Hell Is Coming (The Watcher's Series Book 1) (21 page)

“Leave me alone!” I said to her, pulling my arm out of her grip.

“Okay, okay,” she said, raising her hands in a submissive gesture. “I’m just making sure you’re alright. I know how crazy that must have been for you.”

“Crazy?” I said mocking her. “My brother’s a fucking demon! There’s nothing more to say.” With that I opened the front door and walked out toward the Mustang.

“Leia, where are you going?”

“Away from here.” I pulled open the car door and got in.

“You don’t have to run,” she shouted after me, but I stopped listening to her. I started up the Mustang and sped off down the dirt mountain road, the back wheels spinning out  dust and dirt in my wake. I turned the car right when I got to the bottom and started  along the main road, nothing on either side of me but forest and the occasional car passing me by.

I didn’t know where I was going. I just drove, not caring where I ended up. Being around Frank and Eva in that cabin wasn’t an option. Listening to their platitudes would drive me crazy. I’d had enough.

As I drove along a mountain road, something caught my eye by the passenger side window and knocked me out of my reverie. It was a black shape—no more than a shadow—that disappeared almost as soon as I looked. I focused out the window, wondering what the hell I had just seen. There had definitely been something there, but I wasn’t sure if it was just a shadow from a tree I had passed or something else. I kept looking towards the window as I drove, but I saw nothing more unusual.

Until I looked in the rear-view mirror and noticed two glowing orbs a few feet behind the car. I looked harder and just made out a black shape in the darkness. The shape moved closer to the car and I realized what was behind me.

A demon.

A flying demon.

Motherfucker.

I was driving at nearly sixty-miles-per-hour; the winged demon was having no trouble keeping up with me, its molten red eyes glaring in through the rear window.

“You’ve got to be kidding,” I said gripping the steering wheel tight.

What the hell is this? A hijack attempt?

The flying demon cruised along behind me, maintaining a steady speed, effortlessly turning corners along with the car. In the rear-view I could just make out its face. It was an ugly son of a bitch that had no nose, just two holes in the center of its face and a huge lipless mouth containing sharp, permanently bared teeth.

The demon kept up with the car as it stared in at me. Rather than wait for it to make its move, I took pre-emptive action. Keeping my gaze fixed on its red eyes I slammed on the brakes so the demon would go crashing into the car. The plan was to ground the demon and reverse over the top of it. It wasn’t a
great
plan, but I couldn’t think of anything else to do. I wasn’t about to let the thing run me off the road, especially since there was a steep decline on the left side that led down to a deep ravine. I wasn’t keen on ending up down there, exploding into a fireball in the darkness.

I hit the brakes but the demon merely sailed over the top of the car, ending up in front of me, hovering in mid air about twenty yards in front, its huge bat-like wings flapping either side of it.

“Fuck!” I immediately put the car in gear again and lurched forward, heading straight towards the hovering demon, which shot up into the air to avoid me.

The damn thing was too agile to hit with the car. It was like trying to hit a wasp by throwing a brick at it. My only option was to try and outrun it, to keep driving until I got to the city where I hoped the creature would stop chasing me.

I kept wondering as I drove what it wanted. If it wanted me dead or to kidnap me it would have made its move by now, I figured. Since it hadn’t, I could only assume it was messing with me. Frank had said demons like to do that, mess with people for no reason. I still remained convinced the thing was a minion of Abigor’s though. I kept looking but I could see no sign of the demon, in front or behind and for a minute I thought it had gone.

A loud thud on the roof of the car told me otherwise. Too close for comfort. “What the
fuck
do you want?” I shouted through the roof, not expecting an answer but needing to vent my frustration and growing anger. I almost slammed on the brakes intending to get out and confront it when its face suddenly appeared upside down right in front of me on the other side of the windshield, molten eyes mocking me, its grotesque mouth stuck in a rictus grin.

“Jesus!” The shock of seeing that ugly assed face nearly caused me to swerve the car into the crash barrier. Adrenaline shot through me as I fought to gain back control of the car, the demon’s face inches away on the other side of the glass, obstructing my view. It’s kind of hard to drive when you have a demon on the windshield gawking in at you.

My heart pounding like a jackhammer, I managed to wrestle back control of the car. “Fuck you!” I said to the grinning demon and I banged on the brakes as hard as I could. The car screeched to a halt and I shot forward in my seat, seatbelt digging painfully into my shoulder and chest. The demon whipped off the car, tumbling back on the asphalt like a ragdoll with wings before coming to a halt and lying motionless in the middle of the road.

I didn’t hesitate.

Shaking, I put the car in gear and floored the accelerator, the tires screaming on the asphalt as I drove towards the grounded demon as fast as the car would allow, which being a Mustang, was pretty fast.

“Screw you, motherfucker!” I said, the car racing towards the downed demon, its head raised, helpless to do anything as the big car sped towards it like a black metal angel of death. The car ran over the ugly bastard with a satisfying thumping sound.

I didn’t stop to see the damage. I kept driving and checking the rear-view mirror for signs of it but saw none.

I think it got the message.

I doubted the demon was dead or anything, but I hoped it hurt like hell when I ran over it.

When I reached the city I couldn’t help constantly checking in the rear-view mirror as I drove, half expecting a set of burning red eyes to be staring back at me when I did. Nothing appeared.

The demon was gone.

After a while I found myself driving through the Perv District. Unlike that afternoon when I was there with Frank, the place was lit up with neon signs and the streets where crawling with people. As most of the city was winding down, this place was just coming alive. Pretty soon I decided I had enough of driving. I felt like sitting in a darkened corner of some bar and getting drunk on vodka. I would do it for Kasey, I decided. Send her off properly.

Whether through coincidence or by subconscious design, I pulled the car up outside the Demon Ecstasy club where Frank and I had been that afternoon. Maybe the place was just familiar to me. I had never been to any of the bars or clubs in the Sex District before, so the one that Lucas, the demon, owned was the only one I knew. After parking the car, I went inside the club.

Considering the time of night, I was expecting a lot more people to be inside, but it was barely half full which suited me fine. I felt the eyes of the men in the club on me as I stood by the doors looking around. Loud eighties rock music pumped through the PA and lithe bodied girls danced on all three stages. Ignoring the looks I was getting, I glanced over towards the bar and saw Lucas standing there. He was talking to one of the dancers, a red-haired girl with a set of angel wings tattooed on her back. Lucas smiled as he ran his hand over the girl’s naked ass.  He stopped when he saw me. Our eyes met across the club and he smiled at me with glowing yellow demon eyes.

Well, better the devil you know…

Chapter 17

“Miss Swanson. What an unexpected surprise.”

 He was dressed as immaculately as he had been that afternoon, wearing a dark grey suit with a black shirt and black tie, looking every inch the trendy club owner. I watched, bemused, as he patted the red-haired dancer he was standing with on the ass and told her to be on her way. I remained impassive as the large breasted girl looked me up and down before strutting off in her high heels.

“I hope I’m not interrupting anything,” I said.

“Not at all,” Lucas said. “I was just consorting with one of my girls. I like to make sure they’re happy. I’m a good boss that way.”

I took a seat at the bar. “Be a good boss and get me a drink then.”

“I see you’ve inherited your uncle’s good manners.” He indicated to the barman to come over. “What’s your poison, Miss Swanson?”

“Vodka. Neat.”

Lucas seemed surprised. “I had you pegged as a Manhattan kind of girl.”

I frowned. “I don’t even know what that is.”

He gave me an “
are-you-serious?”
look then smiled and shook his head. “Simple tastes. I like it.” He turned to the barman. “Two double vodkas.” The barman went to get the drinks and Lucas turned his attention back to me. “I have to say, I’m surprised to see you here. I hope this is a social call and not another visit to try and get information out of me. I told you all I knew this morning.”

“I know, I’m not here for that.”

“So why are you here?”

Just then the barman arrived back with the vodkas and placed them on the bar top in front of us. I picked up one of the glasses and knocked the drink back, downing it in one gulp, closing my eyes for a second as the vodka left a burning sensation in my chest and stomach, then I slammed the empty glass back down on the bar top. “Keep ‘em coming,” I instructed the barman, and for the first time I noticed his demon face flickering into view and he gave me a dark look. I just stared back at him.

“Don’t mind her,” Lucas said to the demon bartender. “She’s a Watcher.”

The barman looked freaked for a second until Lucas told him to relax and go get more drinks. “Actually bring the bottle,” he said sitting in the chair beside me.

“Now you’re talking,” I said.

“Well, you look like you want to drink,” he said. “Who am I to deprive you of that pleasure? I own this place after all.”

I sat in silence as Lucas sat watching me. I could tell he was curious about me, about who I was and why exactly I had come to his place alone. When the barman brought the bottle of vodka, Lucas filled the two glasses again. He raised his glass. “To new friends.”

I raised my glass. “To getting wasted.”

“That too.” We clinked glasses and knocked back the shots. Lucas refilled the glasses again. The vodka was expensive and tasted good, certainly better than the cheap stuff Kasey used to steal for us from the stores she pilfered from.

“I am trying to work out why you’re here,” Lucas said. “Help me out. You didn’t just happen to be passing by, that much I know.”

I said nothing as I looked around the club, purposely avoiding his question. By that time, I knew exactly why I was there, but I wasn’t about to tell him.

“Something obviously happened,” he said. “Did you have a falling out with your uncle Frank? He can be difficult at times.”

“No.” I shook my head and took a mouthful of vodka. “Frank and I are fine.”

Sort of.

Lucas kept probing. “Someone else then. Who?”

“I don’t even know if I can trust you.”

“Trust? What does trust have to with anything? We’re just two strangers in a bar talking.”

“Not quite.”

“You think I’m going to screw you over somehow? Did Frank tell you not to trust me?”

“He did.” I emptied my glass, picked up the bottle from the bar and poured myself another. Lucas’s glass was still full.

“Frank doesn’t trust anyone,” Lucas said laughing. “I’ve known your uncle for a long time. He’s a good guy, but he doesn’t do himself any favors.”

“You mean he doesn’t take any shit from demons like you?”

He laughed again, a deep throaty laugh. He seemed laid back for a demon. “Don’t be so harsh; you don’t know me. I’m actually one of the good guys.” He paused for effect. “Most of the time.”

I nodded. “Most of the time?”

“Hey, I’m still a demon. I can’t help that, no more than you can help being Nephilim.”

“I only found that out recently, that I’m Nephilim.”

“Really?” Lucas’s eyebrows arched. “Does that explain why you’re here then? Is it all getting a bit overwhelming? Do you just need a friendly demon ear to listen?”

A smile spread across my face despite myself. “Whatever you think.”

“Tell you what,” he said. “Why don’t we take this bottle and go to my suite upstairs. You can tell me all about it. I promise I won’t try anything.”

“I’m supposed to trust you? You’re a demon. Why should I trust a demon?”

“Good point.” He leaned in closer to me, lowered his voice to a deep whisper. “If it weren’t for the fact that we both know why you are here.”

My heart skipped a beat when he said that and for a moment I felt almost embarrassed until I looked into his eyes. “Why can’t I see your real face?”

“Because I’m not letting you,” he said. “Do you want to see my real face?”

I thought for a second. “Yes.”

I was never one for relationships. Too messy, too much trouble. Sex on the other hand, I didn’t have a problem with. Since I first had sex at fourteen it was something I turned to sometimes, mostly when things got really bad in my life and I needed an escape that my art or drink and drugs couldn’t provide, at least not on their own. And with the right partner, I enjoyed it. It usually gave me the release I was looking for.

So when I walked into Lucas’s suite in the upstairs of the club, I knew I was going to get that release. It was weird though. Lucas was a demon, for a start. I’d never slept with a demon before, so that in itself was making me nervous.

And how old was he?

Hundreds, probably thousands of years older than me
.
That practically made him a paedophile if you wanted to think like that.

As he took me through the door that led into his office, I didn’t care about any of that. Neither did I pay much attention to my surroundings as he took me by the hand and led me through the office, through another door that took us into a large room with a huge bed on the far side of it.