Immortals After Dark 06 - Dark Desires After Dusk

of one.”
    “Yeah, not as good as the one you were using for the shampoo samples. Agreed.” He hadn’t missed how she’d arranged them so precisely.
    She had a disorder that made his disorder a special kind of hell for her. They were going to have to talk about her loosening up a bit.
    Attention back to his task, he dragged on a black T-shirt, then snared a leather jacket from a chair. He spotted his flask of demon brew. “Catch.” He tossed it to her without looking, but didn’t hear it fall.
    “Heads up,” he said as he pitched a sat-phone in her general direction. Again she caught it. The Valkyrie reflexes were coming online nicely. Grabbing his sword and a sleeping bag, he turned to her.
    She blinked at him, then down at the flask. “These are the supplies we needed to get here? Twenty percent of our supplies is alcohol?”
    “Good point. Twenty percent is seriously underprovisioning—” Sensing a change in the air, he tossed her the sleeping bag as well, and unsheathed his sword.
    In a cloud of smoke, Rök appeared, bloodied sword raised.
    Holly jumped back, but Rök didn’t miss a beat, lowering his weapon and raking his gaze over her. Still staring, he addressed Cade: “You dress her in a wet T-shirt and make her carry the bags? Damn, Cade, I like how you roll.”
    In Demonish, Cade said, “She doesn’t know she’s mine. She’ll get an idea when I tear out your throat for ogling her like that.”
    “Point taken,” Rök said smoothly in the same tongue, turning to Cade. “You’ve got a slew of leeches on the street, waiting for you to pull out. And two dead ones in the main house.”
    Cade sheathed his sword. “Lucky thing there’s a back way out.”
    “You meeting up with Rydstrom?” At Cade’s nod, he said, “Good luck with that. Enjoy her while you can.”
    “Are you going to provide a distraction? Or maybe you’ll just get summoned away right when I need you most?”
    Rök was one of his best men, but the demon got summoned more than anyone Cade had ever known.
    “Swimbos,” Rök said with an aggrieved shrug. Swimbos —Rök’s play on She Who Must Be Obeyed. “Can I help it?”
    “Yeah, you can, Rök.” Smoke demons formed temporary pacts every time they had intercourse. Pacts allowed one to summon a demon at will. “Give celibacy a chance.”
    “Anything else you’d like me to do? Maybe something possible .”
    “Capture one of these vampires for info. Follow the trail and take out whoever ordered this. Also, get our crew to eradicate the rest of the Order of Demonaeus.”
    “Easy enough.”
    Cade took Holly’s hand and dragged her toward the garage, but not before Rök let out a wolf whistle at her all too visible backside.
    In English, Rök said, “Looks like you’re getting a swimbo for yourself.”
    Cade yanked off his jacket, draping it over her shoulders. He bared his fangs at Rök, who merely gave a deep laugh.
    “Who is that?” Holly whispered, cheeks flaming.
    “Rök, a smoke demon. He’s a mercenary in my crew. A fugitive. Lives under a terminate-at-will order in two dimensions.” Cade took the bags from Holly. “As you can see, he’s all broken up about it.”
    Inside the garage there was only one choice of vehicle. Rydstrom was driving his “normal” car, a rare Mercedes McLaren. And Cade had just hobbled his old truck.
    All that was left was Rydstrom’s pride and joy—which Cade and Rök were strictly forbidden to drive.
    Desperate times, Rydstrom…

8
    C adeon popped the trunk of the most incredible vehicle Holly had ever seen, then hastily stowed their gear inside.
    “What kind of car is this?” she asked, threading her arms into his jacket. It swallowed her. Though the bottom would probably hit him at the waist, it almost reached her knees.
    “It’s called a Veyron. It’s my brother’s.” He unlocked the doors. “Quick—get in.”
    As she took her seat, he sank into his own, having to grasp his leg and drag it inside. At her look, he said, “The curse of the tall man in the small sports car.”
    She raised her brows at the plush interior. The dash was a brushed metal. The key looked like a minuscule USB drive.
    Holly’s dad had been a sports car enthusiast. She’d learned to drive in his Porsche Carrera and Maserati, and on many a Saturday, he’d taken her to auctions and shows. But Holly had never seen a car like this.
    Cadeon pushed a button that said start and the garage-door opener at the same time. “Buckle