Chapter Twenty

His senses heightened, Asher scanned the station, searching for the watcher. Distracted, he reacted a split second too late. Jo bolted from his side. The woman’s scream pierced his awareness. The train screeched.

Jo!

Her name echoed in his brain as she disappeared over the edge.

Bulleting across the platform, he dove, catching her in midair. He twisted in flight, taking the brunt of the fall. Still in motion, he rolled them off the track and up against the wall just as the train whizzed into the station. The wind whipped around them, tearing at their hair and clothing. The brakes squealed.

When the train finally came to a stop, he rolled onto his back and breathed a sigh of relief. An alarm sounded. People were screaming.

“Are you okay?” He ran his hands over her arms and back, checking for injury.

“Yeah, I’m still in one piece. You saved me, yet again. It’s becoming a habit.” She was lying flush on top of him, her bicolored eyes twinkling. How could she be so calm?

He shoved her hand against his chest. “Do you feel that? My heart is racing. You’re giving me a heart attack.”

Her eyes widened. “I didn’t know your heart rate increased.”

“Neither did I. Not until I met you.” He dropped his head back to the ground. “Let’s not do this again.”

“Stop fooling around. We have a train to catch.” Maccus was standing on the platform glaring down at them.

“We’re fine. Thanks for asking,” he muttered as he sat upright with Jo still in his arms. Several people were leaning over the edge. Not to help but to film them.

Then the guard appeared. “Hang on. Help is coming.”

Maccus, the bastard, was right. They needed to get out of here. “Ready?” he asked her.

She managed to rub her stomach against his erection when she sat upright. “Really? You’re turned on? Now?”

Shrugging, he held out his hand to steady her as she stood, before jumping to his feet. “What can I say? You were lying right on top of me.”

“You shouldn’t move,” the guard warned. “You could have neck or spinal injuries.”

Ignoring him, Asher put his hands around Jo’s waist and lifted. Maccus reached down and grabbed her hands, pulling her to safety. He jumped, grabbed the edge, and flipped himself onto the platform.

Jo was busy making sure her coat was zipped so none of her weapons showed. Asher could only grin. She was one hell of a woman.

Then she was rushed by the woman with the child. “You saved my baby. Thank you.”

Jo patted the woman on the back. “No problem. Glad you’re both safe.”

His love for her expanded in his chest, crushing his lungs until he couldn’t breathe. She was so fragile and easily broken, yet incredibly tough and fearless.

“Is the train leaving?” Asher asked the security guard.

He shook his head. “We need to investigate before we resume service.”

He hated to do this, but there was no choice. After getting a nod from Maccus, he walked to the center of the platform. Let’s do this. “Everyone, look at me.” The command in his voice was so compelling even the people on the train did as he asked.

“All of you who took video, erase it. If it’s posted to your social media, remove it now.” He waited a beat, all the while not looking at Jo. “Nothing happened here. No reason for any delays.” He walked to the guard. “Am I right?”

“No need for delay. Just some punks messing around.”

“That’s right.” He walked over to Jo and eased her away from the woman with the child before dropping the thrall.

The entire platform was quiet for several seconds. As though a switch had been flicked, everyone began to talk and walk. The doors to the train slid open. He knew that was Maccus’s doing. They all stepped on and waited. Within seconds, the door slid shut and the train left the station.

“What the hell was that?” Jo’s voice was a furious whisper.

“We couldn’t allow that video to get out.”

She took several calming breaths. “Okay. I get it. I wish you’d stop doing that to me.” Her eyes darted to the floor and the other passengers. Everywhere but at him.

“I wouldn’t have if it hadn’t been absolutely necessary.” A cold pit in the bottom of his stomach grew. Would she hold this against him, or could she get past it?

“And who decides it’s necessary?” When she finally looked at him, her eyes were troubled. She raked her fingers through her hair.

“I do.”

While she had no physical injuries, the event had shaken her. Her heart was still running too fast, her breathing labored. She was pale, too, in spite of her anger.

Being trapped in a thrall might have frightened her more than the fall in front of the train. Every time he made some headway with her, he did something to fuck things up.

But he wasn’t apologizing for who he was or what he did to protect himself and the Brotherhood.

“Next time—stay out of it,” Maccus ordered.

Jo slowly turned to face him. “You may be able to stand by and do nothing, but I can’t. That was a woman and child.”

“You risked exposing us all.” He towered over her, his scowl making him even more menacing. Asher wrapped his arm around her from behind and glared at his friend.

“Then go back to wherever you came from and hide. I’ll deal with the situation,” Jo shot back.

Shit, provoking Maccus wasn’t smart, but she wasn’t backing down. And there was a high probability Maccus wouldn’t kill them with Morrigan watching. Right?

The clash of wills was intense. Tension grew until the air crackled with it. The other people on the train got restless, moving as far as possible from their small group.

He ran several exit strategies through his head, his priority Jo’s safety. Worst-case scenario, Maccus attacked. Best case, he walked away, leaving them to deal with whatever was going on by themselves.

The way things had gone lately, he wasn’t banking on the latter.

The train clattered over the tracks before stopping. When the doors opened, people fled. No one else entered.

The doors shut, and the train continued.

Finally, the corners of Maccus’s lips twitched. “Next stop is ours.”

Asher didn’t know whether to drag Jo over his knee and spank her for challenging Maccus or give her a high five for her audacity. She’d probably given him his first gray hair.

Demons and angels fled in the face of Maccus’s fury, but one gutsy woman had stood up to him.

“You moved so fast.” Morrigan sidled over next to them. “I didn’t even realize what the guy was going to do, but you did.”

Jo shrugged. “I’ve always had a sixth sense about those sorts of things. Helps when I fight.”

“I thought maybe you had some sort of paranormal abilities when we first met,” Asher admitted. She’d been exceptional in the battle with Vlad. Almost too good. “You sure you don’t have something in your background that’s unusual?”

“You think that’s significant?” she asked.

“Maybe. At this point, we can’t discount anything.”

She shrugged. “I have good instincts. I can read an opponent enough to know what they’re going to do a split-second before it happens. It’s not much, but it comes in handy.”

The train rumbled into the station and they disembarked. People got out of Maccus’s way as he cleared a path to the exit and up to the street.

Humanity continued on its endless rush toward death, never knowing who or what walked alongside them. Technology had changed greatly since his time, but human nature never did. Kindness marched alongside cruelty, fear alongside courage, and generosity alongside greed.

Jo embodied the best of those traits.

They followed Maccus a couple of blocks to a family-owned pizzeria. “Table for four?” The young waitress swallowed heavily and clasped her tray to her chest.

“That would be great.” Morrigan took the lead. “Somewhere in the back where it’s quiet, if that’s possible.”

“Let me check.” The girl all but ran.

“Stop scaring the waitress,” Morrigan told Maccus.

“I didn’t do anything.”

Asher rubbed his mouth to hide his smile.

She released a sigh. “No, you didn’t. You can’t help it if you’re a total badass just standing there.” She grabbed his arm and wrapped it around her shoulder. “Look adoringly at me.”

Beside him, Jo snickered. Maccus glared at her. She held out her hands in mock apology. “I’m sorry, but that’s impossible. No way you can’t look like a badass.”

Maccus grunted, but once again, Asher saw a ghost of a smile. Or maybe it was indigestion.

“This way.” The waitress kept her distance as she led them to a booth in the back. Maccus all but shoved Morrigan in first and sat beside her, taking the bench that put his back to the wall.

Sighing, Asher waved Jo in and then joined her. The waitress started to hand out menus, but Maccus stopped her. “I know what I want.” He ordered three large pizzas with everything.

“You order,” Asher told Jo. “I’ll eat anything.” After a quick study of the menu, she chose a large classic with cheese and pepperoni. He approved.

When the waitress left them, Maccus relaxed back in his seat. “I think it’s the women.”

“I’m not following.” He leaned forward, resting his hands on the table. Jo placed her hand on his thigh and squeezed, her tension palpable.

“Someone tried to take out a contract on Morrigan. She was a bounty hunter for Lucifer at the time. The same happened with Alexei up in Alaska with Cassandra. Now you and your hunter.” Maccus turned the full brunt of his icy stare on Jo. “What is so special about you?”

…

What is so special about you?

The question reverberated in her brain. And who the heck were Alexei and Cassandra? “Nothing. I was a normal girl living a normal life until my parents were murdered.” Ordinary was all she’d ever been until her life had been upended.

“What about this Cassandra?” The more information she had the better.

“That is her story to tell.” Maccus spread his arms and rested them on the back of the bench seat, totally relaxed. “She’s not human.”

Asher was a large, reassuring presence beside her. If not for him, she’d have been flattened by the train. Not a pleasant way to die. Her legs were still shaking, and her stomach was none too settled.

“So, I’m the only one. Lucky me.” It wasn’t easy to project an image of calmness. The rest of them hadn’t been fazed by the event. Okay, maybe Asher, but only momentarily.

“Is there anything from your childhood that was unusual?” Morrigan asked. “I thought I was human when I entered into a contract with Lucifer. Turned out, things weren’t exactly what they seemed.”

A low growl rumbled up from deep inside Maccus. Morrigan simply patted the big guy’s chest. “Think, Jo. It could be important.”

She leaned back and rested her head against the seat. “I’ve tried.”

“Were you extra good at something you tried?” Asher asked. “Have a particular skill?”

“Yeah, I can kill vampires.” That wasn’t what he meant, but it was all that came to mind.

I’m nobody special.

The waitress showed up with the first of their pizzas. They refrained from talking until all four were on the table. Then they dug in.

“Let’s talk more about that sixth sense you mentioned.” Asher took a bite of pizza and a long string of cheese hung out of his mouth before he licked his lips. She wouldn’t mind licking the cheese from his lips.

More than the spices in the sauce were making her mouth water.

“It’s not really a thing.” She wiped her fingers on a napkin before taking a long swallow of her drink. “I mean, it’s not like I know the lottery numbers or anything.” That would be useful.

“I still think it has something to do with the women,” Maccus insisted. “Why have the three of us run into women we’ve become attached to after all these years?”

“Where would someone get that kind of information?” Morrigan asked.

“Fates. Those bitches know everything. Sometimes they fuck with people’s lives because they can,” Asher speculated.

“They’re real?” It made her slightly ill to think that some paranormal force was in charge of her destiny.

“Yeah, they’re not supposed to meddle, but sometimes shit happens,” Maccus told her.

“Only the gods would go to the Fates.” Asher pushed his plate away after not eating near as much as the rest of them. Then again, he didn’t need much. Blood would be more necessary. Had he gotten some at the apartment before they’d left? Her appetite fled, and she set her slice of pizza down.

“Who has it out for you guys?” she asked, because all roads led back to them. Morrigan and Maccus shared a look that wasn’t the least reassuring. “Who?”

“Lucifer isn’t happy with me,” Maccus admitted.

“Me, either,” Morrigan added.

The fact that the devil was real was really messing with her. Treat it like any other hunt and work with what you know. “If Lucifer is pissed at you two, why put out a bounty on my head?”

“He won’t come for me directly. He’s too cowardly to face me after I kicked his ass the last time.” The big guy scowled at the remaining pizza before grabbing another slice.

He talked about kicking Lucifer’s ass as though it was no big deal.

I’m so out of my league. Her head was spinning, and the pizza she’d eaten churned in her stomach. “Let me out.”

When Asher didn’t move, she gave him a shove. “I’m about ten seconds from puking all over you.”

It was laughable how fast he moved. She bolted toward the short hallway and the ladies’ room. Thankfully it was empty when she stumbled inside. She made her way to a stall, gulping in air.

With one hand pressed against the metal wall, she bent her head forward and focused on breathing. When the nausea passed, she gave a short prayer of thanks. She washed her hands and splashed some water on her face.

While she patted her skin dry with a paper towel, she stared at the image reflected back at her. Her skin was pale, but there was no other outward sign of the turmoil roiling around inside her.

The door opened, and a striking woman strode in. She was tall, about five ten and wearing four-inch red leather boots. Her blond hair was perfectly styled, and her dress clung to every voluptuous curve. Talk about feeling dumpy in comparison in her black jeans and scarred boots.

She paused when she saw Jo. The long leather duster was probably off-putting, so Jo smiled. The woman smiled back and walked inside.

“You okay, honey?” the woman asked.

“I’m good.” No need to get anyone else involved in her problems.

The woman’s smile grew, exposing sharp fangs. “Oh honey, not for long.”

Shit, how had a vamp found her here? It wasn’t a coincidence. Not with everything else going on.

Jo pulled a knife from her pocket as she whirled around. She’d done up her coat before they’d entered the restaurant to hide her crossbow. Big mistake. “What do you want?”

“You’re worth a lot of money dead. And there’s an apartment in Paris I’ve been dying to own.”

“Financing a vampire’s international house hunt—just what I wanted to do tonight.” She put her back to the wall to be safe. There wasn’t much room to maneuver.

“You really are a hunter.” The woman turned her blond head to one side, openly studying her. “I thought it was all talk, but you’re not even scared.”

“I’ve faced tougher.” This woman was a walking, talking Barbie. No, that was an insult to Barbie, who would more likely be a hunter. That iconic doll had gotten a makeover in recent history and was getting all kinds of cool jobs nowadays.

“Oh, honey,” she cooed. This bitch was really getting on her last nerve with the fake endearment. “You’ve never met anyone like me.”

In her mind, she saw her opponent spring a millisecond before she did. Jo dropped and rolled, slashing upward with her knife. Fabric ripped and quickly stained with blood.

The female swore. “Look what you’ve done. I just bought this dress. It set me back three hundred dollars.” She plucked at the garment, a frown on her face.

“Sorry. Not sorry,” Jo shot back. She balanced on the balls of her feet and reached behind her to turn the door handle. No vamp would act in public. All she had to do was get through the short hallway and back to the main restaurant.

She pulled, but the door wouldn’t budge.

“Now, you know I can’t let you leave.” Great, this was no newly turned vamp if she could use mental prowess to keep the door blocked. “We’re not finished talking yet. Well, I’m not finished. All you have to do is die.”

Jo ripped her coat open, buttons pinging off the walls. She brought the crossbow up and fired as the woman leaped at her. Once again, her instincts didn’t let her down. The bolt slammed into her attacker’s heart.

She staggered backward and crashed into the wall, a look of pure disbelief on her face.

Someone knocked on the door. “Hey, I gotta go to the bathroom. What are you doing in there?”

When the door started to open, Jo slammed it shut and leaned against it. Great, now that she didn’t want it open, it was functional once again. I can’t catch a break.

Her attacker slid to the floor, her head lolling to one side. “Come on. Come on, turn to ash,” she muttered, pulling on the handle as it was tugged again by whoever was in the hallway.

All she could do was pray the vampire would disintegrate quickly. She didn’t know how much longer she could keep people out.

And explaining a dead body with a crossbow in the heart to management? Wouldn’t that be fun? Not to mention the cops. Where was Asher with his mind meld trick when she needed him?

“Hey. Let me in.” Whoever was out there was persistent, she’d give them that.

“In a minute,” she called back. If she was lucky, it would be a minute. The body finally started to break down. The clock ticked.

“I’m getting management,” the person on the other side of the door finally threatened.

“You do that,” she whispered. The body finished turning to ash. Jo lunged for the woman’s clothing and riffled through the pockets but found nothing.

She’d just dumped the clothes into the garbage and tucked the woman’s purse and the crossbow bolt under her coat when a loud knock came on the door. “What’s going on in there?”

There was nothing she could do about the small pile of ash on the floor. That was someone else’s problem. Thankfully, they’d have no idea what they were sweeping up. With a shrug and a silent apology to whoever ended up with that task, she yanked the door open. “Nothing is going on. I wanted some privacy.” Both the manager and a strange woman stared at her in disbelief as she made her way back to the seating area.

Asher met her at the end of the hallway. “What took you so long? I was getting worried.”

“Would have helped if you’d gotten worried a little sooner.” She kept her arms crossed over her stomach to keep her coat closed and weapons hidden. Not to mention to conceal the purse she’d just taken from the dead woman. “Just had a female vamp try to collect on the bounty.”

“Are you shitting me?” He started toward the hallway.

“It’s handled,” she informed him. “I have her purse under my coat. Didn’t have time to check for a phone or identification. I ditched her clothes in the garbage, but we should probably move.”

“Maccus and Morrigan are outside.” He put his hand on her back and ushered her out the door.

“We paid, right?”

“Don’t worry.” He pressed a kiss to her temple. “I left a few of those fifties I carry with me.”

“You’re a handy man to have around.”

“Not really. That should never have happened.”

“It did, and I dealt with it.” It felt good to fight back, even if it was only a hired assassin.

Maccus took one look at her and demanded, “What happened?”

“We’ll explain on the way,” Asher told him. “We need to check in with our friend and see what he knows.”

Shit, she’d forgotten all about Bjorn. Was he on their side or had he betrayed their location?

She reached under her coat and settled her crossbow.

If it happens, I’m ready.