Sevyn: Adult Paranormal Romance (BWWM Romance) (Supernatural Thriller) (The Smoke & Fire Series Book 4)

by Michele Wesley

  Neal didn't like being put on the spot.

  “If you tell me why you took the head, I'll tell you my secrets.”

  As if on cue, a guttural groan rattled over the seat. Neal's head whipped around, staring into the blackness in the rear of the car. He kept his voice as even and as calm as he could manage.

  “What is that? Please tell me that wasn’t that head making that noise?”

  Chapter 15

  Secrets Revealed

  Neal sat impatiently through Dana’s long pause. She cleared her throat after another moan sounded.

  “Yes, that is the head moaning and the very reason I took it. I have killed that bastard two times already. It took me a while to figure out the only way he and his kind will stay dead is to separate the head from the body and burn it. His kind is what killed my mother. He was one of the four that murdered her.”

  Neal watched Dana's knuckles strain against the skin of her hand as she gripped the steering wheel tighter.

  “You know as well as I do that the government has a way of finding out whatever they want. When they found out I, as a teen girl, was tracking what killed my mother, they picked me up. They seemed more interested in how I had made repeated contact with the things I was hunting and lived to tell about it.

  “Long story short, the government recruited and trained me. They don’t know about my secret ability, if they do, they have never disclosed it.”

  Neal had no idea the world he’d been in for years dove this deeply into the unknown.

  “I saw Drago take five shots from his own man and four shots from your gun. You snapped his neck and chopped off his head. You've already killed him twice before now. What in the hell is he?”

  Her body stiffened. She gripped the steering wheel so tightly at this point that it appeared she was ready to rip it from the steering column.

  “The government knows they exist, just as I think they know people like you and me exist. I don't know what they are, and I don't like what others are calling them.”

  Neal couldn’t remember a time when he’d been so speechless. He glanced in the back of the car once more.

  “What is that? I can handle unusual, even a little paranormal activity, but this is beyond anything I have encountered.”

  Dana's shoulders hunched.

  “Honestly, I don’t know what he is. A bullet to the heart and head puts him down, but he won’t stay down for long. I discovered six months ago, by accident, that burning their heads kills them, but only if it's separated from their bodies.

  “The first time I killed Drago was three years ago. I blew up his car. When I went after his buddy months later, Drago walked around like nothing had happened. I have been hunting the four that murdered my mother for nearly nine years. I have killed those same men over and over, ignorant to the fact that they regenerate and heal so rapidly, they are almost indestructible.

  “Each time they re-emerged after I thought I killed them, I wondered if I was going crazy or seeing ghost. Since I now know how to kill them, I have killed two. Drago will be the third. Once I’m done with him, I'll track the last.

  “I also discovered that they have a strange attraction to me, and I’m not sure if it’s the way I smell, or the way I look. There are times when it seemed my scent temporarily distracted them. They have made attempts to bite me or eat me—I don't know which. All I know is my urge to kill them becomes so intense, I can't help myself.”

  Neal had so many questions to ask he didn’t know which to ask first.

  “How is he able to function without the rest of his body? I don’t understand. Usually, the government will be all over something like this, studying and testing it. They have doctors that can find out what that thing is and why it doesn’t die easily.”

  Dana released a sigh.

  “What makes you think the government isn’t already studying them? Before I stumbled along, who knows how many of those things they tested. Sometimes, I think that the government might be the reason for them and for us; genetic testing gone wrong or something. You work for Top, just as I do, and you have seen the equipment and technology they have access to. They have been privy to this type of thing long before we got here and will be long after we are gone.

  “The government uses me to kill targets on their list and, in return, they give me a license to kill the bastards that killed my mother. I had to find a way to get Drago to trust me enough to meet with me, so I hired him to kill a marked target.

  “In exchange, they wanted—of all things—a few vials of my blood. They claimed it was for research. I, of course, pretended like I didn’t know why he wanted my blood. I was almost tempted to stand around and see what would happen if he drank the acid I put in the vials.

  “The second case I gave Drago was filled with cocaine. His kind doesn't become addicts like humans do. Drugs that are uppers help them stave off their thirst for blood. We take aspirin for headaches; they take drugs for their blood-aches.”

  Neal was confused about what they were dealing with, and Dana seemed reluctant to name them. The moans became louder and more frequent.

  “Has the government labeled them?”

  “I don’t like to say the word the government calls them. Although I’m exposed to unbelievable circumstances, I don’t want to confirm—or acknowledge—that such creatures exist. When I’m in contact with them, I don’t play around long enough to study them.

  “I have never seen fangs. I don't stop to see if they will cast a reflection in a mirror, or if they are allergic to garlic. I have never taken the time to brandish a cross. All I want is to get rid of them. The mere sight of them sickens me, makes my blood boil; and I can’t control my urge to kill them.

  “And despite what you may think, they don't have a problem with daylight. Some of them are pale and some aren’t. So far, the only way I can distinguish them from us is by their scent, their speed, and their weird attraction to me. They give off a sickly sweet scent that is so strong it's suffocating.”

  The picture Dana was painting started to reveal itself. Neal took in her dark form.

  “They asked for your blood in exchange for killing a man, and they would like nothing more than to bite or eat you. I think I agree with the government's label. What else could they be but vamp—”

  She cut him off.

  “Noooo. Don’t say it. Don’t speak that word. The v-word was my first conclusion. Given all of the weird, hard to explain, and even paranormal things that I have encountered, I refuse to believe that v-word creatures exist.

  “Why would a group of blood sucking creatures be interested in killing my mother? I’m making a staunch effort to wrap my head around it. I’m holding out for science to explain them, and myself, for that matter.”

  Another moan filled the car. Neal was less on edge than he had been the first few times. Dana flipped off the headlights. It had just dawned on him that he was so engrossed in finding answers; he hadn't paid much attention to where they were going.

  Dana turned into an alley that led to a town of abandoned warehouses. The way she drove along the dark, tight alley with no headlights made Neal wonder if speed wasn’t the only ability Dana possessed. Their surroundings were so intensely dark, he could hardly see his own hands inside the car.

  Her voice snuck up on him as easily as he knew she could.

  “In case you are wondering where we are going, this is where I take their heads to burn them. I was brought here by a target the government assigned me to track. He brought me here to eat me, dismember me, or burn my body. He was a homicidal maniac and probably planned to do all three. He was one of them. Not one of the ones that killed my mother, but one nonetheless.

  “Since I have dipped into their world, I come in contact with them more often than I’d like to. The incinerator works in one of these old warehouses.

  “When he brought me here, the thing had no idea I was as fast as him. I managed to get him wedged between two beams and commenced to chopping off his head. I
tossed the head in the fire, and he started yelling and spilling his guts. To stop me from burning his head completely, I learned valuable secrets about them. Detaching their body parts is the key to killing, or permanently hurting, them. If the body remains fully intact, they can be hurt but they don't die.

  “I figured I would start using this place to get rid of them, since my target no longer needs it. I listened to his screams and watched his head burn until there was nothing but ash left. Once his head was destroyed, I was set to burn the rest of his body; but without the head, his body turned into a puddle of blood.”

  Neal didn’t know whether to be afraid or very afraid. The beautiful, diplomatic princess was a stone-cold killer. She talked about burning heads and bodies turning into bloody puddles like it was normal. How she managed to keep the details of her deadly life from seeping into her normal, prim and proper life was impressive.

  He now understood why she snuck away. A large part of her life was filled with monsters, and she had to literally become a monster to keep them from consuming her.

  Neal asked another question.

  “When you were shot by cops in that truck, did it have something to do with these…things?”

  “It was them. Apparently, the last one I need to track is some type of a leader to them. I think I got too close to him. A group of them ganged up on me and almost succeeded in killing me by setting up that truck scene. They are clever in keeping themselves hidden and good at avoiding anything that leads to them being discovered.”

  Neal didn't like anything about this new world Dana was introducing him to.

  Chapter 16

  Family Crest

  Dana drove through a huge hole she'd discovered in the side wall of the old abandoned warehouse. She was aware that her actions probably had Neal on edge, but he had secrets, too. He had deflected her question about his ability, but she hadn't forgotten. It was a question she was definitely going to readdress.

  She drove far enough into the dark building that they wouldn’t be seen by the lonely guard that drove past once every two hours.

  When she opened her car door, the automatic interior lights illuminated the car enough for her to see Neal’s eyes searching the darkness.

  “You can get out, if you want,” she announced to him.

  Dana reached blindly into the back of her car and retrieved a lantern. The bright beams cut through the thick darkness, making the area around her car spring to life.

  Neal exited the car, taking careful strides. He kept his gun at the ready, and she didn't blame him. Her world was filled with creatures that weren't supposed to exist.

  After opening the trunk, she cracked the chest open a hair and cast a stern voice.

  “Don’t you dare bite me.” She pointed, as if chastising a hardheaded child. “If you do, I will make you suffer.” She was talking to Drago’s head.

  Dana opened the case fully and Drago’s burning red eyes darted up angrily. Neal pointed his weapon at the thing.

  “Return me to my body, and I’ll give you the last one.”

  Drago’s words gave Dana pause. He definitely piqued her interest. It had taken her years of broken bones, bruises, and scrapes, chasing ghosts, killing and re-killing monsters; and still, one remained at large—the main one. The idea that she could find him faster was tempting. She snatched Drago's head from the chest.

  “I don’t believe you. You were ready to kill me on that bridge. Why? Does your leader know that I’m looking for him? Did I get too close? Did he order you to kill me? What is his name?”

  The leader had been the one that took the biggest bite from her mother. When things became chaotic, he'd snap her mother’s neck. The others contributed, but the one that had caused her mother’s death was the one Dana wanted the most.

  She didn’t know his name, but she remembered the tattoo on his wrist. An octagonal shaped crest, outlined in black, with hieroglyphic symbols she didn't understand. Seeing that crest all those years ago had helped her track the others.

  Drago wore his crest as a neck tattoo. The first two monsters she’d killed wore their crest on their wrists, like their leader. Since they all bore the mark, Dana assumed it to be their covenant symbol or possibly a family crest.

  A toe-curling scream that wrinkled her face in anger, spilled from Drago's mouth.

  “What in the hell is your problem? I haven’t touched you, yet.”

  He took harsh breaths which made her question, briefly, where his oxygen was flowing to.

  “They are moving my body. I can feel it. I have been around for one hundred sixty years, and this is one of the freakiest, scariest things I have experienced.”

  “I don't give a damn about you discomfort Drago. Enough with the theatrics. Answer my questions before I start lighting your face on fire. And I will take my time, burning you, until there is nothing left.”

  That statement got Drago talking.

  “His name is Linkin. No one knows where he lives. All we know is how he looks. He will only meet with us on his own terms. I have never been to his house.”

  Dana shook her head.

  “Let me ask you something, Drago. How much do you value your life? Do you have a strong will to live when your life is in jeopardy, or do you not care since you likely don’t have a soul?”

  Drago’s eyes shot towards Neal, who stood a safe distance away, observing. Dana noticed that although Neal gripped a 9 millimeter in a lowered position, his finger rested on the trigger.

  “I’m telling you what I know,” Drago's voice went up a few octaves. The flicker of the cigarette lighter made his eyes grow wide.

  Neal leaned in their direction, eyes riveted to the action.

  “I don’t know where he lives. He’s never revealed that to any of us. Please! Don’t!”

  The idea of making Drago suffer pleased Dana. As far as she was concerned, he’d pretty much admitted to killing people for over a century and a half, feasting on human flesh and blood.

  She stuck the flame to his cheek which ignited a shriek loud enough to wake the dead. Since his head wasn’t attached to his body, she had no idea if his wounds would heal.

  “Start talking or you’re going to need a good witchdoctor to fix your face.”

  The fire continued to eat at his cheek until the stench of burning flesh found its way to her nose.

  Neal fanned a hand in front of his face and scrunched up his nose.

  “Damn, that reeks.”

  “He owns the Harrington Building! Stop. Please, stoooop,” came Drago’s frantic cries.

  At those words, Dana let the flame die. She knew of the building. It housed apartments, offices and businesses, and a restaurant on the bottom level. She didn't have a reason to go to the building; but the restaurant was popular, from what she knew.

  “Keep talking, Drago. This is a new lighter, and I also have an incinerator at my disposal.”

  “A friend of mine, Brandon, works for Linkin; but like I told you earlier, we never see him.”

  Dana wasn't concerned about the leader’s looks. She would never forget any of their murderous faces. She was particularly interested in knowing where to find him. She'd worry about identifying him, right before she chopped off his head.

  She wondered if Drago understood he had given his friend, Brandon, a death sentence if he was a monster.

  “What’s his full name?” She flicked the lighter. “If your friend works for him, there should be a name on his paycheck, shouldn’t it?”

  Drago’s head twitched as he talked.

  “He uses the name Linkin Michaelson for business and when associating with people. That’s all I know.”

  “No. That’s not all you know. The crest on your neck says you’re from the same covenant, or you’re a family member. You need to spill some god-damned beans, or I will spill whatever your brain is made of. I will open your skull, scoop out parts of your brain and make you watch me burn it.”

  Drago was the monster, but after those words, h
e looked spooked.

  “Does he live in the building? Is he ever at his building or the restaurant?”

  Drago took too long to respond, so she flicked the lighter a few more times.

  “I have never seen him there. But he likely makes an appearance at least once in a while.”

  Dana continued to torture Drago until she got tired. Once she believed she had as much as she was going to get from this round, she muzzled him and returned his mutilated head to the chest.

  Since she and Neal were out virtually all night, they would only get a few hours before she was due to go into the office and start her workday.

  Chapter 17

  Brazen Behavior

  When Dana crept through the window she’d left cracked, the dimly lit house accepted her with welcoming warmth. She gleamed past one of the security guards so fast, she thought she saw the wind from her passage ruffle his hair. She didn’t stick around to see if he noticed her. By the time she made it to her door, Neal was standing there, smiling.

  The perplexed expression on her face must have been evident. She’d left Neal outside. She foolishly assumed he was looking for a way over the fence and past the security guards. Instead, he beat her into the house.

  “I want a full explanation. Secrets, remember. We aren’t keeping them anymore.”

  A swish, followed by a muffled pop, were the sounds that kept Dana in place. Her left hand covered her chest as her right kept Neal from seeing how wide he left her mouth hanging open. She stifled a scream, least she have every guard on the property coming to check her status.

  Neal had disappeared before her eyes. His reemergence, across the hall at his bedroom door left her standing in utter disbelief.

  She nearly jumped out of her skin when he phased out of sight and flashed right back in front of her.

  Neal turned his hands up, nonchalantly.

  “Figured it would be easier to show you because I can’t explain how it works. It is how I was able to follow you. I don’t know what it is that makes it happen, nor do I know what it's called.

  “All I know is, if I can see it, or have an accurate idea of where I will end up, I can send myself there. I don’t know if I’m jumping through time, or if I’m phasing in and out of space, or if my molecules are breaking down at a rapid rate of speed and moving faster than light.