by Mary Abshire
Jeremy strode from a room down the hall, holding a cloth. He stopped above Lester's head, squatted, and draped the rag across Lester's forehead. It was strange to see him caring for someone. Maybe the demon had a touch of compassion in him after all. He lifted his gaze and met mine.
"Do you think he'll be all right?" I stood on the other side of Lester, holding an arm across my sore stomach.
Jeremy nodded. "He should be."
"Wake up, Lester." Dani smacked his cheek again. This time, he moaned.
"I should've told him earlier," I said.
Jeremy rose. "Judging from his reaction, I doubt it would have mattered."
Frowning, I threw him a sour glare. I expected him to comfort me since he was my friend. Instead, his stayed true to his nature, being straightforward. At times like this, his blunt attitude annoyed me. I turned away.
Lester's response worried me. I thought he'd be able to handle seeing me catch souls and send them to Hell. Though we weren't close friends, we knew each other well enough and he believed in the paranormal. He was a good friend to Dani, and she'd handled the news well. She hadn’t passed out. So why couldn't he deal with the real me? Maybe the initial shock caused him to pass out. Maybe he would understand with a bit of explanation.
"Hey, big guy," Dani said as Lester's eyelids moved. "Snap out of it." She patted the sides of his face again.
"What…what happened?" Lester mumbled as he blinked to clear his glassy eyes.
"You passed out," she said.
He rubbed his forehead, knocking the cloth away. "My head's throbbing."
"Maybe he should go to the hospital and get checked out for a concussion," I said.
His eyes veered to me and grew wide. "What the fuck did you do to them? How could you…you…"
"I sent their souls to Hell." I finished the sentence for him.
He sat up too fast and his body swayed.
"Whoa," I said. Dani and I reached to stop him from hitting the floor again. I caught his shoulder while Dani grabbed his arms. Together, we balanced him upright.
He looked at me. "How can you do that?"
I squatted next to him. "I'm half-demon. I'm sorry I didn't tell you sooner."
He brushed my hand off his shoulder and tilted from me. "Get away from me. I don't how you did what you did. Just get away. I don't want you near me." He crawled backward, scraping his jeans across on the concrete floor.
"Lester, it's okay," Dani said softly. "She's still the same Jessie."
He pointed at me as I straightened. "Stay away from me. Don't come near me." Panic and fear clenched his voice. The look in his eyes said plenty. He saw me as a stranger, as some horrific creature, not a friend.
My heart sank a notch. Instead of seeing me as the Jessie he knew, he feared me. He actually feared me. I didn't want to lose him as a friend. If I explained myself, maybe he would change his attitude about me. I took a small step toward him.
Jeremy gripped my elbow and stopped me. "Don't. Leave him be."
Letting him think I was some evil person didn't settle well with me. He deserved to know the full truth. I was the good guy, er—gal, regardless of the blood in my veins.
The horror in Lester's eyes was real and intense. In his current state of mind, I doubted he would understand. Jeremy was right. Lester needed a little time to bounce back to reality.
"Can you drive him home?" Jeremy asked Dani.
"Yeah, sure," she replied. "And I'll talk to him."
Jeremy tugged on my arm. "Come on. We should go."
Dani's kind eyes met mine. "Don't worry. I'll take care of him. I need to stay and talk to the owners anyway." She motioned with her head toward the broken table.
The wrecked furniture and shattered glass on the floor would likely raise some questions from the owners. Since Dani volunteered to handle the matter, I'd leave it to her. My main concern was for Lester and until I knew for sure he was comfortable with the truth about me, the angst would gnaw at my conscience.
Jeremy gave a nudge and I started walking toward the staircase. Although I'd accomplished my goal of sending evil spirits to Hell, I felt glum. I felt as if I'd lost a good friend. I ascended the stairs at a sluggish pace. Near the top, I stopped and glanced down.
"Lester." I waited for him to look up. He never did. "I'm not a bad person. I'm the same Jessie you've known for the last several years." I waited a few seconds for a response, hoping he'd say a word—something, anything. When nothing came, I jogged up the remaining steps.
We strode through the house, then proceeded outside. The noonday sun beamed. Eyes burning from the brightness, I kept my head down and followed the concrete path in front of me. Jeremy walked by my side.
"That went well," Jeremy said in a dry tone.
"I never thought he would react that way," I said.
"Some people only see the world as it is."
"But he believes in ghosts. He believes in the paranormal."
"Did he ever see a ghost before?"
I pondered the question as we headed for his vehicle. "I don't think he’s actually seen one before. But neither had Dani." Although we'd investigated many haunted places, I was ninety-nine percent sure they'd never seen a spirit before.
"Many people say they believe. Then when they really see something, it scares them to death," Jeremy said.
His words made sense to me, but Dani hadn't passed out from today's events. Even after I told her the truth about myself and other supernatural creatures around us, she seemed quite composed and understanding. Maybe she hadn't freaked out from seeing the spooks because she'd already accepted that paranormal entities walked on this earth too.
We stopped on the passenger side. The vehicle chirped as Jeremy disarmed the alarm. He opened the door for me.
"Do you think he will be able handle it?" I asked.
A grin of amusement spread across his face. "Did you see how white he looked?"
Question answered and not liking it, I hopped into his SUV. He shut the door behind me.
Jeremy had a valid assessment. I’d never considered Lester would act the way he did, but it made sense since he had never seen a spook before. Making matters worse, I added to his disarray once I told him I was a half-demon. Poor Lester, I'd sent him on the speeding train to looneyville. I hoped he would make it back.
Shades down, Jeremy drove away from the house. I gazed out the window, thinking about Lester. My friendship with him was probably over. Dani would answer his questions and ease his fears, but I doubted Lester and I would ever be able to talk again. He probably wouldn't come near me. I'd miss him greatly if chose to avoid me.
Thinking of friends, Kyle popped into my head. He was another part of our investigation team. We had also been intimate a while back. I hadn't told him the truth yet. Would he have a similar response? The thought made me nauseous. Kyle was a close friend I didn't want to lose. Yet, I had to tell him. If I didn't, Lester would. The right thing for me to do was to talk to him soon.
I unstuck my bare skin from the leather seat as I lifted my legs and twisted to face Jeremy. "I need a favor from you."
His lips curled into a mischievous smile. "What kind of favor?"
"I need a few hours off tonight."
He gazed at me with suspicious eyes. "What for?"
"I need to talk to Kyle. I have to tell him about me."
"Do you really think that is a good idea after what happened with Lester?"
"I have to tell him. He's a good friend and I don't want him to get some crazy story from Lester or Dani."
One of Jeremy's brows rose. "Define good friend."
I inhaled a deep breath. "We were lovers once."
"That explains why he kept his eye on you the last time I visited." His flat voice irked me a tad.
"I'm asking for a few hours, that's all."
He took his eyes off the road long enough to glance at me. "What's your plan?"
"I want to take him out to dinner and tell him." I certainly didn
't want to tell Kyle with Jeremy or the others around. A Mexican restaurant not far from our apartment was the perfect place to talk. The eatery was quiet and offered some privacy.
"You want to break our deal for a few hours so you can take an old lover out to dinner and tell him you're a half-demon who can send souls to Hell. Is that right?" His voice carried a trace of jealousy.
Temper rising, I clasped my hands together. All I needed was a few hours. Was I asking for much? I didn't think so. I took a deep breath to keep my frustration under control. "Yes."
"This will cost you," he said with a grin.
The air blowing at me did little to cool my increasing rage. Another deal with Jeremy? I dreaded the thought, but I needed time alone with Kyle.
I folded my arms over my chest. "What do you want?"
He leaned back, stretching in his seat and scrubbing his chin with one of his hands. Damn, he could be a major pain in my ass.
"It's just for two hours, tops," I said. "Don't get any crazy thoughts."
Jeremy brought the vehicle to a halt at a red light, then faced me. "That bed of yours is much more comfortable than the sofa."
Gritting my teeth, I glared at him. I had a good idea what he wanted. "So?"
"Until we leave for Europe, I want to sleep in your bed."
Anger flamed hot within me and I wanted to spew curse words at him. I disliked sharing my home with him. Now, he wanted me to share my bed. Shaking my head in disgust, I turned away.
Drake would be furious with me if I let Jeremy sleep in my bed. Sure, Drake trusted me, but this deal would push him to his limit.
I couldn't agree to sleep with Jeremy, even if it was just sleeping. The demon would test me as he always did. But did I have to sleep in my bed? He hadn’t said I had to be in bed. He simply said he wanted to sleep in my bed. Ha! I’d found the loophole.
"You want to sleep in my bed." I kept my gaze out the window as if I were distraught. "That's all?"
'That's it."
"Fine." I laughed inside my head. He could sleep on my bed all he wanted and I would sleep on the sofa. The demon needed to improve his negotiating skills.
"Where's your phone?" I asked as I surveyed the space between our seats.
He pointed to the gap under the radio. I grabbed his cell and dialed Kyle's number.
"Who are you calling?" he asked.
"Kyle." I lifted the phone to my ear.
He answered on the third ring. "Hello?"
"Kyle, it's Jessie."
"Hey, Jessie," he said in a calm voice. "Did you get a new number?"
"No. I'm using a friend's phone. I'm calling to see if you would be available tonight for a date. Just the two of us."
The line was silent. "Tonight?"
"Would you want to go out to dinner with me?"
"Well, yes, if I can manage to get away from work," he replied. "Is everything all right?"
"Yes, everything is fine. But I need to talk to you."
"That sounds serious."
I heard male voices and a throttling hum in the background. "Is eight a good time for you?" I asked, ignoring his previous statement.
"I should be able to make it by that time. You want me to meet you at your apartment?"
"No, why don't we meet at the restaurant?" I didn't have to say the name. He knew which one since we ate there frequently.
"All right. I'll call you if something comes up. Hey, how did the investigation turn out?"
"Uh…fine."
"Okay, you're acting strange," he said in a humorless tone. "What's going on?"
"I can't really talk now. I'll tell you about it tonight."
"All right," he said, his voice dreary. "I'll see you later."
"Bye, Kyle." I slid the phone back into the gap under the radio.
"Does Drake know about Kyle?" Jeremy asked.
I leaned back in my seat. "He knows Kyle is my friend."
Brown eyes stared at me. "Does he know Kyle was your lover?"
"No, and it doesn't matter. We're just friends."
"But you were lovers once."
"So what?" I snapped, annoyed by his continual probe about my former love life.
"If I'm interested in knowing about your lovers, I'm sure he would be too."
I chuckled. "You're wrong. He's never asked me about my past lovers. And I don't ask him about his." Although, thinking about it, I was a wee bit curious. Then I recalled when Drake had told me he had never been in love with a woman before. Whoever he had sex with in his past, I didn't need to know about. They could stay in the past. I had his love now and that was good enough for me.
"While we're on the subject, who else was there?" Jeremy asked smoothly.
I stared at him with wide eyes. Was he serious? He had some balls.
"I am not telling you anything about the men I've been with." The list was short, but still, it was none of his business.
"Why not?"
"Because it doesn't matter. It's the past and should stay there." Irritation laced my tone.
"If it doesn't matter, then why can't you tell me?"
Oh, the demon annoyed me. "I'm not telling you, so get over it."
He let out a sigh. "I've told you about some of the women I've been with."
Yeah, and I didn't care to know. From what he'd told me, he had been with plenty of gals. His werewolf friend, Ryan, even admitted Jeremy was a love 'em and leave 'em kind of guy.
"Jer, I'm not interested in your past sex life. I don't want to know. And no matter how many times you ask me about mine, I'm not telling you anything."
His grip tightened on the wheel. "If you won't tell me, I'll find out on my own."
My anger raised several notches. Why couldn't he let it go?
"Good luck with that." I knew he would never find out about the men in my past. The one person who knew was Sean, and he would never divulge personal information about me.
Jeremy drove in silence while I stared out the window. When he turned into the empty karate school parking lot, I had the urge to jump out of the car and take off running. I was not in the mood to fight, given the day's events.
"Let me guess, more training," I said in dismal voice.
He stopped the car near the door and cut the engine. "Your date isn't until eight. We'll practice until seven-thirty."
"Seven-thirty?" I asked in an elevated voice. "That will only give me a half hour to get ready."
"Plenty of time," he replied as he removed his sunglasses.
Was he insane? It normally took me an hour to get ready for a date. Didn't he know women needed, at the very least, an hour to prepare?
"And after your date, we'll come back," he said.
The weight of the world pressed on my shoulders. I didn't want to get out of the car. Yet, I knew I had to. I'd asked for the training. What had I been thinking when I agreed to his rigid schedule?
I shoved open the door and slid out of the vehicle. At least I had a small break tonight away from him. My date with Kyle motivated me to get through training. Would Kyle respond the same way Lester had? I'd find out soon enough.
Chapter Six
The scent of warm vanilla lingered in the bathroom. I dropped the towel I used to dry my hair and took a quick glimpse in the mirror. The reflection showed my long dark locks were tangled and frizzy. Horrified, I picked up the brush and started to comb through the mess. A soft tap on the bathroom door made me pause.
"Who is it?" I asked.
"It's me, Dani." The bathroom door squeaked as she inched it open. Dani slipped her head through the small opening and held onto the knob. "Kyle called, said he's running a few minutes behind but to go ahead and get a table."
Relief washed through me like a gentle breeze. I was running late, too. Now I didn't have to rush to meet him. "Thanks for the update."
"Sure." She pulled on the handle.
"Dani."
She widened the gap, then stuck her head back in. "Need something?"
"How's Leste
r?"
"He's"—she sighed—"he's better."
I lowered my gaze. I'd hoped he would come to understand the truth about me and other supernatural creatures. If there was a way to make things better, I would.
"We'll talk later," she said before she closed the door.
The whole "talk later" bit made me uneasy. I had a bad feeling whatever she intended to tell me would be unpleasant. I decided not to fret about it any longer. I had other worries on my mind. Like Kyle.
Staring in the mirror, I continued running the brush through my hair. The dark circles under my eyes revealed my weariness. Jeremy had kept me on my feet and beaten me pretty good over the last several hours. My broken bones had healed and no visible traces of our brawl remained, but my face told a different story of how I felt. I added a touch of makeup to try to cover up the patches under my eyes. After I finished, I wrapped the towel around under my arms, then dashed for my bedroom.
I stopped in my closet and scanned over the dresses. Since my meeting with Kyle was a casual one, I selected a plain blue garment that wasn't too dressy, yet it accentuated my eyes and my curves. The length—just above the knees—was perfect to help keep me cool. As I smoothed out the creases, I twisted around.
"I personally think you look better without the dress." Jeremy stood a few feet from me. His gaze lingered on my body as if he were looking right through the cotton fabric. Even though I knew he couldn't, I crossed my arms over my breasts anyway.
"What are you doing?" I asked harshly. I hated how he conveniently strolled in my room while I dressed. The man had no right to invade my privacy, even as guest in my home.
"I came to check on you." He gave me a sly grin.
Teeth clenched, I turned back to the closet. The time to argue with him about privacy would have to wait until later. I snatched a pair of sandals, then stormed toward the door. When he didn't move so I could leave, I stopped. "Move."
Jeremy withdrew his cell phone from his pocket and stared at the screen. "I will expect you back around…"
My frustration with him rose along with my temperature. He had some nerve to treat me like some teenager with a curfew. "Fuck you, Jeremy. I'll be back when I want to. And if I feel like having sex with Kyle, I'll do it. Now, get out of my way."
