Lure of a Demon

ILSA

Ray was lying. She had to be.

There was no other explanation for my reaction to her. It had to be those seductive demon powers she mentioned. It was the only reason it could be—the way the warmth rushed through my body with each step she took, that glint in her eye as though she knew exactly the effect she had on me, luring me to her with whatever powers it was demons held over humans.

By not turning her into the police, I had shown weakness, and now Ray would exploit it for everything it was worth.

But the way my cheeks had flamed and the warmth had flushed between my legs, I didn’t trust myself to stop her from making a move if it came down to her and me again.

Pressing my back against the cool glass of the window, I slid to the floor, so I was once again hidden from sight in case Ray decided she was going to play another spy game on me.

Ray was good, I had to admit that. I almost didn’t see her tailing me home. She flitted in and out of the darkness as though she belonged there, and I supposed she did.

Beyond that, she had asked the very question I had been grappling with these past few hours.

Why didn’t I turn her in?

I had been following her for weeks after months of researching her moves and patterns. Hell, I even had an ex-girlfriend break the law by providing me with copies of forensic reports so I could track this demon down. Then when it came down to it, I hadn’t made the move. I hadn’t told the police officers what I knew about where she was likely to strike next, her apparent motivations, or her name and what she looked like.

Nothing.

Simply opting to tell them I had been in the right place at the right time to save the man in the bakery.

The man we’d rescued had eyed me while I recounted my version of events, and although I knew he remembered Ray being there, he didn’t say anything. That was one thing about this city, there was so much corruption the citizens tended to stick together. I imagine he assumed if I were lying about being alone, then I had a damn good reason for it.

Or I was into some fucked-up shit, in which case, he was best to keep his mouth shut as well.

I could tell myself it was because I knew the police wouldn’t believe me, but that was a cop-out because I didn’t have to tell them she was a demon but simply provide all the other information and let them do their jobs.

But there was one point that was sticking in my head—the look in Ray’s eyes when she thought she had condemned an innocent man to death.

It was fear that cut her to the core. To me, this seemed beyond the fear of breaking whatever rules were laid out for her and her species. I couldn’t even begin to delve into that Pandora’s Box right now. This was something else. Somewhere inside her, she cared for people, and beyond that, she genuinely believed she had been doing the right thing.

I’m not a religious person, I never was, but compassion and empathy aren’t words I’d associate with demons.

So here was a woman who intrigued me as she claimed I did the same to her. She was strong, physically, of course, but had such a badass attitude to life, it was almost contagious to be in her presence. I felt I had to pile on the tough exterior to be worthy of her company. Those fucking eyes alone could melt me, she was beautiful all right. Ray was funny and cheeky, she was playful—and then there was the real kicker—she had empathy and compassion somewhere beneath all the other shit. So, all this was wrapped up in a bad-girl package that fits right in with my type.

Except, she was a fucking demon.

What the hell was wrong with me?

RAY

Sitting across the street, knees curled up to my chest and arms wrapped around my legs, I watched Ilsa’s apartment building.

What the hell was wrong with me?

Why did I care what she thought about me? She had taken all the fun from my pursuits, and now I was at a loss as to where to go. I had it all figured out and had been doing nothing but enjoying my time on Earth. But now, now I was second-guessing everything.

All because of her.

I wanted her.

I wanted to take her and punish her for what she had done to me—complicating my mind with her human imperfections when I had the perfect plan. Her body under mine, writhing with pleasure, there was only enough pain to make the pleasure all that more delicious.

Fuck it.

There was no way I would stop what I was doing, not now. Standing and straightening, I stretched my arms toward the sky and groaned loudly. My muscles ached. I needed a hot shower or a sauna. Anywhere hot and humid so my muscles could relax. But first, I needed to work out the tension that was thick within my body. She’d gotten in my head.

What was it they said? Go big or go home.

There was a venue I had been avoiding as it seemed too big to take on. It wasn’t hard to notice the steady stream of unruly characters that hung around there—groups of people that went down the alleyway and didn’t come back for hours. The door was almost hidden, and I was impressed. The outline hard to feel even when I ran my fingers straight across it. Push, release. Simple but effective.

Whatever was going on back there, they didn’t want it to be found.

Of everyone who could’ve found it, I did.

But they’re going to wish the cops had found it first.