Authors: Kelly Hogan
A big smile spreads across his face as he looks from me to Ash and our impending positions on the crumpled bed sheets.
"I haven't interrupted anything now have I?" Dude is dressed head to toe in worn black leather and holding a motorcycle helmet on his right hand. His hair is unkempt and almost pitch black with the beginnings of some sexy stubble on his chin. He's sporting a very familiar crooked grin and has 'bad boy' written all over him. Ash relaxes his grip on me and heaves a big sigh.
"Yes Hunter, of corse you are. But what the Hell are you doing at my doorstep at 2 in the morning?"
I look to Ash and this Hunter guy whose name rings a bell in my back memories. Definitely demon by the way he looks and holds himself; he has that aura about him that screams cocky jack arse but what we women are suckers for.
"We've got problems my friend. Big ones. You're lucky I'm here to save your ass. Again." He slams the door behind him and plops himself down on the bed while flinging the helmet on the bed beside us. "Ohhh, meat lovers, my favourite."
I can hear some intense conversations in the next room as I try to tidy myself up a bit. I roughly brush my teeth with my fingers feeling quite grateful for the interruption as my breath was not so minty fresh. I don't have any female clothes besides underwear anymore as mine were practically incinerated off of me; I have yet to query Ash on how that all went down while I was unconscious. All I can say is thank God I wore matching under garments that day. I found a fresh t-shirt and sweats to put on and an elastic band in my purse, which thankfully Ash grabbed before he hauled me out of the pit. As I pull my hair into a messy pony I pause and lean my ears to the door, hoping to hear a little of what they're discussing. I can only decipher a few words though. Demon dimensions. Bounty. Destruction. Nope can't be a good thing that's going down.
Apparently Hunter drove straight from L.A. when Ash didn't answer his cell these last few days. My first impression of him is still dead on. Charismatic, charmingly assholish, extremely sexy, confident and I would assume a great Shit disturber. I can see a lot of broken hearts in his wake and definitely a lot of Ash in him, or him in Ash, I'm not sure which yet. Their body language and brotherly banter is a dead giveaway that they've known each other for a very long time. His presence unnerves me. I slipped to the bathroom shortly after he arrived to give them some privacy to talk.
When I emerge from the bathroom all eyes pull towards me and conversation stops abruptly. Looking from Hunter, whose still lazily perched on the bed finishing his pizza, and Ash, who's stopped mid-pace in front of the main window, I can tell they're arguing and Ash seems to be losing the battle.
"Um, did you want me to go outside for a walk or something?" I ask.
Hunter playfully pats the bed with a big grin and motions for me to come on over. "Certainly not sweetheart, I'm afraid this concerns you and your 'abilities' that have been getting quite a bit of lip service lately."
"Stop it Hunter. Let me handle this ok?" Ash snaps.
Hunter shrugs and winks at me as he takes another large bite of his slice. His eyes rake me up and down, probably assessing what the hell Ash sees in me.
"Ok, lay it on me Ash, it can't possibly make my day any more complicated? Can it?" I say placing my hands on my hips.
Ash is standing with his arms folded in front and looks like he might be sick. He lifts up his hand to nervously nibble on a hang nail. Ok definitely more complicated.
"Stella, I think you'd better sit down for this." Ash speaks as Hunter picks up the bible from the side table and starts leafing through, smiling, as if it's an Entertainment Weekly.
My heart is in my throat as I come over sit down on the bed in front of him. He kneels down on his knees and grabs my shoulders, sliding down my arms and pulls my hands into his.
"Ok, now you're scaring me, just spit it out already," I mumble as my nerves are starting to take over. Hunter laughs from behind me, clearly enjoying the 'book'.
"Sorry, ok, so here's the thing." Ash sighs before continuing. "Remember your 'friend' from the bar. Well, apparently he's pretty connected but not in a good way. He seems to know a lot of, well, to put it delicately, dicks. So when he left the bar last night, I guess he got on the horn and told a few other – "
"Dicks!" Hunter blurts out still reading.
"Yeah. He told quite a few of them actually, about what you can do." He looks intensely into my eyes, as if waiting for me to catch on.
"okkkkaaaayyyyy. I don't get it?" I say, clearly confused.
Ash drops my hands with a sigh, sits back on his feet and and rubs his stubbly chin. Apparently shaving wasn't something he's been doing a lot of lately.
Take two. "Ok, so since he blabbed, word spread and there are a lot of creepy demons out there who now know what you're capable of." Ash looks concerning towards me as if I might break in two at any moment.
I look back at him blankly. "I still don't get it?"
Annoyed, Hunter chucks the book on the bed, sits up with his feet back on the floor and continues for Ash.
"What your retarded 'boyfriend' is trying to say is that bad ass demons have put a bounty on your head and they're coming for you. Period."
"Hunter!" Ash snaps.
"What? No need to pussy foot around the issue my friend. The situation sucks and stalling in this crap ass motel isn't doing her any favours. You couldn't have chosen something a little bit more, I dunno, non psycho-ish in accommodations?"
"What do you mean a bounty? What would they want with
me
?" I turn to Hunter for answers as fear begins to slither up my spine.
Ash tries to explain it more delicately pulling my chin back to him. "Well you know how stories pop up about people stealing livers and selling them on the black market? Well when a demon has an exceptional gift, they become a hot commodity so to speak."
"Someone wants my liver?"
Hunter laughs out loud. "Fuck dude, spit it out already! I think she's smart enough to understand. Well... at least I assume so," he says with a tad too much scepticism for my liking. "They want you. They want to sell you to the highest bidder. At which point you're body parts will be sold off to scullers."
"Scullers? Stop speaking demon crap -
I am Shitting my pants over here! What the hell you're talking about!" My voice rising in panic as I look from Ash to Hunter.
"Whoa, ok, first things first. We aren't going to let you get sold." Ash reassures me and shoots Hunter a sharp look. "Secondly, we just have to make a plan to keep you safe until this all blows over. We can do some back pedalling and leak word that Will is a Fuck nut and got it all wrong, or we can say you are dead already, or... "
"Wait a second. Stop sugar coating this Ash. Exactly for what purpose would these so called scullers want me for?"
"Jesus. Look Stella, I'm sorry to tell you this, but what Ash is terribly explaining to you, is that your whole body is THE commodity. Your flesh is what they want, not you. Basically they would sell you off in pieces to the highest bidder."
"But why?" I stammer, looking to Ash.
"Well, some demons would use it in ritual sacrifices to please more powerful demons in other dimensions, gaining their favour. Other sick bastards might covet your rare ability by, um, consuming the purchase. Some think powerful demon parts would enhance their own skills or give them new ones. The rarer the demons ability, the higher the concentration of power to be transferred - in theory... " Ash trails off, looking at the floor, as if he might be sick.
"You said 'some' demons. What would the others want me for?" My voice sounds weak and far away. Ash still can't meet my eyes. What would be worse then eating me for Shits sake?
"We won't let that happen Stella. It won't come to that, trust me. We are going to protect you and keep you safe." Ash tries to calm me down and pulls my face into his hands in reassurance. Reassurance for me or for him?
"I think we all need a drink, any liquor stores open late around here?" Hunter hops up and heads to the door while I lay back on the bed and digest the fact that I have just become a sought after happy meal.
"You know you won't have any nails left if you keep at the clip you're going."
"Shut it Grey. You aren't the one about to unload a whole bunch of super natural hoo-ha on your conservative Dad in hopes that A - he'll actually believe you, B - he won't have me committed, or C - he won't take off your testicles with a shot gun."
"In that case, perhaps I had better start chewing on mine," he says as he grabs my hands away from my mouth and tightens his grip for comfort. He doesn't take his eyes off the road but smiles when he takes my hand.
I swear this has been the shortest drive home I have ever experienced. I know we were going normal speeds, but the dread over my next task has submerged me in fear. How was I going to tell my Father about this - this world? I need to keep him safe, so I need him to listen and believe me, but as we approach the town limits, I'm starting to think we should just drug him and tie him up somewhere until we can figure this mess out.
"So you're telling me that you have special 'gifts'?"
"Uh yeah."
"And so does...
he
." The look of disgust on his face as he motions towards Ash makes me think that perhaps I should have come alone.
"Yes sir, Mr Grace."
Dad looks from him to me, and back to him as I sit on the edge of my seat furiously working on unraveling my entire sweater hem in a nervous tick. Suddenly he bursts out laughing and leans back into the couch opposite us, apparently relaxing at the realization that his greatest fears haven't come to fruition. I'm convinced he was expecting me to tell him I was, well, expecting.
"You had me going there for a second Stells." He waves his finger at me and runs his hands through his hair.
"Ok really, what is up with you two." He places his arm on the back of the couch and folds his ankle over his left knee. "What's with the storytelling? All this supernatural crap. You're not on drugs are you?" This makes him serious once again and leans forward, arms on his knees.
"No Dad! Ok listen, we knew this was gonna be hard to believe, but you have to understand that what we are saying is true and you really have to leave the house for a little while. You're just not safe here," I say.
"What is really going on with you two, you want the place to yourself for a party maybe? Over my dead body Stella." Dad gets up and walks into the kitchen to the fridge. He continues on, yelling from the other room.
"I won't be fooled into that trick. Ho no, dear old Dad has been there, done that, and you can't convince me otherwise. Good try though, very creative I must add." Dad grabs a beer and takes a long haul off it.
We followed him into the kitchen as Ash's phone annoyingly starts to chirp. I mean really guy? You're going to answer that now?! Ash answers, retreating to the front room again, as I shoot him a glare, which he ignores, and I continue round two of Operation: Keep Dad Away (effectively saving him from a slow death from scary demon bounty hunters).
"This is as new to me as it is to you really. Have I ever lied to you before Dad?"
"Uh yeah, actually you have, when you ditched school and went all crazy these last few weeks, which I might add was due to your 'associations' with this
guy
. so excuse me if I find it hard to trust my daughter who is sitting here in front of me telling me she is some sort of super hero." He grins back at me and takes another drink.
Well yeah there's
that
.
Ash joins us back in the kitchen, flinging his phone on the counter, patience has left him I can tell. "With all due respect Mr. Grace, we are running out of time. We came here to warn you, and it is your choice to believe us or not, but I'm sure Stella won't let us leave until you pack a bag and get the hell out of here."
My mouth is hanging open in shock. He calls THAT subtle coaxing?
Dad's face goes bright red and I feel an explosion coming on. "Hey now you little Shit. That is no way to talk to an adult and I'd appreciate if you'd get the hell out of my house AND my daughters life in the next five seconds or I'll have no choice but to throw you out on your ass." Smooth going Ash.
Ash leans into the island in a death stare with my Dad, crossing his arms in front and concentrating really hard, Uh-oh. I look out the back window and a cloud of dirt and dust appear in the window, like our house is wrapped up in the middle of a tornado. I can't see beyond a meter outside the window. It looks like a dirt filled vortex and we are at the epicentre. Thank god Harve came in with us. The sound is deafening and terrifying all at once and even
I
know what is going on.
Ash is still staring down Dad who turns to looks outside in horror seeing his patio furniture flying around in circles. Clearly thinking mother nature, he springs to action.
"Holy Shit, ok everyone, to the basement right now, GO GO GO!" He runs around to my side grabbing my hand and sprinting to the basement door.