Awaken Me Darkly (Alien Huntress #1)(14)
Author: Gena Showalter

Kittie’s real name was James Vaughn, and on his first day at A.I.R. he roamed the halls, introducing himself as Mad Dog. He deserved a tough nickname, he’d said. I decided then to call him Kittie.

The name had stuck.

Dallas commanded the car to park next to them, and the vehicle smoothly obeyed. We exited.

“Evening, boys,” I said.

“Evening,” Kittie said with a grin. His lips were almost imperceptible, only two thin slashes of pink, and he had a chin that pointed like a leprechaun’s shoe, but damn if he didn’t have a beautiful pair of eyes—two brilliant emeralds framed by spiky black lashes. He dragged one last puff on his cigarette, then tossed it to the ground.

“That’s a nasty habit,” I said, my gaze following the glowing orange butt as it rolled across the pavement. “And completely illegal.”

“Only way to control my advanced schizophrenia and narcissistic rage.” Those green orbs glowed with amusement as he lovingly patted the cigarette pack in his coat pocket.

“Mia, you’re lookin’ as fine as always,” Ghost said, “but Dallas…man, that’s one hell of a shiner. Did you piss Mia off again?”

“Nah.” Dallas shrugged. “This time she hit me for no reason.”

“There’s always a reason,” I muttered.

He only chuckled.

“Did you have any trouble finding your first target?” I asked the others.

“None whatsoever,” Kittie said, his deep voice a vivid contrast to his physique. “We put the little bastard in lockup. But I gotta tell you, he couldn’t find his ass with a miner’s hat, the stupid son of a bitch, and it was pretty obvious he knew nothing about Steele.”

“Well, the Arcadian we’re about to apprehend does know about Steele, so listen up.” I clapped my hands to make sure I had everyone’s attention. “Hudson’s house is only a block away. We do this quietly and as quickly as possible. And I want all of you, all of you,” I stressed, my earlier vision suddenly filling my mind, “to be careful around any and all women we encounter. Got it?”

They all just stared at me with narrowed eyes, like I’d just called them stupid-ass morons. Maybe I had. They knew to take care with everyone they encountered. I held each stare for a few seconds, then crossed my arms over my chest and waited. I wasn’t going to apologize.

Finally, Ghost broke the silence. “You want this girl Lilla dead or alive?” he asked.

“Alive. I have questions, she has answers. Now enough talk. Let’s move.”

We stealthily maneuvered on foot to Hudson’s backyard. Our black clothing was like a neon sign set in the paleness of the snow, so we stayed crouched low to the ground, trying to stay in the shadows. At some points we crawled. Others we ran. The lights were out throughout the entire house; all of the curtains were drawn. Our heated breath misted the frigid air, and the only sound was the gentle patter of falling sleet.

I doubted Hudson was stupid enough to leave a hideaway card for the guest scanner outside, but I searched anyway. Unfortunately, I found nothing more than a few shiny rocks and a fistful of dirt.

Kittie spent a few minutes at the power receiver, cutting the alarm and backup battery. A risky move, really, because the stilling of a ceiling fan or the flicker of a clock could alert the residents of our presence. Risky, but necessary.

Ghost crouched down in front of the doorknob and extracted a black velvet pouch from his side pocket. He removed a tiny saw blade and fit the shiny silver metal into the scanner. Wireless systems were still uncommon among the middle class, thank God, but even the most basic of houses used print IDs or guest cards for entry. In this Hudson was no different. I couldn’t pick an ID unit to save my life. I didn’t have the patience.

Smiling, I said softly, “I love it when you do this.” His ability to break past any barrier gently and efficiently, without anyone the wiser, was how he’d earned his name. “I swear to God it turns me on.”

“Any time, baby,” he said. “This is just one of my many talents with my hands.”

I already had my weapon drawn, so I lined up behind him and covered his back while he worked. Moments later, the ID was disarmed and the door popped open.

Quick as a snap, I spun and placed my back against the wall, preparing for entry.

Which one of these men would die tonight?

Unbidden, the question flashed in my mind. For a moment, I couldn’t move, could barely breath. No. No! I would not let them die inside this house. I would protect them, with my own life if necessary. With that thought, I calmed. I would keep them safe with my own life. Shaking my head, I cleared my thoughts.

“Ready?” I asked, not voicing the words, just moving my lips.

Dallas got into position on the other side of the door. He nodded.

Ghost and Kittie stepped back, guns drawn. They, too, gave a short but sweet nod.

Every nerve in my body on alert, I silently stepped inside. My gaze darted, and my gun moved with it. Clear. I stepped deeper inside, careful to place my boots exactly to prevent any type of squeak. I paused, absorbing the silence. Dallas entered behind me, followed quickly by Ghost. Kittie stayed at the door, guarding our rear.

Legally, we didn’t have to announce our presence like PD had to do. We were hunting a predatory alien, and that gave us the right to enter any home we wanted without advance notice. So we didn’t give any. Lilla was a slippery creature, and I wasn’t going to give her any warning.

I scanned the immediate area. A kitchen. Broken dishes littered the floor. Chairs were upturned. My heart sped into over-drive. There had been a fight in this room, and my gut told me Lilla was the instigator. Just like in the club, just like with the Arcadian warrior, I felt her energy, caught a lingering trace of her scent, sensual and exotic. My guess: I felt her because she was as powerful as the other Arcadian. I’d have to be careful with her.

I might not know what had suddenly allowed me to sense Arcadian energy today, but I was damn glad for the ability at the moment.

I motioned for the men to remain behind me, and I didn’t have to see their expressions to know I’d just pissed them off royally. Usually they moved ahead and cleared the way before I took the next room. Not this time. I wasn’t taking any chances. Screw their egos.

Noiselessly, I entered the moon-washed living room. A big bay window decorated the far wall, and the curtains gaped slightly down the middle. Couch cushions were strewn across the floor, the television was smashed to bits, but no life.