by Kim Faulks
I glanced around the front of the building, watching as the douchebag with the smart mouth lifted his gaze and found us. In a heartbeat, he pushed through the crowd and scurried to stand before us.
“I knew it was you,” he looked at Purity when he spoke. “I thought maybe I was mistaken, maybe you weren’t who I thought you were. But you are, aren’t you? You’re that girl from my school.”
“You mean, the one you called fatty?” she snapped.
There was a sting in her tone, one which hadn’t been there a second ago. I glanced toward the building, and realized this was her, all her. There was no filter with Purity, never had been and never would be. There was only honesty…however harshly it came.
“Yeah, about that,” ass-crack reached up and rubbed the back of his neck. He glanced my way, as though somehow, he thought there was a guy’s code and I’d step in, smooth over all the damn insults and the cruel taunts.
Instead, I stepped closer to Purity and casually slid an arm around her shoulders.
She turned her head, eyes widening with surprise for a second until a calmness settled in her…a quiet strength. Yeah, that’s it, baby, I got your back.
I turned back to jock-itch. “You were saying?”
He flinched for a second, then swallowed and gave a nod. “Look, I’m really sorry. I mean, how was I to know?”
“What? That I have feelings? That every time you and your friends called out insults to me, it made me feel fucking small and insignificant…kind of like you are to me right now?”
Warmth surged through my chest with her words. I bit the insides of my cheeks, smothering a smile.
“If you don’t mind, we got bad guys to hunt,” she said, and found my gaze. “Right?”
I tightened my grip around her shoulders. “We do.”
She turned then, not bothering to give him a second glance. She could run hell-for-leather at a Soulless with a Nephilim blade raised and I’d still be no prouder of her than I was right now.
I slid my arm from her shoulders and followed her, carrying the med pack over my shoulder.
“They took my mom,” his voice cracked through the roar on the street. “They took my mom and I don’t know how to find her.”
Purity suddenly stopped in front of me. I pulled up hard, watching her turn her head. “Who took her?”
“Those things…Soulless things, or whatever they are.”
I shook my head. “They don’t take people, dude, you got the wrong immortals.”
Purity glanced my way and turned to him. “Mel’s right. They don’t just take people, they taunt them…they torture them, and then they kill them.”
I turned away, ready to leave this schmuck behind, but he called out. “But they did…and I can prove it. They took her and I have no idea how to get her back.”
I knew the second she buckled, knew the moment her curiosity matched her need to get away from him. Don’t do it…come on, he’s playing you.
“What do you mean prove?” She turned…and my stomach sank.
“Let me come with you and I’ll prove it. I’ll tell you everything you want to know if you promise to help me.”
I shook my head, drawing her gaze. I saw the ache inside her, the same ache filling her chest moments ago as we walked through the foyer. She didn’t just hear this asshole’s plea. She heard them all…felt them all…and I stilled.
I searched her face, taking in her desire to fight, and save. It’s what made her human…and beautiful. “Fine,” I muttered, and then turned to look asshole in the eye. “You disrespect Purity in any way…and it’ll be the last time you say anything at all. You feel me?”
He swallowed hard, then lowered his focus to my hands. For a second, I didn’t understand. I unfurled my fist, stared at my fingers, then realized it wasn’t fingers he saw…
It was claws.
He knew. I don’t know how…but he knew it’d been me that day…the one where he screamed the insult across the school parking lot and then laughed it off with his buddies…as he left his gleaming Lamborghini behind.
Metal never stood a chance against Hellhound claws…not much did. He saw now that I meant every word I said, and when he met my gaze once more, it was with a newfound respect.
One he’d better give to Purity.
I meant it…I meant every word. Mortal or immortal. I was ready to let every one of them know. She wasn’t just a woman…she was mine. “Fine, you can come. But this doesn’t mean a thing, got it? It doesn’t mean we will help you. It doesn’t mean a damn thing.”
He just nodded and ran his fingers through greasy hair. He looked shaken, jumpy, jerking his gaze from side to side with even the smallest hint of movement.
“Around the back,” Purity murmured. “That’s where our car will be.”
We’d been to the Circle a number of times before, and every other time we’d parked in a spot around the back, along with all the hunters.
We were part of them now…on the payroll and everything. So I followed her along the pathway curling out and along the driveway toward the electric gate.
Purity slowed, glanced at the keypad, then to me. “Do you know the code?”
I shook my head. “No, you?”
She looked to the keys in my hand. “Is there one on the back of those?”
Metal jangled as I lifted the keys and stared at the inscription on the back of the Raptor keyring. There was a number…I lifted it closer, catching the outline, and muttered, “Six, six, six.”
Purity stilled, and jerked her gaze to me. “You’re kidding, right?”
I strode toward her, heaving the duffel bag higher. “Someone seems to have a sense of humor.”
“What does that mean?” big-mouth muttered behind me. “Hey, talk to me…what does that even mean?”
Purity was the one who answered with cold, stony words. “It’s the mark of the Lord of Hell…Lucifer himself.”
“Jesus,” he whimpered. “Jesus, this is real, isn’t it?”
Purity punched in the numbers and the gate rolled open in an instant. “Yes…yes, it is.”
We left him there, striding into the compound and scanning the rows and rows of gleaming pickups and four-wheel-drive SUVs. Purity walked to the nearest row and glanced at the license plates, which all started with HUNTER and then a corresponding number.
“There,” she said, pointing to a gleaming black beast. I looked at the plate, HUNTER666. “That’s us, all right.”
“Hell’s bells,” she murmured and stared at the truck.
Polished step rails gleamed and the tires were thick and chunky, almost brutal against the rest of the smooth, sleek lines.
“This is ours?” she asked again.
I didn’t have to look at her to see the surprise on her face. I heard it all in her voice. “Apparently.”
I slipped between the Raptor and the green Jeep next to it and made for the bed. The canvas was stretched tight, bulging at the center. I dropped the med bag at the tailgate and pulled on the handle.
The truckbed was packed for everything we’d need, tents, weapon boxes anchored to the floor. There were gallons of water and packs filled to the brim.
“Whoa,” the voice came behind me.
The jock took one look at the packed truck, then back at us. “This is all yours?”
“We’re hunters,” Purity said with pride. “It’s what we do.”
I lifted the med bag and slid it into a space at the rear before I shoved the tailgate closed and made for the driver’s side door. “Exactly what she said. Let’s go, Purity. We got creatures to hunt.”
She rushed to keep up, racing around the other side. The asshole just tagged along. “What about my car?”
“You can follow us,” she climbed in and put on her seatbelt, “if you can keep up.”
He just stared at her as she leaned out and yanked the door from his grasp. “Vroom vroom.”
The guy was frozen for a second until I shoved the key into the ignition a
nd started the engine, then he was running for the open gate…and the people on the street.
The dashboard gleamed. Purity ran her fingers over the instrument panel that replaced the stereo. It was like a damn airplane, switches and dials and lights blinking green. “Holy shit, Mel,” she lifted her head and met my gaze. “We’re gonna fuck shit up.”
Chapter Five
Purity
We rolled through the gates and out to the street. People crowded in, stepping into our path, holding signs above their heads and staring at us in defiance.
But Mel never lost his cool. He just eased the truck toward them, and around them when he could. They eventually moved, stepping to the side, lowering their placards filled with hate.
I’d never understood how sick we were…how fueled by fear and rage. And how much that cost us. We were washed out, giving all our power to everyone else until we were washed-out and gray.
The flare of a black car caught my eye in the mirror as Jesse pulled out behind us. Mel didn’t want him around, not following, not even talking. He wanted nothing to do with the guy who’d teased and ridiculed me for most of my high school years.
If I said his remarks had never hurt me, I’d be lying. But I was better than that. I was better than narrow-mindedness and petty taunts. Instead of giving my power away, I pulled it deeper inside.
Words didn’t define me, and sure as hell, neither did numbers. I was more than the sum of my body, more than the sum of my brain. I was…fire.
Fire when I looked at Melkor.
Fire when I saw injustice.
Fire when I saw hate.
I closed my eyes, listening to the screams and the chatter from outside, and drew myself down into the darkness…where I knew myself well.
Everything was changing…me…Mel…the world, and I had a role to play. I just didn’t know how.
“You okay?”
Warmth brushed the back of my hand. I opened my eyes, catching amber flames in his, and nodded. “I’m good.”
He gave a nod and turned to the road once more as we slowly turned the corner and left the crowd behind. The engine of the truck growled as we picked up speed.
Jesse followed us as we turned, then turned once more. Mel leaned forward, grasped the keyring, and angled it. “Six Jericho Street. You know where that is?”
I leaned to the side, shoved fingers into my pocket, and pulled my phone free. “Two seconds.”
I entered the address into the cell and brought up the maps. “Left at the next set of lights, then follow it all the way to the other side of the city. I’ll tell you when to turn.”
He focused on the road, glancing into the rear-view mirror every now and then to make sure Jesse was behind us. Even though Mel didn’t like him, he still wanted to help…if he could.
“You know, I could get used to this,” he murmured. “You being my navigator.”
“Kick-ass navigator,” I murmured and leaned forward to run my fingers along the knobs and the dials once more. “And good looking, to go with it.”
“Very good looking.”
I stilled, my hand outstretched, finger hovering over a button, and lifted my gaze to him. He glanced my way and then to the road once more, cheeks flushed…
I couldn’t help but smile. We’d been friends for almost our entire lives. I knew how to be his friend. Knew how to get him into trouble…knew how to laugh when he tried to get us out. I knew how to rely on him, how to trust him, how to fix the damn curl next to his ear. I even knew how to make his favorite chili and pickle sandwiches, but now it was different.
It was all different.
My heart raced at the thought. One kiss had changed everything. One kiss…and the fact I’d almost lost him.
I glanced at my cell. “Make a right up here on Urben Street and then left on Yolanda Avenue, then it’s the first right.” Words slipped from my lips, but my mind was racing.
Just like my heart.
I lifted my gaze as terror moved in.
What the hell was I going to do now?
Mel looked into the rear-view, turned the corner, and glanced my way. His forehead furrowed in a second. He scanned the road, then turned to me once more. “What? What is it?”
Showering…sleeping…God, were we going to share a bed? Holy shit…holy shit! I jerked my hand from the seat and pressed it against my chest. Pain slashed across under my hand. My heart clenched, filling my head with thunder. “I think…I think I’m having a heart attack.”
“What?” Tires howled as Mel jerked the wheel, pulling us over to the side of the road. “Are you serious?”
I snapped forward until the seatbelt caught me. In an instant, fingers pressed against my neck as he lifted my head and stared into my eyes. “Purity…Purity, talk to me.”
My heart gave a flutter. He was so close. Lips moving, soft lips…warm lips. Stop looking. Just stop looking at him. But he was all I could see, all I could feel…
The ache grew deeper, snapping taut like a belt across my chest. “I need…some fucking air.”
I stabbed the clasp of the seatbelt and then clawed for the door. Buildings blurred, even the pavement melted into nothing as I shoved the door open and spilled from the truck.
“Purity…talk to me,” hysteria slipping into his voice.
The car door opened. Frantic steps followed.
I tried to lift my head, tried to draw a breath…tried to speak. “Just g-give me a damn s-second.”
I braced my hands on my knees as a car pulled up hard behind us.
Jesse…oh shit, I forgot about him. I tried to straighten, tried to force a smile. I tried to pretend everything was cool. But Melkor was there, his strong hands sliding around my waist, pulling me against his body.
Which only made the panic worse.
I inhaled the heady scent, dragging him into my lungs and my soul. He was all around me, his eyes, his hands…his smell. I lifted my head to his panic-stricken gaze.
“Talk to me,” he pleaded. “Tell me what’s wrong.”
“It’s you,” I grasped his arm and met his gaze. “We kissed, and now I…I don’t know what to do.”
He stiffened against me, and those amber flames in his eyes dulled. “Wait, you’re telling me all this is because…we kissed?”
There was nothing, until a shudder raced through his belly.
And then a quake.
He jerked and jiggled, lips smashed together as a groan spilled free. Tears welled in his eyes as Melkor stepped away.
“All this?” He waved his hand toward me. “Because we kissed?”
Heat tore through my body and welled in my cheeks. “It’s an important moment.”
He tried to contain it, driving his fist into his belly.
Still, laughter tore free, great hawking gasps of breath, followed by the sounds of an animal dying.
The pain in my chest disappeared, and what replaced it was cold, unimpressed…fury. “It’s not funny, Mel.”
My words only made him laugh harder, whimpering and shaking like a newborn…until he was the one bent over with his hands braced on his knees. “It is…it is a little funny.”
“I don’t get it,” Jesse just looked from Melkor to me.
Melkor tried to straighten and stop the rasping laughter. “You…you’ll race into an attack with a Soulless…you’ll face a Hellhound twice your size…your guardian is the Lord of Hell, and you’re trained by one of the fiercest hunters this world has ever known. And, not once did you lose your shit over any of it. But a kiss…one tiny kiss, and you…” he lifted his hand, “you fall apart?”
“Wait?” Jesse murmured, unable to look away from me. “Your guardian is Lucifer?”
“Not now, Jesse,” I snarled through clenched teeth.
I tried to breathe, tried to unfurl my fists. Nails cut into my flesh, the sting all I focused on as rejection plunged a knife into my stomach. “You obviously don’t care about it. It’s funny to you, huh?”
In an instant, the la
ughter died away. Gone was the smile, gone were the sounds. Gone were the exploding sparks from the amber in his eyes. He took a slow breath and, even though I’d known him almost my entire life…a shudder of fear coursed through me.
He took a step, then another. “Don’t care? Is that what you think?” I stiffened as he came closer…red flames burned in his eyes. He didn’t just walk…he stalked. Gone was the man, the one who crossed the pavement to stand in front of me was all Hellhound. “Is it? Is that what you think?”
Melkor lifted his hand, and brushed strands of hair from my shoulder. “I care very much. Make no mistake, Purity…Jane…Andersen. You are mine. You are my mate, and my best friend. You are the only one I want to be with when we take these creatures down. You…are…everything.”
And the thunder in my head turned into a roar.
He moved closer, stealing the sunlight…leaving me in the shade. I closed my eyes the moment our lips touched. He was everywhere once more.
In my heart.
In my mind.
In my mouth.
My lips parted, my hands found his shoulders. His warmth was all I could feel, melting the terror away. He broke away, taking half a step backwards…eyes ablaze with desire. “I know you’re scared, but we’re in this together. So I need you to stop thinking about this. Stop thinking about us. I don’t want you to say I don’t care ever again, because I do. I’m here, and I’m not going anywhere, okay?”
I swallowed hard, his warmth still lingering, and nodded.
“Now, can we please get to the safe house?” Melkor glanced at Jesse. “So we can hear what douchebag here has to say? I just want to be rid of him, and sleep for at least a week.”
“Nice,” Jesse muttered and turned away.
I couldn’t help but smile. Melkor didn’t care about pretense. He didn’t care about anyone other than me. He just looked at me, waiting for my reaction…like he always did.
“I call dibs on the first shower,” I announced, and made for the open passenger’s door. “You use all the damn hot water.”
“I’m a Hellhound,” he threw his hands in the air and climbed behind the wheel. “What do you expect?”
