Hell’s Key: Siblings of the Underworld, Book 1 Read online

  Hell’s Key

  Siblings of the Underworld, Book 1

  Linzi Baxter

  Linzi Baxter

  Contents

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Chapter 16

  Chapter 17

  Chapter 18

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  About Author

  Hell’s Key

  Siblings of the Underworld Series, Book 1

  Copyright © 2019 by Linzi Baxter

  Kindle Edition

  Edited by: Red Adept Editing

  All rights reserved. Except for use in any review, the reproduction or utilization of this work, in whole or in part, in any form by any electronic, mechanical, or other means now known or hereafter invented, is forbidden without permission of the author.

  The unauthorized reproduction or distribution of this copyrighted work is illegal. Criminal copyright infringement (including infringement without monetary gain) is investigated by the FBI and is punishable by up to five years in federal prison and a fine of $250,000.

  Please purchase only authorized electronic editions and do not participate in or encourage the electronic piracy of copyrighted materials. Your support of the author’s rights is appreciated.

  This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, places, events, and incidents are either the products of the author’s imagination or used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental.

  Blurb

  At the age of eighteen, I was banned from my pack. It wasn’t what I wanted. Nobody could explain the magic which coursed through my body.

  Although I’ve worked hard to forget what happened ten years ago, I needed to face my past. It’s time to take down the person responsible for erasing my memories. Plus, I must deal with the sexy Alpha of the Mystic Ash Pack who swears I’m his mate.

  Then the devil makes my life harder by appearing whenever he wants, wrecking my plans to kidnap the adorable pandacorn. On top of everything, I must figure out who my birth mom is, even if it means risking the lives of my loved ones. If I don’t figure out my powers soon, I might accidentally open the gates of hell to the human world.

  White Hat Security Series

  Hacker Exposed

  Royal Hacker

  Misunderstood Hacker

  Undercover Hacker

  Hacker Revelation

  Hacker Christmas

  Hacker Salvation

  Nova Satellite Security Series

  (White Hat Security Spin Off)

  Pursuing Phoenix - Sept 1, 2019

  Immortal Dragon

  The Dragon’s Psychic - July 9, 2019

  The Dragon’s Human - Oct 2019

  Montana Gold (Brotherhood Kindle World)

  Grayson’s Angel

  Noah’s Love

  Bryson’s Treasure - Nov 2019

  A Flipping Love Story (Badge of Honor World)

  Unlocking Dreams

  Unlocking Hope - Sept 10, 2019

  Siblings of the Underworld

  Hell’s Key

  Hell’s Future - Aug 20, 2019

  Visit linzibaxter.com for more information and release dates.

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  Chapter 1

  I glanced at the clock on my computer and debated whether it was too early in the morning to kill someone. All I wanted to do was spend my day taking down a bad guy and collecting a nice bounty so I could purchase a new pair of Prada shoes. They’d debuted a pair of studded red ankle-strap sandals with three-inch heels, and I’d been looking for an extra bounty so I could buy them.

  Except the day hadn’t started as I’d hoped. The hot water hadn’t worked during my shower, Starbucks had had no open parking spots, and the big crowd had stood in a line around the building. To make matters worse, the perp I was after had died, and he didn’t die under my hands.

  My wolf growled the moment the front door to my PI firm opened, and I sensed the uninvited vampire. The ache between my eyes increased with each step he took. I strained my ears to hear my assistant speaking to the unwanted visitor, as I needed to make sure a hotheaded vampire didn’t kill my very human receptionist. Dealing with supernaturals wasn’t on the top of my to-do list for the day. I had to find a new bounty to go after. Bail bonds kept the doors open. With Paul, the perp, dead, I needed to find a new case, excluding ones involving the supernatural world. I only took jobs hunting down human bad guys. My one rule for my PI business was to never help a supernatural being.

  The red light on my desk phone flashed. The man who’d entered already knew I was in the building, so I couldn’t pretend not to see it.

  “Paldon, you have a man here to see you. He doesn’t have an appointment on your schedule, and he refuses to come back later.” Michelle had been my receptionist since the day I’d opened. We’d met at a bar while drinking away our sorrows. I drank because of the family I’d lost, and she drank because of her worthless ex.

  That night, we’d come up with an idea to open a PI business. Eight years later, we were still taking down the bad guys to make money. Though we dealt with lowlives on a regular basis, Michelle rarely took shit from anyone who just walked in. More than likely, the fucker had charmed her into making the call.

  I needed to figure out a way for her to be immune to glamor. She had no clue about the supernatural world. I had rules, and if humans found out, the supernatural law stated that they needed to die or be turned. I had no plan to burden Michelle with the other world.

  “Let him back.” No point in letting him kill my best friend.

  Michelle knocked on my door before she opened it, and she blocked the entrance. “Are you sure? We can send him on his way. He’s rude.”

  I took a deep breath and plastered a smile across my face. “No, let him in.”

  The tall, good-looking man ignored Michelle and continued into my office. His presence filled the room. Pictures of the most powerful vampire had floated around the supernatural world, but I’d never seen the vampire king in person. Dread filled my stomach. Maybe the council was finally coming down on me for associating with shifters. The mark on my face was an indicator that I’d betrayed our kind and not to associate with me.

  He was a handsome man, and rumor had it he could shift into a lion. One thing I’d learned was to never get involved with any supernatural man. With the mark on my face, most shifters didn’t want to date me—with the exception of one, and the thought of Ryker sent a shiver down my spine.

  “Atieno, I don’t work for the supernatural world.” The best way to deal with powerful men was to get to the point. I had no plan to listen to what he wanted. “Now if you will excuse me, I have work to do.” I reached for the piece of paper on my desk and hoped he would leave.

  Atieno Brone’s powers rattled the stapler on my desk. Apparently, he didn’t like that I had dismissed him, but it didn’t affect me the way he’d expected. Most shifters would have cowered under his power. Instead, it irritated me. He thought he could use his alpha power to put me into submission.

  He cocked his head. “Hmm. That’s interesting. Most shifters would drop to their knees.”

  I r
olled my eyes. “Well, I’m not like most shifters, and I will not sit here and take part in a pissing contest with you to see whose powers are stronger.” I had no control over my magic, and I didn’t want to kill the vampire king. “As I said earlier, I don’t mess with the supernatural world.” Though I hadn’t completely lied, Atieno could hear the partial lie. I ran with the local pack once a month to keep my wolf under control, but I’d never officially joined. The alpha I’d grown up with had made sure I could never join another pack. At the thought of my old home, the scar on my face tingled as a reminder of why I needed to stay away from the supernatural world.

  It took all my willpower to hold back a growl as Atieno settled himself in the chair across from my desk. I looked him over. He was in incredible shape and had short black hair, but it was his eyes that caught me. He had hypnotizing crystal-blue eyes that pierced right through me, and I had to look away.

  “Ms. Harper, I believe you are in danger. Chatter has increased among the supernatural. Someone believes you are the key to opening the underworld, and I’m here to bring you back with me.” He had a deep Cajun accent, and his words almost made me want to do what he said—until I replayed them in my mind. How could I be the key to opening the underworld? I still didn’t know where my powers came from or how to control them.

  “Why me?”

  He leaned back in the chair. “The Council of the Supernatural is worried that an old prophecy will come true and that you are the key. I want you to come to New Orleans with me so we can protect you. Shifters have been disappearing, and we cannot locate them. The council thinks this is the beginning, and if they capture you, they could cause chaos in the world.”

  Anger bubbled under my skin. “No, thank you.”

  Atieno raised an eyebrow.

  “Where was the council to protect me when the North American pack banned me? Do you see this?” I pointed at the dark-purple scar that ran down the side of my face. “This mark indicates that shifters are to ignore me and stay away.”

  Unfortunately, the scar did the opposite. Every day, more creatures moved closer to me or the pack I lived next to. Fairies, elves, and even wolves wanted to become my friends, though I wanted nothing to do with that part of my heritage. I also hadn’t realized my house backed up to the Mystic Ash pack’s land.

  “We think the North American alpha is under a spell and have sent a group to look into it. And let’s get one thing straight: the council has never enforced the rule for people to leave you alone.” Atieno tapped the armrest. “The council feels you will be safer with us in New Orleans.”

  I closed my eyes and took a deep breath. “You have to admit, Mr. Brone, that this all sounds a little strange. Why am I some key... What did you say? The key to the underworld? What is the underworld, anyway? Is this some dungeon the council keeps?”

  Atieno turned his piercing eyes on me. “My time is valuable, you are in danger, and the council feels they need to protect you. Now come with me, and I will fill you in on the details of the Underworld.” Each word came out clipped.

  “No, I will not just uproot my life at this moment and go with you to New Orleans. I have a business to run.” My next pair of Prada shoes were calling my name, but the vampire king didn’t need to know that. “I will look into what you are saying, but I will never put myself in the care of anyone. That includes the supernatural council. Leave your number with Michelle, and I will let you know if I find anything.”

  Atieno’s glare burned my skin, and he didn’t look like he would back down. He glanced out the window before turning back. “I will leave for now, but you’re sorely mistaken if you think the council will let you be on your own.”

  At his threat and advice, I couldn’t control the magic rising under my skin. Whenever someone threatened me, the magic rose to the surface. It had been a long time since it had felt so strong. The air became thick, and the window vibrated with my powers. My wolf growled under the surface. I had to close my eyes and take deep breaths to get myself under control. “I advise you to leave, Mr. Brone. I’m in no mood for threats.”

  Mr. Brone’s long white fangs had dropped as if he was about to attack. He cocked his head, and a smile spread across his face as if he had been testing me. “Good day, Ms. Harper. I will see you soon.” He glanced out the window again. “And tell Ryker hi.”

  Before I had time to respond, Atieno vanished in front of my eyes. Vampires couldn’t really vanish, but they could move at a speed no one else could see. I would need to come up with some story on how he had left. What a fucker for leaving me with another issue. Michelle would’ve been on the lookout for him when he left.

  It looked like my plan to find another case had gone out the window, and it was time to research what the king of the vampires was talking about. I fired up my laptop, connected to a secure VPN, then clicked on the white-and-purple onion in the lower left corner of my laptop. The dark web would hopefully give me the answers I was looking for. Since finding out about powers, I’d searched every inch of the dark web, trying to figure mine out. After years of research and using the dark web to take down bad guys, I knew my way around. I typed in the IP address of my favorite supernatural website. The dark web was where evil dwelled, even the supernatural kind.

  The vampire king had been right. Someone had kidnapped thirteen women ranging from witches to wolves to fairies and to pixies. They believed a supernatural being with the powers of the underworld could open the gates to hell, thus allowing demons to roam the earth forever.

  I couldn’t believe what I was reading. Though I believed in the supernatural world, demons and angels were a myth. Before I went farther down the wormhole, I closed out of the browser. I would need to keep my guard up.

  My wolf’s instincts made it easy to track down perps and overpower them. I might only be five foot three, but my shifter powers gave me strength if I got into any trouble. Over the years, I’d learned to control my powers a little, but I tried not to use them very often, because something always blew up.

  Another visitor stopped by, and Michelle showed him to my office. The room became filled with Ryker’s scent, and my wolf panted the minute he walked through the door. I flicked her on the nose for being so easy, but it didn’t matter. She wanted to wrap herself around the alpha and not come up for days. Luckily, Ryker didn’t show up very often.

  “Ryker.”

  He sat in the same chair the vampire king had occupied. “You will move into the pack house today.” His deep voice called to my wolf. It took a second for the fog to fade for me to understand what he’d said.

  I straightened the papers on my desk, taking a couple seconds before responding, “I don’t think so. You know I don’t take kindly to demands.” My wolf was close to coming out, and my words were more of a growl. “I won’t move into the pack house. I am not part of the pack.”

  Ryker moved with speed and power. Before I could blink, he was standing in front of me. He put a hand on each side of my chair and leaned in close. His woodsy smell intoxicated me. “I’ve let you pretend for the past eight years you aren’t pack. But get one thing clear—you’re pack. You might not have pledged, but my wolf has marked you as his. And when you are ready, you’re mine.”

  It was hard to concentrate when he was so close. I closed my eyes, drew on my magic, and zapped him.

  He didn’t even wince, but his eyes glowed yellow, showing his wolf rising to the surface. “Don’t do that again,” he growled.

  “Why do you suddenly want me to come with you? I’ve lived here for eight years, and this scar—I pointed to the mark on my face—“you know we can’t do anything about. Do you not see the scar down the side of my face?”

  Ryker let out a growl that trembled through my body. “I don’t care what the North American alpha did. This is my pack, and he has no say. I’ve waited for you to come to your senses. I’m done waiting. You will stay with the pack.”

  I dipped under his arm and walked to the other side of the desk. Ryker’s
scent was still strong, but at least I could think. “Are you here because of what we’ve ignored between us, or are you here because of Atieno?”

  The second Atieno stepped foot in town, Ryker had known. He had a pack member guarding the outside of my office. Ryker felt the need to protect me. For years, I’d ignored the feelings we had for each other, and I knew if I joined his pack, I would tarnish it and bring the North American alpha down on him. I would never admit how much I cared out loud because that would make it real, and Ryker would challenge the North American alpha if he knew that was the main reason I hadn’t joined his pack.

  Taking two large steps, Ryker invaded my space again. He ran his hand down the side of my face and traced the scar. “I wish you would tell me why he did this. I know it’s not your fault. I want to avenge you.”

  We’d had the same conversation a million times. I never wanted to talk about that fateful day the North American alpha banished me. “Answer me. Are you becoming protective because of Atieno?”

  “Yes.”

  Sadness washed over me. I wanted Ryker to want me in the pack because he wanted me, not to protect me. I blinked back the hurt before Ryker could see what he did to me. He ran a hand through his hair and let out a tired sigh.

  “Out, Ryker. You can leave your pack watching me. Until you want me around because you desire me, I can’t be part of the pack. Please leave.”