by T. F. Walsh
The boys bolted into the house, letting the door slam behind them. Parents must not be home, or they’d have investigated the noises by now. At least the tall fence had kept away prying eyes from neighbors.
“Gotta prevent them from playing with spirit boards somehow.” The breeze did little to wash away the heat clinging to Levi’s skin. He still struggled to breath, too.
Cary shrugged, taking several deep breaths as well. “Hell of a workout. And that hit to your face looked painful. You good?”
“Yeah.” He frowned, though. “Well, a headache, but nothing a night’s sleep won’t fix.”
She rubbed her fiery red cheeks. “After that, I need a stiff drink more than I need to sleep.”
“Fuck, yes. Hey, there's an old church a block down from my favorite bar. Let's make a quick stop to bury the board and then, drinks on me?”
She nodded and walked hastily toward the front of the house without waiting for him to join her.
He caught up with her out front, and together, they hurried down the quiet, residential street. Around them, lights from the high streetlamps cast long shadows. Sirens wailed in the distance. He’d bet a hundred bucks the emergency crews were heading straight to the house they’d just left, but no one would have believed the kids’ wild stories.
He glanced over at Cary. She had her hands shoved in the pockets of her jeans, chewing on her lower lip. Grass stains marked the side of her tank top, along with a tear at the hem. “That’s a weak prayer on your phone,” he said. “You gotta get a more powerful one.”
“I distracted the demon enough while you were playing with it.” The breeze blew long, reddish hair over her shoulders. “Plus, I finished it off with my blade. Why were you following me?”
“When you took off, I figured you were following another lead for Argos. Those pricks don’t share every job with us freelance contractors.” He glanced over at her smirk. “What?”
“You thought you could poach another job off me.” She didn't seem angry, though.
“Can we talk about what just happened while we walk?” he asked. Images of the speck dragging Cary toward the orb replayed in his mind… “It's bugging the hell out of me. Why hadn’t it captured a kid? Why you? The same thing happened with the nightclub jumper, who’d lunged toward you.” The night’s events differed to previous hits, that much was clear. And it somehow revolved around Cary.
“Well,” she began, “I was hoping we were done with work for one night, but no luck there.”
“Feel like another visit from Dr. Noose?” He only half meant it. If the spirit had fed off Cary, she’d barely be able to stand on her feet now, but she was as spunky as ever.
She cut him a side glance. The spark in her eyes flickered. “No.” Her shoulders squared, ready for a fight.
He’d love to see her in full fury mode as it might just send him over the edge.
“Two freaky attacks in a night is weird,” she continued cautiously.
“You bet,” Levi conceded. “The last time I fought more than one in a day was that day when I faced three. Two specks and a jumper back in Detroit.”
“Damn, I hated that possessed Corvette.”
“You and me both. And in the end, you saved me from it.”
She nodded, dropping her gaze and falling silent.
“So, talking about the past is a no-go zone,” he said. “Got it.” A wind came up from behind them, pulling on his button down shirt. A dog barked behind the fence of a house they passed. “Still, I better keep an eye on you tonight.” He watched her for a response.
Her return glance wasn’t the oh-yes-please expression he hoped for, but the over-my-dead-body one, complete with raised eyebrows and tight lips. He might as well look down a loaded shotgun.
“To make sure you’re all right,” he added, hoping to give her no chance for any argument.
She held his gaze, but her intimidating expression didn’t bother Levi.
“Don’t know what filthy thoughts are going through your mind,” he said. “The possibility of an otherworldly creature latching onto you is sky-high after coming in contact with two demons tonight. Those things have parasites that jump onto people, slowly eating away their energy.”
“Yeah, I got the same speech from a tracker at Argos,” Cary said. “I’m sure I’ll be fine.”
Levi touched her arm, which was a mistake. When his fingers caressed her arm, her skin was scorching hot beneath his hand, reminding him of their recent kiss in the nightclub, and how much he yearned to drag her into a corner and…
His intention had been for a quick kiss to distract her, not practically dry hump her against the club’s rail, but when he held her, his thoughts shifted to one thing: being with her again. And her mixed signals were driving him insane. Her words said no, but her body responded differently. Given their past history, there was no denying her attraction to him, but then again, she’d also run out on him after an incredible night of sex. And he’d had a perfect breakfast planned, followed by a day of going to the beach. Maybe that was the problem… She only wanted sex, while he… He wasn’t sure what he wanted.
At the end of the street, Levi turned right, Cary close by his side. Cars were parked on either side. Music and voices resonated from a three-story house halfway down the street, and the closer they got, the louder it grew. Lights blared from the backyard.
Might be fun, depending on the crowd.
“Argos still paying a pittance for specks?” he asked, mainly to have something to talk about other than what happened between them. From the first moment he bumped into her in Detroit several months earlier, she’d captured his attention. It all started on the day he resigned from Argos and she went for a job there. And his feelings for her only intensified.
Now, he worked for Argos as a contractor to repay his debt to them. A tiny percentage of what money they paid him went toward the damages he’d apparently caused to their building. Once paid off, Brent—the CEO of Argos—would return the dog tags he’d stolen from Levi.
They were Marcos’ and all Levi had left of his friend after he died. On his next visit to Argos in Detroit, he’d get the dog tags back… one way or another.
“Most hunters around the country ignore specks,” Cary’s voice sliced through is thoughts. “Argos still only pay a few hundred dollars for their capture. Insane because they’re sometimes just as deadly as a jumper.”
“Figures,” Levi said. “Gotta bag and tag the big ones when the money’s hot and in the thousands.” Nothing’s changed then. “And is Brent still running Argos like a dictator?”
“Brent doesn’t bother me. He gave me a job when I needed it and always paid for all my hits. And, he’s actually started giving hunters bonuses if we meet a certain quota. So, can’t complain.”
Levi admired Cary’s attitude even if she was blinded by Brent’s dark side. But as the CEO of Argos, the guy did what he pleased, including how he treated people. “I’m happy for you, and I hope Brent keeps his word and continues to pay you because he’s fallen behind on what he owns me.”
Cary kicked a pebble. The stone skipped over the asphalt, ticking along in the silent night, then bounced into the tire of a beaten-up car. “Anyway, I appreciate your help tonight,” she said.
“Anytime. Any other insider hits from Argos?”
Cary shook her head. “All cleaned out. Those two messages were the only ones they issued tonight.”
Silence joined them once again. In truth, the awkwardness between them felt worse than a wound because they’d spent too much time together. Their moments were forever ingrained in him, yet he might as well be walking with a complete stranger here. Where was his Cary?
Up ahead, a narrow alley between two houses opened up at the other end, framed by clean, metal fences on either side. He’d lived in Ann Arbor long enough that the backstreets were now etched on his mind.
“This way.”
“Where are we going?”
“Making a small detour to get
rid of the board.” His grip tightened on it, eager to put it to rest. “Then drinking.”
At the end of the path, they emerged into a field. Directly across it stood an old, cobblestone church. They strolled toward the building together, wading through knee-length grass.
“How old is that church?” Cary asked.
“I think about 120 years. When I’m not chasing demons, I attend mass there on Sundays. You should join me one day.”
She didn’t respond.
It surprised him that Cary kept quiet, considering she was opinionated about most things. “What do you believe in when it comes to the grander scheme of life and creation?” he asked randomly.
She chewed on her nail before looking across at Levi. “I never understood why God allows suffering of innocents if he’s all-powerful and loving.”
“Not everyone agrees, but I guess it’s because suffering is the result of human sin. After the age of accountability, no one is completely innocent, and maybe it’s our cross to bear.”
“Well, whenever I see the Almighty whatever,” Cary said, “I’ve got a few questions.”
She fell silent after that. The whistle of wind and thrashing of grass was the only sound echoing around them.
Cary saved people for a living and threw herself in danger for it. If that wasn’t a sacrifice for love, Levi didn’t know what was. Could she not see that perhaps God was working through her to save those in need of help?
Once they reached the church’s perimeter, he walked quickly over to the cemetery grounds, where worn headstones dotted the land. Two of the stones leaned so close that they reminded him of a pair of drunken friends resting against one another. Realizing Cary wasn't beside him, he looked back, and saw her at the edge of the cemetery reading a gravestone.
“Shouldn’t you be right behind me in case the speck escapes or something?” he called out to her.
“Hurry up before someone sees us,” she replied.
He nodded, wondering if she was really worried about being caught trespassing, or whether something else keeping her off holy ground. He decided to keep an extra close eye on her tonight. Something was going on with her.
Crouching under an old oak overflowing with leaves, he used a broken branch he'd found and dug up the earth until he had a hole about a foot deep. He snapped the board pieces into smaller ones, then tossed half of them into the pit, and covered them with dirt. He crossed over to the opposite end of the graveyard and did the same all over again with the remainder of the board pieces. Like before, he took a silver cross from his keychain and threw it into the second hole. “Return to where you came from.”
He finished with a prayer and piled loose soil over the other pieces. Once the hole was filled, he stood and stomped on the ground, dusting his hands clean. The sacred earth should do its work and cleanse the board. He returned to Cary and together they walked away from the church grounds until they reached the front road.
“See that house?” Levi asked, pointing at a quaint, one-story home nearby, complete with a white picket fence. “It might look like a perfect home, but a month ago, blood started dripping down the walls.” He glanced over to Cary, praying nothing sinister had infiltrated her. “I carried out a cleansing and bagged myself a malicious speck trapped in the basement. Looks are deceiving indeed, hey?”
She shrugged. “Guess so.”
A block away, Levi spotted the old mission-brown bar. Neon lights glowed around the entrance.
“Check it out,” he said. “No one could miss the joint, even from outer space.” The promise of a stiff drink made his mouth water.
“Oh, that place.” Cary’s nose crinkled.
“It’s a bit worn, but they’re generous with their alcohol, and they make wicked fried onion rings. Plus, I'm good friends with the owner.”
“You're hungry at this hour?” The accusatory tone in her voice reminded him of his teachers back at boarding school who’d confiscated all food in the dorms after eight.
“Hey, no one tells me when I can or can’t eat.”
“I wasn't,” she said. “I'm just surprised.”
“I get hungriest after a decent fight.” He grabbed her elbow and escorted her up the front steps to a wooden door. He didn't want to admit it yet, but he was determined to discover if anything unholy had attached itself to her.
And perhaps more.
Chapter 5
A waitress rushed past their table, wearing a thin, studded collar and black, strapless dress. She escorted a young couple behind a curtain at the end of the room.
“Is this a BDSM club?” Cary asked. She gestured at an empty birdcage big enough for two people, near the curtain. “Unless they have a really big parrot, that cage is…?”
“Complementing the décor,” Levi replied dryly.
Levi’s poker-face didn’t twitch, and Cary thought suddenly that if she could ever hold such a stoic expression, she’d get away with murder. With Levi’s stubble and disheveled hair, he looked like a biker who’d just come off the road. He lounged across from her as another waitress turned up with the scotch on the rocks and the vodka they had ordered the moment they entered the establishment.
“Want me to show you what’s behind the curtain?” He tilted his head in that direction.
She shifted in her seat, her insides buzzing. “Thanks, but I only spank guys I’ll respect in the morning.” She’d expected him to take her to a dingy bar filled with regular drunks, but she couldn’t complain, not while sitting in a curved booth where silver rivets decorated the leather seats and they were served drinks that came in clean glasses.
Beneath the table, Levi clasped one of Cary’s feet between his ankles.
Her heartbeat kicked up a notch, and the image of her waking up in his bed alone flashed forward. “What’s going on between us?” he asked. “We used to be friends, I thought. With benefits, of course.”
“Well, friends with benefits didn’t steal each other’s hits.”
“So, we’re friends now?”
“Technically, I'm not sure if what we were was more ‘Friend with Benefits’ or more just ‘Let’s Skip Friendships and Focus on the Benefits’.” She tried to resist the eye-candy smirking at her and playing footsie under the table. Damn the tingles crawling through her stomach. Changing the topic seemed like the best course of action. “You ever been behind the secret curtain where that couple went?” she asked instead.
“Once or twice.” He cocked his head, the corners of his mouth lifted.
“Guessing you were the Dom?” She shouldn’t have asked, but she was distracted by the throbbing between her thighs.
Definitely the dominant, she thought. No way would he be submissive.
The images of one of their nights together returned to her mind—her pinned against a window by his body, his fingers pressing into her flesh, his lips on fire. Stop teasing yourself with the past.
“No,” Levi said. “I was a guest. Observing.”
Questions bubbled to the forefront of her mind, but no use probing further since it was only raising her body’s temperature.
“So, where’s your usual go-to-bar?” he asked.
She swirled the ice in her drink. “Most days, I hang out at my local coffee shop, if that counts. And I drive around the country a lot.” Weekends were the worst. She missed her dad whenever she was alone. “Yeah, I have a lame life.”
He stared at her intently. Gone was the sexiness in his eyes, replaced by his serious look. “Cary, why are you acting like we’re strangers? I thought we had something.”
A sledgehammer collided with her chest. Another reason she kept her distance from Levi—to avoid this conversation. What was she going to say? I dream about you most nights, but I’m hiding a secret that will make you want to kill me. Life wasn’t fair that way. But she was the fool for even allowing anything to happen between them several months ago.
“Don’t know what to say.” She shrugged. “We tried being together, but it always went to shit. Y
ou took my stone, and you left me alone at that restaurant after my eye surgery. We live in different cities.” Her gaze fell to her drink. “Anyway—”
Her pocket vibrated, and she thanked the universe for the distraction. Her hands scrambled to grab her phone. “Oh, shit. Forgot to call Tasha. Give me a sec.” She pressed the cell to her ear. “Hey, Tasha. I’m alive. Sorry for vanishing. How’s the party?”
The booming beat from the pub rippled through the ear piece. “Damn, girl. Was going to call a search party for you. What’s going on? You all right?”
“Yeah, I followed that Argos hit in the club, then a second one.”
“Shit. Do you need a hand?” Tasha also worked at Argos as a spell creator. All the weapons used by hunters and carved with runes were her doing. Except, Tasha had no idea her bestie was a cambion. No one did.
Cary’s gaze lifted to Levi, who studied her. His body slouched into the seat, yet his eyes were on fire. “Nah. Got it under control,” Cary said.
“Okay. Call me once you’re done so I know you’re safe.”
“Yes, Mom.”
“I’m serious.” Tasha’s words were loud and piercing. In the background, one of the other girls screamed, “Is she coming back?”
Cary shook her head, even though Tasha couldn't see her. “Think I’m going to crash soon. Exhausted.”
“Call you in the morn, hon,” Tasha’s said. “Take care.”
“You too. Bye.” Setting the phone on the table, she finished her lemonade with vodka and figured any second now Levi would jump back to the topic of conversation she preferred to avoid. “So,” she said instead, “what do you make of the jumper demon from the nightclub? You think it returned to Hell?”
Levi folded his arms in front of him and rested them on the table, releasing her foot from his ankles. “Demons are vermin. That’s what I make of it.”
She ran a finger around the rim of her glass, keeping her voice even. “It hopefully got hauled back to where it belongs.”
He lowered his arms to his side. “I’m thinking the same, but things aren’t adding up. Like, where were the black moths? And it seemed as if both the jumper and the speck were gunning for you. Why?”
