âBallenger offers an extremely promising high-voltage start to her series about superheroes and their adversaries.â
âPublishers Weekly, starred review, on Twilight Hunter
âParanormal fans have a new voice to check out with the debut of Ballengerâs terrific first book in her Execution Underground series.â
âRT Book Reviews on Twilight Hunter
âDebut author Ballenger shows awesome potential and talent.â
âRT Book Reviews on Shadow Hunter
âKait Ballenger is a treasure you donât want to miss!â
âNew York Times bestselling author Gena Showalter
âNonstop action, pulse-pounding suspense, and red-hot romance ⦠Kait Ballengerâs Execution Underground series delivers in spades!â
âJaime Rush, New York Times bestselling author
âAction and romance in one mesmerizing story. A phenomenal start to the Execution Underground series. Shadow Hunter will leave you breathless and demanding more.â âCecy Robson, author of Sealed with a Curse
âTaut with action, suspense, and romance that sizzles, Shadow Hunter is an evocative prelude to whatâs certain to be an exciting new series! Fans of J.R. Ward are going to love the sexy warriors of Kait Ballengerâs Execution Underground.â âKate SeRine, author of Red and The Better to See You
CHAPTER ONE
DAVID ARONOWITZ UNSHEATHED his dagger and steadied the weapon. The serrated silver blade glinted in the dim amber glow of a nearby streetlight as he slipped into the shadows. He ran his thumb over the edge of the knife. New. Spotless and unused. If he had his way, it wouldnât be unused much longer.
That demon piece of shit was going down.
He crept farther into the darkness, ears attuned to the slightest noise. The distant sounds of sirens from Strong Memorial Hospital echoed through the night, mixed with the sounds of occasional car horns and passersby. The damp scent of Marchâs latest snowfall-turned-brown-slush filled his nose. He had only a few minutes until his target arrived, and he couldnât afford to mess this up.
He didnât want to leave Allsún. It killed him to leave her bedside. But he had no choice. Jace had agreed to take over his vigil. In his absence, David trusted Jace to keep Allsún safe.
He patted the pocket of his Harley jacket. As he felt his Beretta holstered beneath the leather, a grim smile curved his lips. If there was one thing he loved it was new weapons, and tonight he had two brand-new toys: his dagger and, his personal favorite, the new bullets heâd loaded into the Berretta. Months of trying and finally heâd crafted a bullet that exploded on impact, releasing holy water inside the demonic target. A small part of him couldnât wait to see the look on the monsterâs face when he tested those little beauties.
His current assignment was to trail a demon he suspected was an Abyzu. One of those sick bastards had popped onto the Execution Undergroundâs radar when an infant girl was murdered two weeks ago. A dull ache pulsed through his heart every time he thought of the horrifying pain her parents had experienced, and would for the rest of their lives.
That baby-killing son-of-a-bitch would payâno doubt about that, heâd make certain of it. But he had different plans for tonight. An Abyzu wasnât his target. This was personal.
He shifted behind the Dumpster. A sharp pain shot up his leg, reminding himâas if he could forgetâof his last major job gone horribly wrong, and the price of his failure. He deserved the pain. It was a just punishment, because heâd failed her. The one time Allsún had needed him, and heâd let her down. Left his ex-fiancée to the mercy of a sick, sexual sadist.
He gazed in the direction of the hospital, picturing her as heâd left her. She looked so peaceful, lying in the hospital bed with her eyes closed as if she were sleeping, though he knew better. Sheâd been imprisoned and tortured, and heâd been helpless to protect her. Sure, there were circumstances beyond his control. And, as his fellow hunters liked to point out, he had been the one to save her. But sheâd suffered. She continued to suffer.
And knowing her pain was driving him insane.
He kicked the Dumpster with his injured leg, welcoming the sting it sent through his leg. Discovering a demon had possessed the doctor caring for his suffering ex-fiancée while she helplessly lay in a coma had been the chocolate icing on the shit cake.