Until Ty.
“I sort of scarfed on someone a few months back.”
“Sort of?”
“I didn’t want to,” I admitted.
“My point exactly. What vampire doesn’t want to bite people?” She shook her head. “You’d be easy pickings for this demon.”
“I’ve faced him before and he didn’t jump ship.”
“Was he possessing a human?” I nodded and she added, “Then that’s why. No demon would willingly jump ship into a vampire unless he had no other choice. If his current vessel were dying or he were being forced out by the Almighty Himself and had no place else to go.” She motioned to Margaret, who now lay a few feet away from Evie. “That woman’s so hateful she wouldn’t notice if Satan himself jumped in. Spies on everyone in the neighborhood and is always making trouble. She even tried to kill my precious little Marlon Brando.”
“Poison?”
She nodded. “Served him up a great big chocolate fudge cake. She swears she didn’t do it, but I smelled the chocolate in her house when I went over to confront her. I even saw the cake pans sitting in the sink, too.”
Margaret murmured “circumstantial” which, because of the tape, came out more like “shhirrm-melcha.”
“She did it,” Mama declared, sparing a glare for the woman before motioning Crusher to leave us alone and wait in the car. “I know she did it.”
I knew, too.
I took one look into Margaret Weisenbaum’s eyes (minus the night-vision goggles this time) and I saw a rap sheet a mile long.
She’d served up her infamous three-tiered chocolate cake with fudge filling and dark chocolate sprinkles to twelve of the neighborhood dogs, including Marlon. He’d been the only survivor because Mama had taken him to the vet right away. The other animals had died a slow, painful death. She’d also “accidentally” spilled antifreeze in the neighborhood bird baths. She’d taken out eight cats, sixteen birds, and all of Mr. Schwartz’s goldfish. She’d paintballed Mr. Jackowski’s fence and ripped up Mrs. Wallingford’s rose bushes, and she’d even stolen a case of Thin Mints from Mr. Berryman’s granddaughter’s wagon when the little girl had been going door-to-door.
I patted her hand. “Good to have you, Mrs. Weisenbaum.” Stealing Girl Scout cookies? Talk about a one-way ticket straight to Hell.
I excused myself to make a quick call to Ash. I got his voice mail and left a message for him to meet me at the church as soon as he got the message. I gave a quick confession that Evie was the one possessed, but told him not to worry because I had things under control and was going to save her.
My plan? A super-quick exorcism while Ash was en route. Then by the time he arrived, I could hand over Mrs. Weisenbaum, aka The Demon, and let him handle things from there.
I made a mental note to remember the antifreeze the next time Killer annihilated a pair of my shoes and reached into my pocket for the bottle of Benadryl. I downed another long swig, slapped at the itchies spreading across my chest, and turned to Mama. “Let’s do it.”
I watched as Mama retrieved her giant patent leather purse and started pulling out various items—her bible, a book of prayers, a beaded rosary, a long purple stole, a medal of St. Benedict that matched the one worn around her neck, a large crucifix, several handkerchiefs, a vial containing holy water, and a ton of votive candles.
She spent the next few minutes lighting one after the other until the altar blazed with soft, flickering light.
“I didn’t realize candles were such an important part of an exorcism.”
“They’re not. They set the mood and help mask the smell.” She eyeballed Evie and waved a hand in front of her face. “I swear this is worse than Vinnie and Crusher after a pot of my corned beef and cabbage.”
She put her matches away and reached for the extra St. Benedict medal. “Put this on. It’s not foolproof, but it’ll help protect you during the exorcism.” She placed the stole around her own neck, doused her handkerchiefs with holy water, crossed herself, and reached for her bible. “Let’s get this party started.”
She took the end of the stole and slid it around Evie’s neck.
At first Evie hissed and bucked against her restraints, but after a few seconds, she collapsed back atop the altar. Mama pulled the tape from Evie’s mouth and an agonized wail pierced the air.
Ouch.
“Our Father who art in heaven,” Mama started, launching into the opening prayer. The candles flared, the flames popping and crackling before dying a quick death. Smoke curled into the air and a rush of cold wind whispered over my skin. A loud drumming echoed through the room and thundered in my ears.
I chanced a glance at Mrs. Weisenbaum. Her eyes went wide, but not from fear. Expectancy gleamed hot and bright as she watched the exorcism unfold.
Mama kept reciting prayers, pausing every now and then to touch the crucifix to Evie’s forehead. Skin sizzled and the smell of burned flesh made even a bloodthirsty vampere like me want to toss her cookies.
But Evie was doing enough of that for the both of us. And levitating. And snarling. And cursing.
I held tight to the St. Benedict medal, which was making my palms itch even more than my shoulders and chest.
Meanwhile, Mama kept going. After several more prayers, she made the sign of the cross over Evie and demanded, “Who are you demon? Reveal yourself.”
After a lot of snarling and spitting, the demon finally admitted the truth—he was the spirit of the deceased serial killer from the sixties. Score one for Ash.
“A newbie in demon years,” Mama told me. “This shouldn’t take long.” She wiped Evie’s barf-stained cheeks with the handkerchiefs drenched in holy water and ordered the demon out.
“Leave this woman,” she bellowed. Over and over. Until Evie opened her mouth and screamed.
It was a man’s voice at first, but the louder the screams grew, the higher the pitch became, until a burst of flames erupted behind the altar. Evie bucked and gasped one last time and a putrid green mist spiraled from her mouth.
The mist took on its own form until the shadow of a vicious-looking creature hovered above us. He looked like a cross between a dragon and a lizard. Fangs gleamed in the dim light and a forked tail whipped at the air.
Mama kept praying, pushing the demon father away from Evie until he hovered over Mrs. Weisenbaum. Mama leaned forward and snatched the tape from her neighbor’s mouth.
Mrs. Weisenbaum let loose a string of cuss words before she opened wide, as if to say “mi casa es su casa” to the forked demon.
But instead of taking her up on her offer and diving inside, the demon pulled back. A split second later, I realized why.
A nearly identical green mist poured from the old woman’s mouth and hovered just above her face. I heard a hiss and a “Find your own fucking body,” before Mrs. Weisenbaum sucked the mist back into her mouth and clamped her lips shut. Her eyes flashed a bright yellow before dimming to their usual color.
Well. That explained it.
“It figures,” Mama murmured. She grasped her crucifix and held it up. “The demon’s got nowhere to go now.”
Who knew demons had a no-double-occupancy policy?
A wave of panic shot through me and my mind raced. “What do we do now?”
Her gaze shifted from the demon to Mrs. Weisenbaum to me. “We run.”
I made it halfway across the room (bless my preternatural feet) before I heard the tormented wail. It pierced my ears and sent another bolt of panic through me. I picked up my steps and was this close to the door when I felt the icy grip snake around my neck. Something jerked my head backwards and suddenly I was flat on my back on the hard floor. I stared up in time to see the demon hovering over me, his mouth open, his fangs glittering.
“You’re so screwed,” he spat.
“Ya think?” I’d barely gotten the words out when a white hot sensation hit me in the solar plexus. I gasped and my mouth opened. The demon went poof and suddenly he was in mist form, spiraling
straight for me.
Heat rolled through me, over my tongue, down my throat, into my chest, my abdomen, clear to my toes.
I had a moment of startling realization—me, the demon, the demon, me—no!
I was a vampire. I was wearing the crucifix and the medal. I reached up, but I felt only itchy, inflamed skin. In the corner of my eye, I caught a gleam of gold on the floor. I’d either dropped them or they’d been ripped away. Either way, they were gone. Gone.
I couldn’t…
I wouldn’t…
Nooooooo!
I hauled myself to my feet and tried to take a step, but the fire blazing through me grew hotter, more consuming. My legs trembled and the floor shook. I heard Mama’s voice somewhere to my right, but I couldn’t see her. In the far-off distance, the sound of footsteps and voices echoed. Familiar voices.
“Where are you?”
Ty whispered through my head and hope blossomed. I tried to form a thought, to send it back to him, but the only thing I could think about was how much my body hurt and how scared I was and how friggin’ hot—
“I’m coming, baby. I’m coming.” It was his voice again. Loud. Clear. Close.
He called me baby.
The thought registered along with a tiny burst of happiness before I felt a stab of searing pain, like a hot knife slicing into my chest. I groaned and gasped, fighting the sensation that threatened to drive me to the floor. I forced my eyes open. I had to hold on, to focus, to see, but a green fog clouded my vision. I stumbled forward, Ty’s thoughts rumbling in my head, leading me on.
“I’m here.”
“I’m coming.”
“It’ll be okay.”
A door crashed open and footsteps scrambled.
“Holy shit.” It was Ash’s voice this time.
“Fuck,” Ty growled.
Double fuck declared a voice inside of me.
I knew then, just as surely as I knew my mother would never give up her quest for multiple grandchildren, that my forked buddy and I were headed straight to Hell.
Chaos erupted. Hands reached for me.
“No!” It was Ty’s voice that blared in my ears. “Not her, you asshole,” he growled. “Me.” And then his arms closed around me. “Me.” And his fangs sank deep into my neck.
The fire grew unbearable. Screams echoed in my ears. My afterlife seeped away. And then everything went pitch-black.
Twenty-seven
When I finally opened my eyes, I was lying on my stomach in the middle of a king-sized bed with a goose-down comforter and a pile of soft, fluffy pillows. Ty’s familiar musky scent—fresh air, freedom, and a hint of danger—teased my nostrils. I buried my head in the pillow and inhaled.
Heaven.
That’s what this was. I was dead. Not in Hell, ob viously, which meant I’d gone the opposite direction thanks to all of my hard work as a dedicated matchmaker. I’d helped the lost lonely souls of New York find true love, and this was my reward.
I took another whiff before lifting my head to see what else waited for me in the hereafter. Let’s see…A heavenly beach. An endless supply of designer clothes. A hot-looking demon sitting on the sofa watching NASCAR—
Get. Out.
I blinked, but he was still there, sprawled several feet away, legs propped on the glass and chrome coffee table, remote control in hand. He pressed a button and Talledega morphed into the latest Nickelback video.
O-kay.
While I wasn’t an expert on Heaven, I’d be willing to bet my next retainer fee that demons were not allowed. Not even good-looking ones.
I rolled over and winced. My body ached and my skin felt numb and tight. I wore an oversized man’s T-shirt and my undies. My legs were bare beneath the soft sheets. I struggled into a sitting position and blinked. Once, twice and my vision focused beyond the sofa and the demon.
Nix the white sand beach, the palm trees, and the bamboo hut filled with Calvin Klein dresses and Ferragamo purses and yummy Christian Louboutin booties.
Instead, I saw the familiar wall of glass windows overlooking a quiet neighborhood in the Meatpacking District. Beyond, a full moon pushed past the edge of the building across the street, illuminating the massive room.
Ty’s loft.
I’d crashed here a while back when I’d been wanted for murder and had gotten up-close-and-personal with the layout. We were on the top floor of a three-story warehouse filled with rich leather furniture, chrome tables, a gonzo entertainment center, and a state-of-the-art kitchen with lots of stainless steel and granite countertops (Ty, obviously, didn’t need such an impressive kitchen, since the most he ever did was open the occasional bottle of blood or pop the tab on a beer, but it had come with the place).
I shifted my attention to the demon sitting on the black sofa.
Zee Prince.
My throat burned and I swallowed. “What…” I started, but my voice seemed to stick on the one word.
It was enough to draw Zee’s attention. He pushed to his feet and walked over to me. He pulled up a chair near the bed. “You’re finally awake.”
I swallowed and licked my dry lips. “W-what am I doing here?” It was only one of about a zillion questions that raced through my fuzzy brain, but there were too many and I had a pounding headache that kept me from prioritizing.
“We brought you here after the exorcism. You were possessed,” he told me in much the same way he might have said “You were sleeping.” He folded his arms and eyed me. “Ty forced the demon out and saved you.”
How?
Even as the next question bubbled to the surface, I already knew the answer. I touched my neck and felt the deep puncture marks. A tiny drop of blood oozed over my fingers and slid down my skin.
Zee grabbed a Kleenex off the nightstand and handed it to me. “Easy. It’s still fresh.”
I wiped at the blood and Zee relaxed back into his chair.
“It was the only way for Ty to force the demon out,” he went on. “He had to drink from you until the demon jumped ship. He finally did, but only after Ty had drank so much that the demon feared you might die. If the vessel dies, it’s an automatic trip back to Hell. The demon had no choice but to hop into the nearest body.”
Images pushed and pulled and suddenly I was back in the old sanctuary, Ty’s strong, purposeful mouth on my skin, his fangs pushing deep. I heard the tormented wail of the demon, felt the thrashing inside of me and the draw on my neck, and then…
“No.” I teetered as I struggled to throw my legs over the side of the bed.
“Calm down.” He gave me an odd look, as if he couldn’t quite believe I was so freaked.
“But it’s Ty,” I gasped. “He’s possessed now.” And all because he’d tried to save me.
The thought struck and the reality of what he’d done hit me. A lightbulb flipped on and suddenly I knew. I knew.
Made or not, Ty Bonner was The One.
Yeah, I know. I’d always sort of known this, but I’d never seen it so clearly. There’d always been too many obstacles in the way and so my view had been limited. But now I realized how all of that paled in comparison to the thought of losing him forever.
“He can’t be possessed,” I blurted. “Not now. Not when I’m finally sure—”
“He’s okay.” Zee got to his feet. Large hands forced me back to the pillows. “Ty’s a vampire with a strong will. He was able to contain the demon. He and Ash headed for Riker’s Island and a piece-of-shit child killer we’ve had our eye on who’s been sitting on death row. Ty touched the guy, deposited the demon, and then Ash took control.”
“And sliced and diced and sent the demon and the child killer straight to Hell,” I finished, relief seeping through me as I realized that Ty was okay and he wasn’t jetting for Hell at that very moment.
Zee nodded. “That part’s happening right now.”
“What about Evie?”
“She’s got a few cuts and bruises and she doesn’t smell all that great, but otherwise, she�
�s fine. We dropped her at her apartment so she could recuperate. She doesn’t have any memory of the demon—that goes with being possessed—and so she’s a little confused. She thinks she tied it on at one helluva party and now she’s paying the price. Some sleep and a hot shower, and she’ll be as good as new.”
“Mama Balducci?”
“She hauled ass out of there as soon as the demon jumped into you.” He shook his head. “Never knew an old lady could move that fast in a pair of rubber boots.”
“Mrs. Weisenbaum?”
“Crusher took her back home.”
“But she’s—”
“—possessed? We know. But Bucky—that’s the demon who’s got her—is small potatoes compared to some of the other bastards we have to deal with. Back in the early eighteen hundreds, he got messed up in the head in some war and became a hermit. Started torching animals for fun and stealing chickens for food, but he’s pretty much harmless to humans. Besides, as old as that woman is, he’ll be on his way back to Hell pretty soon anyway.”
I closed my eyes and let everything sink in. I’d done it. I’d saved Evie and no one had gotten hurt in the process and it was now all officially over.
“So where’s Ty?” I finally asked.
“Helping Ash and Mo. They needed a third and since he had to go make the deposit, he gets to help send the demon back. Mo and I flipped a coin to see who would stay here and babysit you.”
“And you lost.”
He shook his head and his eyes took on a bright gleam. “Actually, I won.”
A few days before, I might have felt a tiny twinge of desire (I am a born vamp, so being a ho is practically genetic). But instead of thinking about sex, I found myself thinking about how soft the bed was and how I couldn’t wait to see Ty and tell him the truth—that I didn’t care if he was made or born and that I absolutely could not exist another day without him. “I’m really tired right now.”
Yeah, right flashed in his gaze and he grinned. “You can’t blame a guy for trying.” He stood. “You thirsty?”
I nodded. A few minutes later, he reappeared with a glass of clear liquid. I sipped at the cold water as images from the church replayed in my throbbing head.
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