Free Alabaster Nights (The Josie Hawk Chronicles) by Elle J Rossi

go along with it. For now. Ignoring his aching shaft, he pressed a quick kiss to Josie’s grim mouth and reached for his jacket. Now that he’d fed, his hearing was acute. The sound of boots trudging through the deep snow signaled the time to move. Their attackers were less than two blocks away.
    “Going somewhere?” she asked, all rasp gone from her voice.
    “I’m assuming you would like to take this fight to the streets.”
    “Yeah. I guess so.” She turned and opened the top drawer of her dresser. She picked out two more blades and tucked one into each boot. “Help yourself,” she said with a flick of her hand.
    “No, thanks.” He’d never been fond of using weapons. He preferred speed, agility and his bare hands.
    Josie lifted a shoulder absently. “Suit yourself.”
    Keller opened the door and stepped into the hallway before Josie. He heard her mumbling something about manners and chose to ignore it. Protection overrode manners.
    “We need to lure them away from these buildings,” Josie said, all business now. “They’re full of residents.”
    She was right, of course. Blizzard or not, Keller knew the warlocks wouldn’t give up easily. And if they were as bloodthirsty as Josie said, they wouldn’t care who they hurt in the process. “You know the area better than I. Any suggestions?”
    Josie marched past him. “Yep. Follow me.”
    Keller grabbed her arm and pulled her back.
    “You need to take your hands off me,” she snapped. The tip of her blade bit into his chin.
    She was quick. He hadn’t seen her pull the weapon. Keller released her elbow and lifted his hands in a surrender fashion. “I’ll make you a deal.”
    Josie shook her head. Her braid thumped against her collarbone. “No. I’m tired of deals. They don’t work for us.”
    Keller quirked a half smile. “I beg to differ.”
    “Of course you do.”
    Patience , he told himself. “Is it too much to ask that you allow me to take the lead on this one?”
    “Yes. It’s too much.” She punched the wall. “You’re too much.”
    Keller understood the root cause of her frustration. Josie was used to doing things on her own. He wouldn’t change that in a day. Arguing with her was futile. Keller took the initiative and flashed down the stairs. Cold air smacked him in the face as he rounded the corner. The front door stood wide open, snow drifting into the lobby. The lack of footprints eased his mind. Josie’s anger slammed into his backside a second before she skidded to a halt.
    “Not cool, Irish.”
    Turning, he cut off her next words with a heated kiss. “I don’t always play fair, Josephine.”
    Her frustrated bellow made him laugh. Now that he felt like himself again—better even—the future looked promising. Once they finished with the unfortunate and untimely warlock business, he and Josie could get back to more pleasurable things.
    As she stomped past him, Keller smacked her on the ass. “Ready to show me what you’re made of?”
    Turning, her eyes glittered with renewed excitement. “That a challenge?”
    Keller smiled, full on, feeding off her energy. “Let’s hunt, Huntress.”
    They trudged through snow that came up to his calves and her knees. Three minutes later, they’d only progressed about twenty feet or so and they’d run out of time. “I need you to tell me exactly where you want this to play out.”
    “Why?” Josie asked, slightly winded. “We’ll get there… eventually.”
    Keller gripped her shoulders and turned her ninety degrees. A line of warlocks stood less than a block away, their hands outstretched, their demons snorting and salivating. A magickal wave of dark energy pulsed from their fingers. “That’s why.”
    “Shit.”
    Keller watched as they pulled power toward them. Light bulbs burst overhead. “Agreed. They’re using any energy they can find and getting stronger. Moving in this snow won’t be a problem for them much longer. Now where, Josie?”
    Leaning in, she whispered the