“Good.”
“Are you sure Sven is gone?”
Paige dipped her fingertip on the growing pool of condensation at the bottom of her glass of water. “Yeah.”
“Because it doesn’t make sense. What was the point of all the killings? Why did all those people have to die?”
She wished she knew, but Sven hadn’t shared that with her.
“You’re sure it’s over.”
“Yeah. It’s over. St. Francisville is safe again. I promise.”
Brian closed his eyes for a long moment. “There aren’t too many who actually know what you did for us.”
Dexx shook his head, setting his monstrous hamburger on his fry-strewn plate. “Don’t mention it. It’s all in a day’s work.”
“We really appreciate it.”
Paige smiled, hearing the but.
“I’d feel a whole lot better if you left.”
Paige chuckled.
Brian tapped the table with his middle finger and stood up. “Tonight. I’d appreciate it if you left by tonight.”
“Roger that, Chief. Do you need anything else on Malika’s case?”
He stood up. “We have everything we need. She won’t be going anywhere for a long time.”
“Good.”
Brian thumped the table and left.
Paige quirked her lips.
“That was the nicest, most polite get-the-fuck-out-of-my-town I’ve ever heard,” Dexx said.
“Yeah.” Paige pushed her plate away.
“Whatever happened to the FBI guy?”
“Special Agent Scott?”
Dexx leaned back, draping one elbow across the back of the booth. “Yeah. That one.”
“He got called back to his office. The case is closed.”
“That’s an odd one though, don’t you think?” Dexx frowned. “Did you ever figure out what he is, why he sees people dying around you?”
“No.” She rubbed her bottom lip along her teeth in thought. “Whatever he is, I doubt that’s the last we see of him.”
“Yeah. Hey.”
She met his gaze.
“Tell me what you really did.”
“What do you mean?” Paige stirred the ice in her glass with her straw. “When?”
“I was in a coma. I was dying. What did you do?”
She pulled the corners of her lips down. “Nothing. You did that through the miracle of modern medicine.”
The look he gave her said he didn’t believe her.
“Which, by the way, how are you paying for?”
Dexx smiled, his eyebrows raised high. “You probably don’t want to know.”
“Hmm.”
They ate in silence.
“Did I hear right? You’re coming to Denver with me?”
Dexx shrugged with one shoulder. “You honestly think you’re getting rid of me that easily?”
“I don’t have a couch.”
“You will.”
Paige bowed her head. “This is stupid.”
“Try getting rid of me.”
She stared at his half-eaten hamburger. “This is my faul—”
“Shut up.” Dexx threw down a fry and set both hands on either side of his plate. “Placing blame isn’t going to help anyone. Anyone. Yeah. There’s a problem out there. Yeah. You need to figure out a way to handle it. But sitting there and shoving blame down your throat like poison pills helps no one.”
She released a frustrated breath. She knew what he said was true, but having the truth slammed in her face was a bit tough to swallow. “Such a drama queen.”
“Don’t make me punch you in the face and lick your nose.”
A surprised chuckle escaped her. “What?”
He gave her a lopsided grin.
“How am I supposed to do that?”
Dexx shrugged, his right hand clenching. “We’ll find a way. It might be a good idea to go home.”
“That’s what we’re doing.”
“No, dumbass.” His eyes were soft as he rebuked her. “To Texas. To Alma.”
“I’m not ready.”
“Well,” he said with a sigh, “you might want to brace yourself for it. Because that might be exactly what you need to get ready for. You’re awake now, Pea. You could use all the help you could get.”
“I don’t know if I need that kind of help.”
“Alma. You couldn’t use that kind of help.”
After what she’d done? No. “Sven got away.” She pushed her milkshake sitting beside her water. “And he has a plan. A big one. I have no idea what it is.”
“He’s a slippery bastard.”
If only he knew.
“We’ll catch him.”
Paige nodded and raised her milkshake. “To catching the bad guy.”
He picked up his cola and clanked it against her glass. “And sending them back to Hell.”
Where they belonged.
SM Blooding lives in Colorado with her pet rock, Rockie, and Ms. Jack, who’s a real bird. She’s still learning to play the piano and the guitar, which is going marginally better, and for those of you looking for an Arabic update, she has successfully learned one word, “Yalla, people, yalla!”
She’s dated vampires, werewolves, sorcerers, weapons smugglers and US Government assassins. Yes. She has stories.
She’s also an investigator with a local paranormal investigation group, Colorado Paranormal Rescue!
Find out more at: http://www.smblooding.co
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
Other works by SM Blooding
Episode 1, Old Beginnings
Dedication
Soundtrack for Episode 1
One
Two
Three
Four
Five
Six
Seven
Eight
Nine
Ten
Eleven
Twelve
Thirteen
Fourteen
Fifteen
Episode 2, Possession
Dedication
Soundtrack for Episode 2
One
Two
Three
Four
Five
Six
Seven
Eight
Nine
Ten
Eleven
Twelve
Thirteen
Fourteen
Fifteen
Episode 3, Bodies
Dedication
Soundtrack for Episode 3
One
Two
Three
Four
Five
Six
Seven
Eight
Nine
Ten
Eleven
Twelve
Thirteen
Fourteen
Fifteen
Episode 4, The Key
Dedication
Soundtrack for Episode 4
One
Two
Three
Four
Five
Six
Seven
Eight
Nine
Ten
Eleven
Twelve
Thirteen
Fourteen
About the Author
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