Midnight Craving: Midnight Vice, Book 1 by Lolita Lopez

found incredibly pretentious. That the guard’s hut was empty bothered
    him. Isla slowed down as they passed but there were no signs of a guard anywhere. He could only hope the
    demons hadn’t offed the guard or worse.
    Faux gas lamps dotted the meandering sidewalks and bike paths of the upscale neighborhood. The
    houses sat back from the street by fifty yards or more, their lawns and landscaping meticulously
    maintained. Every mansion seemed progressively larger and more opulent than the last.
    At the end of the street, just off to the right, sat the most ostentatious of them all. Its rear property line
    backed up to the lake, where the final rays of the sun shimmered on the purple surface. There were no
    lights on in the house but the occupants definitely had company. His core bristled at the nearness of black
    energy. Sitting just inside the driveway was the silver Porsche.
    Demons and vampires? Oh yeah. It was going to get ugly. There were too many normals living in close
    proximity not to err on the side of caution.
    Isla eased into the driveway and killed the engine. Her hands were shaking again, but Jace knew it
    wasn’t the need for sex. She was scared and rightfully so.
    He grasped her hand and gave it a squeeze. Their eyes locked. “We’re going to be fine. You’re going to
    be fine.”

    All the anxiety fled from Isla’s system as Jace held her hand and reassured her with his pep talk. In that
    instant, she knew that whatever happened, for better or worse, she was going to be all right. She smiled
    warmly. “Ready?”
    “As I’ll ever be.” Jace tipped her chin with his knuckles and claimed her lips in a deep kiss. When he
    pulled back, he held her gaze for a long moment. “Let’s go.”
    Isla climbed out of the driver’s seat and quickly buttoned and zipped her pants. She slipped her keys
    into her pocket and shut her door. The scent of sulfur hung heavy and ripe in the air. Jace at her side, she
    hurried to the front door of the house. Her chest tightened. Shards of glass littered the flagstone steps. The
    thick wood of the Craftsman door had been cracked with such force it had disintegrated in spots, leaving
    nothing but piles of dust and wood chips. The sounds of combat met her ears.
    Just the thought of losing Renata to the demons made her angry. Spurred into action, Isla hopped
    through the busted-out door and into the foyer of the home. A pair of gutted vampires were bleeding out
    onto the marble floors. Black blood seeped across the gleaming stone. She skirted the sticky pools and
    moved quickly toward the sounds of exertion. Her hand drifted to her hip—and felt nothing.
    Isla mouthed a cuss word as she realized she’d forgotten to buckle her tactical belt. It must have fallen
    off when she’d stood up. Without missing a beat, she lifted her right knee and snatched a butterfly knife
    from the holster strapped to her ankle. A few flicks of her wrist and the menacing blade unfurled itself.
    Now armed, she surged forward with purpose, her predator instincts alighting within her.
    She moved swiftly through the halls and connected rooms. Jace breathed down her neck, his body so
    close to hers she could feel the pulses of adrenaline-fueled energy he emitted. As they neared the kitchen,
    the angry snarls and sharp hisses of demons and vampires locked in battle grew louder.
    Isla glanced over her shoulder. Already that fine amber sheen covered Jace’s eyes, granting him the
    terrifying glint of angelic supremacy. His smell had shifted and the scent of frankincense and myrrh radiated
    from his skin. The archangel blood in him was awakening. Even now, she couldn’t help but wonder if he
    ever felt that instinctive need to smite her.
    Side by side, they burst through the wide arched doorway. Two demons inhabiting shells of human
    males fought viciously against five vampires. Three lifeless vamp carcasses littered the limestone floor, their
    bodies displaying gaping chest and neck wounds.
    Knowing