Lethal Blow: (Succubus Hitwoman Book 2) by Eliza Hendrix (love books to read TXT) 📕

She smirks. “Perhaps when all of this is over.”

“What?” I say. “All you’ve given me is a name. What the hell am I supposed to do with that? I thought we were partners.”

Drax wrinkles his nose. “Partners?”

The guy must think I’ve lost my mind. I don’t partner up with anyone… ever. He once called me his partner in crime and I punched him in the face. Getting close to people isn’t my thing—I’m immortal; it’s too complicated. And teaming up with a vampire? Now that’s ludicrous.

But as afraid as I am of getting close to Veerka again, I can’t seem to help myself. There’s something so damn magnetic about her.

Ignoring Drax, I turn to Rachel. “Think you can create another portal?”

She gives me big eyes and a slack jaw—a look that I assume means, Are you kidding me? After what just happened?

“We need to get Veerka back to San Halos, Rachel. Lucius—” I stop, realizing Rachel knows nothing about the vampire hierarchy. “Her boyfriend’s the vampire in charge of San Halos, which means he’s powerful and has plenty of vampires willing to do anything for him.”

“Like break into your apartment looking for you two? And what do you mean, her boyfriend? Aren’t you two lesbians?”

What the fuck? Where’s that coming from? I give Veerka a side-glance but don’t say anything. Is it that obvious that something’s going on between us?

“Would you make her the damn portal?” I say.

Rachel raises two hands on either side of her face. “Geez, okay. I assume you’re going back to the hotel? I already have that location—”

“Yeah,” I cut her off.

I’m not sure where my anger’s coming from. Maybe it’s because Veerka’s leaving, I have no idea when I’ll see her again, and she’s going back to her fucking boyfriend.

My teeth squeak as I clench my jaw.

Rachel reaches into a little pouch at her side, pulls out a pinch of powder, and starts talking gibberish again. Riskus does the same as Rachel extracts her wand and together, they recite some incoherent lines.

She twirls her wand in a circular motion, and a blue light spits out from the tip.

Well, that’s new.

How much has she been practicing over the last week? The thought is a bit frightening. It means she’s been dabbling with the magic from the Book of Origin. She summoned a goddamn griffin, for crying out loud. What the fuck else did she unleash into the world?

It still blows my mind that this kid has the Book of Origin. What was I thinking? I was so selfish in wanting my money from Jamieson that I downplayed the severity of the situation.

I should have left it in my chest where it was safe. Not only will Jamieson and Lucius now hunt for it, but I’m thinking it has made its existence known to countless shadow dwellers.

As Rachel twirls her wand in the air, a large oval shape takes form. She glances back at me, and then at Veerka. “It’s ready. It’ll take you right outside of the Lotus Hotel, in the back alley.”

When Veerka steps toward her, I can’t help but open my big mouth. “Wait.”

She turns back, a foreign sadness in her eyes. This whole time, I thought vampires had no feelings—that they were nothing but predatory, empty shells. Veerka is still the same person I knew, but a lot paler and more badass.

I walk toward her, and although I want to grab her by the neck and kiss her, I don’t. Instead, I extract my wrist blade and cut three lines in her dress.

“Alexis!” she shouts.

“Relax,” I say, tugging at the holes. They rip wide, one of them tearing beneath her right breast. With my fingers still wrapped around the torn fabric of her clothes, I can’t help but stare.

Her skin is so smooth… so soft-looking that I’m drawn back to last night. I replay everything in my mind, taking in every inch of her naked body as she begs me to go harder.

Drax clears his throat, pulling me out of my fantasy.

I stiffen and force an uncomfortable smile. “Um… There, that’s better.”

Veerka wrinkles her nose and points at her ruined dress. “How is this any better? You’ve made me look homeless, Alexis!”

“They can’t suspect you ran away,” I say. “Tell them you were kidnapped for your necklace.”

She rolls her eyes the way she always does when she thinks I’m being overdramatic. “I’ve been with you for a week, Alexis. Why on Earth would anyone kidnap someone to steal jewelry? My kidnapper could have tied me up and taken the necklace without kidnapping me for so long. I mean, that sounds preposterous.”

Tie you up… Yeah, I’ll tie you up, all right. I’ll tear the rest of that dress off, too, then strap you to a bed and spread apart those perfect legs of yours. Then, with my tongue—

“Alexis,” Veerka says sharply.

I clear my throat. “Okay. Tell them I took you hostage for information, and you refused to give me anything. Then, the second you had the chance, you attacked me and ran away.”

Her stunning smile returns. “Don’t worry about me, Alexis. I’ll know how to handle Lucius.”

Yeah, I bet she does, which is why I hate that she’s going back.

Fighting the urge to make some immature remark about how I’m better in bed, I ball my fists. “All right, go. I’ll find whatsherface and go from there.”

Veerka looks a bit concerned. “You do remember her name, don’t you?”

“Yeah, yeah, go.”

I’m playing it off cool, but inside, I feel like I’m being torn apart. This is why I don’t let myself care for anyone. I go fucking insane. I don’t know when I’ll see her again, and all I can think about is that piece of shit Lucius putting his nasty hands