by Michael Todd
Katie raised an eyebrow. No, not at all. The bra thing, yeah, but it’s your fault we don’t fit in them anymore.
She laughed evilly. Yes. My plan is working. Biggest titties ever!
The doorman opened the door for Brock and tilted his head. “Evening, sir. That smells delicious.”
Brock smiled as he strolled in. “Thanks. Gotta feed the hungry warriors.”
The doorman grinned. “Enjoy your time.”
Brock climbed into the elevator and pressed the button, tapping on the takeout containers as he whistled a tune. He was proud that he’d been able to set everything up for Katie. He only wished he’d been able to get there sooner and have dinner waiting for her. He knew he could seduce her into spending time with him with a delicious meal. Hopefully, the rest would fall into place. She hadn’t exactly been playing hard to get, but keeping her attention with bombs going off in hell, Leviathans dropping, and demons attacking her team was more than a little difficult.
When the elevator doors opened, he headed to the apartment. The rose petals had been kicked around a bit, which meant Katie was back. A surge of nerves shot into his stomach, and he took a moment to compose himself. Hell, it was just Katie…and Pandora, but she kept quiet during their time together. Katie could be incredibly intense, though. He hoped he could face her with courage and sexuality.
He opened the door and headed to the kitchen, where he set the food down on the counter and looked around for a moment. The music was louder, and the smell of lavender and vanilla permeated the house. He smiled. “Katie, I’m back! And before you jump out and take me down, Angie allowed this. I did not sneak in. There was no illegal breaking and entering.”
That’s a shame, a voice whispered in his mind. He swiveled his head back and forth, not knowing what the hell that was or if he’d heard it correctly. He shrugged and walked back to the kitchen, removing the takeout boxes from the bags.
He grabbed a couple of plates and some silverware and began to set the table. “I got us Italian. Angie said it was your favorite. Sorry I didn’t cook. I’m not that handy in the kitchen.”
You’re handy in other areas. Brock stopped and looked around. He tapped his finger on his temple. Was he really hearing a voice in his head or was he imagining things? He stood still for a minute to see if it said anything else.
As soon as he reached for the food, the voice said, Leave it for now and come to my bed immediately!
He froze. “Yes, ma’am?”
Brock carefully walked down the hall to Katie’s room. He opened the door and went into the dark room. The only light came from the flickering candles.
A shadow moved on the bed, and his jaw dropped to the floor. It had definitely been Katie’s voice.
11
The wind blew wildly through the Carpathian Mountains. A bright yellow sun was just peeking through the sparse clouds. Lynxes, wolves, and bears stalked across the mixture of rock and foliage the mountains offered. Suddenly, the small animals all became alert, sticking their heads up and shifting their ears from side to side. One by one, they began to run for hiding places. They sensed impending doom heading their way.
Before a small, frightened marmot could flee, the first of a hundred gates tore open right where it stood. The fluffy woodland creature burst apart in an explosion of blood and fur. Another gate opened higher up the mountain, then another, and another. Finally, the Romanian mountainside was covered in shimmering gates, all pumping the heat of hell onto the mountains. Steam pumped out as the blast-furnace heat hit the cold air. On the ground, several patches of early ice quickly melted and began to boil.
A clawed foot stomped out of the first gate, then the demon’s head poked out and looked at his surroundings. He snarled at the bright light and jumped out into the woods. Several more rushed after him. More growling fiends clawed their way out of the other gates. Before anyone even knew they were there, thousands of demons were flooding down the mountain. They tore trees from their roots, sent bridges crumbling down to the valleys below, and pretty much destroyed everything in their path. Nothing was safe.
They approached an overlook on the edge of the mountain, bunching up as they came to a stop. They all growled and hissed as they took in the small town of Sighișoara below. It was a vibrant Romanian town, boasting scenic views and a population of about twenty-five thousand. From their perch, the demons could see the droves of unsuspecting people milling around, going about their days as normal. None of them had the faintest idea that death was waiting high in the mountains.
One of the larger demons let out a loud bellow that echoed across the mountains. The other demons growled and followed suit, tilting their heads back like wolves and howling. The trees shook, and rocks crumbled and broke away from the sides of the mountains. A young boy playing on the outskirts of the town looked up from his toy trucks and stared at the ledge high above the town, then stood up and narrowed his eyes. Even in the daylight, he saw the hundreds of red balls of light staring down at him.
He dropped his truck and turned to the town, screaming, “Demoni! Ei vin pentru noi!”
“Demons! They are coming for us!”
The remnants of dinner and the remnants of round four were mixed together in a mess that sprawled across the kitchen. Empty food containers were strewn across the kitchen counter, and plates had been stacked in the sink. A half-empty bottle of wine sat on the counter above a pile of discarded clothes. The apartment was silent as the sun peeked through the windows.
Down the hall rose petals were wilting on the floor, curling and twisting where they lay. The candles in the bathroom had been extinguished, and those in Katie’s room had melted down to nubs. The smell of freshly extinguished candles mixed with the scents of Italian food, lavender, vanilla, and a wild night of sex and booze. It was definitely not the norm for the apartment, but at that moment no one cared.
Katie lay across her bed sideways. Her dark hair was strewn in a wild halo around her. Her naked body was wrapped in a sheet, the comforter in a clump on the floor. A small puddle of drool emerged from her lips where her face was pressed into the mattress. She had passed out, under the spell of a relaxing night. She gradually woke, and she smacked her lips together to remove the stale taste of wine. She turned her head to shield her face from the beams of light coming in through the curtains.
Her hands flexed and released the sheet. She squeezed her eyes closed, attempting to keep at bay the dizziness that threatened to overtake her. She could tell Pandora was not even close to awake. Her body still trying to metabolize the wine she’d drunk straight from the bottle the night before. She hadn’t felt that way since college, after going to her one and only party at the local frat house. That night had been full of alcohol but definitely not sex. She had left the party early, staggering back to her dorm and passing out on the floor.
Waking up on a comfortable bed was a lot better than waking up on the carpet with her roommate standing over her with a glass of water and some aspirin. That night had not been her best. At the moment, she was proud of what she’d achieved in her little New York City condo. She’d let it all out and had no regrets. She had let Pandora’s and her own sensual nature completely take over.
When she heard the shuffling, she opened her eyes and blinked hard. Brock stood near the bed, smiling at her. He was pulling the last of his gear out of his black duffel and finishing suiting up. Katie groaned quietly and wiped the drool from her chin, then turned on her back and took a moment to ground herself.
Brock chuckled. “Feeling okay?”
Katie’s voice was raspy. “Like a ten-ton demon dropped his ass on my head.”
Brock laughed as he put his guns in his holsters. “You’ll be fine. Just guzzle some coffee and grab a shower. You’ll be better than ever. My demon already went to work on the hell that was bubbling inside me when I woke up.”
Katie slapped her arms on the bed beside her. “Mine seems to be taking a vacation right now.”
Katie turned over on her side and
propped herself on her elbow. “That’s not really what I would expect you to wear for a stroll through New York on a beautiful fall day.”
Brock smiled and sat on the bed next to her. He pushed the hair from her face. She stared at him with her bright blue eyes, and his eyes met hers. He leaned forward and gently kissed her lips. The oxygen rushed from her lungs but she pushed back against it, trying not to go all googly-eyed over Brock.
He broke off the kiss. “My team has been called to an operation in Romania. They said it’s pretty dire. Lots of demons, lots of portals. I checked your phone, but it never rang. Must not be Katie-worthy.”
Katie groaned and plopped her head back down on the bed. “Good. I could use about nine days of recovery after last night.”
Brock grinned. “I’ll take that as a compliment. But yeah, I gotta leave. The team is already at the base, and they’re waiting for me. There’s a car downstairs.”
Katie held the sheet to her chest and sat up, flipping her wild hair to one side. She leaned forward and kissed Brock deeply, taking in his fresh, clean scent. “Be careful. I know I don’t need to tell you that, but I felt like I should say it. These incursions are getting crazier.”
Brock ran his finger down her cheek. “I know. I heard about your base. They said demons were dropping out of the sky. They’re ramping up their assault tactics, I see, but no worries. You know us. We’ll go in and knock some heads.”
Katie gave him a sweet, sleepy smile. “You know how to get hold of me if you guys need help. I can jet over there in no time. Never been to Romania.”
Brock stood up and slung his bag over his shoulder. “Sorry to leave you with the mess.”
Katie waved her hand. “Meh, gives me something to do to wake my ass up. Don’t want to scare the hell out of Angie when she comes back.”
Brock smiled again and walked toward the door. He paused and looked back at her, flashing one of his toothy grins. “Last night was—”
Katie giggled. “Yeah, I know. Go, before I have a dozen military guys busting down my door to drag you out.”
Brock tapped his hand on the doorframe. “Going. I’ll call you when we get back stateside.”
Katie stared at the doorway until she heard the front door close. Suddenly, the house seemed a little less lively. She sat there for a moment to gather her thoughts, then jumped out of bed. Nope. Too soon. She grabbed the dresser to stabilize herself, then put her hand to her head and groaned. “Ugh, take it a bit slower, Katie.”
She opened her dresser drawer and pulled out a pair of panties and some jogging shorts and threw them on. As she walked toward her closet, she paused. Brock’s t-shirt was laid neatly over the chair. She smiled and grabbed it, throwing it over her head. It smelled like him, or at least how he’d smelled when he’d walked into the condo the night before.
Katie took stock of the disaster that was her room. She knew the kitchen was even worse. She immediately started picking up all the clothes and throwing them in the hamper. She pulled the sheets off the bed and tossed them in too. She grabbed a fresh set of sheets from the closet and spritzed them with fabric spray. She still hadn’t heard a word from Pandora, which was not in the least like her.
Katie spread the sheets on the mattress and made the bed, putting all the decorative pillows back in place like Angie always did it. She put her hands on her hips and chuckled. I’m so domestic. It’s kind of gross.
Pandora growled and mumbled almost incoherently. Shh. Sleeping, bitch. Don’t fuck with my sleep.
Katie narrowed her eyes and shook her head. Oh hell, no, hooker. This is fucking payback for all the times I just wanted to sleep in, and you couldn’t fucking shut up about donuts. You’re going to wake the fuck up. Turnabout is fair play.
Katie started to pick up the candles from around the room, singing loudly and trying everything to annoy the hell out of Pandora.
“This is the song that never ends,
it goes on and on, my friends!
Some people started singing it, not knowing what it was,
and they’ll continue singing it forever just because!
This is the song that never ends…”
Pandora huffed. You know I have the power to give you fucking saddlebags and acne, right? How would you like that next time you decided to get wild with Brock? You take off your clothes, and you have back acne.
Katie smirked. “Good morning, bitch! It’s about time you woke your happy ass up and joined the goddamned world.”
Pandora groaned. I am so tempted to fucking make your hangover worse. One swipe of my hands and your ass will be puking in the nearest trash can.
Katie wasn’t going to let that dampen her mood. “Oh, come now, Lilith. That’s not very nice of you. What would Adam think?”
Pandora laughed loudly. That motherfucker would tell me to get into the advertised position—missionary—so he could insert his manly seed. Bro would be talking about me populating the Earth and shit. Please, son. I am not going to put this body through that. And millennia before the epidural was invented? You have got to be kidding me.
Katie wrinkled her nose as she continued to clean up her room. “Man, the entire Earth? Talk about a hot dog down a fucking hallway. Those babies would fall right out of you after a while.”
Pandora cleared her throat. No, bitch. I’ve been telling you. It’s all about the Kegel exercises. I’ve been doing them for you throughout the day since you don’t seem to care.
Katie paused for a moment. “I’m not sure how I feel about you messing with my vagina when no one is looking. Or when everyone’s looking, for that matter. Is nothing sacred?”
Hell, no. You’re my bitch now, although I guess if you want to be loosey-goosey, be my guest. Ask Brock first, see what he has to say about it.
Katie chuckled. “I have a hard time believing that my once-in-a-blue-moon bone sessions would get me anywhere near loosey-goosey status. I think someone is projecting.”
Pandora gasped. How dare you! My cat is nice and tight. Never any complaints.
“I don’t know, centuries of throwing that thing around like it was public property might have caused serious damage. You might need a little tune-up, if you know what I mean. That thing still under warranty?”
Pandora was getting irritated. I will have you know that even after sleeping with big dick Lucifer I’m still ready to go, thank you very much. We demons have elasticity.
“There’s a difference between being tight and having a shriveled-up mummy-cooch, you ancient pain in my tits.”
Little did Katie know, while she was having her morning conversation with Pandora, Angie had come home. She had taken one look at the disaster that was the condo and gone straight to Katie’s room, just to make sure it was a wild night and not a hostage situation. When she walked around the corner, she stopped in the doorway. Katie was talking out loud to, she assumed, Pandora. There wasn’t anyone else in the place. She stood there for a while just listening, her eyes wide.
After a few minutes she stifled a giggle, and Katie spun. “Angie, you’re home!”
“I am. And I have to say the half of that conversation I could hear was, shall we say, enlightening.”
Katie laughed. “Yeah, you know, fucking with Pandora. She’s having a fit.”
Angie shook her head. “You two are seriously going to drive each other nuts before the war is over.”
Katie tossed a sock in the hamper. “Oh, we are long past crazy, my dear.”
Angie set a hot cup of coffee down in front of Katie after helping her clean up the kitchen. She stared at the sink. In it were a potato masher, a pair of tongs, and two wet aprons. She scratched her head. “So, you said you didn’t cook last night?”
Katie glanced at the sink. “Yeah, just let this one go. It’s hard to explain. I’ll take care of that.”
“Good, because I was considering just lighting a match and letting the place burn down.”
Katie laughed and took a gulp of her coffee. With Pandor
a finally up, her hangover was going away quickly. Katie was pretty sure Pandora was leaving just a bit of the hangover intact to punish her for getting her up that morning.
Her phone buzzed loudly on the countertop. It was the general.
“Morning, General. What’s the good word today?” she answered.
General Brushwood grumbled into the phone. “You sound awfully cheerful for being up this early in the morning.”
Katie shrugged. “You stole my company this morning. Brock said you had an assignment you were sending his team on?”
The general cleared his throat uncomfortably. “I’m not going to ask about you and Brock. As far as the assignment…yeah, pretty nasty incursion.”
Katie hated to hear that. “Do you need me for it?”
“I don’t think so. It’s a shit show, but the demons seem to be slowing down. I think by the time you could get there, everything would be over.”
Katie shook her head. “It’s crazy to think how much our response has improved. Two years ago your teams would be all but demolished by now. Good work, General.”
“I owe a lot of it to you,” he replied.
Katie didn’t care where the teams had learned it, as long as they had. “What can I do for you today?”
“I was calling to see how your trip went.”
Katie suddenly remembered Juntto. “Oh, yeah! I got valuable information. I have a few really good ideas on how to wake that fool up from his coma. The goal of the treatment will be to get emotional energy into him.”
The general wasn’t sure what she meant. “Okay, and how do you do that?”
Katie sipped her coffee. “I have a few thoughts on that. Actually, when I’m done with my coffee, I’m going to head to the base and try them. They finally got Juntto moved out of the meat locker. I appreciate that.”
The general took a deep breath. “Yeah, we couldn’t really have a Leviathan hanging out at the local butcher, could we?”
Katie giggled, looking at Angie. “I’ll give you a call if anything works. I think I’ll take Angie with me.”