A Cold Day in Hell (The Hellcat Series) (6 page)

"Tell me if you're having any problems," Gabi said, reaching for more nibbles. 

Trish nodded agreement without hesitation.  She was a practical woman when it came to life.  Gabi knew she wouldn't take the chance of Changing in front of norms. 

It helped that Kyle had made it clear she was under his protection.  He hadn't formally laid claim to her, but Gabi knew it was only a matter of time.  Kyle was giving Trish space to get used to her new situation.  While Kyle had never pushed the issue of his dominance amongst the City Packs, and had preferred to keep to his Pack of one, nobody was in much doubt of what would happen if he was challenged by another Werewolf.  To Kyle, being Werewolf wasn't an adaption, it was a completely normal way of life; he'd never known anything else.  Born already infected with the Lycanthropy virus, he was simply bigger, faster, more controlled and more naturally Werewolf than any other Lycanthrope.  No one from the Werewolf community was going to try to ruffle Trish's feathers.  In their world she was strictly off limits, not even the strippers would push things too far with her. 

Gabi snorted when she realised that the same probably applied to her.  There wasn't a supernatural soul in the City who would challenge the Master of the City for his woman.  The thought made her want to growl in annoyance, though.  She'd never had any problems keeping men at arm’s length before.  Just one look from her could send most of them cowering, and that was without the Angeli Morte legends.  Those that knew her by that name either wanted to attack her on sight or run like spooked gazelle in the opposite direction.  She let go of some of the annoyance.  It wasn't really Julius's fault that he intimidated almost everyone he came into contact with. It was simply a side effect of his natural power.  He kept it in check as much as possible, but anyone with an iota of ESP could easily pick up on it.  Even if they had no idea exactly what 'it' was.  'It' was what drew her to him, like moth to moon, bee to pollen, gravity itself; insistent, undeniable, inexorable.

"So," she said to Trish, "Kyle tells me that you want to sell your place and shack up with him?" 
She quirked a meaningful eyebrow Trish's way. 

The other woman blushed and dropped her eyes.  "Well, my place is so far away from the estate," she stuttered.  "And we spend so much time together anyway…" She trailed off, obviously embarrassed.  "I hope I'm not getting in the way of…of…" She made a vague hand gesture towards Gabi.  "I know you two were close…friends."

Gabi burst out laughing, almost snorting whiskey out her nose as she finally understood why Trish was so uncomfortable.

"You thought Kyle and I were friends with benefits?"  She knew she should be more sympathetic.  Trish wasn't the only one to think that; she and Kyle had never gone out of their way to deny being involved.  "Lord and Lady, Trish, you should've guessed by now that it was only a ruse the two of us
used, a joke at the Community's expense." 

The Community was the greater network of
supernaturals in the City, a bigger bunch of gossips and tattletales would be hard to find.  She and Kyle loved to tweak their noses whenever possible. 

Trish
blushed an even deeper tone of pink and looked chagrined.  "Sorry," she muttered.  "You two are just so comfortable together; the stories seemed more than plausible." 

Gabi got her snorting under control.  "No, I'm the one who should be sorry."  She patted Trish's hand across the table.  "We should’ve made the situation clear early on.  We just forget how others view us, I suppose."  She paused thoughtfully for a moment, a small puzzle piece fitting into place in her mind.  "So you have actually been avoiding me lately.  It’s not just in my mind?" 

Trish nodded, guilt on her face now.  "It's horrible.  I'm really sorry,” she stammered.  “I knew I needed to bring the topic up, but I just didn't know how."

"So why tonight, then?"
Gabi asked.

"I knew it was way past time and figured it would be better if Kyle wasn't present.  And I thought with a couple of drinks in me it would be easier."  Trish was still clearly embarrassed.

"Well, I hope you know I'm really happy for both of you.  It's not always going to be an easy road, especially now that Kyle has essentially started his own Pack, but I think you two are strong enough to pull it off."  Gabi knew it was a cruel thing to do, but having Trish off balance was the best time for her fishing expedition.  Her gaze flicked to the trio still dancing their booties off amid a small crowd of admirers, and then checked her watch.  The show would start in ten minutes, plenty of time. 

"Thank you, Gabi," Trish said earnestly.  "I can't tell you what a weight that is off my shoulders.  I
wish I'd spoken to you weeks ago."  And her whole demeanour did seem to lift and lighten. 

"So in the vein of getting things off your shoulders," Gabi said, carefully keeping her tone light and selecting some cheese and cold meat from the platter, "are things really okay working for Julius?  You know that you can find other work if it's not your thing." 

Trish shook her head vehemently.  "Oh no, I'm loving the work, and it's so convenient not having to dress in office wear or keep strict office hours," she gushed immediately, then pulled a little face.  "I still find him a bit intimidating, I have to admit."  She glanced shyly at Gabi.  "I don't know how you can be so casual around him, never mind order him around or tell him off.  I mean, I know he wouldn't do anything to hurt me, but still…it's like having a tame tiger pacing the room with you.  My whole body screams at me to run.  It's taken some getting used to." 

Gabi smiled.  She knew the feeling, but it hadn't taken long for attraction to replace fear in her case.

"He's not pushing you to do anything you're not comfortable with, is he?" she asked Trish.  "I've told him not to put you in any danger.  I hope you're not doing stuff that can get you into trouble.  He has some powerful enemies and even more powerful frenemies."  She didn't crowd Trish, didn't hold her stare or infuse any urgency into her tone; rather she pushed the platter towards her, noting that she hadn't had anything to eat yet. 

Trish absent-mindedly picked up a couple of stuffed olives. 
"Oh, no.  I'm not in any danger.  I'm very careful to lay down multiple layers of false trails, so no one can trace anything back to Julius."

"So has he got you working on something in particular?  Not just the tracking down of the groups looking for info on Vamps and
Weres?" Gabi pressed.

"Well, um, a bit of both, really," Trish said hesitantly.  She'd dropped her eyes from Gabi's and was looking uncomfortable.  "He's…uh, made it very clear that I'm not to discuss it with y—anyone." 

"Trish," Gabi said, waiting until Trish looked up at her.  "You don't need to tell me any details.  Just answer one thing." 

Trish bit her lip, anxiety scenting the air around her. 

Gabi pressed on, feeling it was imperative.  "Is there something I need to be worried about?" 

Trish didn't nod or shake her head, didn't answer at all, but it was written plainly on her face. 

Gabi grabbed her arm and squeezed gently.  "It's okay," she reassured her friend.  "Don’t let it stress you out.  I'm sorry for pushing.  Let's enjoy the evening, and tomorrow we'll worry about the other stuff.  Okay?" 

Their conversation was brought to a halt by the arrival of the trio giggling, shrieking and tumbling into their chairs like a bunch of overenthusiastic puppies. 

A shirtless waiter arrived with a basket of warm bread rolls and fresh drinks for them all.  He was human, but with a delectable build.  The trio looked ready to pounce.  He quickly took their meal orders and strode cockily towards the kitchen as floodlights flashed into life, highlighting the central stage.  The music changed beat and took on a raunchier tone as a drop-dead gorgeous hunk of male Vampire took to the stage with a mic.  He was dressed in a skintight black T-shirt tucked into fashionably ripped denims and sporting a leather duster.  The women went berserk, screaming loud enough to pop Gabi's eardrums. 

Gabi sighed and shook her head as Alexander winked at her from onstage.  He wasn't the tallest male here, he wasn't the most dominant male, and he wasn't built like Vin Diesel, but there wasn't a woman (or gay man) in this building
who wouldn't do him if he gave them the chance.  Well, with one exception, of course.  He and Gabi had started off their relationship on a particularly rocky footing; he despised the fact that his Sire had stooped to asking her for help, and firmly believed that the hype surrounding her abilities and conquests was exactly that—hype. They'd faced a lot of dangers together since then.  Now he was more like an annoying older brother, one who gave her a hard time every chance he got, and she did the same in return. 

Had Julius sent him to keep an eye on her, she wondered in annoyance.  If he had, the weather channel would soon be reporting the sudden development of a particularly nasty storm bringing with it the chance of tornadoes and other destructive forces.  

"Just passing through," Alexander mouthed to her, while trying to quiet the screaming crowd.  "It is my pleasure to welcome you to the first ever ladies' night at Flamingo's."  His announcement was met with more squealing.  "We hope you enjoy the entertainment we have lined up for you.  Just remember, ladies; touching…" he paused, allowing the tension to build as the crowd seemed to hold their breath, "costs extra."  He gave them a conspiratorial wink, and the screaming began again. 

Some of the girls had started chanting, "Take it off,
take it off." 

Gabi was pretty sure Jade had started it, and wondered if she realised she was demanding that Julius's second in command strip for them.  Alexander merely chuckled and said, "I'm not nearly as talented as these guys." A muted groan of disappointment ran through the crowd.  "Please welcome Primal Obsession."  He spread his right arm to the side, and Kenny
Loggins' "Danger Zone" filled the air; then six men in air force uniforms strode together onto the stage in a crisp, timed march.  The crowd went crazy. 

Gabi wanted to simply enjoy the incredibly pleasant sight in front of her.  There was not one thing wrong with any of the six men writhing and dancing in perfect synchronisation.  Their bodies were perfection; sculpted by a master physical trainer to be just the right kind of muscular.  There wasn't a spare microgram of fat on any of them.  Their skin, lightly oiled and
sheened with a layer of sweat, glistened and begged to be touched, stroked and worshiped.  Four of the group were Weres, and the other two were Shifters.  She wondered if the Shifters used their gift to make their bodies look perfect.  She knew some of them were capable of making small changes to their bodies instead of an all-out shift to animal form.  She’d even had the dubious honour of meeting a very rare Doppelganger: a Shifter who could mimic living people. 

As she'd predicted, when the guys came off the stage and began to undulate through the squealing women, they made a beeline for the trio, but stayed well clear of her and Trish, though one brave soul got close enough for her to stuff a couple of notes into the waistband of his jocks.  Once upon a time she might have found him after the show and taken him to an upmarket hotel to ease some tension.  It wasn't easy being an infamous Hunter and daughter of the legendary Vampire Slayer, Daniel Bradford.  One night stands had scratched an itch, but never fully satisfied.  Her idea of happiness wasn't the white picket fence and brood of small children.  In fact, that thought was scarier than facing down a half-dozen Demons without
Nex.  She shuddered.  It took her a few seconds to realise the shudder hadn't been brought on by the thought of being a wife and mother.

CHAPTER 4

The skin at the back of Gabi’s neck prickled into gooseflesh, and the tiny hairs stood to attention.  She cast her gaze urgently over the excited nightclub crowd, scanning.  Then she checked the vicinity around their table.  The trio were fully immersed in the excitement of the evening, and Trish was following the men with her eyes while fighting back blushes.  Nothing seemed amiss inside the club.  It would take more than plain stupidity to try anything surrounded by so many
supernaturals loyal to Julius.  Surreptitiously Gabi checked Nex and the accessibility of her extra daggers, then touched Trish on her shoulder.

"I need some air.  I'll be back in a few," she said into the other woman's ear. 

Trish nodded somewhat absently, her eyes still locked onto one of the strippers. 

Gabi made her way around the edges of the huge room to the nearest exit, trying to get far enough away from the mind-numbing clamour of squeals and music to be able to concentrate.  As soon as she cleared the bar area and moved into one of the dimly lit corridors leading to the kitchens, she felt the malevolence thicken and solidify.  It wasn't inside, but it wasn't far away either.  It was pulling her outside.  The thought flickered through her mind that she should be calling this into SMV HQ and leaving them to deal with it, but her extra sense was telling her that the culprit was Vampire, and she was better at dealing with Vampires than any of the other Hunters.  It shouldn't take her long to deal with this Rogue.  She knew it had to be a Rogue.  None of Julius's Clan or his guests would emit this kind of evil intent; Julius simply wouldn't allow it.