Page 19 of Hell’s Half Acre

Tears gathered in her eyes as she remembered all those precious hugs from Siobhan that she should have savored a little longer.

Twins weren’t meant to be alone. She was supposed to have a partner for life. A best friend she could always rely on.

Sniffing back her tears, she pulled out her key to open her car door.

Just as she pressed the button, all the streetlights went out at once. As did the lights in all the nearby homes, including their offices.

She didn’t think much of it until she heard a deep, dark snarl in the darkness. One way too close to her.

The hair on her neck stood on end.

Her heart pounded.

Damn it, Reyes!

Her captain still refused to let her carry a service revolver for protection. She was out here with no weapon at all.

And the snarling seemed to be coming at her from every direction.

Just as she unlocked her car door, someone grabbed her from behind and pulled her back.

Sorcha lashed out with her fist but only contacted with air.

An evil laugh rumbled next to her ear. She felt hot breath scorching her cheek.

Her car door locked all by itself.

She tried to push herself away from the unseen attacker. But they wouldn’t budge. Something cold and wet dripped down her arm. Disgusting…

“Get off me!”

The air around her stirred as if thousands of bats’ wings flapped in horrific synchrony.

“You’re ours.” That low, guttural voice sent shivers over her.

All of a sudden, something warm wrapped around her entire body. One moment, she was in total darkness.

The next, light exploded and showed her Luke cocooning her with his strength.

Her heart raced at the feel of his arms holding her close. The scent of male and demon…charred birch with pepper, bergamot, rosemary, dried orange, and sandalwood…it wrapped around her even tighter than his embrace. And it took everything she had not to bury her nose in his chest and just breathe him in until she was drunk with it.

“What’s happening?” she asked him.

He didn’t answer. Instead, fire emanated out of his body from head to toe. It consumed her, but it didn’t burn.

But what shocked her most was the sight of Luke’s wings. For some reason, she’d assumed they would be black, leathery, and pointed like a bat’s.

Instead, they were made of fire. A fire that blew his wavy hair away from his face where it fanned out all around him.

For the first time, she was actually afraid of him.

Especially when he opened his mouth and she saw the flash of fangs.

“Vade retro me, Satana.” His voice was so low and deep that it reverberated through her.

Suddenly, the windows in her car shattered. As did the windows on every car as far as she could see. In all directions.

SPD was going to curse them for all the reports they’d have to write over this.