Demon Night

released her. “You want to feed here, or at the lake house?”
    The bloodlust was rising. It’d probably be torture to spend the entire flight quiet in his arms, but she immediately said, “The lake.”
    “That sounds mighty fine.” His smile was crooked. “All right, Miss Charlie. Let’s bust you out of this joint.”

CHAPTER 27
    They didn’t as much bust out as just walk past Jeeves, and Charlie’s steps were lighter than she’d have thought, her heart thumping with a wild mixture of hope and fear.
    She carried the same combination into Cole’s the next evening.
    Ethan walked beside her each time, and his presence made the crazy roll of her emotions easier to bear—and let her open herself up to them, knowing that he’d tell her if she veered too far one way or another.
    Old Matthew stood behind the counter, studying her as she slid into one of the stools. “Are you coming in to work or to drink?”
    She fought to keep her fingers still. “I guess that depends on whether the idea of my drinking freaks you out.”
    “I ate dinner with the Emerald City Slasher every night for four years without freaking once.” He laid his meaty forearms on the bar and leaned in. “Show me what you’ve got.”
    Charlie bared her teeth.
    He stared, slack surprise smoothing his wrinkles before he shook his head. “Damn. A part of me still thought you were funning, Charlie girl.” He glanced at Ethan. “And him?”
    “This is Drifter.” She fought to breathe. “He’s got wings. No halo, though.”
    Old Matthew straightened up, his hands huge and dark in the folds of his white towel. Finally, he said, “You’ll be mostly in the office now, and when you’re up front I think we’ll be all right if you don’t smile too much. Will we have to adjust your schedule?”
    Her chest swelled, leaving her throat tight. Charlie nodded, but couldn’t get anything out.
    “She’ll need a later shift and fewer hours when daylight runs long in the summer,” Ethan said. “And if it’s acceptable to you, I’ll be sitting here most evenings.”
    Charlie found her voice. “He drinks the Balvenie. And he tips well.”
    Old Matthew turned and selected the bottle from the top shelf. “If you’ve got someone to watch over you, does that mean you’re still in trouble?”
    “A little,” she said. “But Jane might be worse off. We haven’t heard from her for two days now.”
    “Anything from that boyfriend of hers?”
    Charlie shook her head. They hadn’t told Old Matthew about Sammael, but demon or man, it was equally frightening to say, “No, but we think he’s got her with him. And if she could, Jane would make sure that I knew she was okay. So we don’t think he’s letting her talk to anyone.”
    “That’s bad news, Charlie girl.” Old Matthew heaved a deep sigh before setting the whiskey in front of Ethan. “If you’re going to be sitting, son, it must mean you’re waiting for information to come to you. Will you be bringing trouble in?”
    “I aim to avoid it. But if I can’t, I’ll take it outside right quick.”
    “ Very quickly,” Charlie said. “If people see anything, it’ll probably just be his coattails when he goes out the door.”
    Ethan smiled slightly. “And it may be that folk like Charlie will be coming in for no other reason but curiosity. They won’t eat much, though most know to buy a drink for appearance sake.”
    Old Matthew nodded. “As long as their money’s good.”
    “It will be,” Ethan said. “And Charlie tells me you’ve been trying to set up a mutually beneficial arrangement with the Heritage Theater, but mostly getting a cold shoulder due to the sort of people you employ. But in a few months, I reckon changes will be taking place at the Heritage. Most of the employees won’t eat, but it can be made real clear to those folks who’ll attend the performances that Cole’s is open across the street.”
    Old Matthew’s face wrinkled into a grin. “Well, then. Charlie girl, you and I had better head on back to that office, make room for all that Bobo cash.”

    Old Matthew didn’t stay with her long, but pointed out the various piles of paperwork, described their contents, and left her to familiarize herself with and organize it all to her liking. Ethan produced the new laptop that Savi had shipped to the house, and Charlie had a moment of astonishment when she realized all of her settings were intact, her setup exactly the same—only faster.
    And so was she.