by Michael Todd
“Let me just make sure she will be in the area. She’s kind of been all over lately. I’ll just step outside, if you don’t mind.”
“Sure, take your time,” Stephanie smiled.
Calvin stepped outside and took a deep breath before dialing Katie’s number.
“How did it go?” she answered.
“Welllllll....”
“Uh oh. What?”
“They said they will agree to do it on one condition: they get to sit down and talk with you about everything that happened.”
“Of course, they would want that.” Katie laughed. “With everything so open now it’s the least I can do, but it will be a while before everyone is out of town and I can come over.”
“That’s fine. We will be in San Diego for a little while handling Sofia’s parents, so I will call you when it’s all done and dusted.”
“All right. Keep me in the loop, and please remind them I did it out of love.”
“Nope, throwing you to the wolves.”
Katie chuckled. “I will sic Pandora on you.”
“That is enough to scare anyone.” Calvin laughed. “I’ll tell them.”
They hung up and Calvin headed back inside, nodding at them and smiling as they looked up at him. “She will meet with you once we are done, and she takes care of what she has to do.”
“Perfect.” Korbin smiled. “Now what?”
“Now you hurry and pack a bag. This is time-sensitive, so we need to get to the base and then to San Diego.”
They rushed to their room and packed several bags, unsure when they would be back. When they were done, Calvin loaded them up in the SUV he had parked at the end of the drive and they headed toward Vegas. As they pulled through the gates, Korbin looked around at the different things that had been put in place around the base for security. Little did he know that he was the one who had signed off on them in the first place.
Calvin didn’t miss Korbin’s inspection. “Oh, and just a warning… Our intel guy, Timothy? He is a bit...loud.”
“I like loud.” Stephanie winked, getting into the elevator.
Calvin smirked. “Funny you should say that. The two of you were pretty good pals.”
As soon as Stephanie stepped out of the elevator Timothy ran toward them and threw his arms around her. She chuckled and patted him on the back, dropping her bag.
He pulled back and shook his head, wiping a tear from his eye. “Girl, I have missed you so damn much.”
Stephanie looked at him a little stiffly. “Timothy, I presume?”
“Ugh, you really don’t remember. Girl, we were besties! We spent all our free time doing makeup, hair, mani/pedis—whatever we could do to relax and have a damn good time.”
Stephanie smiled, but she clearly didn’t remember any of it. From his personality and the description of the things they did together, though, it wasn’t hard to believe. And he had no real reason to lie to her. He lifted his eyebrows, watching her face and hoping for recognition.
“Here, wait right here!”
Timothy ran off to his room, pulled open the top drawer of his dresser, and grabbed the framed pictures he had hidden, too sad to look at them. He smiled and hugged them to his chest, running back out, doing a grand jeté, and landing in front of her.
She giggled and glanced at Korbin, who had one eyebrow lifted. Timothy shoved a picture in her hand of the two of them doing their makeup together. She smiled, running her thumb over the picture, wishing she could remember. He gave her another with the two of them doing manicures and pedicures in his room.
She turned her head to the side and looked at her face, still shocked that she had actually been there. She recognized herself, but it was like she was looking at another life. Of course, in a way it had been another life. A life with a demon inside her, a life of killing demons and working alongside the famed Katie. She held the picture up and showed it to Korbin. He looked closer and shook his head, also not believing that the two of them were who everyone was saying.
“That’s a sweet wife-beater,” Korbin teased.
“Definitely different from what I wear now.” Stephanie laughed, looking down at her white tank and broom skirt. “I like it, though. Seems to have fit me well.”
“You have a fabulous sense of style. It was what got us talking in the first place. I had just gotten here, and you cut my hair and got me going again. After you left I went on mad shopping sprees, trying to dull the ache of your disappearance with retail therapy.”
“Did it work?”
“No, of course not. But at least I got a fabulous outfit every other day, and that alone is what makes me get up in the mornings. Now, knowing you are back…well, my whole life has meaning.”
Calvin held his hands up to halt Timothy before his enthusiasm ran away with him. “Calm down. They aren’t back, they are just here helping me with Sofia.”
“Yeah, yeah.” Timothy waved his hand. “We’ll see about that.”
“Wait,” Korbin said, looking around. “Is this the military base Stephanie sold? The one that gave us a big chunk of change?”
“Sure is.” Calvin chuckled. “We lived in a different one on the other side of Vegas, but demons attacked it and pretty much destroyed the place. We renovated this place, and here we are. Stephanie had a lot to do with the décor, especially the rooms.”
“That’s not surprising.” Korbin winked at Stephanie. “So, I left the leadership position that I had here?”
“No, not exactly. You two were spent after the episode we now call Incursion Day, and Katie decided your love needed a chance to grow. She pulled your demons out and set everything up for you to have a chance to be together. To love without fear.”
“Okay, that makes sense. Wait, we fought on Incursion Day?”
Timothy laughed. “Yeah, and kicked some major ass, too.”
“Now, not to rush you, but we have plenty of time on the plane to talk about these things. I need you to get down to the weapons area. Do a little refresher on combat, so you are prepared for anything.”
“Sounds good,” Korbin replied, leaving their bags there and following Calvin to the training room.
The two of them instantly squared up in the middle of the training ring. Calvin stood back and watched them spar, realizing that they actually worked really well together when it came to martial arts and hand-to-hand combat. He really hadn’t expected that, but then again, they’d only had each other since they were exorcised.
When they were done, Calvin clapped his hands and nodded. “The two of you still got it. Now, let’s get loaded up on weapons.” Calvin took a step forward and stopped when Korbin walked straight to the weapons locker.
Calvin laughed and shook his head. What was that? Muscle memory, maybe. Crazy.
Calvin caught up with them and put his hand on Korbin’s shoulder. “Hey, how did you know where the locker was? I just watched you walk right over here without any type of prompt like you knew exactly where it was.”
Korbin looked around the room and shrugged. “I don’t know. I mean, it seems familiar in a way. Maybe I’ve just been in these types of missile silos before?”
“I don’t know about your past, but you designed this place, so it would only make sense that you would have some sort of reaction to it. It just threw me off, that’s all.”
“Well, hopefully, that means we will be able to jump right back in and protect your girl. We took the job, no problem, and now we have to deliver.”
Calvin grinned and slapped Korbin’s arm. “Spoken like the Korbin I know and love.”
The guys drove through the city in the limo, gawking at all the buildings and people around them. Brock was the only person from his group who had been there before, but even for him, it had been fast and very sheltered with the band. He had to admit the city was a lot more exciting than he remembered it being. The car drove up to the condo building, and several very well-dressed people came out of the doors. The concierge nodded and opened the limo do
or, letting the guys step out and look up at the tall, mostly glass structure.
“If you would, the staff will follow us with your gear and show you to your rooms.”
The guys nodded and handed their bags to the staff. They walked wide-eyed through the expansive lobby and climbed into the elaborate elevator. They started toward the top floor, where their rooms were ready for them.
“Is this a hotel?” one of the guys asked.
“No, sir. This is a residential building, but we keep furnished condos for the use of our VIP residents. Your friend, Ms. Maddison, owns one of the most prestigious condos in this building.”
The guys looked at each other but didn’t say a word, realizing how little they really knew about her. When they got to the top, the concierge turned left and showed them to their spaces. Each guy got an apartment to himself, each having one bedroom with a kitchen, master bath, and a living room. Each was pretty much the size of a normal New York apartment, but with a lot more charm and style. Each of the guys was let into his condo, and then Brock was taken to his.
“We are here to support and serve all of you, so ask for anything you need. Ms. Maddison has let us know everything is on her.”
“Thank you.” Brock nodded, and the staff walked back to the elevator.
He shut the door and looked around, chuckling to himself. All of the guys were in their rooms putting their things away and changing out of their uniforms, but Brock hadn’t even made it all the way into the apartment before they were knocking on his door. He walked over and opened the door, stepping to the side as his four teammates sauntered in, talking about their rooms.
“It’s like the nicest place I have ever stayed.”
“Me too, and I have to say the place is perfect.”
The guys all walked into Brock’s place, which was just a little bigger than theirs. They were all happy-go-lucky and having a blast until they turned toward the kitchen, spotting the keg on ice in a large bucket.
“Hey, what the hell?” one guy pouted.
“There’s a note,” Brock told them, picking it up. “It’s from Katie’s secretary Angie. It says that Katie is out on an operation and will be back soon. We’re to avail ourselves of the stuff in our fridges.”
Two of the guys looked at each other and darted from the room, going to check it out. When they returned, they were more than excited.
“We have a ton of shit. The fridge is stocked with food and beer, though you are the only one who got a keg.”
Brock shrugged with a smirk. “I guess I’m the one who asked for the date, so I get the keg.”
“Yeah, and you also get something else,” one of the guys teased him.
“A pair of perfect badass legs wrapped around you.” Another laughed. “And you’re over here worried about your keg? Maybe your succubus really does have control over you.”
The guys all laughed, but Brock just shook his head.
Once Korbin and Stephanie were done getting the weapons they were comfortable with, they loaded into the chopper to meet the company jet at the airport. Katie figured that while they were there it was better to let Korbin and Stephanie have a little fun and relaxation, something you couldn’t find on a stuffy flight to California.
“I like this chopper,” Korbin said, nodding his head. “I always wanted to learn how to fly one.”
Calvin chuckled and glanced at him. Korbin’s eyes opened wide, and he pointed at himself and then at the helo. Stephanie patted Korbin on the leg with a smirk, finding it kind of funny how surprised he was at every turn. Calvin gave him a nod, letting Korbin know he had once flown a helicopter.
When they landed at the airport a few minutes later, Calvin ushered them into the hanger bay and up into the jet.
“We could have flown commercial,” Korbin protested.
Calvin waved his hands. “It’s just our company jet. We don’t use it for everything, but it makes long flights a lot more enjoyable. Just sit back and relax.”
Korbin leaned toward Stephanie. “Just a company jet. Sheesh, and to think we were upset about the cost of milk at the grocery store the other day.”
Stephanie giggled and fastened her seatbelt. “Looks like before we were simple folks with a garden, we were demon-killing business execs with some really cool toys and an old military base as a house.”
“I don’t know how we survived it.” Korbin scoffed.
Calvin laughed, although he was looking out the window and trying not to eavesdrop. It was obvious that Korbin had really become accustomed to his life after the exorcism, but having him talk about the simple life was slightly strange. Korbin had always been obsessed with his job, wanting everything to be perfect, and now he was dreaming of farmhouses and gardens. If he could see himself from the old Korbin’s perspective, he would be shocked.
It was really good to have them around again, but Calvin’s mind was elsewhere. He had gotten people he could trust to watch over Sofia, but now the real issue came into play...the parents.
Chapter Nine
Katie stretched after she stepped out of the cop car in front of the police station. She had just gotten back from an operation, a small one in one of the hotels. There was a wedding, and unfortunately for the bride, the groom had been out too long the night before and contracted a demon. He had started a bit of a mess at the reception, and when they got there, they realized there was more than one demon in the crowd. Katie ended up pulling the demon from the groom and handing him over to the bride, telling her good luck with that one.
The cops were really good at collecting the rest, and all in all the whole thing had been simple. And she got to eat a piece of wedding cake, which Pandora would not shut up about.
Seriously, why is wedding cake so much better than regular cake? Like next week, I want you to go order a wedding cake for us to keep at the house. It was freaking delicious.
I don’t think I will be keeping a wedding cake at the house, but we can visit the baker and see what else they have.
Fine, but it better be damn delicious, I’m just warning you now.
Yeah, yeah, got it.
“You coming in for a coffee?” Travers asked.
“No, I’m gonna grab a cab and head back, I have some friends in town.”
“All right, have fun, stay out of trouble.”
Katie winked. “Me? Trouble?”
Travers laughed and waved goodbye as she hailed a cab and climbed inside. The cab took her back to her condo which wasn’t that far away, but she really didn’t feel like walking. She went up to her condo and got cleaned up, taking a quick shower and throwing on some actual evening wear. As she waited for the curling iron to heat up, she called Brock’s room.
“Hey there, everything going okay up there for you guys?”
“Are you kidding me? This is really awesome, thank you. The guys—they really needed this.”
“I’m glad you are having fun. I told you I would show you guys a good time. Sorry I wasn’t there when you got there. The police had me on an operation, and it was a mess. Tears, brides, grooms, cake—it was all a clusterfuck, but we got everything under control.”
“Good, and I’m jealous of the cake. Wedding cakes are the best.”
I missed him. Pandora sighed.
You barely even knew him.
So? He’s obviously a genius.
“I am getting changed and ready, and I want you and the guys to get cleaned up and in some nice clothes for the club life. We are going out for a night on the town.”
“Oh, boy.” Brock laughed. “This is going to be really interesting. These boys have been wrapped up in the war for months, not to mention the fact that you gave us enough alcohol for the apocalypse.”
“Normally I would find that funny, but since the apocalypse is a very real possibility right now, I just have to ask you one thing?”
“What’s that?” Brock flirted over the phone.
“What alcohol would you want when facing the end of the world?”
> They both paused, then said whiskey at the same time. Katie smirked and let out a deep breath.
“Oh, yeah, you are right. This is going to be one interesting night.”
The scene was fun, people dancing everywhere. The limo was ready and waiting outside to go to the next club, and drinks flowed like water. Katie knew Brock wanted a date with her, but this was about all of them. She wanted to show them a good time, and allow them to let their hair down and really just be themselves. Katie knew as well as anyone else in the business that it was hard to find time to do things just for the fun of it.
Calvin, Damian, and the rest of the crew had gone out of their way to show her there was more to a Damned life than just hunting demons, and taught her that blowing off steam was essential. She wanted to do that for these guys.
The first club they went to was wild, everyone staring at the plethora of stars who were out. They had no idea how Katie got them in, but they weren’t going to question it. They were just going to have fun. All the guys but Brock found chicks at the first club, women they could spend the rest of the night flirting and dancing with as they moved from club to club. Katie kept her glasses on and a drink in her hand, but she was really just watching out for them. Besides, she constantly had Pandora scoping the joint out for hot men, although she wasn’t planning on going home with anyone.
Brock hung out with the guys, laughing, and stealing glances at Katie through the evening. There was a definite tension between the two of them, and Katie surprised herself with how cool and nonchalant she played the whole thing. Pandora was pretty impressed as well.
Look at you, being the hot girl tonight.
I thought I was always the hot girl?
Yeah, but tonight you got the Pandora Special going on.
Do I even want to know what that is?
The attitude. The ‘I’m hot, and I see you knowing it, but don’t even think of showing it,’ kind of attitude.