Total pages in book: 117
Estimated words: 110802 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 554(@200wpm)___ 443(@250wpm)___ 369(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 110802 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 554(@200wpm)___ 443(@250wpm)___ 369(@300wpm)
Grabbing the tie binding its legs, the demon infused hellfire into the rope, burning its way free. Roan coughed as he staggered to his feet, glancing around; taking in the flames spreading across the walls and ceiling, boxing them in.
“You have nowhere to go,” the demon told the two males as it slipped off the desk.
Crow’s eyes widened in fear and panic. “There’s no smoke. They’re the flames of hell.”
The demon smirked. “And now you are trapped, just as Harper was. For that, you will pay.”
Eyes wide, Roan swept out his hand, and the tool box flew at the demon’s head. It ducked, but the edge of the metal box clipped the demon’s temple hard enough to slice into flesh.
“That is something else you will pay for,” it told him.
“You don’t want to hurt me,” said Roan.
Oh, but it did. The demon gave an evil grin. “You cannot compel me.” Not right then, when the raw power it wielded over the flames was trickling through its veins; hot as hellfire, thick as syrup, bubbly as sparkling champagne. It sent sparks of electricity shooting to every nerve ending and filled the demon from head to toe, smoothing into every extremity.
The demon felt Harper reach for dominance. It ignored her. The demon would keep control. It would have vengeance. It would kill these people for daring to harm Harper.
It could compel its prey to surrender, but it didn’t want to defeat them that way. It wanted to fight them, to make them bleed, to show them it was far from helpless. Wanted them to be the ones who were trapped and afraid, knowing no help would come.
“If I’m dying, you’re dying too,” snarled Roan.
One item after another went flying at the demon. Furniture, tools, a sparkplug, a kettle, a toaster. Crow curled up against the kitchen cupboards, leaving Roan to fight the battle. All the while, the trailer creaked and shook as the flames ate at the walls.
The desk tipped up, smashing into the demon’s shoulder, sending pain radiating down its arm, but the demon didn’t move to stop Roan. It wanted him to see that no matter how powerful he was, he was also completely helpless right then. He was at the demon’s mercy… and it had no mercy.
Spotting its boot under the table, the demon snatched it and whipped out its blade. “You will bleed soon, just as I do.” The demon infused hellfire into the knife, enjoying the glint of fear in Roan’s eyes. Harper pushed for dominance again. The demon fought her easily while it was filled with so much power.
Roan hurled a succession of balls of hellfire – one, two, three, four. The demon ducked, dodged, stooped, and sidestepped, evading each one. The tray of surgical implements flew off the counter and at the demon’s face. As it batted them away, a fifth ball of hellfire hit its chest. Skin sizzled and blistered, but the adrenalin dimmed the pain.
Roan’s gaze darted around as he searched for something else to throw. The trailer no longer had walls or a ceiling and the flames had consumed most of the objects. All that was left was the fire-free patch that the three of them now stood on.
The demon bared its teeth in a feral smile. “You have nothing —” It squinted as a white unnatural light shined in its eyes. Crow rushed out of the light, scalpel ready. The demon slashed at his arm with the blade, making Crow stumble back in alarm. “Like to cut people, don’t you? Now you’ll feel the burn of my blade.” The demon plunged it into Crow’s gut. His eyes bulged and he stilled, looking at the blade with disbelief. Done with him, the demon called to the fire. A golden flame hooked around his neck and yanked him into the fire.
Roan’s demon rose to the fore with a growl and charged, scissors in hand. The she-demon wrestled them out of its hand, fisted its shirt, and slammed it against the broken desk. “An ear for an ear.” The she-demon cut into the lobe, enjoying its scream. “If it’s death you seek you may have it.”
The demon slung its prey into the fire.
CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO
Standing in front of the busted-open gates of the chain link fence that was capped with barbed wire, Larkin asked, “Why would he take her to an old salvage yard?”
Levi looked down at the guard dogs that had both been dealt a gunshot wound to the head, probably courtesy of Crow. “He could have simply come here because it’s local and isolated.”
“I think his dad used to work at a salvage yard,” said Tanner. “Maybe this was the one.”
Knox rolled back his shoulders; his muscles felt tight and cramped. “Maybe.” He didn’t give a flying fuck why Crow had taken Harper there. All he cared about was finding them, and he needed to do it fast. His chest was cold and tight with fear. That emotion was fueling the clawing, hissing, spitting rage in his gut.