would be surprised by that.
“If he’s into the same things as Vito, he’s also a drug dealer, pimp, human trafficker and a dozen other nasty kinds of criminal.” She leaned her hip against the desk, going over in her mind a few of the better ways to get in to his office, assuming he used the same one as his boss. Lilim and she had pretended to be prostitutes, but she somehow doubted that would work as well with her current partners.
Raum frowned, picking up the coat to take in Bruno’s essence. “Getting a guy like this alone for long enough to take his soul is a challenge. I’d prefer not to fight off his henchmen.”
“Right.” Kobal sniffed, bending forward to smell the coat. Some demons went by feel, others by smell. She knew which ones they were now and wished she didn’t. She didn’t want to know more about them. It would only make it harder to walk away later.
“Why don’t you ask Maron how she took care of Vito? It might be useful information.” Samael’s voice was deceptively mild as he settled in his chair and steepled his fingers under his chin.
It was a test. The perfect test. Would her partners follow her lead in a situation where she had the advantage of previous experience, or would they prove to be just like Shax? Never trusting her fully, always thinking they knew best on any hunt. It would tell her exactly what she needed to know in the one trial run she had with them. No doubt Samael had chosen the case for just that reason. He was a wily bastard, she’d give him that.
Kobal eyes sparkled with mischief. “I would have asked, but it says right here in the file. She faked being a hooker.”
“Are there pictures?” A brief, wicked grin flickered across Raum’s face.
The blond demon’s eyebrows waggled suggestively. “No pictures, but maybe she still has the outfit.”
She grabbed the file from him and smacked him with it. “In your perverted, adolescent dreams.”
“Well, yeah.” He chuckled and fended her off. “I’d still respect you in the morning, I swear.”
The utter sincerity in his voice cracked her up. She knew she shouldn’t laugh because it would just encourage him, but she couldn’t help it. The two of them amused her. She shook her head and sighed. “You’re incorrigible. Can we focus on the job, now?”
“Sure, boss lady.” Kobal shrugged and slid his hands in his pockets. “You’ll take point on this assignment, since you’re the one who knows our target. Tell us what we’re doing.”
The right words, sure. But words were easy to say, not as easy to live with in the heat of the moment. She noticed Samael watching the by-play between them with keen interest—and approval—and she wanted to kick him. So, she liked the men he’d picked for her. Or maybe the men had gone to the boss and asked for her. She didn’t know, and she refused to let herself ask. Telling them about her past changed nothing for her just as it changed nothing for them. They were still at an impasse.
“Well, the first thing to do is some recon on his current location—and that of his goon squad.” She dropped the folder to the desk and tucked her hair behind her ear. “Let’s get this show on the road. Samael, you know where to send us.”
“Yep.” He waved his hand, and a roiling, roaring wave of black fire engulfed them.
Chapter Four
They dissolved into nothingness, speeding through the black until they appeared in an alleyway. Half of Kobal’s body was in a dumpster, which was why they always arrived wherever they went as insubstantial shadows. It wasn’t just because they didn’t want humans to see them arrive—the mortals wouldn’t remember it anyway—it was because untangling themselves from the middle of a brick wall or garbage can could take a while. Demons couldn’t die, but that kind of mess would suck. And it might let a target slip from their fingers, which no self-respecting hunter would allow.
“Okay, which way?” Kobal stepped out of
“If he’s into the same things as Vito, he’s also a drug dealer, pimp, human trafficker and a dozen other nasty kinds of criminal.” She leaned her hip against the desk, going over in her mind a few of the better ways to get in to his office, assuming he used the same one as his boss. Lilim and she had pretended to be prostitutes, but she somehow doubted that would work as well with her current partners.
Raum frowned, picking up the coat to take in Bruno’s essence. “Getting a guy like this alone for long enough to take his soul is a challenge. I’d prefer not to fight off his henchmen.”
“Right.” Kobal sniffed, bending forward to smell the coat. Some demons went by feel, others by smell. She knew which ones they were now and wished she didn’t. She didn’t want to know more about them. It would only make it harder to walk away later.
“Why don’t you ask Maron how she took care of Vito? It might be useful information.” Samael’s voice was deceptively mild as he settled in his chair and steepled his fingers under his chin.
It was a test. The perfect test. Would her partners follow her lead in a situation where she had the advantage of previous experience, or would they prove to be just like Shax? Never trusting her fully, always thinking they knew best on any hunt. It would tell her exactly what she needed to know in the one trial run she had with them. No doubt Samael had chosen the case for just that reason. He was a wily bastard, she’d give him that.
Kobal eyes sparkled with mischief. “I would have asked, but it says right here in the file. She faked being a hooker.”
“Are there pictures?” A brief, wicked grin flickered across Raum’s face.
The blond demon’s eyebrows waggled suggestively. “No pictures, but maybe she still has the outfit.”
She grabbed the file from him and smacked him with it. “In your perverted, adolescent dreams.”
“Well, yeah.” He chuckled and fended her off. “I’d still respect you in the morning, I swear.”
The utter sincerity in his voice cracked her up. She knew she shouldn’t laugh because it would just encourage him, but she couldn’t help it. The two of them amused her. She shook her head and sighed. “You’re incorrigible. Can we focus on the job, now?”
“Sure, boss lady.” Kobal shrugged and slid his hands in his pockets. “You’ll take point on this assignment, since you’re the one who knows our target. Tell us what we’re doing.”
The right words, sure. But words were easy to say, not as easy to live with in the heat of the moment. She noticed Samael watching the by-play between them with keen interest—and approval—and she wanted to kick him. So, she liked the men he’d picked for her. Or maybe the men had gone to the boss and asked for her. She didn’t know, and she refused to let herself ask. Telling them about her past changed nothing for her just as it changed nothing for them. They were still at an impasse.
“Well, the first thing to do is some recon on his current location—and that of his goon squad.” She dropped the folder to the desk and tucked her hair behind her ear. “Let’s get this show on the road. Samael, you know where to send us.”
“Yep.” He waved his hand, and a roiling, roaring wave of black fire engulfed them.
Chapter Four
They dissolved into nothingness, speeding through the black until they appeared in an alleyway. Half of Kobal’s body was in a dumpster, which was why they always arrived wherever they went as insubstantial shadows. It wasn’t just because they didn’t want humans to see them arrive—the mortals wouldn’t remember it anyway—it was because untangling themselves from the middle of a brick wall or garbage can could take a while. Demons couldn’t die, but that kind of mess would suck. And it might let a target slip from their fingers, which no self-respecting hunter would allow.
“Okay, which way?” Kobal stepped out of
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