“What the hell are ye doing, Hound?”
“I went hunting,” Bishop said. “I needed to get the fuck out of the house. I can’t stand being in there too long.”
“Where’s Matilda Jane?”
“She’s most likely in her room.” Her room. Damn he did it again. Bishop toed his boot against the asphalt. “She didn’t do well with the curse removal. She wanted to be left alone so I respected her wishes and obeyed.”
Valor sighed heavily. “I was afraid it wouldna work. At least we tried.”
“There was no we. You left. You fucking left, Valor.” Bishop headed inside, carrying his caddy of coffee. “Here,” he passed a cup to Val. “I’ll bring Tilly hers while you go talk with Sara’s pack.”
“I wish to talk with Tilly first. There’s something she needs to know.”
Bishop frowned, “What’s that?”
Valor paused at the bottom of the steps and whispered, “Marco is dead. Someone killed him.”
The instinct to protect roared loudly in Bishop’s mind and he raced up the steps. He knew Tilly was safe in this house, but for this Marco guy to be dead? Shit…. Bishop’s hackles raised. Valor being hot on his heels didn’t soothe the Hound’s nerves either.
“Matilda Jane,” Val knocked on her door just once before opening it. “Matilda Jane!”
Bishop dropped the coffee caddy and the hot liquid splashed all over the rug. He looked around the empty room and cursed. “Fuck! She’s gone!”
The window was wide open and there was a note on the bed that said, “Thanks for trying. Have a nice life.” It was written on the back of her Bucket List. He clutched the note and turned to his alpha. Valor, however, was already running down the steps and out the front door to find her.
Chapter 27
Tilly figured she was a dead woman anyway so why bother being afraid of what was to come. She needed to embrace her goddamn destiny and that wasn’t going to happen if she hid at some dude’s mansion.
Once she slipped through the window, Tilly climbed into a huge oak that grew exceptionally close to the house. Then she shimmied down the tree, slipped and crash-landed on her ass. She called a car service to meet her at the end of the long drive and prayed the whole time she wouldn’t get caught. She didn’t know Jack and the others well enough, but didn’t want them to see her looking like the Hot Mess Express she was right now.
Part of her felt guilty for sneaking out the way she had, but she didn’t owe them an explanation. They were even now. Besides, she didn’t know what to say besides goodbye. Tilly wasn’t good at saying goodbyes. She was good at doing a cut-and-run. Snipping lines that tied her down was her specialty.
Maybe they would run into each other again, maybe they wouldn’t. Who cared? Not her. Nope, not her at all.
Hopefully Valor got whatever he needed from Marco without getting killed. At least one of them should have success with their mission. It sure as shit hadn’t been her.
Tilly’s cell buzzed in her hand. She left with nothing except her phone. Looking down, she declined the call and ignored it.
After Bishop told her the spell hadn’t worked and she was still cursed, Tilly waited for him to leave and then she bawled her eyes out. Her face was still swollen, eyes still red. There was no more hope for her. She’d reached the end of the line.
So, Tilly put one more thing on her mental “Fuck It” list and had a car service pick her up and take her back to her apartment. The place was a mess. She looked up and saw the symbol painted on the ceiling. How the hell did Marco get up that high? And what the fuck was he thinking using that magic on her?
Dick.
Tilly started cleaning. She was still hot, but not like she’d been in Bishop’s house. If she had a fever, maybe it was finally breaking. She refused to link her heat to Valor right now. “Shit, it’s sweltering in here!”
She went over and opened a window for fresh air. If something wanted to climb in and get her, they better be prepared for a fight. She’d go to her death swinging. Putting protection charms on her sills stopped working a long ass time ago. Tilly had to learn vigilance and how to deliver a mean right hook by the time she was sixteen. Her aim’s only improved since then.
Wrenching the window open, icy air blasted her in the face and blew her hair back. Next, she searched around for her wireless speaker and connected it to her phone so she could crank up her tunes. Grabbing a broom and dustpan, she carefully walked over to where the dickhead had smashed her antique mirror and started sweeping.
She wanted to scream and cry and smash her walls. She was so angry. So frustrated. It felt like there was a war raging in her body. Tilly sang her heart out and put on a solo concert in her trashed apartment. Tilly spun around and laughed so hard, it fucking hurt her ribs. To do anything else would destroy her right now.
“Fuck you!” she screamed at the ceiling and for good measure she flipped the symbol the bird. Two birds actually. “FUCK YOUUUUU!”
BOOM!
Tilly spun around just in time to see Valor and Bishop walk over- yeah that’s right, over – her door. They literally busted down her goddamn door. Fuckers.
“Damnit!” she stomped her foot and tossed her broom across the room so she wouldn’t beat them over their heads with it. “Why can’t people stop breaking my fucking house!”
Bishop reached her first. He cupped her face gently in his hands while his gaze raked down her body. It wasn’t in a lustful way; it was in a is she okay way. He looked scared out of his mind.
Was she okay? Hell no. Not at all.
“I’m okay,” she tried to jerk away from him, but he wouldn’t let go. “I said I’m okay, Bishop. Stop!”
Next, Valor towered over her. She tried to meet his gaze, but his expression stunned her. She couldn’t figure out if he wanted to kiss her or scream at her. “You’re in trouble, lass.”
“For what? Sneaking out?” She knocked Valor’s arm away, forcing him to let go of her. “We’re even now boys, so you need to leave.”
Valor looked like a dark, angry beast with the way he glared at her. Not that she liked the sexy broody look on a guy or anything. Nope. Uh uh. Shit, she got hotter. “Look, Foxy Boy,” she poked him in the chest, “I don’t care what you do to your big old house, but that,” she pointed at her door on the floor, “wasn’t yours to break.”
“We’ll fix it,” Valor snarled. “And doona call me Foxy Boy.”
“Foxy Boy,” she hissed just to watch his face turn crimson.
Valor’s cell went off and he grabbed it out of his pocket, glowered at the screen and answered it with, “What? Aye, we’re fine. No, we’ve got her. We’ll return soon.” He kept his eyes on Tilly while he said to Bishop, “That was Kalen.” Valor’s gaze narrowed on Tilly, “Ye had us all worried, lass. Disappearing like that will cost ye.”
“Go fuck yourself. I don’t owe you anything. We’re even.”
“Tilly,” Bishop touched her elbow, “You need to come back with us. Now.”
“I’m sorry, Hound Dog. Did you think because we had a moment or two, that gives you the right to tell me what to do now? You need to leave. Don’t act like you give a shit about me. You don’t even know me.” So stop staring at me like I just broke your heart. Those puppy dog eyes aren’t going to work on me.
“I do care, damnit.” Bishop’s head tilted, “You snuck out the goddamn window. You could have been hurt!”
Tilly rolled her eyes.
Valor barked, actually barked like a vicious wolf, then he grabbed her by the arm and shook her. “You’re in danger! Would ye just listen to us, damnit!”
Tilly didn’t care. No danger out there was worse than death and that was the only real thing after her now. “I don’t give a shit,” she murmured. “Leave me alone.”
Valor jerked back like she’d slapped him. “I went to Marco’s house. He was murdered, lass. Gruesomely. And this symbol,” he pointed at her ceiling, “was also on his ceiling.”
That meant whoever
came here was most likely not Marco. Fuuuuck. Tilly blanched just a little.
Snagging her courage like a leather strap, she whipped her fear back. There was no room in her for that emotion. She would be fearless starting right now and would stay that way until she took her last breath. “Well then, I can imagine you’re not too happy about not finding that stupid book. Looks like we both failed last night.” She crossed her arms over her chest and took a step back.
It didn’t matter that she had the window open and it was about fifty degrees in her place right now. She was sweating and starting to shake. Stupid fever was probably getting worse again. “I need you two to leave.”
“Not a chance, Sweetness.” Bishop stood opposite her with his arms crossed over his chest. “We’re not leaving you unprotected. Not with a murderer on the loose.”
“There are plenty of murderers out there,” she argued. “And the one you think was in this house already came and went. He won’t be back.” Yeah, the fact that she was being so calm about all of this spoke volumes about her denial abilities.
“We aren’t built that way,” Valor said in a low tone. “We’re built to protect life.”
“I don’t even know what the hell that means. But I’m not the life you need to protect.” Now her voice was quivering, “My life is about to get cut real short, Valor.” Do not cry. Do not cry. Tilly’s throat constricted and it hurt to swallow.
“Fine,” Valor growled. God, he growled a lot. What was up with that? “Then before we leave, let me show ye what this man is capable of. What ye think ye doona need protection from. And keep in mind, he kens where ye live, he’s been here already, and that,” he pointed at the symbol on her ceiling, “could verra well be an enchantment meant to do more than just harm ye. It could be a way to get to ye without even using a door.”
“Oh… shit…” Tilly’s eyes widened when Valor flicked his hand out and a huge black hole appeared in the middle of her floor. “W-w-what the hell is that?”
“Hell,” Bishop answered her.
“Hell?” Tilly took a step away. “Are you here to take me there?”
The two men looked at each other for a brief moment. “No, lass. Never. I just wanted to show ye a little proof that doorways and passages can easily be made with the right magics.”
“H-h-how did you do that?”
“I told ye, we’re Hell Hounds, lass.”
She didn’t know if she should laugh or go grab a knife from her kitchenette. Well, now she finally had a definitive answer, right?
Hell Hounds. She had two big, gorgeous, dangerous Hell Hounds standing in her trashed apartment. They didn’t look like what she’d read about. They weren’t black with talons and teeth the size of a tiger’s with leathery skin and red eyes. Maybe these were half-breeds?
“Okay,” she cautiously said. “You’re Hell Hounds. Thanks for letting me know. That at least explains the barking and howls.”
“Ye believe us?”
Nodding was all she could manage. Tilly cleared her throat and ignored how hot her cheeks felt. Maybe she should be honest and tell them she had the book they wanted so badly already memorized. If they needed a spell, she could give it to them. But first, she needed to know what they wanted it for. Hell Hounds belonged to Satan, according to what she’d read. Tilly wasn’t about to get involved in the Devil’s business. She would prefer to stay far away from Hell, actually.
Sweat trickled down her back. “So… since we’re on an honesty kick right now, why’d you need that book so badly?”
Valor pulled out his phone and tapped the screen. “We’re looking for our—”
She stumbled back, gasping.
“Whoa, whoa, whoa,” Bishop grabbed Tilly by the elbow to steady her. “What the hell?”
Oh fuck… she couldn’t swallow. Her mouth went bone dry and she felt sick. Right there, looking back at her with a stunning smile and dark eyes, was a photo of the creeper who had been following her around for weeks. Tilly’s heart hammered in her chest.
She wanted to be scared to death of Valor now too. Clearly he knew the creeper. Knew him well enough to have his goddamn face on his phone!
Valor frowned in confusion. “Answer me,” he hit the phone screen again, lighting the picture back up and lifted the phone up into Tilly’s face. “Do ye ken who this is?”
She took another step back. She couldn’t speak. Couldn’t move. Couldn’t fight back. Fear paralyzed her right between two Hell Hounds. Ohhhh noooo. Satan had come for her. The biggest, baddest, scariest motherfucker in the universe had sent his dogs to eat her. Why? Why-why-why-why?
Tilly backed up more. “I don’t understand,” she squeaked. “I… I….”
Valor looked past Tilly to Bishop. “Her aura has gone wild. We’re going to fucking lose her.”
Tilly’s heart pounded in an unhealthy rhythm, her vision whacked out and so did her hearing. Oh god, she was going to black out. If she did, Tilly was as good as dead.
“Easy, lass.” They held her up when her knees buckled. She didn’t have the sense to fight them off. Was this how she was going to die? Death by Hell Hound.
No. Not possible. “You said you’d protect me,” she cried. “You said I was safe.” But they had lied. They knew this creeper who was following her around. Wait… no. They were looking for the creeper. Maybe they were trying to save her from him?
Or were they working together?
Tilly hiccupped back a sob. She didn’t want to believe that either, but what other explanation could there be?
Valor and Bishop half-carried, half-dragged her over to the bed and sat her down. Tears spilled down Tilly’s cheeks because she was going to have to accept this. Now it all made perfect sense. The timing. The targets. The hunt, lure, and capture. Hell Hounds, her ass. They were hired thugs. Magically enhanced killers – which is exactly something Marco would have in his arsenal.
It would be just like that asshole to do this to her. He probably staged the murder and went off grid with the book. Put that symbol on her ceiling to scare her into not retaliating.
Congratulations, Tilly, you just won the jackpot of karmic justice. You played with fire, now you’re getting burned.
It all made sense. Unless…
Unless they were working for someone else and the creeper was the one who studied her habits and sent these two in once they had her routine memorized. Bishop was the lure – and she fucking fell so fast for him too. She never could say no to a bad boy with tattoos. And when he came to her house, he saw the book, would have verified she had it and then reported back to Valor, because it was so obvious Foxy Boy ran the show. Then what? They needed to get to Marco and had to use Tilly to find him? Oh shit! Valor murdered Marco! And now he was here to tie up all the loose ends and kill her too!
No. That didn’t feel right either.
Nothing felt right about this. Every situation that pinned Valor and Bishop as bad guys felt wrong. Fuck her six ways to Hell, the paranoia was strong today.
We’re made to protect. You’re safe with us.
Those words played on repeat in her head and Tilly squeezed her eyes shut, trying her best to figure this out. Oh god… she was going to puke.
Tilly dropped her head and continued to keep her eyes shut tight. She didn’t want to know how they were going to execute her. Gun? Knife? Break her neck? She just hoped it was a swift death. Please, God, make it fast. I don’t want to feel it.
“Matilda Jane,” Valor’s voice was both close and faraway. “Matilda Jane, please… open your eyes and look at this.”
It was going to be the business end of a gun; she just knew it. Her nostrils flared as she tried to breathe. Fuck it, she thought. Stare death down. Don’t look away, woman. Meet it head on. Tilly held her breath and popped her eyes open.
Not a gun.
Not even close to a gun or any other kind of weapon.
It was Valor’s cell phone with a picture of the creeper again. Tilly thought she had double vision for a mom
ent because there were two creepers in the picture. Identical twins.
“Have ye seen them?”
Tilly nodded.
“When?” Bishop’s voice sounded strained.
She wanted to pull her gaze away from the photo, but instead her focus narrowed in on the picture. Leaning in with devastatingly handsome smiles, one had his arm around Valor, the other guy had his arm around Bishop. The photo was so innocent. So happy. Killers don’t look that happy. We’re made to protect. You’re safe with us. She felt Bishop’s hands move up her thighs, her body responding immediately. “I…I…”
“Damnit, Tilly! When?” Bishop urged, this time squeezing her leg. “When did you see them?”
Fuck he sounded so desperate. So scared. She slowly looked over at Bishop and lost her breath. Goddamn, no man should look so pained. What the hell was happening here? “I… I saw one of them right before I got hit by the car.”
“That’s not possible, lass.”
She swung her gaze to Valor, “I also saw him at The Blue Lizard a few nights ago, too.”
Bishop and Valor looked at each other and Tilly tapped the cell phone so the picture would reappear again. That was definitely the creeper. One of the twins was absolutely the guy she kept seeing around town. “I don’t understand any of this.”
“This is my pack,” Valor dropped to his knees in front of Tilly, “and if you’ve seen them, we need your help, we need to know everything.”
“Y-y-you’re not here to kill me? Tie up loose ends for Marco?” Her face was all tingly and her limbs felt like they had fifty pound weights strapped to them.
“What the— no!” Bishop squatted down to her left and kept rubbing her legs. “Tilly, we’re not here to hurt you. We told you, we’re built to protect.”
“Built to protect,” she repeated. “And these two… they’re your pack?”
“Aye.” Valor eyes were tense, “We’ve been searching for several weeks and canna find them anywhere. It’s always a dead end.”
“Oh god,” Tilly closed her eyes and sighed in relief. “I’m… I….”
Hard to Find (Hell Hounds Harem Book 4) Page 20
