"I smell like fire," I sighed.
"My favorite." He snuggled closer.
"Come on, let's get this done, then we can go to bed."
"Your bed?"
"If that's what you want."
"Yeah. Where are we going again?" He still hadn't opened his eyes.
"To LA."
"Okay. Will you take us?"
"Yes. You can sleep on the way."
"That'll take two seconds."
"You can sleep for two seconds. Then you have to help me get Jamie Rome back to Aunt Bree's house."
"Okay."
* * *
James Rome, Jr., looking emaciated and in his late twenties, was chained and gagged in Laurel's closet. We'd walked right through the spell a warlock created to keep him hidden from the authorities who'd searched the house.
I had no idea how long Jamie had been there, but Kory was awake enough by then to allow his smaller Thifilathi to break the chains and toss Jamie Rome over his shoulder.
"I'm burning the house," I told Kory. "Go ahead and take him. He needs food and water."
Kory nodded and skipped away with his burden.
I studied Laurel's closet for a few moments. She'd left designer shoes and gowns behind, in addition to jewelry and who knew what else.
After all, if you have a warlock in your employ, it would be nothing to get in and out whenever you wanted something. The police stationed outside would never know.
Becoming Thifilatha, I blasted the closet with fire. Fine dresses and scarves burned quickly. Skipping to other rooms in the house, I set fires in those, too. I didn't intend for anything to survive.
Fuck you, Laurel Rome, I sent to her. Fuck you, your warlock and that pretender you say is your husband. Pray now that I never get my hands on you, because you will surely regret it.
Sirens were sounding at the foot of the hill by the time I skipped away. Behind me, the roof of the Rome mansion caved in with a thunderous crash.
* * *
The house was dark and quiet when I arrived. Jamie Rome, after getting water and a sandwich, had been put to bed on a living-room sofa. On the floor nearby, two werewolves snored softly.
The house was full and sleeping.
"Here." Kory, still naked, held out a glass of milk and a sandwich. His plate of food was sitting on the island.
"We can eat this in bed, then go to sleep," I suggested.
"I'm all for it," he agreed. "Should we wake Anita and let her know we're back?"
"No—let her sleep. We'll tell her in the morning."
"It is morning."
"Tomorrow morning."
"Oh. That morning."
"Yeah."
"Come on, onion, let's go to bed."
Epilogue
Peru
Laurel Rome
"She's still alive," I shouted.
"I agree," Deris said, casually examining his fingernails. "And so are you. I assure you, we'll get around her. Daris confirmed the hit on the Thifilathi, so he's gone."
"What caused the blast at the end?" I demanded. I was incensed that the warlock wasn't taking me seriously. The threat that bitch had placed in my mind—I wanted to blast her with the weapon his sister, Daris, had given me.
She'd said it would kill anything. I wanted Lexsi Silver dead for threatening me. I no longer cared that Granger wanted her for himself.
"A mundane weapon caused that blast, what else could it be?" Deris sighed. "I'm sure it was something they carried in with them—you saw the ball of fire appear at the center, didn't you? I'm sure it was a weapon of last resort, when they saw they were losing the battle."
"We were only watching the live feed, which was cut off when everything exploded," I argued. "We weren't there."
"Look, we're going to make you rich beyond your wildest imaginings, Dervil and I," Deris' eyes narrowed as he glared at me. "All you have to do is sit back and look beautiful. Our business is about to take off."
"That's fine, but I warn you," I shook a finger at him. "If I see her, she's dead."
The End
Lexsi and Kory's tale will continue in A Demon's Work is Never Done.
Hot Demon in the City (Latter Day Demons Book 1) Page 27
