Until that day—and that day will come—I ache for the loss of my family.
My black combat boots seem to hit every puddle along the way, but I don’t care. The icy cold rain that saturates through the leather and into my socks, freezing my toes, is invigorating. I need the shock to my system. Tonight, when I’m in bed, I can feel all the pain that stays bottled up inside me. For now, I shove a lid on that box and get to work.
A car blares its horn as it passes, sending a wave of water splashing across my front. It’s annoying, but not uncommon. I don’t drive because I never learned how, so instead, I walk wherever I can and Uber anywhere that’s too far.
And then there’s Prudence.
Prudence is a little old lady with…abilities.
Let’s just say Prudence can get me anywhere in a flash.
Once I make sure I won’t get plowed by angry Manhattan drivers, I dash across the street to Headquarters. I have a meeting with Jude that I can’t miss. Aside from being my boss who sends me on his varying missions, he’s also one of my few friends.
I flip the hood of my poncho off the moment I’m under the safety of the covered doorway. The building is nondescript. An outsider would never know that E.V.I.E.’s mission is a dark one.
Eliminate vampiric influence everywhere.
I’ve been a slayer for this organization since I turned eighteen a year ago, though I’d been a thorn in Jude’s side back when he was simply a recruiter and I was a teen in desperate need of an ally. Rather than kicking me to the curb, he pulled me under his wing and kept me on the right path until he could properly recruit me. Fast forward to now and he’s director of E.V.I.E. while I’m one of his most badass slayers.
“Where you headed to in a hurry?” a deep voice rumbles, making me jerk to a stop once I’m inside the building.
I let my gaze roam over the man, quickly assessing him. Human. Based on the power that seems to ripple from him, I’d say he’s a recruiter. Has that same aura about him Jude does. Same swagger too. They’re all the same. Playboys with attitude problems. This guy seems young—late twenties or early thirties—so he might grow up one day to be half as good as Jude.
“Mind your business, Recruiter,” I grind out, passing him without a sideways glance.
The creep follows me onto the elevator. I mash the button to Jude’s floor and ignore his brooding presence.
“If you knew who I was, you wouldn’t speak to me that way. You’d respect me,” he states, his voice trembling with barely controlled fury.
I know guys like these.
The ones who like to intimidate to make them feel better about themselves and their mediocre dicks.
“Likewise, buddy,” I snap, pushing past him the moment the doors open.
He grabs my arm, stopping me.
A growl rumbles from nearby.
“Oh, James,” Jude says, not looking up from his desk. “I wouldn’t do that if I were you.”
My baby rounds the corner, his black hair standing on end, eager to destroy anyone who hurts me. I jerk my arm out of James’s hold and reach into my pocket for my gift for Hades.
“Come here, boy,” I croon, crouching and holding the soaking wet sock up for Jude’s beloved dog. “Come see Casti.”
For a dog who looks like he crawled out of the depths of Hell—complete with red eyes and smoking nostrils when he sleeps—he’s quite the charmer. He licks the rain off my face and whines happily when I offer him the sock.
Hades loves socks.
“You spoil him, Casti,” Jude calls out. “Hades, leave her alone.”
James starts forward and Hades stops him with a snarl. I pop back up to my feet, scratching behind Hades’ ears. “He wants an apology.”
“For fuck’s sake,” Jude grumbles.
“An apology for what?” James challenges, his menacing body looming over mine.
“For touching me. For speaking to me like I’m some bitch who belongs to you,” I say in a saccharine tone. “Best you do it and get it out of the way. Otherwise he’ll hold a grudge forever.”
“For-fucking-ever,” Jude agrees.
“You’ve got to be shitting me,” James hisses. “I’m not apologizing to a damn dog.”
Hades drops the sock out of his mouth and growls, the rumble frightening enough to make your skin crawl. Not mine. He loves me and would never hurt me.
“Fine,” James snaps. “Sorry, mutt. Sorry for being a dick.”
Hades starts wagging his tail, scoops up his sock, and trots away. I smirk at James before I walk over to Jude’s desk. James takes a seat, but I make my way around the desk to hug Jude. Jude’s like the older brother I never had. Protective but also a pain in my ass. I love him nonetheless.