But Holly’s steps were sure, and in moments, they were at the foot of the stairs where-
“Oh, damn.” Holly froze beside him.
He glanced at the two waiting men.
“Niol, why the hell are they bound and gagged?”
“Huh.” The men stared at him with wide eyes, their arms bound to the chairs behind them. “Guess the guards were a little…overzealous.”
“Overzealous, my ass.” She flew across the room in seconds, snatching out the gags and fumbling with the ropes. “Jesus, Niol, this is kidnapping! Do you know how much trouble you could get into for something like this-”
Not much. The demons weren’t going to rat him out. They were free now, but neither of the guys, who looked like they were about twenty-one or maybe twenty-two, were moving so much as an inch.
Smart fellows.
“Uh, are you guys okay?” Holly asked.
Their eyes were still on him.
Niol crossed his arms over his chest and waited. He could be patient when necessary.
It was the smaller guy who broke. The one with pale skin, a mop of blond hair, and a chin that looked a little weak. “You gonna kill us?”
Niol sighed. Why did he always get the drama queens? So the guys had been escorted in…maybe a little roughly, but seriously…“If I wanted you dead, you’d be ash by now.”
The guy on the right-a big guy, long and lanky-gave a moan.
“Not. Helpful.” A growl from Holly. She waved her hand in front of their faces. “Hi, there. I’m Holly. I, um, knew Carl.”
Drama queen’s gaze shot to her. “The reporter.” He licked his lips. “Carl-he mentioned you.”
“He mentioned you, too. Sean, right?”
A nod.
“And you’re…”
“Ted.” At least the guy wasn’t moaning anymore.
“Right.” Niol caught the flash of Holly’s smile. Pretty smile, that. One he’d seen her use on camera to reassure dozens of witnesses.
Sean’s shoulders began to relax.
Maybe it was a good thing he’d brought her along.
“I don’t know what happened tonight-” She began.
“I do.” Okay, now little Sean was starting to get an attitude. “ He-” His bony index finger pointed right at Niol. “Sent his goons after us. We just wanted to get out of town, but he wouldn’t let us leave. He made us come-”
Time to cut through the shit. “Why were you running?” Simple question. He knew they’d been fleeing, that was one of the reasons he’d had to pounce so hard on the men.
The two looked at each other. Didn’t speak.
“Why. Were. You. Running?” Scared men ran. So did guilty men. He didn’t think these guys were guilty of murder. They didn’t have the look for it, but he’d been wrong before.
“S-someone’s d-demon hunting, man.” Ted. For his size, he seemed to scare easier. “You know th-this sh-shit.” His watery eyes went to Holly. “You know.”
She inclined her head.
“F-first Carl. Shit.” He shuddered and squeezed his eyes shut. The ropes were on the ground at his feet-feet that were moving back and forth in a fast tap.
“We heard-we heard what the bastard did to him,” Sean said quietly. He swallowed, and the thick ball of his Adam’s apple bounced. “Then we heard about Julia-”
“She never hurt nobody!” A snarl from Ted. Hmmm…hadn’t quite expected that flash of fury.
“No.” Niol pitched his voice low. “I don’t imagine she did.” The killer would pay particularly for Julia. Sweet girl. Sad smile.
“When we heard about her, we knew we could be next.” The words from Sean came fast, nearly tumbling over one another.
“How did you hear about Julia?” Holly’s head was cocked, her gaze watchful. “Her body was just discovered by the cops.”
“She’s been gone for days .” Sean nodded, that weak chin lifting. “Then we caught word tonight that the cops had found a woman all cut up, just like Carl-”
“Knew it-it had to be J-Julia…” Ted’s hands knotted.
The smaller demon sniffed. “The people who were close to Carl, don’t you see? We’re gettin’ picked off! That bastard knows what we are. He was watchin’ just like Carl said and-”
“What did Carl say?” Holly’s voice cut through the tumble of the demon’s words.
Sean’s mouth hung open for a moment.
Niol took a step forward. “Answer.”
“He was being watched.” Much slower now and hushed. “Saw a woman tailing him a few times.”
“A woman? Did he say what she looked like?” Holly’s voice vibrated with tension.
“She was pretty. Young. Short blond hair. Curly.” He shook his head. “Said he caught a glimpse of her a few times, and didn’t think anything of her at first…”
“Un-until the n-note appeared,” Ted said, his breathing came harder, faster.
“The note?” Holly asked. Tension had her body strung tight. Her brows furrowed. Niol had the urge to reach for her, to stroke her shoulders and ease that terrible tension.
Not the time. Not the place.
“A note…and a picture arrived.” Sean’s lips pressed together and then he gritted, “A fuckin’ threat, that’s what it was. Some shit about getting rid of the impure-”
“We’re the im-impure!” Ted erupted, shoving to his feet.
Niol locked a hand on the guy’s shoulder and shoved him back down. “The hell we are.” He was so tired of that demons-are-evil crap. “The bastard out there slicing up demons-he’s the impure one.” The fucked-up one. “We’re just the jerks who’ve gotten blamed for messed-up shit for centuries.” And he was tired as all hell of being persecuted.
“Carl thought the woman left the note?” Holly’s voice seemed too calm after Ted’s furious intensity.
“Yeah.” Sean nodded. “Her-or that guy Carl caught her with.”
Now they were getting someplace. “Tell me about him,” Niol ordered.
Another bounce of that Adam’s apple. “Carl didn’t see him well, and only caught a glimpse of the guy once, right before he found that damn note.”
“What did he say about the guy?” Holly shifted from one foot to the other.
“He was tall. Had on a big coat.” A helpless shrug. “That he’d kick the bastard’s ass if he saw him again?”
Only he hadn’t gotten to give the bastard that promised ass-kicking.
“W-we don’t know any-anything else.” Ted’s voice was calmer now, but his eyes were pure black. Niol didn’t take his hand off the guy’s shoulder. Not yet. That demon was wrapped way too tight and ready to explode.
“Yeah, we do.” Sean’s eyes flickered between gray and black. “We know if we don’t get our asses out of town, we’re next.”
“Why?” Holly’s eyes narrowed. “Did you get one of those notes, too?”
The guy went even paler. “Not yet and shit, I’m not staying around to get one! Fucking death card. Found one at Julia’s. She had one, Carl had one-you get that shit, you die. ”
Holly turned her head and met Niol’s stare. He could see the worry. The fear.
He released the demon. Caught Holly’s shoulders. “Nothing’s going to happen to me.”
“Ah…shit.” Sean’s horror-filled whimper. “The guy’s marked you, man? You? ”
Niol glared at the punk. “I’m not scared of a human with a death wish.”
“ I am.”
Yes, that was why the two had been breaking their necks to get out of town.
“Running isn’t going to solve this problem.” He didn’t think the men were targets, at least not yet. Pity, he could have used some bait.
“It’ll solve my problem,” Sean snapped. “I ain’t watchin’ them bury my friend. I ain’t gonna sit there and watch ’em lower his coffin into the ground-”
“Hell, n-no.” Ted seconded and looked like he might vomit. “Not Carl. He was my b-best friend since we were s-six . I won’t w-watch him-”
“Niol.” Holly’s voice was so quiet he almost didn’t hear her. Then he glanced back into her eyes. Saw the plea.
Aw, fuck.
Help them. Her lips moved, but she didn’t speak.
Fuck.
His back teeth ground together. He’d planned to cut the demons loose, let them slink away as fast as they could, and get on with the hunting.