By the time I arrived at the dirt access road that led to the house, the sky had opened to a blanket of water. Heavy gusts of wind pelted the rain against the road and roof of the car.

I pulled along side the main road and reached into my bag. My .38 went on the passenger seat next to me. One of the 9mms was tucked into the waistband in the front of my shorts, my shirt covering its cold black surface. I zipped the bag up, put it on the floor in the back, and turned down the road towards the house.

The Highlander bumped and jounced down the dirt road, which had become an obstacle course of potholes and mud traps. The two-story light brick house, with red shutters and white painted porch running along the front of it, was still as I remembered. A lone oak tree stood in the center of the large thick lawn; its leaves and branches were whipped about by the heavy rain and wind.

There were four vehicles parked in the driveway to the left of the house. Three of them were dark-blue Trailblazers. One was a silver Lexus. I knew the Trailblazers belonged to Kyle and his men. The Lexus was Shawn's. He never seemed to follow suit. Unfortunately, they filled every available spot and left no room for the Highlander. So I drove onto the lawn, where my tires sunk into its sodden thickness. I came to a halt near the front porch-as close to the steps as I could get.

I could make out three large forms on the front porch through the quick thrashing of the wiper blades and blurring water pouring down the windshield. Aaron stood by the door. I didn't recognize the other two. One of them stood on the far end of the porch to the left, the other to the right, past the small round table and two outdoor easy chairs. They looked in my direction, but not one of them made a move.

With the .38 in hand, I got out of the car and flung the door shut. My hand swung up and I aimed for Aaron's forehead. I tugged the hammer back and rested my finger against the trigger. The three of them stood there, like unseeing lifeless statues. They didn't bat an eye or twitch a muscle, so I continued on. I marched up to the house and stopped at the bottom of the steps.

I looked at each in turn, ignoring the rain slapping against my face and body. Aaron's strong physique was covered with a dark-blue T-shirt and tan shoulder holster. A pair of black jeans fit snug along his trim waist and large legs. The other two wore all black. Right down to the shoulder holsters. They were both about six-one and stood with their hands folded down in front of their bodies and their legs spread slightly. The one to my right had skin the color of dark-chocolate with jet-black hair cut close to his head. The other one had golden-brown skin and dark-brown hair cut in the same fashion.

With my eyes on the two men on either side of the porch and my gun aimed in Aaron's direction, I took each step, one-at-a-time. No one moved. Not even to rest their hands near the guns on their shoulder holsters. They either trusted me or were ordered by Kyle not to harm me. A mistake on their part either way.

When I reached the wood surface of the porch, I stared up at Aaron, whose hair blew wildly around his face. He looked down at me before he stepped aside to allow me access to the door.

I shook my head. “I'm not an idiot. And I'm not going in there until those two are restrained.” He knew what I meant.

He glanced at the two men. They never looked our way. I was sure they heard me and I was beginning to wonder if they had a pulse.

Aaron stepped back in front of the door and took a step towards me. Close enough for the gun's nickel-plated surface to press an indent of its barrel in the material of his T-shirt. His eyes traveled down to my own shirt, which was now rain-soaked and clinging to every inch of my torso. His gaze lingered on my breasts. The blue in his eyes deepened before they continued to the waistband of my shorts, where the shirt outlined every inch of the 9mm tucked behind it.

He looked back into my eyes and reached his hand out to my face. I jerked my head back and stared hard at him. I searched his eyes for some kind of threat, but I didn't see even the smallest sign of deceit. Or feel the rush of panic in my body. I put my thumb on the hammer of the .38 and brought it back into its resting place as I pushed down on the trigger, to secure it, then slowly lowered the gun to my side. He reached out to me again, but I didn't pull away. Instead, I allowed him to brush a wet strand of hair from my eyes and wipe the droplets of water from my cheeks and chin. His touch was gentle, almost intimate.

When he finished, he let his hand fall to his side, gave me a quick nod, and then headed towards the one to my left. “Give me your weapons, cuffs, and keys, Robertson,” he ordered. His deep voice was stern and commanding.

“The phone too,” I added. I had enough to contend with at that moment and didn't want anyone having the ability of calling in more able bodies.

He glanced at me before he looked back at Robertson. “And your cell.”

Robertson did as Aaron asked. Without hesitation or question. My mouth dropped slightly and my brows rose when Aaron cuffed him to the nearest porch pillar, walked past me, and did the same with the one to my right.

Once done, Aaron came to me and held out the guns, keys, and phones. “What would you like me to do with these?”

I looked up at him. His brow rose. I grabbed the keys and cells and tossed them out onto the saturated lawn. The guns were next. I took each one, unloaded the clips, and tossed clips and guns in opposite directions.

When I was through, I looked up at Aaron. A smile pulled at the corner of his lips. I gestured to the door with my eyes. “Shall we?”

Aaron opened the door and stepped aside, his expression blank. His eyes were dull and lifeless once more. I was guessing we were back to the “I'm on Kyle's side, not yours” routine.

“You go first and stand away from the door. But not so far that I can't see you.” My voice was even and controlled. It was as void of emotion as his dead eyes.

He nodded, walked into the house, and stood about ten feet from the door.

I took a deep breath through my nose and let it out my mouth, then pulled the 9mm from my shorts and held it down to my side. I walked through the door, slammed it behind me, and glanced at Aaron. He stood with his legs spread and his hands behind his back. I looked over at Kyle and Shawn. They were standing between the couch and the coffee table. Ready to pounce. Kyle was in a gray T-shirt with a tan shoulder holster and black dress pants. His hair was tied back in a neat ponytail. Shawn had on his long white doctor's coat over a light-blue button-up shirt and blue jeans.

Kyle headed around the coffee table. Shawn slid between it and the couch. My arms jerked up. The 9mm was aimed at Kyle's forehead, the .38 at Shawn's. “Stop right where you are!” I hollered.

They both skidded to a halt. Kyle's eyes shot to Aaron. Aaron took a step towards me.

I backed up and made ready my weapons, my fingers caressing the triggers. “All of you!”

Aaron stopped and looked at Kyle. Kyle hesitated before he shook his head. Aaron relaxed his posture and slowly lowered his hands to his sides.

“You can move over near them,” I told Aaron. He didn't budge.

I saw Shawn's movements out of the corner of my eye. My eyes shot to his, to his hand, then to the tranquilizer gun he had slipped from his pocket. Without letting the thought cross my eyes, I fixed the .38 on my target and touched the trigger. Pieces of the tranquilizer gun went splattering about when the bullet hit home.

Shawn's eyes went wide as he yanked his hand away and shook it furiously. “Geezus, Julie!” he yelled.

Kyle and Aaron jumped at the sound. The look of astonishment in their eyes was priceless.

“What the fuck do you think you're doing?” Kyle growled.

“I'm defending myself, you dim-witted ignorant bastard.”

His face formed a deep scowl. I ignored him and gave Shawn's hand a quick once-over. Upon inspection, all I could see was a small spot of crimson began to form on two of his fingers, but they all seemed to be present and accounted for, just as I expected them to be.

I swung the gun in Aaron's direction and aimed for his knee, then glared into Kyle's eyes. “And if you haven't guessed by now, I'm pretty pissed off at the moment. So unless you want Aaron to be in physical therapy for a while, I'd tell him to move his ass.”

He let out a heavy breath through his clenched teeth. “Do it, Aaron.”

Aaron walked cautiously in their direction and stopped near the end of the couch, a few feet from Shawn's side, so he could still rush me if given the chance. I matched each step he took and headed to the right, towards the kitchen-and away from the door. One can never be too careful.

“Now, you and Aaron can slide your weapons on over here,” I told Kyle.

Kyle's eyes narrowed before he glanced at Aaron and nodded.

I emptied the clips from the guns and tossed everything into the kitchen. I scanned the immediate area, to make note of any changes since the last time I had seen the place. And for signs of any others who may have decided to join in on the fun.

The large living room running the length of the house, with its dark hardwood floors, pale-yellow walls, white trim, and off-white lace curtains covering its tall windows, still had all the same furnishings. Between the two windows on the wall to the left was an entertainment center. DVD's and music CD's filled the bottom half and could be seen through two glass doors. The upper half contained every available piece of equipment one needed to sit and veg to their heart's content.

On the dark-gray rug lying in the middle of the room, just inside the door, was a light-gray and white striped couch facing the entertainment center. A coffee table sat in front of the couch. The end tables that used to be on either side of the couch were gone, as well as the chair near the end of the couch closest to the door. The other light-gray chair was at the end of the coffee table, near the farthest end of the couch. All the wood, including the entertainment center, was made of cherry.

Towards the back of the room, against the wall on the left, was an oak stairway leading to a sitting room as large as the living room. A small hallway, which led to a bathroom and back bedroom, ran along the wall to the right.

The kitchen was to the right and had the same coloring as the living room. Dark-gray marble counter tops with white cabinets ran along the wall to the right. They traveled around the back wall and stopped at a white stove and refrigerator. The counter and cabinets continued on until they rested against the left wall. Small windows above the counter were graced with off-white sheer curtains. Scattered across the ceiling were lights framed in stainless steel. In the center of the room was a large cherry table with matching chairs.

There was a large deck in the back of the house over-looking the ocean. It had an outdoor couch, two matching chairs, and a coffee table. It was one of the few places in the house I found I could relax and feel comfortable. But the glass doors along the back wall that led out to the deck were now gone. The wall was now smooth and solid. It looked as though the glass doors never existed. Unfortunately, without them, it limited me to only one exit.

I glanced at Aaron and Shawn. Aaron stared in my direction. He hadn't stirred or made a sound. Shawn had wrapped his hand in a handkerchief he pulled from his other pocket; his face was red with anger and his eyes were menacing pools of dark-gray.

My eyes found their way to Kyle. “I see you've remodeled the homestead since my last visit.”

“We have made a few small alterations in preparation for your return, yes.”
A smirk formed on my lips. “And I thought you'd at least talk it over with me before redecorating, dear.”

Aaron cleared his throat, which afforded him a dirty look from Kyle.

Kyle looked back at me, a hurt expression crossing his features. “Am I to believe you are not pleased with the end result?”

He was getting better at the “sarcasm” bit. Okay, my turn. I glanced at the newly built back wall once more, then at the windows in the room. “No, not at all. I was just wondering why you left the windows.”

Kyle watched where my eyes had traveled before I looked back at him, which caused a crooked smile to play along his lips. “I hadn't really thought of it, until now, but it most certainly can be accomplished.”

My eyes narrowed. “No, don't bother yourself,” I told him. My eyes found their way to the staircase and I wondered what the hell else they had done to the place. The bedroom upstairs was the only place I could think of where they would have made any other changes. I wasn't going in that direction. Not if I could help it. I looked back into his eyes. “Since our relationship has gone down the shitter, you've pretty much wasted your time. And money.” My brow rose. “Speaking of money, you can just undo whatever it is you've done and give mine back.”

Kyle's expression turned to stone once more. I guess he knew “play time” was over. “I do not have the power to do as you ask. I would not do it even if I could.”

Was I expecting the answer I got? Yup. Was I happy about it? That's a big negatory.

“Damn it, I want it back!”

“In your own words,” he said as his brows rose. “How does it feel to want?”

“Up yours, detective,” I said through my teeth. I put the safety on the .38 and shoved it in the front of my shorts. I kept the 9mm on Kyle, pulled his cell out of my pocket, flipped it open, and turned on the power.

Kyle's eyes shot in Aaron's direction.

“Don't try it. If you think I can't get you both before you reach me, think again,” I warned.

Kyle's neck was lined with blue bulging veins and his jaw worked feverishly. He let out a deep breath and relaxed his posture. Aaron followed suit.

Satisfied, I dialed G.W. and put the cell to my ear.

He picked up before the second ring could finish. “Miss Summers, how nice of you to call.” His rich, soft voice rang out through the other end of the phone.

“Cut the shit G.W. You knew I'd call you sooner or later.”

“Yes, it is true, I have been anticipating it. And you can call me Glenn.”

Dickwad came to mind, but I held my tongue. Imagine that. “Give it back,” I ordered.

“I am not quite sure I know what you mean.”

“You know exactly what I mean!” I hollered. “Give me back my friggin money!”

“I do not have your money. I have only postponed your ability to acquire it. I am not a thief, Miss Summers.”

I looked at each man in turn, then back at Kyle before I continued. “There's no difference between stealing one's possessions and stealing one's life away from them, Glenn.”

“C'est la vie. If you had cooperated from the beginning or had not breached our contract-a contract, you, yourself had put into motion, I would not have had to resort to such drastic measures.”

“I'm not going to discuss the cooperation part. But breaking my promise wasn't my fault!” I stared into Kyle's eyes and mine narrowed. “If the good detective would have kept his slimy hands to himself, I wouldn't have left.”

“Ah-h, yes, Kyle has informed me of the incident you speak of. You can correct me if I am wrong, but it would seem you were not exactly an unwilling participant. Or would you prefer to embarrass yourself further by arguing the facts.” His voice came out a soft purr. It made my pulse jump and the hair on my arms stand at attention. Damn.

“I....” I stopped. I opened my mouth, but shut it again. I looked at Kyle. My brows furrowed in my forehead. “But he….” I stopped again. I just didn't know what to say in my defense. Except he was right. I wasn't willing at first, until Dante spoke to me in my mind. So thanks to Dante's Goddamn powers of passion with just the sound of his voice, I ended up begging for Kyle's hands on my body. For his lips on mine. To have him release the desires that had been building inside. Being backed into a corner, especially by someone on the other end of a phone, wasn't what I had in mind. “I suppose there's no chance of a reconciliation between the two of us?” I had to try.

“No. I will not afford you another opportunity to disappear as you have. You have already wasted a large amount of my valuable time. And I am afraid it is going to require an equal amount of retribution.”

That worked well. Time for plan B. “Well, maybe I can sway you on the matter if I put it to you another way. If you don't take that hold off my money, I'm going to take out each of your men. One-by-one until you do.” I steadied my arm and set my sights down the gun's sleek surface, so they fixed on Kyle's forehead. “The detective here would be a good place to start, don't you think?”

“You cannot take life, Miss Summers. Your conscience will not allow it. And it is not in your nature.”

“Things change, Glenn.” I half-smiled and took a quick breath to ready myself.

Kyle's eyes went wide and Aaron started in his direction.

“Julie, no!” Shawn yelled.

I switched my aim and squeezed the trigger, keeping the gun steady should anyone attempt to rush me. Aaron caught sight of the movement, shoved Shawn back, and leapt in Kyle's direction. Shawn stumbled back a few steps, but kept his balance. His eyes were wide and his mouth was agape. Aaron flew over the arm of the couch and across the coffee table to take the bullet, but it missed Aaron and hit its target. Kyle went down on his back to the floor and Aaron came to a sliding halt when his shoulder hit the wall.

Shawn rushed to Kyle's side. “Geezus, Julie, you shot him!”

Aaron jumped to his feet and knelt by Kyle's head.

“Did you hear that?” I asked G.W.

Silence.

“I asked if you….”

“Yes,” he said finally. His voice was low. Dangerous.

I swung the gun in Shawn's direction. “Shawn's next. I'm taking him with me to the bank. You've got about a half hour. An hour tops.” I flipped the phone shut, slid it in my back pocket, and then stared over at the three on the floor.

Shawn and Aaron each took one of Kyle's arms and helped him to his feet.

“It's only a flesh wound, he's not dying for Christ's sake. He'll be fine for the time being.” Although he'd have another scar to add to his growing collection. Thanks to me. I figured I'd keep that part to myself.

Aaron used his foot to move the coffee table aside as they helped him to the couch.

Shawn looked over at me. “I need my medical bag.”

“Go get it, Aaron.” He started for the hallway. “Hold up a second.” He turned to me. “Toss your cell over here.”

His brow rose before he reached in his back pocket and tossed it, so it landed by my feet. He headed for the hallway once more.

“Oh, and Aaron?” He stopped and turned again. My eyes stayed locked with his as I kept the gun on Shawn and knelt down to grab the cell from the floor. I rose slowly to my feet. “You've got fifteen seconds, no more. If you take longer than that, you'll be the attending physician.”

He stared at me for a breath before he disappeared down the hallway.

My eyes wandered over to the couch and locked with Kyle's. His were dark pits of liquid blue. Dark and menacing. It was a look that could have made even the strongest-willed person drop to their knees.

“I shall add this little incident to your tab.” His voice was smooth. Even. It gave me the feeling I had run out of lines to cross.

A rush of dread filled my veins and my arm swayed slightly before I caught myself and steadied the gun. “Fortunately, for me, your actions are not as fast as the idle threats that pass your lips.”

His eyes narrowed and a flush crawled up his neck as Shawn helped him out of the shoulder holster and dropped it to the floor near the couch. His T-shirt and the vest I knew was underneath went next. Bullet-proof vests seemed to be the fashion trend amongst the circle of people I hung around in the past couple of years.

I gazed down at his wide chest and large arms. The muscles rolled under his flesh with every gesture he made. My eyes fixed on the faint scars marring his smooth skin. There were eight of them crisscrossing along his chest and running down to his abdomen. They were scars I had made with my nails from the feel of his hardness inside me. The feel of his hands on my body. And his lips on mine. The thought of it tightened places low in my body and made my breath catch in my throat.

“I have the bag,” Aaron said.

The sound of his voice broke through my thoughts. I cleared my throat and swallowed hard. “Put it down on the floor by Shawn.” I looked at Shawn. “Use Kyle's cuffs and secure Aaron to the banister of the stairs before you take care of him.”

Shawn glared over at me, but didn't hesitate to do as I asked. His first concern was attending Kyle. He wouldn't have acted any different if it were Aaron who had been wounded. Or myself for that matter. He was a doctor after all.

Once Aaron was cuffed to the stairs, Shawn rushed back to Kyle's side.

“Just wrap it. We have an appointment, you and I,” I told him.

Shawn never looked my way, but I heard a heavy sigh escape his lips as he opened his bag and took out the necessary supplies to patch the injury on Kyle's arm.

My eyes fixed on the dark-red liquid running from the deep, but manageable flesh wound I had inflicted on the outside of Kyle's upper-arm. The sight of it caused a different kind of hunger to run through my body. It was an appetite for blood. My lips curled up in a vicious sneer at the thought of dipping my tongue into its delicious depths and receiving even the smallest taste of its bitter-sweet fluids.

I licked my lips and swallowed hard. “Damn you, Dante.” My voice came out a hoarse, scratchy whisper.

Shawn's back was to me and he was oblivious to anything going on around him. But the sound of Kyle taking in a breath caught my attention. I stared into his eyes. His brow rose. He had been watching me-and had heard the words that had just passed through my lips.

“The wound is going to need more than just a bandage,” Shawn stated as he shoved the left-over supplies into his bag and shut it.

“It can wait. He can go to a hospital once we're gone.”

Shawn rose to his feet and turned to me. “You're going too far with this, Julie.”

“As far as I'm concerned, when it comes to assholes the likes of all of you, one can never go far enough. Now, you can just shut the fuck up and….” I jumped and stifled a scream when my cell shrieked out and fluttered against my body.

My eyes flew from Aaron, to Shawn, then to Kyle as it screeched out again. I reached in, slid it out, and glanced at the caller ID. It was Elaine.

“Sit down, Shawn,” I ordered.

He took a step in my direction. “You cannot keep….”

“Sit-down!”

He stepped back and sat next to Kyle. I kept my eyes on them and lowered my arm so the gun's barrel pointed in Shawn's direction. I flipped the phone open and put it to my ear.

“Julie, thank God you answered,” Elaine's rushed voice blurted out through the phone. Her voice came out high and shaky. It was almost as if she were on the verge of hysteria. It was the kind that made a rush of panic flow through my veins and my pulse race.

I could hear the whizzing sound of cars as they passed by an open window in the background. She was in her car.

“What's happened?” I asked. My own voice came out tight with the fear of what her answer would be.

“Julie, it's Chris….” She stopped and burst into a fit of loud sobs.

She didn't have to finish. Something had happened to Christine-my little girl.

A feeling of dread overwhelmed my body and tightened my stomach. My breathing came in short gasps and my heart pounded wildly against my chest.

“Tell me,” I demanded.

Elaine's sobs increased. It drowned out the loud thumping of my pulse in my ears and echoed in my head.

I felt the sting of tears biting at the backs of my eyes. I pushed them away and swallowed hard. “Tell me.” My voice was harsh. Bitter.

“I put her down for a nap. Just like any other day and….” Her words were choked back and she broke into tears, then I heard a loud thump on the other end.

“Elaine!”

Kyle and Shawn rose from the couch.

I lowered the phone to my side and swung the gun in Kyle's direction. “Stay-the fuck-away,” I growled through my teeth.

Shawn took a step sideways, along the edge of the couch, towards me. A deep frown formed on his face. “Please, what is….”

My arm jerked in his direction. “Back off!” My eyes shot from him, to Kyle.

They locked eyes with mine and eased themselves to the couch.

I put the phone back to my ear. “Elaine!”

“Julie, this is Frank.”

I felt the tears as they began to spill from my eyes and flow down my cheeks. “Tell me what's happened, damn it!” I cried.

“She's ill. It's some kind of coma. We're following the ambulance to Independence Memorial as we speak.”

I felt the color drain from my face as I took the phone from my ear and let my hand drop to my side. The room began to suddenly close in around me. To press against my body and take the very air from my lungs. And rip my heart from my chest.

The gun wavered in my hand and my knees went weak. I stumbled back a step. “God, no,” I whispered. I stared down at the floor. “This isn't supposed to happen.” My voice cracked as I tried to keep my emotions in check.

I looked up at Kyle through tear-blurred vision. He had made his way around the coffee table. His brows were creased deep in his forehead and there was a tenderness to his eyes that turned them to two liquid pools of deep-blue. Shawn stood near him with his hands down by his sides, his handsome features mirroring Kyle's.

I straightened my arm and steadied the gun in their direction. “This isn't supposed to happen,” I said through my teeth. I looked at each one in turn, then sniffled loudly as I used the back of my free hand to wipe the tears roughly away from my face. “I have to go,” I whispered, and backed up towards the door.

Kyle chanced a step closer. “I am not allowing you to leave here.”

I raised the gun to his forehead. “Don't tempt me, detec….” I choked back the word when a soft cold breeze blew at my body. It caused a chill to run through my skin and the hair to prickle at the back of my neck. My eyes widened when the familiar scent of pine stung at my nose and caught in the back of my throat. I backed up, my eyes searching the room frantically. “It's here,” I whispered. My eyes found Kyle's and I shook my head. “I can't do this again, Kyle.” I looked at Shawn. “I won't do this again.”

I jumped and choked back a scream when the cell shrieked out at me and vibrated in my hand. The phone stopped its insistent whining when I looked down at it. The screen began to glow the colors of red, orange, and yellow.

“Find her and send her back to me. Or the little one is mine,” the demon's raspy voice came out through the phone.

“Noooo!” I screamed as I jumped back and dropped the phone to the floor. I swung the gun down and squeezed the trigger over and over until the chamber emptied and the last thunderous echo of gunfire faded away; the phone lay in hundreds of pieces splattered about the room.

“Shawn, do something,” Kyle growled.

I jerked in the direction of his voice. Shawn rushed to the couch, where he had placed his black bag. Kyle charged towards me.

“No!” I yelled. “Don't. He's here. Stay back!”

Kyle slid slightly as he stopped his advancements. Shawn's hand came to a halt before his fingers could touch the leather handle of his bag. They both stared in my direction.

Within a breath of time, my vision blurred and I was standing in the midst of a thick forest of trees. And face-to-face with the demon himself as he stood towering over me.

His muscular human-like body was covered in the same dull-gray skin as his face. A set of enormous off-white wings stuck out from behind his head as they rested against his back. Deep lines etched his abdomen, dividing it into six squared segments. The skin flaked off in various places with every loud wheezing breath he took. Large, thick arms, with protruding green veins, fell down past his knees, giving way to his massive hands and long, clawed fingers. His muscular legs had deep crevices in the knees, and his feet weren't ordinary feet, but an exact duplicate of his hands. A large patch of dark-brown fur was nestled between his legs, to hide what organs may be laying beneath its dark thickness.

I opened my mouth to scream, but it was cut off when his long fingers wrapped themselves around my throat. He lifted me off the ground so my eyes locked with his, his large mouth breathing heavily and his hot foul-smelling breath blowing at my face. I held onto his patchy, rough-skinned wrists and my legs flailed about as I tried to struggle free from his hold.

“You are not going to leave,” he told me. His forked tongue slapped against his teeth and thick saliva ran from his jaw.

He released me abruptly and I dropped to the floor on my face. My breath came out in a loud grunt when the air was driven from my chest. I struggled to my hands and knees, my legs and arms trembling from the effort it took.

I felt, rather than heard, someone come to my side. I swung my arm out to stop whoever it was. “No!” I yelled, and took a breath. “It's not through,” I gasped, and gazed up into the demon's blazing red eyes.

He flung his neck back and howled ferociously at the ceiling. I rose to my knees, covered my ears with my hands, and squeezed my eyes shut as its thunderous sound rumbled in my chest and hit every nerve in my body. I took a deep breath and screamed along with him, hoping to drown out the sound with my own voice.

My scream caught in my throat when the demon's hoarse voice stopped abruptly. I opened my eyes and stared up into his narrow ones.

“I want her back,” he growled.

He swung his large clawed hand and I was sent hurling back until I hit the front door with a loud thump. A sharp burning sensation flew through the left side of my face and prickled with the sensation of tiny needles pressing against my skin. The sounds of a baby's soft cry filled my head, but faded quickly away as my vision began to blur.

When the haze and fog cleared my sight, I looked up into Kyle's deeply frowning face. The feel of something warm and wet ran down my cheek and to my jaw.

I took a breath and swallowed hard. “Did I….” I stopped when my voice caught in my throat. I cleared the roughness away. “Hurt anyone?”

Kyle brushed a stray lock of hair from my eyes and shook his head. “No.” His deep voice was barely a whisper.

I breathed a heavy sigh and let the world of blackness fold around my mind and bring me into the dark pit of peacefulness.