Shivering, Jaeryth forced himself to his feet and tried to ignore his aching body—which, unlike Samael’s mortal form, was not infused with demonic strength. And he’d just barely begun to recover from the first thrashing at the Prince’s hands. This would not help him accomplish his goals.
But then, it was obvious Samael had no intention of helping him.
As quickly as it had stopped, the flow of time rushed back into place. Motion and noise flooded the room, and the music faltered only briefly. Particularly the guitar.
And the screams of the crowd swallowed the continued shrieks of the female Samael had assaulted.
Disconcerted as he was, Jaeryth moved to help the screaming woman. He told himself that it was part of the duties he’d been assigned, his efforts to appear one of them. Certainly not because he’d been stirred to sympathy. He bent toward the sprawling, wild-eyed female, offering a hand. And for his trouble, she reared back and punched him in the face.
Well. At least that would explain the damage to his mouth.
Her gaze cleared, and then settled on him in shock. “Oh, shit!” she said, her voice barely audible above the wailing music and the roaring mob. “I don’t…I mean, I didn’t mean that. Um. You okay?”
“Fine.” Jaeryth held out a hand again, aware that one of the other bodyguards had taken notice and did not look pleased. This time, the female accepted it, and he helped her stand. “The crowd pushed you out,” he half-shouted. “Are you hurt?”
She shook her head and flashed a smile. “Thanks.”
Nodding, he guided her back into the mob and returned to his post. Other than a thumbs-up from the other guard, no one took notice of the brief scuffle. The mortals carried on, oblivious to the fact that the Prince of Hell had been among them only moments before.
But Jaeryth had his pain and Samael’s threat to remind him. And if he continued to fail, he would suffer far more than a few bruises.
* * * * *
Logan poured everything she had into the performance. By the time they finished the third encore—and they’d only planned on doing one—her throat ached like a sore tooth, and she figured she’d sweated away a good five pounds. She’d also been ready to clock Reid if he’d so much as thought about running another song.
But it had been worth the effort. Being up there in front of the crowd, having a few hundred voices echoing her words back to her, was indescribably amazing. Orgasms had nothing on that feeling.
The bouncers had cleared most of the room, and Jaeryth worked right along with them like he’d done it a hundred times before. She definitely owed him something for this. Maybe she could let him sleep in the bed tonight, and she’d take the couch. At least he’d be able to stretch out. He was probably still hurting, and she didn’t doubt working the room had made it worse.
As the lights came up, she sat on the edge of the stage, drenched in sweat and more exhausted than she’d ever been—and ridiculously happy. Maybe she wasn’t doomed to die in a gutter after all.
“Thirsty?”
She twisted her head up to see Tex offering a bottle of water. “You read my mind,” she said, and winced at the plodding rasp that was her voice.
“Don’t worry. This’ll help, and you’ll sound way better tomorrow.” Tex hunkered down next to her and passed the bottle. “You really banged it out tonight, Frost. I had chills.”
She rolled her eyes in response, then twisted the cap off and drank. The water wasn’t particularly cold, but it felt like ice sliding down her burning throat. “I don’t see how you could’ve been chilled.” She did sound a little better after the drink. Almost human. “It was like a billion degrees up here.”
“A billion and one. I checked.” Blue thunked down next to her, grinning. “Holy shit. That was awesome.”
She smiled back. “Yeah. I guess it was.”
“You guess?” Blue nudged her with a shoulder-bump. “You shouldn’t be so modest. You’re a rock star now. People expect a certain level of smarmy.”
“What, like Reid?”
“Exactly.” Blue swiveled her head to look behind them. “Where’d he go, anyway?”
Tex smirked. “Bathroom. He must’ve downed a case by himself during the show, not counting the shots. And I think he had company.”
“Ugh,” Blue said. “Somebody should really neuter that boy.”
The last of the crowd had been ushered out, and only Jaeryth and one other bouncer remained. The two of them were headed back across the room toward the stage, deep in conversation—well, the bouncer was conversing, anyway. Jaeryth looked as wiped out as Logan felt. When they’d almost closed the distance, he looked at her and gave a tired smile.
And she saw the nasty bruise that darkened the corner of his mouth.
“Oh, God.” She slipped off the stage and headed toward him. “What happened?” As soon as she asked, it occurred to her that maybe he’d had another run-in with those black-eyed things. The idea sickened her.
“All in the line of duty,” the bouncer said before Jaeryth could respond. “Some crazy Goth chick broke the line and popped him when he was trying to get her back. Took it like a champ, too. Didn’t even blink.” He clapped Jaeryth’s shoulder. “Pretty good for a rookie. I’d let him watch my back.” With a half-wave, he turned and started away.
“Like your back needs watching, Stone.” Logan hadn’t even noticed Blue approaching them until she called after the retreating bouncer. Then she looked Jaeryth over and said, “Okay, I’m impressed. You’re hired.”
Jaeryth raised an eyebrow. “I don’t recall applying.”
Laughter burst the bubble of tension that had been building in Logan’s chest. She reached out and grabbed Jaeryth’s hand. “Thank you for protecting us,” she said. “I’ll make it up to you.”
“Will you, now.”
He moved closer and the hungry look in his eyes made her knees weak. She forgot they were standing in the back room of a bar with a bunch of people watching. And then she forgot how to breathe.
“You don’t look so good, friend. Maybe you should sit out the celebration.”
Logan barely recognized Tex in that cold comment. She turned and sent him a deep frown. “Come on, Tex. You have to admit, it’s a good thing he was here tonight.”
“No, I don’t.”
“It’s about time, Rivers,” Blue called out louder than necessary, shooting Tex a narrow-eyed glare that Logan could’ve kissed her for. She nodded toward Reid, who was coming across the room from the direction of the bar. “I hope you washed your hands. You don’t know where she’s been.”
“Good thing she wasn’t you, then. There ain’t enough soap in the world.”
Some of the coldness melted from Tex’s expression. “Hey, let’s not ruin things now,” he said. “We had a great night. Like I said, we should celebrate.” He gestured toward the bar. “Drinks are on me.”
The offer sent a quick burst of anger through Logan, but she held it back. He probably didn’t mean anything by it. He’d just gotten caught up in the moment. “I’ll pass,” she said.
“Lighten up, Frost. It’s just a drink. What Miss Turner doesn’t know won’t hurt you.”
At first she was too shocked to respond. Damn it, Tex was a substance abuse counselor. He knew how fragile recovering addicts were and exactly what could happen if she slipped, even a little. Any kind of high could push her back.
“How can you say that?” she finally managed.
Tex blinked, and his face fell. “Oh, damn,” he said. “I didn’t mean—”
“It’s fine.” She summoned a smile she didn’t feel. “Tell the truth, I wouldn’t mind celebrating, but I’m totally exhausted. I’d really like to get home…that is, if it’s okay with you, Blue.”
Blue nodded. “Not a problem.”
“Fine,” Tex said, though his expression suggested it was anything but. “We need to get together tomorrow night, though. Obviously, the game’s changed a little. We have to talk strategy.” He sent a
pointed look at Jaeryth. “Strictly band business.”
“No worries, friend,” Jaeryth said. “I wouldn’t dream of interfering.”
Blue cleared her throat emphatically. “All right, boys, cut the shit. Let’s move out. You two can kill each other later, if Logan doesn’t kill you first.”
Logan smiled. “Couldn’t have said it better myself.”
With a few strained goodbyes, she and Jaeryth followed Blue out the back door and into the waiting night.
Chapter 17
Halfway through the ride home, Logan’s hands started to shake.
At first she blamed her exhaustion, and then thirst, hunger, and low nicotine levels. A cigarette didn’t help. When the trembling worsened and cold sweat dampened her forehead and the back of her neck, she knew exactly what was happening. Today had been the most stressful day since she left rehab, and Tex’s thoughtless comment definitely hadn’t done her any favors. Her body remembered the fix and demanded it.
This was a pure psychological reaction. But knowing that didn’t make it stop.
Blue shot her a sidelong glance. “You look like hell,” she said. “Should I pull over or something?”
“I’m fine.” She folded her arms and tucked her hands beneath them, trying to hide the shakes. Chocolate had gotten her through a few episodes of this—trading a minor addiction for a major one. Maybe she could make it work now. “Listen, can you drop us off at the Wawa instead of my place? I want to grab a few things.”
“Sure.” Though Blue looked concerned, she didn’t push the issue. Logan was grateful for that.
She glanced in the rearview mirror and caught Jaeryth staring at her. This wasn’t going to be easy to explain. She’d never told him about the meth addiction, or rehab…or anything about her life, really. Hard to believe he’d only been in it for a few days. It already seemed like she’d known him forever.
By the time they pulled in at the store, Logan felt like she’d walked through a downpour. At least her teeth weren’t chattering yet. She was already reaching for the door handle before Blue put the car in park, and it was a struggle to keep from bolting immediately. “Thank you,” she said. “Sorry I’m being so weird. I just…”
“Believe it or not, I understand. Jacob was—well, let’s just say he had problems too.” Smiling, Blue leaned over and gave her a one-armed hug. “Go on. We can talk tomorrow. Or sooner, if you need it. Call me any time.”
“Great. Now I’m gonna bawl.” She let out a shaky laugh and looked back at Jaeryth, who was still watching her with an intensity that made her shiver. “Well, this is our stop,” she said, attempting to sound casual. “Say goodnight to Blue.”
“Goodnight, Blue,” he said without looking away from her.
Good lord, no man should sound that sexy. It wasn’t fair.
They got out and watched Blue drive away. After the car pulled onto the street, Jaeryth turned to her and grabbed her arm. “You’re shaking.” Concern flooded his features. “Logan, what’s wrong?”
She shook her head. Fix first, explain later. “Tell you in a minute,” she said. “Come on.”
Inside, she headed straight for the snack aisle. She’d already decided a candy bar wasn’t going to cut it—she needed high-end intervention. Unfortunately, the bag candy was convenience store priced, but she’d splurge this time. Five bucks for a bag of Dove milk chocolate squares. Done.
With Jaeryth all but hovering behind her, she paid for the candy, then headed out and around to the side of the building. There, she leaned against a concrete parking barrier and ripped the bag open. “Be fine in a second,” she muttered for Jaeryth’s benefit, resisting the bizarre urge to pour the contents of the bag directly into her mouth, foil and all.
By the third piece, the shakes had all but subsided and she almost felt normal again. This “cure” was all in her head too, but hey, whatever worked. Maybe she should tell the shrinks at Grothman about this. Dove chocolate cured crystal meth addiction.
“Perhaps now you’ll tell me what happened?”
Jaeryth’s bemused voice drew her away from remembering. “Um. Yeah, I’ll get there,” she said. “I just really needed some chocolate. Want one?” She held the bag toward him.
He frowned at it. “Do they taste like Motrin?”
“Seriously? You’ve never had Dove before.”
“No.” He reached in and took one, and a crooked little smile materialized on his lips. “They must be good, though. You looked quite…pleased, eating them.”
The suggestive undertones twisted her insides and she grabbed another piece to distract herself. “Try it,” she said. “They really are that good.”
“If you insist.”
She watched him unwrap the foil and hesitate with eyebrows raised. His gaze locked on hers for an eternity. Finally, he brought it to his mouth and pushed it in. His jaw worked a few times—and an expression of utter amazement lit his face. He swallowed fast, cupped his hands together and thrust them toward her. “More.”
Laughing, she tipped the bag and poured out four or five. “Told you,” she said.
He ate two more in rapid succession. “Tell me something,” he said as he tore the wrapper from a third. “How is it that you don’t simply eat these all the time? No other food compares to this. It’s amazing.”
She couldn’t resist a smile. His reactions were still a little weird, but he was adorable. Like a child discovering Christmas. “Because like everything else, it’s bad for you,” she said. “You should really slow down. You’re supposed to savor them, you know. Have a chocolate experience.”
Grinning, he popped one whole in his mouth and chewed savagely. “Consider that savored,” he said.
“More like inhaled.” She smirked and helped herself to another one. “I think these have little messages in them or something.”
“Do they?”
“Yeah. They’re inspirational candy.” She unfolded the foil slowly and laughed at the words printed inside. “‘Share a chocolate moment with a friend’,” she read. “They’re psychic!”
Jaeryth blinked at the one remaining in his hand. With a slight shrug, he peeled the wrapper off and stared at it. “This says, ‘Enjoy the silky smoothness of Dove’.”
“Well. That’s…really boring.”
“Indeed. But true.”
Logan shook the bag. “Let’s try again,” she said. “We’ll both take one and we’ll do whatever it says. Okay?”
He smiled. “Even if it’s boring?”
“Yes.”
She stalled and let him open his first. He glanced at the foil, and then scowled. “I am not doing this,” he said. “Give me a different one.”
“Oh, come on. It can’t be that bad.”
“It is!”
“Let me see.”
With a heavy sigh, he handed over the wrapper. She read it—and burst out laughing.
It said, Wear that perfect dress tonight!
“All right, you’re excused,” she said. “But if I had a dress handy, I’d hold you to it.”
“Hmph.” He cracked a smile. “What does yours say?”
She opened it. Be spontaneous.
That was a bit of a challenge. She’d found out the hard way that without structure and planning, she could leave herself open for trouble. But she had to learn to live again. She wasn’t tired any more, and a celebration was definitely in order. It didn’t have to involve booze or drugs. Normal, legal things could be fun too.
“Well?”
She grinned at him. “It says, ‘Take Jaeryth out to that little diner we passed on the way, because if he likes Dove chocolate, he’s going to love chocolate pie’.”
He laughed—and she realized it was the first time she’d heard him do that. The sound warmed her all the way to her toes. “It does not say that.”
“You can’t prove it doesn’t.” She crumpled the foil into a little ball and tossed it across the parking lot. “So, how about it. Are you game for pie?”
&nbs
p; “I am, if it’s better than Dove.”
“No guarantees there. But it’s definitely delicious.”
He nodded. “Lead the way, then.”
They set off toward downtown, and Logan couldn’t stop smiling. For once, life was good.
* * * * *
For a few moments Jaeryth forgot what he was, and even why he’d been forced into this mortal body. Being with Logan, walking the dark and mostly deserted streets of Pottstown, talking about everything and nothing—this was true happiness.
Demons did not experience happiness. Satisfaction, a certain thrill when the work was going well, but never joy. He could almost understand how humans managed to carry on, if they had the ability to feel like this.
“There it is.” Logan gestured ahead to the next corner, which was dominated by a single-story building of chrome and glass with bars of red light tracing the roof. A spotlight illuminated a wooden sign that simply read 24-hr Diner. Two massive trucks stood parked and silent in the lot alongside the building. “Knew I saw it around here someplace.”
Jaeryth raised an eyebrow. “And this place has chocolate pie?”
“Sure. It’s a diner, isn’t it? Diners have pie. That’s practically the law.” She grabbed his hand and pulled him toward the crosswalk, an apparently unconscious gesture that still sent a jolt through him. “Come on. All of a sudden, I’m starving.”
Three concrete steps led to a glass door that jingled pleasantly when Logan pulled it open. Inside, a long counter with several black-padded stools hosted two men, three seats apart—presumably the drivers of the trucks. One of them glanced back as the door opened, but quickly returned to his meal. The row of tables and benches along the windows were empty, and a young woman wearing headphones and a dark jacket slouched in a booth at the far wall, apparently oblivious to the world. A sign on a stand by the entrance invited them to seat themselves.
Logan led them to a booth by a window, and they sat on opposite sides. Jaeryth would have preferred sitting beside her, but from what he’d seen, this arrangement was more typical. She plucked a plastic-coated menu from the holder at the back of the table, flipped it over and smiled. “See? Pie,” she said, laying the menu down so it faced him.
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