Blood Lust (The Blood Sisters Book 1) (4 page)

Amanda
had been inside for too long. With no sign of Aunt Gwen and Jessica’s calls
going unanswered, it was time to strike—an act of desperation.

Jessica
turned the car ignition and the Chrysler 300 sprang to
life,
growling like a tiger. Headlights engaged, lighting up the
side of the demon clubhouse. Jessica gripped the wheel and tapped the gas pedal
so it roared a battle call, a warning that the demons would rue the day they
kidnapped Amanda Blood.

They’d
pay. With their slimy, corrupt, little lives and Jessica would sleep better
knowing she sent a few dozens more to hell.

Demon
heads snapped her direction and although Jessica knew they couldn’t see her
face, she smirked with satisfaction. She slammed her foot down hard on the gas pedal,
gripping the steering wheel tight, raced straight toward the entrance.

Her
heart pounded unrelentingly. Jessica kept her head down and gritted her teeth,
raising her eyes just enough to steer the car. A few seconds in, the demons
drew their guns and fired just before Jessica plowed into them, their bodies
landing on the car hood. They careened through the open front door and stopped
just short of slamming into the bar.

Jessica
loved her dad’s old car, but once she made up her mind that the car might have
to be sacrificed to save Amanda’s life, she stuck with it. Amanda’s life came
first.

Jessica’s
head was thrown back and forth like a bobble head doll then slammed into the
steering wheel. She shook it off, despite the waves of dizziness. Through the haze
of smoke and debris, the demons in the bar gathered their weapons.

She
only had a few seconds to react. Time to get moving.

 
Her humanity put her at a disadvantage and the
longer it took to get to Amanda, the better the chance they’d overpower and kill
her out of spite.

Grabbing
her shotgun, Jessica kicked the door open. The car was still running, its
headlights shining on the patrons and on the shattered bar. Jessica wobbled as
she stood among the splintered remains. There were demons on the ground, unconscious
or hopefully dead. Those behind the bar were alive and drew guns stowed behind
the counter.

It
took a headshot to kill a full-fledged demon. The thugs were easy to kill, as
long as you used a large bullet—like a shotgun slug—or something blessed with
holy water or salt. It was from the earth, biblical. Jessica didn’t really know
the reasons. She just knew it worked.

That
was all that really mattered anyway.

Jessica
pumped her shotgun and got a round off into the bartender and quickly put
another round into his buddy on the floor as he was reaching for his gun.
Jessica slid ass first across the hood of her
car,
and squatted behind it to prevent the hailstorm of bullets from nailing her.
But her poor car…it was an antique!

One
of the few things she had left from her Dad.

Jessica
fumed and stood to return fire. Behind
her,
was the grunting and growling of demons regaining consciousness. Now she was
surrounded. on both sides. Perfect. Where the hell was Aunt Gwen? She was
supposed to be here.
Said this time,
she’d help with their little Amanda situation.

She
couldn’t depend on anyone. Jessica only had herself.

No
time to reach for the cell phone in her pocket. She grabbed the round table in
front of her and flipped it over to use it as cover. While quickly peering over
the top, the overhead lights flashed as if the power was drained.

 
So there was a top level demon, and he was low
on energy.
That, at least,
brought
Jessica satisfaction.

The
demon needed to draw on something to survive. Jessica had a view
of
the back and could clearly see Amanda’s
dress.

She
was alive.

Adrenaline
surged right through her heart. Jessica returned fire when she felt a demon
creeping behind her. She didn’t even bother to look before grabbing him by the
neck and flipping him onto his back. He clipped the corner and several bowls of
peanuts flew through the air.

Jessica
snarled, then let out a long huff. With a quick movement, she grabbed the knife
attached to her thigh and plunged it into the beast’s throat. He gurgled, eyes
wide, as maggots burrowed from his face. Gross, even maggots knew when it was
time to leave the party.

 
His mouth opened and his long pasty tongue
found its way out as he tried to speak, but it was too encrusted with beetles
and thick yellow mucus.

He’d
drown in his own blood. Bad way to go, but Jessica wasn’t choked up about it.

Scurrying
along and using the stage for cover, Jessica peered up. The female dancers were
cowering behind their poles, crying with their faces in their hands. “Please
help us!” They begged.

Jessica’s
voice was gruff. “Don’t move.” Still
squating,
she hurried toward the back door where her sister was being held.

“We’re
chained here! We can’t move!”

Precisely.

They
weren’t the mission, they weren’t Amanda. Jessica could only handle one thing
at a time. Sure, they were handed a shitty deal, but who hadn’t been?

“If
you stay low, you’ll be fine. The police will get you out of here. No worries.”
Jessica moved on ignoring their squeals for help, but inside she winced. Inside
she kind of hated herself.

In
the kitchen, Amanda stood tall with no signs of injury or blood. One hand
pinned a man down and the
other,
was
glowing. The man’s face distorted like a Picasso painting and the brighter
Amanda’s hand grew, the worse the man looked.

She
wasn’t healing this man. She was exorcising him. Jessica couldn’t believe it.
Here she was terrified for her little sister and she was what? Working?

 
“Amanda, we have to go.” Jessica stormed in
and grabbed her arm.

Her
sister’s face flashed to her for a second and Jessica could see the tired lines
around her eyes and that her skin had already lost its glorious luster. “It’s
not dead yet. I need one more second.”

Exasperated,
Jessica threw her arms out to the side. Arguing with her never helped, but
Jessica couldn’t help herself. “Amanda—” Jessica’s words were drowned out by a
new sea of bullets headed right their way. Jessica threw herself against the
door to slam it shut.

It
was metal, so they had some time, except they were cut off from their escape
route. Where the hell was their Aunt Gwen anyway? Wasn’t she supposed to be
riding shotgun?

“One
more second, I promise!” Amanda gritted her teeth but Jessica saw blood on her
sister’s blue paisley sleeve. She had been hit
in
the hailstorm.

It
was time to go, before she really got hurt. “Amanda!” Jessica’s face grew red
from anger, and a moment later she was blinded as the glow from her sister’s
work became too bright.

The
demon’s essence was destroyed and the man? It might be too soon to tell.

But
Amanda’s voice was joyful like laughter from a gentle child. “He’s alive.
He’s—” She teetered on her feet and Jessica knew what was going to happen next.

Jessica
lunged forward and caught Amanda before she fainted. Amanda’s body was lax in
her arms and Jessica’s heart ached to see her like that, like it did every
single time.

“Damn
it, Amanda,” Jessica muttered and pushed Amanda’s hair off her forehead.

Stupid
girl. Beautiful, angelic, and stupid.
I will always protect you.
Had
Jessica ever made
a more perfect
promise?

 
Jessica hoped Amanda would forgive her as she
slapped her hard and fast. Amanda’s head fell to the side and as her eyes
jerked open, her cheek turned scarlet from the slap.

“At
least,” Jessica sighed, “it only took one slap this time. Do you have the strength
to move?”

Amanda
rubbed her cheek and nodded. “But where are we going to go?” Her voice was
too
slight to reassure Jessica. Amanda
should never
have performed an exorcism like that
right before an escape, but Jessica would hold her anger in, until later.

It
wasn’t like Amanda didn’t know exactly how she felt and exactly what she’d say.
Amanda saved people, even when it was inconvenient. It was what she did. And
Jessica complained about it every time, even though she knew it wouldn’t make a
lick of difference.

Jessica
kicked down the rear door and led Amanda to the exit. All the demons had rushed
through the front, so the way was clear. But her car—the one she had been
driving since she was old enough? Jessica was just going to have to come back
for it.

Demons
were coming; they needed to move faster to get away from this place.

Amanda’s
steps were
surer
and her head was upright
again. Relieved, Jessica took the lead. Back on solid footing, Jessica’s boots
crunched the gravel and she peered around the side of the building.

They
could steal the white van or one of the motorcycles if they could get to the
front. A bike would be faster and easier to navigate in traffic. It would be easy
to get lost and stay that way; but Amanda needed to heal.

Plus,
she always got motion sickness when they rode a bike.

Jessica
really wanted one of the bikes. She hoped Amanda realized what she gave up for
her. “Get into the van!” She hissed over her shoulder. Jessica ran to the front
and both Blood sisters slammed their car doors at the same time.

The
van was still running so Jessica threw it in reverse and never looked back.
Even when the demons screamed and Jessica heard the roar of their motorcycles coming
to
life
, she didn’t look back.

A
Blood never looked back.

****

The
demons came at them hard.

The
glare of lights reflecting through the side mirrors cast the van’s cabin in an orange
glow. Jessica steadied the steering wheel as she took a hard right. The tires
sloshed through
water
. They careened down
a hill toward civilization and branches scratched against the
windows,
as if to slow down their escape.

Amanda
groaned, her head tilted back and her hand hovering over her injured shoulder.
She’d never come out and blame the pain on Jessica, but it was her driving
causing Amanda so much discomfort. Every little bump, every hard turn, Amanda
sucked in her breath.

Right
then Jessica didn’t
care. She was too angry.

They
were stuck in this stupid van because Amanda couldn’t prioritize. She put a
possessed human’s life above her own. Again. Each time it got them in trouble.
Each time Amanda forgot the mission.

Her
life was more important than some random guy’s. Amanda’s life, was all about
Amanda, so how could she be so—stupid?

This
van could never outrun the motorcycle gang and they both knew it.

And
their car? Dad’s car? Gone. Maybe forever.

“Hang
tight,” was all Jessica could bring herself to say. Her voice was harsh and
edged with anger. It’d boil over soon and Jessica would spout things she’d
regret, so yeah, she kept her thoughts to herself. Even if Amanda hadn’t been
an empath, Jessica was sure she’d have been able to pick up on it.

“Almost
there.” Amanda was breathless as the bullet rose from the bloody wound in her
arm. She groaned and bit her lip. The whites of her eyes rolling up as the red
covered bullet fell to the floor below, getting lost with stray French fries on
the ground.

Her
forehead sweaty, Amanda closed her eyes. Jessica’s heart quickened with worry,
but Amanda just needed rest and time to heal herself. An exorcism and a healing
in less than twenty minutes, her strength had been pushed to the max. One of
the red curls cascading down her face had turned a ghastly white.

Jessica
steadied the cell phone to her ear. “We need your help. They’re
pursuing
us hard, Aunt Gwen. I don’t know what
to do.” Jessica kept the warble out of her voice just barely.

In
the
background,
tires squealed. “Get to
the family cabin. It’s
warded
and it’ll
give you girls the time you need to regroup.”

She
didn’t know if the van could make it, not before the demons caught up
with
them. “I had to leave our car behind.”
Jessica closed her eyes and the grief poured out.

“You
think Jacob would really mind? Care about his car more than you girls? You’re
doing what they wanted more than anything, Jess. Now get to the cabin.”
Something about her aunt’s voice was sweet, even if the tone was stern.

“They’re
coming a lot faster than usual.” Jessica glanced at Amanda to make sure she was
still asleep. She didn’t need her to hear the despair in her voice. How
the hope was
beginning to fade.