The whole family...slaughtered.
David stood for several long moments, surveying the scene. There was something not right about this on so many levels. Demons were assholes, and they loved to use humans and leave them for dead, but this? The carnage in front of him made the victims Robert had left in his wake look as if theyd died in their sleep. But the lingering smell of sulfur mixed with the overpowering odor of freshly spilled blood told David he wasnt imagining things. This was demons work.
If someone had told him that a demon had murdered an entire family in cold blood, he wouldnt have believed it. He scanned each of the family members. The mother lay slumped against the corner of the far wall, her throat slit. Blood covered the front of her nightgown. Her mouth remained open, and her lifeless eyes stared upward to where her attacker would have stood. The cell phone she must have used to call Father OReilly sat a foot away from her outreached hand, the screen covered in cracks like spiderwebs.
Across from the wife, her husband lay facedown on the floor, the murder weapon still clutched in his hand after hed slit his own throat. The wife had been right. From the looks of the scene, the demon had possessed her husband, whod murdered her and their children before hed turned the knife on himself.
A sharp pang of sadness hit David in the heart at the sight of the couples teenage son. A gaping hole in the middle of his chest showed the brutality of what the demon had done to him. The sulfur-sucking monster had slung the kids intestines around his corpse as if they were nothing more than sausage links. This had to be the most sickening scene he had ever laid eyes on, and he had seen some seriously messed-up shit during the year hed served in the Brooklyn division.
The next thought that came to his mind made him cringe. Where was the baby?
Cautiously, David rounded the staircase to another section of the basement. His stomach flipped. Bile rose in his throat and burned his esophagus. He ran to the nearest trash bin and hurled the contents of his stomach into the small plastic bag. He didnt have a weak stomach by any stretch of the imagination, but even he couldnt handle the sight of what had been done to the once beautiful infant girl. He blinked back tears on the familys behalf.
A dangerous mixture of sadness and pure unadulterated rage rushed through him. He would find the demonic piece of shit that did this. He would find the bastard and painfully torture it for days, weeks, until it was begging to be put out of its misery. Then he would do more than send it back to hell, where it had the potential to crawl its way out again decades later. He would find some sort of spell, some ritual, something to ensure it was tortured in the most painful way possible for the rest of eternity.
David stood in the middle of the basement amidst the dead bodies and the lingering smell of sulfur mixed with the metallic scent of the familys blood. With robotic movements, he removed his phone and snapped photos of the crime scene for HQ to process and analyze. One step at a time.
He would get the job done, just like he always did, and each time he emerged as a stronger, better hunter...and less of a human being. A normal person wouldnt have been able to handle seeing something like this and still function. And that was exactly the problem: he could.
* * *
EVERY FAE SENSE Allsún possessed blazed to life when the cabbie finally turned the corner on to the correct street. Immediately she knew they were in the right place, the exact house. Her Fae senses rang like a sounding school bell, alerting her that she had reached her destination. Peering out the front window of the cab, she eyed the broken-in front door. She leaned forward from the backseat. Stop here, she said to the driver.
The cabbie had barely braked to a smooth stop before Allsún darted from the car, practically leaping from the vehicle. She burst into a full-on sprint toward the house as the cabbie drove away.
Shite. Was she too late?
As she neared the threshold, the rotten scent of sulfur assaulted her nose. She ran inside, hands up and prepared to blast any demons she encountered with a burst of faerie dust. The place reeked of demonic activity, and she could practically feel the power seeping out from the basement. Were the demons still down there?
She padded lightly down the steps, careful not to make noise. Her stomach flipped as she reached the bottom of the stairs and took in the sight before her. She couldnt even gasp, couldnt yell, couldnt scream, couldnt cry. Her heart thumped against her ribs, and a wave of anxiety washed over her. She was in way over her head.
She had seen demons do some horrific things in the years she had spent freelance hunting alongside David before he joined the Execution Underground, but nothing she had ever seen then remotely compared to the carnage that lay before her now.
A shiver rushed down her spine at the thought of what kind of creature could have done this, and then she froze as a small click sounded from behind her. The click of a handguns hammer.
CHAPTER FOUR
DAVID HAD BEEN waiting all night to test these new bullets, and finally he was being given a chance. He held the Beretta steady, pointing it at the base of the womans skull. His voice came out in a low, aggressive rumble. Dont move.
She froze.
He gave one slow deliberate nod as he told her, Good. Nowslowlyraise your arms.
Moving carefully, she did as she was told and lifted her hands from her sides, fingers spread so he could see she had no weapons. Holding the Beretta in his right hand, he quickly used his left hand and frisked her, patting down the thin material covering her.
Whats your name? He eyed her up and down.
From behind, all he could see was her long curled brown hair. She wore a hospital johnny coat that opened in the back, exposing just the thinnest peek of a round, firm ass. Wait a second. He knew that gorgeous hair and that sweet behind all too well. What the
Her voice shook as she spoke. David?
His heart came to a screeching halt before starting to thump double-time in his chest. The blood pounded in his head. He knew that voice, but...no. It couldnt be.
She shifted, and the robe moved ever so slightly to reveal a small orange freckle right above the curve of her butt. He knew that freckle. He had run his fingers over it so many times as they made love. Incredibly sexy and perfectly adorable all at the same time.
It couldnt be...but she was in a hospital gown.
After a long moment, he finally managed to choke out her name. Allsún?
She lowered her hands to her sides again and turned around.
Davids eyes widened, and for a moment he forgot to breathe. He took in the familiar contours of her beautiful face. Large green eyes the color of the Irish countryside, full pink lips, high cheekbones and a small button nose that made him want to kiss every inch of her. Man, seeing her alive and well was a relief beyond anything hed known before. She had lost weight in her already slender face and body during her time in the hospital, but aside from the minor detail, she was as perfect and divine in her beauty as she had always been when they were together. The kind of beauty most women envied. Allsún didnt need makeup to enhance her looks. She had a natural aura about her, the kind that couldnt be replicated.
A wide grin spread across his face, and at the sight of her, all the horrors surrounding him melted away. His heart continued to pound. He couldnt believe what he was seeing. There she was, alive and healthy. Weeks had passed since hed last seen her that way, and even then it had only been for a handful of minutes. It was hard to believe that five years had passed since theyd broken off their engagement. There were times when the wounds of her leaving still felt fresh. Hell, he would be lying to himself if he said he was anything but lonely without her around.
A wide grin spread across his face, and at the sight of her, all the horrors surrounding him melted away. His heart continued to pound. He couldnt believe what he was seeing. There she was, alive and healthy. Weeks had passed since hed last seen her that way, and even then it had only been for a handful of minutes. It was hard to believe that five years had passed since theyd broken off their engagement. There were times when the wounds of her leaving still felt fresh. Hell, he would be lying to himself if he said he was anything but lonely without her around.
Hey, gorgeous, he said.
Allsún opened her mouth as if she wanted to speak, only to close it seconds later. She didnt say a word. Instead, she ran.
Shit.
She bolted up the stairs faster than David would have thought possible. Throwing aside any concern for his injured leg, he raced up the steps after her. How the hell could she move so fast? Shed just come out of a trauma-induced coma, and shed been drugged on top of it, for Petes sake. Then again, when didnt Allsún surprise him? Hell, he sure as shit hadnt expected her to show up in the middle of the crime scene, still in full patient garb. Only two hours ago hed been sitting at her bedside while she rested peacefully.
Though Allsún was fast and he was hurt, his legs were still significantly longer than hers. He reached her just as she was about to rush straight out the front door. Grabbing her from behind, he circled his arms around her waist, lifting her clean off the ground.
She struggled against him, feet kicking wildly and hands shoving against his hold. Let me go! she shrieked.
David hauled her back into the house, closing the broken door behind him.
Allsún beat her fists against his grip, her words in rhythm with each blow. Let. Me. Go.
David fought back a laugh. She was so tiny compared to him and always had been. Did she really think that would work? Are you kidding me? You wake up from a coma after being tortured, then you show up at a crime scene littered with bodies, and you expect me to just let you run off?
She tried elbowing him in the shoulder. Yes.
Dont be ridiculous, Allie. Youre not going anywhere. How the hell do I know if your sanity is even intact?
Im perfectly fine. She pushed against him, grunting as she fought to break his hold.
But no matter how powerful her Fae powers were, she would never match him in the strength department. Their difference in size alone was enough to give him an unfailing advantage.
Loosening his hold, he quickly rotated her to face him. She weighed so little, even less than she used to.
Let me go. She kicked hard and caught him straight in the shin. Holy shit, that stung. He bit his lower lip and fought back a curse. Allsún had never had much in upper body strength, but, man, did she have loads of power in her legs. Holding her out in front of him, he walked over to the wall, then pinned his body against hers, holding her in place with his weight so she couldnt kick him.
But now he had other problems. Shit, if the feel of her body against his wasnt enough to undo him completely. His cock stiffened as her hips pressed against him. He wanted to kiss her hard and deep, slide his hands down to truly remember the feeling of her body.
No. He couldnt do that. She didnt want him like that, not anymore.
Let me go, she said again.
He held on to her tight. It didnt take much for him to subdue her, and frankly, he wanted to keep her pressed against him forever. Im not letting you go until you agree not to run off.
She continued to shove against him. I wont make any promises.
When he didnt release her, her sweet face twisted into a scowl, and he knew what she was gearing up to dowhat she always did when she was beyond pissed at him. Use his full name.
She inhaled a sharp breath, and as she spoke she punctuated each of her words with pure irritation. David Jonathan Matthew Aronowitz, you let me down this instant or I swear Ill
Allsún, you need to listen to me. This is really important, he interrupted her.
Refusing to listen, she continued to scowl at him, and he knew her stubborn side had set in. If he didnt cave, at least a little, she would keep going for hours, and if he got her pissed off enough, boy, would he regret it. Allsún might be only half-Fae, but that half was of pixie heritage, and while pixies were sweet little things most of the time, you really didnt want to piss them off. Allsún held true to that rule.
Slowly he loosened his hold, allowing her body to slide down the wall until her feet touched the floor. But he didnt release her completely, just enough to placate her temper.
The scowl faded slightly. I cant stay here, David. I came to help that family, and you know Im all for saving live victims, but the dead ones are your thing, so since you have this covered, I really need to go and get out of this hospital gown.
No way was he letting her go when there were demons out there who knew what she really was. Allie, listen to me. We need to talk.
Turning her head away, she refused to look at him. Theres nothing for us to talk about.
He scoffed. Really? Nothing? How about the fact that youve been in a coma the last month, and now youre suddenly awake and at a crime scene? How the hell did you get here? How did you get out of the hospital? Jace was heading to the hospital to watch over you as soon as I left.
Finally she met his gaze again. No one was there but me when I woke up, so I just left, okay? All of a sudden I woke up. I was lying in a hospital bed, connected to an IV, and when I woke up I didnt want to be there anymore, so I took the IV out and I left.
David stared at her for a long moment. She wasnt serious, was she? So you woke up, pulled out your IV, decided I dont really need to be here, and then walked out in a hospital gown into the freezing cold Rochester night and decided to follow me to a crime scene? Why wouldnt you wait for clearance from a doctor to make sure you were okay?
She ignored his last question. Followed you? I didnt have any idea you would be here, okay? I woke up, and I had one of my feelings. I knew that somebody in the area was in trouble, that they were having problems with demons. I listened to my senses. I flagged down a cab, and I got a ride here. I didnt expect you to be here, thats for certain. If I had, I wouldnt have come.
Im the only demon hunter in the city, and you didnt expect me to be here?
She flashed him a look that said dont-be-an-asshole.
Davids eyes widened, and he stared at her in disbelief. Clearly she hadnt thought a single bit of this through. All the more reason she needed to stay with him. She needed time for her head to clear. Last I knew, you werent hunting demons. What happened to that?
She frowned. I havent been hunting demons, okay? I havent been hunting anything in the past five years, but when I woke up, this feeling of someone being in danger overcame me and I couldnt ignore it. Ive never felt a pull so strong. I knew I had to track it to the source, and my senses led me here.
What exactly were you expecting to do when you got here? Single-handedly take down a demon with no weapons and protected by nothing but a hospital gown? he asked.
He loosened his hold enough for her to wiggle free. As soon as she left his arms, he missed the feel of her body pressed against him. He grabbed her hand to keep her from leaving, but she wrenched away from him.