Slayer's Kiss: Shadow Slayer, Book 1

by Cassi Carver

  Kara cocked her head. “Have you heard something? Is it the woman in the hospital?”

  “No, she’s still hanging on. The bleeding’s stopped, but they can’t get the wounds to close.” Abbey bit her lip. “Tray called me this morning to tell me there was another attack.”

  Kara’s hands dropped to hang limply at her sides. “No. The SoCal Rapist?”

  “Sit down, sweetie.” Abbey let out a deep breath through her nose.

  Kara snorted. Why was everyone always telling her to sit? “Oh, come on. Tell me.”

  “He killed her.”

  Abbey’s words sent a shock of chills racing up and down Kara’s spine. “What did you say?”

  “He carved a different design this time, but it’s in the same spot. It’s him. The SoCal Rapist is now the SoCal Killer.”

  Kara pressed her shaking hands to her closed eyelids. “Oh my God. What have I done?” She’d been wallowing in misery at home instead of fulfilling her mission, her purpose, out there on the streets.

  Abbey put a firm hand on Kara’s shoulder. “It’s not your fault. Don’t even go there. But it’s time to catch this bastard. Tray is willing to take any help we can give him off the record. The guy hasn’t left them with any leads. They’re desperate.”

  Jaxon looked up, real interest flickering in his eyes for the first time in days. “I can help, mistress.”

  Kara glanced around her filthy living room and back down to Jaxon’s hopeful expression. While she’d been hiding in her apartment, the SoCal Rapist had claimed his first life. “Yeah,” she said to Abbey. “Tonight. We’ll be there.”

  Kara wished she’d been reunited with her favorite boots under happier circumstances. At least the shower had been as helpful for clearing her mind as it had been for cleaning the film off her skin. She finished pulling up the zippers of her black boots and went to the living room.

  Jaxon looked good sitting on the arm of the couch in the jeans and green army jacket Abbey had picked up for him at the thrift store. He had a whole wardrobe now of secondhand clothing, but he was so damn big, it had taken all three washing machines in the apartment’s basement-level laundromat to fit the XXL garments. She’d never gotten far enough with Julian to wash his clothes, so she hadn’t realized how many quarters a big man used up.

  The emptiness that settled in her gut every time she thought of Julian just wouldn’t go away. She was an idiot to ever have believed that she was falling in love with him. Maybe Demiáre weren’t meant for love.

  “Ready?” she asked Jaxon, clearing a little lump from her throat as she dumped the images of Julian into her mental trash bin where they belonged.

  “Ready and eager.” He stood and adjusted the weapons under his coat.

  “Are you sure you’re up for this?” Kara asked. “I think it might be too soon.”

  The truth was, Jaxon couldn’t even sleep without being in the same bed as Kara, touching some part of her body, even if only his toes to hers. She’d come to find out that most of Lace’s harem slept in groups and Jaxon was finding that change the most difficult of all. But he never made any sexual advances. Kara almost would have preferred it if he had. It would show he still had some zest for life.

  “I assure you that I’m indeed up for it,” he replied, walking to the door.

  “Remember, I’m not taking my purse tonight ’cause I don’t want it to slow me down. You have the keys, right?”

  He sighed. “Yes, mistress.”

  From his exasperated tone, Kara could tell he wasn’t used to being fussed over. “Good. Keep them in your pocket and lock the door behind you. Just push in the button before you close the door. I know they don’t have many key locks on Mercury Island.”

  “I know how to use a key, my lady.” He was close on her heels as she went out the front door. “I traveled here on my own two wings, not in a time machine from the past.”

  She heard the click of the lock fall into place behind her. “Well, your island isn’t exactly high-tech. You hadn’t even surfed the internet before.” She walked into the hall—straight into the monolith blocking her path.

  Kara slammed into Julian’s chest and it sparked the nerve endings over every square inch of his flesh. She stepped back and glared up at him, her long brown hair falling into her eyes.

  “Get out of my way,” she growled, shaking her sexy hair back into place.

  Jaxon came to stand behind Kara, so close Julian was sure their bodies were touching. He wanted to be calm, to try once again to make her understand, but the intimate sight of his female and her devoted servant was too much for him. If he had detected Jaxon’s scent anywhere on her, he vowed by Hexa’s hairy ass would have disemboweled the man right there. “Tell Abbey to take down the wards, Kara,” he growled back.

  “So you can flash into my room again and try some new excuses for why you lied to me? I don’t think so.”

  “Take down the wards. I can’t protect you like this.” His jaw clenched tight as he looked from Jaxon to Kara.

  “The only thing I need protection from is you and Gavin.” She looked back at her guard. “Let’s go.”

  When she tried to step around him, Julian took her by the shoulders. “I need to speak with you.” His voice was rough, but his grip was gentle. He couldn’t help leaning in to inhale her fragrance.

  In the time it took her to suck in a quick breath, Kara’s face flushed, her cheeks and lips heating under the thin veil of makeup. Her nipples pebbled under her long-sleeved purple shirt. “Don’t touch me.”

  Julian could see her forehead moisten in the stark florescent lighting of the hall. “Look at you, love. Your body wants its bonded mate.”

  Her brown eyes flashed. “I’m barely over the fever, you bastard. You could have told me you were hooking me like some crack-head addict.”

  His fingers curled into her upper arms. He couldn’t release her if his life depended on it. The wild beat of his heart made him feel almost lightheaded, and all he wanted to do was drink in the sight and scent of his woman. “I never intended to hurt you. You have to know that. I love you.”

  Kara pulled her head back, trying to put distance between them. “That’s your lust talking. People don’t fall in love that fast, Julian—no matter how good the sex is.”

  “I’ve had a thousand years to figure out how I feel and what I want. I want you, Kara.”

  “As if that makes all the lies better.” Her eyes narrowed to slits. “I can’t throw you out of this apartment building without getting the owner involved, but I can ask you not to darken my doorstep again. I don’t do second chances.” She pulled back in earnest then, and he had to release her. When she stepped past him this time, Jaxon followed.

  “Why are you dressed for an evening out?” Julian demanded, watching her hips sway in her tight black jeans as she sauntered down the hall. When she didn’t answer, he followed them behind them. “Jaxon, where is your mistress heading?”

  Jaxon looked back over his shoulder with a smile. “I think they call it a ‘hunting trip’, my lord.”

  “You’re walking the streets tonight with your witch friend?” The rush of blood in Julian’s ears sounded like the crash of waves against the cliffs. “I forbid it!”

  Kara whirled around, her eyebrows cocked over wild eyes. “Excuse me?”

  He squared his shoulders. “Until it’s proven whether or not you carry my child, I forbid you to put your life, or the child’s, in danger. I make a sire’s claim.” He couldn’t help the smirk curving his lips. If she wouldn’t listen to his heart, then she could damn well listen to the law.

  She bit her lip and cocked her head. “A sire’s claim…hmmm. Nope. Haven’t heard of it.” She spun around and started walking.

  “So, anyways, like I was saying,” Kara said in a loud voice, glancing at Jaxon beside her. “I’m saving up for a car. We won’t have to walk forever.”

  “Walking has never bothered me, my lady. But…” he grinned, “…I wouldn’t mind learning
to drive.”

  A deep rumble filled the night air, coming from behind them. The damn growling was getting on her nerves. “So, if Julian’s screened but I throw a rock at him, will he still feel it?”

  Jaxon laughed. “The term is veiled, mistress. And yes. So long as he doesn’t flash before it hits him.”

  “Traitor,” said Julian’s disembodied voice.

  “Sorry, my lord. You can see I’m in a difficult position,” Jaxon replied to the night. But he didn’t sound sorry. He sounded like he was having fun for the first time since Kara had met him.

  “You really like the idea of a good fight, don’t you, Jaxy?”

  “It’s what I was born to do. As part of a harem, our first priority is to protect our lady, but the battles never seem to be in defense of her. Rather, one is always fighting to keep his place by her side.”

  Kara shook her head. “That sucks.”

  He nodded. “It sucks very much.”

  “Well, those days are over for you. You can stay with me as long as you need to. But we’re going to have to think about you getting a job. If you ever get an appetite, I won’t be able to cover the groceries.”

  “My job is to protect you. If we need money, I can sell some of the bounty I’ve collected over the years.” Then his brows shot up, as though he’d had a brilliant idea. “We could order the ‘gold kit’ I saw on the television. At the price they offer, a handful of bullion should feed us for a year.”

  Kara was pretty sure Julian was growling now just to annoy her. He was like a damn cat whose purr was broken. “That’s sweet, Jaxon, but I don’t need your money or your protection. I’ve always been able to take care of myself. I’m supposed to be helping you out, remember?”

  Jaxon frowned. “Is that how you see it, mistress? As charity for an unwanted warrior?”

  The red flags went up in Kara’s mind and she knew she had to tread carefully. “Of course not. Look at what you’ve already done for me. I mean, who else was going to teach me how to resist Demiáre soothing? Not Julian or Gavin—obviously,” she said a little louder than she needed to. “And you’ve taught me about flying. And really stupid Demiáre laws. And more than I ever wanted to know about sex in a harem. How many have you been in, anyway?”

  “Harems? This is my second. Lace’s was my first.”

  Kara gasped when Julian exploded into existence not two feet in front of her, his fangs already snapped down. But he wasn’t looking at her, he was looking at Jaxon like he wanted to gnaw him down to pulp. “The only reason you’re alive is because Gavin assures me you and my woman didn’t consummate your vow. But make no mistake, you are not in her harem. She doesn’t have a harem. You are nothing more than a servant here.”

  Maybe Kara was getting sick of walking, or maybe the whole thing with Julian was bringing out her inner bitch, but either way, she surprised even herself when she shot back, “Oh yes, I do have a harem. You’re looking at it, asshole.” She reached up to squeeze Jaxon’s thick arm, showing him off like a prime piece of meat.

  Julian huffed out a breath, looking like he’d swallowed something foul, then he spun around and kept walking as though he were in the lead. “You’re pushing me too far, love.”

  “I’d push you right out of my way if I could.” Kara pointed silently to the street sign for Jaxon’s benefit, so he’d know they needed to turn at the next corner to get to the bar. She snickered when Julian kept walking. “But it looks like I won’t have to. We’re obviously not going to the same place.”

  Julian cursed and caught up with them as an impatient Abbey poked her head out the front door of the bar. “There you are, Kara. Jaxy,” she acknowledged, giving him a sexy grin. She turned to Julian. “Who’s this?”

  Kara rolled her eyes and mumbled, “Abbey Sellers, Julian Mercés, Julian—Abbey.”

  “This is Julian?” Abbey asked, eyes wide. She gave him a quick, thorough appraisal. “He’s hot. He’s like eastern-European underwear-model hot. This is the guy you wanted me to ward out of your bedroom? We seriously need to get your head examined.”

  Julian’s face broke into a wide grin. He leaned down and kissed the top of Abbey’s hand. “It’s nice to meet you, Abbey. You’re a good friend to Kara, and you obviously have excellent taste in men. She should listen to your wise words.”

  “Oh, no,” Abbey countered, apparently rethinking her statement. “It’s nice to meet you, but I’m not getting in the middle of this. We have at least a half-hour to kill before Tray gets here. Come on, Jaxy, show me how you dance.”

  “Do you dance?” Kara asked. She didn’t want to subject him to too much too soon.

  He shrugged. “I can try, if you don’t need me.” He glanced at Julian, looking unsure if he should leave them alone.

  She wouldn’t let fear of being alone with Julian dictate their night. “Go. Have fun. If we’re lucky, we’ll be busy later catching a killer.” Without another word, Abbey grinned, took Jaxon’s hand and pulled him inside.

  Kara went to follow, but Julian put a hand on her arm. She looked up into his eyes and their gazes locked. “This is getting old, Julian. Blocking my path and manhandling me is not going to help your cause.”

  He lifted his hands and leaned back. “What would help my cause?”

  “Nothing.”

  “I never meant to deceive you. I just didn’t want you to run before you understood that what was happening between us was a miracle, Kara. A sign we were meant to be.”

  The night air brought his essence to her on the breeze, and as his scent wafted into her nostrils, her belly clenched with need. “No,” she said, more to herself than to him. “I won’t fall for this again. It isn’t real.”

  “Keep telling yourself that. I’ll still be here when you realize you’re wrong.”

  She glanced at her watch. “Are you aware that you are a major pain in the ass to get rid of?” When he only smiled, she shook her head in defeat. “Let’s sit down in the bar. Tray is going to be a little while longer.”

  Julian nodded and followed Kara to a tall table where Abbey’s sweater and Jaxon’s jacket were draped over two of the four ladder-back barstools. The air was thick with artificial fog, creeping low from the flashing lights of the dance floor to the bottoms of the tables. She caught herself wishing she could take a deep breath against Julian’s skin to cleanse her lungs. The music was almost too loud for beings with exceptional hearing, but it was nice not to have to worry about being overheard.

  They sat as a server appeared with a tray of four drinks. Four drinks? Had Abbey known Kara was going to invite Julian to stay?

  Once Kara was seated, she searched the crowd. Jaxon was easy to spot at his height, even hunched close to Abbey as they ground together in time to the beat. Kara blinked and mumbled to herself, “I guess he does know how to dance, after all.”

  Julian’s lips pressed into a tight line. “He was in a harem for a hundred and thirty-three years. I doubt there’s much he doesn’t know.”

  She bit her lip and regarded her warrior thoughtfully. “Hmmm.”

  “What does that mean?”

  “It means, ‘hmm’. It’s interesting, that’s all. Don’t play the offended boyfriend, please. I’m still trying to digest my dinner.”

  Julian’s hands fisted on the table. “I see talking isn’t going to get through to you. You’re not leaving me many options, love.”

  “Oh, I’m sorry I’m making this tough on you, Jules. I usually roll over and giggle when someone I care about stabs me in the back.”

  “Yes, I think you will roll over next time.”

  “What?” Kara shifted in her seat to lock eyes with him. “What are you talking about?”

  “I’ve been trying to get through to you like a human, but the next time I come to you, it will be as a mate. And, Kara—” the low seduction in his voice made her knees weak, “—I can promise you one thing—you are going to beg me to take you.”

  She swallowed down the moisture pooling in her mouth.
“That’s not going to happen.”

  “Really?”

  “Nope,” she promised, but the way his shiny black hair caught the lights made her want to reach out and touch him to be sure he was real.

  He smiled. “You think you can resist me?”

  “Absolutely.”

  “Then dance with me.” He stood and offered her his hand.

  “Hell, no. I don’t even want to touch you.” Okay, maybe that was a lie. “The only reason you’re here is because I don’t know how to get you to go away. Throwing things at you when you flashed into my bedroom didn’t work—all I did was break a picture frame when you disappeared. You owe me for that frame, by the way.”

  He stepped closer, still extending his hand. “You don’t want to touch me because your body craves mine. If it’s not true, prove it.”

  When she hesitated, he said, “It’s almost sad, thinking about how a will as strong as yours is going to cave the next time you’re alone with me. I’ll almost feel sorry for you when I’m buried in your warm flesh and you have to admit you’ve always wanted me. You say Jaxon showed you how to resist soothing, so what will your excuse be next time?”

  Kara slapped her hand into his. “Game on, you sorry sack. Let’s see who’s going to be walking around tonight with blue balls and who’s going to be totally fine.”

  Julian grinned and pulled Kara to the thrumming dance floor. As soon as his hands touched her back, her damned body prickled all over with a sensation she hadn’t felt for days. She began to doubt herself when the telltale mist sprang up on her skin. But if her bargain went south, she could always knee him in the groin and take her revenge that way.

  The loud thump of the drums reverberated in Kara’s bones and made her want to move. Even standing across from the man she both wanted and hated, the man who had dared her to prove her indifference, she couldn’t help herself when her hips started swaying in time with the beat.

  On the dance floor, Kara was drowning in the scents of sweat and arousal, but she also detected the underlying stench of anxiety from the occasional young man trying to muster his courage to approach an available woman. She thought dating shouldn’t have to be so complicated, that if you wanted someone you should be able to tell them and see where it led. But look where that had gotten her.