To Hell and Back (7 page)

Logan refused to answer and stared straight ahead. The shadows swirled ever closer and he was man enough to admit trepidation. What did they hide? What new horror had Lilith conjured up?

Just then, the door to her chambers slammed open and they both turned—Lilith cursing loudly, Logan silent as he gathered strength. His mind worked furiously, looking for a way out.

A man stood in the doorway, and when he stepped into the light, Logan’s entire body tightened. Cloaked in leather with a powerful build, he easily topped six feet by several inches. From his waist dangled three skulls, and from his hip hung a long scabbard, swaying slowly.

The man was fierce. Heavy eyebrows furrowed into an expression that left no doubt as to how he was feeling. With teeth bared he swung his gaze to Lilith.

Logan heard Lilith gasp. She
should
be scared. She should be scared shitless. No matter that she was the queen bitch of hell, she knew as well as anyone not to cross the Overlord. Logan had been stupid enough to do it many times.

He thought of the pit. Of his banishment. Of the endless suffering made so much worse at this man’s orders.

The man walked into the light, his clear, nearly white eyes glittering, the coldness inside them hard to miss. His head was shaved, the eerie light in Lilith’s chambers emphasizing the lines on his forehead. It only added more menace. He didn’t glance at Logan but kept his eyes on Lilith and stopped a few feet away. When he spoke, his words were controlled and to the point.

“I heard you have something that belongs to me.” The voice was like crushed glass beneath a boot. Harsh. Unforgiving.

“Bad news travels fast,” Lilith murmured. She knew she was in the wrong. Hell was a hard place in which to exist—sure, it was fast and loose, but it was also governed by certain rules. Logan was a hellhound. He was not a demon. She had no claim to him and she knew it. Any punishment for his actions, or non-actions, were doled out by his overlord. By the man standing a few feet from him.

His father.

Chapter Eight

K
IRA WOKE SUDDENLY,
the lazy aftermath of loving on her lips. It was inside her mouth, at the tips of her fingers, and nestled deep within the folds of her sex, where she was still wet. Where she still ached.

“Logan?” she whispered huskily as she groaned and tried to wipe sleep from her eyes. She ached everywhere. Her neck. Her back. Even her legs.

She frowned. “What happened?”

“She’s awake.”

The male voice cut into her thoughts and her eyes flew open, sleep no longer a problem. For a moment she was confused, but then, slowly, she became aware. The hum of a motor rumbled beneath her. She was wrapped in a blanket, inside a truck with two men she barely knew. Men whom Logan had warned her about. Men he didn’t trust.

Her hand brushed a strand of hair from her face and she sat up, wincing as something sharp poked into her side. She realized it was her charmed dagger. “I’m thirsty.”

The man called Priest tossed her a water bottle from the front seat. Slowly she drank, eyes gazing out into darkness. Her heart heavy, her mind confused. Had her time with Logan been real? Or was it just a dream and nothing more?

Kira swallowed, aware of Priest’s eyes on her, and she turned to the side, glad that the darkened interior kept her in shadow. Beneath the blanket her fingers ran along her neck and grabbed hold of her T-shirt. She paused. It was sliced cleanly down the middle.

Logan had done that, anxious to make love.

Warmth flushed through her and she squeezed her eyes shut, trying to remember, trying to capture the feeling she’d had earlier, in that paradise with her hellhound. But it was no use. In its place was a cold, hard, lump of dread. Logan was alive but he was in pain and in danger. She knew this. She also knew that he would come for her. She had to believe that because the alternative wasn’t something she would consider. Not now. Not after everything they’d been through.

Logan
would
come for her and she would do whatever it took to help make it happen. She’d abide by his wishes, because in her mind he was used to this game—whereas Kira? She was a newbie and the whole trust thing would have to suffice. She had to believe that he knew what he was doing.

She exhaled and sat up straighter, the empty bottle in her hand as she bent forward. Up ahead she saw lights on the side of the road. Nervously, she licked her lips and glanced at the driver. The man scared her more than the demons back in Waterford. There was something about him, something that set him apart from Priest … from Logan even.

“So,” she said. “The Pines?”

Priest looked over his shoulder and nodded. “Yes. It’s a safe haven for … my friends … and we can keep you safe there.”

“What about Logan?” she asked carefully.

Priest glanced at the driver, Cale, and shrugged. “He’s on his own at the moment.”

“Do you know where he is?” She watched them both, not liking their silence. It was Cale who eventually answered.

“Logan is gone and he might not be coming back. So sit tight and let us look after you.”

His words scared her, but they also pissed her off. The man underestimated her hellhound.

“Is that what Bill said to do?” She watched them carefully.

Cale ground his teeth and looked into the rearview mirror. His eyes glistened, their depths enhanced by the glow from the dashboard. “Bill isn’t here right now, so this is my call.”

Kira sank into the cold leather seat, body tense as Logan’s words echoed in her mind.
Do not go to The Pines. I don’t trust the League anymore and I can’t take that chance. Not with you.

There was only one person she believed in. Only one person who’d ever done anything good for her. Logan.

The lights ahead shimmered, and as they got closer she realized it was a truck stop. This could be her only chance of escaping the two men. In fact, she was pretty sure if she didn’t make her move here, she’d never get another chance.

Sweat broke out along her forehead and she swallowed thickly, taking a few seconds to compose herself before she spoke.

“I have to pee,” she said abruptly. “Can we stop up there?”

Again Cale’s dark eyes regarded her in the mirror. “Can’t you wait? We’re almost to the border and The Pines is less than an hour away.”

“No!”

Cale’s eyebrow shot up and Priest turned around once more.

Kira cleared her throat and forced herself to calm down. “I have to go now. Seriously, guys, I’m prone to bladder infections and the last time I had one the doctor said if I don’t—”

“Okay,” Priest held his hand up. “That’s all I need to know.” Priest nodded to the driver. “I could stretch my legs, too.”

Cale swore under his breath, a bunch of words she didn’t understand, and Kira waited, breath held, until he maneuvered the truck into the right lane so they could exit. When they pulled into the Last Chance Truck Stop, she released a long, tortured breath and had the door open before they’d even come to a full stop.

“Sorry,” she muttered as Cale nailed her with another dark look. She knew in that instant he didn’t trust her. Not wholly. “But I really gotta go.”

She didn’t like the way he stared at her—as if he could see into her soul—see the lie.

“Don’t take long, because you can sure as hell bet there’s a truckload of filth hot on our tail, and the only sanctuary you have is The Pines.”

Kira swallowed.
I don’t think so, buddy.

She nodded and blushed when she realized both men were staring at the gaping T-shirt beneath her jacket. Quickly she zipped up, her gaze skipping beyond them to the semis idling in the distance. Flashing lights twirled into the night, shooting out red and blue, and for a second she was confused, but then she realized a police vehicle was parked beside one of the trucks. Its lights cast shadows into the darkness and there were several more police vehicles nearby. It looked to Kira as if something had gone down and they were doing cleanup.

Priest jumped from the truck, and at first she thought he was going to follow her into the service center, but he leaned against his door and withdrew a cigar. He sniffed the end, glanced around, and turned in a full circle.

“Okay, we’re all clear. No demon stink to ruin my Montecristo.”

Cale said nothing.

“I … I’m going to grab some takeout. You guys want anything?” Kira said hesitantly.

Priest shook his head. “Don’t worry, we’ve got your back, but if I was you, I wouldn’t take too long.” He lit his cigar and took a puff. “Circumstance changes quickly.”

Kira nodded, and with one more glance at the still silent Cale she headed into the truck stop.

The night was crisp and a blast of heat greeted her as she pushed her way inside the well-lit truck stop. Grease mingled with unwashed body odor made her stomach roil, but she took a few steps, her gaze moving over the entire area in a precise pattern just as Logan had taught her. Within seconds she had the layout. She knew that the washrooms were to her right, that there were seven truckers in line waiting for coffee, as well as three full tables near the window. Vending machines lined the wall to her left and beyond that was an exit that led to the rear of the building.

Chest heaving, she took a few more steps, mind racing, adrenaline pulsing in her veins. She was a bit lightheaded and exhaled softly, taking a moment to gather her wits and her thoughts.

The two men in the rear booth eyed her with interest, but she passed over them and focused on an orange wall phone. It was a direct line to the local taxi service. She started toward it but paused when she realized that not only could Cale and Priest see her inside the brightly lit service center, but just because she got hold of a taxi didn’t mean one would appear within the next few minutes.

Kira turned on a dime and disappeared inside the ladies’ restroom, grateful to find it empty. She splashed cold water on her face and stared at a reflection that while familiar was still surprising to her.

Her face was fuller, her cheeks redder—healthier—and her skin glowed. In a few weeks she’d gone from being a shut-in mental patient who’d not seen the sun in weeks or months even, to a dead body on a slab in the morgue. She’d traveled to the gray realm and won. Now she was here, back in the human realm, very much alive and determined to stay so.

Kira licked her lips, tucked a strand of hair behind her ears, and stepped away from the sink. She fingered the dagger in the front of her jeans and made sure it wasn’t visible. She knew what she had to do.

She turned abruptly and left the washroom, but instead of heading back the way she’d come, she jogged out the back exit. Her chest was tight as she burst into the night and she took off at a full run, her gaze focused on the still-flashing lights.

By the time she reached the police vehicles she was out of breath, and the stitch in her side was painful. She didn’t stop. Didn’t take a moment to reconsider her actions. She just did what Logan had asked her to do.

“Officer!” she cried, stumbling over the large ruts that the tractor-trailers had worn into the pavement. She waved her hands in the air like a crazy person. “Please help me!”

A lanky officer jogged toward her with his gun drawn and she tripped once more, letting him catch her as she shuddered against his chest.

“Please help me,” she begged. “They won’t let me go. They’ll come for me again.”

The officer motioned to the others behind him. “What’s going on, Miss? Who won’t let you go?”

Tears seeped from her eyes and her voice trembled as she gazed up at him, all the fear and despair she could muster shadowed in her eyes. It wasn’t hard to do—Kira was scared out of her tree. “The two men who took me. I was at a party and they gave me a lift, but that was two hours ago. The only reason they stopped here was because I—” She swallowed and shook her head. “Well, I had to go to the bathroom.” She tugged on his arm. “But they’ll come for me when I don’t come out and they’re going to—” She shuddered once more and collapsed in his arms.

“They’ve taken you by force?” the officer asked.

“I only wanted a ride home.” She sniffled and nodded. “But they wouldn’t let me out. I’m so afraid. Please.”

The officer nodded to his partner and the others. “Seems we’ve got a kidnap situation.” Gently he disengaged himself, his eyes kind but his demeanor focused. “Where are they? Are they armed?”

Kira hoped like hell none of these nice men would get hurt, but at the moment she could think of no other way to escape Priest and Cale.

“They’re driving a large black SUV, the one parked beside the red pickup truck. They’re wearing leather and the one guy is smoking a cigar out near the front of the service center.” She paused. “They’re dangerous and … I’m so sorry, but probably armed.”

The officer nodded. “Okay, I want you to stay here. Are you going to be all right if we leave you?” He nodded to his squad car. “You can sit in there if you like.”

They moved away as she nodded and took a step toward the police car. “Thank you so much, and please,” she whispered hoarsely, “please be careful.”

God, you have no idea what they are.

She watched as the officer and six others disappeared behind several trucks parked near the building.

Kira didn’t hesitate. She turned and sprinted toward a large semi pulling away from the pumps, heading back toward the highway.

She ran alongside the driver, waving furiously, and for a moment was scared he wouldn’t stop. But eventually he noticed her and the big rig slowed to a crawl. The driver lowered his window and stared down at her, frowning.

“Yeah?”

“I need a lift back to …” Her mind went blank, and Kira realized she had no clue where the hell she was. “Ah, I need to get to Hill Valley.”

The trucker, an older man with what she hoped was a kind face, regarded her for a few moments. “How old are you?”

“Twenty-five.”

“You’re not one of those
,
ah, women
—
”

She interrupted before he could go further. “No, oh my God, no, I’m not a—I just—”
Think!
“My boyfriend and I got into a fight and he left me here. My purse is still in his car and …” The lies were coming easier, and Kira hoped she looked as pathetic as she sounded.