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“He was all that I had! The only one who understood me, the only one who—”
Todd risked a small step forward.
“Don’t fucking move!” Cameron’s hand jerked around Holly’s neck and her eyes bulged as she fought for breath.
“Let her go, Cameron!” Todd fired a glance toward Niol and found the demon standing with his legs braced apart, hands loosely at his sides.
Holly’s nails scraped over Cameron’s arms. Her legs kicked out, her hips twisted—
“Stop fighting me! I don’t need this shit and—” He broke off, lips curving. “Humans are so damn easy,” he said, but his voice wasn’t the enraged killer any longer, it was the soft lover now.
“No…” Cara. “His scent…”
Oh, hell. The guy was about to make Holly a willing hostage. One that might do just about anything for her captor.
No, he wasn’t about to do it— he’d done it. As Todd watched, helpless, her struggles stopped. She blinked and stood docilely in Cameron’s grasp.
“So damn easy,” he repeated.
“Yeah, they are,” Niol agreed, voice taunting. “That’s why your bastard brother was so quick to die. ”
“You were the one I should have hunted,” Cameron yelled. “You. I should have known Cara wouldn’t have the guts to kill him!”
“Oh, I’ve got the guts to kill. ” A promise was in Cara’s voice. “Now let the woman go and stand on your own to face us!”
“You really think you can take me down?” A sneer twisted his mouth. “A low-level succubus and a human?”
“Hell, yeah, we can. ” No doubt in Todd’s mind. His gun was still trained on his target. Ready for a head shot.
“I’m about to kill you in the next ten seconds,” Niol said, voice like a breeze. “So what they can do, it doesn’t really matter. ”
For the first time, Todd saw a flicker of fear in the incubus’ eyes. “You move on me, I’ll kill the human. ”
“You’re not killing her!” Todd yelled.
But Niol just said, “Either way, you’re dying tonight. ”
Shit. If Niol started using his powers, he was going to have a dead reporter headlining the stories on the news for the next two weeks, and the Other world really would be out in the open for all to see.
He turned his head toward Cara. He needed her help, and they’d have to move fast, before Niol attacked.
A distraction.
Her eyes met his. Black as the other demon’s, but shining with trust. Her head moved in the slightest of inclinations.
She stared at the reporter, then dropped her voice low as she said, “Fight him. You don’t want his touch. You don’t like his smell.
He’s evil, and you want to fight. Fight. ”
Magic flowed in Cara’s voice. Power. Would her suggestion work on Holly? Hell, Todd didn’t know—and from the way Komak was responding, it didn’t really matter. The bastard was breaking, crumbling apart. Rage flashed in his eyes as—
“Shut up, you bitch! Just shut the hell up—”
“Now!” Todd growled. Komak’s focus was divided, just like he’d wanted.
The perfect time to strike.
“Burn, you bastard!” Cara screamed at Cameron, just as she conjured one of her sweet balls of fire and threw it at the incubus.
As the fire spun toward him, Cameron cursed and lifted one of his hands as he struggled to send his own power at the swirling light.
And Holly Storm sprang to life then. She snarled, screamed, and twisted like a hellcat.
Her body fell to the ground when she broke his hold.
Todd was ready. As the flame disappeared into a wisp of smoke, he aimed and fired.
The blast rocked the alley, making nearby car alarms scream in the night.
The bullet thudded into Cameron’s head and the demon stumbled back. But he didn’t go down. “Fucking human, you’ll have to do better than—”
Todd fired again. And again. Now aiming dead center for the guy’s chest. Would he still live? Didn’t know—Cara had said there was only one way to kill an incubus, and this wasn’t it—but he was just trying to do his level damn best to take the bastard down.
The clip emptied and the soft snick of the pull on the empty chamber froze Todd’s fingers. He stared at the demon—the still-standing demon—heart pounding, blood churning in his body and—
Cameron fell to the ground, landing on his back as a pool of blood began to spread under his body. Todd reached for the extra magazine he made a habit of carrying. Reloaded the weapon. Cara started forward. He snagged her wrist. “Wait, baby. ” Her body trembled and he didn’t know if it was fear or anger or some twisted mix of the two that caused her reaction, but he wanted to get Komak first—just in case the bastard had any more surprises waiting for them.
The reporter pushed herself up. She stared at the incubus with wide eyes.
“He’s not dead,” Cara said. “Down, but not dead. ”
Good enough for the time being. “You okay?” He asked her. She was pale, and still so beautiful that she stole his breath.
Even in hell.
“I-I didn’t know it was him. I swear, Todd, I—”
“I know. ” Soft. If he didn’t have a homicidal demon about ten feet away, he would have taken her into his arms and just held her until that fear and pain vanished from her face.
But holding her—that would have to wait for later.
“Niol’s the one who figured it out, he knew that Cameron had a brother, just didn’t know his name until I told him how—”
The incubus’ body moved, just a bit. Twitched.
Damn it, the bastard better not be getting ready to rise like one of those B-movie horror freaks.
And why the hell hadn’t the backup boys arrived? Two cops were somewhere in Paradise Found—hadn’t they heard the gunshots?
“It’s going to take more than you’ve got to kill him. ” Niol slipped forward, moving like some kind of cat as his feet made no sound on the cement. “An incubus—”
So much for the bullets, but then, he’d known that. “Can only die in the middle of one of those weird-ass power drains, yeah, I know. ”
Niol paused. “Cara just tells you everything, doesn’t she?”
No, not yet.
After all, she hadn’t told Todd how she felt about him yet.
Another twitch of the demon’s body. Todd stalked forward, stopping only when he stood directly over the body.
Cara marched at his side.
Niol took up a position near the demon’s head.
Holly stood, rather unsteadily, just a few steps away.
And as they watched, Cameron’s eyes opened. Blood trickled from his mouth as he smiled—then lunged upward.
Todd fired six more shots. Two into his forehead and four into his heart.
The demon went down once more.
Holly choked out a cry of disbelief.
Todd spared her the briefest glance. “Yeah, and this is what you thought the city was ready to see. ” He shook his head in disgust.
“Still think that, Ms. Storm?”
“N-no, I—”
“Detective Brooks!”
Glancing over his shoulder, he saw the two uniforms storm out of Paradise’s back door.
Finally.
“How long will he stay down?” He demanded, knowing that Cara or Niol would be able to tell him. If there was enough time, they could secure the scene, call McNeal and get some kind of transport and security setup ready.
Niol whistled. “Well, considering he’s got a hole the size of my fist in his chest and his head’s not looking so pretty anymore, I’d say you’ve probably got a few days before our boy here so much as twitches again. ”
Good. A savage smile of satisfaction curled Todd’s lips. “That’s what I wanted to hear. ” He lowered his weapon. “Ba
ck up my story,” he ordered softly, realizing there would be a ton of explanations needed.
Niol shrugged.
Holly bit her lip, then nodded.
Cara didn’t take her eyes off the body, but he knew she would agree. He could count on her.
He put his gun in his holster. “Stay there!” He shouted to the uniforms. There was no second weapon on the scene, so they’d wonder why the hell he’d blasted an unarmed suspect with bullets—and they’d also probably want to know how the guy was still breathing.
’Cause he was. Todd had seen the light rise and fall of the demon’s chest.
“I’m gonna keep ’em back. Cara, hell, baby, I hate to ask…”
The faintest of smiles curled her lips. Her eyes were haunted, but a hint of humor slipped over her face. “You wouldn’t be asking me to distract police officers, now would you, lover?”
God, but she was gorgeous.
“Just this once…”
Her head inclined. After one final glance, she turned away from the demon. Just turned her back on the man who’d tried to set her up for murder and who’d arranged the death of her sister.
Todd couldn’t help it. The detective knew he should stand back, keep it professional with so many eyes watching them, but—
He pulled her into his arms. Kissed her and tasted the sweetness of her fire on his tongue.
Her hands curled over his arms. Chilled, but so right.
He lifted his head. Forced himself to take a deep breath—but he just smelled her.
“Go. ” A whisper that slipped from the lips he’d reddened. “Do your job. We’ll talk—later. ” There was the faintest glint of moisture in her eyes and he knew she was fighting for her own control.
Hell, the woman had just faced her sister’s killer with stunning fury. Yeah, he knew she’d be able to keep her control now.
Giving a grim nod, he let her go. Then they began walking toward the officers and his nose twitched as he caught the deepening scent of her pheromones. Oh, damn, but this had better—
A sudden blast of flames erupted behind them, and the fury of the fire ripped through the alley with the force of an explosion, sending Todd and Cara flying through the air.
Chapter 18
Cara hit the ground hard. She felt blood pour from her knees, felt the trickle of the liquid on her palms. As fast as she could, she shoved to her feet, and her first thought was of—“Todd!”
Then she saw him, rising a few feet away from her, face cut, hands dripping blood just like her own were.
Relief had her shaking.
Her gaze flew toward the back of the alley, but she knew what she’d see. She should have known all along, really.
“Christ!” Todd’s voice was stunned and she knew that he’d just caught a glimpse of Cameron’s charred body.
He took off running, heading straight for the still-flickering flames.
Cara didn’t move, but her gaze tracked over to the left. Niol rose, his arms around the pale reporter. Cara’s eyes met his.
She hadn’t told Todd, because it would have been impossible for him to manage the feat, but there was a second way to kill a succubus or an incubus. A way only the most powerful demons could master.
Complete incineration, an incineration that started from within the body. If the fire began in the heart, then blasted outward, the demon could be destroyed.
But there were so few who could manage that much power.
So few.
Niol held her stare.
He’d loved her sister, in his way. And he’d wanted vengeance just as she had.
A vengeance he’d achieved.
A vengeance he’d given to her.
Cara’s head moved in the briefest of nods. Her heart ached as she thought of Nina. Of the life that had been cut far too short by the darkness in demons and men.
Justice had finally been given to her twin. Perhaps now, the nightmares would stop.
And Nina could rest.
“Holy shit!” A stunned male voice.
Ah, the other officers. She’d nearly forgotten about them.
Todd jerked off his shirt, and he battled against the flames. Didn’t really matter—she knew the fire would die away in moments.
But the two uniformed officers, they did matter. She closed her eyes, let her power stir inside her, and Cara pushed her scent hard into the air. Her eyes opened—one last look. Then, for the second time, she turned away from Cameron. The man she’d once called friend. The man who’d tried to destroy her.
This wouldn’t be the last time she would think of him, she knew that. Turning away—it didn’t mean she could shut him out or stop the memories. Her heart ached, her soul raged.
But it was over.
He was gone.
Nina was at peace.
Cara took careful steps toward the cops. The heel of her left shoe was broken, and her clothes were torn. She probably didn’t particularly look sexy, but how she looked, well, that really wasn’t the issue. The closer she got to the men, the more dazed their expressions became.
“Gentlemen,” she pitched her voice low, injecting a strong dose of hypnotic power, “remember this. When you arrived at the crime scene, the body was already burning and Detective Todd Brooks was fighting as hard as he possibly could to stop the flames. ”
Truth mixed with deception always worked the best.
Good-bye, Cameron. Hope you enjoy the hell that’s waiting…wonder if it’s as hot as Niol’s flames…
Sometimes, fate had a way of giving people exactly what they deserved.
“Shit. ” The next evening, McNeal sat at his desk, glaring down at the neatly typed report before him. “That woman from News Flash Five saw everything?”
Todd cleared his throat. “Uh, yes, sir. ” Since she’d been less than five feet away and had wound up with singed hair, it would have been hard for Holly Storm to avoid the whole self-combusting incubus scene.