by Mary Abshire
“I’ll be in the shower,” he said as he headed toward the bathroom.
He set his bag on the counter before he closed the door. His reflection in the mirror showed his eye had turned a nasty black and blue shade. From his experience, it would take several days before he’d look normal again. He chuckled to himself. He hadn’t even lasted a few days without causing trouble. After stripping the remaining pieces of clothes, he stepped into the shower.
Thoughts of heaven surfaced in his head while warm water caressed his body. He wondered how his parents had taken the news about his sentence. They’d always supported him and had been around to lift his spirits. He hated to think they might be sad about him being gone. As for the few friends he had, he wondered what they were up to. He’d always tried to stay busy with them—going places, watching movies, playing video games… What were they doing while he was gone? Then there were the women. He had a handful of lovers that he’d frequented at their requests. He wondered if they’d heard about his punishment. What would they do without him to satisfy their desires? Sure, they had other men they liked, but they’d continued to call him. He couldn’t turn them away.
He let out a heavy sigh. He had a job to do and if he wanted to get back, which he did, then he needed to stay focused and complete his tasks. The big problem with that was Emily. She was unlike any other woman he’d met. The more time he spent with her, the more he wanted to take her in his arms and have his devilish way with her. How he managed to survive this far without kissing her was a huge achievement to him. But he wasn’t sure how long he could resist her.
Having finished washing his hair and body, he stepped out of the shower. The tiled floor felt cool to his feet. He rubbed a towel over his head and the rest of his body. After slapping on new deodorant, he slid a pair of boxers up his legs. He hoped she could handle seeing him with nothing but his shorts.
He reached for the doorknob and paused. As much as he would’ve enjoyed seeing her reaction to his near nakedness, he knew it would only stir up his own desires. He had to be careful. He donned a t-shirt from the bag.
Clean and partially dressed, he strode from the bathroom. Emily was still at the table facing her laptop.
“I just made it back about an hour ago,” Troy said.
Brows drawn together, Andrew stopped. The man’s voice had come from within the room, yet Troy was nowhere in sight.
“I’m sorry to bother you, but I need you to run a check for this guy,” Emily said as she stared at her computer screen. “I need to know where he works, where he shops, what kind of car he drives…”
“Can’t I get some fucking sleep first?” Troy asked.
Andrew walked around the bed. Reaching Emily’s side, he saw a moving picture of Troy on the computer screen. He had the same clothes on from when they’d parted ways earlier.
“So there’s the angel.” Troy waved at him.
Andrew hesitantly lifted his hand. “You can see me?”
“Of course I can. You’re wearing a god awful Van Halen t-shirt. Where the fuck did you dig that up, Emily, and why did you buy it?”
She laughed. “Hey, he claims he’s from the eighties.”
“So buy a U2 shirt or a Culture Club one, not some trendy rock band shirt,” Troy said.
Andrew waved his hand and saw his movements in a small box in the lower corner. Technology had really changed since he’d been gone.
“Can you do that for me, run a search?” she asked.
Troy huffed. “I guess.” He didn’t sound enthused. “Let me get a pen and some paper.” He disappeared from the screen.
“Where is he?” Andrew asked.
“He’s in Chicago. He just got back a little while ago,” she said.
“And you can see and hear him, like watching him on a TV?”
“If I had the connecting wire, we could see him on the television. I didn’t think to bring it with me.”
“That’s incredible. I’ve never seen anything like this.” Andrew moved a chair away from the table, placed it beside her, and then sat.
Troy reappeared on the screen. “Okay, what’s his name?”
Emily looked down at Andrew. “Let me see your arm.”
He extended it toward her. She placed her hand on his wristed and twisted it slightly. Her cool touch felt good to his skin.
“Harold Dillons,” she said, and then she read the address from his arm.
“Got it.” Troy looked up. “How soon do you need this?”
“By early tomorrow morning. We need to find this guy and track him,” she said.
“And this is the demon?”
“Yes,” Emily and Andrew said in unison.
“All right, I’ll run a background check and get back with you,” Troy said.
“You’re the best,” she said.
“I better fucking be.” Troy smirked.
“Yeah, yeah. Call me later.” She pressed a key on the keypad.
The screen changed and Troy’s image was gone. One word now appeared—Skype.
He moved closer to her. “What is that?” He pointed at the screen.
“Skype is an online tool people use to communicate with other people anywhere in the world.”
“Like a visual phone call?”
“Where have you been? This isn’t new. It’s been around for years.”
The screen changed again. Intrigued by her actions, he watched her drag her finger over the flat pad, press a button, and then start typing ‘Harold Dillons’ in the box on the screen. She hit a key and a new screen appeared within seconds. She moved the page down by pressing the arrow on the keyboard.
“It’s amazing how quickly you can get information,” he said while he enjoyed breathing in her soft, sea-breeze scent.
“Yeah, well, if it’s public knowledge, we can get access to it. I’m not seeing any articles from newspapers about this guy. Right now, he’s just an ordinary person. I want to know where he works, what car he drives, does he have good credit or bad credit, does he have a criminal record…”
“Can Troy find that information out?”
“Troy has access to resources that we don’t. He can get the information without risking any harm to himself.”
She brought up a new window on the screen. “We can get a close up view of his house.” She typed the address on the line.
A small picture of a house appeared along with a map. Emily clicked to zoom in closer on the map. A larger, clearer image of the brick home showed up.
“That’s his house,” she said.
“That is?” He leaned closer, brushing his arm against hers.
“Hey, sit back.” She brought the laptop to the edge of the table.
Together, they stared at the red brick home. It sat on a hill with the one-car garage on the main level. Above the garage was a porch. Two separate flights of concrete stairs led to the front door in the center of the house. The small yard was steep with mostly bushes. A window stuck out on the other side of the door. The home resembled a small bungalow.
Emily clicked on an arrow and the focus changed to the house next door. She clicked on a different arrow and the image jumped in the opposite direction.
“The neighborhood looks crowded. See how close the houses are?” she asked.
“How can you see his house and the ones next door?”
She turned and her mouth was inches away from him. “Have you ever used a computer before?”
He tried not to look at her pink lips, but he couldn't resist. He fought the urge to claim them. “No, but I’ve seen plenty.”
“It’s easy to use. If you want to look at a map, you type Google Maps in the box. If you want to look up a person’s name, just enter the name in the box. It’s called a search field. Whatever you enter will start a search after you press the return button.” She pointed to the key. “Even if you have a question, you can just enter your question and you’ll get a list of responses. They may not be accurate, though. You have to weed through the links
.”
She veered her attention back to him. He stared at her eyes. The blue tint captivated him and offered him a sense of tranquility. He lowered his gaze to her mouth. As if she were a magnet, he felt a strong lure toward her. His heart gained beats while blood rushed through him and focused on one particular spot on his body. She inched closer to him and he could feel her warm breath. He wanted her, wanted to mold his mouth to hers and suck on her precious tongue. But he knew he couldn’t stop there. He’d have to have more and he presumed she would too. Against everything that he yearned for, he backed away from her and rose.
“I’m sorry. I think I need to lay down for a bit,” he said.
Head lowered, he headed for the bed. He disliked what he’d done, but he knew it was for the best. One kiss wouldn’t be enough. She was a woman of beauty beyond anything he’d ever imagined. He wanted to have her, to feel her, to love her. And if he did, he’d have another year added to his sentence.
Frustrated and sporting a semi-hard erection, he sat on the bed with his back to her. He dared not look at her, fearing he’d find disappointment or anger on her face. He’d sensed her attraction from the longing in her eyes to the way she drew near to him. She’d sought to claim a kiss and he’d refused her. He was horrible person.
He slid his legs under the covers and lay on his side. Being sent away from his family and friends to kill demons was difficult. But not being able to have sex with such an amazing woman was torture. He hoped he could survive.
Chapter Nineteen
Emily woke to the sound of water splashing. She rubbed her weary eyes and yawned. She had no idea of the time and she didn’t care. It was too early to get out of bed. She wanted to remain warm and cozy under the covers, sleeping preferably. But since the shower was in use, she’d have to settle for the comfort under the blankets.
She rolled onto her other side. Soft light spilled into the room through the curtains. Her laptop sat closed on the table. The covers were thrown aside on the bed across from her. Andrew was nowhere in sight. She suspected he’d decided to freshen up early. The low volume on television prevented her from hearing what was going on. A woman gestured in front of a map of Pennsylvania with temperatures displayed. Emily wasn’t missing much so she closed her eyelids and attempted to go back to sleep.
The splatter of water brought her thoughts back to Andrew. He’d almost undressed in front of her last night. She would have very much enjoyed watching him, but who knows what might have happened next. Well, she had a good idea. She would’ve pushed him down on the bed and climbed on top of him. That’s why she’d stopped him. She couldn’t let her urgings get out of control, and seeing him walk around naked would’ve broken her will power. Damn the man for being so deliciously hot.
She’d almost given in to her desires a second time when he’d sat close to her. His heady gaze made her warm in all the right places. His kissable lips were calling to hers and she was ready to answer, but he’d walked away from her. The move stunned and confused her. There was no mistaking the longing in his eyes. So why did he refuse her? Was she not attractive enough? Did he prefer blondes? Was she too aggressive for him since she knew how to use guns? So many questions filled her head and prevented her from acquiring a good night’s rest.
On the other hand, his rejection of her had been a good thing. If they’d had sex, their relationship would’ve become more complicated. She had no interest in a boyfriend or a lover at the present time. She’d committed to helping him perform a task and that’s what she’d do with no strings attach. Strings that got in her way would cause her to trip and fall. She was better off keeping her lips and hands to herself so she could focus on their job.
The shower continued to run. How long he’d been in it, she couldn’t be sure, but it seemed like a long time to freshen up. Maybe he needed some alone time to whack off. God, what was wrong with her? He was her friend. He was a stranger. He was a man claiming to be an angel who had to kill a demon. She shouldn’t be thinking about his big cock. But she was.
Unable to sleep, she tossed the covers off her. She strode to the table and lifted the monitor of her laptop. As soon as it powered on, she opened up her email. A message from Troy waited for her.
Troy had managed to find more information about the demon than she ever could have. Harold Dillions had horrible credit. He had four credit cards maxed out and was behind on some payments. Harold owned a late-model brown Ford truck. He previously owned a Dodge Ram, but it got repossessed last year. Harold had attended the University of Pittsburgh and acquired a college degree. He now worked at an accounting firm. Troy provided the name and address. Harold liked to spend his money on liquor and casinos according to his credit statements. He married three years ago and had no children. But what caught Emily’s attention the most was the fact he was a widow. His prior spouse had been found murdered four years ago. Although police suspected Harold since he was entitled to receive a large insurance payout, no evidence could be found to prove he’d killed her. The murder was still unsolved. As for a prior criminal record, Harold had been accused of rape and battery while in college, but the victims refused to press charges.
Emily sat back in the chair and re-read the email from Troy. Harold seemed like a big piece of trash. He wasted his money on foolish vices and he had a deplorable history with women. Yet, he managed to marry another woman a year after the death of his first wife. Who falls in love that fast after the loss of their spouse? It could happen, but it seemed unlikely. The house he lived in appeared run down. If he’d obtained a large settlement from the death of his first spouse, he’d probably blown through it gambling. Yeah, Harold was a real catch, the kind someone wants to bury at the dump under a mountain of shit.
His life had to be miserable if he were drowning in debt. So where did that leave wife number two? What did she think of him? Had Harold ever abused her? Could she be in any danger from him?
Harold’s violent tendencies first appeared in college. Although the victims would be long gone from the University, Emily wondered if there had been any other types of crimes while he attended classes. She sent a reply to Troy, asking him to dig deeper into the four years Harold attended college.
The click from the bathroom door stole her attention. Andrew walked out dressed in jeans and a long-sleeved green shirt. He rubbed a towel over the back of his head as he walked toward her.
“Morning,” he said chipper and with a bright smile.
“Morning.” She wondered if his cheery attitude was a result of a little release in the shower. She shut her eyes briefly, trying to shake the thought from her mind.
“Did you sleep well?” He sat at the edge of his bed.
“I guess.” Lying was easier than telling the truth. The reason for her restlessness weren’t important anyway. “I hope the TV didn’t disturb you too much. It helps me sleep.” The last part was the truth.
He withdrew a pair of socks from one of the dresser drawers. “It’s fine. I think it helped me too.” He slid one of the socks over his foot.
“Troy replied with information about your demon.”
“Oh, he did? What did he say?” He put the other sock on.
Emily read the data sheet to him. He listened intently and shook his head when she mentioned the gambling and the murder of Harold’s wife.
“I sent another message to Troy for him to check into Harold’s years in college,” she said.
“What are you looking for?”
“I’m curious if there were any missing women. It’s a long shot and there’s probably no way to connect him to a missing college student, but I thought it was worth checking out.”
“Do you think he killed someone before his first wife?”
“I don’t know. Maybe she was his first. Maybe the college girls he raped and abused were test subjects. This scumbag has managed to avoid any legal ramifications, so he’s smart and above all, extremely dangerous.”
Andrew walked toward her. “I think we should check
out where he works and when he goes home.”
“Stalking sounds like a great idea,” she said with a sly grin. “We need to see what he looks like at least. If we follow him around, we can learn more about him, which will help us develop plan for you to kill him.”
“Do we know where he works?”
She read the name and address to him. The time at the top of her screen showed 8:17. If Harold weren’t at work yet, he would be soon.
“I’ll get dressed and we can head that way,” she said before she left her seat.
She snatched a clean shirt and skinny jeans from one of the drawers. The forecast she’d seen on the TV earlier called for highs in the mid-seventies. Short sleeves would be fine if she wore a jacket. She shuffled through her underwear in the next drawer down for a pair of socks.
“Mind if I look on your computer?” Andrew asked, sitting in her seat.
She stepped around the table to check the screen. Troy’s message and her inbox were still visible. She didn’t mind him surfing the web, but she would get upset if he screwed with her email. After she closed down the program, she opened the Google main page.
“Okay, you can search for whatever you want now,” she said.
He rubbed his hands together. “Great.”
“I won’t be long.” She strode away from him.
Emily hurried to dress in the warm bathroom. Steam covered the top of the mirror. After she changed her clothes, she tied her combed hair in a ponytail. The blue streaks were less noticeable with her locks pulled behind her head. Since they were likely to be hanging around a busy business part of downtown, she figured less attention would be better. She added a little eye makeup before leaving.
Andrew was staring at her laptop with a grim look on his face when she walked out of the bathroom. He was leaning forward, elbow propped on the table, and his hand partially covering his mouth.
