The demon gasped.
Still alive.
Brandt smiled. “You called. You told me that you had my Jade.” He made a point of glancing around the empty street. No partying here. No celebrating. Just death. “But I don’t see her.”
The demon tried to talk. Blood gurgled from his lips.
“Why don’t I see her?” Brandt asked and gave a little shake of his head. “I paid you money—very good money at that—to keep her for me.” He didn’t trust his pack anymore. Not with her. They kept screwing up, every damn time. So he’d branched out. Hired muscle.
And Jade had driven a silver knife into the guy’s chest.
Oh, but he f**king loved her.
“Now where the hell is William?” He demanded. William was the demon in charge of this group of killers. The big boss demon. “If he doesn’t have her . . .”
But he’d seen the demon’s lashes twitch. Brandt stilled. “Where’s William.” Not a question. A demand this time.
“D-dead . . .” A gurgle of sound.
“By Jade’s hand?” Impressive. She was gaining new skills. He’d suspected she always liked the blood, but two demon kills in one night was just taking her game up to a whole new level.
“B-bastard . . . with . . . her . . .”
No, no, that was damn well not what he wanted to hear. Brandt drove that knife down as hard as he could. It ripped past bone and flesh and sank into the pavement beneath the demon’s body.
No more gurgles. No more whispers. Just wide open eyes and a demon that was looking at hell. Brandt sure hoped the guy enjoyed the view.
Riley paced behind him. “You think it’s the same man?”
Brandt surged to his feet. Fuck yes.
And was the man screwing her? He was sure killing for her. Twice now. And why else would he kill, why else would he get involved? The unknown ass**le had to be f**king her. “Find him,” it was hard to speak as a man when the beast inside was snarling so loudly. “Get every hunter we have in this city—and find him.”
“You want him dead or alive?” Riley asked quietly as he backed up a space.
Dead or alive—the same question that had been asked about Jade.
“Alive.” Because he’d be the one to kill the bastard. Jade would watch.
Just as she’d watched before.
She likes the blood, too.
Revelers still packed the streets of New Orleans. The parades had ended hours ago, but as Jade shoved her way through the streets, she knew the folks celebrating on Bourbon Street didn’t really care that the beads weren’t flying anymore.
Laughter floated in the air on an alcohol breeze. Women hung off balconies, flashing for the crowd below.
She hadn’t gone back to her place. At this point, Jade just wasn’t sure if the small apartment was still safe. First the pack had come for her, and then she’d learned about the demons.
Her temporary anonymity in this city had definitely been blown to hell.
Jade was afraid that if she went back to that apartment, she’d find another hunter waiting for her.
The city wasn’t a haven for her. Not anymore.
“Hey, baby.” A big, smiling guy jostled into her. “Can I buy you a drink?”
“No, thanks.” She pushed away from him. The last thing she wanted was to get chummy with some frat boy looking for a good time.
“But, baby!” Now he sounded hurt. “I’ve got—”
The crowd around her cheered. The women on the balcony to the right had flashed. Again.
“You’ve got the wrong woman,” she told him. “Go try your luck with someone else.” Maybe one of the Ms. Flashies.
His eyes narrowed on her, and she realized that, unfortunately, he wasn’t as drunk as she’d thought. “Holy shit, is that blood on you?” frat guy demanded, now with a note of shock in his voice.
And, yes, yes, it was. Demon blood could be a bitch to get out of a girl’s shirt, too. No matter how many washes, that thick stuff just stayed.
This time when she yanked away from the frat boy, he let her go. Actually, he all but shoved her in his haste to get away. Hmm. Future reference note. Show a little blood and the guys will vanish fast.
She pushed through the crowds as she wound her way up to the nearest open apartment that she could find. Lucky for her, some folks invited the world in to their homes for a Mardi Gras party.
A good, nonstop party was going on right at the end of the street. She slipped inside the open doors. Found a bedroom. Two couples were making out on the bed. She ignored them, they ignored her, and she grabbed a clean shirt from the closet.
Jade ditched her bloody clothes and dressed quickly. The top was a little tight across the br**sts, but she wasn’t about to be complaining.
Not even close.
She eased up the stairs and then out onto the balcony. Her gaze swept the crowd below. She saw a large, rippling mass of bodies. Laughter. Drinking. Kisses.
Then . . .
Az.
He stood in the middle of the crowd, silent, strong, and he was staring right up at her.
Her heart seemed to stop. His stare was so hot, even across that stream of bodies. It almost seemed like she could feel the burn of his gaze and the heat from his touch.
Fear? Yeah, she feared him. How could she not, after everything that had happened? But, she wanted him, too. In that instant, Jade realized that she wanted Az far more than she feared him. Dangerous, but . . .
She wasn’t exactly the type to play things safe. Her reckless side was part of her problem.
He’s the key. Use him. They can’t hurt him.
But. . .
But her gaze darted over Az’s shoulder, and she saw two familiar figures moving toward him through the wild crush of the crowd. The figures were steadily closing in on their prey. Az was focused on her. He didn’t even know that danger was right there.
Riley and Anton, two of Brandt’s vicious packmates, were stalking toward him. Their gazes were on him. Even far away, she could see the flash of their claws.
“No!” Jade shouted as she gripped the wrought-iron balcony railing.
But the crowd below her just cheered. Az didn’t move.
He’d touched and killed, but what would happen when he didn’t have the chance to strike first?
Jade didn’t want to find out. “Riley, Anton!” She screamed their names. “Here I am, bastards!”
More roars from the crowd. They would yell at anything. But she knew the shifters heard her because their gazes ripped away from Az and locked right on her.
“Leave him alone.” She knew her words would be lost to the madness of the crowd, but those shifters with their enhanced senses, if they couldn’t hear her actual words, then they’d still be able to read her lips.