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“Callie,” Kristy says, looking at me for a split second.Kristy is a rule follower and I know, deep down, thatnotpulling over would be a bad thing.I’ve had enough run-ins with the law over the last few years to make me an unofficial person of interest, and just recently, there’s been a lot I can’t explain.
Like Scarlet…who I can sense is coming closer, along with Binx, Lucas and…and someone else.
“You’ve got to be fucking kidding me,” I grumble as Kristy pulls over and I look in the review mirror, recognizing Officer Maxwell right away.Out of all the cops in Thorne Hill, he is the one to pull us over.Though, I suppose it makes sense why he was hanging out on my road.I live on the outskirts of town and my road doesn’t see too much traffic.There’s only one reason a cop would be hanging out in that spot.
And it’s to catch me doing something.
“We don’t have time for this.”
“I know,” Kristy agrees and gives me a sympathetic look, knowing how much it’s killing me not to have my daughter in my arms.“Between the two of us we can—” She cuts off with a scream as something zooms past us.For a split second I think it’s a demon, but then I sense his familiar aura.
Lucas.
Instead of stopping at the Range Rover, he goes to the police car and rips the door open.Eyes wide, I turn, taking in the full sight of Lucas—who has a body slumped over one shoulder—yanking Officer Maxwell out of the police cruiser. I scramble to get out of the car as Lucas drops the body onto the ground and slams Officer Maxwell onto the hood of the police car.Lucas tips his head up, showing off his fangs, before bringing them down on Officer Maxwell’s neck.
“Lucas, no!”I shout, but it’s too late.
ChapterTwo
Lucas jerks his head back, eyes meeting mine as a low growl comes from deep inside his chest. Seeing him like this should terrify me, but it doesn’t.Instead, it stirs something deep inside me, something that tells me Lucas and I aren’t all that different—not really.
He’s killed before, taking so many lives it’s become almost monotonous.I tried to tell myself it bothered me from the start, but really, it didn’t.From pretty much the first time we met, I’ve been grateful for his ability to bury a body so deep it won’t be found.I’ve appreciated his strength and loved the darkness inside of him.
Because I have the same darkness in me.
There’s no denying it.There’s no ignoring the pull toward the flames or the desire to sit on the throne and feel the power of a hellfire crown around my head.There’s a part of me that longs—so much—to have the power, to be in control, to know that others fear me.I spent a lot of my childhood being a helpless victim. I am now grown up and powerful and I like who I am.I deserve a fucking crown.Only Lucas understands my dark side.
“Your restraint has always impressed me,” Eamon says, appearing out of the darkness.“And disappointed.I remember back in the day when you’d suck a human dry for trying to tell you what to do.”He steps in between the cruiser and the Range Rover, illuminated in yellow light from the headlights of the cop car.“Though she’s not quite human, is she?”
Officer Maxwell whimpers and tries to reach up for his radio.
“I wouldn’t do that if I were you,” Lucas tells him, looking into his eyes.“In fact, the last ten minutes didn’t happen.You never drove down this road.Never pulled anyone over.This street is the safest in all of Thorne Hill.It’s a waste of the police force’s time to have anyone patrol it.”
“Right,” Maxwell agrees, eyes fixed on Lucas’s as he is held spellbound.
Lucas straightens up, looking on Maxwell’s jacket for a body cam.Technically, I think Indiana requires body cams, but small towns like Thorne Hill are a little behind on funding, which is a good thing for us.With our low crime rate, Thorne Hill appears to be a safe place to live.
Until you look at the year-end body counts.
But “death by demonic forces” isn’t something you can write on a death certificate, so most of these mysterious deaths have been blamed on wild animals.Which makes total sense knowing the most dangerous wild animal around here are coyotes.Nons have a special way of ignoring the obvious if it makes them feel safe.While I’ll never understand it, I can at least be thankful for their wholeignorance is blissmindset.
“You’re going to delete the dash cam footage,” Lucas tells him.
“I will.”
“And you’re never going to come down this street again.”
“Never…again.”
Gravel crunches under my shoes as I edge over, flicking my eyes to Betty’s house.If something was wrong, Eamon wouldn’t be here, right?My baby is okay.She has to be.“Well, maybe if he’s called,” I suggest, thinking there could be good reason for Betty to someday call the cops.
“Fine,” Lucas grumbles.“You are never to come down this street again unless you are directly called.Now, get in your car, drive into town, and do what I told you to do.”He lets Officer Maxwell go and steps back, reaching down and picking up the body as if it weighs nothing.
“Juliet,” I rush out, eyes darting from the unconscious man hanging limply over Lucas’s shoulder to Eamon, who’s supposed to be with my daughter.
“She’s fine,” Eamon tells me.“It appears you told Betty not to let a very good looking, fair-skinned vampire with an Irish accent with the skills of a sex-god into her house.”
“Yeah, that’s exactly what I said,” I say dryly.I did warn Betty about Eamon not that long ago.I’m so fucking glad she took it to heart.The door to the police cruiser slams shut and Lucas steps back, moving only inches out of the way as Officer Maxwell drives away.
