by ERIN BEDFORD
“No, I want you to stop wasting our time and do your job,” Detective O’Connor snapped, putting his hands on his hips, his hand a bit too close to his gun for my comfort.
“I am doing my job, and the spirits require I see her room.” I narrowed my gaze at him, daring him to argue.
Mrs. Granes seemed taken back, her hand on her chest as she stared at me. “I’m sorry, who are you again?” She then turned her questioning gaze to Mandy.
Mandy stepped between us. “Mrs. Granes, Jane here is a consultant for our department. She uses an unorthodox method to find things we might have missed. I ask you to please indulge her for a few moments.” Her gaze went to Detective O’Connor too, making her partner frown.
Mrs. Granes nodded, still clutching the front of her shirt. “Very well. If you must, but I don’t know how you will find anything new. Nothing has changed.”
“Thank you.” Mandy gave her best professional smile and ushered me up some stairs. I could only assume she remembered the way from last time, but still, it was unsettling to have the parents trailing after us.
When we stopped at a room near the end of the hall, Michael made a comment that made my blood run cold. “The door. Look at those marks.”
Discreetly, I tried to search for what he was pointing out. There were scuff marks on the outside of the door and old holes that had been poorly filled in. They’d put a lock on this door.
Mandy opened the door and ushered me in. I stood in the doorway of the missing girl’s room with the parents looking in from the outside. Could it get more morbid? Oh wait, it could. The looming angel standing in the middle of the room was just the cherry on top.
I skimmed the room, taking in the lavender bed set and the desk by the window. Everything was meticulously in its place. Odd.
“I can still feel her presence.” I held my hands out in front of me as if feeling something. Good thing I watched a lot of psychic shows or this would have been hard to fake. “Clarissa was living here when she went missing, right?”
I glanced at Mandy and then to the parents who nodded. Something wasn’t right here. I smelled a fish, a big, stinky fish that screamed that this bedroom did not belong to a twenty-two-year-old girl. It was too clean. It didn’t even look like she had been there. Nothing left out on the desk. No clothes on the floor.
“Did you notice?” Michael asked me, sliding his fingers against the top of the desk.
“Yes, I see,” I murmured, turning my back on the parents. Everything seemed to be coming together now. There were things that the parents had left out. Important things.
“What do you see?” Mandy asked quietly, coming close to me. She cast a cautious look to the parents, but I wasn’t worried about them. They should be worried about me.
“Yes, what do these all-knowing spirits tell you?” The sardonic tone in Detective O’Connor’s voice irritated me.
“Are you going to question everything I do?” I shot back at him.
“Anything that seems kooky.”
“Great,” I said, dryly. I turned back to the parents and said, “So, how long did you wait to call the cops before you realized your daughter had run away from home? Was it before or after you removed the locks from her door? Or after you cleaned up her room?” Anger pulsated through me as I asked my questions. How dare they lock up their grown daughter? She’s an adult. Old enough to make her own decisions. Live where she wanted. And so what if bartending might not be the most glamorous jobs? It was a living.
Okay, I was projecting now but still, the nerve of them.
“Jane, what are you talking about?” Mandy asked me, surprised by my outburst.
“Yes, I would like to know as well.” The fury coloring Mr. Granes voice was not lost on me. Hit a nerve, did I?
Detective O’Connor stepped between us, his hand up to stop Mr. Granes. “I apologize for this. I did not agree to use this person in your daughter’s case. But believe me, I will remedy that now.” He tried to grab me, but I pushed past him to point at the parents.
“I’m talking about mommy and daddy dearest keeping their daughter hostage. No wonder she ran away.” I gestured around the room. “I’d be running from the house screaming myself if I were in her situation.”
“Detective,” Mr. Granes shouted. “What is the meaning of this? You brought this stranger into our house to make accusations at us when our daughter could be hurt or being held captive somewhere.”
“Mr. Granes.” Mandy tried to calm him down, but it was Mrs. Granes who broke down.
“You have to understand,” Mrs. Granes said between sobs. “Clarissa is a disturbed girl. She needs our protection. She needs us.”
“So, you just lock her away? That’s your answer?” I yelled at her, her tears not making a dint in my steely gaze.
“That’s enough!” Detective O’Connor yelled, trying to grab me again. “These people have been through enough without you making accusations.”
“We did what was best for our child. Do you have children?” Mr. Granes growled, and though he couldn’t see him, Michael stepped between us.
I’d be grateful for his show of chivalry if anybody else but me could see him. All his move did was block my view. I sighed and waved at his body hoping the contact would make him move.
“I don’t, Mr. Granes, but I do know how Clarissa might feel and this.” I gestured vigorously. “This is not the answer.”
“Get out of my house,” Mr. Granes hissed, his breath fogging up his glasses.
“I’ll get rid of her.” Detective O’Connor grabbed my arm, but I jerked away.
“Gladly,” I snapped, stomping passed them. I barreled down the stairs and out of the house. Mandy followed me shortly after, yelling something or another I didn’t catch.
“Jane!” Mandy shouted, seizing me by the arm. “Are you even listening to me?”
“No, not really.” I shook my head apologetically. “But I’m telling you those people locked her up in that room. Didn’t you see the marks from the locks on the door?” I gestured back to the house where Detective O’Connor came charging out.
“What the hell was that?” he shouted at me but to my surprise, Mandy stepped in front of me.
“Leave it alone,” she ordered.
“But she just insulted our victim’s family. You can’t let her get away with that.” Detective O’Connor glared at me.
I flipped him off.
“I can and am,” Mandy answered. “The captain asked for her help, and we are going to take it. That means looking at all the other scenarios, and Jane has just brought one to our attention that we would have otherwise never noticed. Now, I’m only going to ask you once, detective. Back the fuck off.”
Go, Mandy! I wanted to jump up and down for my bestie but thought better of it.
Detective O’Connor snarled at Mandy but didn’t say anything else. He turned on his heel and stomped toward what I could only assume was his car.
When he was gone, I clapped Mandy on the shoulder with a grin. “Way to go, mama.”
Mandy nodded. “No one messes with my girl.”
9
Normally, I would do anything it took to get out of work. Call in sick, or what not. But tonight, I wanted nothing more than to lose myself in my work.
Perfect for a Saturday night.
The music was booming, and the customers were impatient. Most were drunk before they even got to the bar. I’d had to call Terry to dump ice on a few who were getting handsy already. It was perfect for the mood I was in.
Violence permeated through my veins, and I was just itching for someone to say one more thing to rile me up.
“Hey weirdo!” a familiar voice shouted over the crowd and a mean smile spread across my lips. Maybe I should wish for a pony next.
Turning to the voice, I took in the annoying chatterbox leaning over the bar. His hair was filled with so much product a match would catch it on fire. He had the typical douchebag attire, colorful, collared shirt adorned with a shell ne
cklace he’d probably gotten at the Gap.
Saddling up to him, I grabbed a rag from the counter. This could get messy. “Hey, Pete. What are you having tonight?”
Pete didn’t even try to be discrete as he took in my cleavage and licked his lips. “I’ll have a glass of your fine ass.”
I chuckled menacingly. “Oh, Pete. You couldn’t afford me.”
“Oh sure, I could. Besides, who’s going to pay for a fucked-up bitch like you?” Pete chugged his glass, laughing the entire time.
As if knowing I needed him, Lucifer appeared. His hands slid around my waist, drawing me closer through the power of tingles alone.
The feel of his presence near my back made me relax slightly, but my anger still pulsated through me. I was almost shaking with it.
“Love,” Lucifer purred, his hands moving up and down my sides, making my skin buzz. “You’re vibrating with power. I’ve never felt so much need for vengeance. It’s intoxicating.”
I wasn’t sure what he was talking about and didn’t care. I just wanted to beat Pete’s face in. Too many witnesses. Can’t go to jail.
I forced myself to take a deep breath and let it out. Giving Pete my best kilowatt smile, I said, “You have a nice night, Pete.”
I turned away from him, but he caught my wrist in his grip, stopping me. Lucifer growled in response. These guys sure were getting pretty protective of me. Too bad they couldn’t help. Damn incorporeal-ness and all.
“Let me go.” I locked eyes with the drunken idiot.
“Or what? You’ll throw a drink at me? Summon the forces of darkness?” He laughed, looking at the guys sitting on each side of him. They had the good sense not to laugh with him and even tried to move away from him.
“You know,” I said with a bitter grin. “Every day of my life, I get crap from creeps like you, and I’ve had about enough of it. So, why don’t you go take your happy self elsewhere? Maybe search for that brain you seem to lack.”
The idiot didn’t know when to quit. He opened his mouth to spew whatever filth he had concocted. Before he could get a word of it out there, a fist flew through the air and right into his disgusting face.
A round of ‘ooh’s’ and cheers filled the crowd as Terry shook his hand and summoned Bret to throw the asshole out. Grinning at me, the cowboy said, “Man that felt good. Not my hand, but the rest. You okay?”
I nodded, smiling. “Yeah, thanks for having my back.”
“Anytime, sweetheart.” Terry clapped me on the arm and headed back to his side of the bar.
Lucifer chuckled and tried to brush a piece of hair from my face, which I then did on my own. I turned my back on the bar, glaring at him. “You’re no help.”
The angel shrugged. “I knew you could handle yourself. Besides, I have the whole not being able to touch anything problem.”
“Well, one of these days I might actually need you to be involved. What will you do then?” I fiddled with something by the cash register to hide our conversation.
Leaning up against the wall, Lucifer stroked a finger down the side of my arm, leaving a line of goosebumps in its place. “I guess I’ll have to come to your rescue then, won’t I?”
“And how will you do that?” I clicked my tongue at him. “Punch your hand in and out of them? You can’t deal out any pain unless they are in Hell.”
The delicious sound of his laughter caused my body to react. See, I’d decided to wear a backless top today which meant I’d gone without a bra, and my nipples were on full display. At least, I’d worn pants to hide some of my arousal, not that it helped by the way Lucifer was acting.
“Hell’s not so bad, especially when you have a friend in charge.” Lucifer winked at me before disappearing without a final grope. I had to say I was a bit disappointed. He worked me up so tightly and then left me hanging.
Not fair.
The rest of the night was about the same. By closing time I’d lost count of how many drinks I’d poured and how many I’d dropped on my shoes. These boots were ruined.
By the time the bar closed, my mind only wanted one thing. Sleep. Unfortunately, I wouldn’t be able to see my bed for at least another hour. My stomach and my fridge would not let me go one more day on empty.
Stopping at the local grocery store, I would like to say only healthy choices ended up in my basket. But, as I put my items on the conveyor belt, I realized the only thing close to healthy coming from my basket was the strawberry ice cream carton.
The cashier raised a brow as she scanned the five bottles of wine. Standing by my purchases, I shot her a warning look, daring her to question my selection.
“Having a party?” the cashier asked, bagging my third bag of chips. Clearly, I needed to work on my menacing scowls.
“Nope,” I said with a pop of my lips. “Just like chips.”
“And wine.” She nodded to the other bags already back in my basket.
A chuckle came from behind me, and I glanced back to see two teens exchanging looks and not even bothering to hide their laughter at my expense. I gave them my best mom look, which did nothing to deter them.
Since I’d failed at being a responsible adult, I turned back to the cashier with a cheery grin. “You know what? I lied before, I am having a party.”
“Oh yeah?” the cashier asked, her tone of voice saying she didn’t believe me.
“Yep, my three big boyfriends are going to come over, and we are going to have an orgy. Drinking wine out of each other’s belly buttons and scooping dip off our bodies.” I swiped my card to pay for my items and then tapped my chin as if in thought. “Do you think I should put down some towels? I’d hate to ruin the carpet.”
The cashier gaped at me, but before she could respond, I grabbed my bags and wagged my fingers at her.
“Wish me luck!”
Chuckling to myself all the way home, I just knew sleep would come easily tonight. Surprising, since the visit to the Granes’ and the dick at the bar had drained all my give-a-shits out of my system. Now, I could collapse on my bed and sink into the inky darkness with a grin on my face.
Arms full of groceries, I struggled to flick the light on the wall. A golden hue covered my tiny apartment, and I tensed. I wasn’t alone. Still holding my bags, my eyes found the figure lounging on my bed. His suit coat tossed aside, shirt unbuttoned, Lucifer screamed sex and danger.
“If you’re here to claim your kiss, you might as well get over it. I’m not in the mood.” I set my bags on the counter, a scowl on my face, half upset that I wouldn’t get to go to bed and the other half pretending the delectable angel laying there like he’d just stepped out of my naughtiest wet dream wasn’t affecting my panties.
Turning my back on the tempting sight, I unpacked my five bottles of wine and array of chips. I sighed in relief when I realized I had indeed bought something more than alcohol and junk food when I found a package of hot dogs. Strange, since I found leftover meat parts forced into a tube utterly horrific.
“Bad night, sweetheart?”
I jumped at Lucifer’s voice next to my ear. Standing from the fridge, I glared. “You could say that.”
“Well, allow me to make it all better.” Lucifer opened his arms to me offering me a full view of his defined abs and the dark trail of hair leading to the top of his pants. My eyes tried to go lower, but I forced them back to his face. I rolled my eyes at the quirk of his lips and twinkle in his dark gaze.
“And how would you do that?” I inclined my head.
“I might not be able to touch you, but I can do other things.” He closed in on me until I had no choice but to stare at the hard planes of his chest. His perfect nipples peeking out from beneath his open shirt, taunting me. Desperate for me to slide my tongue along those heavenly pecs.
“Is that so?” I angled my head back to meet his eyes and not my latest obsession. I’d be dreaming of those hard lines tonight, I just knew it. Clearing my throat, I turned back to the counter and grabbed two bottles of the wine, intent on puttin
g them in the fridge. I had a feeling I’d need them sooner rather than later.
“Jane.” His deep voice lowered, doing wicked things to my insides. Swallowing thickly, I peered up beneath my lashes, feeling a bit shy in his presence.
That was an unusual feeling for me. Lucifer usually inspired the need to drop my panties, not the feelings of a prepubescent teenager who wasn’t sure how to shave her armpits let alone talk to a boy. What was wrong with me today?
I knew what it was.
What happened at the Granes’ house had broken through my hard-won shield, the one that helped me keep others at an arm’s length. Even Mandy rarely got to peer behind my impermeable defenses, but today had made the fight to keep them up too much. I was tired of it all. I wanted nothing more than to let myself be wrapped up in the arms of someone who cared for me. Wanted me.
Whether Lucifer actually cared for me as more than just a hole to put his hellfire filled horn, I didn’t know. The way he looked at me right now said differently. It wasn’t just a heat of consuming need, the genuine concern there had me pulling my lower lip between my teeth.
Finally, I sighed. “Why are you here, Lucy?” I used the nickname I knew would break whatever spell had come between.
Lucifer blinked, and the moment was gone. I immediately spun around. I shoved the two bottles into the fridge and shut it with a resounding slam. When I turned back to the fallen angel to see confusion etched on his face.
Tucking his hands into his pockets, Lucifer rocked back on his heels. “Being a friend. Or, at least, I thought I was.”
I scoffed as I marched out of the kitchen area. “Our definitions of friendship must be different. Because most friends don’t want to jump each other’s bones.”
“All the best ones do.” Lucifer leered, following me into the living room. “And would it be so bad, Jane? To be my friend. You could use someone like me when your time comes.”
Hands on my hips, I glowered. “What makes you think I’m going to Hell? I’m a good person. I don’t steal, I haven’t murdered anyone, and sure, I do tell the occasional white lie, and maybe I double dip my chips,” I explained, crossing my arms over my chest. “But I hardly doubt that’s enough to sentence me to eternal damnation.”
