“You’re telling me.” She sat in the chair beside me. She used her feet to wheel herself over to where our patient charts were kept.
“Hand me Dickerson, Matthews, and Xavier?” I took a long drink of my soda and stuck my hand out for the charts. “I need to get their admissions paperwork finished. Oh crap, and hand me Petrovsky. I’ve got to fill out the paperwork on her code.”
“How do you think that one’s going to play out?” Tonya asked, and both of us frowned. Nicole Petrovsky was a six-year-old who’d suffered head trauma in a car accident the day before. She’d been responding favorably since admission and, when I flipped open her paperwork, the first piece of paper in her chart was the transfer form to move her out of PICU the next morning. That was before the massive seizure she’d had during dinner that had caused her to stop breathing.
“I don’t know. After we get the charts done, I’ll call Lisa and see if they’ve heard anything. She can at least give us a temporary update.”
“Is now a bad time?” a sweet, masculine voice asked.
I shivered at the sound. My toes curled and my tail itched. I looked up to see Dan leaning over the nurses’ station, his elbows resting on the counter.
“Is it ever a good time here?” Tonya smiled at him.
“Is there something you need, Mr. Cheswick?” I opened one of the charts in front of me and tried to focus on it, instead of the gorgeous man looming over my counter.
“I wanted to apologize for yesterday.” He looked first at me, and then at Tanya. “I was out of line and unprofessional. I’m sorry.”
“It’s fine.” I glanced up at him briefly before returning my attention to the chart. Or I tried to. I wasn’t even sure which patient’s information I was looking at.
“I’m going to go do rounds,” Tonya announced suddenly. She stood and scurried around the desk, then into one of the nearby rooms. One I happened to know was empty. The coward. See if I helped on her next case of explosive diarrhea.
“I wanted to say I was sorry, and I hope I didn’t upset you.” Dan said.
I closed the chart. “You didn’t upset me.” I fought the urge to lean closer to him. “It was nice. Flattering, actually.”
“Was it?” He moved closer, and I wrapped my ankles around the chair legs to keep still. The last thing I was going to do was move any closer to him. Avoiding temptation was not one of my stronger virtues, especially when someone else was waving a road map full of bad right underneath my nose.
“Yeah, I mean, if I didn’t have a boyfriend I would have said yes without a second thought.” Dan had always been a nice guy and even this cheekier version of him still seemed to have a sweet side. I didn’t want to hurt his feelings by completely blowing him off, but at the same time there was no chance of us being together. Even if Matt weren’t in the picture there was the fact that I was a demon and Dan was mentally fragile. Add Matt into the mix? Well, even if I was just a normal girl and Dan was some regular guy, there still couldn’t be anything between us because what I’d had with Dan on our best day wasn’t nearly as sweet as the worst moments I’d shared with Matt.
“And since you do have a boyfriend?” he whispered. “Have you given it a second thought?”
What girl wouldn’t think about what could have been when she found herself face to face with an ex? But thinking and doing it were two different things. I had loved Dan once upon a time, but that was the past, and I wasn’t willing to ruin the here and now. No matter how sweet it could have been.
“Yes.” In spite of myself I leaned closer to him. There was barely an inch between us and I could smell his warm, woodsy natural scent.
“So what do you think about dinner?”
“I think—” My cell phone beeped and I grabbed it out of my pocket, glancing at the text message on my screen.
Can we do lunch tomorrow? My dad is in town to see your dad and wants to meet you. He might have some ideas on the Brenda situation.
“I think it would be a bad idea.” I sat back down in my chair, trying to put as much distance as possible between me and temptation. “Sorry.”
“Give it a third think.”
“I don’t need to. I have a boyfriend who I care deeply for. Dinner is out of the question.” I closed the chart in front of me and picked up my phone. Deidre and I had been playing phone tag since Brenda had shown up, but maybe if I called now I could get her on the phone and we could work something out. Then I could impress Matt’s dad with how organized and efficient a demoness I was. “Now, if you’ll excuse me, I need to make a call.”
CHAPTER EIGHT
“So…” I tugged at the hem of my most modest little black dress. The neckline buttoned at the base of my throat, the sleeves hung past my elbows, and the hemline was at least two inches below the knee. I looked like a Mennonite. Not that there’s anything wrong with the Amish. I’m just not one of them. And I’m pretty sure they wouldn’t welcome me with open arms. Then again, if I were a religious group, I’d stay the hell away from me, too. “How do I look?”
“Sort of like a very hot-but-scared nun.” Matt grabbed my hand and kissed the back of it. “What’s with the dress?”
“I want to make a good impression on your dad.” I laced my fingers through his while my other hand patted at the tight knot I’d wrapped my hair into at the nape of my neck.
“It’ll be fine.” Matt took both of my hands in his, pulling them down between us, and then wrapped his arms around me. “Dad is willing to at least give our relationship a chance. Which is sort of surprising, but he mentioned that the Alpha said we looked good together during Dad’s last performance review and he may be trying to avoid pissing off his boss. But either way he promised to be nice and keep an open mind. So if we can just get him focused on how he needs to take responsibility for Brenda and either get her to go back home or find a new place for her to live then we should be okay.”
“Right. The problem in front of him. Hopefully, if he can’t persuade her to go home, he’ll at least agree to the plan that we have. Deidre said she’s got a room set aside for Brenda; all we have to do is bring her up and drop her off. Whenever’s convenient for you. Or as soon as possible. Whichever comes first.”
“Just a few more days.” Matt squeezed me tighter. “I promise she’ll be gone by the end of the week. Okay?”
“Sure.” I smiled and tried to pretend having Brenda as a houseguest wasn’t a complete nuisance. This morning I’d come home to find out she’d thrown out all of my emergency junk food—including the Rolos—and replaced them with “healthy, low-calorie alternatives.”
I got it. She thought I was fat. I thought she was annoying and had bad fashion sense. That didn’t mean I was going to put her dry clean only twinsets in the dryer and turn it on high just because I could. Then again, if she messed with my junk food one more time…
“Thanks.” Matt opened the front door for me and I snagged my purse before he ushered me out into the hall. “And hey, since we’re early, if you want to we could talk about whatever that thing was you brought up yesterday. The important thing?”
“Oh.” I did my best breezy and nonchalant voice as I brushed past him into the hall. The last thing I was going to do was bring up Dan now. “Turns out it was no big deal. Forget I even mentioned it.”
“Are you sure?” Matt asked.
“Oh yeah.” I smiled at him reassuringly. “It was nothing. Just work related bitching. You know how it is.”
“Hello.” Brenda was standing on the landing at the bottom of my stairs, glaring at us, when we turned toward her. She gave me a once over and her eyes lingered on Matt’s hand, which was still holding mine.
“Hey,” Matt said. The agitation came off of him in waves and I could feel his shoulders tense. I knew she’d gone out of her way to drive him crazy last night—or be helpful as she called it—but I hadn’t realized how on edge she had him until seeing them together just now.
“Big plans today?” I cut in. “Since you’ve al
ready cleaned my apartment from top to bottom and completely reorganized Matt’s, I’m sure you’re dying to get some fresh air.”
“Oh I didn’t mind cleaning in the slightest. Someone needs to take care of Matt. All that clutter couldn’t have been good for his mental well-being.” She widened her eyes at him and did the crazy eyelash batting thing again.
“My mental health is perfectly fine, Brenda.” Sparks of golden power snapped around Matt as he tried to reign in his temper. “Now if you’ll excuse us, Faith and I are going to be late for lunch with Dad unless we hurry.”
“But Matt.” She put her hands on her hips and smiled. “You told me we were having a family lunch.”
“Yes, a family lunch. Emphasis on the word family,” Matt said, obviously not even trying to be civil. He walked down the stairs, pulling me along behind him, and brushed past her. My inner demon smiled at the hostility between them. Whatever Matt’s mom had been thinking, trying to set them up, obviously it hadn’t been a love match. These two could barely stand to be in the same hallway together.
“Besides,” Matt continued. “I wouldn’t think that you’d want to go to lunch with Dad. You know that there’s a very good chance that he could send you right back home to the compound.”
“But he won’t.” Brenda’s eyes had gone a brilliant gold color in her fury and her own power crackled around her. “When he sees the mess you’ve made of your life by shacking up with such a shameless, wanton hussy—”
“Hey!” I took a step forward and Matt’s hand instantly tightened on mine, pulling me behind him. “Who are you calling a hussy, you Doris Day wannabe?”
“Bassano will be grateful when he sees how I’ve risked my own soul to come here and save yours, Matt. You’ll see. Once your father understands the situation he’ll make you return home and deal with your responsibilities.”
“Yeah,” Matt said. “Because Dad is the guy most likely to be nominated ‘Mr. Responsible.’ He’s not going to force me back to Biloxi. There’s no profit in it for him and Dad is all about the profit.”
“Either way…” Brenda started and I could see that she was trying to keep her temper in check even though the smell of burnt cookies was almost rolling off of her like cheap cologne did off of a novice incubus.
“Is there any reason that you three are clogging up the entryway with your conference of lame or is it just to ruin my day?” My older sister Hope glided down the stairs in a pair of super high, navy blue wedges and a white sundress so short that if she moved just so, men on the street would be seeing more of the demonic unpromised land than they’d ever bargained for.
Matt turned to glare at her and I could see that Brenda was scowling as well.
“Brenda is insisting on going with us to meet Bassano,” I explained while the two nephilim turned their glares on each other. “Matt doesn’t think it’s a good idea.”
Matt shook his head. “I know it’s not a good idea. Brenda is not going.”
“Oh yes I am.” She stamped her foot and the faint traces of power crackling around her arms grew stronger.
“No you’re—”
“Oh, why don’t both of you shut up?” Hope asked, completely ignoring the pissed off nephilim. She pulled a compact out of her purse and flipped it open, checking her makeup. “I have a hair appointment and you’re in my way. Now someone tell me what in the name of Lucifer’s hooves you two are fighting about.”
“We’re having lunch with Matt’s dad,” I said, narrowing my eyes at her. Hope had lost her psychic abilities as part of the fallout from that whole Stalker Who Tried to Steal My Powers With the Help of Her Ex-Husband thing last month, but we still knew each other pretty well. If ever there was a time my sister could do me a solid and butt out, it would be right now. Or so help me I would not be going upstairs to fix her dishwasher the next time it flooded her kitchen.
“And I’m going,” Brenda said.
“Fine.” Matt narrowed his eyes at her. “Then I’ll argue for him to make you go home to Biloxi where you can’t inconvenience the rest of us.”
“I wouldn’t have to be a burden if you’d just accept that it’s your responsibility to take care of me. But instead you want to send me to a house of ill-repute to be sneered at and abused.”
“Whoa.” Hope looked up from her mirror and closed it with a snap. “You’re telling me that you’re taking my sister to lunch with your father? The angelic equivalent of the world’s dirtiest old man? And that Touched by An Angel Barbie here wants to go along because she’s thinking about becoming a hooker? And people complain about the daytime soaps getting canceled. Who needs them when I’ve got this crap going on outside my door?”
“Faith and I are not trying to send you to a brothel, Brenda.” My boyfriend rubbed his free hand over his face, ignoring my sister. “We’re trying to send you to a place that can help you get on your feet and start making a life for yourself. But if you absolutely can’t stand the idea and you feel like you have to talk to Dad about it, I won’t stop you. It’s your life and in the end it’s your decision to make. I’m sick of fighting with you about this. So have it your way.”
Instead of saying anything I tugged Matt toward the door and slipped on my sunglasses, my sister and Brenda following. I looked back and saw that Hope had whipped out her cell phone and her thumbs were flying over the keys.
“What restaurant are we going to?” she asked when we reached the tiny parking lot behind our building.
“The Church Brewworks,” Matt said. “Why? I thought you had an appointment to get to?”
She brushed past Brenda like she wasn’t even there and patted him on the cheek. I knew that look. Hope was almost glowing at the thought of engineering a family fight without having to personally do evil.
“Dad’s been meaning to try the Church Brewworks out for a while and he hasn’t had the chance. Besides, he and Matt get along ever so well. And your dad? Well we all know what he’s like.” Hope smiled and started toward my car as if she were a queen and we were nothing more than her servants.
“You consort with the Devil?” Brenda asked Matt, her eyes wide with disbelief.
“On occasion,” Matt muttered. The back of his neck was turning red. He was either embarrassed at being caught by another member of the Angale in what she would consider a flagrant act of heresy, or he was about to lose his temper. I wasn’t sure which one would be worse.
“I think Hope and I should take my car, all things considered.” I gave Matt a tight smile. I didn’t want to leave him alone with Brenda any more than I had to, but at the same time I knew putting her and my sister in the backseat of Matt’s car together would most likely lead to murder. And I was not dressed for dumping a nephilim’s corpse somewhere today. Not in these heels.
“Are you sure?” Matt asked. “I don’t want you to feel like you have to be in a different car.”
“It’s better for everyone if we don’t have to explain to your dad how my sister killed one of his subjects.” I leaned in to give him a kiss and retrieved my car keys from my purse. “Besides, we were supposed to meet Mom and Lisa later for dress fittings, so now we can go straight from the restaurant.”
“Okay.” He gave my hand a reassuring squeeze.
“Well are we going or aren’t we?” Brenda stomped over to Matt’s car, pulled open the passenger side door, climbed in, and slammed the door behind her.
“Good luck.” I smiled at Matt and then hurried over to my car. If we had to do this we might as well get it over with. Maybe Bassano would decide to take Brenda back to Biloxi and make her stay there. Then she’d be out of my hair tonight instead of tomorrow. And save me thirty-two dollars on the toll roads.
Hope slid into my passenger seat and put her sunglasses on, but tilted them down so she could look me in the eye. “What are you thinking leaving your man alone with that psycho church girl? She’s going to make a play for him.”
“She’s doesn’t need me out of the car to do that.” I shook my hea
d. “She’s shameless when it comes to Matt.”
“So you’re giving her more of an opportunity to work her game?”
“Yes.” I smiled at her. “And while she’s playing games I’m showing Matt that I’m above her pettiness. I trust him and if it comes down to it I have no problems protecting what’s mine. Besides, if we’re in the same car as Brenda we can’t plot about how to take her down and get her ass express shipped back to Mississippi. Can we?”
“I thought you said you trusted him?”
“I do. But that doesn’t mean I have problems getting rid of some of the baggage from his past. Especially if it’s getting in the way of my present.” I bit my lower lip and tried not to think about my own baggage and how it was currently lurking around the hospital, possibly thinking about asking me out again.
“You should have tossed her out the minute she showed up,” Malachi said through the car stereo’s speakers. “Harold warned you it was going to turn out this way when you let her sleep on your couch, and if I were you I would have listened to him. But that’s just me. Which, speaking of me? Am I invited to this little shindig?”
“It’s for the entire family.” Hope turned the volume up on the stereo and gave me a wicked smile. “No matter how crazy they might decide to be.”
“Oh, splendid.” Malachi chuckled darkly. “I have the perfect outfit.”
CHAPTER NINE
Oh. My. God.
My parents were mid-grope against Dad’s new car when I pulled up beside them in the parking lot of the restaurant. The Devil had gotten past second base in a public parking lot of a former church. That was so wrong. Hope snorted and I shook my head in disgust. Not just at the groping, though. I’d thought his old black Lamborghini Diablo had been desperate overcompensation on his part. But he’d replaced it with a fire engine red Porsche Cayenne. Hello? Could you say insecure guy having a midlife crisis? Well an immortal life crisis, anyway.
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