Blood Trinity (Belador #1)(18)

Isak kept visually sweeping the area around them, then paused to look her over again. He finally shifted his weapon to hold it across his chest. “What’d that demon want with you?”

Yeah, this was an odd conversation to have with an unknown civilian.

“Dinner and a movie. How’d you know he was here?”

“Smelled ’im a mile away.”

Too bad the twins hadn’t.

She searched again with her powers but still felt no unusual field of energy from this guy. Nothing to mark him as anything other than a human with a demon-killing fetish.

And where had he gotten that wicked weapon?

She glanced over at the pile of stinking demon dung. She couldn’t use her powers to clear that out of here with Isak present. Nor could she call VIPER for a cleanup team until she had a plan that would keep her head off their chopping block.

And there was no way in hell she was touching that with her hands. She’d managed to walk away fairly clean from the Cresyl, but this would be harder to clean off her skin than skunk odor. Not that she had any interest in getting frisky with a man, but stink like that would ensure her peace and solitude for months on end.

More important—VIPER would smell Birrn demon on her.

“Did you have to kill him?” she asked.

He arched a brow suspiciously. “What? You friends or something?”

She returned her gaze to his face, then looked up to eyes so impervious to emotion a shiver of warning ran up her spine. Isak didn’t seem surprised she knew about demons.

What was his story?

And what had the demons done to him? The average human didn’t track and kill demons.

What could she possibly say that wouldn’t end up with her dead or exposing VIPER … which still might mean her dead? This guy walked, talked and shot like a vigilante. She knew the type. If you didn’t uphold their hatred, you needed killing, too.

She gave him an insincere smile. “I was kind of hoping to ask him a few questions. Thanks for killing that opportunity. Literally.” Interfering moron.

“A demon?” His one uncovered eye widened, then creased with a suggestion of humor that didn’t fit the serious GI Joe face. “You wanted to interrogate something with the IQ of lettuce, that sees humans as a major food source? Good call. Are you drunk or mental? Or are you one of those freaks who thinks nonhumans just need love and understanding while they munch our brain matter?”

Her internal defense alarms went into high gear at the way he said “nonhumans.” As if the word alone was repulsive. What would Isak do if he knew she wasn’t exactly an everyday citizen? “So you just arbitrarily kill any nonhuman even if they’re not harming someone?”

He curled his lip. “Kill ’em all and let their various gods sort them out. In case you haven’t noticed, hon, it’s open season on us. Either you kill the demon or the demon eats you. Way I see it, you should be thanking me. I just kept you from being digested.”

She let out a curt breath of aggravation. “I can take care of myself, Terminator, and as for thanks … yeah. You just screwed up something I needed to find out. So thanks a lot.”

His amusement vanished. “Ah, God. Don’t tell me you’re with that paranormal tree-hugging group that’s trying to convince everyone malevolent poltergeists and demons are just misunderstood friends who need hugs.”

Of all people, that wasn’t her. But he didn’t need to know her stance on demon slaying.

Her organization wasn’t any of Rambo’s business. “Want to tell me what group you’re with?”

He shook his head slowly from side to side.

“Then I’d say we’re done here. I’ve lost enough ability to smell for one night.” She debated calling Tzader, who must still be in his meeting, otherwise he’d have called her. She had to get this mess cleaned up.

When she made a move to step past Isak, he closed his fingers around her arm.

She froze in anger at that touch and glared at his huge paw of a hand as old memories surged. She wasn’t a terrified helpless teen, and no man would ever lay hands on her again without her explicit invitation. “You got three seconds to remove that or your new name’s going to be Lefty.”

He held his hand up in surrender. “You got a ride nearby?”

“Yes.”

“I’ll follow and—”

“No. I’ve had enough favors for one night, and now I have to clean this crap up before anyone finds it.”

“My people’ll deal with it.”

“Really?” She deserved one lucky break tonight. But honestly … did he really know a group who would come in here, clean up smelly demon goo and not report or arrest her? “Do you work with law enforcement?” Working for the morgue, she’d met a lot of the local LEOs—law enforcement officers—but never Rambo. He tended to stand out.

Isak smirked. “Not even.”

Believe it or not, that was good news in her world. VIPER employed a long list of different people that included a large number of Beladors, many of whom worked with local police, the FBI and other agencies. But if his people didn’t work with any of hers …

She might stand a chance after all.

Even though she had no idea who this guy was, she’d bet Tzader would know or could find out.