The Unlikeable Demon Hunter (Nava Katz #1)(20)

My mouth fell open. The voice belonged to a Japanese guy, probably in his mid-twenties, with spiky hair and a sculpted body. How could I tell? He was only clad in tight black shorts, black combat boots, and a smattering of silver dust across his bare chest. Accessorized with cool nipple rings and a giant coffee cup in one hand that he sipped at. He stepped on the remaining araculum’s head without pause as he swaggered onto the property, not even bothering to confirm that he’d killed the demon. Which he had.

“Mtsots li ta-zain,” Baruch replied. He pressed his hand to a scanner on the inside of the fence and the gate swung shut.

The new guy made a kissy face at him. “Promises, promises.”

“What’d he say?” I asked.

In response he jammed his tongue in his cheek, miming a blow job. Then he mouthed the words “suck my cock.”

Ooh. I clapped my hands. “Say it again, slowly so I can learn,” I told Baruch.

“Rohan,” Baruch said, “kill him and bring her to the Vault.”

“That sounds suspiciously like the same thing,” I said, watching with dismay as Baruch stalked up the drive.

New guy shrugged. “In your case, they’ll still leave a body for the family to claim.” He didn’t seem particularly upset about his fate. I liked him.

Rohan took my elbow to steer me to this Vault, but I tugged free. “Don’t be rude. Introduce me to my new best friend.” I turned my back on Rohan in anticipation of the intro, resisting a giggle as I felt him bristle behind me.

“Nava Katz, Kane Hashimoto. Kane, Nava. Our newest Rasha.”

While Rohan delivered my credentials in a disgruntled voice, Kane eyed me up and down, took another sip of coffee, and then apparently finding me worthy, held out his hand to be kissed. “Charmed, I’m sure.”

I complied with the obligatory respectful pressing of lips to skin then pressed Kane’s hand to my heart. “Please tell me you don’t have a boyfriend.”

Kane ran a hand along his body in show model form. “Like I could limit this prize to one lucky winner.”

Oooh. How much would Ari adore me if I set them up? Probably not at all but Kane looked like serious fun. I grinned at him.

“You’re nowhere near as uptight as the other twin,” Kane said.

I flung an errant strand of hair out of my face, planting my hands on my hips. “You better not be dissing my brother.”

“As if I’d waste my time.”

“Ari should be the one here,” I said, starting my plug to put the rightful Katz child in his chosen place.

A flash of… guilt? agreement? crossed Kane’s face. “The power has spoken.”

I let out a frustrated breath. Stonewalled again.

Rohan tugged on my arm, having reached the end of his limited patience. “Come on, Lolita.”

I blew Kane a kiss and skedaddled after broody.

We headed deeper onto the property, walking–or in my case, jogging–past towering Cypress and Arbutus trees dotting a perfectly manicured lawn. I gave a low whistle at the amount of land the Brotherhood owned. “This is like a whole city block.”

“Deep pockets.” Rohan rounded a corner and a massive 1920’s brick manor, flanked by two long, raised beds, their flowers in bud, came into view. It wasn’t Windsor castle but it still qualified for mansion status.

Messenger bag pressed to my chest, I craned my neck up to take in the arched doors, beveled bay window in the turret, and multiple chimneys. Impressive, but with nary an archer or vat of boiling pitch in sight. My shoulders relaxed out of my ears. “Gatsby throw a party or two here?”

“Close.” Rohan picked up the pace, forcing me to run up the front walk. “The estate was originally built with bootlegger money.”

“Where’s Rabbi Abrams?” The sooner I could make a strong case for getting Ari re-confirmed as an initiate, the better.

“Away for a couple days,” Rohan said.

Hmm. Perhaps I could speak with someone at Brotherhood HQ in Jerusalem. I eyed the offices on the ground floor, sussing out if there was a lowly admin assistant I could charm contact info out of, but Rohan twirled his hand at me to move me along.

I marched up the wide front stairs, my determination to put Ari back on his rightful path the only thing keeping me from punching Rohan in the head. Though I knocked into him as I shouldered past into the cathedral ceilinged foyer. I glanced up the wide curving staircase to the second floor but no help appeared from those quarters. Fine. I’d be the perfect newbie Rasha so my new mentors would be more inclined to listen to me.

I hung my bag on the knob of the coat closet door, along with my hoodie, leaving me in my red Good Morning, I see the assassins have failed T-shirt.

“Nice to see you dressed for the occasion,” Rohan said, tilting his head to check out my ass. “Tap,” he read. The word written across my butt on my black sweats. “I don’t get it. Is it some kinky promise of backdoor spirits?”

I forced my teeth to unclench. “Tap as in dance, you perv.”

His face lit up in unholy glee. “Like Shirley Temple? Please tell me there’s video.”

There was and I was hot shit in it. I gestured to my outfit. “These are my workout clothes. Since I’m guessing there will be working out involved.”

As Rohan marched me through the house, I caught glimpses of bright rooms with wide arched doorways, dazzling crown molding, and intricate inlaid wood flooring “Are all Rasha as crazy good-looking as Kane?” I asked, rubbernecking at the rooms like a tourist. From the decidedly masculine furniture, there was no doubt this was an all-male lair.