Hard to Kill (Hell Hounds Harem Book 6) Read online

  “They’re immortal but die. Circle of life is strange for them. When they die, they catch fire, turn to ash, and rise again much like a twisted phoenix.” Jack swiped a hand over his mouth nervously, “Marcella was a water witch. Her body would turn to mist if she didn’t have a body of water around to pour into.”

  Marcella had died in Hell during the malanum attacks when all this shit started getting crazy a few months ago. At the time, she had been locked away with her cursed sister possessing her. The cursed sister, who was also a witch, was known as the Dark Truth and the Dark Truth ate people’s minds and eventually killed them if she stayed in their bodies too long.

  “Have you seen Marcella since then?”

  “Nope,” Jack sighed, “but I haven’t exactly gone looking for her either. I’ve been too busy with everything else to go on a witch hunt.”

  Before they could talk more about it, Tanner spun around and extended his arms, showcasing the street they were on. “Where to, Tilly?” The place was quiet. Too damn quiet.

  “Her flat is this way.” Tilly was two parts nervous and ten parts queasy. She was about to come face to face with her murderer. Not many people got this privilege. It was dark out too, perfect to scale Pascale’s building and climb in through the open window. That bitch always left her window open because she didn’t have air conditioning and needed the breeze.

  “Want us to stay or go with you, Tills?”

  She looked over at Sebastian. He was dressed in jeans and a black t-shirt, his hair a perfect combo of messy but still styled perfectly. God, the Hound even looked pretty when he was going to kill something.

  “Focus,” Drake snapped his fingers and her gaze swept to him next. “We coming or staying?”

  Drake looked even finer than his twin. Had to be the bitchy resting face. She was a sucker for the grumpy looking ones.

  “Stay,” she said. “But… don’t leave me.”

  “Wouldn’t dare,” Valor handed her his favorite blade, “If I canna do the honors myself, then at least use this.”

  She stared at the dagger and something close to a memory flickered in her head when she saw the handle. Gripping it with white knuckle fever, she nodded once and used her Hell Hound powers to scale the side of the building and slip in through the window.

  She had earned this. Tilly never told her pack about the bargains she’d made with the Devil, but this was the last part of it. He told her the pack came first. She needed them to bond – for each of them to give themselves completely to the other members of the pack. In the beginning, when she asked Lucifer to give each of them a piece of her soul, he said it didn’t work that way. That it was cheating. It had to be given willingly in a sacrifice, not a gift, for that pack to bond properly. Pack was priority, revenge was a reward, he said.

  She’d had no clue how she was ever going to do it, but it happened, and she was so damned grateful. Not only had she bonded the pack… she’d become part of that bond.

  Now, she was able to go after Pascale.

  Lucifer had even said he’d keep Hounds around Pascale’s place, but wouldn’t tell them why. If Pascale escaped or died, Lucifer promised to help her get closure in another way. “Just in case she tries to escape the consequences of her actions by suicide or death some other way, that doesn’t mean she’ll be saved, little Hound. Of that, I can assure you.”

  Lucifer also made it clear that once Tilly was in a room with Pascale, the choice was hers: show mercy or give none.

  Time to collect what the Devil owed her.

  Tilly slipped in through the window like a shadow. In ghost form, Pascale wouldn’t see her coming at all. Not until it was too late. When Tilly entered the flat, her heart pounded so fiercely, it felt like war drums in her chest.

  Was she really doing this? Was she really going to stab the bitch?

  Tilly felt woozy. Was murdering your murderer truly making things even? You know, like two wrongs making a right or something like that? Pascale was human, not a malanum. She’s still evil though.

  Shit, Tilly didn’t know what to do. All the snarly, snapping anger she planned to use was morphing into hesitation.

  There was movement behind her. Tilly spun around and saw Drake crouched in the window like a huge, dark gargoyle. “You’ve got this, woman.”

  She gulped and nodded. Turning towards the sofa, she saw the picture of Tilly’s father with Pascale. She wanted to smash it to pieces.

  Maybe Pascale wasn’t here. The place was so quiet, just like the streets below. People have been avoiding the area like the plague according to Tanner. Shit, Pascale said the same thing herself when Tilly came here for help just after finding the twins in the catacombs.

  How could a woman be a healer one minute and a murderer the next?

  The same way a mother can dote on her child one minute and poison her tea the next. Tilly’s anger whipped her nerves, urging her to make a move.

  Tilly crept into the tiny bedroom. The bed was unmade, blankets were all twisted up on the old mattress and the pillows were scattered on the bed and floor. Something didn’t feel right. It’s your nerves. Focus! You can do this! Tilly kept searching. She opened the small bathroom door and sucked in a strangled breath.

  RUN.

  That one word was written all over the bathroom wall. Tilly stumbled back and slammed into something hard as stone. For a minute, she thought it was the wall, but then two hands clamped down on her shoulders and jerked her backwards. Tilly sucked in a lung-full of air and tried to scream but the silencing charm she just got struck in the throat with prevented her from making a sound.

  Chapter 35

  They all felt the surge of fear at the same time. “Fuck this,” Drake hopped down and rushed into the bedroom where Tilly disappeared. The rest of the pack either came through the window, or the front door, and Jack and Tanner were right there too.

  Drake scanned the bedroom and scented the air. Something was off. Wayyyyy off. “Tilly!” he called out.

  “Where the fuck did she go?” Bishop charged into the bedroom next. Valor and Baz searched the place, scenting everything.

  “She vanished.”

  “Vanished?” Valor entered the bedroom and looked around. “Och, Christ, think she tried to toss Pascale into a Hell hole and fell in?”

  “I knew we should have done this with her,” Bishop shoved a finger in Valor’s chest, “I fucking told you this could happen.”

  “Our girl isna so clumsy as to have fallen into a Hell hole. She promised me she’d wait for that. Tilly was giving us the honor of tossing Pascale in.”

  “Holy fuck,” Bishop gripped the sides of his head, his eyes peeling wide with terror. “I can’t feel her at all. Can you?”

  The pack all shook their heads.

  “I’ll go check the prisons,” Tanner opened a Hell hole and dove in.

  Ever since Lucifer had annihilated so many malanum in Hell’s prison, things were different in there. Tanner taking advantage of that right now was still risky, but what choice did they have at the moment? None. Fucking none.

  Jack didn’t have time to stop Tanner from going. “Bloody Hell!”

  “Shut up for a minute,” Drake surveyed the area. “Something doesn’t feel right.”

  “Nothing about Paris feels right,” Jack snarled.

  “Fuck, I’m going in too,” Drake lunged towards the Hell hole Tanner had jumped in and Valor caught him by the collar.

  “No ye don’t, Hound. I’ll go. Stay here and search for her.”

  “If she’s in there, I’ll find her faster. I have a piece of her soul, Alpha.”

  Valor thought about it, his jaw ticking while he weighed the pros and cons. “Fine. Go. Hurry!”

  Drake pulled out two blades and looked at his twin, “If she’s down there, I’ll get her back. I’ll call you as soon as we’re out.”

  Baz nodded and Drake jumped.

  Crashing into Hell’s prison, the Hound dropped, tucked, and rolled about ten feet before he was
able to catch himself and stand again. Drake’s blades were ready to slice anything that came too close. Tanner was just ahead, slinking along one of the stone pillars. The minute Drake’s feet hit the ground he knew Tilly wasn’t there.

  Fuck!

  He ran over to Tanner and jerked his head to the door, giving him the signal that Tilly wasn’t there and they needed to leave.

  “I beg you! I don’t belong here!”

  Drake’s hackles raised when he heard the pleading sounds of a desperate woman.

  “Sorry babe, not the first time someone’s done that song and dance. The only ones in here are those who earned it. Welcome to Hell, Buttercup.”

  “Please! I must warn her! I must tell her!”

  Drake and Tanner doubled back and headed for the gates. The malanum were occupied someplace else right now, a true miracle if there ever was one.

  A busty woman rattled the bars on the gates, crying and begging to be let out. Her soul was completely black but she still looked human. Brock was talking to her with a nasty scowl, “Look honey, if I were you, I’d find a place to hide and make some allies. You’re not getting out and if you stay here, you’ll be dinner. Old malanum get hungry and they don’t care what they eat. They’ll take one look at you and think you’re mighty fucking juicy.” Brock looked past the new malanum and saw Drake and Tanner, “The fuck, Tanner? Again?”

  “Shut up and let us out, Hound.”

  The malanum stepped aside and got out of their way. She could sense they were dangerous to her, so her actions weren’t surprising.

  Once Drake and Tanner were out of there, the gates slammed shut and the woman went back to begging the Gate Keeper. “Please! If you will not let me go, then give a message for me.”

  Brock shook his head, “Not a messenger boy.”

  “Please! Matilda Jane must know!”

  Matilda Jane? Drake stopped dead in his tracks and pivoted to face her. “I’m all ears,” Bitch better talk fast because he needed to get out of there.

  “I didn’t mean to do it. I killed her, but I didn’t mean to. He made me go to her. But I didn’t mean for her to die!”

  Drake’s blood ran cold. Cautiously, he stepped closer to the gate. “He who?”

  “The one who’s taken over Paris. He’s taken the catacombs.” She reached through the bars and grabbed his wrist, “I just wanted him back. I was desperate. I said I would do anything to get back the man I love. I didn’t know what to do!” She started crying. “I’m a horrible woman. I do belong here. But I didn’t want to kill her, I swear.”

  “You’re Pascale.” Drake’s heart thundered.

  She shook her head. “He’s coming for her. He wants her. The dead have risen, no one is who they seem. You have to warn her. Tell her to run. Hide.” She was making such a fuss, malanum were starting to notice. Pascale let go of Drake’s wrist.

  “Who?” Drake snatched her arm to keep her there. “Talk fast or you’re going to run out of time, woman.”

  “He’s dangerous. He’s killed so many. My home. My friends. He uses bodies and souls. I didn’t know. I didn’t know!”

  “WHO?” Tanner and Drake yelled together.

  Malanum came closer. “Please! Let me go!” Pascale tried to pry her arm out of Drake’s grip, but he was stronger and nothing was going to stop him from getting to the bottom of this.

  “Tell us who! Tell us why. Where?” Drake snarled against the bars, “Goddamnit! Give me something or I’ll let them eat you!”

  Either Pascale didn’t hear him, or she didn’t get how limited her time was now. “Please! I was possessed! She made me do it! They’ve taken over.” Her body jolted and a terrible noise flew from her mouth. “Please!” she screamed. “Have mercy!”

  Malanum descended upon her and tore her soul to shreds. Drake let go of her arm, which fell to the ground, detached. A malanum snatched the severed appendage and scurried away with it.

  “Jesus fucking Christ,” Tanner gawked.

  Brock swiped a hand down his face, “Fuck me running. What the hell is going on?”

  Drake didn’t have time to feel sorry for Pascale. That bitch went after Tilly with the purpose of taking her to the enemy. And she had the nerve to now ask for mercy? Fuck that. Possessed or not, Pascale had murdered the love of Drake’s life. Whatever else she’d done to earn her spot in Hell, Pascale got what she deserved as far as he was concerned.

  Drake beat feet out of Hell and back to Paris. Pascale might be destroyed, but the enemy sure as fuck wasn’t. And revenge had brought Tilly right into the enemy’s territory.

  Tilly was in the bathroom one minute, and in a dirt room with no windows, the next. As fast as possible, she surveyed the area while the man behind her continued to frog march her forward. They went down an extremely narrow hall. She couldn’t fight back because it was too tight to move effectively and the man restraining her was a fucking beast.

  “Sit her down over there.”

  The booming voice forced Tilly to tense. She couldn’t call out to her pack. And her fear was so great, she couldn’t concentrate to even feel them.

  “Mack, what did I say?”

  The man behind Tilly pushed her forward and shoved her into a chair. Somewhere along the way, Tilly had dropped her damned knife. What a crying shame considering these fools hadn’t tied her up. The smell of decaying bodies and burnt herbs made her stomach roil so she breathed through her mouth.

  The man giving orders came into view, “Go check the condition of the others and bring them in here.”

  “Yes, Master.”

  Tilly kept her eyes locked on the man glaring at her. He was tall, built, controlled. His sandy brown hair was clipped just above his jaw line. His blue eyes were so pale, they almost looked silver.

  “I’ve wanted you for a long time, Sweetling.” The man crouched down and touched her hair. Tilly jerked away. If she could say something, she’d tell him to fuck off. Instead, she just made sure to study every fucking detail she could get and she memorized it. The silencing spell was still doing a good job keeping her mute.

  “You’re quite a talented woman. I want to offer you a deal,” the man purred. “I’ve heard you’re a collector.”

  Her heart pounded.

  “Steve Alder was a…” he paused and smiled, “a man of great faith, shall we say. He told me you stole something from him once. I’m going to need it back, Sweetling. Along with what you stole from Marco, and a few other gentlemen who were working for me.”

  She broke out in a sweat.

  “You’re not an easy woman to track down. Nor are you easy to catch.” The man’s smile would have knocked her socks off had he not been the bad guy. God, what was it about gorgeous villains? She clenched her thighs shut because her lust kicked up and she didn’t know what to do about it. Being a Hell Hound was embarrassing sometimes.

  “You picking a pack to hide with was very clever, Matilda Jane.”

  He stood up, clucking his tongue as he walked backwards. “But you don’t have to hide anymore. I’m going to keep you safe. You won’t have to worry about people coming after you ever again.”

  She tried to swallow around the lump in her throat. Please, Valor, find me!

  “But in order to get my protection, I’m going to need you to do something for me in return.” He grabbed the silencing sword and yanked it out of her neck. Tilly was just about to scream when he said, “Your mother’s a beautiful woman. Your sister too.” The door opened and the man with the tattooed hands - the one from her nightmares - came in with three people.

  Tilly almost fainted.

  Her mother was on the arm of the tattooed monster. Liam was escorting her sister. They all looked alive, alert, and well.

  “Mom?” Tilly croaked.

  The sandy-haired man casually stepped in front of her, blocking Tilly’s view. “You can’t speak to them unless you give me something in return first.”

  “What do you want?”

  “I want to know how you wer
e able to counteract my barrier spell in the catacombs.” He grinned and this time it wasn’t pretty, “I know it was you. No Hound could do it and you…” he reached up and flicked her nose, “Aren’t a Hound, are you, Matilda Jane.”

  She couldn’t breathe. God help her, she prayed to every deity she’d ever read about and silently begged them to give her the strength to keep her cool and not fuck this up. “I don’t make deals with the Devil, so no.”

  The man laughed uproariously. “Such a hard-headed woman you are.” He turned and winked at Liam. “You were right about her.”

  Tilly’s heart crashed like a train wreck in her chest. Liam was working with this guy? Why? How? Liam was dead. She saw him hanging from a chandelier. This Liam didn’t even look at her. It was like he didn’t give a shit at all that she was trapped down here. Nope, he just continued holding Vivian under his arm like they were going out on a motherfucking date. Vivian, who, by the way, was also dead.

  This can’t be possible.

  Another thought bitch slapped Tilly. Maybe… just maybe… this was finally the mental breakdown she always knew was coming. “I’m certifiable now,” she whispered. “Holy Hell, I’ve lost it for real.”

  The sandy-haired man kissed the top of her head. “You’re not crazy, Sweetling.” He inhaled and smelled her hair, “But you do smell like sex and dog.” He backed away and looked down at her, “God, how low were you willing to stoop for protection? You actually fucked them?”

  Rage turned her vision red. She closed her eyes and tried to remain as stoic as possible. “What do you want from me?”

  “I want what’s mine. And I want your help. You’re the most gifted magic worker this world has seen in over a thousand years. Whatever Angel-given gifts have been bestowed upon you, I want to utilize them.”

  “Why?”

  “Why not?”

  “How did you do that,” she pointed at her mother. No way could she look at Vivian or Liam. Viv’s death was still too painful and fresh for her. Same with Liam’s. But her mother? Her mother was practically a stranger to Tilly now.

  “Necromancy should be easy enough for you to understand.”