by Mary Abshire
“No. It should be fine here. I’m leaving my phone too.”
If anyone wanted to search her belongings, they wouldn’t find much except the cash. The vial with the poison was well hidden in a roll of bills. Her cell had Troy’s and Andrew’s numbers stored. Troy’s belonged to a prepaid phone, so they couldn’t trace it. The computer would take a lot of time and effort to hack into. As for her cash, if any was taken, she’d know right away and would report it. Considering the family was rich and paying everyone good money, she doubted anyone would steal from her. Still, she wanted to lock funds up in a safe deposit box as soon as possible.
Andrew patted his shorts. “I guess I don’t need my phone either.” He removed the cell from his pocket and then set it near her purse on the coffee table.
Within minutes they were heading to the mansion. Thankfully the drive was maybe two minutes. Emily circled the fountain in the front before parking in the direction facing the way they’d come. According to the clock on the dashboard, they would walk through the door right on time.
“Remember, we don’t have to knock,” Andrew said on the way to the entrance.
“I guess they must be used to people coming and going in the house. The property is secured, so it’s not like a stranger will go waltzing in.”
“Strangers waltz?” he asked as they reached the door.
“They might.” She grinned as he turned the knob.
She stepped into the entryway first and waited while Andrew shut the door. The large home seemed quiet as they passed through it, heading toward the kitchen. They reached it and found one woman busy at a counter while another was half hidden by the refrigerator door. The smell of garlic and bread reached her nose. Emily’s stomach growled from the heavenly aroma. Through the patio windows she saw Don and Christopher sitting at the table outside. Emily proceeded toward the doors.
Don’s and Christopher’s attentions shifted as she stepped outside. The awning and the breeze made the temperature seem at least ten degrees cooler compared to being in the sun.
“Glad you could make it,” Christopher said, dressed in a red polo shirt and khaki shorts, sitting at one end of the rectangular table. “Are you settling in well?”
Emily scooted the second chair from the end back, letting Andrew sit close to Christopher and facing Don. “We still have a lot to unpack.”
“Matt and I hauled the bed up late yesterday,” Don said. “It was a bitch to get up those stairs and through the door.”
“He mentioned it was new,” Emily said as Andrew sat next to her.
“Matt said he’d join us in a little bit. He’s finishing up a few things,” Don said to Christopher.
“Annie is late as usual. I’m sure Sherri is with her,” Christopher said, his head facing the patio doors.
“Do you have meals at the same times every day?” Emily asked as Andrew’s hand slid to her thigh.
“Not really,” Christopher said. “But if everyone is here we try to sit down together at least a few times a week. You’re welcome to grab food from the kitchen at any time.”
Don reached for the beer bottle in front of him. “Are either of you drinkers?”
“Yeah,” Emily said.
“Sure,” Andrew said next.
Don swallowed his drink. “I put a case of beer in your fridge this morning. There’s some food in there too. Basic stuff.”
“Thanks,” Andrew said.
“We hadn’t even checked for food supplies yet,” Emily said.
“Whatever you need, just make a list for Matt. He’ll get it for you,” Christopher said.
Female voices grew louder from inside the house. They all turned as Annie stepped onto the patio. She’d dressed in a spaghetti-strapped light-blue floral dress. Sherri followed her, wearing capris and a pink blouse. Annie walked behind her dad and stopped near Don.
“I want to sit here,” Annie said.
Don said nothing as he rose and moved to the next seat, facing Emily. He moved his beer closer to his spot. Sherri sat in the chair on his other side.
“I want a drink,” Annie said as she lowered to her seat.
One of the waitresses appeared and set two covered baskets on the table. The aroma of freshly baked bread quickly drifted in the air.
“Francisca, will you fix me one of my favorite drinks please?” Annie asked. “You choose.”
“Would you like anything to drink?” Christopher asked Andrew, and then looked at Emily.
“I’ll have what Don’s having,” Andrew said.
“No thanks. I’ll stick with water,” Emily said.
“I’ll have some tea,” Sherri said.
Francisca gave a nod before she left.
Annie leaned her elbows on the table and smiled at Andrew. “What do you think of your new home?”
“It’s fine, better than a hotel,” Andrew answered.
“We move around a lot,” Emily added. “And some of our clients, most of them, just stick us in a hotel.”
“I always hated that,” Don said before he took another swig of his beer.
“Well, we’re going to be traveling soon, so I hope you’ll be prepared,” Annie said, holding her grin.
Francisca and the other waitress appeared with drinks in their hands.
“Where are we traveling to?” Emily asked as the waitress set a glass of water on the table in front of Emily.
“I have a concert in Vancouver in four days.” She dug into one of the covered baskets. “It’s not a big venue, but forty thousand tickets sold out in two weeks. I’m so excited to go.” She took a breadstick and set it on the empty plate in front of her.
“It’s a special charity event,” Christopher said as the waitresses finished setting the drinks on the table.
“I’m performing at few others before starting a tour in the fall. We’re going to be really busy over the next nine months,” Annie said, nibbling on the breadstick.
The news brought a grin to Emily’s face. Hopefully Andrew would be able to find an opportunity to kill her while they were traveling.
“Do you travel along too?” Emily asked Christopher as the waitresses disappeared into the home.
“No. I stay here most of the time. I have plenty to do.”
“Do we need any special training?” Andrew asked before he drank some beer.
“We’ll go over the fine details when the time gets closer,” Don said. “For now, I recommend staying physically fit.”
“That’s easy,” Annie said with a snort.
“Use the gym and the pool. Jog. Spend at least three hours a day exercising,” Don said. “That’s what I do.”
Annie took a few drinks from her fruity liquor before she set the glass down. “That seems a bit much. Besides, he’s already perfectly fit.”
Emily clenched her teeth. The young woman’s flirty comments annoyed her.
“Staying in shape means exercising regularly,” Don said.
Annie gave a casual wave of her hand. “Yeah, yeah.”
“Do you work out much, Annie?” Emily asked reaching for a breadstick.
“Yes, but not by choice.”
“I have to drag her to the gym,” Sherri said.
“I recently started doing yoga,” Annie said. “Have you tried it?” Again, her gaze was fixed on Andrew.
“We haven’t tried it,” he answered, and then rubbed his thumb over Emily’s thigh.
“It really loosens up the body,” Annie said. “I like it. You should try it sometime.”
“Carrie seems flexible enough,” Don said. “I think the training they went through proved it.” His lips hinted at a smile.
The compliment from Don seemed strange and gave Emily a slight unsettling feeling.
“Trust me, my wife is very flexible,” Andrew said with a wide grin. He moved his hand closer to her apex.
Don chuckled. “I bet.”
“Settle down, boys,” Sherri said softly. “We’re talking about muscles.”
Annie fin
ished her drink. “And working all muscles so they’re solid and used properly.”
Don laughed again. “I don’t think we need yoga for that.”
“Yoga is so girly and boring,” Christopher chimed in. “I don’t see how it benefits a man.”
“Oh, it can,” Annie said confidently.
“I have to agree with your dad,” Don said before he met Emily’s gaze. “Does yoga interest you?”
“No, it doesn’t,” Emily said.
“I didn’t think so. Based on what I’ve seen from your training, you don’t seem like the type of woman into yoga,” Don said, grinning.
Emily pressed her lips together, wondering what type of woman he thought she was. Andrew must have wondered the same since he’d pressed his heated hand firmer to her thigh.
The conversation came to a quick halt when the two waitresses appeared, carrying two large dishes in their mitten-covered hands. Francisca set one dish near Christopher. The other waitress put her dish next to Sherri. The lasagna smelled divine.
“Dig in,” Christopher said.
“It looks delicious,” Emily said.
Sherri grabbed one of the large spoons and dug into the dish close to her.
“Do you have a favorite food?” Don asked, looking at Emily.
“Uh, I like anything really. I guess any kind of Italian food is my favorite,” she said.
“I would’ve guessed Mexican or Thai, something spicy,” Don said.
Spicy? Why would he think that? The man’s judgment of her seemed way off. And that was good because he gave her a creepy and dangerous vibe.
“What’s your favorite?” Annie asked Andrew after she dumped a large piece of lasagna on her plate.
Andrew looked at Emily while she cut out a portion of food from the dish.
“I bet I can figure that out,” Don said.
Sherri smacked his shoulder. “Would you stop?”
“Do you have to talk like that here?” Annie complained and shook her head.
Emily glared at him briefly. His rudeness irritated her. If he felt comfortable talking in such a way in front of his boss at the table, she suspected he spoke more trash when the man paying his salary wasn’t around.
“We have a variety of food in the house,” Christopher said. “The cooks are pretty good.”
“Italian is one of my favorite foods,” Andrew said. “But I like everything.”
“If you’re here and have a request, just let us know,” Christopher said, lifting his fork. “Matt or Sherri will coordinate everything when you’re traveling.”
The conversation quieted as Don and Andrew gathered large portions from the lasagna dishes while the rest of them collected breadsticks and drank. Emily welcomed the break. She couldn’t decide which was worse—Annie’s flirts toward Andrew or Don’s insinuating and strange comments about herself.
Matt arrived minutes later while they were eating. He held small boxes in his hand.
“Finally,” Sherri said.
He set the white boxes between Andrew and Emily. The writing on the top read iPhone.
“I was trying to finish up a few things,” he said as he took a seat next to Emily. “Looks good.”
“It’s delicious,” Emily said.
He reached for the dish and spoon closest to him. “Did I miss anything?”
“Don mentioned we’re going to Vancouver in a couple of days,” Emily said before anyone else could reply. She really wanted to avoid hearing any more vulgar or alluding comments from Don at the dinner table.
“We are. You, Spencer, and Don will be working security at the venue. We’ll go over the details more before we leave,” Matt said as he poured the lasagna on his plate.
“Why don’t you let Don go over the fine details with them?” Christopher said. “You have enough on your plate right now.”
Matt shrugged and looked at Don.
“I don’t mind. I can break the newbies in real well,” Don said, grinning.
“I think it would be a good idea for Don to handle more of their training,” Christopher said with his attention directed at Matt.
“That’s fine. Whatever works best,” Matt said before he dug his fork into his food.
“Have you two got plans after dinner?” Annie asked. “I can show you around my studio.”
Emily had her mouth full and looked at Andrew. She’d hoped to return to the apartment to unpack and spend more one-on-one time with him, especially since they were going to have less time alone together in the near future.
Andrew swallowed as he set his beer on the table. “Can we visit another time? We still have a lot to unpack.”
“Oh sure,” Annie said. “Do you need any help?”
Emily almost laughed. She quickly reached for her water so her amusement would be hidden.
“We can handle it,” Andrew said.
Emily set her glass down and then moved her hand under the table and onto Andrew’s leg. She patted it, showing her approval of his decision.
Matt pointed his fork toward the white boxes. “The phones are ready for you to use. The numbers are inside. I programmed all of our numbers in the contacts. Be sure to send each of us a text so we can add you to our lists.”
“I’m sure Spencer and Carrie have a lot on their minds and plenty to do in their new home,” Christopher said, his gaze on Annie. “Give them some time.”
For a demon, Christopher seemed not so bad with his good manners and courtesy. But Emily still didn’t trust him. If she guessed right, he was the worst kind of demon, the kind that were sneaky and hid every bit of their evil ways too well. He probably was a good manipulator too.
“Of course,” Annie said and then shifted her attention to Andrew and Emily. “When you’re ready, you know where to find me.”
That they did. Matt had given him a tour of the mansion earlier in the day. He’d showed them the location of her room in case there might ever be an emergency.
As they continued to eat their dinners, Emily wondered how difficult it would be over the next few days before they left for Vancouver. Don had his mind in the gutter and was now lead in training them. Goldilocks wanted to snatch Andrew at any chance she could get. Matt and Sherri were the only ones who seemed quiet and somewhat normal. Emily didn’t consider Christopher a problem since he wasn’t traveling with them and they weren’t working with him. Although she disliked the thought of spending more time with Annie or Don, at least she and Andrew were on the right track to killing Annie. Together, they could face the challenges. Then they could have wild sex. Positive reinforcements never hurt anyone.
Chapter Sixteen
Screams of thousands cheered for Annie as she sang on stage. Beats from the drums vibrated beneath Andrew’s feet. The plugs in his ears dulled the majority of the sound. He stood backstage, dressed in jeans, a button-down shirt, and blazer with a small handgun strapped to his belt. Emily stood across from him, watching the people move around behind the scenes. He was supposed to be watching the front rows of the crowd, but the five men standing in front of the stage were equipped to handle any issues. So he kept his focus on the love of his life dressed in skinny jeans, high-heeled boots, and a blouse that revealed a trace amount of cleavage. She too had a gun strapped to her belt under her black leather jacket. Damn, she looked hot.
Emily turned her gaze to Andrew and smiled. The urge to grab her and kiss her overwhelmed him. They hadn’t spent much time alone over the last couple of days. They’d managed to secure a safe deposit box at the bank and had purchased a few odds and ends for the apartment before Don had contacted them and requested their presence. Since then, the only time they had away from anyone had been the few hours allotted for sleeping. Of course, they enjoyed a little playtime before they dozed off. But it wasn’t enough for him.
She crossed the wide space between them. He raked her gaze down her body, noting the ever so slight jiggle of her breasts and the slight sway of her hips. The member of his body not getting enough attention
twitched. She came to stand at his side. He removed one of his plugs as she did too.
“I’ve seen Sherri walk back and forth a few times. Haven’t seen Don or Matt anywhere,” she yelled.
Andrew nodded. “You look really good.”
She drew her brows together while her lips tugged to the side. “You okay?”
He lowered to her ear and breathed in the scent of her shampoo. She smelled so good his cock awakened. “I love you.” He planted a kiss on her cheek.
She stared at him and then glanced behind her and searched the area. When she returned her attention to him, she placed her palm on the side of his face. The single touch quickened his heartbeat. She molded her mouth to his and more than his heartbeat strengthened. The gentle flick of her tongue encouraged him to back her into the closest room to make love to her. Nobody would miss them for ten minutes. Right?
“Better?” she asked as she lowered her hand.
He swallowed hard. “I need more.” His longing for her wouldn’t be satisfied until he had her in his arms for an extended amount of time. Of course he planned to do many pleasure-filled things to her.
The crowd roared after the music stopped. Annie started talking to the audience.
“I’m afraid you’ll have to wait to get more,” Emily said, gazing past him.
He turned to look to the stage. Annie walked around in her yellow flowery dress, holding the microphone while she spoke. She appeared to be a normal person by all accounts.
“Thousands admire her and they don’t even know she’s a demon,” he said. They had yet to learn if she was involved with drugs or what crimes she’d committed.
“I’m sure there other very public figures and celebrities that are demons too. It’s a bit scary.”
“There has to be a way to get to her.”
“She spends a lot of time with Sherri,” Emily said, drawing his attention back to her.
From the days they’d spent on the property in California, the blonde had been with her seventy-five percent of the day. There had been a few times when he’d learned Annie was alone, but if he’d made his move to kill her, he would’ve been caught. A camera in the hall of her room captured all activity outside her door. After the last few days, he suspected his best chance of destroying the demon would likely come off the property.
