Revenge Is Sweet, A Kali Sweet Urban Fantasy story
ISBN: 978-1-4657-8653-1

 

Payback is a bitch and her name is Kali Sweet...

 

I’m Kali Sweet, the best damn vengeance demon on earth. I work for the supernatural world’s Justice Department and protect innocent humans from otherworldly creatures like me. While I can’t take revenge for myself, I make sure justice is done for others.

But when my latest run-in with Chicago’s vampire king backfires, the fallout leaves me with three big problems: a powerful Undead enemy who wants my head, my boss looking over my shoulder, and three personal blood slaves jeopardizing my reputation.

One of those slaves happens to be sexy rock star Radison Beaumont – the half-human, half-chaos demon who left me at the altar three hundred years ago. Even if he does need my blood now to survive, Rad and I will always be enemies.

Especially since he’s joined an ancient society of demon killers—and I’m the number one demon on their most wanted list.

Excerpt:
Chicago is a gray city six months out of the year. Gray sky, gray lake, gray buildings. When the sun breaks through the winter gloom, the sky sports a beautiful, sharp blue canvas, but even then, the lake and the buildings remain gray. And no matter what time of year, there’s a pall that hangs over this entire part of the state. Most humans can’t see it, but I can. A lot of evil has been done here.

Those nights I made it home by sunrise, I sat on the highest roof line of the church to watch. The building had been modeled after a castle in Ireland, complete with crenellations and a bell tower. On a normal morning, I sat in the tower and watched the sun rise to catch the array of colors and appreciate something most humans took for granted.

That morning, I had to stay inside for more reasons than one. Staying out of the line of pissed vamp fire was the least of them. I could think better on the roof and being forced to remain inside made my skin itch. I needed fresh air and sunshine, not the claustrophobia of stone walls and too many beings downstairs.

Changing out of my business attire, I exchanged the skirt and blouse for pants and a long sleeve turtleneck. I spread my cape on the bed, rearranged the weapons inside and then checked my stash under the bed. I was low on holy water and stakes and I wanted one of those stun batons like Nudra’s mercs had used on me. That thing packed a punch and there was one person in particular I wanted to use it on. Later, after I sorted out a couple of things, I was going shopping. Nudra’s office at the Madhouse would be my first stop. His residence, the second. I bet he had some fun weapons hidden in both places.

Lying on the bed and staring at the high ceiling, I stroked a long stake from my armory. Premium cherry wood, it was hard and strong and sanded to the smoothest finish to make sliding into a heart even easier.

Cherry makes a heavy stake, too heavy for carrying in my cape, but this one was utter perfection in home security. Best of all, I got the premium cherry stakes from an eco-friendly supplier right there in Chicago. From growing to harvesting to manufacturing, the wood had been handled with a focus on sustainability. The Earth was precious. Another point most humans didn’t appreciate. Spend a little time in hell and you’re glad for anything that isn’t.

Of course, if Lilith was truly walking the Earth again, sustainability was a moot point. She would give a whole new meaning to deforestation and global warming.

As I stroked the smooth wood under my hands, there were a couple of things bothering me. Besides the biggies. How had Victoria found where I lived? What was Arman doing with his new powers? Why hadn’t Rad killed me when he’d had the chance?

I could smell the bold, rich scent of fresh coffee floating up from downstairs. I couldn’t remember the last time I’d eaten and I hadn’t even had a sip of water after my workout with Cole. Sliding off the bed, I stood in the long hall, listening for Rad’s voice and hearing nothing. I sniffed the air, but only the coffee aroma filled my nose. No salty ocean scent, no briny squall smell.

He was gone.

Grabbing my cape, I went downstairs, straight to the kitchen. A cup of steaming coffee waited for me. At the sink, I took a couple of sips and stared out the window at the graveyard. Gray and purple shadows stared back. A mass of ancient scrub oaks, scrawny pines and leafless maples created a canopy over the old grave markers, most of which had long ago been covered in grass and moss. Wild grape vines and tangled brush created a natural fence, keeping humans out. A magical barrier I’d constructed a hundred years ago when I settled here kept the ghosts in. In other words, a magical condom.

“I still don’t get why you want to live in a church.” Rad’s voice startled me so bad I dropped the cup in the sink, shattering it. He didn’t seem to notice. “Can’t the Bridge Council set you up in nicer digs? With everything you do for them, you’re entitled to a better place than this.”

I couldn’t look at him for fear I’d unload every weapon in my cape and then some. Instead I stared at the busted cup and seethed as the coffee spread and stained the white porcelain. Why was he still here? How dare he criticize my home? I wanted to yell but my voice came out low, controlled. “What are you still doing here?”

Rad heard the dangerous undercurrent in my tone. “You have every right to be mad, K, but I’m not leaving until I’ve said what I came to say.”

Mad? “I’m beyond mad. I’m furious. Nothing you say will change that.”

Behind me, the phone on the wall rang, its loud blare seeming to jump between us like a barrier as thick and impenetrable as the fence around the graveyard.

The thick stone walls of the castle made cell phone reception difficult. Add my magical shield and glamours, and it was impossible. Hence, a landline was necessary.

As I lifted the handset, Cole and Victoria entered the kitchen, eyes on me. Typically the only two people who ever called me at home were Di and JR. Occasionally Damon. Caller ID said, “office”, so it had to be one of my Sweet Investigation employees. “Yo,” I answered.

Di’s voice came through the line in a strained whisper. “Why aren’t you here yet?”

The hairs on the back of my neck rose. “What’s going on?”

“Lilith, as in the Lilith of hell fame, is sitting in the waiting room. Said she’s here to see you.”
I grabbed the edge of the sink with my free hand, swallowed the sudden metallic taste in my mouth and tried to sound casual. “Did she say why she wanted to see me?”

A muffled sound came from Di’s end, like she was cupping a hand over the phone for a second. I heard the squeak of a door shutting, then she came back on. “She says she has a job for Sweet Investigations. You’re the only one she’ll deal with.”

A job. Oh goodie. “Listen, Di, here’s what I want you to do. Get out of there, now. Is JR there?”
“No. I had to send him to Chloe’s for some blood.”

“What?” Holy hell and then some. Chloe was a Tempter demon who ensnared supernatural creatures as well as humans and took their blood. Similar to a vampire but she never turned the humans into the Undead or killed them. She simply ran a blood bank that supplied the entire Northern Illinois region, and she did it with coerced volunteers. If you needed O-neg for a ritual or you were a vamp in the twelve-step no-feeding-on-live-humans program, Chloe was your girl. Anyone who came to her to buy was also asked to give. If you needed a pint of blood for your ritual, you had to donate the same. The Bridge left her alone for the most part because her services, while unconventional, kept a lot of supernaturals from killing humans or each other for blood.

Her place was located in a skeezy section of downtown and housed under a strip club that also catered to the supernatural crowd. Easier to ensnare the volunteers she needed for her business, but not exactly the place to send my techhead office assistant. My human techhead office assistant. “What do you need blood for?”

“Her Highness requested warm blood instead of coffee or tea.”

I leaned over the sink in case the two sips of coffee I’d had made a hasty comeback. Cole stepped closer to me, a deep frown on his face. Rad was frowning too.

The only one in the room not worried or scared to death was Victoria. She was smiling, a strange and eerie light in her eyes. I moved the mouthpiece away from lips and glared at her. “How did Lilith know about me and Sweet Investigations?”

Vicky gave me a condescending look. “She asked how I managed to raise her, what help I had. I might have mentioned you.”

“Did you mention where I lived or just where I worked?”

“Neither. I told her your name, that’s all. Yours and Nudra’s.”

“Wait a minute,” Cole said, eyes darting back and forth between us. He’d heard through the Bridge grapevine that I’d had a run-in with Nudra and the vamp ended up dead. He didn’t know about the blood slave issue, though. “What exactly happened at Nudra’s compound? You didn’t…he didn’t…”

“I’ll explain later.” I spoke into the phone again. “Di, you have to get out of there right now. Lilith is the mother of demons. She can level that entire place with the blink of an eye.”

“Chill, Kali. I know who she is, and I’ve got everything under control. When JR gets back with the blood, I’ll send him home, but I’m staying. She’s not getting run of the office with no one here, and I’m not leaving you alone with her. If you’re coming in, that is.”

She was so stubborn. One of the reasons I adored her. “Don’t even look at her, okay? Nothing. Eyes averted and don’t ask her any questions. She’ll peel the skin of your body in strips. And then she’ll start the real torture.”

“Pul-leez. I’m a goddess for heaven’s sake. I can handle her.”

There was stubborn and then there was stupid. I loved Di, but sometimes she could be so naïve. “You’re the frickin’ goddess of love! You get into a pissing contest with Lilith and she’ll deep fry you.”

“Kali, Kali, Kali. The only true weapon against evil is love. I’ll be fine. You’re the one I’m worried about. You definitely don’t have enough love in you or around you. You really should open your heart to Radison. Give love another shot.”

So not what I needed right now, a lecture on my love life. “This is not some Harry Potter movie, Aphrodite. Love will not conquer evil and leave you with a cool scar on your forehead if you challenge her. You could end up in hell with her pulling your guts out one intestine at a time and roasting them over hot coals while you watch.”

Although her voice was still lowered, it now took on a hint of amusement. “You seem to know Lilith quite well.”

I’d been born on Earth and had never visited the depths of hell. It wasn’t exactly a vacation destination, even for demons. “I’ve never met her, but I know fellow demons who’ve gone to hell and come back. I’ve heard stories. Believe me, this is no game. You spit cupid arrows and write love sonnets, Di. Lilith eats babies for breakfast.”

“Fine. I’ll put Resident Evil on the Blu-ray in the waiting room and when JR gets back with her blood, I’ll give her some in a fancy glass and clear out.” She sighed as if I were the one being irresponsible. “You’ll be okay?”

I glanced at my two bodyguards and the witch whose ass I was going to kick. “Just leave as soon as you can. I’m on my way.”

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