Heroines and Hellions: a Limited Edition Urban Fantasy Collection

by Margo Bond Collins

  “Don’t you worry about that, Sugar,” Harper purred. “I’ll lock this baby up tighter than Guantanamo.”

  She disconnected the phone, but kept scrolling through the photos.

  “Make sure to get your eyeful of Chris because we’re going to have to say goodbye to these pictures any minute.”

  Just then, another computer dinged, and Harper sighed. “Okay, here we go.”

  Sami watched in fascination as her fingers flew over the keyboard, and she wondered how much Harper would make off this job.

  A few moments later, she turned to Sami and grinned. “All done. Isn’t he just a big hunk of yum?”

  Sami laughed and nodded, hoping her cheeks didn’t look too crimson. “Definitely, yes.”

  “So, how are things between you and that sexy marine?” Harper asked, tearing off another chunk of chocolate.

  “They’re good, I think. I wish he would have let me go to Seattle with him, though. I worry about his concussion.”

  Connor had received a concussion when Pedro, the vampire in charge of the drug trade in Seattle, had slammed his head into a wall.

  “Yeah, those are nothing to mess with. But, he does tend to be a little pig-headed.”

  “I know.”

  They sat in silence for a moment, Harper eating her candy bar, and Sami nibbling on the M&Ms.

  “Are you two going to get married? You should get married, you know. You guys are super-cute together.”

  Her cheeks burned as she remembered her very wrong assessment of Connor and Harper being together.

  “One day, I’ll find someone,” Harper said. “It won’t be for a long time, but it will happen.”

  Sami tilted her head to the side. “I used to think that you and Connor were a couple.”

  “You’ve got to be kidding me,” Harper replied with a furrowed brow. “He’s so not my type.”

  She grinned again. “Well, good. Because he’s perfect for me.”

  “Yeah, he’s all yours. You won’t get a fight from me over him.”

  Between the phone call and he way she’d seen Harper act with Connor, she wondered if the woman flirted with everyone.

  “How long have you been with Operation Underworld?” she asked, deciding to change the subject.

  “A while,” Harper replied with a shrug. “I’ve got demons hunting me, so I’m kind of stuck. Not that it’s a bad thing, though. I’m safe here, and at the same time, I’m bringing down the bad guys, you know? So, it’s a win-win for everyone.”

  “Demons!” Sami proclaimed with shock. “Why is that? What did you do to make a them want to come after you?”

  Harper sighed as she chewed her chocolate. “My daddy is a demon who pissed off a bunch of other demons … so they put a hit out on all his children. Of course, the asshole doesn’t care, so he’s not going to protect me … so Dedou hides me here, and I pitch in and do what I can for you guys.”

  “If your dad doesn’t care, then why would they target you?” Sami asked.

  “Because demons only procreate to spread more of themselves around. A lot of half-demon kids are trouble and eventually turn out to be pure Evil. Now … I’m one of the good ones, but still, I count toward the number. Last I heard, Orobas—that’s my dad—had about four hundred children.”

  “Four hundred?” Sami screeched, both shocked and terrified for Harper.

  “Four fucking hundred,” Harper confirmed. “Killing Orobas’ children takes away his legacy … so coming after me even though I’m one of the good ones, and even though he doesn’t really care, is just a way to destroy what he’s trying to build.”

  Just then, a different phone rang, and Harper swiveled around and picked it up.

  “Hey, Dedou. What’s up?” She paused for a few seconds. “Yeah, she’s here with me. Got it. See you in a minute.”

  “What’s going on?” she asked as Harper stood.

  “Dedou says it’s time for breakfast, and when Dedou says to move, I usually do.”

  She followed Harper out of the apartment and down the two flights of stairs.

  “Have you met Mateo yet?” Harper asked.

  “No, I haven’t. Who’s he?”

  “Another hot recruit,” she answered with a sigh. “He’s one sexy churro, if you know what I mean.”

  Sami really didn’t understand, so she said nothing, but she did remember Connor mentioning something about a guy named Mateo, so she could only assume him to be one and the same.

  “Yeah, he’s sexy enough to eat up, just like a good churro covered in sugar and cinnamon. Total yum.”

  They walked into the kitchen, the aroma of eggs and bacon causing her mouth to water.

  Mateo caught Sami’s eye. Yes, he was good-looking with his light-brown skin, dark eyes, and muscular build, and the stress and exhaustion written on his face didn’t deter from his attractiveness one bit.

  “Well, hello there, Handsome,” Harper said, a slight smile on her lips.

  “Hey,” he muttered as they hugged.

  “Mateo,” Dedou said. “This is Sami. She’s Connor’s girlfriend.”

  “Hey.” His grip was firm as he shook her hand, his voice gruff. “Nice to meet you.”

  “Likewise. I’ve heard a bit about you.”

  “You’re probably smart to only believe the good stuff.”

  She grinned as they all sat down at the kitchen table, half of it covered in rolled up maps and schematics that she assumed belonged to Mateo. Dedou sat at the head, Harper and Mateo on one side, and Sami on the other. A plate of eggs, bacon, and toast waited at her place.

  “How’s Connor?” Mateo asked.

  Sami met his gaze as she buttered her toast. “He’s good. He left for Seattle. Hopefully, he’ll be back in a day or two.”

  Mateo nodded absently, almost as if he hadn’t heard her, or he had more pressing things on his mind.

  “Let us ask the spirits to bless this food,” Dedou said, and Sami reached for Mateo’s hand across the table while he glared at Dedou, his anger toward the woman almost palpable. He gripped Sami’s fingers then shut his eyes and lowered his head.

  Sami followed suit, saying a small prayer to her own God, asking for Connor’s safe return.

  A moment later, Dedou proclaimed, “The spirits have heard our prayers and have blessed this meal. Everyone, please eat.”

  As Sami ate her eggs, she listened as Harper talked to Mateo about someone named Melody.

  From what she could gather, Melody and Mateo had become somewhat of a couple, and a demon had kidnapped her from the house right before Sami and Connor had arrived.

  She sighed and shook her head. Before the death of her parents, she’d had no idea that the world held so much Evil. It seemed the population teemed with vile, horrible paranormal creatures.

  However, no matter how many malicious vampires she and Connor had encountered, she’d always remain thankful that they didn’t have to hunt demons like Mateo, or even have one hunt her down, like Harper.

  No, she’d take viscous vampire any day.

  Connor’s ringing phone jolted him awake. With a curse, he brought it to his ear, wondering what the time was. He didn’t bother to look at the number before he answered.

  Harper’s voice came over the line. “Sorry to wake you, but it’s important. I have Mateo here, and he needs your expert advice.”

  “On how to put up with your crazy ass?” he muttered, only half-kidding. He peeled open one eye to see the sun hadn’t even risen yet, but Harper was three hours ahead, so well into her day.

  She giggled. “I don’t think anyone can be fully prepared for that. But, no, smart-ass … he needs to blow something up. I told him that was your specialty back in the Marines.”

  “Yeah, no problem. How’s it going, Mateo?” he replied, assuming Harper had him on speaker phone.

  He wondered what the guy needed to blow up. However, considering the man also worked for Operation Underworld and had been hunting demons the last time Connor had talk
ed to him, he figured it would probably be best not to ask. Ignorance is bliss.

  “It could be better, but with your help, I can fix things,” Mateo said. “I need to break into an estate that’s surrounded by a ten-foot stone wall with metal gates and a watchtower at its front. I need to bring the wall down without damaging the actual building it’s around … I can’t risk hurting the person we’re going in to extract.”

  Hell, thanks to his time in the military and being trained in explosives, he could do this stuff in his sleep. “What you need is an implosion demolition … an explosion that’ll make the wall crumble straight down instead of blasting outward and sending chunks of stone and shit flying around.”

  “Yes, exactly,” Mateo agreed. “What can we use to accomplish that?”

  “Harper, take notes. The best explosive for that kind of job is RDX … it’s used a lot in the military, mining, and construction. It’s really stable, so you don’t have to worry about it blowing your foot off if you drop it or something. It’ll collapse a structure with minimal damage to surrounding structures. Have them connected to electrical charges so they can be set off with a flick of a switch. I don’t know how much concrete we’re talking, but I’d recommend placing the charges about ten feet apart along the wall—chisel holes in the walls, stick the charges in, then once they’re all in place, blow them all at once. A rotary hammer would get you through the concrete easily and quickly. You getting all of this, Harper?”

  “I got it, G.I. Joe,” she replied. “I’ll send all this info to my supplier and have him work out the logistics.”

  “Great. Mateo, best of luck.”

  “Thanks,” Mateo replied. “You, too.”

  “Harper, can I go back to bed now?” he asked with a yawn.

  “Yeah, yeah. Goodnight, Sleeping Beauty.”

  He was back asleep before he’d set the phone down.

  4

  Another nightclub. Loud music, sweaty bodies, flowing alcohol, and a bit of debauchery all around. His third one tonight, and thankfully, things looked quite normal. He’d asked the staff for Ambrogio, the wonderful drug that made people’s eyes bleed. A few had looked at him as if he’d lost his mind, but one had finally told him that the town had been drained dry. It couldn’t be found anywhere. Considering it had been the third time he’d heard that tonight, his confidence soared. They’d stopped the drug distribution.

  He wanted to check out a couple other places tonight, but then, he’d be done.

  When Pedro, the vampire in charge of the Seattle drug trade, as well as the human trade in Los Angeles, had surprised him in their apartment, the rage that had swelled within him had made him wonder if his heart would beat out the front of his chest. Not only had the guy been a complete asshole to Sami, but he’d also enjoyed seeing the pain his words to her had inflicted. This had only enraged Connor further, and nothing in his life had brought him more satisfaction than when he’d dragged the blade across Pedro’s throat and heard the hissing of his skin disintegrating. It probably would have been smart to incapacitate the guy and question him, but desperate times had called for desperate measures. Pedro would have killed both of them for ruining his businesses if given the chance.

  Glancing around, he decided it was time to get going. If he hurried, he could get to the other clubs and be home before last call. He’d made it pretty damn clear he had no intention of staying in the penthouse apartment where Pedro had died, so Operation Underworld had put him up in a swanky hotel downtown. He couldn’t wait to get back to the room. The bed there was amazingly comfortable, and he’d slept like a tired litter of puppies this afternoon. Much better than the twin beds Sami and he had pushed together back at Dedou’s house.

  As he walked out of the club and headed down the street, surprised the rain had stayed away, he considered that makeshift bed across the country. He imagined Sami curled up in it on her side, maybe holding a pillow to her chest. She somehow always managed to slip into the crack between the mattresses.

  After he’d cleared everything here in Seattle, what would the future look like?

  Even though he and Sami had had a tumultuous beginning, she was the one for him. It shocked him that he could say that after such a short period of time, but he felt it deep in his soul. It both scared and thrilled him as he’d never felt this way about anyone before. His love life had consisted of a string of one-night stands, or girlfriends that lasted a month or two. Sami had changed all that. He wanted to be with only her, and he needed her in his future.

  Would they stay with Operation Underworld? The thought turned his stomach a little. He didn’t like thinking of Sami being in harm’s way, even though logically, he knew she could take care of herself. However, he didn’t want her to have to defend herself against anything. She deserved a little slice of peace and happiness, and he wanted to be the one to give it to her.

  His phone rang, bringing him out of his reverie. After retrieving it from his jeans, he looked at the screen and furrowed his brow at the number he didn’t recognize.

  “Hello?” he said.

  “Connor, it’s Tyson.”

  A little late to be calling, but at least, it got him out of his own thoughts.

  Tyson was a fellow marine, one he hadn’t seen in years. When he had dropped off Violet, one of the drug dealers, at the airport to get her out of the city, he’d run into Tyson, and they’d exchanged numbers. Connor had texted him yesterday and told him he’d be back in town.

  “Hey, Tyson. How’s it going? What are you doing up so late?”

  Tyson chuckled. “Sleep doesn’t come easy for me. I’m pretty much a night owl now.”

  He could relate. Since vampires only showed themselves at night, he’d been spending a lot of days sleeping, as well.

  “How long are you in town, Connor?”

  “Couple of days.”

  “Listen, the weather is supposed to remain clear for the next couple of days. Do you want to take a late afternoon hike the day after tomorrow? There’s some beautiful scenery around here.”

  Connor pursed his lips. He had been thinking more along the lines of finding a quiet pub and having a couple of beers, but a hike did sound nice. He worked out daily with his sit-ups, squats, crunches, and a good run, but it had been a long time since he’d enjoyed nature. Not too many vampires out in the wild, except the wild inner cities. As long as the rain held off, he was in.

  “Yeah, if the angels aren’t crying,” he said as he approached the next nightclub, the booming music shaking his bones.

  “Good. I’ll text you details on where to meet me and what time.”

  He stopped just outside the door, glad to see he didn’t have to wait in line to get in. “Is it far?”

  “Nope. Maybe an hour.”

  “I’ll see you then.”

  After disconnecting the call, he shoved the phone into his pocket and nodded at the bouncer, a burly guy with a bald head. It seemed that had become the standard look for those working the doors at clubs, and he tried to think if he’d run across anyone with a full head of hair on the job tonight, but couldn’t recall.

  “Have a good time,” the man said.

  “Thanks.”

  Connor walked in and immediately halted in his tracks. He didn’t think he’d ever seen so many vampires in one place.

  The red auras seemed to light up the room even more than the strobe lights did. As he slowly made his way into the crowds, his heart slammed in his chest as he recalled seeing vampires addicted to human blood in Los Angeles. They’d been out of their minds as they’d ripped the bodies apart and bathed in the carnage. It gave him the chills just thinking about it, and as he walked through the red haze, fear gripped his throat while his whole body tensed. He could be overpowered so easily in a situation like this and become a buffet piece.

  However, no one paid him any attention, and he rolled his head, beginning to relax a bit. Hell, he was sleeping with a vampire, and he knew that not all of them were horrible beasts. It se
emed like that had been the kind he’d been tangling with lately—except for Sami, of course.

  He strolled around a bit, becoming more comfortable. Beneath the red auras lay more beauty than should be allowed in one building. Perfect complexions and gorgeous features met his gaze wherever he looked. He’d never thought of himself as terrible to look at, but damn, he didn’t hold a candle to the people milling all around him, seemingly enjoying themselves. Apparently, he’d walked into a vampire club, right out in the open in the middle of Seattle. They didn’t try to hide, but also acted normal and paid no attention to the humans among them. Unless there was another person on this Earth that had his ability, no one would ever know.

  Apparently, you could find everything in Seattle.

  As he sat down at the bar, a gorgeous woman approached him, her blonde hair kissing her slim shoulders while her blue eyes reminded him of pictures of the Caribbean ocean he’d seen in magazines. Her milky, unmarred skin looked so soft, and when she smiled, her straight, white teeth gleamed under the low lights.

  Truly beautiful beyond words, all he could do was stare.

  “Hello, there,” she purred.

  He allowed his gaze to travel down past her face to her chest. Not too big, not too small. A red, satiny tank top covered her breasts and cinched into a black, leather skirt at her slim waist. Long, toned legs peeked out from under the skirt.

  “Hi,” he said, looking back at those pretty blue orbs.

  “Would you like to buy me a drink?”

  He saw the red aura around her, so he knew she was vampire. What would a drink lead to? Possibly an invitation back to her place? Would she feed on him as they had sex? Would it feel as amazing as it did with Sami?

  His cock hardened just thinking about it as he studied her mouth, searching for the fangs. The way this woman batted her eyelashes at him, if he went forward and did buy her that cocktail, things would fall into place just as he’d imagined.

  Sami.

  She’d never find out, but he’d know, and guilt washed through him just thinking about going home with this woman. No, he couldn’t do that to his own sexy little vampire.