Their Dark Hunter (Masters of Darkness) (3 page)

The thought of staying at Harvey’s suddenly didn’t sound like a bad idea. He did live in the city. That would make things a lot easier for her t
o get in to take out more evil. It was what she was meant to do, by god, and she was damn good at it. Now that she had the secret weapon to actually take them out with a pull of her trigger, she wasn’t about to stop.

Excitement took over and she rushed from the bathroom
, grabbed her gun, and started packing her clothes. As she stuffed them in the overnight bag, she made sure to hide the box of bullets and her savings in the middle. “Ready.” She met Leon in the hallway. “Since we’ll be in the city, I need you to take me by the dealership. I need a new bike.”

He took her bag and threw it over his shoulder. “Let’s just go. We’ll talk more about what we’ll do when we’re
on our way.”

Melody noticed that Leon had three trash bags worth of clothing
in the bed of the truck. “How long are you planning to stay?” The engine roared to life and dirt billowed out behind them as they sped down the road. The broken bike sitting on the side of the road was upsetting, but she put her attention back to the immortal. Leon glanced at her. He didn’t start talking until he got on the bypass, and headed toward the city.

“I think I’m just going to stay there. Things have been getting a little difficult between us lately, and I think maybe it’s best if I eliminate the problem now before it gets out of control.”

“Difficult?” Melody looked at him confused. “I don’t understand. I thought things were going great.”

“They are.”

Clarity dawned. The looks he’d given her lately went beyond friendly. They were nothing short of longing. Maybe she hadn’t wanted to see it that way. If they got involved, it would ruin everything he was working for. She couldn’t be responsible for that. Plus, she just couldn’t think of him that way. “You’re right. I think it’s probably for the best.”

Warmth embraced her hand and she squeezed Leon’s fingers. As silence settled through
out the truck, Melody stared off into the distance. Her life had suddenly taken some kind of twist. There had been a fork in her road, and the path she chose last night had altered things. She could feel it deep within her bones. Her father had been a demon. Melody had never known until her mother’s deathbed confession, when she told her about the man whose good looks had seduced her one stormy night.

She’d never seen him after, but had longed for him ever since. It was enough to spark a hate deep within Melody that was beyond repair. Her mother may have suffered, but so had she
, not knowing who her father was. To make things worse, she resented what was she was. Hated that she was a part of a man who was nothing but evil. She vowed the moment of her mother’s passing that she would not be pulled to the dark side by what was in her blood. Instead, she would fight it with everything she had.

She was a demon hunter. Half good. Half evil. And her destiny had brought Melody to this moment for a reason. It was time to find out what fate had planned for her future.

Chapter Three

Dirt billowed around the Maserati as Vex pulled over to the side of the road and came to a stop. At the sight of the broken bike, he knew he had the right location. It had taken two days, but his sources pulled through and found out who the mystery woman was. Her name was Melody Ann Carpenter. She was twenty-nine years old, and worked full-time at a children’s hospital in his city. At first glance, nothing about the woman seemed right at all. The one he’d spotted on the bike wasn’t human––at least, not all the way. He would have picked up on that. Instead, all he got from their brief encounter was a jumble of different sensations that he couldn’t explain.

He pulled out the paper with her picture on it again, and looked
closely. The pull he felt was undeniable, and one that twisted his stomach with dread. The long, dark hair fell in waves over her shoulders. The smile was achingly beautiful. Although the information said she had blue-green eyes, he couldn’t tell from the quality. They looked light, but the detail wasn’t there.

The humidity was thick as he stepped into the loose sand, off onto the side of the road. Pieces of the bike were strewn around, and the black Ducati was resting against a tree. He shook his head and looked further down the road. Supposedly, her house wasn’t far off.

The car revved while he sped in the direction. As he came to park in front of a small white house, he took in the peaceful sight. Bushes went down the length of what looked like a front bedroom. There was a bird feeder hanging from a tree, and a plastic bird-bath resting under that. Vex wasn’t sure what he’d expected, but this wasn’t it. Cautiously, he got out and adjusted his suit. It was standard that all demon masters wore them to show their status. Right now, he could have gone for a pair of shorts. It was downright stifling.

Vex closed his eyes and let his senses become in tune with the surroundings. Small animals moved around in the b
rush in the distance, but he couldn’t pick up on anyone inside the house. He glanced around and headed for the door. The knob turned in his hand, and he hesitated. Who left their door unlocked? That didn’t sound right. Between the bike being wrecked and the unlocked house, Vex could feel himself becoming antsy. And he didn’t like it one bit.

The smell of vanilla was subtle as he walked in
to the small living room. It looked like anyone’s. There was a couch facing a TV that rested against the back wall. A coffee table sat a good foot from the sofa. It was the black material on the floor that drew in his attention the most. He walked over and picked up the leather suit. “Son of a bitch. It is hers.” His fingers pushed through the tears. Although he should have been happy he’d located her residence, all he could wonder was how badly she was hurt.

Slowly, he made his way to the hallway, clutching to the suit tighter. Directly in front of him was a restroom. He turned right and stopped. He knew that smell.
Instantly, the evil inside of him flared from the center of his chest to the end of his hands and feet in a rush. The reaction to the scent of the immortal in the unfamiliar surroundings was all instinct. 

The door stood open and he pe
eked inside. A bed sat against the far wall, but the closet was open and empty. This wasn’t her room. If Melody had been an immortal then he would have noticed it, immediately. He headed to the other end of the hall and closed his eyes as a delicious aroma hit him hard. Yes, this was where she stayed.

Vex stepped inside and glanced around the small space. The closet was also open, and although one side of clothing was gone, the other side was full. If she’d left, she was definitely coming back.

Pictures on the wall caught his attention. Most were of Melody with a woman he could only assume was her mother. Then there was one on the far side. He grabbed the picture down and could feel his jaw clench. “Leon.” So he was the immortal living here with her. That angel had almost belonged to him. He’d been so fucking close to having him completely under his spell. Then,
bam
, good pushed through his conscience and he had second thoughts. Happened almost every time with immortals.

He placed the picture back on the wall. So where was Melody now? If she had left for a while and she was with Leon, there was only one place for
them to go, and that was back to the city. Why did he have a feeling he was going to be seeing her again very soon? Vex smiled and headed for his car. If his demon hunter was going to be back on the hunt, there was no way he was going to miss it.

The Maserati jumped to eighty as he got on the bypass. The whole way there he couldn’t stop smiling. This woman was going to be a challenge to break. That he knew, but he was almost positive he was going to have a hell of a time doing it. Melody belonged to him. And little did she know, she was going to find
out firsthand what it was like to be mated to a demon master. It might take some time to convince her that the bond they shared was worth stopping her little game of taking out his men, but he wasn’t in a rush. She’d submit to him. She had to. What was the alternative?

Within twenty minutes, Vex was pulling into downtown Corpus Christi. Now, if he were Leon, where would he be? There were still a few hours before the club opened. And it wasn’t like he had anything better else to do. Melody was his top priority. He’d like to nip this whole demon hunter thing in the bud and have her in his bed instead. The probability of that happening
, however, was slim to none. Now that she was off the radar, he’d have to pretty much wait for her to come to him, unless by some miracle he was able to track her down.

The light changed
to green and he headed down Shoreline Boulevard. The further down he went, the bigger the houses became. Immortals usually compounded together. If he was going to find them there was only one place to look, and that was down this road.

Water connected to the land
off to his left, and the most expensive houses rested on that side. Immortals loved scenery. The gulf view was something they would have strived for. Vex scanned the mansions: Most of them were guarded by large iron gates, and it was almost impossible to see in. Damn, he needed to get closer. Joggers ran along the sidewalk and he pulled over the Maserati. He looked down at his suit and closed his eyes. Materialization was something that came naturally to any master. He quickly made his outfit change into black shorts with a sleeveless white shirt. The running shoes that covered his feet felt odd. Vex couldn’t remember the last time he’d worn anything other than a suit.

The road
became two lanes on each side. He quickly crossed over and began slowly jogging along the concrete. As his eyes scanned the first house, he couldn’t pick up anything unusual about the location.
Human
. A few more houses passed and Vex could feel the sweat pouring from his body.

Shoreline was a runner’s paradise. The views were amazing. With each house he passed, he could feel himself starting to enjoy the pain thrumming through his lungs and legs. Maybe he should start doing this just to pass time. A demon master’s life was so full of chaotic happenings that it wouldn’t be so bad having a hobby to burn off some of the frustration that came with the job
––a job that he’d been tired of for a long time now. He couldn’t say he necessarily liked what he did, but Vex didn’t see an alternative. Most demons strived to become a master. Yet, the only thing he wanted was peace.

Two miles had to have passed when laughter had him slowing down. The sound sent ple
asure erupting through his body. He knew it was Melody before he even saw her. Cautiously, he made his way to the edge of the gate and peered in. The large two-story white mansion was crawling with immortals. Vex tightened his hands on the iron bars as he watched her motion to a black sport bike. God, those curves were going to kill him. Tightening took over his chest at her smile. “It’s not a Ducati, but it’ll work. Just as fast, and sweet looking.”

Leather pants
hugged tightly to her ass. The cleavage visible through the white tank top was almost his undoing. Vex glanced at her black backpack. As her leg lifted to straddle the bike, all of his attention went to the action. He was surprised when a moan passed his lips. Well, shit. That wasn’t good. He’d always been good at containing his emotions.

Leon walked up and he could feel the iron almost bending in his grasp. The immortal handed over the helmet, and the
lust in his face caused rage like Vex had never felt before to scorch his stomach and chest.

“Remember
what we talked about. You promised.” He leaned over and kissed her cheek. “No demons. Stay as low key as you can.”

Another laugh came from her mouth, and she reached up and grabbed his hand. “I’m running to the store, that’s it. I promise I won’t do any hunting in the twenty minutes I’ll be gone.”

Again, his lips connected, but this time with her hand. Everything holy. Vex was on the verge of jumping this damn gate. Hell, with as much adrenaline coursing through him, he was sure he could easily bend these bars to fit himself through. How would they like that?

The bike’s engine roared to life and Vex knew what he needed to do. He raced back to the car at record
-breaking speed. It had taken him only a few minutes, but the good news was that Melody had never passed him, so that meant only one thing. She’d gone the other way. And he was going to try his best to find her.

***

Melody stopped the bike in front of the convenience store and ran in, grabbing a Dr. Pepper. She clung to the helmet as she placed the soda on the counter. Sweat was making her hair stick to her neck. She almost didn’t want to put the damn thing back on, but safety was important. Plus, the helmet would be better in case she ran into any demons that picked up that she wasn’t actually a full-blooded human. It was great cover to hide her identity.

The cashier took her money and Melody thanked her, and headed back outside. She opened the soda and took a big drink. The burn felt good as it raced down her throat. After a few sips she stopped and watched the traffic around her. Cars were thick on all sides of the intersection. Ugh, it was going to be a pain getting to the church. The place where she collected holy water was next to the hospital where she worked part-time. It didn’t matter what time of day it was, the traffic was always hectic in that part of town.

Melody put the bottle in her backpack and began raising the helmet when weird tingling took over her skin. The acceleration of her heart quickly joined a tightening in her core. Her eyes frantically took in the surrounding
s: a demon. A very, very strong one. She couldn’t ignore the feelings inside of her. They were exactly like when she—

A gasp came from her mouth as her eyes connected with an all too familiar face. The master. He sat at the gas pumps directly in front of her. His arms were resting on top of the fancy black sports car he was driving, just staring at her. The
look was one right out of a movie. He wanted her. Melody would have bet her life on it. The master was all seduction and dark promises. One look into his eyes relayed messages more powerful than whispered words could ever capture. The impact they had on her body was downright terrifying.

What was she supposed to do? Melody quickly glanced away trying to make it look as though he hadn’t just turned her world upside down. She pulled on the helmet and got on her bike. It was imperative she act as normal as possible. What if he didn’t recognize her? Yeah
, right. With the look he was giving her, he knew exactly who she was.

She started the bike and walked backwards with it as she slowly went in reverse. He was already back in his car with the windows rolled down, looking every bit amused as a cat stalking a mouse.
And that’s exactly what she was to him. Prey. She’d started this game with her kiss and wave, and he was rolling the dice ready to take his turn. If she wasn’t smart, this master was going to eat her whole.

Melody threw the R1 into gear and jerked down on the throttle. The way the traffic was lined up couldn’t have been more perfect. She flew through the intersection, barely making it between
a truck and van. The wind whipped past her while she weaved in and out of cars. From the view in her rearview mirror, she could see him doing the same. Only she had a hell of a lot more room to work with.

A laugh came from her mouth. She so had this in the bag. Once she was at the church, she was home free. There was no way he could step foot on holy ground.

The pitchfork on the front of his car was gaining fast and before Melody knew it, he was directly behind her. The beating of her pulse overpowered the purr of the engine. She made a quick right and blasted down the back road. Tires squealed behind her and she was turning left onto the road the church was on before she knew it. Out of nowhere black blurred beside her, and she knew he’d jumped the curb. Melody skidded to a stop to avoid hitting his car as he slid sideways right in front of her.

As they connected stares, the silver in his eyes sucked her in.

“Get in.”

The demand, so short, so full of authority, almost made her ease off the bike and follow his orders. Melody shook her head hard and sped around his car, driving right into the lawn of the church. She turned the key and walked to the grass. The invisible border was one he couldn’t cross. As the master got out and stood up, she had to crane her neck up to see him. He was at least a few inches over six feet. A lot taller than her five
-foot-three frame.