Chapter 19
Joseline
“Just go back to the club,” I mock in my most annoying Tobias voice. “I have something important to do.”
Fucking asshole.
What could possibly be so important right now? And what does it have to do with keeping Niki and me safe?
How can he keep me safe if he isn't here?
He's probably lying.
Typical man.
Whatever he's up to, I don't care. Not even a little bit.
I glance back over my shoulder and, sure enough, there's no sign of him. Good. Maybe he'll get lost on the way back.
The nightclub comes into view, and I consider going inside. I could hide out in the back and listen to music, even though the vibe is pretty much ruined. I’m done dancing and drinking.
Besides, what if I run into the red shirt guy or his friend? This time, Tobias won’t be there to protect me.
Not that I need him to. Not really. I know how to handle myself.
But I will admit, it was nice having a guy stand up for me who didn’t expect anything in return. And the way he threatened to rip the shithead in half if he touched me again…
My stomach flutters. I shouldn’t get turned on by the prospect of murder, but I knew immediately that he’d been dead serious. After all, what does a demon have to lose by killing someone?
I slow my steps, contemplating. I could call for an Uber and go back to my hotel like Tobias suggested. Make him sweat a little when he can’t find me at the club. Even more if he looks for me on Niki’s bus—where I told him I’m spending the night.
A little panic is the least he deserves for abandoning me.
I’m already reaching for my purse to drag my phone out, when a flash of bright red catches my eye up ahead and I freeze. It’s a red shirt wrapped around a broad frame, and as my eyes skirt higher, I see a familiar face.
“Shit.” It’s the handsy jackass from the dance floor.
It’s okay. No big deal.
I’ll walk right past him into the club and hang out by the bouncers until Tobias comes to collect me.
If he comes back.
What if he lied? What if this is his way of ditching me? My pulse lurches at the thought, but I try not to think like that. Surely he wouldn’t go out of his way to protect me, just to abandon me.
Right?
The red shirt guy’s eyes snap in my direction, locking on me, and fear slips up my back, wrapping around my spine. Even through the haze of alcohol still lingering in my system, I know it's a good idea to keep my distance. I've seen this plot too many times to stick around.
I spin around on the spot and start marching in the opposite direction, hoping he doesn’t follow.
Looks like I’m not going back to the club after all, and before I can slow down and truly weigh my options—not that the alcohol is helping the situation—I’m skittering down the street and turning down an alley.
Where the hell am I going? I don’t know. But I’m not going to wait for that creepy asshole to catch up with me. Hopefully, Tobias shows up to save the day again.
That, or I'm gonna fight a grown ass man. Not ideal in a dress as short as this one, but I can probably manage.
The alley is dark, the streetlight barely reaching a few feet past the entrance, but I can see well enough to navigate. I pick up my steps, regretting wearing my wedges. Next time, I’m opting for flats.
Yeah, right. I always say that.
I keep walking, putting as much distance between me and the club as possible. When I look back over my shoulder, the alley is deserted. The guy must have given up and turned back. Good.
Exhaling shakily, I stop near a fire escape to catch my breath. Tilting my head back, I close my eyes, trying to work out a new plan through my hazy thoughts. If I wasn’t tired before, I definitely am now, and my hotel is starting to sound nice.
I can curl up with a blanket and pass out watching TV. Maybe soak in a warm shower to soothe my aching muscles first.
Realistically, I’ll probably just flop onto the bed without even taking my makeup off and crash as soon as my head hits the pillow—
A roar splits the air, a horrifying sound straight out of a nightmare, and every hair on my body shoots up in response. My eyes pop open and I whip my head around, searching the alley for anything out of place. However, there’s nothing odd shifting in the darkness.
After a minute, I’m starting to think I hallucinated the noise.
It was deep, guttural, and didn’t sound human. Like some kind of animal, but it would have to be a large one.
What kind of wild animals would be roaming the streets of Denver?
Another minute, and I’m convinced I made it up. The alcohol and exhaustion are twisting my mind, making me hear things.
I chuckle and shake my head, feeling completely insane.
But then I hear it again…
This roar is accompanied by a gravelly growl and a hiss, some freaking monster shit you might hear in an alien movie. Only, I’m nowhere near a residential area. There’s no way someone is watching a movie that loud with the windows open.
No, the noise is real.
Nausea rolls my stomach as I swivel my head from side to side, looking for movement. Whatever made that noise is definitely worse than the red shirt guy from the club, and not something I want to face off against alone.
Trembling, I hurry further down the alley, running toward the road, only to find the alley doesn’t lead to the street like I thought. There are more buildings, more corridors, like a maze of concrete surrounding me.
Fuck.
Another growl hits my ears, this one sounding further away. I sigh a tiny breath of relief; at least I’m heading in the right direction.
I make a left, moving as fast as my aching feet will allow. My fear is burning through the alcohol in my system, and it’s getting easier to think clearly, but that doesn’t mean I’m out of the woods. I finally catch a glimpse of the road up ahead, a way out of the alley, and I pick up my pace.
I don’t make it more than a few steps before something enormous and black jumps into my path with a screech that makes my ears ring. I scream, stumbling backward and falling onto my ass. Pain lances through my tailbone, and I fight to catch my breath as I take in the thing before me.
It’s a hulking slug-shaped monster with massive arms that nearly reach the ground.
Its face is melded into the place where its shoulders meet; no head, no neck, just a face.
A giant mouth hangs open to reveal rows of razor-sharp teeth.
Its skin looks like charred meat, uneven and crispy, and the stench—
Bile burns the back of my throat. Rotten meat mixed with sulfur farts fills the alley, and I scramble backward on the ground to get away.
The asphalt catches on the material of my dress, scraping my thighs, but I hardly feel the sting.
The monster’s multiple red eyes are focused on me and a deep, unsettling growl rolls out of it.
I don’t know what the fuck this thing is, but I know exactly where it came from.
Hell.
This is some kind of creature from the bowels of Hell, and it’s staring at me like I’m its next meal.
Fuck.
A human man I can probably defend myself against, or at least injure pretty well.
This thing? I don’t have a shot.
I’m so dead.
“Tobias!” I scream the first word that comes to mind, scrambling backward again, trying to get to my feet.
I don’t know if he’s close by, or if he can even hear me, but fear hijacks my overloaded brain and I scream for him again. His name echoes off the brick walls around me, and my pulse lurches.
The beast roars, the sound so loud it shakes dust from the buildings on either side of us, and it lunges for me. I don’t even have time to get off the ground.
Instinctively, I throw my hands up over my face in a feeble attempt to protect myself. The roar turns into an ear-piercing shriek that makes my ears ache, and I clap my hands over them to stifle the noise.
Thankfully, a collision never comes, and when I open my eyes, the beast is standing several feet away with a sleek black sword sticking out of its face.
“Get down.” I barely hear the words as a form barrels over me, charging at the monster. I make out a flash of blue, and my heart nearly slams to a stop.
I expect him to slow down, to pause and work out a plan. Instead, Tobias slams straight into the massive beast and they both go toppling over.