Light the Shadows (A Grimm Novel)

by Clay, Michelle

  His hands clamped around her throat. A deadly glare narrowed his eyes as he squeezed harder. He pushed his way between her knees, preventing her from kicking him in the balls.

  Micah clawed at his hands and kicked at his shins. Dark spots floated across her vision, and her throat burned. Her lungs protested the lack of oxygen while her heart thundered in her chest.

  “You stupid bitch.” Each word was punctuated with a brain rattling bang against the wooden desktop. “I’ll make sure you’re dead this time.”

  Micah’s vision went black as her gurgled pleas for mercy went unheard. She felt as if she had floated far away, had been removed from the situation. She was dying, plain and simple.

  Somewhere in the background, she heard the door chime. Had she imagined it, or had help arrived?

  The office door banged against the wall, rattling the shelves. Suddenly Sully’s face loomed over Ben’s right shoulder. Ben was so bent on destroying her and any evidence she had against him, he didn’t even notice.

  Growling an obscenity, the scythe slid into Sully’s hand. The weapon arced downward, the dull overhead light glinting off the polished metal.

  Blood spattered across the front of Micah’s shirt and the desk. Ben threw his head back and screamed as the tip of the scythe sank into the soft spot just below his right clavicle.

  Murder danced in Sully’s eyes as he hauled Ben backward. Ben’s fingernails scrabbled at Micah’s throat momentarily then slid away.

  She sucked in a desperate breath then scrambled off the desk. Fear curdled her stomach. She’d never seen Sully this angry before. Murder danced in his darkened gaze, and his lips had pulled back to show teeth.

  “I told you you’d be a dead man,” Sully growled. The scythe’s blade sank deeper into Ben’s shoulder. When Ben cried out again, Sully grinned then gave it a little twist.

  Snot and tears moistened Ben’s face. “I’ll leave her alone, I swear!”

  “Too late, asshole.” Sully’s grin was frightening. It transformed his features into something demonic.

  “Sully,” Micah said in a hoarse, pained voice. She had to make him listen to reason. “I’m calling the police.”

  He said nothing. Instead he gripped Ben by the hair and pulled his head back to expose his throat.

  A sickening lump of dread dropped into her stomach. Would he slit Ben’s throat?

  Micah rescued the phone from the floor. “Let the police deal with him. They’ll lock him up for good this time.”

  Ben pulled away, but Sully didn’t allow him to get far. He pulled Ben dangerously close. Their noses were only inches from each other as Sully snarled in Ben’s face. He said, “Now you die.”

  “The phone’s broken,” Micah said then scrambled around the corner of the desk in search of her purse. Frustrated when she didn’t immediately find the cell phone, she dumped the contents in the floor. Pawing through the items, she cried out in frustration. Where the hell was the damn thing?

  Sully and Ben continued to scuffle on the other side of the desk. Ben managed to knock Sully backward. His hip clipped the corner of the desk. Growling an obscenity, he righted himself then came at Ben again.

  Hatred flashed in Sully’s eyes when he shoved Ben backward. The shorter man fell onto his ass. Sully’s fingers tightened around the scythe’s handle then shot a quick glance at Micah.

  “Sully, don’t.” She had this sick image of him lopping Ben’s head off. “Please.”

  “You aren’t gonna get away with this,” Ben growled through clenched teeth.

  Sully hissed another obscenity then swung the blade at Ben. It struck, catching Ben between the blade and the wall. Small beads of crimson formed at the blade’s edge.

  Micah stepped forward, placing her hand on Sully’s shoulder. “Please, don’t do this. They’ll lock you up for murder.”

  Sully grimaced at her. Finally, he allowed the weapon to disappear. “He deserves a painful death.”

  Micah peered at Ben over Sully’s shoulder. True, he deserved to be punished, but not by Sully’s hand. Darkness had enveloped her lover, and if he slaughtered Ben, he might never come back from it. He’d never again be the Sully she’d fallen in love with.

  Ben tried to scurry away like a frightened cockroach. Sully’s fist shot out and gripped his collar. He shoved Ben against the wall, thumping the back of his head against the plaster. “You’re as good as dead. You’re worm food.” He gave him one final thump. “Get the fuck out of here.”

  A devilish glint lit Sully’s eyes. The flash of something dark and sinister hardened his features. For a moment, Micah though she saw the flicker of a skull, much like the commercial image of a grim Reaper, just beneath his skin.

  She gripped the edge of the desk and sucked in a calming breath. There! There was her phone! It must have been knocked to the other side of the desk during the scuffle. She reached for it, but snatched her hand back when Ben jerked free of Sully and bumped against the desk. The phone fell to the floor on the other side.

  Ben stumble-ran toward the doorway. His eyes were wild, and he was breathing hard. Beads of blood decorated his throat like cheap Mardi Gras beads. More stained the shoulder of his wrinkled shirt. Every step he took was jerky and erratic as he hurried out of the office and into the hallway.

  Sully stalked after him.

  “Sully!” Micah ran into the hall as worry gripped her heart and gave it a brutal squeeze.

  Ben had turned around, awkwardly staggering backward so he could keep an eye on the agitated Reaper. He pushed through the door, and the chime dinged loudly. He burst outside into the late afternoon sunshine and seemed to breathe a sigh of relief.

  Sully didn’t follow him outside. Instead he crossed his arms over his chest and merely watched his escape. A smirk tilted his lips.

  Ben turned to shoot the finger at Sully just as he stepped off the curb. A white SUV’s tires squealed on the pavement, the brakes locked up and the heavy vehicle fishtailed to a shuddering stop. It was seconds too late.

  A shocked expression flitted across Ben’s face just before the bumper struck him and threw him to the pavement. His body made a sickening crunch beneath the front of the vehicle. His limbs lay askew, his chest and part of his head caved in.

  Micah crashed to her knees as a wave of shock and nausea washed over her. “Oh my God.”

  Sully turned from his vantage point. He didn’t look surprised or even remotely shaken. “He won’t bother you again, doll.”

  “Did you make that happen?” Though she hated Ben with every ounce of her being, she’d never wished something of this magnitude upon him.

  Sully’s low chuckle was anything but reassuring. “He wasn’t looking where he was going. Accidents happen.”

  Chapter Twenty-Eight

  Sully placed his hands on Micah’s shoulders then gently hauled her up to her feet. Already a crowd had formed outside. A few blocks over, sirens sang their grim song. The cavalry would be there in no time.

  Micah laid her head against Sully’s chest as shuddering sobs racked her small body. Sully thought she must be in shock after nearly being killed then witnessing a grisly accident. He smoothed his hands down her back then pulled her tight against him. Turning her around so that her back faced the windows, he shielded her from the broken body outside.

  A sedan rolled to a stop a few feet from where the accident had happened. An ambulance parked directly behind it. The crowd didn’t back away, and the man who owned the bar across the street attempted crowd control while he voiced concerns about this ruining today’s business.

  Detective Brewer got out of his car, glanced at the building then squatted next to Ben Harmon’s body. When a few uniformed policemen arrived, he barked out orders for them to rope off the area. Next he wanted them to get the onlookers out of the way and gather witness statements. He asked them to start with the bar owner. The uniforms scurried to fulfill his commands.

  After studying the body for a few moments, Brewer stood then walked
toward the building.

  Micah tried to pull away from Sully, but he held her in place. “Stay quiet, doll. Let me handle this.”

  The detective pulled the door open, and the cheery jingle echoed throughout the office. Brewer’s gaze slanted toward them. “The two of you can’t stay out of trouble, huh?”

  Sully didn’t say anything, just scowled at Brewer.

  “So what happened to the dude out there?” Brewer asked as he glanced over his shoulder. Already the policemen had strung yellow tape all over the place. The crowd had thinned, and the body had been removed. “Besides getting plowed down by a vehicle.”

  “He attacked Micah, tried to kill her again.” Sully said. His voice was low and even, letting the detective know there was no room for discussion.

  Brewer didn’t take the hint. “So how’d he end up out there with his skull crushed in?”

  “I fought him off her, and he ran outside. Wasn’t looking where he was going, I guess.”

  The detective rubbed the back of his neck then looked around the pristine lobby. “Where did the attack take place, Ms. Munroe?”

  “My office,” Micah answered then pushed away from Sully’s embrace. She turned to look at Brewer. Her eyes were puffy, and her cheeks were wet. “He tried to choke me to death. He said he wasn’t going to prison for me and that he was going to finish the job.”

  Sully sighed, wishing she’d just shut up. He didn’t want Brewer looking into this. Plus, if the detective found the blood in Micah’s office, that would only raise more questions.

  Brewer bounced on the balls of his feet and licked his lips. Interest danced across his features. “So did you call him over, or did he just show up?”

  “Why would I call him?” Micah asked, clearly confused. “He already tried to kill me twice, and I thought he was in jail.”

  “Being a fine, upstanding citizen, he was able to bond out on his own recognizance,” Brewer said with a shrug.

  “No one told me,” Micah said with a frown. “Shouldn’t victims be notified when the person who tried to murder them is released?”

  Brewer just smirked at her. “So what happened after he showed up?”

  Sully interrupted them. “What does it matter? He tried to kill Micah. Again. When I pulled him off her, he ran out into traffic and got hit. End of story.”

  Brewer shook his head and grinned. “Nah, I don’t think so, Sullivan. There’s more to it than that. There always is.”

  Micah sighed beside him. “I just want all of this to be over with.”

  Brewer’s gaze slid over Micah, from her feet to the top of her head. Then he looked again, his gaze stopping at her breasts. Sully didn’t like the appreciative glint in the detective’s eyes.

  “Can we hurry this along, Brewer? This has been traumatic, and she needs some rest.” Sully didn’t bother to hide his irritation.

  Brewer took a step forward. His fingers were just beneath Micah’s chin as he tilted her head up and to the side. He squinted at the finger-shaped marks on her throat. “That’s definitely going to leave some ugly bruises.”

  A spark of possessive annoyance boiled within Sully. He bit his tongue, knowing the detective had to do his job. Sully just wished that he didn’t have to touch her.

  “Whose blood is this?” Brewer asked as he released her chin.

  Micah’s gaze lowered to stare at her stained shirt. Her eyes welled, and she whispered, “Ben’s.”

  Brewer took a deep breath then let it out slowly. “Ms. Munroe, can you show me where he attacked you?”

  Micah’s gaze zipped toward Sully. He glared at the detective, knowing what he planned. Brewer was going to separate them and see if their stories matched. “I’ll show you.”

  To Micah, he said, “Sit down, doll. We’ll be right back.” He couldn’t wait to give Brewer a piece of his mind. If the PSPD had done their job and locked Ben up, the lunatic wouldn’t have come for Micah again.

  “Not so fast, Sullivan. We have to do this by the book.” He smiled then said, “Well, as close to it as possible.”

  Brewer turned toward the hallway then motioned for Micah to follow. “Lead the way, Ms. Munroe.”

  Sully sucked in a calming breath. Brewer probably just wanted to ogle her perfect ass.

  “Last door down the hall,” Micah said in a miserable voice.

  As she passed him, Sully caught her hand and gave it a squeeze. “It’s going to be okay.”

  She nodded bravely then trudged down the hallway. Brewer shot a look over his shoulder then moved behind her.

  Sully sank onto one of the visitor’s chairs then stretched his legs out. Brewer was going to have all sorts of questions about what had happened. Sully didn’t expect Micah to lie, but he hoped she painted the picture in his favor. Truth be told, he’d attacked Ben Harmon in a moment of blind rage when he could have just as easily pulled him off and immobilized him. Micah could have called the police, and Ben would probably still be alive.

  In a moment of weakness, Sully had used his gifts as a Reaper to terminate him. The weight of it should have hung heavy over his head, but it didn’t. Ben Harmon was a pest, a cockroach to be squished beneath the heel of his boot. If he had the chance to do it all over again, he probably would have beheaded him.

  Sully’s stomach sank in bitter misery. He saw the way Micah had stared at him when she thought he was going to kill Ben. She thought he was a cold-blooded murderer. Maybe he was.

  He was a stone cold killer. He even excelled at it. Sully clenched his fists, cursed, then moved down the hallway. The interview was taking too long.

  He found Micah and Brewer moving around in her office. Brewer examined the blood splatter then looked at Micah. “So, you were knocked against the desk then he came at you?”

  She nodded. A hint of relief lit her eyes when she spotted Sully in the doorway.

  Brewer turned from the desk to examine the head-sized dent in the wall. “Okay, Sullivan, you came in and saw him choking her. Tell me what happened next?”

  “I pulled him off then threw him against the wall.”

  Micah licked her lips, but didn’t say anything to contradict him.

  “And the blood?” Brewer prodded.

  “He may have had a nosebleed,” Sully said in a calm voice. He didn’t dare glance at Micah now, lest her expression betray him.

  Brewer pursed his lips. “So you hit him?”

  “Sure. Wouldn’t you?”

  The detective glanced around the room again. “Yeah, if I walked in on some dude killing my sexy girlfriend, I’d probably kill him, too.”

  “Sully didn’t kill him,” Micah said in a tired voice.

  Brewer turned to survey the small hole in the wall made by the scythes tip. Then he put a hand in his pocket to jiggle the change. The coins rattled and grated Sully’s nerves.

  Sully said, “Do you need anything else, Brewer?”

  Micah rounded the desk then grasped his hand. She glanced at Brewer. “Can we go home now? I’m tired and sore.”

  “Sure,” Brewer said with a too-friendly smile. “Get some rest. I’m finished here, saw all that I needed to.”

  Brewer’s heavy hand fell onto Sully’s shoulder when they reached the lobby. “Can I talk to you a moment?”

  Sully squeezed Micah’s hand. “Go on home, doll. I’ll be there shortly.”

  Micah cast an unsure glance at Brewer then nodded. She stood on tiptoes to place a kiss on Sully’s cheek. “Hurry home, okay?”

  Brewer opened the door for her then asked one of the officers to make sure she got to her car without problem. Sully doubted she’d run into any trouble, as the crowd was gone now and the ambulance had hauled the mess away.

  When she was out of sight, Brewer sat in one of the lobby chairs. He stretched out his legs and tapped a foot.

  Sully eased a hip onto the secretary’s desk. “What do you want, Brewer?”

  “Ben Harmon had a stab wound on his right shoulder. Want to tell me about that?”
/>   Scowling, Sully said, “He attacked my girl, I pulled him off. Plain and simple.”

  “With your weapon,” Brewer said.

  “Big deal. That dick deserved what he got.”

  Brewer tilted his head to study Sully before answering. “What’s up with you, man? You’ve always acted kind of high and mighty, but I don’t recall you ever handing down a judgment.”

  Sully fished his keys out of his pocket. “I didn’t push him in front of that car, Brewer. He did that himself.”

  Brewer stood up. “Maybe not physically, but you had a hand in it. I’ll do my best to cover for you, but you can’t kill without Azrael’s approval. You know that.”

  “And I don’t care. Tell me what you would have done had it been you.” Sully paced the small lobby. “Would you have allowed him to kill her, or would you have done what you had to? If he was allowed to walk away, he’d just come back. This is the third time he’s tried, Brewer. Something had to be done about him.”

  The detective held up his hands, palms facing out. “I’m with you, Sullivan. Ben Harmon was a low-life scum. He probably did deserve to be eradicated, but not without Azrael’s approval.”

  “You’re telling me that you always do everything by the book?” Sully asked through gritted teeth. He’d stopped short of running the detective over in mid-pace. “You’re saying you have never, not even once, strayed from the rules? Even when you knew it was the right thing to do?”

  Brewer grimaced, but didn’t answer.

  Sully smirked, knowing he’d struck gold. “I recall you were the investigating officer during that ordeal with Thomas and his family. Remember that? The guy kidnapped and killed our friend’s little girl. He said it was an accident, but. you and I knew better. You helped put that piece of garbage down.”

  Brewer turned his back, refusing to comment.

  “Am I wrong about that, Brewer?”

  The detective turned angry eyes toward Sully. “Fine. I did something about it. The bastard was going to get away with what he did because we didn’t have enough evidence against him. I couldn’t allow him to walk on a technicality.”