Startled by his words, I scrambled off him and landed on my ass on the ground, my wings crushing up against the wall behind me.
The Hell Spirits developed menacing fingers, hundreds of them that enveloped his entire body, taking him screaming into nothingness. I closed my eyes, still unable to witness the act after ten years of Demon Control duty. When I opened them, there was an eerie stillness, the smell of burned flesh...and the sound of my VW screeching to a halt.
Pauline bounded out of the car and helped me to my feet.
“Are you okay?” she asked.
I nodded. “All in a day’s work, right?”
She smiled and blew out a breath, seeming relieved.
I brushed myself off, willed my wings back into my shoulders, and bypassed Pauline on the way to my car. I wanted to get the heck out there, pronto. I’d never get used to the savagery of demon deportation. Not now, not ever.
I decided not to tell Pauline about Mikey’s last words. She’d seen enough tonight to scare her right back behind her golden desk on the seventh floor. After she got in the car, I asked her about that, partly because I was curious but mostly to get my mind off the way Mikey’s scream sounded as he was forced back to purgatory.
“Why are you on the streets instead of your usual position?”
“I’m not exactly sure,” she said. “MOG came out and dismissed me until further notice. When I asked why, all she said was she’d send for me when she needed me again.”
“That’s odd, don’t you think?”
Pauline nodded.
MOG was one mysterious being, that was for sure. I’d need to talk to her about what Mikey had said. If you were smart, you’d already know. It didn’t make sense unless he was talking about Blondie from the rooftop. But my instincts told me Blondie wasn’t the culprit. He was just one of the minions.
A demon powerful enough to start a revolution wouldn’t be dumb enough to do the dirty work. No, he’d stay safe while his men fought for him. So far it appeared they were willing to.
We drove back to Denver via Colfax Avenue. I figured it was the shortest way to Simeon’s house, our last stop. It was close to midnight when we got there. I parked in front of his driveway and looked around. His one-story, red-brick house was in the middle of the nice Edgewater neighborhood across the street from Sloan Lake. The lights from downtown Denver shimmered across the body of water. During the day the lake was alive with recreational activities—boating, tennis, softball, soccer, you name it. I’d driven around it hundreds of times but never actually stopped to enjoy it. Tonight the area was pretty quiet. Only the sound of cars driving on a nearby street could be heard.
Pauline cleared her throat. “Um. This is Simeon Keller. It says he’s a half-demon.” She had the file open on her lap.
“Yep. And he’s a low threat, so if you want to stay in the car, I can take care of this.”
A dim lamplight showed through his partially opened wooden blinds. If the lights were on, it probably meant he was still awake. I wasn’t sure if that was a good thing. It was so ridiculous that I had to give him this strike. But it was better I do it than another Angel.
“Shouldn’t we stay together though?” Pauline asked. “Remember? The injured Angels didn’t stay together.”
“Right.” Me and my big mouth. “Come on then.”
Chapter Eight
Either Pauline didn’t know this was the half-breed I’d been seduced by five years ago or she wasn’t saying anything. I was relieved in any case. I knew about all the rumors that went around. I knew what the Angels thought of me. Words like jezebel and harlot had been whispered in the break room, across the office, while walking past me on my way to my apartment. Pauline hadn’t been one of the whisperers, but I could tell she was no fan of mine.
An Angel who slept with a demon gave away any hope that we were perfect. In a single act, I disproved that we were any different from the demons we hunted. What could they do other than call me an outcast? I was the reject, the exception to the rule. So they could still claim to be holy and righteous. Whatever. I knew who I was, and I’d never alleged to be anything else.
Pauline followed close behind me on the way to the door. She seemed so dainty and fragile in her yellow-knit sweater. No one would ever presume she had the strength of an Angel to throw a grown man across a room. I wondered if she’d ever used force on anyone, or knew that she had that ability. Gym class in Angel Academy had been where I realized my strength. Probably that was where she would have too.
I took a deep breath and rang the doorbell. A full minute passed before I heard his feet pad to the door. I waved at the peephole and moved over so he could see I had company .
The door swung open, showing Simeon in black silk pajama pants that hung low on his hips and an unbuttoned matching pajama shirt. Pauline let out a small gasp and dropped her head down. I bit my lip and stared. It wasn’t like he was naked after all.
He frowned as he motioned for us to enter. “You come in pairs now?” he asked and shut the door behind us. “Is this business or pleasure?” His eyes were set on me, but he was doing me a favor by not calling me by my name, acting as if he didn’t know me personally.
I panicked anyway, and my cheeks heated despite the cold temperature in the room. With the naturally high-temperature body of a demon, Simeon didn’t need the heater running on this cold autumn night. He was already warm.
Not knowing what to say, I shoved my hands into my jacket pockets and stood there speechless. I needed to get him alone somehow so I could explain that this strike I was about to give him wasn’t my idea. Because for whatever reason, I didn’t want Simeon Keller to hate me.
Pauline was staring at me, waiting for me to say something. Her blue eyes narrowed together as if she were trying to decipher why I was behaving so strangely. It was only a matter of time before she figured it out.
“Can I use your restroom?” I blurted out.
“Yes,” Simeon answered immediately.
“You can’t wait?” Pauline raised her eyebrows at me.
“No. It must be the soda I had with my cheesecake. Went right through me.”
“But—”
“I’ll show you where it is.” Simeon motioned toward a hallway past the living room. He turned to Pauline. “Make yourself comfortable, Angel. You’ll be on your way soon.”
I bolted into the hall before Pauline could object. It certainly wasn’t common for an Angel to ask to use a demon’s restroom in the middle of giving him a strike, and I was sure Pauline would question my sanity―but it was my only option.
With his hand on my lower back, Simeon guided me into a very large, very exquisite bathroom with a large tub, a two-headed shower, and a vast double-sink vanity with a black granite countertop. I looked all around and noticed big fluffy towels hung on the towel bar and plush rugs on the tile floor.
The door clicked shut behind me, and I turned to look up at him.
“I’m assuming you didn’t really have to go?” he whispered and stepped toward me.
I shook my head. Here I was, once again too close to Simeon Keller. His shoulder-length hair fell across his cheeks as he looked down at me. I could feel his hands on my hips underneath my jacket. The little voice inside my mind was silent, letting me have the floor.
Good-for-nothing voice.
“What is it, Abigail?”
“I’m so sorry,” I said. “I gave Judd your new address to update in our system, and the big jerk said you were in violation of not reporting your new address. Because you know the rule where a demon has to call into Demon Control to inform us if he moves residences?” I didn’t wait for his answer. “I had no idea Judd was going to do that, because really, it’s asinine. It’s not like you were hiding from us or anything. You just forgot, right?”
His somber expression didn’t change. “So you’re here to give me a strike?”
“I’m really, really sorry.”
A slow smile curved his lips. “I’m having dej
à vu. Do you apologize to every demon every time or just me?”
I relaxed a little. “Just you.”
He grasped my hand and pressed it to his bare abdomen. His skin was warm as usual, soothing my icy fingers. Slowly, he slid my hand up to his chest where he pressed my thumb next to the other thumbprint I’d given him. It blazed red and then yellow as it imprinted.
One more strike and he’d be going through the same agony I’d just forced on Mikey. I didn’t want to think about that.
“There. That’s done,” he said. “Now tell me why you have a partner? You don’t usually have one, do you?”
“No. It’s a precaution. Two Angels were maimed today while on duty.” I’d tell him all he wanted to know as long as he told me all he knew. And I hoped that he would.
“The same demons who attacked you?”
“Maybe. We don’t know. I was hoping you could help me find my attackers. You seem to have a lot of information on demons.”
“I do, and I’m glad you decided to take me up on my offer. Come back over when you’re done with your Angel duties. When will that be?”
“You’re my last case.”
“Abigail?” Pauline called down the hallway.
“Be right out.”
Simeon flushed the toilet to cover our voices and took his stance in front of me again. I didn’t know why he insisted on standing so close. I braced my hands on the counter behind me to avoid running them across the rigid muscles on his stomach again.
“How about tomorrow at lunch?” I asked. “It’ll be easier for me.”
He shook his head. “Tonight. I want to see you tonight.”
“How am I going to explain leaving at this hour? Usually, I go right to my apartment.”
“You live in the Demon Control building?”
“I can’t tell you that.” Shit. I was giving away information without even realizing it.
“They keep a tight leash on you then?”
“Sort of, I guess.” It was more Judd’s reaction I was worried about. He’d probably stop by my place to watch television for an hour or so after our shift was over. What would he think if I was nowhere to be found?
Why did I care? I was mad at Judd, I reminded myself. He was a putz to me today. And he forced me to give Simeon a bogus second strike.
“Never mind,” I said. “Give me an hour.”
“Good choice.” He kissed my forehead. “Come hungry. I’ll feed you.”
Damn. If only Simeon were an Angel, er, Ex-Angel. Or even a full human. Why couldn’t I have dark sexual thoughts about any of those guys? Oh, wait, I already tried that.
I walked out into the living room and saw Pauline sitting with her legs crossed on Simeon’s big, cushy leather sofa. Her foot was going a hundred miles an hour until she spotted me and stood.
“Where have you been?”
I held my stomach and made a face. “Must’ve been bad cheesecake. Sorry I took so long, but I saw Mr. Keller in the hallway and gave him his strike. We can go.”
On cue Simeon walked out, his silk pajama shirt still open, showing Pauline I’d done my duty.
“You clogged up my toilet,” he said with a straight face. “What kind of sick Angel are you?” So the half-breed had a sense of humor. Cute.
I bit my lips shut to keep from laughing and turned to Pauline. “Let’s go.”
Pauline tapped her fingers on the file folders she held in her lap as I drove back to Demon Control. It was the most noise she’d made all night, which told me she had something on her mind. I hoped to MOG she hadn’t figured out the connection between Simeon and me.
She cocked her head toward me. “I was wondering,” she started to say.
I gulped.
“Do you and Judd... Are you two a couple?”
“Me and Judd?” Had I heard that correctly?
“Yes. You’re always together, so some of the Angels assume you have some sort of, uh, intimate relationship.”
I knew all about what the Angels assumed. “He’s my best friend. Nothing else.”
“It’s just a friendship then? He’s available?”
“I suppose.”
I’d never thought of it that way. Judd hadn’t shown interest in any of the Angels in years. He always complained they were too high maintenance. He didn’t have the patience to take them out on a date because they’d always want to discuss marriage and having babies. And he wasn’t ready for any of that. Typical.
“Does he ever talk about anyone?”
“Not really.” I thought about it some more. “Although he does have a thing for Pamela Anderson. He’s got all the Baywatch episodes on DVD. Watches them all the time and in slow motion once in a while. It’s kind of disturbing when you think about it.”
“Pamela Anderson. She’s the one with the long blonde hair.” Pauline tugged on a lock of her hair. “And pretty blue eyes.” She batted her eyes. “And...” She looked down at her chest. “Well, she’s very lovely. She could be an Angel.”
No way. Pauline was not comparing herself to Pamela Anderson.
“Do you have a crush on Judd?” I blurted out after the light clicked on in my head. “Um...well... He seems very nice.”
Judd was so not nice, but he was my Judd. What was Pauline doing having a crush on him? And for how long?
“That’s it?” I asked. “You think he’s nice?”
Pauline cleared her throat. “As you might’ve noticed some of the Ex-Angels have gotten a little unhealthy since being forced behind a desk.”
“You mean they have love handles. Yeah, I noticed that.”
Judd wasn’t like that. He did a lot of sit-ups and ran every day. Now that I thought about it, he was possibly the only male in Demon Control who had stayed fit. Judd was a catch.
Damn.
Pauline clasped her hands together on her lap. “I guess you could say I have a crush on him. He’s very attractive.”
“Yeah, he’s okay,” I said. “But you know he curses, right?”
She blushed. “I’ve heard, yes.”
“Hmm.” Why was I worried? Judd didn’t like Pauline. He thought she was a frigid robot. And why did I care anyway? Even if Judd decided to date her, it wouldn’t stop us from being friends. Right?
Until they got married, had kids, and joined the world of humanity, leaving me behind.
“He drinks beer too,” I added. “And he has a temper. Sometimes he can be a real putz.”
I walked with Pauline through the parking garage, up the elevator, and into the office. She didn’t mention anything else about Judd. What was she going to do? Ask him out? She barely spoke to me. I couldn’t imagine her being bold enough to proposition a man.
Judd wasn’t at his cubicle when we walked by, luckily. I had a few reasons for not wanting to run into him now, but mostly I didn’t want to get caught leaving for Simeon’s house at one in the morning.
I showed Pauline where to drop off the files we’d just updated and noticed Judd in the break room fervently shaking the soda vending machine while cursing under his breath.
I gestured toward him and mouthed the word “temper” to Pauline. She just shrugged and stared starry-eyed as Judd continued his baby fit. Ugh. Maybe they deserved each other.
“Well, see ya tomorrow night,” I said. “Going up to bed now. I’m exhausted.” I yawned excessively and stretched my arms.
Pauline ignored me and walked into the break room. I was half-tempted to go in after her, but knew I needed to get back to Simeon’s house. Hopefully, he’d have some answers for me. Something. Anything to clue me in on who was attacking Angels and why .
I ran into Lois on the way to the elevator. “MOG find out anything yet?”
“No,” she said, agitated. “Don’t ask me again. I’ll let you know.”
“You got it.” I hopped on the elevator and walked to my studio.
The halls were clear. Most of the Angels were either still on shift or asleep.
Good. I’d get in and out b
efore any of them noticed me.
My minuscule apartment consisted of a small living room, a kitchen area, a bathroom with the bare essentials, and a divider wall separating a space for my bed and dresser. Really pathetic. This was another reason Angels aspired to get married and leave this joint. Our living conditions were anything but luxurious.
I could handle it though because no matter what Judd said, I wasn’t high maintenance. All I needed was right here. Although I wouldn’t mind having a big bathtub like Simeon’s. I’d light candles all around it and sink into the steaming hot water, relaxing my muscles after a long night of chasing down demons. Yeah, that would be nice.
My bathroom only had a one-person shower. Simeon had a tub and a shower both large enough for two. I wondered if he’d ever bathed with anyone, if he’d ever made love to anyone in that tub or anywhere else in his home. He was a gorgeous man, not to mention a highly skilled seducer, I’d learned firsthand. It wouldn’t be surprising if he’d had a woman screaming out his name in every corner of that house at one point or time.
Ergh. For whatever reason, imagining Simeon being affectionate with other women made me anxious. I shook the thought out of my head and freshened up, taking a quick shower, brushing my teeth, and applying my usual makeup with a finishing touch of lip gloss. I didn’t bother putting a brush through my hair because it would only frizz up if I did. Stupid hair. It looked okay as long as I used enough hair products to keep it under control. As it was, it hung down my back in spiraled locks.
I threw my green sweater off and tossed it in the hamper. He’d already seen me in it twice today. Instead, I opted for the only other sweater I owned, a pale pink knit that fit snug against my body, giving my unsubstantial rack a chance to get noticed.
Not that I wanted Simeon to notice my body. Nope...
Okay, maybe a little. Oh, I was an awful Angel. The worst. And if I wasn’t careful, I’d end up spread-eagle in that big bathtub with the half-breed making me scream.
To take precaution, I didn’t change out of my granny panties. There was no chance I was taking my pants off for him with those on underneath. My rule tonight was no sexy panties, no sex.
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