Samhain Publishing

Heaven doesn’t want him. Hell is afraid of him. She can see right through him…

The Kavanaugh Foundation, Book 2

If the abrupt appearance of Will Vassago on her couch is any indication, knowledge of Anjali’s rare ability to see past demons’ disguising glamours has spread far beyond the Foundation. One thing that hasn’t changed since she accidentally touched him two years ago—his unnerving affect on her hormones.

Officially, Vassago needs Anjali’s help to find an escaped Skinwalker demon. He’s also got some not-so-official plans for their down time, but if her sensitive gift reveals who he really is—a fallen angel—any chance to fan the embers of desire between them will be lost.

Anjali tries to get their assignment over with before she loses control entirely. With every encounter, the unquenchable fire in her body burns hotter. And Vassago is startled to realize when he almost loses her to the rifts of Hell he has already lost his heart.

Then they discover the Skinwalker is only the tip of the iceberg. If they can’t get a lid on the situation, Manhattan will suffer a fate worse than Sodom and Gomorrah, and not even Vassago’s celestial sword will protect Anjali from the Angel of Death.

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Copyright © 2010 Crista McHugh
All rights reserved — a Samhain Publishing, Ltd. publication

Anjali rode in silence. Her stomach still wanted to heave up its contents after seeing the murder of the Skinwalker’s last victim. Written accounts were nothing compared to the real thing. The woman’s screams still echoed in her ears.

“Are you okay?”

The concern in Will’s voice surprised her. If she didn’t know better, she would’ve almost believed he regretted dragging her into this. The few seconds she spent in his arms after the vision soothed her more than she cared to admit. “I’ve been better.”

“Sorry about having to take you there, but it was the only way.”

“I know. I needed to catch its scent.” She closed her eyes and concentrated. “It’s getting stronger.”

“Good. If we can catch it tonight, you can rest easier.”

She was going to need a sleeping pill and a few glasses of wine before she dulled the memory enough not to have nightmares. When she opened her eyes, the greenery of Central Park raced by outside. She had to give him credit—he knew how to handle the Audi with such precision that she felt like they were flying.

When the memory tried to ambush her thoughts again, she blurted out, “How did you get into this bounty hunting thing?” Anything to distract her.

A tight smile stretched across his mouth. “I was assigned to it.”

“Is it something you’ve always done?” Please don’t clam up on me. I need to get my mind off the demon.

He glanced at her and took a deep breath. “No. I had some issues with a previous employer and ended up doing this instead.”

His vague answers only whetted her curiosity. “Fair enough. What did you do before?”

“I was a mindless minion of an egocentric despot.” His grip tightened on the steering wheel. “Please, can we change the subject? I don’t like talking about my past.”

“Sure. You pick the subject.”

“Fine. How did you become a demon hunter?”

Goose bumps prickled her skin. Normally, she would have never considered sharing this information with someone she barely knew, but he knew more about her line of work than most people. “I wasn’t cut out to be a witch, and my vampire hunting skills were ridiculous.”

“But you wanted to work for the Kavanaugh Foundation?”

She shrugged. “I grew up at their Academy. It seemed like the natural thing to do.”

The tension eased out of his face. “How old were you when you lost your parents?”

“I was three.” Like most of the kids at the Foundation’s orphanage, she’d ended up there because a vampire killed her parents. “I barely remember them. I made my own family there, though.”

“Such as you friend, Logan?” His voice took on a hard note when he said the other man’s name. Could he actually be jealous of her best friend?

She nodded. “He’s like a brother to me.”

The park disappeared from view, and the car slowed down. “We’re coming into Harlem.”

A feeling of dread crawled up her spine and forced the air from her lungs. So much for distraction. Time to hunt the Skinwalker. She focused her energy on the demon’s signature. “Turn left.”

She directed him through the streets until she was certain they’d honed in on the area where the demon hid. The scent of brimstone hit her like a like a blast from an oven the moment she opened the car door. Normally, getting this close to a demon excited her. But then, most of the demons she’d faced in the past had been minor ones. Skinwalkers were the Goliaths of the demon world, and she felt like David, armed only with a stone and slingshot.

Will stood behind her and placed his hand on her shoulder. Another wave of reassurance rolled through her. What was it about his touch that could both comfort her and drive her crazy with lust? At least it wasn’t both at the same time, or I’d be in over my head. “I think it’s a few blocks ahead.”

“When you spot it, stay behind me. I don’t want you getting hurt.”

She blinked a few times. Did she hear him correctly? He was going to take it on alone? Fat chance, buster. She stiffened her spine and marched ahead, slipping into her second sight. She may not be much of a witch, but she knew how to bind a demon until he could take it back to where it came from. She thought she heard him chuckle, but when she whirled around, his face assumed a deadly serious expression. “You hired me, so let me in on the action.”

“I also promised your boss you wouldn’t get hurt, and I meant it.” He stepped in front of her. “Tell me which way to go.”

“Who the hell do you think you are, ordering me around like this and thinking you can take on a big nasty demon by yourself?”

He spun around to face her. The air wavered around him, and a golden light radiated from his skin. It would have been beautiful if she hadn’t noticed the red glow burning in the depths of his eyes. “I’ve been doing this since before your ancestors could write. Don’t question me.”

Her heart rose into her throat. Until now, she’d thought he was nothing more than an arrogant flirt. Now she witnessed a trace of his power, and it frightened her. What had Morwen gotten her into?

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