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“Just checking.” I swished my rag around before spraying the mirrors.
“See you Sunday, baby girl.”
“Bye, Dad.”
I heard him bolt the door from the outside after he left. I made short work of the mirrors, stopping once to pull down my gi’s collar to check out my healing bruise. The markings from last night’s attack were more visible after a sweaty workout, having rubbed off the concealer from this morning.
After passing the vacuum in the waiting room, I changed into a pair of jeans from my locker and stuffed my phone in my back pocket, having locked my purse in the car.
As soon as I walked outside, I felt it—that intangible foreboding when you should be alone, but you know you’re not.
I glanced up and down the street. No one. I must be paranoid. Still, I quickly bolted the door, bracing my keys between my knuckles, so they pointed out like daggers from my fist.
The sun had fallen, but a dim glow still lingered on the empty street. A dog barked somewhere. No one else was around. My car was right across the street. I took three long strides, then a man’s voice stopped me.
“Where you goin’ in such a hurry, sweetheart?”
I spun around. Three men closed in around me. They were all different except for one commonality—piercing red eyes.
I gulped hard against the cold reality that the demon hunter Jude wasn’t lying. And what happened at the club wasn’t a crazy hallucination. Demons were real. And three of them were standing in front of me, stalking closer.
The one who spoke was taller than the other two, muscular and tan. Brown hair hung long around his shoulders. He looked like he stepped off the cover of one of an old romance novel.
The one in the middle was a shorter, stocky guy built like a pit bull. The third was a slender Black man with a predator’s gait, circling to block my way to the car. He had a tattoo that trailed up his throat, piercings in his face, and gauges in his ears. He wore a spiked cuff on his wrist. He seemed the most dangerous.
Unlike last night’s incident with Sandy-hair, I was more than ready this time. Still, the three of them stalking closer sent a shot of adrenaline through my body. I wasn’t sure I could take them, but I sure as hell wasn’t going down without a fight.
“Can we play with her first?” asked Pit-bull boy.
I shifted my feet into a defensive stance.Dream on.
Fabio shook his head. “No. He wants her unspoiled,” he said, letting his freaky red eyes linger over my body. “Pity.”
Gross.
“You guys all think alike. One of your buddies said the same thing before he tried to kill me last night.”
The leader frowned. I glanced back at the guy behind me. He hadn’t moved, legs apart and hands at his sides. Flexing his arms, he was a tiger waiting to pounce.
“One of our buddies?” asked Fabio.
“A demon-boy like you.”
“Tried to kill you?”
“Redundant much?”
My bravado almost convinced even me. Why, oh why hadn’t I listened to Jude? Shucking off the trembling sensation in my gut, I focused on who would do what first, trying to find my moment to act.
Fabio turned his head to say something to Pit-bull boy. I took that second of distraction to make my move. Leaping in two bounds, I punched him at the base of the throat, jabbing two keys into his windpipe. He bent forward and grabbed his throat. I spun and double-elbowed him in the ribs and face.
Pit-bull boy lunged for me, leaving his groin open and vulnerable. Stupid move. I kicked him fast and hard like I would a soccer ball. He fell with a groan.
“Bitch,” he growled.
“You have no idea.”
I spun fast. Scary spiky dude was nearly on top of me. Ducking his attempt to grab me, I sprinted for the car. I wouldn’t have enough time to open the door, hearing his steps right on top of me. Turning, I kicked up toward his chest. He caught my leg and twisted. I fell face-first to the pavement. He landed on top of my back to keep me still.
