Devils Among Us (3 page)

The feel of a hand skimming up her back, coming to a rest on the nape of her neck, left Hannah glancing behind her. Nothing was there. Something brushed past her breasts, causing her nipples to harden to pebble-like peaks. She drew in a sharp intake of air as the feeling shot to the apex of her thighs. It felt as if fingers were dipping into her heated core, sampling her before moving straight to fucking her while she stood in place.

Shock coursed through her body and she jerked back, staring around wildly, trying to find the source of the sensual assault. While she didn’t find the guilty party, she did see something else—a single gold coin laying devil side faceup on the ground where she had just been.

Preyca bent and retrieved it. She gave it a onceover before handing the coin to Hannah. “Hannah, I don’t know why you’re carrying
The Devil
coin around with you, but it can’t be a good omen. My Tia Rosa would spend a week trying to bless the fog of evil that seems to be hovering over you at the moment if she caught wind of it. Want me to call her? She’s on my speed dial. Figure she’s the best person to call when shit gets freaky and, sweetie, it just got way freaky to be carrying around with you.”

Hannah stared at the coin, wide-eyed, barely hearing her friend talk of her aunt and what she would do to make the darkness go away. In truth, a sad feeling settled over Hannah at the thought of whatever had been near her for the past two months suddenly being gone.

She took the coin from Preyca, knowing full well she hadn’t dropped it. No, it had been placed there. It was
his
personal calling card and it wasn’t the first time he’d left
The Devil
coin behind. The first time had been the night she’d initially sensed his presence. She’d returned home to find the coin pinned to her door. From that night on, her mysterious watcher in the night had left signs he was near, that he was observing. Was he who was keeping her from doing her job?

Glancing around, Hannah saw nothing out of the ordinary, though she did continue to look in the direction of an old gray building. It was tiny, and if she had to guess, she would say it was used for housing yard work equipment. Nothing was there. In fact, the area seemed untouched by both the street lamps and the pale moonlight.

Odd.

J
anco’s attention wandered from his wayward elder brother to the human female Keane was so obsessed with. She was breathtaking and had caught his eye as well. Since Keane had seen her first and since it was very clear he had staked a claim, Janco had watched her in silence, doing his best to hide his attraction for her through sarcastic jabs at Keane and his obsession.

An obsession Janco worried he shared. Another concern that lingered in the back of his mind was the stories of old—the ones his great-grandfather used to tell him and his brothers when they were children. He snorted. That was centuries ago and still Janco clung to every word his great-grandfather had spoken about mates. About a woman who would cause them to act out of character, to do whatever was needed to be near her, and a woman who would be all they could think upon. More importantly, the woman they would bind to them, creating a union that would last eternity.

It had seemed far-fetched to the younger version of himself. Not so much anymore. Though he couldn’t exactly see himself bonded for eternity to the human Keane seemed too infatuated with, but there was something there. Something he couldn’t ignore, despite how hard he’d tried.

The newly arrived female was certainly attractive as well, but she didn’t call to him the same way Keane’s choice did. Janco didn’t fear his great-grandfather’s words were true. He feared he and Keane would have the same mate. That would not end well. While they had shared women in the past, a mate was not something one of their kind permitted another to mate to as well.

He knew mated pairs. They were older than him and his brothers and had been together for many, many years. No one dared step between them. It was the single most certain way to assure one’s death if they dared.

Keane’s female was temptation in its purest form. Her hair hung loosely to her slender waist, drawing his gaze there. It slid further, over the apex of her thighs, and his cock hardened, imagining what it would be like to find solace there.

It took Janco a moment to realize the woman was speaking to the other human. For a bit, all he seemed to see were her full lips opening and closing. Such a mouth would surely wrap perfectly around the head of his dick. It would fit him like a glove. He adjusted his cock, willing it to go down. It disobeyed emphatically. Yes, he bedded human women often, but never was his lust for them so severe.

And from the way his brother had been behaving, a fight would happen should Janco attempt to make a move on the beauty. Janco blinked and his brother’s magik was out and over the females, blanketing them for the briefest of moments. When it was done, the human Keane had been obsessed with looked shaken, while the newest arrival bent to retrieve something from the ground.

Janco glanced back at Keane. “Tell me you didn’t.”

Keane arched a dark brow and smiled, seeming unaffected by his choices. “And if I did?”

“Leaving your coins for her will not ease the pull you feel for her.” Janco wanted distance between the female and himself, but leaving his brother alone with her would not go over well. For the one thing their great-grandfather had been clear on was that no vampire true blood had ever bonded fully to a human. And from the legends, the few times it had been tried, it had ended poorly.

Very poorly.

Keane straightened, adjusting the cuffs of his dress shirt. “And what do you know of this pull?” His gaze slid to the other female and a telling smile appeared on his face. “Could it be you too have felt such a thing for a human?”

“Yes,” he said, lying. It was wise to allow his brother to believe the other female had pull over him rather than the one Keane was enamored with.

He looked back towards the beauty and once more was struck full-on with need. It damn near brought him to his knees. Each time she spoke, her words seemed punctuated with a spell, one that wrapped around his aching body, demanding he take note of her.

It was too much. She was too much. He didn’t trust himself anymore. Not after his ordeal with the beast master. He shuddered even thinking of the monster who called himself a man. Janco knew evil. In truth, he and his kind were considered it—lumped in with devils and demons—but they were nothing like the evil that hid behind the veil of a man who referred to himself as Beast Master. He had left Janco a shell of his former self. He no longer had the same control he once did and he certainly did not trust himself near the female who called to him on a baser level.

Janco turned away from her, facing the wall of the tiny building his brother leaned against. “What magik is this that they possess?”

Keane’s laughter held an air of arrogance to it. “I know not, brother, but it is most powerful.”

“Indeed,” Janco whispered, digging his nails into his palms in hopes of erasing the vixen’s hold over him. It didn’t work, not that he’d expected it would. He chanced a glance at his brother. “Perhaps we should distance ourselves from her—I mean, them.”

Keane gave a rather cocksure grin. “If you believe it will work, though you should know it is one of the first things I attempted.” He inclined his head towards the women. “You see how well it worked out for me. For you found me still hiding in the shadows, watching her from afar.”

Groaning, Janco covered his eyes with his hands. “We are doomed. Lucifer’s balls, how could a human hold any power over us?”

“I know not, brother,” Keane said without emotion, as if he’d resigned himself to his fate some time ago.

Perhaps he had.

Janco let out a long, incensed breath as his hands shook. He could not permit himself to fall into the same trap his brother had. One brother lusting after a human was more than enough. Two lusting after the same one was far too much. “We should go.”

“If you think it will help,” Keane said, this time sounding amused.

“I do not.” Janco closed his eyes tight. He tried to push thoughts of bedding the beauty from his head. Unfortunately, the thoughts seemed quick to leave his mind, only to relocate to his groin. “But still, I must try.”

Keane chuckled. “Then I will join you. It is not every day I’m afforded the opportunity to watch the mighty Janco fall prey to a human.” With that, Keane lifted his hand and a swirl of white mist surrounded them.

Janco exhaled deeply, thankful his brother had enough control over himself to whisk them away. He’d only gone to Keane to talk some sense into him. Never had he expected a human would ensnare him as well. At the rate they were going, there would be no brothers left to save them from themselves.

H
annah shuddered and forced her gaze from the tiny building. Whatever had been there was now gone. Preyca rubbed her arms, shivering as well. Another line of Spanish curses fell from her lips and she moved in closer to Hannah. “We should go in for the night.”

“Yeah,” Hannah whispered, putting her arm around her friend’s shoulders.

They made it about ten paces before the hairs on the back of Hannah’s neck stood on end and her inner alarms went off. Whatever had been keeping her from her job was gone, and that meant evil was back with a vengeance.

Preyca gasped and righted herself, taking a fighting stance and staring wildly around the darkened park. “I’ll take the right.”

Hannah smiled. “And I’ll take the left.”

“You sound excited.” Preyca shook her head and mumbled something about the crazy girl who wants to beat up demons.

Commenting wasn’t necessary, especially since Hannah knew Preyca wanted to kick some demon ass too. They were close slayer friends and the bond of their destiny only added to that.

Watching, Hannah waited, sensing the evil coming nearer. She exhaled slowly, careful to avoid drawing in another breath just yet. She needed absolute silence. As her lungs began to scream for air, she was rewarded for her patience. The rustle of a leaf caught her attention and she spun about fast, just missing taking a swooping demon to the head. It flapped its wings, the sound loud and accompanied by shrieks. They were painful to her ears, but Hannah blocked them as best she could, dropping and rolling out of its path.

It landed on its back haunches and shifted into the form of a man. A very naked man. A very naked, hideous-looking man. Spittle dripped down his chin as he approached, his eyes still wild and that of a demon. Hannah knew the man was some sort of vampire half-breed. What else he was made up of she did not know or care. Her only concern was if he was alone. As three more shadows dropped from the sky and surrounded Preyca and her, she got her answer.

Each of the new arrivals now had the body of a man but the wings of a bat. Huge bats. They stared at the women as if they were lunch, and Hannah had little doubt that was exactly what they would be if they didn’t figure out a way to kill the newest threat and fast.

Never had she seen anything the likes of them and knew Preyca hadn’t either. One with long, white-blond hair tipped his head and stared out from blackened eyes. “You smell of power,” he said, his accent foreign to her. Spit dripped freely from his jawline, causing her to shudder.

Hannah wasn’t sure if the comment was directed at her or Preyca. She didn’t care. She stood tall. “And you smell of evil.”

The man smiled magnanimously. It was a ruse, and at that moment Hannah realized these creatures before her truly thought their powers of glamour worked on her. They didn’t, but she’d hold that secret at least for the time being. She saw them for what they truly were—evil, winged creatures.

Monsters.

Preyca cast a sideways glance at her and took a step back.

Hannah stared at the blond man. “Who are you?”

“We—” He motioned to his companions. “—are who will be fucking you very soon, human.”

Preyca snorted. “Like hell, demon scum!”

Great, give away the fact we aren’t afraid of them.

Rolling her eyes, Hannah ran forward to meet the coming attack head-on. One of the men slammed into her, knocking her backwards. Dazed, she staggered but managed to stay upright.

Kudos to me.

She kicked hard and fast, catching a second one in the gut. He went forward but not before swiping out with his clawed hand. It hit her upper arm first, ripping it open, and then came at her throat. Pain raced throughout her and Hannah blinked, expecting the end to come about. Instead, white mist swirled around her, temporarily blinding her. Her attacker was thrust away and a gurgled, choked noise followed. There was a thud and then the sick sound of bones cracking. She knew without being able to actually see that her attacker was no more. She also knew her mysterious protector was back.

Hannah’s lids grew heavy and her body refused to respond to her commands. She swayed and took a half step before falling forward. “W-what?”

“Shhh,” a deep voice whispered. “They were
volatilisos
. Their claws and fangs produce a chemical toxic to humans.”

Hannah tried to concentrate on the man’s words but found she could scarcely keep her eyes open. She clung to him, noting how powerful and broad his upper body was. “Toxic to humans?” she echoed, her thoughts running behind on actual events.

“All will be well, my light.”

K
eane held the petite human in his arms and stared over at his brother, finding Janco in a similar situation. The smell of blood filtered up to Keane and he held the human tighter to him, suddenly fearful for her well-being. That alone should have made him drop her and flee the scene, but he didn’t.

He let his supernatural powers rise, utilizing them to check on her vital signs. She had lost a good deal of blood. More than her tiny body could handle. His gaze flickered to Janco. He wondered if his brother would make an attempt to stop him from saving the woman’s life. Much to his surprise, Janco was in the process of trying to heal the other woman.