Awaken (Divine Hunter Series) (10 page)

A
brisk wind blew through the campus as Michael walked out of the doorway of his apartment building. His black, wool trench coat was more for effect than actual need for warmth, and it also hid his weapons nicely.

Evo had called twenty minutes earlier to explain that there
’d been a delay with his flight and he was now in a rental on his way from the airport. Michael had arranged to meet him by the main gates as the campus was fairly large, so it was easier than explaining where his apartment was.

No sooner had he arrived by the brass monument of Charles Benedict Calvert, the founder of
SPU that stood proud on a grassy island just inside the gates, than a large black MERCEDES GLK350 SUV pulled into the grounds and Michael knew straight away who was driving it. A familiar face greeted him with a big smile from behind the wheel of the large 4x4 as it pulled up to the sidewalk. The passenger side window slid down automatically. “Hey buddy!” his best friend said from the comfort of his plush leather seat.

Michael leaned in the passenger window
and shook his head. “Flash enough for yer?” he laughed.

“
Hey, you know I like to travel in style,” Evo answered, then he jumped out of the driver’s side door and headed around to greet Michael with a big hug. “It’s good to see you man.”

“
You too buddy.”

Evo hadn
’t changed much since the last time Michael had seen him. Apart from the fact that he now looked about fifty pounds heavier, his hair was still the same short, brown, chopped style he always wore and he was simply clad in his choice uniform of black fatigues, tucked into a pair of combat military boots; a plain, deep gray T-shirt; and a black wool overcoat, collars turned up. He looked like a mix between SWAT and someone from the front cover of
GQ
magazine.

“
Jesus, Evo. You been juicin’ up since I last saw you?” Michael raised his eyebrows, looking his muscular frame up and down.

Evo laughed.
“Nah. Wouldn’t put that shit in my veins. I spend most of my spare time training in the gym now. It keeps me stimulated.”

Since he was nearly
killed in an alleyway last December, Evo had dedicated his life to finding and logging information on every supernatural being in existence. He was a hunter like Michael now, but much more ruthless. It was more like a sport to him and he enjoyed it way too much for Michael’s liking. The guy couldn’t get enough of killing monsters. But his obsession had taken him to places even Michael knew nothing about. Realizing how good he was at hunting, Evo had also become a bounty hunter; his clients being mainly of the dead variety. He was lethal and had carved out quite a reputation for himself amongst the underworld.

Michael didn
’t always approve of the clients he sometimes worked for−after all, who can trust a demon, right?−but it was Evo’s business. It certainly was a far cry from the dodgy dealings he used to do when he was a no-good conman who often ended up in all kinds of trouble.

Besides, his best friend working for the creatures of the underworld
had its advantages: Evo had plenty of contacts; he was trusted. He’d tried to use those contacts to his advantage over the last few months to try and get information that could help Michael. But even though he’d come across a few names that he thought could have been leads, they’d led to nothing.

“
Come on. My place is on the other side of the campus.” Michael said as he jumped in the passenger’s side of the SUV. When Evo had gotten back behind the wheel Michael paused. He might as well just come out with it. “Hey, while you’re here. . . can you please try to remember that, right now, this is my place of work? If you could behave yourself. . . that would be great.”

He could see by Evo
’s smug expression that he knew damn well what he was referring to. His friend’s sexual habits weren’t a problem usually−and Jesus, he made Michael envious sometimes. He was a good looking guy so why not?−but not here. Michael knew it wasn’t ideal having an experienced philanderer staying on a university campus that was full of the opposite sex, but he would just have to keep it in his pants for the duration of his stay which, hopefully, would only be for a couple of nights until they’d checked out the campus. After that, Michael would help him find a motel.

“Evo?” Michael pushed for an answer after his friend had remained silent for too long
.

“
Okay. Okay. I’ll be a good boy,” the smirk that followed made Michael raise an eyebrow to let Evo know he wasn’t satisfied with his response. “What? I promise.” Evo held his hands up in the air in mock surrender before turning the key in the ignition.

Shit!
Remind me why I thought this was a good idea.

A car scr
eeching around the corner made both men sit bolt upright. As it got closer Michael thought it looked familiar. Yes, he knew the car alright. “What’s she doing?” he whispered as Lacy’s Ford Focus sped right past them and out of the main gates.

“
Who was that?” Evo asked.

“
A colleague of mine.” Michael buckled his seat belt. “Something’s wrong. Quick! Get after her.” No sooner had he said the words than Evo had spun the car around and was now heading out of the college gates after her.

After Lacy had somehow managed to get away from them, they pulled the
SUV up to her home: a modest, single story house set back from the road. The suburban neighborhood was quiet, as it would be at that time of night, and the only thing that didn’t seem right was that Lacy’s place was in darkness, with the exception of a dim porch light over the front door. She had to be home as her car was now parked in the driveway.

Michae
l knocked on the door.

No answer.

He knocked again, harder this time. “Lacy. It’s Michael.”

They waited silently. He he
ard movement, then the sound of deadbolts opening. The door opened slowly and Lacy peered out from behind it. As soon as her eyes met his she visibly relaxed.

“Michael, thank God,” s
he exhaled. “What are you doing here?” She opened the door and gestured them inside.

“
You practically wheel-spun past us back at the campus. I was meeting my friend at the front gates. What the hell’s going on? Are you okay? You look pretty shaken up.”

They both walked into the dark hallway and Lacy quickly shut the door after them.

She turned on the light. “I’m fine now. Can I get you both a drink?” They followed her to the kitchen.

“
I’m good thanks.” Michael watched her fill up a large glass with white wine. Her hands were shaking.

“
Got anything stronger?” Evo asked, looking at the bottle of wine with distaste.

Michael rolled his eyes.
“Lacy, this is my good friend Evo.”

Evo gave her
a wink. “Good to meet you, Miss.”

Lacy
raised an eyebrow as she poured some wine. She looked unsure of him as she eyed his clothes. “You too. . . Evo? Unusual name?”

Michael smirked, keeping his gaze on his friend. “It’s short for Evan. . . Evan O’Reilly.”

Evo looked a little disgruntled as he dragged his eyes away from Michael’s and turned to Lacy. “But don’t ever let me hear them words leave those beautifully pink lips of yours.” He warned her playfully. “Evo’s just fine.”

Lacy gave him a half smile. “
Whiskey?” she asked, pulling out a bottle of Jack Daniels from the cupboard.

Evo
’s eyes lit up in an instant. “That’s more like it.” He rubbed his hands together and took the glass that she offered to him. He glanced at Michael. “I like her already.”

Michael ignored him. “
What’s going on Lacy?”

After she
’d taken a large gulp of wine, she sat down at her small wooden table over by a set of French Doors. Michael followed. She inhaled a long breath. “After I called you earlier, I went back to Nina’s room and Jake was there−”

“Jake?
Jesus Christ.” Michael snorted. “Jake is the guy I told you about on the phone,” he explained to Evo. Jake being at the hospital only meant one thing and it wasn’t that he was worried about Nina. That bastard demon had more than likely gone to finish her off. And what if he’d hurt Lacy? Michael felt his stomach clench. “Did you talk to him?”

“Yes, briefly.
I told him that I saw the two of them arguing this afternoon and asked him if he knew what had happened. He didn’t want to answer me. So, I got angry with him and he left. He was acting pretty strange.”

“
How so?” Evo asked as he leaned against the kitchen counter.

She finished the last of her wine.
“When I first saw him in the room, he was bent right over her, like he was whispering something or. . . I don’t know.”

Michael hadn
’t had a chance to explain everything to Evo yet, so Evo didn’t know that Jake wasn’t actually Jake, and there was no way he could tell him in front of Lacy. He’d have to wait until they were back at his place before bringing him up to speed.

“
But that’s not why you were driving off campus like Ayrton Senna, is it?” Michael observed.

“
No. It was what happened when I called in to my office on the way home that caused that.” She poured herself more wine as she went on to explain how Jake must have followed her from the hospital and how he’d come after her across the parking lot. “Michael, his eyes. . . I could swear he wanted to kill me.”

And so could he. In
fact, he was damn certain of it, which was a huge problem. Lacy was now a target which meant she would need protecting. There was no way he could leave her here in this house alone, but how the hell would he explain it to her? And he needed to tell Evo what was going on. He leaned on the table and rubbed his brow. Damn, this was a problem he didn’t need. He shifted uncomfortably before he turned to Lacy. “I don’t think you should be left alone right now. Not until I deal with Jake.”

Lacy looked confused
. “
You
deal with Jake? Shouldn’t we call the police?”

“Not yet. I’ll have a word with him first.” The cops were the last thing he needed. “But you can’t stay on your own.”

“I’m fine. Look, I don’t know what’s gotten into him, but I’m sure everything will be fine.”

Michael stood up from the table.
“Evo. Can I talk to you for a minute?” He caught Lacy’s frown out of the corner of his eye before Evo pushed himself from the counter and followed him out of the room.

“
Sure.”

Outside on the porch,
Michael explained to Evo what had happened with Nina and the strange looking demon that had left her body that was now possessing Jake. Evo nodded his head, understanding the predicament that Michael was now facing.

“
I need you to go to my apartment. Use my laptop to find out anything you can about this thing, but be as quick as you can because I’m gonna need you to watch the hospital. If Jake’s been there once, it’s only a matter of time until he returns.”

Evo nodded. “
What about you?”

“
I’m going to stay here. She’s not safe right now.”

After Michael had given him directions, Evo started down the path towards his
SUV. “I’ll call you as soon as I have any info,” he shouted over his shoulder.

No sooner had he gone than
Lacy opened the front door. “Hey. What’s going on? Where’s your friend going?”

Michael
checked the street, walked back into the house and shut the door. Lacy watched as he clicked her dead bolts into place.

“
Evo’s headed back to my place. He’ll be staying with me until he’s found somewhere more suitable. Listen, I think I should stay here tonight. I can crash on the sofa again, it’s no problem. You shouldn’t be alone, at least. . . not until we know what’s going on with that guy, Jake.”

* * *

S
he didn’t know what to say for a moment. She stood in her narrow hallway contemplating telling him to leave as politely as she could. Lacy hadn’t had a man in her house since Simon, who was the only man she’d allowed to stay over until last night, so it felt strange. She winced as she thought of that disaster of a relationship, if she could have called it that. Thankfully, she’d escaped that one unharmed. Well, except for her pride.

She hesitated; never one to need babysitting, especially from someone she hardly knew. But as she looked into his kind blue eyes she saw nothing but gen
uine concern and the truth was, she trusted him. Even though they’d only known each other a short time, she felt comfortable with him; a little too comfortable if she was honest. She thought about what he’d said. She was still shaken after what had happened, Jake had really scared her. Would it really be that bad having some company? “Okay,” she finally said, “but just for tonight.”