Addict (Hunter #2)(46)

Donovan’s mouth was hanging slightly open. “Are trying to tell me a Hunter took out Hitler?”

“Oh, yes, Your Highness,” Henri said with a negligent wave of his hand. “We’re responsible for many such helpful acts. Hugo was responsible for the Marat assassination.”

“Yes,” Hugo said, patting me on the back. “Not that the bloody frogs deserved it. I was also responsible for pinning it on the Corday girl. That particular Hunter was one of my favorites. Married the girl. She was lovely, too. Now, I recall she was also wearing no pants when she killed Marat. Assassinations are a messy business, dear. Your instinct to shed your clothing proves you’re right for the job.”

I grimaced. It was time to reveal the less successful part of my evening. “You might think differently when Jamie opens the trunk.” I turned back to Marcus. “The assassination part of my night didn’t go so well.”

“Damn it, Owens,” Donovan cursed. “I told you not to kill anyone.”

“No. You told me to do it quietly. I did. No guns whatsoever. Now he won’t shut up, so I had to bring him with me.” I walked around with Jamie, who opened the trunk. “Though he’s been quiet since we pulled up here. Do you think he finally died?”

“No, but he peed himself,” Trent said, whiffing the air.

Donovan peered down into the trunk. “Damn. His head’s on backward.”

“Nicely done, Kelsey.” Henri gave me a fatherly pat on the back as he looked down at my handiwork. “That is a perfect example of atlanto-occipital dislocation.”

“If you mean the bitch tried to my pull my head off, then yes, it’s f*cking perfect,” Kall said bitterly. He stared up at the king and tried to cast his eyes away. It didn’t look like Kall was happy about this impromptu meeting with royalty. “I would like to point out that our contracts are still in effect, King Daniel. That bitch had no right to kill me.”

Donovan’s fangs gleamed in the low light. “Might I take the time to point out that those contracts are between Vampire and demonkind. I believe you will find that my Nex Apparatus is not a vampire.”

Kall’s eyes flew to me. “She’s the Nex Apparatus? But that’s not fair.”

Donovan laughed, and I heard Trent chuckling beside his boss. “Trent, it’s a good f*cking night. Do you know how long it’s been since I got to torture someone to get much needed information out of them?”

“Been a while, boss,” the werewolf allowed. His nose was already perfect again.

Donovan shook his head. “See, it’s the little things you miss when you get to the top. No one ever lets me torture demons anymore. They consider it beneath me without ever thinking about how much I enjoy it.” The king turned to me. “Good job, Owens.”

I gave him a jaunty salute and breathed a silent sigh of relief because it looked like Trent had been right. Now that Donovan was fairly certain I wasn’t going to massacre his friends and family, he was using a much lighter touch with me. “Nice to know I could help.”

Donovan nodded at his wolf, and Trent picked up Kall with one brawny arm. The demon’s head hung limply to the side.

“You can’t torture me,” Kall yelled. “It’s in our contracts.”

Donovan thought about it for half a second. “I can’t torture a living demon. Henri, isn’t this whole head hanging on by a thread thing usually fatal?”

Henri nodded vigorously. “This body is very much dead. I would expect it to begin to rot within a day or two. I’m surprised he’s still in there.”

“I don’t know how to leave. This is the only body I’ve ever been in, damn it,” Kal explained.

“I can totally torture a corpse. There’s nothing in our contracts to stop me from doing that.” The king poked at him. “He can’t feel anything, can he?”

Henri considered the problem for a moment. “Do we still have some holy water? I assure you, if we submerge the head in a vat of holy water, we’ll get a response.”

Donovan snapped his fingers and a big grin lit his face. He was like a kid on Christmas morning. “I like the way you think, Henri. Owens, I expect a full report tomorrow night. We’re all having dinner at your uncle’s. We can meet in his office, and you can update me on your progress.”

Donovan and Trent walked back into the building carrying their new plaything. Kall was crying openly and begging the king to let him die.

Dude should have paid more attention in demon school.

Marcus slipped his hand into mine and used his free hand to shake my brother’s. “Thank you for bringing her home, James.”

Jamie grinned. “It’s always an adventure with my sis. Good night, Marcus. Go easy on Gray tomorrow.”

“I will be a gentleman, of course,” Marcus promised. “Come along, bella. It’s long past time to get to bed. Good night Henri, Hugo. We’ll meet again in the afternoon to discuss what Henri has learned about our patient.”

I quietly followed Marcus back into the building and toward the elevator that went to our floor. I was anticipating a pretty hearty fight. Marcus had been upset when I confronted Trent wearing a bath towel that had covered way more of me than my current ensemble.

“Marcus,” I began as I followed him on the elevator. He pushed the button to our floor and the car began to climb.