Read Online Twilight Hunter (The Execution Underground) by Kait Ballenger - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Kait Ballenger
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“I’m not surprised.”
Shane pulled a handkerchief from his pocket. He unfolded the dark blue material, revealing a pattern made up of the constellations. He bent next to the body and used the handkerchief to lift the girl’s hand before he glanced up.
David raised a single brow and nodded toward the handkerchief.
A deep blush ran across Shane’s cheeks. “The constellations have a lot of meaning in the occult. Besides, my grandmother gave it to me. I have to use it or she’ll get her feelings hurt.”
David chuckled. “I can’t very well fault a man for caring about his grandma. If minegave me a pink flowered jacket, you better believe I’d wear it just to please her.”
Shane fought back a smile as he rubbed the handkerchief across the girl’s hand.
David’s eyes widened. “What are you doing? Shane, you can’t tamper with the crime scene.”
Shane ignored him and continued wiping at the girl’s skin. “Trust me.” Once he managed to clear most of the blood off, he said, “Look at this, David.”
David walked forward and crouched down beside him. The faint outline of a black X was visible on the top of the victim’s hand.
Shane stared at him with a sad look in his eyes. “That’s what they put on your hand at a club if you’re under twenty-one, so then the bartender knows not to serve you. It looks like she tried to wash it off.” He shook his head. “Someone hurting a young girl like this makes my blood boil.”
David nodded. “Me too.” He stood to his full height and turned away. He didn’t know how much longer he could stand looking at this poor girl. In his field, he didn’t often deal with dead bodies. Demons used their victims and then usually left them as catatonic shells of what they’d once been. Rarely did they take the time to kill their targets. He wasn’t sure which was worse. “You have everything you need for the report?”
Shane sighed. “Yeah, I do. We can go ahead and... Hey, what’s this?”
David turned around to find Shane holding the butt of a cigarette. The butt of a Marlboro Red. The two of them exchanged glances.
David let out a low growl. “You’ve gotta be kidding me.”
Shane bit his lower lip. “Should we just throw it out? The cops haven’t found it yet, and they won’t if we dispose of it, so there’s no harm done, right?”
David shook his head and mumbled another string of profanities. “We have to turn it in. I already texted the picture of the crime scene to Damon. If he sees that in the shot, all our asses will be hung out to dry.”
The shit just wouldn’t stop piling up for Jace, would it? David shook his head. If he thought the phone conversation had been like pissing off an angry bull, he sure as hell didn’t want to be around when Damon got hold of Jace.
* * *
J ACE MARCHED INTO the building and up the stairs. He reached his door and pressed his ear to the aged, splintery wood. Silence.
The huge knot in his stomach unraveled a little as he opened the door. Princess was still sitting on the bed, staring at him with those big brown eyes. The knot tightened again, and his stomach churned.
“Jace?” Her voice was soft and breathless—the sound of a lover’s whisper.
A jolt of electricity zipped down his spine, and his cock strained against his jeans. He loved hearing her say his name, and he longed to take her hard, claim her as his. He used every ounce of strength he possessed and forced himself to turn away. He closed the door without locking it, then walked into the “kitchen,” so he wouldn’t have to see her.
“Who were you talking about when you said you were nothing like ‘him’?” she asked.
He grabbed the whiskey again and chugged a few gulps.
“Jace?”
“Why do you care?” he barked, his words sounding more defensive than he’d intended.
“Can you just answer the question?”
He blinked several times, stunned at her boldness and her lack of fear. “How about you don’t push it further? All
Shane pulled a handkerchief from his pocket. He unfolded the dark blue material, revealing a pattern made up of the constellations. He bent next to the body and used the handkerchief to lift the girl’s hand before he glanced up.
David raised a single brow and nodded toward the handkerchief.
A deep blush ran across Shane’s cheeks. “The constellations have a lot of meaning in the occult. Besides, my grandmother gave it to me. I have to use it or she’ll get her feelings hurt.”
David chuckled. “I can’t very well fault a man for caring about his grandma. If minegave me a pink flowered jacket, you better believe I’d wear it just to please her.”
Shane fought back a smile as he rubbed the handkerchief across the girl’s hand.
David’s eyes widened. “What are you doing? Shane, you can’t tamper with the crime scene.”
Shane ignored him and continued wiping at the girl’s skin. “Trust me.” Once he managed to clear most of the blood off, he said, “Look at this, David.”
David walked forward and crouched down beside him. The faint outline of a black X was visible on the top of the victim’s hand.
Shane stared at him with a sad look in his eyes. “That’s what they put on your hand at a club if you’re under twenty-one, so then the bartender knows not to serve you. It looks like she tried to wash it off.” He shook his head. “Someone hurting a young girl like this makes my blood boil.”
David nodded. “Me too.” He stood to his full height and turned away. He didn’t know how much longer he could stand looking at this poor girl. In his field, he didn’t often deal with dead bodies. Demons used their victims and then usually left them as catatonic shells of what they’d once been. Rarely did they take the time to kill their targets. He wasn’t sure which was worse. “You have everything you need for the report?”
Shane sighed. “Yeah, I do. We can go ahead and... Hey, what’s this?”
David turned around to find Shane holding the butt of a cigarette. The butt of a Marlboro Red. The two of them exchanged glances.
David let out a low growl. “You’ve gotta be kidding me.”
Shane bit his lower lip. “Should we just throw it out? The cops haven’t found it yet, and they won’t if we dispose of it, so there’s no harm done, right?”
David shook his head and mumbled another string of profanities. “We have to turn it in. I already texted the picture of the crime scene to Damon. If he sees that in the shot, all our asses will be hung out to dry.”
The shit just wouldn’t stop piling up for Jace, would it? David shook his head. If he thought the phone conversation had been like pissing off an angry bull, he sure as hell didn’t want to be around when Damon got hold of Jace.
* * *
J ACE MARCHED INTO the building and up the stairs. He reached his door and pressed his ear to the aged, splintery wood. Silence.
The huge knot in his stomach unraveled a little as he opened the door. Princess was still sitting on the bed, staring at him with those big brown eyes. The knot tightened again, and his stomach churned.
“Jace?” Her voice was soft and breathless—the sound of a lover’s whisper.
A jolt of electricity zipped down his spine, and his cock strained against his jeans. He loved hearing her say his name, and he longed to take her hard, claim her as his. He used every ounce of strength he possessed and forced himself to turn away. He closed the door without locking it, then walked into the “kitchen,” so he wouldn’t have to see her.
“Who were you talking about when you said you were nothing like ‘him’?” she asked.
He grabbed the whiskey again and chugged a few gulps.
“Jace?”
“Why do you care?” he barked, his words sounding more defensive than he’d intended.
“Can you just answer the question?”
He blinked several times, stunned at her boldness and her lack of fear. “How about you don’t push it further? All
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