by Rose Pressey
I scoffed and stomped down the front steps of the building. “Never mind. Let’s get going. I want to talk with this woman about the demons and take a look at that book. We have to find out which demon has Jennifer. Which you’d think wouldn’t be a problem for a demon hunter to find out, but I digress.”
“Hey, I said I’ll find her and I will. I don’t question your matchmaking skills, which I certainly could considering that you fixed her up with Neil Allen,” he said with irritation in his tone.
I glared at him. I knew he’d throw that up in my face.
When we made it out onto the street, my cell rang. I dug in my pocket and fumbled for my phone.
It was Jennifer’s number. My heart thumped as I answered. I’d tried her cell, but it went straight to voice mail. I was shocked she was calling now.
“Jennifer,” I yelled into the phone.
“Rylie, darling. Where are you? You should come and join the party.” Loud music blared in the background.
“Where are you?” I demanded.
The phone went dead.
Chapter Fifteen
How to Date a Demon, Rule #15
A date somewhere cold is always a nice gesture. May I suggest Alaska?
The address that the store owner had given us was only a few blocks away. We could easily walk to the location, although driving in the car would be much faster, resulting in finding Jennifer sooner and having to talk less with Cole. But on further thought, with the heavy traffic, walking was probably the better option.
After walking through the businesses, we moved into a section of houses. They all looked similar. Luckily, we had the street number.
“What was the address number?” Cole asked.
“158. It should be down two more on the right. It’s on the other side of the street.”
We crossed the street and walked a couple of houses up. Cole and I reached the address Cole had written down. I stopped and peered at the house. What if it was the wrong address and I embarrassed myself by asking about demons? I guessed there was no way to delicately ask about a subject like that. The house was a light blue with black shutters and black wrought-iron balconies on the top windows with doors that led out from the upstairs rooms.
Cole opened the gate in front and motioned for me to go first. “After you, gorgeous.”
“Please. Spare me the fake compliments,” I scoffed as I brushed past him.
We hurried up the steps and I used the heavy iron knocker on the door. After a minute, a woman answered the door. She had thick, long brown hair and wore a long black dress. She looked like Elvira. Marcus and she had the black clothing thing down to a science. It was getting close to Halloween, but I don’t think this was her costume. Something told me it was her everyday attire; maybe it was the gothic décor I spied inside the house that gave it away.
“May I help you?” she asked.
Her voice was husky like she was a phone sex operator, definitely the vixen type. The woman’s eyes were shiny black like the color of blackberries.
“Are you Anna Maria Martinez?” I asked, glancing at the paper in my hand.
“Yes.” She looked from me to Cole.
“Marcus Barker from the store sent us. He said you may be able to help us with information about demons,” I whispered the last word, as if the demons would hear me, or if I said it any louder she’d tell me to get the hell out of there.
The look on her face told me the volume with which I spoke the word probably didn’t matter. She frowned and I expected her to tell us to get lost at any second.
After a few suspenseful moments, she said, “Please come in.”
I stepped inside and Cole followed. I should have made him go first just in case it was booby trapped. My nerves calmed as I took a whiff. It smelled like peach pie which instantly made me hungry. There was no time for food now though. We needed to get down to business. The inside of her home was dark with shades of burgundy on the walls and matching hued furniture. It almost reminded me of blood. Was she a vampire? Or just fascinated by the culture? Whatever. It didn’t matter.
“Thank you for taking the time to speak with us. My name’s Rylie Cruz and this is Cole Palmer.” I gestured next to me.
“Please have a seat.” She pointed toward the velvet chairs across from the fireplace. “I’m not sure how much I can help, but what can I do for you?”
I briefly gave the woman the rundown of why we were there.
I shifted in my seat. “So, my friend began acting strange. Let’s just say very out of character. And I have to find her.” I gestured toward Cole who was sitting to my left. “This guy here claims to be able to help. I don’t trust him, but he keeps tagging alone anyway.”
She raised her perfectly sculpted eyebrows. Okay, I sounded like a crazy woman, but it was the truth. No point in lying.
Cole snorted. He thought I was joking, but I was completely serious.
“That is quite a dilemma, but what can I do for you?” she asked, as if she didn’t know where I was going with all of this.
Did I have to force everyone to think? I mean, throw me a bone here, people. I couldn’t do all of this by myself as much as I wished I could. Unfortunately, in life, sometimes you had to ask for a little help along the way.
I let out a deep breath and said, “I need to know about demons. Someone said if I can find out which demon is messing around with her, then maybe I can find her and get rid of this dirt-bag that’s latched on to her.”
And the dirt-bag who’d latched on to me too. I glanced at Cole.
He scoffed. “I don’t think it’s that simple.” He crossed his arms in front of his chest and leaned back. “But I’m willing to listen to what you have to say.” He looked at the woman.
Please. This guy had his nerve. What did he think, that she was just making up all this info? I doubted that. Why would she lie? If he opened his ears maybe he’d learn a thing or two.
As we waited for her to grab the books, I looked around Anna Maria’s home. It was neat and orderly, but something seemed strange. It wasn’t the gothic décor, no it was something unseen… just a strange feeling that I couldn’t but my finger on. It was almost as if she was keeping something from me. Like she knew more, but was afraid to share.
“You’re right, there are different demons and they all want different things.” She pulled a couple books down from the shelf.
Cole scoffed again. “They all have one goal.”
She glanced at him, then continued, “He’s right. They ultimately want the same thing, but it’s how they get there that’s different. If you can figure out which demon you’ll know his moves and probably be able to find your friend. The demons aren’t nearly as clever as they think they are.”
Kind of like Cole. He wasn’t nearly as clever as he thought he was. I fidgeted my hands nervously. I prayed something good came of this visit.
“You just have to trick them.” She sat the large leather-bound book on the table in front of us.
“With all due respect, I’ve been dealing with demons a long time and while I know there are different demons, I know it’s impossible to be able to trick them based on their characteristics and what you think they might do. You don’t think they’re clever, but that’s where you’re wrong. I’ve been doing this for a long time and despite what Ms. Cruz thinks, I am good at what I do. I have a solid track record within the organization.”
Oh, he sounded so professional. I wanted to mock him for his comments, but realized that wouldn’t make me look all that professional myself. He brought out the negative in me.
She scoffed in Cole’s direction. “I think you should listen to me, Ms. Cruz. I’ve studied this subject extensively.”
“I have one book you can borrow, but the other one I can’t let leave my home.” She opened one of the books and flipped through the pages.
“Based on what you’ve described, I’d say it’s one of these two demons.” She pointed at the book.
I leaned and op
ened my mouth to speak.
She held up her hand. “But don’t speak their names out loud.”
“What?” Cole stifled a chuckle.
“It’ll draw other demons to you,” she warned.
“Wouldn’t the demon I called out come to me?” I asked. “I’d be willing to risk it if I found Jennifer.”
“You’d think so, and in some cases, it would work. But the demon will know you’re looking for him. He’ll know you want your friend back and he won’t come.” Her mouth was set in a grim line.
“I could call the names and the one who didn’t answer would be the one I’d want,” I offered.
“Then you’d have a bunch of demons hanging around.” She shook her head. “No, that won’t work.”
That all sounded a little too complicated. She was giving me a headache. But she sounded as if she knew more about it then the so-called demon hunter himself. I’d stick with her advice. What was in the other book that she wouldn’t let me see? Maybe there was information that would lead to Jennifer hidden behind the pages and I’d never know. But with any luck, the answer was right there between the covers of the book she’d lend me.
Cole scoffed and leaned back in the door, crossing his arms in front of his chest. “It’s the demon-hunting two stooges. I refuse to be the third one.”
I glared at him. “Oh, shut up.”
He shrugged and held his hands up in surrender. “Whatever you say. I’m just along for the ride.”
Again, why was he tagging along with me? If he didn’t know how to find Jennifer and was coming to me for help, then why did he smirk at this information? It wasn’t as if he had anything better to offer. If he did, then why hadn’t he come out with it already?
“Thank you so much for your time,” I said as I pushed to my feet. “You’ve been extremely helpful.”
She eyed Cole and I felt like I should apologize for bringing him, but instead, I let it go. No need to give him the extra attention.
“Don’t mention it. If you have any more questions please let me know. I hope you find your friend.” Maybe it was my imagination but her expression told me it was highly improbable that I’d find Jennifer. She was just appeasing me.
It looked as if she wanted to say more, but she stopped short.
When we made it out the door and down the front path, I shot daggers at Cole.
“What?” he asked, glancing over at me.
“Oh, you know what. The way you acted was completely uncalled for. You were being an ass.”
“I think the woman is full of it.” He shook his head. “It should be against the law to fool people with that nonsense.”
“Well, I don’t see you offering any other advice, so I did what I had to do.”
“I don’t think this information will help us. But I have an idea the demon who is doing this to Jennifer, although I don’t know where he is leading her. If I did, I would go there. The demon wants to lure her away to steal her soul.”
Cole’s words churned in my mind. The demon would take Jennifer with him—that made my stomach sink. I couldn’t even think about that scenario. I wouldn’t let that happen.
I scoffed. “Oh, you have an idea, huh? But you don’t know where this demon is.” I shook my head. He was so full of it. “Can’t we go to this demon and find out what is going on? It doesn’t matter where he’s taking her if you know how to find him right now. Just banish him back to hell and make him release his hold on Jennifer.” I clutched the book to my chest. It was my only chance of helping Jennifer at the moment.
“It’s not that easy and that woman doesn’t know what she’s talking about,” Cole said.
“She made a lot of good points and she had information that you haven’t provided,” I said with a curt nod.
“Little details about the history of these demons don’t matter. I’m not an encyclopedia. I just hunt down the bastards. I’m not some book nerd.”
“Maybe you should consider becoming a book nerd.” I flashed a wide grin.
If looks could kill, I’d be a goner.
“Do you enjoy giving me a hard time?” he asked.
When I didn’t respond, he said, “You really don’t like me, do you? Why is that? I think we just got off to the wrong start. Maybe you should give me a chance.”
“Do you blame me for not giving you a chance? I think you were being a real jerk from the start. That’s not exactly the way to make friends, you know?”
“I guess I’m so used to dealing with demons that sometimes I forget. I’m definitely not used to being around someone as beautiful as you.” He stared at his feet, not looking my way.
Okay, I said compliments wouldn’t work, but the sincerity in his voice had almost gotten to me. That little smile didn’t help matters either. Jack flashed in my mind. I couldn’t let Cole Palmer, demon hunter, try to sweet-talk me.
“I admire your desire to help your friend,” he said sweetly. “You’re very loyal.”
I was momentarily rendered speechless. What was he up to?
I shrugged as I continued walking down the street. “That’s what friends are for. She’s my best friend and she would do the same for me. She has done the same for me.”
“You were captured by a demon?” he asked.
“No, it was a werewolf thing. Long story.” I waved off his question.
“Fine. We’ll do your plan,” he said warily.
Nope it was too late. I didn’t need him around as a distraction. And that was all he was—a hindrance. The best thing for me to do was get away from him. I would distract Cole and then take off running. I already knew he couldn’t keep up with me. I felt his stare on me. Did he suspect what I was about to do?
I would do what this woman had told me with or without Cole’s help. As a matter of fact, it looked as if it would be a better option to do it without him. I’d walk a little bit further with Cole, then I’d lose the guy. I’d go on this mission without him. He was just like dead weight anyway—holding me back. I knew that I said sometimes you needed help, but you had to pick who helped you wisely, and I felt like Cole wasn’t the right person for the job. Call it a gut instinct.
He glanced over at me.
“What? Do I have food on my face? What’s wrong?” I asked. I wondered if I had hair sprouting on my face. It wouldn’t be shocking with all the stress I was currently under.
“No, you were checking me out, so I thought I’d check you out too.”
I snorted. “I was not checking you out. You’re a little conceited, don’t you think?”
He flashed a smile. Damn him.
When I reached an alleyway, I darted to my left and ran as fast as I could. If I moved fast enough, I could make it back to my apartment, change my clothes, and give him the slip before he even knew what had hit him. Some demon hunter he was. He was so pathetic.
I glanced over my shoulder, but I’d zipped in front of a group of people, so there was no way Cole could see me. He’d never find me. I chuckled internally. I wondered if he remembered my address. Probably. He was stupid, but he wasn’t that stupid.
What was with people following me?
Someone was following me as I ran down the sidewalk. I felt his presence, but when I looked over my shoulder, I didn’t see anyone running with me. I sprinted down another alley and weaved around a few trash cans. I zipped around a pothole and stumbled, but luckily righted myself without falling flat on my face. If only I could make it back to my place without being attacked by whoever was following me. I knew it wasn’t Cole.
Glancing over my shoulder, I noticed a man quickly gaining on me. Who the hell was he? Why did I always have someone freakin’ following me? It was really growing old. I’d grown accustomed to werewolves following me, but I didn’t think this man was a werewolf. There was something odd about him, but I couldn’t put my finger on what exactly that oddity was. One thing was for certain, he was good-looking. He had blond hair with strong features and plenty of muscles.
Was a demo
n following me? They were like zombies. My apartment came into sight and I couldn’t wait to slip inside and lock the door, although I wouldn’t be able to hide out in there for long. I had to go back out there on the streets and search for Jennifer. If the jerk following me didn’t back off, I’d have to change into a werewolf and kick some demon ass.
My feet moved faster than ever as I practically glided back to my building. I peeked out the window. Thankfully the man was nowhere in sight. I’d given him the slip… for now. With any luck, Jennifer had returned. A werewolf could dream, right? I slipped through the apartment door and let out a deep breath. Thank goodness I had lost him.
The apartment was so empty and lonely without Jennifer. The tick-tock from the clock was the only sound. Jennifer’s bunny slippers were by the door where she’d left them. I slipped into my comfortable jeans, a sweatshirt and my sneakers. I had to be able to move quickly and my business attire wasn’t great for those types of activities.
I grabbed some cash and my cell phone and stuffed them into my pockets. Before heading out the door, I pulled my hair back into a ponytail. I was ready for some serious maneuvers now. I made my way down the stairs and poked my head out the front door. No one suspicious was in sight, so I stepped down the stairs and onto the sidewalk. Where did I begin?
“Not so fast,” the male voice said from over my shoulder.
What the hell? Why couldn’t I get rid of Cole?
Chapter Sixteen
How to Date a Demon, Rule #16
If you give the devil a ride, he’ll always want to drive.
“Why are you back? Why can’t you leave me alone?” I huffed.
“I have a job to do. That job is finding your friend,” Cole said.
“Does that really mean you have to tag along with me?” I walked faster.
He nodded with a sigh. “Apparently, it does. You’re not exactly the most delightful person to hang out with.”
I glared. “How dare you. I am a very pleasant person. You try losing your best friend to a demon and see how you feel.”
