Heat . Amy Blankenship

confirmed she’d gotten it during an attack behind Moon Dance. That still didn’t mean he trusted Damon. Something in his blood told him the vampire was a threat.

      Tightening his arm around Alicia and praying he was making the right decision, Micah directed his attention back toward the owner of the house. “And that’s why I hope Alicia can stay with you guys for a little while longer. Right now, this is the safest place for her.”

      It was amazing how one simple request could change the atmosphere of a whole room.

      “What?” Alicia shrank away from him. How could she tell her brother that right now this house was probably the most dangerous place in the world for her… much less this city?

      Damon cocked an eyebrow hoping he was getting ready to see a horrible break up. He was an idiot anyway. What man in his right mind would leave their girlfriend in a house full of guys? Yeah, he’d be happy to throw the idiot out the front door… or window. Whichever was the handiest… or the closest.

      Feeling her moving away from him, Micah reached out and grabbed her shoulders, making her turn toward him, “Alicia, you know I love you with all my heart, but think for a moment.” He ignored the growl that was coming from the sofa. “We just attacked the werewolves and killed their alpha. Anyone dumb enough to seek vengeance will be coming after our family. Plus, Michael tells me you’ve already been mauled by monsters.”

      Alicia shot Michael a quick ‘thanks a freaking lot’ look, then turned it on Kane when he opened his big mouth.

      “You do seem to be a magnet for the soulless,” Kane added trying not to laugh out loud at the fact Damon was counting the ways he could kill Micah without anyone knowing. The poor cougar didn’t realize how much trouble he was in. Knowing Damon would do it, he decided to drop the bomb. “You might want to listen to your brother on this one.”

      Alicia growled at Kane then took the time to give Damon a threatening look, daring him to put in his two cents worth. When Damon gave her a slow, almost wicked smile, she knew he could blow her out of the water. She quickly turned back to Micah, not giving Damon enough time to tell on her, “If we are in so much danger, then maybe we should just take off together and not tell anyone where we’re going.”

      Micah frowned at Alicia, tightening his grip on her arms for an instant knowing he was missing something. He searched her face and again took note of her overly bright eyes. Letting go of her arms, he pressed the back of his hand to her forehead narrowing his gaze.

      Alicia pushed his hand away feeling defeated and in a world of trouble. The last thing she’d wanted to do was insinuate he’d run away from anything. That was one thing Micah would never do and they both knew it. If he figured out why she was… overheated, then she’d be lucky to see the light of day for months.

      “I’ll stay on one condition,” she conceded.

      “What’s that?” Micah raised an eyebrow.

      “At Night Light, Quinn put the guards on me to the point that I had to dress up in disguise just to leave the club without being followed. If I stay here, then I come and go as I want to… no babysitters.” She made her voice firm. “I am not a baby.”

      “No, you’re not,” Micah smirked down at her then turned to look at Michael for conformation.

      “Agreed,” Michael nodded. “If it’s freedom she wants, then she shall have it as long as she’s living here.”

      Damon kept his mouth shut because he didn’t agree to the amount of freedom, but no one had to know that little fact. He inhaled slowly, letting most of the tension drain from him now that she wasn’t leaving and murder was off the list. Brother… Micah was her freaking brother.

      Michael’s phone vibrated as a text came in. Reading it he looked up at Micah. “It seems your sister isn’t the only escape artist among us.”

      Chapter 4

      The alley became a bit darker than the rest of the city as Misery descended on it to check the rip in the dimensional wall she’d created with Kane's blood. She liked the fact that the humans couldn’t see it, though she was sure some with a stronger sixth sense would avoid the alley.

      Letting the darkness implode, she stepped forward choosing the child’s form as she knelt beside the opening. She didn’t dare touch it for fear that it would drag her through the barrier, but she could now feel demons gathering on the other side. Those demons could see the rip and that was the purpose of its creation. Misery let some of her own evil slither down her body in dark smoky tendrils and giggled as it seeped into the crack.

      Within moments, the same thing happened but this time in reverse. Misery’s back arched and her eyes turned blood red as the snaky darkness squirmed its way up her body then sank into her aura. The other side would wait until Misery gave them a sign… then they would have their strongest attack from the other side.

      Misery’s expression turned mischievous. She’d been careful up till now… feeling the pure blood fallen tracking her movements. Now was not the time to become careless but she needed the power it would take to break through the portal. Misery’s expression slowly changed into one of anger as she felt a presence behind her.

      Exploding into a cloud of darkness, she reformed as she attached her corpse’s form around the demon that had been spying on her. “Misery will give you a closer look.”

      Zeb didn’t flinch as the rotting arm tightened around his neck and he was suddenly staring down into the rift. “Would you banish Zeb for offering his help?” His plump lips twisted in a sneer, “Such lust I feel from you. What is it Misery is hungry for?”

      “I can get what I need from the humans… why would I need your help with this?” Misery ran a hand over the short fat man’s balding head then she released him only to circle his bloated body.

      “Why don’t you see for yourself?” Zeb had barely finished the invitation when Misery’s bony fingers punched their way through the flesh he used to hide in.

      Misery could feel the demon within and smiled sadistically as she read its soul. This demon had been in the city for a very long time and had been wise enough to keep a low profile. She could sense its fear of the fallen that lived here along with fear of other creatures she knew nothing about.

      Zeb was a weak demon and useless in a fight. He would be easy to kill, but Misery could sense his other powers… powers she could exploit to suit her purposes.

      This demon could detect the lust within a human and magnify that to deliciously evil measures. She saw some of the things Zeb had done recently as she tapped into his memories. Like the jealous husband losing his cool and killing his wife… an angry employee taking a gun to work for revenge… the desperate man robbing a bank and getting shot as he walked out the door.

      Zeb could make a hungry human eat until their guts split open, or make someone depressed become suicidal. He could even go as far as to make a druggie or alcoholic overdose on their poison of choice… all pushed beyond their control. Zeb made people hungry for whatever they craved, their darkest of secrets and Misery could feed off the evil spawned from them.

      “Misery will use you,” she hissed as she pulled her hand from his flesh.

      “I know,” Zeb smiled as the blood spilling from him reentered his body in a backwards waterfall… sealing the wound.

      If he were human, then he would have been labeled a business man of sorts. Making deals with other demons was how he’d survived this long. If he teamed up with Misery and fed her the power she wanted to bring more demons into the city, then he would not be so noticeable to the fallen.

      *****

      Chad stared at the crime scene in horror as he kept his gun trained on the man who was already cuffed and being dragged out of the operating room. The police department had called him in because this was the third time today they had found something this disturbing. What in the hell would make a man do something like that? He was a doctor for crying