Page 26 of Gray

Whatdidhelp? Killing shit.

Sighing, I sat on the edge of the bed and rubbed the tight muscles of my neck. The people in the room beside mine thumped music, their voices bleeding through the thin walls.

My phone dinged.

Scar:You never did give me the deets on the crazy demon hag. You’re alive, so I’m guessing it went well.

I had checked in with Scarlett the other night just to tell her I’d made it back to my motel room in one piece but hadn’t given any specifics on the hunt. I was having trouble processing it.

Me:Between us, I had help.

Scar:Nephilim help?

Me:That obvious?

Scar:To me? Yes. But only bcuz I know you, Hawk. You don’t casually bring shit up. There’s always a reason. If you’re asking about Nephilim, it’s bcuz you came across one.

One? Try three. But I kept that to myself. I was sure I’d tell her more in time, but for now, I planned to keep it close to my chest. At least until I knew more.

Me:How’s Kevin doing?

Her husband was in the army and currently deployed. He knew that she hunted monsters—it was how they’d met. She’d saved him from a vamp attack. They were both fighting for the good of the people. In their own way.

Scar:I just got the news that he’s coming home soon! Two more weeks. I can’t wait.

Me:That’s great.

A moan came through the wall. Awesome. A party was raging on one side of me, and people were banging on the other. And I was stuck in the middle, forced to listen to it all. I checked the time on my phone. 8:30 now.

Fuck this shit.

I grabbed my jacket and made sure I had my wallet and keys before leaving the room and locking the door behind me. The cool air after being in the stuffy room was nice, so I decided to walk instead of drive. Wasn’t like I knew where I was going anyway. Stretching my legs, getting some fresh air, might help me sort out the crap in my head.

In the day, Echo Bay was a charming, sleepy place. But at night? It came alive. Neon signs flashed above bars, welcoming in patrons, and when the door opened, music spilled out into the night before muffling once it closed again.

I stuck my hands in my pockets and took in the sights.

An older couple walked down the sidewalk, holding takeout bags from the nearby Chinese restaurant. Teenagers gathered outside the movie theater up ahead, the marquee highlighting a new romance movie.

What would it be like to settle down in a place like this? Not that settling down anywhere was in the cards for me. I went where I was needed. However, I let the fantasy take me over as I walked downtown.

If I quit hunting, maybe I’d become a mechanic—some kind of job that let me work with my hands, get dirty. Hell, I could even work on a fishing boat like the bullshit story I’d told Lily. I would find a house and meet a sweet guy, get married, and the only thing I’d have to worry about was whether or not I remembered to pick up milk from the store on my way home.

Yeah, right.My hand had been dealt in life, and my only option was to play until the game ended. That end being me six feet under.

“Good evening.”

A man leaned against the wall of an old brick building. I’d been so lost in my head that I hadn’t realized I’d walked so far from the busier part of downtown. The end of the street mostly consisted of boarded-up buildings or ones with For Lease pasted across the door.

I had a knife stashed in my jacket, another in my boot, and a gun tucked into the back of my jeans. I also had my bare hands—which certainly knew how to take a man down if this fool planned to try anything.

The man clicked his tongue. “Such poor manners.”

“Who the hell are you?”

“You can call me Phoenix.” He pushed away from the wall and stepped under the streetlight, revealing a head of auburn hair and pale skin. He was around six feet and had a lean yet muscled frame. Like a swimmer’s body. He was handsome in an unnatural way, his features too perfect. Definitely not human.

“So what are you? Vamp? Shifter?”