The crowbar made contact with my attacker. There was a satisfying thud.
All the more satisfying when I realized who it was.
The evening mist gathered, snaking low to the ground and so thick cold droplets already clung to my hot cheeks and shimmered on the edge of my lashes. I blinked to focus through the blur as he crumpled to the ground, but there was no question.
I knew my kidnapper.
Stocky, just taller than Amazon me, his mahogany waves curling around the collar of his wool jacket, and dressed in all-black like the darkest pit he called home.
Matthias Payne, leader of the Hex Boys.
Chapter Three
Satisfaction was short-lived as anguish and confusion quickly took center stage. Despite being on my list of top five people I’d like to smack silly — mission accomplished — Matthias was, first and foremost, supposed to be my ally.
Begrudgingly, perhaps, but still.
I prodded Matthias’s face-down and unmoving form with the crowbar. He didn’t so much as twitch. Even when I dug in with the pointy end. Ha. I had a mean swing, sure, but mean enough to kill him?
Crap.
I dropped beside him faster than the freefall of my stomach and jammed my fingers against his throat.
“Bummer. Alive.” I sat back on my heels with a sigh of relief. “Kidnapping doesn’t make sense, Matthias. You can’t stand to be around me, so trying to carve out some alone time for us? No way. Unless…”
Something ugly and vile slithered through my gut.
Unless he planned to hand me over to the secret, worldwide demon hunting society the Hex Boys worked for, the Mandatum. The one I was desperate to hide from. The one hellbent on imprisoning me for the rest of my life to use as their personal demon radar system. Just like they’d done to every other Divinicus Nex century after century.
Yeah, no thanks. I’d decided to break with that charming tradition.
Besides, I’d done a bang-up job of keeping my Divinicus identity hidden from the Hex Boys. Sure, they knew about my explody power — a white hot light thing that wiped out anything in its path, demons included. A power that I’d yet to control or even replicate since I’d nearly brought down a massive convention center in Los Angeles a few weeks back. There was no way Matthias had found the other skeleton in my closet. And even if he did, he wouldn’t turn me in.
Would he?
“Noooo. That…ahhh…can’t be.” I tittered a laugh. “Matthias, you big joker you.”
Joker? The Aussie? I must have a concussion.
I grabbed the collar of his jacket, lifted his head up, and leaned over to get a close look at his face. I paused.
Dealing with the angry Aussie and his nasty temperament, it was easy to forget his hunkifiable good-looks. But at the moment, relaxed and devoid of his near-perpetual scowl, most often directed at me — unjustifiably, thank you very much — the handsome features of a classic Gothic romance hero were readily apparent. Even without the benefit of having those crystal grey-blue eyes open. And on those rare occasions when he flashed a smile wide enough to crater his dimples, he could light up a room.
But most of the time he blackened it. Literally. He controlled darkness and shadows. I sometimes wondered what had boiled the joy and good humor from his soul. But right now, I couldn’t care less.
“Hey, jerk-face, what’s going on?” With my hand gripping the thick wool of his jacket, I shook him hard.
No answer. He was out cold.
I heard a noise and tried to jump out of my skin — didn’t work — while letting Matthias thump to the ground as I reeled back.
Muffled voices?
We knew someone in the Mandatum was sending demon assassins to murder me. This faceless traitor in an organization that was supposed to be fighting demons was instead working with them to remove me as a threat. A threat to what? No idea. But the Hex Boys, including the Aussie, had agreed that while we tracked the culprit they would keep me away from the society. Agreed to keep me safe. But maybe the traitor didn’t get that memo.
The parking lot was still devoid of people. Or so it seemed. An entire army could be hidden behind the cars and trucks, or hunkered down in the beds of the pick-ups. I backed toward the woods, but—
I whirled, shifting my fearful look into the dense forest, searching for danger in the bank of trees melting into the darkness. I strained my eyes to catch movement, shadows, anything.
Voices again.
Crap, they were coming for me. But from which direction? And how many? Were they armed? Did they plan to kill or kidnap?
Light and sound caught my attention. On the ground. I breathed easier. It was just Matthias’s phone which had fallen from his hand. I picked it up and held it to my ear.
“—are you done with your vitally important job? I can’t get ahold of the guys. Did they take care of Aurora? Matthias? Matthias, are you there? What’s—”
I clicked off and dropped the phone like it was a live grenade. But I’d already been blown to bits. Because I recognized the voice. The sound was deep and rich and most often brought goosebumps to my skin. Especially when it was whispering sweet anythings in my ear.
It was Ayden. On the phone. Collaborating with my kidnapper.
An anvil of dread dropped on my chest. Was he in on this? Could I be so utterly wrong about what I thought we were both feeling?
Fan-freakin’-tastic. I was falling hard, all right. Smack dab into a concrete slab of deception and betrayal. My bones chilled. And it wasn’t the frosty night or the wet fog lacing out of the dark forest to creep around my ankles.
I looked back at the car from which I’d just escaped.
Panic renewed in icy streaks down my spine because even without Selena’s car seat strapped in the back, I knew this sleek, black BMW.
It belonged to Matthias.
Nice pick, Aurora. You always find the most trustworthy souls. My gut wrenched threatening to discharge the breadsticks and antipasto salad. I leaned forward to put my head between my legs.
“Nice shot, dove.” The voice came out of nowhere.
I jerked in surprise and, since I was already leaning over, it cost me my balance. My feet struggled for purchase, but no sale. I tumbled forward. My shoulder hit hard. Last second, I tucked my head. The awkward front-roll had to be painful to watch—goodness knows it was painful to do—then I scrambled to my feet like a newborn foal, all leg and zero grace.
“I knew we’d make quite the team.” Strong hands picked up the limp Matthias off the ground like he weighed no more than a damp towel, and slung him onto impressive shoulders. “Where should I dispatch this betraying son of a jackal?”
I stared, stumbled backward. Shock quivered through every cell of my being.
Denial and I were old friends.
And good thing too, because if I were to believe what my eyes were seeing, it meant that my night had just gone from dire to disastrous.
Table of Contents
Dedication:
CHAPTER 1
CHAPTER 2
CHAPTER 3
CHAPTER 4
CHAPTER 5
CHAPTER 6
CHAPTER 7
CHAPTER 8
CHAPTER 9
CHAPTER 10
CHAPTER 11
CHAPTER 12
CHAPTER 13
CHAPTER 14
CHAPTER 15
CHAPTER 16
CHAPTER 17
CHAPTER 18
CHAPTER 19
CHAPTER 20
CHAPTER 21
CHAPTER 22
CHAPTER 23
CHAPTER 24
CHAPTER 25
CHAPTER 26
CHAPTER 27
CHAPTER 28
CHAPTER 29
CHAPTER 30
CHAPTER 31
CHAPTER 32
CHAPTER 33
CHAPTER 34
CHAPTER 35
CHAPTER 36
CHAPTER 37
CHAPTER 38
CHAPTER 39
CHAPTER 40
CHAPTER 41
CHAPTER 42
CHAPTER 43
CHAPTER 44
CHAPTER 45
CHAPTER 46
CHAPTER 47
CHAPTER 48
CHAPTER 49
CHAPTER 50
CHAPTER 51
CHAPTER 52
CHAPTER 53
CHAPTER 54
CHAPTER 55
CHAPTER 56
CHAPTER 57
CHAPTER 58
CHAPTER 59
CHAPTER 60
CHAPTER 61
CHAPTER 62
CHAPTER 63
CHAPTER 64
CHAPTER 65
CHAPTER 66
CHAPTER 67
CHAPTER 68
CHAPTER 69
CHAPTER 70
CHAPTER 71
CHAPTER 72
CHAPTER 73
CHAPTER 74
CHAPTER 75
CHAPTER 76
CHAPTER 77
CHAPTER 78
CHAPTER 79
CHAPTER 80
CHAPTER 81
CHAPTER 82
CHAPTER 83
CHAPTER 84
CHAPTER 85
CHAPTER 86
CHAPTER 87
CHAPTER 88
CHAPTER 89
CHAPTER 90
CHAPTER 91
CHAPTER 92
CHAPTER 93
CHAPTER 94
CHAPTER 95
CHAPTER 96
CHAPTER 97
CHAPTER 98
CHAPTER 99
CHAPTER 100
CHAPTER 101
CHAPTER 102
CHAPTER 103
CHAPTER 104
CHAPTER 105
CHAPTER 106
CHAPTER 107
CHAPTER 108
CHAPTER 109
CHAPTER 110
CHAPTER 111
CHAPTER 112
CHAPTER 113
CHAPTER 114
CHAPTER 115
CHAPTER 116
CHAPTER 117
CHAPTER 118
CHAPTER 119
CHAPTER 120
CHAPTER 121
CHAPTER 122
CHAPTER 123
Acknowledgements:
THE KIRK CLAN Street Team
About the Authors
Excerpt from Drop Dead Demons