Lure of a Demon

“Can you shut the fuck up, Ray?”

Glaring at Sven, I then raised my eyebrows at his outburst. We had completed the assignment and were on our way back to the club. It was the point in the night when most of the people had gone home or back to someone else’s bed and before dawn broke. The streets were empty and quiet, and I’m sure the grunts and cries of the men we left behind would’ve carried out into the night. Within these blocks, it’s unlikely someone would have called the police.

They knew where their loyalties lay within these streets.

If someone were feeling merciful, they’d call an ambulance.

But that was a big if.

“What’s your problem? I didn’t say anything,” I said, sure the confusion was evident on my features and not bothering to hide it. I didn’t see the point in hiding my emotions from these men. I wasn’t afraid of them, they knew as well as I that I could take them all down. Humans.

“You’re always humming. You hum when you’re kicking the shit out of someone, and I let that slide, thinking maybe it was something that helped get you in the zone. But now you’re humming when you walk, and it’s getting on my last nerve. Always the same fucking tune.”

Staring blankly at him, I asked, “What tune?” I had no idea I was even humming, let alone what the song would be, and for the life of me, I couldn’t figure out what he was talking about.

There was a part of me that thought he might be fucking with me, but when Sven hummed a few bars of the song, I stopped walking.

Because it was her.

It was still fucking her.

Ilsa.

In my mind, always, never leaving me alone or letting me just be a demon.

The song she had sung so loud and proud while she was taking a shower, the notes she couldn’t quite reach wavering on the edge of her voice.

What did she say it was called? “Daydream Believer.”

It was the song her mother used to sing to her.

And here I was humming the tune without even knowing. Ilsa was so deep in my fucking mind I couldn’t even escape her while I was doing what I loved—beating the fuck out of people who deserved it.

Sven turned when he realized I was no longer following them.

“I have to go,” I said.

“What do I tell the boss?”

“I…” I didn’t know what to think, but this was messing with my head. “I don’t care. I’ll sort that out later.”

He simply shrugged and turned to follow the rest of the crew as I pivoted and bolted.

Straight for Ilsa’s.