She didn't deny it.
"The question is… why ?" She wasn't a demon, but maybe, just maybe, she'd learned something about the demon world that should have remained secret.
"You're telling me one of the Other is hunting me now?" Her breath came too fast. "Great.
What? Do I have a vampire on my trail? A crazy-ass shifter? A-"
"Human."
Silence.
Then, "Run that by me again."
"Carl told me a human was dogging his steps." If only he'd gotten the bastard's name…but Carl had been sliced to pieces before he could give away that information. "This time, the killer is one of yours ."
"Hell."
Hmm…who said monsters were just demons and shifters? Humans had monsters living and breathing in their bodies. Sometimes, the humans were worse than the Other .
Much, much worse.
Holly turned away from him and began to pace the length of her den. He could almost hear the wheels turning in her head. Turning, turning – She spun around and pinned him with a fierce look.
And grinding to a halt.
"I don't want to be jerked around by you anymore." The hum of anger vibrated beneath the words. "You should have told me this from the beginning."
Maybe, but he wasn't big on trust, either. "I think the hit-and-run was a warning." Niol figured there was no other way to look at it. If the killer had wanted Holly to die yesterday, well, she would have been found carved up with Sam.
His hands fisted and a vase shattered to his left.
" What? Jesus, Niol, what are you doing?" Holly ran back to his side and bent to pick up the shards of glass. "Nice. This was a gift from-"
He grabbed her hands, heedless of the glass. Niol pulled her to her feet, kept her close. His nostrils flared as her scent teased him.
If Holly had been the one in that morgue…
"Niol?" Her gaze searched his.
He swallowed back the rage. "You still want to team up on this thing?" Because she couldn't hunt the killer on her own, not when she would be walking in both worlds.
Human and Other.
A grim nod. "You know I do. I don't have your contacts."
But she had some. For a human, she'd done a good job of slipping into the realm hidden by darkness.
Besides, if he was right, they didn't really need to explore too much in the demon realm.
"You want in my world. I want in yours."
"What are you proposing?"
Her skin felt so soft beneath his fingers. Delicate. He could hurt her, if he wasn't careful.
But he'd be careful with Holly Storm. Very, very careful. He'd gain her confidence, and in time he'd get…her.
She'd been a fire in his blood for too long. Time to get rid of the gnawing hunger and past time to stop a killer.
Luckily, he had the perfect plan for meeting both goals.
He lowered his head. Brought his mouth inches away from hers. "Tell me, Holly, are you in the mood for a new lover?"
Her breath hissed out.
"I'll take that as a yes. The cops already think we're together." They could keep thinking that. It would be the perfect cover. "You can talk to the demons this way, find out if any of them know anything about Sam or Carl." No demon in Atlanta would dare to touch her once he'd staked his claim.
"And what do you get from the arrangement?" Husky. Dammit. Sexy.
He got more fantasies. More hard-ons. And maybe, just maybe, the f**k he'd been dreaming of for all these long months.
If he played the game right, he'd also catch a killer. "I get enough." That was all he'd say, for now.
His eyes lingered on her mouth. She had a great mouth. He loved her bottom lip. Niol wanted to kiss her. To taste the lips so close to his.
And he was more than used to doing exactly as he wanted.
So he took her mouth.
A deep, long kiss. Lips and tongue. Craving. Hunger.
Her lips were warm and soft, and her response– fuck.
She kissed him with fury. With wild need.
Nothing tentative about her.
His cock, already semiaroused, swelled against the front of his jeans.
He wanted her naked. The bed was close. He could take her into the bedroom. Strip her, and make the fantasy he'd been suggesting into a reality.
It would be so easy.
Holly pushed against him, her nails biting into his chest.
Maybe not.
His head raised. He could still taste her sweetness on his tongue.
"What is it that you want from me, Niol?"
Everything.
"I want to stop the killer, same as you." He forced his hands to free her and he stepped back.
He'd been careful not to jar her. He didn't want to hurt her.
She must have felt his c**k straining against her when they'd kissed. The woman knew she'd gotten him turned on and ready.
But he'd pulled back.
For now. "So what's it gonna be, love? Do you want to hunt with me?"
"Yes." Instant. "But we do this together, you got me, demon? No more secrets, no more lies.
Together. "
He wasn't going to make any promises. His life was all about secrets and lies.
"Then welcome to the wild side, Holly." She'd better get ready for one rough ride.
CHAPTER 5
Breaking and entering generally wasn't Holly's idea of a good time. Sure, when she'd been eighteen, she'd once had a boyfriend who'd been fresh out of juvie and he'd taught her some lock tricks, but she hadn't exactly planned on spending her grown-up nights breaking the law.
But it wasn't like she had much choice right then.
"Tell me again," Niol said softly, "just what the hell we're doing here."
Here was on the steps of a small brick house on the outskirts of Atlanta. A house Holly had visited once before, with Carl Bronx.
"Carl's parents owned this place." Her gaze swept the street. "They moved a few years back, left it to him. He had a place downtown, but he liked to stay here sometimes."
She'd thought of the house on Sycamore right before her evening news broadcast and realized that while the police had undoubtedly already searched Carl's studio apartment, they might not have had a chance to get into this place.
Or maybe they didn't even know about it yet.
Holly drew in a deep breath. She felt better, her muscles not as stiff and sore. Already, many of her bruises and scratches had healed. Her wrist didn't even hurt anymore. She was feeling pretty damn good.
Lucky for her, she'd always been a fast healer.
She'd slept most of the day away. Slept, and had nightmares about Sam. Yet every time she'd woken, a cry on her lips, the heavy weight of sleep had pulled her back into the dark world of blood and fear.