by Jen Pretty
Back in my room, I pulled out a suitcase and loaded my important things in. Shampoo and my trusty net. I stood in the middle of my room, mindlessly detangling the amulets around my neck. They got tangled easily. I wasn’t sure what else I would need to bring, so I carried my suitcase into the kitchen and set it on the counter. My laundry would be done in another thirty minutes and then I would have proper pants for messing with gargoyles.
I sat in the kitchen sipping coffee, my mind on nothing in particular.
Linc was back to work in his garage, the grinder screaming into the stone, and dust covering his goggles and most of the rest of him. Rock pinged off the Plexiglas windows that separated the kitchen from the garage. It was one of the last reminders we lived in a mechanic shop, but it came in handy since I could always find Linc.
“Hey.”
I jumped at the sudden voice. “Crap, you scared me.” Julian stood there in dark denim and a black shirt, his hair freshly washed. He smelled delicious, like soap and man.
“You almost ready to go?” he asked, the corner of his lip curled up, as it does.
“My stuff is in the dryer, but I can throw it in the suitcase as soon as it's done.”
He turned and inspected the rolling suitcase that was sitting on the counter. “That won't work. It’s too big.”
“What do you mean it's too big? It's official carry-on size.” I knew because it still had the tag on it.
“I mean, it won't fit in the saddlebag of my motorcycle.”
I blinked at him for a minute. “You drive a motorcycle?”
“You can put your clothes and stuff in my duffel bag,” he continued.
I shook my head. Of course, the half-demon rode a motorcycle. I snatched my bottle of shampoo and net out of my suitcase. Then dropped them into his duffel bag that was still sitting at the end of the hall where I kicked it after it tripped me. Then I plopped myself down at the kitchen table to wait for my clothes. Road trip. Yay. Not.
When the dryer finally signaled, I shoved my clothes in the duffel bag with Julian’s neatly folded stuff and zipped it up.
“All right, let's go,” I said with all the enthusiasm I could muster. “Wait, I’m gonna say bye to Linc.” I slipped into the garage. Stone dust coated Linc, but the ugly face of a gargoyle was appearing out of the hunk of granite. I ventured closer, trying to keep out of the dust cloud that surrounded Linc and the stone, then waved my hand to get his attention.
The grinder clicked off, and silence fell. I lived with Linc for the last three years. It was weird to leave. “I’m going.”.
Linc nodded. “Good luck. Keep in touch. Don’t forget your amulets.” That last reminder would have to hold me. I touched my chest where the amulets hid under my shirt.
“Ok, see ya.” The grinder started up again before I even shut the door to the garage: not one for emotional goodbyes, Lincoln.
The duffel bag was gone, so I walked out the front door to the small parking lot that hedged the street and served as our front lawn. There, parked in the driveway was a shiny black and chrome bike with a hot biker leaning against it. With his dusty boots crossed at the ankles and a helmet in each hand, he looked like he fell off a magazine page. Great, just what my poor confused body needed. He rocked up onto his feet and set one helmet on the bike seat. He came toward me with the other one like he was going to put it on me. As if I were a child. I took a step back and narrowed my eyes at him. He grinned and handed me the helmet instead. I pulled it on and snapped it up, just like a big girl.
He pulled his on and dropped the shield in front. It was tinted so I couldn’t see his face. He swung his leg over the seat and then stood to wait for me to get my ass on. I took a deep breath and slid in behind him, teetering a moment like I might fall off the other side.
He sat down so my thighs were wrapped around his. If he weren't a demon, it would have been pleasant. His hand reached down and lifted my foot, setting it on a tiny bar, then he did the same on the other side and started the engine. It rumbled like an earthquake, startling me. I felt panic rise as I realized I had no idea how to hold on.
He turned his head back and lifted his visor. “Hang on to me. I don’t bite.”
I put my arms tentatively around his waist, and he grabbed my hands, pulling them forward, plastering me to his back. He let go suddenly, and leaned forward as I heard a sizzle and the smell of something burning curled up to my nose.
“What was that?” I yelled over the engine of the bike.
“Turn your amulets around,” he said.
Oh shit. I had burned his back. There was a hole in his shirt exactly where the amulet had pressed against him. I pulled my amulets out and turned them, so they hung down the back of my shirt.
He nodded and slid the visor down on his helmet. He grabbed my arms again and plastered me to his back, then revved the engine and took off.
Holy crap. I had ridden in a convertible once. It was fast and could turn on a dime. It was nothing like riding a motorcycle. A ridiculous giggle bubbled up and escaped before I could stop it. The adrenaline pumped, and I felt free. Or maybe like I was close to death. Either way, I liked it.
We were nearly out of town when red and blue lights flashed behind us.
Shit.
CHAPTER FIVE
Julian pulled over, set his feet down on the gravel shoulder, and flicked off the engine.
“You should have just gone faster. The police car is a beater. We could have outrun him.” My tone suggested that Julian was an idiot. Which he was.
Derrek stepped out of the driver's seat of the town’s police car, leaving the lights flashing. He strutted up to us like he was the king of the world. Julian flipped up his visor and waited.
“Step off the vehicle, please,” Derrek said in a ridiculous authoritative voice that made him sound like he was straight out of a cheesy made for TV movie.
“Derrek, don’t be a dick. We weren’t doing anything illegal,” I said as I swung my leg off the bike to stand in front of him.
“License and registration,” he said, ignoring me and staring down Julian. When the half-demon swung off the bike, the difference in their height and build was startling. I hadn’t realized that Derrek was so short and narrow, or that Julian was so tall and broad, until I saw them next to each other. A giggle bubbled up, but I swallowed it down.
Julian reached into his saddlebags, and Derrek set his hand on his sidearm. I rolled my eyes. “This is stupid and illegal, Derrek.”
His eyes narrowed on me for a second before returning to Julian who was holding out his license and registration papers.
“Stay here,” Derrek said, then returned to his cruiser and picked up the radio, holding it close to his mouth.
Julian pulled off his helmet. His hair was still perfect. I knew when I took mine off that my hair would be flattened to my forehead and sticking straight out everywhere else, making me look like a Barbie some kid with a pair of scissors got a hold of. I left mine on.
“He isn’t even speaking,” Julian whispered with his patent-pending crooked grin. “He is just mouthing words.”
I turned and looked at Derrek again. “How do you know?” I asked.
“I have excellent hearing.”
I studied the half-demon for a second. “Like good? Or superpowers good?”
He raised his eyebrows once quickly. That was not a reply. I returned my gaze to the idiot I grew up with. He was still holding his radio to his mouth.
“Are you making out with that thing?” I yelled.
He set it down and gave me a death stare. Too bad I was immune. He strutted back out and handed Julian his papers. “Y'all drive safe,” he said.
“Jump off a cliff, Derrek.”
“Thank you, Officer,” Julian replied, sliding his helmet on and swinging his leg over the bike. I gave Derrek one last hard look and then slid on behind the demon, wrapping my arms around him and resting my helmeted head on his back.
Derrek stood stone faced as he watched
us drive off.
Finally, out on the highway, I relaxed again. Enjoying the feeling of freedom the bike offered. I couldn’t help notice the hard ridges of Julian’s abs. It wasn’t my fault; if I let go, I would fall off and die on the interstate.
It wasn’t long before Julian pulled off the highway into a rest stop. The wind died as he slowed and pulled to a stop between a transport and an old pick-up truck. The rest stop was basically a gas station and an old diner.
“What are we doing here?” I asked, because apparently, we weren’t getting gas. I swung my leg off and nearly fell over, but Julian’s big hand grabbed my arm and steadied me.
“That’s what we are doing here.” He smirked. “It takes a while for new riders to get used to long hauls.” He swung off the bike, still holding onto my arm.
“Thanks,” I said, honestly.
“Come on. I’ll get you some lunch.”
I pulled my helmet off and tried to straighten out my hair. It wasn’t great, but I set the helmet down and hustled to catch up to him.
Inside the tiny diner an assortment of people sat— truckers in baseball caps and random folks eating greasy burgers and fries. A few kids ran up and down the aisles between the vinyl-covered booths. Julian led the way to a small table for two by a big window that overlooked the parking lot and highway. Not exactly scenic.
“What can I get yas,” a woman with high hair and way too much blue eye shadow asked, holding a pad of paper and pen at the ready.
“Coffee for me, thanks,” Julian said then turned his eyes on me.
“Burger and fries with an ice tea,” I said.
“You don’t eat?” I asked Julian when the waitress walked off, snapping her gum.
“I have a specific diet.” He grabbed a newspaper off the table beside ours and flipped it open.
“What is your diet specifically?” I asked, because if he said souls I would have bolted.
His lip ticked up, and he lowered the paper to set his dark eyes on me. “Children.”
I pushed my chair back, ready to spring away, but he chuckled darkly. I couldn’t tell if he was serious and thought it was funny or just thought it was funny. I stared at him. He was so hard to read. Weirdo half-demon.
“I eat food like a human, but not greasy diner food or children’s cereal. I eat properly, like an adult.”
“Bite me.” I said appalled by his slight on my food chooses. “Fruity O’s are delicious and contain thirty percent of your daily recommended intake of iron. Iron is important.”
He did the eyebrow thing again. That was getting on my nerves.
Luckily, our food arrived and I could ignore the jerk demon spawn and mow down my greasy, delicious jumbo burger with fries. I made yum noises to spite him. It was actually the worst burger I had ever eaten. It was mostly stale lettuce on a singed bun. The pickle was good. It’s hard to find good pickles these days. Okay, it was average. Screw it, the food sucked, but it filled my belly and that counted for a lot.
I wiped my face with my napkin and leaned back in my chair to let my stomach expand.
“I don’t think I’ve ever seen someone eat that much food in such a short time.”
I glanced up and he had an actual look of shock on his face. I rubbed my food baby and sighed. “Raised by wolves and scavengers,” I said. It was almost true. I had done some dumpster diving when I was young. Mom would go away for a few days at a time, and I didn’t like mooching off Len more than once a day.
Julian’s eyes studied me for a long uncomfortable moment, as if he could hear my thoughts or see through me. He broke eye contact just as I opened my mouth to tell him to stop staring and pulled out his wallet. He tossed cash on the table and said, “Let’s go.”
Back on the road, it was uncomfortable to have a full stomach and wrap myself around Julian. Maybe I should have left half my fries on the plate, but that seemed wasteful.
The sun was at its peak and the heat blazed down. I could feel sweat trickle down my calves under my black yoga pants. I would be a mess by the time we got to where ever the heck we were going. The breeze at least helped keep me cool as we passed transport trucks and passenger cars full of people; the sun glinted off the glass and steel as it passed, blinding me for a moment before my vision returned. I watched people and thought of places they could be going. Businessmen in suits. Families in minivans with beach balls in the back. Some were easy to figure out; others were not. A woman, singing along to the radio. An old lady perched over the steering wheel with a look of terror on her face.
Time passed and I could no longer feel my legs. I knew they were there because I could see them, but they were numb and foreign. The highway stretched on for miles and hours before Julian finally pulled off into a small city. The smell of pizza hit me as we passed a small pizza shop that reminded me how far I was from home. I’d been working at Len’s five days a week since before I should have been working. He paid me in pizza slices to sweep up when I was small and always hungry, thanks to the absentee mother I had won in the life lottery.
Julian pulled into a tall hotel and turned off the key. It had to be at least ten stories. “Think you can walk?”
I stretched out my legs but couldn’t feel them at all. There was no way. I shook my head.
Julian kicked out the kick-stand, and the bike tipped to the side. I made a grab for him, but he was already sliding off, leaving me to cling to his empty seat in desperation. He lifted me off the bike, straight up in the air and set my feet gently on the pavement, hanging onto me. My feet tingled and then screamed at me for my terrible life choices.
“Why don’t you have a car like a normal person? And how are you standing right now?”
“You have to rest your legs. New riders always hang on with their legs and your muscles spasm. Give it a minute, and you will be fine.”
The tingles ran up my legs to my thighs. I tried again to collapse to the ground, but the evil demon kept me upright.
“Son of a bitch.” I breathed through the pain like a woman in labour. The numbness and tingles slowly dissipated. My legs were tired and wobbly, but I could feel them now and stand. He let me go but held out his hands like he was ready to catch me. I needed a drink. This was a ridiculous way to travel.
I took a tentative step, but I was cool. I unstrapped the helmet and set it on the bike seat.
“Bring that in,” Julian said, motioning to the helmet. He had his helmet and the duffel bag and led the way into the hotel reception area. It was classy and decked out in overstuffed chairs and small tables, with oddly patterned carpet and a huge crystal chandelier. It was ritzy.
“I can’t afford to stay here,” I whispered, trying to catch up to Julian.
“Hi, I’d like a room,” Julian said to the receptionist. He snapped a shiny platinum credit card on the counter. I had never seen one in real life. Only rich people carried no-limit credit cards.
“Thank you for staying with us, Mr. Doyle,” the woman said after picking up the card and swiping it. “I hope you and your guest enjoy your stay in the luxury suite.” Her smile was about a mile wide. Julian took his credit card from the smiling woman, and the room keycard. I trailed behind him to the elevator. My choices were sleeping on the street in a cardboard box or with a half-demon in the luxury suite. It was a toss-up. But I was in the elevator and heading to the top floor before I could decide. It was one thing to be on an open vehicle with him, but now I was trapped in such a small space, my heart raced. I tipped my head toward the numbered lights above the doors but kept Julian in my peripheral vision. I didn't care that my brain was telling me I was fine. Irrational, thy name is Harlow.
“You still think I might kill you?”
“Worse.”
“Possess you?”
I pulled my amulets around, so they were over my shirt on my chest.
“Harlow, you are being ridiculous,” he said. His voice was admonishing.
“Yeah, that’s pretty standard for me,” I said, keeping my eyes fixed
on the lights. When the elevator stopped with a cute little “bing,” I was off it before the door even finished opening.
My breath was panting in and out in big gulps as I bent over with my hands on my knees, facing the half-demon. He hitched the duffel bag up on his shoulder, face unreadable, and turned to the left, walking down the hall.
His tight jeans made his ass look great. I scolded myself silently for at once being afraid of and drooling over him. I needed to get my head checked, but that wasn’t news.
I took one last deep breath and followed Julian. He had already unlocked the hotel room door and was waiting for me. He carefully controlled his features, but his jaw ticked like he was hiding anger.
“Why don’t you order room service,” Julian handed me the menu. “I have to go meet someone. I’ll be back later.”
He didn’t sound mad, but he wouldn’t look at me. Great, I had pissed off a half-demon. That was probably not smart.
“Yeah, okay.”
He walked back out the door, leaving the duffel bag on the bed but taking his helmet with him. When the door clicked shut, I fell back on the giant squishy bed and closed my eyes. I had never been in a fancy hotel room before and I was not about to waste the experience. I opened my eyes, sat up and pulled off my boots. The carpet was soft under my feet as I stood to check out the rest of the room. The bathroom had a huge whirlpool tub and frosted glass shower big enough for a few people. The faucets were all brass and shiny. A fancy desk and leather chair stood on the far side of the room. The large bed was on a platform in the middle of the room, and a casual sitting area had a couch and chair facing a TV. The room was as big as Lincoln’s mechanic shop and at the end of the room was a pair of sliding glass doors.
I slid it open and stepped out onto the cement balcony that overlooked the city. The sun was low in the sky, making it hard to see to the west, but straight ahead past the city was a river that snaked its way around and through part of the town to disappear in the distance. The sun shone off the water, making it glitter like gold.