A Hellhound in Hollywood (2 page)

I wasn’t successful.

“Let me go!” I shouted.

“Not yet,” he said over his shoulder. “It’s a few blocks more.”

“What is?”

“My motel.”

Wrong answer.

“Let. Me. Go,” I repeated, annunciating each word loudly and clearly.

“Not yet.”

Okay,
now
I was pissed. I tried once more to free my arm from his steely grip as I thought of what to do about my predicament. It was then I remembered that his gun was still nestled in the palm of my hand, right next to my beloved stake. The sensible part of my mind tried to inform me that he wouldn’t have given me the weapon if he’d meant me any harm.

I didn’t listen to that part.

“Let me go or I’ll shoot,” I informed him.

The good news was that my bluff got his attention. The bad news was that I collided with his wide back when he came to a sudden stop.

“Oof.”

He chuckled, a deep, throaty sound that sent the most pleasurable shivers whispering down my spine and made me ache somewhere farther south. I ignored my body’s response and shot a glare at his back.

“What’s so funny?”

“You,” he answered without hesitation. “Do you have a habit of running into people? If you’re just doing it to get your body pressed up against mine, I can help you out with that.

Only in my version of the scenario, we’ll be wearing less clothes.”

www.totallybound.com

A HELLHOUND IN HOLLYWOOD

10

Heat rushed to my cheeks, and in answer, I glared at his back again. What sort of man propositioned a woman not only
before
introducing himself but also without even seeing her face? So what if he was wearing cowboy boots, a Stetson and faded jeans that looked like they’d been painted on? It didn’t matter that he had a sexy accent and an impressively large body. He didn’t know I had a thing for hunky cowboys. I mean, didn’t everybody? He shouldn’t have been so presumptuous.

I moved back a couple of steps then did a quick scan of my surroundings to check there was no one around before lifting the gun and pointing it at his back. He turned slowly then met my gaze. I stopped breathing. Damn, he was handsome.
Really
handsome. My stomach dipped, but the sensation was far from uncomfortable. I didn’t believe in love at first sight, even though it felt like I was experiencing it a little bit or…a lot.

It was too dark to determine his exact eye color, but they could have been green, brown or blue for all the difference it would have made. The attraction hit me in the gut like the right hook from a heavyweight. His strong jaw, shaded with stubble, and full, fleshy lips made him all the more appealing. I tried to ignore his many attributes and remember that he was essentially trying to kidnap me. He was dragging me back to his motel to do heaven knew what. I frowned as the carnal image of hot, sweaty bodies flashed through my mind.

“You wouldn’t shoot me,” he said smugly, briefly glancing at the gun, his mouth twisting into a smirk. “And what’s more, you couldn’t.”

Now see? That pissed me off and I forgot about the instant attraction I felt toward him.

“Oh, I could,” I assured him. “And each time you open your mouth, it gets more and more likely that I will.”

He chuckled again, and this time, able to see the movement on his lips as well as hear the sound, produced an even stronger reaction in me. Arousal flooded my system. The masculinity that oozed out of him caused my pulse to accelerate and I was pretty sure my heart was trying to beat its way out of my chest.

“You couldn’t,” he repeated. “You want to know why?”

I gritted my teeth. “Humor me.”

“Because the safety is on, and even if you did somehow get it off before I managed to get the gun out of your hand, you wouldn’t risk losing your job by shooting a fellow hunter.”

www.totallybound.com

Amy Armstrong

11

“A fellow…
what
?” I cocked my head to one side and lowered the gun a little. “You’re kidding me.”

I was usually great at sniffing out a lie, but I didn’t detect one.

That was a relief. For some strange reason, I didn’t want this beautiful man to turn out to be a liar. Arrogant jerk was bad enough.

A grin was his only reply—a really sexy grin—but I pretended not to notice it and continued to scowl at him.

“How do you know I’m a hunter?” I asked.

He shrugged. “Only hunters hang around in alleyways in the dead of night.”

“Right.”

“Or hookers,” he mused.

I was so furious that my glare, already frosty, must have turned glacial.

“Drug addicts or…”

“Okay, I get it. I get it. Good call.”

“Besides, you’re carrying a stake.”

I stared at him for a full ten seconds while I weighed up just how fast he could get the gun out of my hand.

“Plus,” he went on, “you’re Lizzie Day’s daughter. I recognized you the second I saw you back in that alleyway.”

I opened my mouth to speak, but he wasn’t finished.

“Plus,” he went on, “Roland, your handler at the council, told me you were hunting in Hollywood in a ten-block radius east of La Brea. That’s why I’m here. I’ve been looking for you all night.”

I narrowed my eyes. “I’m trying really hard not to pull the trigger.”

Another chuckle slipped from his lips. “And here I thought our first date was going so well.”

I snorted. “If this is your idea of a date, then I hope you’ve got other skills because you’re seriously lacking in the romance department.”

He moved closer until he was inches away from my face and the heady scent of his aftershave hit me full force.

“Oh, I have skills,” he informed me.

www.totallybound.com

A HELLHOUND IN HOLLYWOOD

12

I made a noise in my throat that sounded suspiciously like a groan and thought it best to change the subject in case I did something crazy like kiss him or offer to have his babies.

“How did you know I’m Lizzie’s daughter?” I asked. “Did Roland tell you?”

“Nah. I hunted with her once, a few years ago, right before she retired. We were in some God-awful, one-horse town in Kentucky. She showed me that picture she carries around of you and your brother. You know the one I mean? I think it was taken on the day of your brother’s graduation from the training academy. You were wearing this cute little black—”

“Here, take your damn gun,” I said, shoving it at his chest. “Or I really might shoot you with it.”

I was seriously rethinking the love at first sight thing. Clearly, I needed my head examined. The attraction must have had something to do with the fact that it had been quite some time since I’d done the horizontal tango. His smile was wide as he took back the weapon then stashed it down the back of his jeans.

“You’re as feisty as your mother,” he remarked casually. “As pretty too. Can you hunt like her?”

I flushed at the compliment and tried to ignore the fact that I’d run away from that thing earlier—something she never would have done—but I couldn’t get it out of my mind.

“No one hunts like my mother.”

“Guess I’ll have to be the judge of that,” he said in a low, silky voice. “Damn. Lizzie Day’s daughter. I wondered if our paths would ever cross. When my handler told me you were here, I was intrigued. I wanted to meet you. I’m Tyler, by the way. Tyler Braddock, but my friends call me Ty.”

“Ty,” I repeated. “If you know me, I take it I don’t have to tell you my name.”

“Nope. Alana. Pretty name for a pretty little lady.”

“Little?”

His laugh was rich and full-hearted, and the sound sent a shock wave of lust coursing through my body. He spent a long time looking me up and down. Even though the light from the nearby street lamp offered little illumination, there was nowhere to hide and I grew embarrassed by his scrutiny.

“Come on,” he said at last. “Let’s get moving. This is not the safest neighborhood at the best of times, but especially not at night.”

www.totallybound.com

Amy Armstrong

13

I nodded and put away my stake. “That’s the first sensible thing you’ve said since we’ve met. Out of curiosity, why were you taking me to your motel?”

“Running for my life makes me horny,” he said, deadpan.

“What?” The word came out on a screech.

He threw his head back and laughed again. “Relax. It was a joke. I’m all out.” He pointed to the pouch on his belt.

“Oh. All out of what exactly?”

“Holy water. I’ve got another couple bottles in my room and you sure don’t look like you’re packing any.” He craned his head to look at my butt. “Nope, I don’t think you’d fit anything else in those pants, which, by the way, look damn hot on you.”

I ignored the salacious comment wrapped up in a compliment, even though it did something funny to my stomach, and asked, “That was holy water you threw at that thing back there?”

“Sure was. It’s the only thing that will stop them, although it doesn’t kill them. They’re nearly impossible to kill.”

“You mean you know what it was?”

He drew his eyebrows together as he stared at me. Even a frown looked sexy on him.

Typical.

“Of course. That was a hellhound.” He gave a visible shudder. “Nasty fuckers. Pure evil.

They’re not the most cunning of demon, but just as lethal. You haven’t come up against any before?”

“No, never.” I shook my head, trying to process everything I’d learned. It made sense that the creature was a demon. The coldness I’d felt, the dread… Though I’d never encountered a hellhound before, I had heard of them, but I hadn’t put two and two together. Now that I knew what it was, it seemed obvious. “Jesus, there are hellhounds in Hollywood?”

“Yes, ma’am. It sure looks that way. I came up against one a few years back and it nearly mauled me to death. Would have killed me too if your mother hadn’t fought the thing off me.

She didn’t kill it, but she hurt it badly enough to put it out of action long enough for us to get away.”

“My mother?” I breathed.

He nodded. “She saved my life.”

www.totallybound.com

A HELLHOUND IN HOLLYWOOD

14

“Wow.”

My stomach dipped again and this time the feeling was uncomfortable. I was far from sorry that she’d saved Ty, of course, but it was proof positive that I would never be as good as her. She’d not only
not
run away, she’d fought off the hellhound and saved Ty’s life in the process.

The heat of shame and humiliation settled on my face.

“After that incident, my handler told me to use holy water,” Ty said. “Fucking council.

You’d think they tell us this shit when we’re still in the academy, wouldn’t you? I never go out hunting without holy water now. Can’t be too careful. If there are hellhounds around here, you’d better start carrying some too. The way we spend our nights, it’s likely we’ll come up against one again. You need to protect yourself.”

I shuddered at the thought of seeing a hellhound again, but nodded. “I’ll get some.

Thanks for the tip.”

Ty pursed his lips. “You’re obviously here in L.A. searching for the same thing I am. The book?”

I nodded, but stayed silent, not wanting to give too much away about my mission.

“Yeah, these grimoires are all anyone’s talking about in the council. I figured it would be an easy job, but it looks like we’re too late.”

“Too late? What do you mean?”

“Think about it. Hellhounds have that name for a reason, right? They live in hell and they can’t just come and go from there as they please, thank the Lord. The only way they can get here is if they’re summoned and—”

“The only way to summon them is with a grimoire,” I finished for him.

“Exactly.”

“Did the council give you anything to go on?” I asked.

Ty shrugged. “Not really. The council didn’t know diddly, but I’m meeting an angel at midnight. I’m hoping he can shed some light on things.”

The rich timbre of Ty’s voice gave me goosebumps, but I tried to hide the effect he was having on me. “An angel?”

“Yeah. His name’s Malaki. Have you met him before?”

www.totallybound.com

Amy Armstrong

15

As it so happened, I had. Not only had I met Malaki before, but the angel was my one and only lead in LA so it looked like Ty didn’t have anything more to go on than I did.

“Yeah, I know him,” I confirmed. “Midnight, eh? Where are we meeting him?”

A wide grin stretched across Ty’s lips, and, if I wasn’t mistaken, there was a trace of satisfaction in his eyes.

“You know, I wasn’t in the market for a new partner, but working alongside a lady as pretty as you?” he said in a silky voice. “I’d be some kind of fool to turn down an offer like that, and I’m no man’s fool.”

I cleared my throat. I felt the need to turn away from his appraising gaze, but I was riveted. “Great,” I said, my voice a little higher than usual. “Lead the way to your motel.”

When his grin grew wider, I narrowed my eyes. “For the holy water, Ty. This is business.

Don’t get any ideas.”

I had to keep my wits about me. Hunters were sent on assignments with different hunters all the time. We came and went out of each other’s lives in the blink of an eye. I couldn’t afford to get too close to Ty because I sensed how easily I could become attached to him then when the time came to part, it would hurt as nothing had hurt before.

His expression softened. “There ain’t nothing wrong with a little fun to break up a dull day, Alana.”

I tried not to imagine just how much fun that fun would be. Under different circumstances, I might have agreed, and I’m sure that any other single woman in my position would have jumped at the chance to enjoy Ty’s company while they could. But I’d never been the type of woman who gave in to my desires or base instincts. Everything in my life had always been controlled and orderly. I did my job and I did it well. My mission in life was to be the best hunter I could be. I wanted my mother to be proud of me and trying to accomplish that goal had left little time to indulge in many extracurricular activities. Yet even if I’d wanted to have some fun while I was in LA, I knew I had to stay the hell away from Tyler Braddock.