Total pages in book: 65
Estimated words: 62528 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 313(@200wpm)___ 250(@250wpm)___ 208(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 62528 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 313(@200wpm)___ 250(@250wpm)___ 208(@300wpm)
“Just ignore him,” Damien said.
“But I could swear your dog was just talking to you.”
“He is a love-sucking demon. Their verbal skills are primitive, so it takes practice to understand them.”
“Hey!” Bonbon protested. “I’m a lover, not a fighter, but I’ll still bite you for comments like that.”
“That furball is a demon.” She exhaled. “Sure. Why not? If a kitten can turn into a dragon, and I can pop out eggs—”
“You lay eggs? Cool. Can I see one?” MF came waltzing in through the front door, wearing a black leather miniskirt, platform boots, and a cropped-back turtleneck.
Damien grunted. “Suits, MF. We sell suits. Not vampire party clothes.”
“My dresses are total party gear,” MF snapped back. “Grandpa.”
Grandpa? Her mate, Maxton, was older than him. “You and I will speak about the dress code and dresses later.” He moved his attention back to Jac, who was frozen, staring at MF.
“Yes, she is a vampire,” Damien said blandly. “Now, how may I help you with your stripper demon issue?” Not that he would help her, but the sooner he understood what she wanted, the sooner she could get on her way.
Jac slowly peeled her eyes away from MF. “Um, okay. Do you remember when we were backstage at the club and you and Cimil were arguing about getting a new body for your ghost friend?”
“She is not my friend, but yes, I remember.”
She went on, “I know it’s a long shot, but could I have that body for Dash? I mean, you said your friend didn’t want it.”
Jac was here for a body? “I am sorry, but I cannot help you.”
“So there is no body?” she asked, sounding devastated.
“Yes, there is. And Sky intends to use it.”
Jac’s eyes filled with big sloppy tears. “Ohgods. Ohgods. This can’t be happening. Dash is going to be stuck in purgatory forever, and it’s all my fault.”
“Cimil has other bodies, Damien.” MF narrowed her eyes and placed a comforting hand on Jac’s shoulder. “She has a freezer full of ingredients to make more. In fact, we just saw her pump out a whole set of new gods last night.”
Jac pulled a tissue from her purse. “What?”
Bad idea. “You do not want to pursue this, Jac,” Damien said. “Trust me that whatever hell you’re in right now is nothing compared to what will happen if you ask Cimil for a favor.”
“But you can make sure she doesn’t screw me over,” Jac said, her words frantic. “You have to help me. We have to try. I…I…love him.” Jac’s tears went from a trickle to Niagara Falls.
Why are all the women crying! “Stop it. That won’t work on me,” he said. “I am immune to women’s tears.”
“Since when?” MF scoffed.
“Since one minute ago. And I am not asking Cimil for any favors.” Damien was beyond done with her and her brethren. His life was a fucking mess because of them.
“Okay.” Jac sniffled. “Then I’ll go myself. Where is this place? Where do I find Cimil?”
“I’ll take you,” MF said. “But it has to wait until the sun goes down. I spent too much time outside already.” Her eyes zeroed in on Jac’s neck.
MF was hungry.
Oh, fucking hell. “MF, order DoorDash. And, fuck it, I’ll take you, Jac,” he grumbled.
“Seriously?” Jac threw herself on him, trapping him in a bear hug.
“Okay. Okay.” He patted her back. “You’re wrinkling my suit.”
Jac let him go. “Thank you. You don’t know what this means to me.”
No, you don’t know what this means to me. He’d rather burn in hell than see Cimil again.
“Is there a chance it will work?” Jac asked. “Do you think Cimil will know how to find Dash? His soul is just floating around trapped between the demon world and this one.”
“Try making a shrine,” Gorgonzolina said. “Use whatever photos you have of him and light a bunch of candles. Then start complimenting him. The more details, the better.”
“Why?” Damien asked.
“He’s a vanity demon,” Gorgonzolina replied. “He’ll be drawn to her attention if her feelings are genuine.”
Damien relayed the message to Jac.
“This is wonderful!” Jac clapped her hands. “I have a really, really good feeling about this.”
Only because she had no idea what she was in for. Cimil would want her pound of flesh in exchange for this, and she would get it, too.
CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT
Damien parked in front of the SBP warehouse near the LA docks and shut off the engine. There were no other vehicles or signs of people, giving the place an eerie feel since it was late morning. Where was everyone? The dread in his chest told him this was a bad idea, but allowing Jac to come on her own also did not sit well.
“So you think she’ll be here?” Jac said.
“There’s no telling. She’s not answering her phone either.” Truthfully, Cimil could be anywhere right now, doing only gods knew what.