Rebel Heart series Box Set

by Trina M. Lee

  “Want me to take Arrow off your hands?” Jett followed her suggestion with an evil snicker.

  “I wish it was that easy.” I moved about the room, ensuring all the gear was turned off before hitting the light switch on our way out.

  After locking up and exchanging goodbyes, we drifted toward our respective vehicles to head home. I opened the trunk of my old Nova and put my guitar bag inside. All I wanted to do was sleep, although a snack sounded good right about then. My mind conjured up images of late night cheeseburgers from the twenty-four hour drive-thru. Tempting. So tempting.

  I waved as the girls departed the parking lot, a squeal of tires followed Jett as she pealed away in her Mustang. Dropping into the driver’s seat, I was hit with the scent of the tropical air freshener hanging from the rearview mirror. The rich blend of pineapple and mango only served to feed the gnawing hunger. A rumble in my stomach thundered through the car, surprising me.

  I giggled to myself and stuck the key in the ignition. Before I could turn it, my laugh turned into a scream as I caught sight of someone sitting in the back seat.

  It was Koda.

  I realized that as I leaped out of the car.

  He slid out without a sound, expressionless.

  “What the hell are you doing, Koda?” I shouted in his face. “Trying to give me a damn heart attack?” My pulse raced, my heart thudding loud in my ears.

  The demon stood there, patiently waiting for me to regain my composure. How nice of him.

  I didn’t though. My fear turned into anger, which turned into rage. Without waiting for a response, I filled my palm with fire and flung it in his face. Infuriated, I followed that with a punch that left my hand throbbing. It was worth it.

  Koda held up a hand to ward off any further blows but made no move to retaliate.

  With an anguished cry I flung one more fireball.

  He deflected it with an icy palm. “I just came to talk, Spike.” Koda held up both hands as a sign of peace. Demons knew no such thing.

  “I have nothing to say to you,” I snapped. “You didn’t have anything to say to me when I had questions, so what’s changed?”

  My hands tingled all the way up to my elbows. Fire danced about my fingertips. I sucked in a breath, trying to focus on calming. Though I’d learned to control my gifts, they had a tendency to be a bit erratic at times. Usually when emotion got the best of me.

  Koda caught hold of my wrist when I raised a hand toward him. Firm but gentle, he shoved it down by my side. “I’m here to talk about Rowen.”

  Smoke puffed from between my fingers as my fire went out. “What about him?”

  “You should know why Dash wants him so bad,” he said with a half shrug. “Things are going to get worse. What’s going on with Arrow is nothing. Dash is just getting started.”

  I took a wary step back. The parking lot was eerily silent. A low buzz from the closest street light was the only sound. Aware of the dangers of being alone in the wee hours of the morning with a demon, I cursed my choice to leave the Midnight Star at home.

  “Start talking. I’m tired, Koda. I need to get home.” I gestured for him to go on. The sooner he said whatever he’d come to say the sooner I could leave.

  It had been a long time since I’d feared Koda. Though I had never trusted him, I had believed that he wouldn’t hurt me. These days I wasn’t so sure of that.

  His red gaze drifted over me, and he nodded, showing he knew what was going through my head. Stuffing his hands into his jeans pockets, he leaned against my car. His human appearance was that of an attractive, dark-haired man. I had yet to see a demon who presented himself as anything less than striking. So deceptive. I’d never seen his true form, and I was certain that I never wanted to.

  “Dash, Rhine, and I formed a triad of power,” he said, holding my gaze. “There were things we did together that we could never have done alone. Dash wants Rowen to take Rhine’s place, to make our duo a trio again.”

  A chill stole over me, though whether it was from the cold November night or the weight in his words I wasn’t sure. Something about the image he brought to mind made me uneasy. “Why not just use Arrow?” I countered, wishing I’d worn more than a hoodie.

  “We can’t.”

  “Why not?”

  Koda frowned, and something like regret crossed his face. “I can’t. I’m sorry. There’s only so much I can tell you.”

  Cocking my head to one side, I gave him a long, appraising once-over. “Why should I believe anything you say? Especially if you’re not even telling me the whole story.”

  “You know why.”

  We stared at one another in analytical silence. It was quiet other than that horrid buzz coming from the light. Koda had been assigned to lure me over to the dark, back when my talents had first developed. He’d failed, but in the time we’d spent together, he’d formed some kind of attachment to me. When demons got attached, it never ended well.

  No demon could be trusted, so even though Koda might speak some truth, he always had some sinister purpose. He wanted me to think he was here now, sharing with me, because he actually gave a damn what happened to me. Total bullshit. If anything, he just couldn’t stand the thought of Dash coming after me because, in Koda’s mind, I was his.

  “Because you care so damn much about me?” I asked, my tone dripping with poison. “I have never believed that, and I never will. You’re a demon. You only care about yourself.”

  “You have no idea how much I want that to be true. Although I wish I didn’t, I do care about you, Spike. That’s the only reason I’m here right now.” Jerking his hands from his pockets, he spread them wide and shrugged.

  What scared me the most was that I sensed he was telling the truth about Rowen. “Why does it have to be Rowen? Can’t you guys just form a new triad with some other demon?”

  Koda’s gaze dropped, and he muttered a curse beneath his breath. “It’s not that simple.”

  “Why isn’t it?” I was quickly growing annoyed with him. If this was just another way for him to jerk me around, I was going to lose it.

  “Dammit, Spike, I can’t tell you.” He stepped in front of the driver’s door when I reached for the handle. “I shouldn’t even be here.”

  “Then leave,” I said, holding up two hands blazing with fire when he reached for me. I most definitely wanted him to leave, however, he’d said just enough to get to me. Now I needed to know why their replacement had to be Rowen. There was no way to out-manipulate a demon, but I was willing to work with everything I had. “Look, Koda, if you expect me to believe you care as much as you say you do, then you need to level with me here. Give me some actual answers. If you can’t prove the feelings you claim to have, then stop pestering me with them.”

  Perhaps it was the exasperation in my voice or the pleading in my eyes, but Koda sighed. Still he didn’t step away from the car. His overall demeanor wasn’t threatening, though there was nothing friendly about him blocking my escape.

  “There were things we did together. Things that we can only recreate together. Dash is insistent that Rowen, being of Rhine’s blood, can take his place. That’s all I can tell you.” Koda awaited my reaction, refusing to move.

  “Since you’re not going to tell me what it is you need him to help you recreate or whatever, I think we’re done here.” With a jerk of my thumb, I gestured for him to get out of my way. “You should probably go before Dash figures out you’re here.”

  Koda gave his dark head a shake. He didn’t exude any power, but he didn’t have to. “Not until you promise me that you’ll stay out of Dash’s way. When he wants something, he gets it.”

  Angry and a little afraid, I hissed, “Well he doesn’t get it from me. And for that matter, neither do you.”

  Without hesitation, I thrust a fireball in his face and flung my weight against him, knocking him aside. My hand slipped off the handle the first time I grabbed it, but the second time, I got the door open. Koda didn’t try to stop me wh
en I threw myself into the driver’s seat and turned the key. The starter whirred without turning the engine.

  No. No. No!

  I tried until I was sure the engine had flooded from my desperate attempts. Meanwhile Koda watched my panic with thinly veiled amusement.

  With a hand on the doorframe he leaned down and smiled. “Have I ever tried to harm you?” he asked, lifting a lazy brow as his crimson gaze traveled over me.

  “Let’s not play this game,” I said, hands tight on the steering wheel. “Nothing you do is for my benefit. Just leave, Koda. Please.”

  Maybe it was because I’d asked nicely, or perhaps it was simply that he’d said what he came to say, but Koda backed away from the car. “Don’t say I didn’t try to warn you.”

  He vanished, leaving me there with my dead car and my emotions teetering on the fine line between terror and fury. After a call to Rowen who promised to come right away, I sat there, staring at the empty parking lot, mulling over what Koda had said. Should I tell Rowen? Would it achieve anything?

  In his own demented way, Koda probably did care. I couldn’t think of any other reason for him to tell me as much as he had. Assuming he was being truthful, I could only ponder what exactly it was Dash wanted to replicate with Rhine’s younger son. The son that should never have been born.

  A lump formed in my throat. Knowing the dark wanted Rowen was one thing. Knowing they already had a purpose for him was another. Koda was right. Dash wouldn’t give up. So I couldn’t either.

  CHAPTER TEN

  I didn’t think I could be so happy to see Arrow’s BMW, but when it turned into the parking lot twenty minutes later, I could’ve jumped for joy. Every passing moment I’d spent warily eyeing the lot, expecting a demon to pop out of the shadows. But Koda and Dash were done harassing me for one night.

  The BMW slid into the spot beside my dead Nova, purring like a kitten. A very expensive kitten. Rowen climbed out of the driver’s seat and motioned for me to pop the hood as he strode over to my car. After pulling the hood latch, I got out and joined him. Arrow stayed in the BMW, staring at his phone.

  “Everything ok?” Rowen asked, doing a double take when he saw my face. “You look shaken.” He propped the hood open, using his phone to illuminate the engine.

  I slid closer and gripped his shoulder, feeling both relieved at his presence and worried about what Koda had said. “Koda was here. The girls were already gone. He just kind of spooked me a little. That’s all.” I shrugged it off, hoping he didn’t press for details. Should I tell him what the demon had shared? I wasn’t sure if it would help or hurt.

  Rowen jerked his head, tossing the long chunk of blue hawk out of his eyes. “What did he want?” Because he was busy scrutinizing the mess of parts beneath the hood, he didn’t see my expression fall.

  I knew I had to be honest with Rowen. Keeping secrets wasn’t something I wanted tarnishing our relationship. I screwed up my face into a grimace and sighed. “He came to tell me why Dash wants you so bad.” I cast a glance at the BMW, ensuring Arrow couldn’t hear. “I’m still not sure he told me the truth. We should talk about it later. When we’re somewhere safe.”

  Rowen nodded, fiddling with something I couldn’t identify until it popped loose in his hands. “You cracked the distributor cap. I can take care of this tomorrow. Will it be ok here over night?”

  I laughed. “Can’t imagine why not. Would you want to steal this thing?”

  He handed me the plastic hub and closed the hood with a slam. Then he chuckled. “Hey, The Piece has charm. It just needs a little love, which I can help with.”

  “Thanks, babe. I got lucky when I found a man who can meet all of my mechanical needs.” I pulled him close for a lingering kiss, basking in the subtle but seductive scent of his cologne.

  “At your service,” Rowen murmured against my lips in a low, sexy tone.

  The steamy kiss was interrupted by the sound of an automatic window sliding down, followed by Arrow’s rudely barked, “Hey, fuckheads. Can we go? I gotta meet that dude.”

  “Is he actually going to be there this time?” Rowen barked back. “I knew this was a bad idea.”

  “Chill, bro.” Arrow was unfazed. “It’s all good. Let’s go.”

  With a raised brow I met Rowen’s gaze, making a silent inquiry. With a glower he huffed, “We waited for over an hour for that guy. He never showed.”

  A drug deal with Arrow? Well, it wasn’t my ideal way to end a night, but after threats and warnings from not one but two demons, could it get any worse?

  I should know better than to ask that question by now.

  Still I grabbed my guitar from the trunk of the Nova and shouted at Arrow to pop the BMW’s trunk. After a muttered response I couldn’t make out, he did as I’d asked.

  A scream caught in my throat.

  My brain struggled to make sense of what I was seeing. Mouth open, lungs heaving, a strangled sort of cry finally broke free. Vicky’s lifeless gaze stared up at me from under the gouged pentagram. Her body was a tangle of limbs, having been thrown haphazardly into the trunk. A gaping, blood-crusted wound in her chest revealed that her heart was missing.

  “Holy shit.” Rowen peered into the trunk, the color draining from his face. “Um, Arrow? You may want to come take a look at this.”

  Arrow flung the door open and got out with a muttered, “Is this really a three person job?”

  I stepped back, a hand over my mouth, guitar bag slung over one shoulder. Adrenaline squeezed my heart. Rowen stood stiff beside me, watching Arrow for a reaction as he joined us.

  “Oh,” Arrow said with a nod. “Fuck.” He reached in to touch her, making me suck in a breath. “She’s cold, like she’s been kept in a freezer or something. Another message from Dash I guess.”

  “Don’t touch the body,” Rowen hissed, panic causing his voice to rise.

  Arrow cast a caustic glare his way. “I fucked her, Rowen. My DNA is already all over her.”

  I swallowed hard around the lump in my throat. It was impossible to look away from the horror in the trunk. “What do we do?”

  “We have to call the cops,” Rowen said, turning away from the gruesome mess. “This is not something we can deal with on our own.”

  “The cops?” Arrow snapped. “Are you fucking mental? No fucking cops. Unless you want to spend some time behind bars after you’re both charged as my accomplices.”

  Jail? Hell no. This was all on Dash. He set Arrow up, and now he might take Rowen and me down as well. I was all for doing the right thing, but… “He’s right, Rowen. Calling the cops won’t help. I think we need Cinder.”

  Arrow scoffed, a bitter laugh falling from his lips. “And what exactly do you think he’s going to do? Snap his fingers and make this all go away? Angels don’t work that way.”

  “He can give us some guidance. He’ll know how we should handle this.” Maybe running to Cinder seemed childish to Arrow, but I trusted him more than anyone else I knew.

  “I say we go to Dash’s house and dump her on his lawn. I’m done being his whipping boy.” Before we could protest Arrow slammed the trunk shut and gestured to the car. “Get in.”

  “You’ve got to be kidding.” Rowen was aghast.

  “Do I look like I’m kidding?” Arrow grabbed my guitar bag, which I surrendered to him, and put it in the back seat. “Spike you can have shotgun.”

  The two brothers engaged in an epic stare down. My heart, pounding in my ears, made the only sound as they argued without a word.

  “We are not doing that,” Rowen said, breaking the silence. “You need to stay away from Dash.”

  “You both need to stay away from Dash,” I broke in before Arrow could fling a retort. “We need to think this through.”

  My inclination was still to reach out to Cinder though I could understand why Arrow might not share that sentiment. Everything about this looked bad for him. Though it was obvious to me that Dash was pulling the strings here, there was no way of proving Arrow
’s innocence. He was dark, and that did not work in his favor.

  “How about this?” Arrow’s voice dropped, taking on a gentle but persuasive tone. “We go meet this asshole so I can get paid and use the time to decide on something we can all agree on.”

  Rowen’s face scrunched into a skeptical frown. “You want to drive around the city with a dead body in the trunk? I think you’ve snorted too much shit up your nose.”

  “Well, yeah, probably.” With a shrug, Arrow’s lips curled up into a twisted half grin. “But it’ll only take like thirty minutes. Let’s just go. The longer we stand here and argue, the longer she sits in the trunk causing a problem.”

  This was blowing my mind. I gaped at Arrow, wondering how the hell he could be so chill about this. I was shaking in my trendy little boots while he stood there unfazed by the whole thing.

  Rowen looked to me for an opinion, which I didn’t have. I offered him a halfhearted shrug and headshake.

  “Fine,” he said, though nothing about the pinched expression he wore indicated he was actually fine with this plan. “Let’s get this over with.”

  Calming breaths did little to ease the worry that slithered through me. Vicky’s body lay in the trunk. We intended to drive around with a dead freakin’ body. It was too surreal to accept.

  I dropped into the passenger seat with a shaky breath. Dash had threatened me, but I couldn’t imagine he’d have done anything to incriminate Rowen in Vicky’s death. This had all been about screwing Arrow over. We’d just been lucky enough to be caught in the crosshairs by chance.

  The drive to the city’s downtown core was spent in uncomfortable quiet. The local rock radio station played, breaking up the nerve-racking tension with a sense of normalcy that couldn’t penetrate the mood that had descended over us.

  “Lighten up guys.” Arrow’s lazy command came from the backseat. “You know I’ll be the one to take the fall for all this shit.”

  “Somehow I doubt you’ll be the only one.” With his gaze on the road, Rowen sat stiff in the driver’s seat, his hands clenched tight on the wheel.