Chapter 8

Mercy

Gigi told me one time one of my best traits was lying through my teeth. I put that to the test as I went off on a rant about why I had to find Liam. The trick to lying successfully was to keep the lie as close to the truth as you could, but leave out any pertinent details.

For instance, I never once stated Liam was the mage who hurt me. The demon put that one together all on his own. If it would get him to help me, then I’d let him keep believing.

Since in reality, it wasn’t all that far from the truth.

My scar tingled, and I scrunched my face, shoving those memories down as far as they could go. There was no room for softness or weakness where we were headed, not tonight. Outside, the air had dropped another few degrees, but I liked the cold. Kept me alert, focused. At my bike, I pulled off a spare helmet and went to hand it to Rafael, but frowned.

“Hmm, didn’t think this through.” I studied his horns, shaking my head.

Rafael, on the other hand, was staring past the helmet, at the sleek, black and silver studded motorcycle behind me. “You have a Banshee 3000?”

“Yeah. Like it?”

His lips gave a twitch as he nodded. “How the hell did you get one?”

“My job has some perks. Aside from being shot at all the time. Or stuck in the middle of a gob brawl,” I explained. “I don’t have a helmet for you.”

“We’re taking this?”

“Well, I ain’t walking all the way to the Underground. You have a car?”

His thinned lips were a giveaway that the answer was a no.

“Exactly.”

“I don’t need one,” he said. “Helmet I mean.”

“Suit yourself. Don’t fall off. I’d hate for our partnership to come to an end because your head got crushed like a melon.” Helmet on and secure, I swung my leg over the bike and waited for him to get on. “You coming or what?” When I glanced back, he wore a bemused grin. “What?”

“Nothing,” he growled, then climbed on.

The second he was behind me, the cold night air vanished, and his body heat pressed like a furnace against my back, but he made no move to hold onto my waist.

“Grab on. I won’t bite.”

“Not a vampire then. Good to know,” he grunted.

His arms wrapped around my middle, holding onto me loosely.

Warning him to change his grip would ruin whatever fun I was about to have with this Fed. And it was the least I could do after the mess he got my ass into. Granted he might not have realized he did it, but that was beside the point.

Payback was in order.

I started the bike, revved the engine, and we zoomed out into traffic.

His curse made me laugh, and then his arms held on tighter, nearly crushing my ribs.

“Are you insane!”

I cackled in reply and sped through traffic. All sectors were the opposite of the human ones. Many worked nights since they couldn’t be out in the daytime, so traffic jams later in the evening and into the night were common, hence why I opted for a bike. It was one of the only good things I bought with my blood money. And I wasn’t even going as fast as my Banshee 3000 could.

Kicking it into gear, Rafael’s arms threatened to squeeze me even harder as we picked up speed, easily weaving around cars and dodging red lights. I wondered briefly if he’d get sick and puke, but figured it might be worth it. When the signs for the Underground appeared, I slowed down and parked along the curb down the street. The kickstand was barely down when Rafael was off the bike, doubling over, and glowering at me with those dark brown eyes now glowing a fierce red. His smoothed back black hair was disheveled and had a curl to it I hadn’t noticed before. He was a handsome demon. And sexy as hell when he glared like that. At the reapers’ when we’d been running for our lives, I never took the time to notice, but now I did, and a weird fluttering started in my gut. The cold seeped back into my bones without his nearness, and I wondered why I suddenly wished to have those arms around me again. Just like when we kissed—

“Y-you’re a damned psychopath on that thing,” he snapped when I pulled my helmet off and rested it on the bike.

“What? You didn’t have fun?”

His eyes flared even brighter as I grinned.

“Let’s go, tough guy, we have a long night ahead of us.” I walked into the tunnel leading to the Underground, telling myself the way his eyes lingered on my face were only for the scar and no other reason. No one found me attractive like that unless I wore one of Gigi’s charms.

I rolled my shoulders, reminding myself I wasn’t coming down here for a fight. All I needed was information, anything to help Gigi in tracking Liam down.

Rafael caught up to me easily, and we marched into the Underground in silence.

“You’ve been down here before, right?” I asked when we neared the end that would dump us out onto the main drag.

“Once, long time ago,” he muttered, clearly not about to tell me any more than that. “Not exactly my hang out spot.”

“Too bad. You’d fit right in.”

“What the hell is that supposed to mean?” he snapped, catching my arm. “You think because I’m a demon I fit in down here with the rest of the gangs and scum? Is that it?”

“Touchy much?” I tore my arm from his grip.

“Do not compare me to them,” he whispered harshly. “Don’t.”

He whipped around and kept on walking away from me as I made a mental note that this Fed was not as easy to read as I expected.

“That’s not what I meant,” I said when I reached his side. “I was referring to your being the brooding, quiet, sulking type. For the record.”

He blew out heavily through his nose but said nothing to indicate he even heard me.

“Whatever. We’re going this way. Follow me and don’t talk to anyone. No one needs to know you’re a Fed either,” I added with an undertone.

“I can handle myself.”

“Suit yourself.”

There were several contacts down here who might have information on Liam Manchester. I turned down a street, tuning out the whispers and shouts from those we passed. A few ran their fingers down their faces, cackling and I picked up the pace, reminding myself I was here to get answers, not beat the living shit out of anyone who crossed me.

“Well, lookie who we got here,” a goblin spat as he leapt from a balcony overhead and directly in my path.

“Move aside, Rot.”

“Is that any way to treat a friend?”

“Friend?” Rafael said from behind me.

“Yeah, friend,” Rot answered before I could. “I thought we were so close. Mercy, what happened?”

“Why don’t you ask your brother. You know, the one who decided a change of diet was in order.”

“Oh, I would, but they took Rufus to some damned secret prison. They’re never going to let him out.” Rot grinned madly, flashing his sharp teeth as he snapped his fingers. “But, though I’m not able to speak to my brother, I know how he’d like me to take care of you.”

Six goblins, the same ones from the other night came out of the alley and jumped down from the balcony, surrounding us.

Sighing, I rubbed my forehead and shook my head. “Look, Rot, can we do this another time? Kind of busy tonight and kicking your ass in front of your friends—I mean, do you really want them to see that?”

“Overconfident bitch!” Rot yelled and threw himself at me.

He was taller than Rufus, but his fighting was worse, and extremely erratic. As he came at me, I stepped to the side and grabbed hold of his scruff. With a grunt, I swung him around and threw him into the three goblins to my right.

Rafael made a move to step in.

I held up my hand. “I got this.”

“I can help,” he insisted.

Rot was getting back up, wiping the blood from his mouth and had already spotted the demon.

“You… you’re with her?” Rot gnashed his teeth, let out a high-pitched shriek, then attacked.

I went to grab him, but the other three grabbed onto my back, tearing me away from Rafael.

They threw me into the nearest building.

“Kill them both!” Rot yelled.

Rafael growled ferociously nearby.

Not that I could see him.

I was too busy kicking off the other three goblins.

Swinging my fist, I knocked one’s teeth in and reached to my hip for my sword, but the other two grabbed my arm and wrenched it up behind my back.

Using my weight, I fell backward, taking them down with me. I kicked out, catching one in the face. The other I grabbed around the throat and tossed him across the street where he rolled into a few onlookers.

I barely got my balance back when a goblin wrapped his arms around me, squeezing me tightly.

I gasped, cringing when my ribs threatened to break.

Then suddenly, the goblin was gone.

Sucking in air, I whirled around to take him out, only to find Rafael holding him up by his throat, shaking him. Then he threw him into the pile of the other unconscious bastards. With Rot at the bottom of the heap.

Rafael’s eyes dimmed, and the red vanished, along with a hint of the demon rage he’d let show. He tugged on his jacket. “You alright?”

My sides hurt like hell, and I’d be sporting more bruises. At least I didn’t get bit again. “Yeah, yeah I’m good. Thanks.”

Maybe he wasn’t so useless after all. After having to save him from the reapers, I’d wondered if he could take care of himself. Nice to see I was wrong.

“So, friends of yours?” he asked.

We walked away from the goblins before they got their second wind. And before the vampires who patrolled the Underground made it to the scene and gave us shit for beating them up. They weren’t exactly police, but they seemed to believe they controlled these streets seeing as they were technically in their territory.

“Sure. You could say that. His brother had a bounty on him.”

“What did he do? Steal someone’s dinner?” Rafael didn’t sound too convinced I took the goblin in for a good reason.

“Yeah. That dinner being someone’s kid.”

“What? How was he not on the Fed radar for that crime? All we had were rumors of disturbances.”

“There’s a lot you all seem to miss in your perfect ivory tower,” I muttered darkly.

“If it’s not reported or discovered by us—”

“This was reported,” I yelled as I poked him hard in the chest. “But nothing was done about it, which is why I do what I do. You act like I’m the bad guy when I’m going after the same assholes and murderers you are. I just do it in an unconventional way. So back off, demon, or you’ll see my bad side.”

“How many have you killed over the years to get what you wanted?” he shot back.

“Only those who tried to kill me first.”

“So you’ve broken laws. The ends justify the means. Is that it?”

“Something like that, yeah. You can judge me all you want, but not every crime committed can be rectified by the law. So I make a little money on the side from bringing in the bad guy. Get over it.”

“The laws are there for a reason.”

“Right. Because they help so many of our kind.” Standing on my toes to give me more height, I scoffed at him. “What do you do to help those who actually need it? Tell me. What good do you actually do?”

He snarled as he grabbed my shoulders and slammed me into the nearest lamppost. “More than you. I will always do more than any other Fed. I told you, you know nothing about me.”

“That I doubt.” I shoved him hard.

He staggered back.

I glared at him. “You’ll end up being just like all the rest in the end.”

I remembered what the Feds did after my parents were killed. Nothing. Absolutely nothing. A single Fed—a demon—had spoken up for my sake when they’d found me, half dead. But he was ignored, and I was ordered to be thrown into the system. That was when I’d made a run for it.

Flashes of my recurring nightmare filled my mind, and I stumbled away from Rafael, shaking my head as the scar on my face burned. I grimaced, holding my hand to it. Power surged through my veins, threatening to escape.

“Mercy?” Rafael asked, but I shoved away from him, dragging my unstable power back into me.

“If all you’re going to do is judge me, then just get out of here. I have work to do.”

I expected him to leave, but when I glanced over my shoulder, found him following along, face scrunched in curiosity and worry.

So close, I’d been so close to letting it all spill out, telling him what Gigi didn’t even know about me, about what I went through before I found her.

And why?

All because he pissed me off, judging me for working outside the law. His law.

I had no choice, though. It was either work with him or take my chances and run. If I couldn’t find a way to get control of myself around him, I’d be digging my own grave one way or another.

Power welled up inside me, much like a heartbeat, but it had no way to escape, so instead, it left my stomach aching and hands shaky.

A cold sweat broke out on my forehead and cold seeped into my bones.

I shoved my hands into my coat pockets, not wanting Rafael to see, and trudged on faster.

The sooner we got even a small amount of info, the earlier I could head home and find another plan that did not involve the demon.