mouth dropped open. “You what?”

  “I knew it would be hard to convict Lamont so I had some of my friends in the police department give me some equipment to record him in the middle of a crime. It should be enough to lock him up for a while and get him out of our hair.”

  “But you jumped in the river. Wouldn’t that have ruined it?”

  “Took my jacket off first. This is not my first time busting a criminal, you know.”

  “I can’t even begin to describe how much I love you right now. I’d kiss you, but then again, I know how you hate that,” I added, giving him a sour look.

  He rolled his eyes. “You’re never going to let that go, huh?”

  “Not a chance.”

  Filipa glanced between us. “Are you two always like this after nearly dying?”

  “Yes,” we answered simultaneously.

  She shook her head and smiled. “Good to know. Your father’s still out at the moment, but if you want to go see him the guest room is down the hall to the left. If you’re hungry, there’s plenty of stuff in the f
ridge or I can order out. Right now, you need to get some rest before you heal yourselves. I’ll be in the master bedroom if you need anything.”

  I touched her hand. “Thank you.”

  “You’re more than welcome.”

  She nodded to Gabriel and headed back through the kitchen towards the hallway. When she was out of earshot, Gabriel nudged my shoulder so I would look at him. “What happened back there? When I came back, Lamont had a hole in his leg. A few inches over and the bullet would have hit the femoral artery.”

  I crossed my arms beneath my chest, leaning against the pillows. I kept my expression blank. “Didn’t want him to run away.”

  Gabriel’s eyes narrowed just a bit. “Are you sure that’s all?”

  I sighed. “What do you want me to say, Gabriel? I thought my father was dead. Did I want revenge? Yes, maybe. I’m not perfect, you know.”

  “I would never want you to be perfect. But I am worried. We bent the rules quite a bit tonight and I had to pull a lot of strings to keep you out of jail. If I hadn’t been cooperating with the police department, things would have gotten nasty.”

  “I lost control. I’m sorry. Really.”

  He shook his head. “I don’t want an apology. I want to know how far you would’ve gone to save your father.”

  “Gabe—”

  “Answer the question, Jordan.”

  “Look, I don’t know, okay?” I said, letting the frustration come through. “I’d just gotten punched in the face, I thought Lewis was gonna die, so I just did what I had to do. My life isn’t important. I’m supposed to protect people. It’s my job.”

  Gabriel slid closer, dropping his voice to a murmur. “This is what I’m talking about. You’re not an archangel. You’re a Seer. It’s my job to save people, to sacrifice my own safety for them. It isn’t yours. Why do you expect so much of yourself?”