Death's Door (Supernatural Security Force Book 3) Read online

  Table of Contents

  Title Page

  Keep in Touch

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  Chapter Eight

  Chapter Nine

  Chapter Ten

  Chapter Eleven

  Chapter Twelve

  Chapter Thirteen

  Chapter Fourteen

  Chapter Fifteen

  Chapter Sixteen

  Chapter Seventeen

  Chapter Eighteen

  Chapter Nineteen

  Chapter Twenty

  Chapter Twenty-One

  About the Author

  Death’s Door

  Supernatural Security Series book 3

  By Heather Hildenbrand

  ©2020

  All Rights Reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods, without the prior written consent of the publisher.

  This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are a product of the authors’ imagination or used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, either living or dead, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.

  This eBook is licensed for your personal enjoyment. This eBook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. If you’re reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please return it and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of the authors.

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  Chapter One

  My lips felt like holy ground. Angel balls, my Neph could kiss. Okay, not my Neph. A Neph. Adrik Romanov, fallen angel and agent of salvation against the demons that haunted the Earth. Damn. That hottie could work a mouth like no one’s business.

  When Adrik’s tongue invaded my mouth, I nearly shapeshifted my panties right into melted butter.

  In his arms, I forgot all about the fact that we’d just witnessed Selaphiel, an all-powerful Nephilim who was supposed to be committed to snuffing out demons alongside her brother, summon two of them and give them orders to kill the man I was currently playing tonsil-hockey with.

  Okay, forgot was a strong word.

  Put aside, maybe.

  Because . . . priorities.

  My lady parts were going to fall off if I didn’t take this kiss as far as it could go.

  By the time we broke apart, I was ready to convert to a new religion, and I was tentatively dubbing it “Adrik-worship.”

  I was also a little bummed he’d let go of me.

  Swaying, I stared up into eyes dark as nightmares and shuddered with desire. The New Orleans night sky was nothing compared to the vast depths of Adrik’s eyes. And when he turned their full power on me, I was helpless to resist.

  I licked my lips and noted the way his gaze darted down to watch me do it.

  “That was . . .”

  “Dangerous,” he said with a frown, his gaze lifting to mine again.

  My eyes narrowed. “Not the compliment I was hoping for.”

  He softened, brushing rough knuckles tenderly over my flushed cheek. “I can assure you it was very pleasurable. But I won’t put you at risk.”

  I arched a brow. “Are you worried about letting your guard down long enough for your crazy sister to try to kill us or that your otherworldly lips might just pleasure me to death?”

  His eyes danced. “Yes.”

  “Fair enough.” I stepped back far enough to hopefully reassemble the pieces of my brain that could still function after a make-out session like that. “Let’s focus more on the pleasure part, less on the risk part.”

  I knew the rumors.

  Sex with a Neph was life-changing. Or life-ending. Tomato, potato.

  I was willing to take my chances.

  Amusement shone back at me from his midnight eyes, but he remained unmoved. “Gem, we can’t stay here. We’re exposed.”

  Not nearly as exposed as I wanted to be.

  But he had a point.

  “Your place?” I suggested, still hopeful.

  His lips twitched. “I have houseguests.”

  Wolfrick. And Tony. One was a wolf demon from hell—literally. The other was a werewolf-turned-Smurf, thanks to being shot up with demon poison by the SSF’s science lab. Both were my friends.

  I shrugged. “As long as you don’t mind a few puddles of demon guts, we can go to my place.”

  Adrik’s eyes narrowed. “Explain.”

  “Uh,” I hedged, realizing I’d said too much. “You want to know why there’s demon guts at my apartment? Or how I know that for sure?”

  “Yes.”

  Damn.

  There went the mood.

  “I might have made a pit stop earlier.”

  He cast his eyes skyward. Either an eye roll or plea for intervention from the Big Guy. I couldn’t be sure.

  “Tell me no one saw you,” he said.

  “Of course not. No one except the demon who attacked me, but he’s not an issue anymore. Oh, and Faith Burkhart.”

  I left Starla out of it.

  We’d said no more secrets, but I wasn’t lying so much as waiting for the best time to explain how I’d been working as a double agent, spying on the spies. It was non-essential information at this point.

  “The daughter of the chief lab tech at the SSF?” he asked.

  I nodded, wincing. “Yeah.”

  “What was she doing at your apartment?”

  “It’s a long story.” I glanced down at the darkened alley. By now, the demons and their masters, Selaphiel and Rourke—my warlock neighbor, of all people, was apparently helping the bitch—were all gone. If we were going to track them down and put a stop to their evil plan, we needed to get moving.

  Adrik’s expression hardened with impatience, and a burst of power began to radiate from him.

  “And a story I very much want to tell you, obviously,” I added, “But shouldn’t we track those demons first? You know, the ones with orders to kill you? Or maybe go deal with your psycho-sis who just put a hit out on you?”

  He grumbled something about “talking my way out of a paper bag,” and I pressed my lips together to keep from smiling.

  “Fine. We’ll talk about it after I’m done dealing with the demons—”

  “Whoa. You mean after we are done dealing with the demons.”

  “Gem, this is too dangerous.”

  “Actually, out of the two of us, I’m the most trained in demon-fighting. Technically speaking. So if anyone should stay behind, it’s…”

  One glance at his glower, and I decided not to finish that sentence.

  “We’ll go together,” I said instead, and when he didn’t outright argue, I knew I’d won.

  My phone vibrated, but I ignored it. Whoever was on the other end would undoubtedly demand an explanation I didn’t want to give right now. Namely, how in the hell I’d managed to slip out of Jax’s well-staffed and secured compound unnoticed earlier tonight.

  A compound currently inhabited by an alpha panther with a crush on me, my BFF fae who had a built-in lie detector in his brain, and my secret demon baby who noticed everything. Not to mention Jax’s muscle-bound minions who patrolled the place.

  I couldn’t afford to out Azrael for helping me escape. Not if I wanted to possibly use his handy
little trick again sometime.

  “Come on.” Adrik held out his arms for me, and while I didn’t exactly mind the idea of pressing my body against his again, I hesitated.

  “What are you doing?” I asked.

  “I’m going to track them from the air,” he explained, unfurling his massive black wings. “And I’m not going to let you out of my sight.”

  “You want to carry me?”

  I wasn’t well-versed in Nephilim culture, but from the little I knew, being carried in the arms of one was a huge honor. Usually reserved for mates.

  His offer reminded me of Jax and his alpha’s desire to claim me. My heart fluttered. My loins clenched.

  Whoa there, desire train. We’re getting a little off-track.

  “If you’d let me,” he said quietly, and my lady parts hummed a tune that sounded a lot like “Pony” by Ginuwine.

  Shit.

  “How about I shift and fly myself? That way, we’re both free to fight if we need to.”

  I watched closely, gauging his disappointment, but he merely nodded. “Are you ready?”

  I shifted into my griffin before I could re-think my own plan.

  In no time, we were airborne, and I shoved away all thoughts of my kiss with Adrik and the bajillion rabbit holes my thoughts wanted to take me down. There was plenty of time for overthinking this whole thing later.

  Adrik took the lead, and I let him since his demon-tracking skills were better than mine. Not that I’d ever admit that to him out loud.

  The figures that still moved on the streets below were too small to identify and too far away for my fae senses to lock onto. It was peaceful. Or it would have been if we weren’t looking for two murderous demons, a shady warlock, and a Barbie-esque Nephilim bitch, all intent on killing the guy I was crushing on. That was a bummer of a mood.

  For the next hour, we searched from the sky.

  I’d almost given up on finding either of the demon hitmen when Adrik suddenly nosedived toward the ground.

  I followed, swooping in a low arc and landing just as Adrik slammed into the bull-man demon I’d seen earlier.

  He let out a bellowing cry as Adrik knocked him to the ground, and for a moment, all I could make out was a blur of movement obscured by Adrik’s impossibly large wings. When the bull let out a gut-wrenching bellow, I decided Adrik had this one locked.

  Time to locate the second hitman. Or hitwoman.

  The empty lot we’d landed in reeked of sulfur, and I suspected the hag I’d seen earlier wasn’t far away. Sticking to the shadows, I crept along the wall of the building at the lot’s edge, using my griffin’s heightened senses.

  At the mouth of a small alley, something scuffed in the gravel.

  I hesitated, glancing over my shoulder at where Adrik and the bull still fought. The sounds of grunting were broken only by the bull’s bellows of pain. I took that as a good sign Adrik still had it under control and crept closer to the noise ahead.

  Peering into the alley, I froze.

  Not the hag-demon then.

  “Hello, Gemini.”

  I scowled, which wasn’t an easy thing when you had a beak. My griffin faded, giving way to my human-like fae form, and the moment I had teeth again, I bared them at her.

  “Selaphiel.” I snorted, eyes narrowed. “You’ve got some big lady-balls.”

  Her perfect mouth turned downward in a frown. “Pardon me, but what are lady-balls?”

  I wasn’t even touching that one.

  “I watched you in the alley with Rourke. You’re so busted. How could you order the murder of your own brother?” I demanded.

  Her confusion vanished, replaced by an innocent beauty that stunned like that moment of stillness right before a predator’s strike. Why did she have to be so damn gorgeous? It was hard to concentrate. At least Raguel was handsome in a gross, slippery way that didn’t make me drool when I was supposed to be shit-talking him.

  Speaking of which, I swiped my chin just in case.

  “That’s between me and Adrik,” she said way too sweetly.

  “And the demon who’s currently trying to kill him behind me,” I added.

  She took a step toward me, and every single cell in me became suddenly aware of the immense and utter power she possessed.

  “That demon is only sending a message. I knew when I summoned him that he wouldn’t be strong enough to harm my brother.”

  “Then why the hell go to the trouble, lady? You’ve got nothing better to do than summon murder monsters all day? Is this what Nephilim sibling rivalry is like?”

  “Adrik and I have a millennium of history you wouldn’t understand,” she snarled. “My brother was gifted with the power of death, and how has he used it? To patronize and restrict me from unleashing my own true nature. I warned him I wouldn’t tolerate any more coddling or his pathetic attempts to shield me. His refusal to embrace his birthright is a destruction he has brought upon himself.”

  “Let me get this straight. He was an overprotective brother and now you’re trying to prove you can take care of yourself by killing him? You’re supposed to kill demons, not each other.”

  Not that I wanted her killing demons, either. Some of them, like Wolfrick, could be reasoned with. But I had a feeling now wasn’t the time to point that out.

  “My kind possesses a power unparalleled by any mere supe creature. We are capable of so much more than guard duty to the pathetic races of supes—or worse, humans,” she scoffed. “Living on this god-forsaken planet is an insult. A punishment I intend to remedy just as soon as I’ve shown the Powers-that-be what we’re capable of.”

  “Hold up. You want the Big Guy Upstairs to decide you deserve a promotion for dealing with big, scary demons?”

  She sniffed, looking down her perfect little nose at me. “I don’t expect you to understand.”

  “You’re right. My daddy issues don’t even come close to yours.”

  Her eyes narrowed, and wind whipped her hair as temper overtook her control. “You’re brave, Gem. Standing up to me. I could crush you like the bug that you are with nothing more than a flick of my wrist.”

  “The fact that you haven’t done it yet suggests you care more about your brother than you’re letting on,” I said, hoping like hell I wasn’t wrong about my hunch.

  Her lips curved in a perfect smile. “Or maybe I’m just savoring the victory.”

  She took another step closer.

  More power rolled off her and into me.

  Damn her for calling my bluff.

  I nodded toward the fight still raging behind me. “This won’t work. Adrik isn’t going to let you get away with this.”

  “He won’t be a problem much longer.”

  “What does that mean? You just said the bull demon was no match—”

  “I didn’t come here to explain myself to my brother’s pet.”

  “Then why did you come here?” I asked.

  Her eyes gleamed as power gathered around her. “To stop my brother’s attempts at heroism in their tracks the only way I can,” she said like it was the most obvious thing in the world. “I’m going to kill you.”

  The burst of power she unleashed hit me like the force of a battering ram. I flew backward, landing hard on my back. Pain exploded in my head as my skull thudded against the pavement. A grunt tore from me as my back and hips absorbed the brunt of my fall. My breath whooshed out, and I blinked furiously against the darkness that threatened to suck me under.

  What. The. Fuck.

  I shook my head to clear it and was pretty sure my brain rattled.

  Gingerly, I pressed my fingers against the back of my head. They came away coated in blood.

  Shit.

  With painful movements, I strained to get my elbows underneath me, praying that first blow had drained the bitch.

  Unfortunately, the universe had decided to hate me today.

  Selaphiel stalked closer to where I lay, her steps confident and lacking any shred of the exhaustion weighing
me down.

  Another blast of power unleashed from her hands just as I heaved my body weight and managed to roll out of its path. I glimpsed a small puddle of blood where I’d landed earlier. Dammit, I’d been hurt worse than I thought. Fighting any longer in this body wasn’t an option.

  Summoning the last of my magic, I called up what I hoped was enough juice left—and shifted. My exoskeleton crackled, and my wings hummed.

  Selaphiel let out a shrill yell.

  “Get back here you little bitch. Face me!”

  I shoved my tiny little June bug body upward as hard as I could.

  My muscles buzzed, and my tiny bug limbs flooded with magic and cells and power way too big to be contained this way.

  Holy shit.

  Everything spun, and twice I thought I was flying upward only to catch myself spiraling toward the pavement below.

  Catching myself just before I could splat into a puddle of bug guts, I forced my wings to work and flew for everything I was worth.

  “Gemini,” Selaphiel called in a voice meant to sound friendly but instead sounded completely batshit crazy. “I’m disappointed you’re hiding from me. At least your father had the guts to face me at the end.”

  My breath caught, and I froze, my wings stalling and nearly sending me into a face splat on the pavement below.

  What?

  From the alley, a roar bellowed, and this time, I was pretty sure it hadn’t come from the bull.

  I managed to get myself moving again just as a blur of black wings shot toward Selaphiel. She went careening backward, screaming and shrieking as she tried to get free from the solid wall that was Adrik.

  Even with the angel-bitch occupied, I reeled from her last comment and barely managed to stay airborne. At this rate, I was never going to make it to the safety of the roof I’d aimed at. Instead, I found a spot on a windowsill and landed on the cold, rough brick. My wings drooped, and I sank to my bug-belly, listening to the sounds of a heated battle below.

  “Gem?” Adrik called between grunts and shrieks.

  I tried to answer, but I was barely hanging onto consciousness. There was no way I had the volume to be heard above the raucous they were making.

  “She’s gone, brother. And you’re better off,” Selaphiel said.