Page 5 of Seducing Hope (The Hope Legacy)

After New York, my world combusted with the knowledge that we aren’t the only species at the apex of the food chain, and we were in fact being hunted, preyed upon, and used as fodder for a wide host of supernatural beings that enjoy toying with human lives. Decisions were made, life-altering ones, which led me and Duncan to a fast friendship and a joint interest in protecting humankind. We aren’t without our own power; with the support of an international secret government agency, my enhanced senses, and Duncan’s magic, we are a force to be feared and admired.

Something shifts in the distance. I squint as a dark figure emerges from around the corner before disappearing into the front entrance of the warehouse. “Is that our mark?”

Duncan follows my focused gaze. “I can’t tell… Let’s wait—”

I jump out of the car. “Let’s not.”

Duncan utters a curse and follows me, but waits outside. Entering the warehouse through the back door, I get my first glimpse of our target lounging against some old wooden pallets—a bald, stocky guy in his fifties with mean-looking tattoos decorating his skull and neck. He resembles an ex-cage fighter with a name like “The Destroyer” or “Knuckle Duster.” I move forward at a casual pace, my heavy footsteps echoing throughout the expansive room, announcing my presence.

Knuckle Duster (yes, that’s the nickname I’m going with) pulls himself up to his full height, using the pallets as leverage, and saunters toward me, his hand prematurely outstretched. “You must be Dana. Where’s your colleague? Fox, right?”

“Really, anX-Filesreference?” Duncan chuckles into the earpiece.

I smile and keep focused on him. “He’s running late,” I answer.

His eyes flick to the tops of the swords sheathed at my back. He smirks and shakes his head as two other people stroll through the door and flank him.

“They think the joke is on us,” I mutter under my breath so only Duncan will hear.

“Help?” Duncan enquires.

“Not yet. You need to be our surprise.”

“So, Dana,” Knuckle Duster drawls, “you’re not here for business, are you?”

I halt my approach, leaving twenty meters between us. “Depends on your definition of business. For me, that’s precisely what this is.”

The man on the left skims his eyes over my body. “She’s tiny, boss. Let’s just kill her and go back to the bar.”

“Agreed!” the woman on the right exclaims, examining her fingernails.

Knuckle Duster waves his hand toward me with a bored expression. “Go ahead.”

The woman drops her hand and gives me a slow, sly grin. She prowls toward me, her lithe body making her movements almost cat-like.

I smirk, which wipes the grin off her face. Clearly, she expected me to be scared. My heightened senses feel the shift in air currents, alerting me to her attack, and the flex of her arm muscles gives away her first move. I duck as her fist whizzes over my head and hammer mine into her stomach, sending her sprawling.

She rights herself and flips her ice blonde hair over her shoulder. I meet her calculating gaze as she analyzes my body. Her movements are quicker this time, but I anticipate the strike, my forearms taking the brunt of a double kick. I catch her foot and twist to the side, flipping her over.

She hits the floor with a heavy thud and lets out a sharp breath as the air is knocked out of her lungs.

“Help?” Duncan enquires again.

Standing over her unmoving body, I reach for my sword.

Before I can raise my arm all the way, she snaps her legs around my neck, cutting off my air, and tries to pull me to the ground.

I lean back, taking her with me so she’s straddling my shoulders like a kid at a concert.

She sends her weight backward, flipping me over her. I groan as my head bounces on the floor.

“I’m good,” I grunt to Duncan, springing to my feet.

“Get in there,” Knuckle Duster snarls to the woman’s partner, shoving him forward.

I run toward the warehouse wall and push against it into a high backflip, landing in a crouch behind the man. He turns around, confused. I kick his head, knocking him to the floor.

Less affected than I thought he’d be, he gets to his feet with a grin right as I feel long fingernails digging into my neck from behind.

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