He made a tsking sounding with his tongue. “If I didn’t know better, I’d think you didn’t like me, Anjali.”
“Well, you’ve made a memorable impression so far.” She grabbed her jacket and tried to push him out of the booth. Another jolt shot through her when she touched him, making her pulse race and her mouth go dry. Why couldn’t she get past her physical attraction to him? He was rude, cocky, aggravating…
And drop-dead gorgeous.
His sensual lips curled up into a smile as if he knew exactly what kind of effect he had on her. “Eager to be alone with me?”
“More like eager to be rid of you.”
“Didn’t anyone ever tell you that lying is a sin?”
Logan’s fingers curled into a fist. “Back off, asshole. It’s quite obvious she’s not enjoying your company, so lay off the Casanova act and let her do her job. You know, the one you hired her for.”
“Correct. It’s almost sunset. Time for all of us to get to work.” Vassago stood and offered her his hand. “I have a car outside, and I’ll fill you in on my situation in there.”
Her common sense yelled at her to think twice about getting into a car with him. The man exuded danger. Yet when she took his hand, a familiar blanket of reassurance wrapped around her. It seemed the only way she was going to learn more about this enigma was to play along with him.
Logan caught her arm as she walked away. “I’ll swing by and check on you in the morning,” he whispered.
“Thanks.” She donned her jacket and followed Will outside.
A glossy black Audi TT stood waiting at the curb. He opened the door for her. “Step into my chariot, my lady.”
She resisted the urge to roll her eyes at his corny line, but as she brushed past him, the heat from his body sent ripples of desire through her. She glanced up at his lips, and her mouth watered to taste them. Men like him shouldn’t come equipped with things like that. They made a girl’s mind wander in very naughty directions. Working with him was going to be anything but boring.
***
Vassago could barely contain his laughter as he walked around his car. Anjali tried so hard to resist him, but he could already see the chinks in her armor. She was a human, after all. She could be tempted the same way any other woman could be. He’d just have to put more effort into it.
He slid into the driver’s seat and inhaled the scent of the new leather. If he had to masquerade as a human, at least he’d enjoy it. Only the finest things in their world surrounded him, from the silkiness of cashmere to the quiet purr of a powerful engine. It wasn’t Heaven, but it wasn’t Hell either.
She waited until he pulled out of his parking space before she spoke. “Time to answer some questions, buddy.”
Buddy? He’d never had a woman call him that before. Normally, he’d be offended, but from her, it merely amused him. “Ask away, and I’ll answer what I’m allowed to answer.”
“What are you?”
Ah, the obvious question. “What do you think I am?”
“Are you going to play games with me? If so, then I’m getting out at the next traffic light.” She placed one hand over her seatbelt buckle and the other over the door handle.
“I think that’s on a need to know basis.”
“Well, if you want to me work with you, I need to know what I’m dealing with.”
“Touché. Very well. As you’ve probably guessed, I’m not human, but I’m also not a threat to you.”
She rolled her eyes. “Whatever. Why are you looking for a demon?”
“It’s my job. I guess you can say I’m a demon bounty hunter. I catch them and send them back where they belong.” He watched her reaction out of the corner of his eye to see if she could figure out the rest of the story.
Her lips parted, and the sharp sound of her inhalation filled the silence of the car. “Can you open the rift between worlds?”
“When I need to, yes. And that’s all you need to know for now.”
She chewed on her bottom lip and tucked her glossy blue-black hair behind her ear. Her hands retreated to the center of her lap. “What are we hunting for?”
“A Skinwalker.”
Another hiss. Her body stiffened as a look of pure terror crossed her face.
Good. At least she has enough sense to be afraid. “I’m taking you to the place where the last victim was found. Maybe from there, you can get its scent and track it down.”
She nodded. Her fingers tumbled over each other. “How long ago was the attack?”
“Two nights ago.”
“It will need a new skin soon.”
The Foundation made the effort to thoroughly educate her on rare demons, but she has no idea what I am. Very interesting.
At least he didn’t have to explain how to identify a Skinwalker to her. “Exactly. I want to find it before it leaves another flayed body in an alley.”
Her expression softened when she glanced at him. “So you truly want to save human lives? Is that why you wanted my help?”
“I suppose so. To be honest, my boss is having his own little shit-fit about a Skinwalker escaping, and he’s riding my ass to find it and bring it back before he looks bad.”
His honest reply earned him a laugh. “I guess that would give true meaning to the fury of Hell.” She leaned over and sniffed him. “Funny, you don’t smell like brimstone.”
Resentment curled in his stomach. As if he’d stoop to such levels. “That’s because I don’t reside there.”
The harshness of his voice seemed to set her on edge again, and she resumed chewing her bottom lip. “How long has it been loose?”
He shifted in his seat. His answer would almost be an admission of his failure. “Five days.”
“And how did it get here?”
“That’s one of those need to know answers.”
“Fine.” She turned away from him and stared out the window. “If I remember correctly, Skinwalkers can’t cross water.”
“Right.”
“Good. That means it’s trapped on Manhattan.” A small smile appeared on her lips. “That should help narrow the hunting area a bit.”
“Are you being sarcastic?”
Her smile vanished. “I’m trying to find something positive about a demon that skins people alive being on the prowl.”
They rode the rest of the way in silence to the crime scene in the Garment District. When they stopped, she opened the door and frowned. “What can you tell me about the victim?”
“Not much, other than it was a female.” He pointed to an area behind a dumpster. “She was found over there.”
She followed him and appeared to look off at something in the distance. He’d come to recognize that expression over the years. Her second sight was scanning the scene for any sign of a clue.
Her fingertips grazed the concrete, and her brows bunched together. Then a sharp cry escaped from her throat. She yanked her hand back like she’d touched a hot iron and jumped to her feet.
“I have an image of the victim,” she said softly.
He rested his hands on her arms and pulled her closer to him. The floral scent of her shampoo tickled his nose, awakening protective urges he’d never experienced before. “What did you see?”
To his surprise, she leaned into his embrace rather than fighting it. “I saw her death.”
The haunted note in her voice pulled at what he had left of a heart and made him tighten his hold around her. “I’m sorry you had to see that.”
She rubbed her face, and by the time she finished, her eyes no longer had that distant glaze to them. “At least I know what to look for now.” She pushed him away and went back to the car. “It’s somewhere to the north of here.”
“How far north?”
She closed her eyes, and the tendrils of her magic rushed past him. Several seconds passed before she responded. “Harlem.”
Chapter Four
Anjali rode in silence. Her stomach still wanted to heave up its contents after seein
g the murder of the Skinwalker’s last victim. Written accounts were nothing compared to the real thing. The woman’s screams still echoed in her ears.
“Are you okay?”
The concern in Will’s voice surprised her. If she didn’t know better, she would’ve almost believed he regretted dragging her into this. The few seconds she spent in his arms after the vision soothed her more than she cared to admit. “I’ve been better.”
“Sorry about having to take you there, but it was the only way.”
“I know. I needed to catch its scent.” She closed her eyes and concentrated. “It’s getting stronger.”
“Good. If we can catch it tonight, you can rest easier.”
She was going to need a sleeping pill and a few glasses of wine before she dulled the memory enough not to have nightmares. When she opened her eyes, the greenery of Central Park raced by outside. She had to give him credit—he knew how to handle the Audi with such precision that she felt like they were flying.
When the memory tried to ambush her thoughts again, she blurted out, “How did you get into this bounty hunting thing?”
A tight smile stretched across his mouth. “I was assigned to it.”
“Is it something you’ve always done?” Please don’t clam up on me. I need to get my mind off the demon.
He glanced at her and took a deep breath. “No. I had some issues with a previous employer and ended up doing this instead.”
His vague answers only whetted her curiosity. “Fair enough. What did you do before?”
“I was a mindless minion of an egocentric despot.” His grip tightened on the steering wheel. “Please, can we change the subject? I don’t like talking about my past.”
“Sure. You pick the subject.”
“Fine. How did you become a demon hunter?”
Goose bumps prickled her skin. Normally, she would have never considered sharing this information with someone she barely knew, but he knew more about her line of work than most people. “I wasn’t cut out to be a witch, and my vampire hunting skills were ridiculous.”
“But you wanted to work for the Kavanaugh Foundation?”
She shrugged. “I grew up at their Academy. It seemed like the natural thing to do.”
The tension eased out of his face. “How old were you when you lost your parents?”
“I was three.” Like most of the kids at the Foundation’s orphanage, she’d ended up there because a vampire killed her parents. “I barely remember them. I made my own family there, though.”
“Such as you friend, Logan?” His voice took on a hard note of jealousy when he said the other man’s name.
She nodded. “He’s like a brother to me.”
The park disappeared from view, and the car slowed down. “We’re coming into Harlem.”
A feeling of dread crawled up her spine and forced the air from her lungs. So much for distraction. Time to hunt the Skinwalker. She focused her energy on the demon’s signature. “Turn left.”
She directed him through the streets until she was certain they’d honed in on the area where the demon hid. The scent of brimstone hit her like a like a blast from an oven the moment she opened the car door. Normally, getting this close to a demon excited her. But then, most of the demons she’d faced in the past had been minor ones.
Skinwalkers were the Goliaths of the demon world, and she felt like David, armed only with a stone and slingshot.
Will stood behind her and placed his hand on her shoulder. Another wave of reassurance rolled through her. What was it about his touch that could both comfort her and drive her crazy with lust?
At least it wasn’t both at the same time, or I’d be in over my head.
“I think it’s a few blocks ahead.”
“When you spot it, stay behind me. I don’t want you getting hurt.”
She blinked a few times. Did she hear him correctly? He was going to take it on alone?
Fat chance, buster.
She stiffened her spine and marched ahead, slipping into her second sight. She may not be much of a witch, but she knew how to bind a demon until he could take it back to where it came from. She thought she heard him chuckle, but when she whirled around, his face assumed a deadly serious expression. “You hired me, so let me in on the action.”
“I also promised your boss you wouldn’t get hurt, and I meant it.” He stepped in front of her. “Tell me which way to go.”
“Who the hell do you think you are, ordering me around like this and thinking you can take on a big nasty demon by yourself?”
He spun around to face her. The air wavered around him, and a golden light radiated from his skin. It would have been beautiful if she hadn’t noticed the red glow burning in the depths of his eyes. “I’ve been doing this since before your ancestors could write. Don’t question me.”
Her heart rose into her throat. Until now, she’d thought he was nothing more than an arrogant flirt. Now that she’d witnessed a trace of his power, it frightened her. What had Morwen gotten her into?
The air stilled, and light vanished from his face, leaving the debonair façade in place.
She swallowed past the lump in her throat and found her voice again. “But apparently you need me to help you this time.”
He tore his gaze away from her. From what she could see of his profile, he struggled to contain his emotions. “You said up the block?”
She nodded and walked beside him. Nausea gathered in the pit of her stomach. “I think it’s one of these brownstones.”
Streetlights flickered on as they passed, marking the fall of night. With each step, her apprehension grew. It was one thing to find a body by a dumpster, but this was a mainly residential neighborhood. What if the Skinwalker attacked a family in the middle of dinner? What if it killed a child?
“Now you know why I want to find it as soon as possible,” he answered as if he heard the questions in her mind.
The growl in his voice gave her the courage she needed to keep putting one foot in front of the other. “So you’re more than just a stalker bent on getting under my skin?”
The shadows bathed his face as he continued to stare straight ahead. “If you’re trying to paint me as a good guy, think again, Anjali. I do my job because no one else can do it. That doesn’t mean I have to be nice or play fair.”
“Sorry. Just trying to figure out what makes you tick, that’s all.” She slipped her second sight into place as the scent grew stronger and searched for any subtle scorch marks that would indicate that demon had passed by.
Her breath hitched when she saw the multitude of handprints on a door across the street.
Will stopped and followed her gaze. “Which one is it?”
She pointed at the door. Her feet felt like they’d been cemented to the sidewalk. By the time she pried them free, Will had already crossed the street and bounded up the front steps. Sweat prickled the back of her neck as she followed him. Something seemed off about this. Too many handprints for one demon.
The door swung open when he touched it, revealing the splintered doorframe on the other side. He stepped inside and whispered a slew of what sounded like curse words. A pool of blood flowed into the entryway from a side room. She peeked around his chest and saw the raw human carcass.
Images of the victim’s last moments slammed into her consciousness. The fear, the pain, the panic. His screams echoed in her mind as he watched the long claws rip open his skin and peel it away from his muscles. Then a red swirl of blood and fire consumed his sight.
The sour taste of bile filled her mouth, and this time, she couldn’t contain it. She managed to run outside and lose the remnants of her chili-cheese fries on the steps.
“Can’t handle the sight of blood?” He didn’t need to touch her to let her know he stood right behind her.
Her cheeks flamed at being caught puking. When she lifted her head, she saw no criticism on his face.
He held a flask out to her.
The sweet, alcoholic
taste of rum overpowered the sourness left behind from her vomit. She swished it around like mouthwash and spat it out. “Do you always carry alcohol on you?”
He took the flask back with a shrug. “It’s sometimes useful.”
“And to answer your question, it wasn’t the blood that turned my stomach, Vassago.”
“Please, call me Will.” He crept back into the house. “What was it then?”
She stayed behind him, refusing to look at the corpse. “One of the many joys of being a psychic. I saw his last memories.”
He paused, causing her to run into his back. She inhaled the scent of his fine leather jacket and almost forgot about the brimstone that singed her nostrils.
“What were they like?”
She jerked away from him. “What kind of sicko are you?”
“I’m merely curious. There’s only one being who can kill my kind, and I’m too useful to Him to meet my end. I was just curious what death was like.”
“I don’t see the afterlife, if that’s what you mean.” She twisted her hair into a ponytail and focused on the cracked tile in the foyer. “I saw his last moments of life. They were…” Her bottom lip throbbed as she bit into it to fight back her own scream of fear. “Horrible.”
“Skinwalkers inject a venom into their prey before they flay them. In small doses, it causes hallucinations.”
Definitely fit the bill from what she saw. “Like a bad acid trip?”
“I guess you could say that.”
“And at larger doses?”
His muscles tensed under the brown leather. “The victim starts doing the work for them.”
Her stomach heaved. No, I’m not going to puke in front of him again. “Remind me to stay away from their fangs or whatever they use—”
“Their tail. It’s like a scorpion’s.”
“Right. I promise I won’t approach one from behind.”
He ran his fingers through his hair and cast one more glance at the victim. “I guess we were too late this time. Any clue where it went from here?”
Her chest tightened as she slid her second sight back into place. A low throbbing headache formed in her temples from having to use it so much in one day. She scanned the room and saw a trail of footprints leading up the stairs.
Angelic Surrender Page 3
