Demon Hunters 2: Retribution (Stand Alone Series) (Demon Hunters.) (14 page)

Between them they made short work of the nine demons. Jesse collected the arrows that were left behind, when the demons returned to hell, and reluctantly gave the bow and quiver to Adam.

“Thanks.”

Adam grinned as he took them. “Nice work. You can fight at my side any time.” He clapped Jesse on the back.

Scarlett came to stand beside Jesse. Leo stood next to Adam while Saul grabbed three water bottles out of the ute. “What about the demons you said disappeared at daybreak?”

“We’ll get them at three in the morning. No point in waiting around. It’s still a couple of hours before it’s dark. If we wait till then we can deal with them all at once,” Leo said.

Allie stood with them. “I wish I could help you with the next hunt. I’m getting fed up with my parents and their stupid curfews.”

“Give them a chance,” Blake said.

Allie snorted. “Like that’s going to make any difference.”

Saul joined them and handed a water bottle to each of his brothers. “I suppose that’s it until three a.m. Hope they don’t take too long to find you. We’ll want them dealt with before we go to Charlotte’s wedding tomorrow.”

“What?” Scarlett stared at her uncle. “Tomorrow?”

Leo chuckled. “You been a bit preoccupied, Scarlett girl?”

Scarlett shook her head. “I thought it was still a fortnight away. I haven’t even bought her a present.” Charlotte was a third or fourth cousin. She could never remember which.

Leo clapped her on the shoulder. “I’m sure she’ll understand. You can get her something afterwards. That way you’ll see what everyone else has bought and know what she still wants.”

“Have done with it and shove some money in an envelope,” Adam said.

“Where’s the thought in that?” Leo argued.

Saul ignored his brothers who continued to argue over the merits between giving money or choosing a gift. “You bringing your young man?” He glanced at Jesse.

Scarlett nodded. At least she hoped he’d attend the wedding with her. “That won’t be a problem, will it?”

Saul shook his head. “We always expect extras. You never know who’ll be in town. I’ll ring Charlotte’s mother and let her know to set a place for him.”

“I can’t believe I didn’t realise how close the wedding was,” Scarlett muttered.

Jesse slipped his hand in hers. “You’ve been spending every second at the hospital. Days blur when you’re stuck in that artificial environment.”

“I guess.”

“No need to dwell on it. Time to head back to the house. Some people may have slept the day away, but the rest of us need to get organised so we can have an early night,” Leo said.

Scarlett returned Leo’s grin. Having her family around her was exactly what she’d needed after being Nathan’s prisoner.

Scarlett climbed out of her car, which had been recently fixed, and walked around the front to where Jesse waited on the footpath. She shook the wrinkles from her dress, wriggling her feet inside her low heels. She missed her jeans and boots.

“I’m glad you came today,” Scarlett said. “I hope it hasn’t been too boring.”

“It was the first time I’ve ever been in a church. There was a lot to see.”

Scarlett smiled. “Well, I hope you’re not too bored while all the photos are being taken in the gardens. We’ll be going to the reception straight after, but it’ll take a while to get through the photos with how large my family is.” She led the way to the grassed area where her family was assembling.

Scarlett stood by Jesse’s side when she wasn’t needed for photos and explained some of the family relationships. Those that she knew. Many of the family tried to attend weddings and funerals. It was a way to keep in touch.

“Most of these people have the surname Hunter. Is there a larger percentage of males born into your family?” Jesse asked.

Scarlett shook her head with a smile. “No. We often keep our birth name when we marry. It’s not just a surname, it’s our life.”

“Excuse me, Scarlett.”

Scarlett turned to face a woman in her thirties. She had sandy coloured hair piled on top of her head and a frown clouded her blue eyes. “Aunt Sasha, what’s wrong?”

“I’m trying to find my daughter, Hope. Sometimes I can’t believe she’s four. They grow up so fast.” Sasha slowly shook her head. “She was playing with a couple of the older children but they said she got bored and headed back to my side. She must have been distracted because she didn’t end up finding me.”

“I haven’t seen her since that photo I was in with you and your girls,” Scarlett said.

“Thanks. I’d better keep looking.” Sasha walked on to the next group of people.

It soon became apparent Hope wasn’t with any of the family. Everyone broke into smaller groups to look for her. Scarlett grabbed her brother as he wandered past.

“I’m going to head this way. I left my camera in the car so I might as well get it and search in that direction while I’m at it.”

“You want me to come with you?” Alex asked.

Scarlett shook her head and glanced towards Jesse who was still at her side. Alex nodded in understanding before he turned away to rejoin the search.

Jesse slipped his hand in Scarlett’s as they headed towards her car. “Does the child often wander off?”

Scarlett shrugged. “I wouldn’t have a clue. I haven’t seen her for over a year. How about we cut across the grounds. It’ll take us twice as long if we follow the path.” After a few minutes of walking under large shady trees Scarlett soon realised leaving the path had been a bad idea. She glanced wryly at her low heels. “I forgot how hard it is to walk across soft ground in these things.” The grassed area they’d assembled on for the photos had been more compacted.

Jesse grinned, his gaze drawn to her legs. “Boots just wouldn’t have had the same effect. You want to wait here while I run to the car and get the camera?”

Scarlett looked at the trees they stood under, the air cooler out of the sun. “Keep looking for Hope too. She’s a miniature version of her mum.”

Jesse nodded. “You’ll barely notice me gone.” He moved in close. “Luck?”

Scarlett grinned before she lightly kissed him and pulled away. She laughed when he tried to pull her close for another one. “Find Hope.” She gave him her car keys.

“Then I will expect a proper kiss.”

“We’ll see.” Scarlett smiled as she watched Jesse stride through the trees until he disappeared behind some plants. She turned around, searching for somewhere to sit. She grimaced at not being able to sit on the ground. She knew Gran would be annoyed with her if she sat in the dirt under the trees and ruined her dress before all the photos were taken. Looking in the direction Jesse had gone, she wondered how long he’d take.

“Well, well, well. What a surprise meeting you here.”

Scarlett whirled to face Nathan, who stood near a tree, Hope pressed to his side. There was a gun in the other hand, resting against his leg. She ignored the large blue eyes of the child and focused her gaze on the man who held her. “Let her go, Nathan.”

“I really don’t think you’re in any position to be ordering me about.”

“Let her go and I’ll leave here with you. There are people searching everywhere for her. I’m guessing you don’t want to be interrupted.”

“Like your promise last time?”

“I came willingly. I only promised to get in the van. I didn’t even try to escape until you left. Would a promise not to escape while you’re with me convince you to let her go?”

Nathan pushed Hope towards Scarlett and the little girl flew forward to slide her arms around her legs. Scarlett knelt to hold the trembling body. Wrapping her arms around her tightly.

“Get rid of her,” Nathan growled.

Scarlett met Hope’s wide eyes. “You want your mum?” When Hope nodded she smiled and pointed in the direction she’d come from, trying to stay calm for the child. “You run as fast as you can that way. That’s where your mum is. And our family. Don’t stop until you find someone you know. Okay?” The little girl nodded. Scarlett dropped a kiss on her forehead and let go of her. She turned Hope in the correct direction. “Don’t look back, Hope. Just run.”

Hope gave Scarlett one more look, her eyes round with fear, before she glanced at Nathan. Then her little legs carried her forward as she ran in the direction Scarlett had pointed. Scarlett rose to her feet as she watched Hope disappear.

“Move it,” Nathan snapped.

Scarlett walked towards him, stumbling in her heels. She kicked them off and left them to lie in the grass. She wished she had a few minutes to peel off her stockings, but she was worried Jesse would return. She was careful not to call him and knew she shouldn’t even think of him. Instead, she tried to focus on Nathan. “Where are we going?”

“None of your business. Walk in that direction.” Nathan waved the gun in the direction he wanted her to go.

Scarlett was relieved to see it was away from her family and away from Jesse. There were too many children with her family to risk going in that direction. And Jesse, she didn’t want to put him in a situation where he might think his only option was to turn into a demon to save her. She forced her thoughts away from Jesse again. As Scarlett reached Nathan’s side, she felt warmth in her demon mark. She carefully looked at Nathan.

“Keep walking.”

Scarlett walked silently and considered her options. She’d said she wouldn’t try and escape while he was with her. She was beginning to have a bad feeling he might not leave her alone this time. Either that or he’d use handcuffs. She wasn’t sure how she’d escape from them. But she hadn’t really promised not to escape, only implied it. Did that still count as a promise?

Scarlett was glad when they reached a path, the concrete warm beneath her stockinged feet. She glanced back the way she’d come. Trees hid where she’d left her shoes. She looked at Nathan and stopped walking. He took a few more steps before he realised and turned to face her.

“You know letting a demon into your mind is a bad idea,” Scarlett said.

“What do you think you’re doing? Move!”

“He could easily take over your body.”

“I’m in control. He does as I ask.”

“You’re mad if you think you can control him for long.” Scarlett stared into his eyes. There was already a hint of flames in them.

“Mad? Sure, and loving every minute of it. You can’t imagine the rush.”

“The demon will consume you. When you’re finished using him, that’s when he’ll start on you.” Scarlett was glad she’d left her camera in the car and only hoped Jesse would think she’d returned to her family and look for her in that direction first. She really had to stop thinking about him. She didn’t want to accidentally call him to her.

“You lie. He tells me you lie.”

“Of course he does. Every word he’s ever spoken has probably been a lie. Demons have a bad habit of never being able to tell the truth.”

“Shut up! I’ve had enough of this. You’re not going to escape this time. He tells me you’re going to try.”

“I said I would the moment you left me alone. I guess even a demon can tell the truth occasionally.”

“You won’t have a chance. Get down on your knees. I want to see you beg before I put a bullet between your eyes. You ruined my life. You and that family of yours. But I’ll enjoy teaching the rest of them. One at a time.”

“I’ll never kneel to you. There’s only one I kneel to and that’s my God.”

“Enough with the religious crap,” Nathan snarled. “I could always shoot your kneecaps. Then you’d have to kneel.”

“Then I’d be sitting at your feet. I won’t kneel before you.”

“No!” Jesse screamed. He ran out of the trees and threw himself at Nathan. The gun went off. Scarlett screamed, moving forward. Jesse staggered back, clutching at his torso. He looked at the blood that stained his hands. “Run, Scarlett.”

She shook her head. “Jesse,” she whispered as her eyes took in the blood.

“You’re next, bitch.” Nathan raised the gun again.

“No!” Jesse stepped forward, his hand still pressed against his torso. “I see you brother. I see you in those eyes.”

The gun faltered. Nathan struggled to keep it pointed at Jesse. He snarled in anger and frustration.

“Brother! I have first claim on your oath. This man has caused you to break oath with me who has first claim. You must make amends.” Jesse swayed on his feet. Scarlett came to his side and put an arm around his waist to help him remain standing. He held up his hand with the feather imprint. “Deception, you owe me.”

In the distance, she could hear a siren. “Come away, Jesse.”

“When you’re safe.” He reached out to touch her face. Blood marked where his fingers touched. “Safe.” He turned back to Nathan. “Brother! My heart must be safe. This is my heart.” He drew Scarlett forward.

Tears tracked down her face and cut paths through the blood. “Jesse. We have to get you help. Please.”

“Brother. I demand reparation. Equal reparation. I leave it in your hands.” Jesse staggered. He would have fallen if Scarlett hadn’t lowered him to the path.

“No!” Nathan screamed. His hand holding the gun shook. “I swear by the blood shed here today-” the gun went off the moment it was pressed against his head.

A demon stood as the man fell away, far shorter than Nathan had been. His wiry body was covered in a greyish skin that rippled as he moved. His fluid face continually changed his appearance by small amounts each second. “No debt is owed. An eye for an eye. A bullet for a bullet. I have given equal reparation in the only way possible.”

The deep familiar voice of the demon reminded Scarlett of the first day she’d met Jesse.

“Find peace, brother,” Jesse said. The demon vanished and Jesse’s eyes closed.

“No! Don’t die, damn you.” Scarlett pressed her hand against the blood that welled from his wound.

“You would have me go to hell?” Jesse opened his eyes again.

“No. I would have you live.”

“And if I shouldn’t?”

“Please, Jesse. Live.”

“Hell?”

“No. Never. If anyone has earned the right to heaven, it’s you.”

“Then bless me, don’t damn me.”

A shuddering sob escaped and Scarlett bit her bottom lip to try and control the urge to cry and scream and demand he be allowed to live. “I do, Jesse. I bless every day that brought you to me. Just hang in there. You have to live.”

“I love you, Lady Knight.” He smiled up at her and closed his eyes again.

“No. Jesse! Open your eyes. Please.” She swallowed the hard lump that seemed to be lodged in her throat. She pressed down harder on his wound and tried to stem the flow. Her lips moved as she began to pray. Then hands dragged her away. She fought against them.

Alex’s arms wrapped around her. “Scarlett. They’re trying to save him. Let them do their job. No crying now. All will be well.” Alex stroked her hair as he held her. “Nathan can’t harm you again.”

“Only if Jesse lives. All will be well only if he lives,” Scarlett said.

“If he’s meant to, then he will.”

Scarlett tried to pull away, but Alex tightened his hold. “I can’t accept that.”

“I know. You never can. You always want to do more. There’s no inevitable, no inescapable events, only your willpower. If you could, you’d drag the world kicking and screaming into line, making it how you think it should be.”

“At least it’s better than walking off from a situation that looks impossible.” When Alex’s hand stilled in her hair, she cried out, “Oh Alex. I’m sorry. I didn’t mean that.”

“I understand. You’re hurting. I’m convenient.”

“That’s no excuse-”

“Come on. Let me take you to the hospital. We’ll follow the ambulance.”

“I want to ride with him. I need to be there with him.”

“They won’t let you ride with him. Come on, Scarlett. We’ll get there just behind them.”

Scarlett let Alex lead her along the path. She saw how many of the family stood nearby. She hadn’t noticed them before as she’d been so focused on Jesse. She took the handkerchief Blake held out to her when he and Alyssa reached her side. Staring at the white linen, she watched as it was quickly stained red from her fingers. Blake took it from her and used it to wipe her face before he pressed it into her hands again. Riley joined them and handed her shoes to her.

Scarlett looked back to where the police dealt with Nathan. Leo, Saul and Adam stood talking to them. She paused and frowned.

“You can talk to them later.” Blake dropped his arm around her shoulders to rest near Alex’s arm. “The uncles will sort it out. They told me to let you know they’d make sure the blood can’t be used by demons.”

“Let’s get you to the hospital. Everything else can be dealt with later,” Alex said.

Scarlett nodded and hurried along the path. She didn’t bother with her shoes. She could have walked over glass and not felt it. Her entire body felt numb. All she could feel was the blood on her hands. Even after wiping most of it off with the handkerchief she clutched.

The drive to the hospital was a blur and Scarlett couldn’t have said who had driven them or which vehicle they’d taken. It wasn’t until Alyssa took her to the restroom to help her clean up that she finally started to notice her surroundings.

Scarlett stared at herself in the mirror. Her eyes drawn to the blood that still streaked her cheek. Jesse’s blood. She looked down at her hands and the blood that stained her dress. “This is why we always wear black. But it didn’t seem right to wear black to a wedding.” She looked up to meet Alyssa’s eyes in the mirror.

Alyssa took the handkerchief and washed it out before she used it to clean the blood off Scarlett’s face. “Guess you’ll have to buy a new dress. The stains will never come out of that one.”

“I don’t care. I just want to find out how Jesse is.” She washed the blood from her hands and watched as it swirled away.

Alyssa took a vial of holy water from her purse and tipped some of it in the sink to be washed away with the blood. “I don’t know how you can remain so calm. I’d be screaming at them to let me see him.” She returned the half empty vial to her purse.

Scarlett stared at Alyssa for a moment. “Training and shock.”

Alyssa smiled wryly. “Shock I can relate to. Come on. You don’t look so bad now. At least not bad enough to completely freak Jesse’s father like you would have before.”

Scarlett made her way to where her family waited for her. Thomas was with them, looking pale and shaken. She immediately went to his side and put her arms around him. He hesitated before he returned her embrace.

“I can’t find anyone to ask what’s going on,” Thomas said.

“At least they’ll talk to you. They won’t tell me anything,” Scarlett complained. She stepped back. “He’ll get through this. We won’t let him give up.”

“Blake told me what happened,” Thomas said.

“I’m sorry.”

“You don’t have anything to be sorry for. I’m just glad that madman shot himself. It saved me the job of hunting him down.”

“Tom. No! Don’t talk like that.”

“I’m not a Christian like you, Scarlett. Someone hurts my boy I’m not going to forgive them or let them get away with it. That man’s lucky he killed himself.”

Everyone turned towards the doorway as someone entered the waiting area. It was Detective Tuck. He paused and looked at each of them. His eyes fell on the bloodstained dress Scarlett wore.

“This is becoming a habit, Hunter.”

Scarlett stepped closer to Tuck. “So it would seem. And it’s Scarlett.”

“You want to tell me what happened? From what I’ve been told, you were his actual target. It’s difficult to believe he’d have shot himself before he’d taken care of you.”

Scarlett shrugged. “Maybe he felt he’d already dealt me a killing blow.”

“That doesn’t add up for me,” Tuck said.

Blake joined them. “Detective.”

“Hunter.”

“It’s Blake.”

Tuck smiled. “You have an aversion to your last name?”

Blake smiled. “Not at all. It’s just practical to avoid it when around so many of my family.”

“These two are family as well?” Tuck gestured towards Alex and Riley.

“Yes. My brother and cousin. Look, I don’t know what game you’re playing, but can you ask your questions so we can go back to waiting to see how Jesse is doing?”

“I find it hard to believe Nathan shot himself.”

“Someone as mad as him would have had his own demons to deal with. It’s easy enough to lose control of your demons and kill yourself.”

Tuck stared at Blake as he assessed his words. “Is that your personal opinion or fact, Hunter?”

“I’d be tempted to call it fact. With the demons being metaphorical of course.” Blake grinned fleetingly.

“Of course.” Tuck nodded. “If you think of anything else, you know how to contact me.”

Blake nodded.

“I don’t suppose you could find out how Jesse is,” Scarlett asked.

“I still have a lot to-”

Scarlett interrupted Tuck. “Please. I’m desperate to find out. The nurses and doctors seem to have disappeared.” When Tuck hesitated Scarlett reached out to him. “Please.”

Tuck looked at the hand on his, a few smudges of blood had been missed. He remained silent a moment longer before he gave a single nod. “I’ll see what I can do.”

“Thank you.” Scarlett watched as Tuck disappeared. She turned to Thomas who had come to her side the moment Tuck left. “Hopefully he’ll be able to find out how Jesse’s doing.”

Thomas nodded. “I’d hoped to be done with these bedside vigils.”

“I’m sor-”

“Please stop thinking it’s your fault.”

“I can’t help it. I keep wondering if there was something I could have done differently.” Scarlett closed her eyes. “And I keep hearing the sound of the gunshot over and over again.”

Before Thomas could say anything, Tuck returned to the waiting room. “He’s still in surgery. They’re optimistic about the outcome though. You should be able to see him in approximately an hour. He’ll still be sedated, but at least you can see him.”

“Thank you,” Scarlett said softly.

Tuck shook his head. “Maybe I should be saying that. I have a reasonable ear for voices. They’re a little different over the phone to what they are in person and I hate guessing, I much prefer concrete evidence. I know when to leave well enough alone and not to look further into a matter even when it goes completely against the grain to do so. I look forward to hearing from you again. Hunter.” He turned and strode away before any of them could speak.

Blake burst out laughing. “I guess it was inevitable at some stage.”

“You don’t think it’ll be an issue?” Scarlett asked.

Blake shook his head.

Alex spoke before Blake could say anything else. “Tom must be feeling a little confused by our conversation.” He looked over to Thomas who watched them carefully. “Scarlett rang him with information about a crime, but she didn’t want to risk anyone knowing it was her. Some criminals are unethical at finding out who have accused them.”

“Was the call linked to what happened with Nathan?” Thomas asked.

“There was a link,” Alex said.

“How did Nathan find out about her phone call?” Thomas asked.

“I don’t believe he did. It was a rather complicated set of circumstances that had him trying to kill her,” Alex said. “He certainly wasn’t a sane man.”

“I guessed that,” Thomas said.

Blake checked his watch. “Why don’t we get something to eat in the cafeteria while we wait? Starving ourselves won’t help Jesse.”

“I couldn’t eat,” Thomas protested.

“I’ll wait here in case a doctor or nurse comes looking for you,” Alex said. “At least try to have something to eat. Scarlett missed breakfast this morning. If you don’t go, I know she won’t.”

“I did have breakfast,” Scarlett protested.

“Two mouthfuls of toast doesn’t count,” Alex said.

Scarlett shrugged. “I was running late.”

Thomas reached for Scarlett’s hand. “Lunch. Jesse’ll be annoyed if you get sick. You’re important to him.”

Scarlett reluctantly gave in and was surprised, when she sat down at a table in the cafeteria, that she ate all the food Riley put in front of her. They still managed to arrive back before the doctor came to tell them Jesse could have one visitor at a time.

“You go, Scarlett,” Thomas said.

“But-”

Thomas interrupted Scarlett. “He responds more to you. I want my boy to get well. Tell him I need him too.”

Scarlett’s eyes watered as she threw her arms around Thomas. “Thank you.” She followed the nurse, the doctor had asked to escort her to Jesse’s room, while he stayed and explained Jesse’s condition to Thomas. She paused in the doorway. Her breath caught as she saw him. The healthy colour he’d gained was gone and he was pale once again.

When Scarlett reached his side, taking his hand in hers, she saw the ring was missing. She found it in the drawers beside his bed. Slipping it back on, she held onto his hand tightly. “Don’t leave me, Jesse. I really need you.” She continued to stand beside him, unwilling to move away to bring a chair over, even though her legs ached from her long walk the other night.

“Scarlett?” Jesse looked up at her groggily.

Scarlett could only smile and reach out to run her fingers across his cheek.

“You’re safe?”

Scarlett nodded, her throat tight from trying not to let tears spill.

Jesse’s eyes closed and Scarlett made a sound of protest that had him opening them again.

“Don’t leave me,” Scarlett whispered.

Jesse smiled weakly. “You still owe me a question. I have to stick around at least long enough for you to answer it.”

“What’s your question?”

“I’m saving it. Never know when I might need it.” Jesse yawned. “So tired. Luck?”

Scarlett grinned as tears pooled in her eyes. “Always.” She leaned forward to press her lips to his.