Demon's Doorway (32 page)

Karen pushed herself away from the dumpster and shivered. She still wore a sparkling top and shorts that might as well have been underwear. She looked ready for a day at the beach, and not the chilly Baltimore night.

"Jack," Victoria said. "Give her your coat."

"This is my coat. I bought it. It's mine."

"You've got five just like it hanging in your closet."

"Yeah. All mine. I bought those, too."

"Jack…."

"Okay, okay. Fine." He shrugged out of his coat.

"No, it's okay," Karen said. "I'm not cold."

"Just shut up and take it."

Karen leaned next to Jack while Victoria wrapped an arm around Amy's shoulders.

"Who are you?" she asked.

"No one you need to remember."

"Is this what you do? Go around helping people?"

"She does. I'm just along for the ride."

"The way you handled everything, and jumped off the roof…."

Jack said nothing. She waited, seeing what Jack would offer up. He would offer nothing.

"You're not human, are you?" she asked.

He smiled. "I guess stripping your way through college pays off."

"Stop talking down to me," she said. "You don't know anything about me. And it looks like I'm out of a job, anyway, especially after I go to the police."

He studied her. "You're really going to the police?"

"Yeah. I'll go with Amy to the hospital and call them from there. Don't worry, I won't mention you or her."

"It doesn't matter. No one would believe you, anyway." He was quiet a moment. "Why go to the police?"

She shrugged. "Because it's the right thing to do."

A small smile touched his lips. Karen had a subtle strength hidden in that stripper body. She reminded him of Victoria.

"Do you want a job? A job where you don't have to show men your measurements?" He dug into his wallet before she could respond and fished out a business card. "You call this guy here. He works for me, has a few offices in the city. Just tell him Jack told you to call."

Anger flashed through her eyes. "I don't need your—"

"I know. You don't need my help, or anything like that. You're strong, tough, independent, whatever. Just take the card."

Her features softened as she accepted it. "Thank you."

The cab finally stopped at the mouth of the alley. Victoria stepped forward to wave at the driver, and then escorted Amy to the back. Karen tried to remove Jack's coat, but he stopped her.

"No, you keep it," he said. "You've probably got glitter all over it anyway."

She smiled at him, and then approached Victoria to hug her. The two quickly embraced before Karen climbed in the back of the cab. She waved at both Victoria and Jack as it drove away.

"Ah, I feel all warm and cozy inside," he said. "So, when do we get our badges?"

She said nothing as she passed Jack and paced in the darkness. He was quiet as he watched her. He had many more jokes and sarcastic comments, but held them in check.

"What's wrong?" he asked.

She stopped and looked at him. "What did we just do?"

"Well, we just radically changed the lives of two mortals. Now, I don't really care, but you live for this crap."

"Two mortals. Anatol is out there, and I'm saving two women."

She sat on the dumpster once again. Jack joined her.

"You're gonna have to accept that you might not see Anatol for years, maybe decades, if you ever see him again."

"I know, Jack. I know how it works. That doesn't mean I have to like it. I just have this
feeling
. Anatol isn't gonna poison a water supply and make a bunch of ghouls. He's got something bigger in mind."

"I'm sure you're right. And when we find out where he is, we'll kill him. But until then, we have to live our lives. And what is this shit? This sounds like garbage you're supposed to be telling
me
."

She leaned her head on his shoulder. "You're right."

"Of course I'm right. That's why tomorrow I'm flying to Paris."

"To see Tiffany?"

"Yeah. I miss the little munchkin. You'll be okay without me for a week or so, right?"

"I'm sure I'll find some way to survive without you. I've got Alex and Kevin, after all."

"Ah. You're screwed."

She laughed and jumped off the dumpster. "Let's go. You said something about a steak and an attractive waiter."

"Finally. Now we're talking."

CHAPTER 16

Alex honked the horn as he rolled to a stop in front of Alicia's apartment. Cindy was poking at her cell phone, answering various work emails. They waited two minutes before he honked the horn again.

"What is taking her so long?" he asked.

Cindy smiled and shrugged. "She's Leese."

He nodded. That was all the explanation necessary.

Cindy's phone chimed, and she laughed as she read a text message.

"What's up?" Alex asked.

"It's Leese. She says stop honking, you can't rush beauty."

He put a hand to his head to fight off the headache he knew was coming. "Oh dear God."

"Let me go see what's going on. I'll be right back."

"Baby, wait, I'm not sure that's such—"

Too late. Cindy was already out of the car and gone, moving across the sidewalk into the apartment building.

Alex sighed as he found a nearby parking spot and reclined the seat back. When Cindy or Alicia needed to look good, and they teamed up, time seemed to change. He thought about calling Victoria and telling her they'd be a little late, but decided against it. It wasn't like Victoria had to worry about the sun anymore.

Twenty minutes passed before Cindy and Alicia emerged from the apartment, talking and giggling. His sister wore a tight pair of jeans, her favorite pair of boots, and a purple blouse with a wide neck, no doubt to show off some skin. She had on minimal makeup, and let her bangs hang free, a new look for her. She looked good, as always, but Alex couldn't imagine the outfit took more than thirty seconds to pick out. He was sure Alicia and Cindy debated on the tightness level of the jeans, which top complimented the look best, which panties to put on. They probably debated on how to walk into Victoria's house.

He rolled his eyes. All the effort went to making Kevin smile. As far as Alex could see, Kevin already smiled whenever Alicia was simply nearby. So the effort was useless.

"What the hell took so long in there?" Alex asked as Alicia slipped into the back seat.

"Hey. I have to look good."

"We're going to Victoria's house to watch movies. Not the opera."

"Looking good takes time. And I have to look good. Get over it."

Cindy laughed and reached over to squeeze Alex's hand. "You weren't complaining earlier when I was modeling clothes for you."

"Oh, man," Alicia said. "Just drive, please."

They shared a laugh as they left the apartment complex.

"So, Alicia," Alex asked, looking at his sister in the rear-view mirror. "You and Kevin, you two are getting along okay?"

She smiled mischievously. "You could say that."

"It's just that it's been a while since I've seen you struggling to find clothes to wear." He acted irritated, but the truth was he couldn't have been happier. Alicia had been floating on a cloud for the past week. She didn't date often, and her past few relationships didn't end well.

"Kevin is…wow," she said. "It's like he put a spell on me."

Alex laughed, but then gave his wife a serious look. "Do you think he could do that?"

"Kevin didn't put a spell on me, Alex," Alicia said. "He just happens to be hot, and sweet, and funny, and he can freakin' float. And he's a
great
kisser—"

"Stop," Alex said. "Before I throw up. Seriously, though, I'm sorry I didn't tell you about him, about what he was."

"It's okay. I had fun finding out for myself."

"Uhh," Alex groaned. "Look, you two want to feel each other up, do it in a closet. Alright?"

"Yeah, right," Alicia said. "You and Cindy have been sticking your tongues down each other's throats in front of me for the past two years. You can dish it out, but can't take it? But a closet…that sounds fun."

Cindy shook her head. "This is gonna be a fun night."

*****

Kevin stepped out of the bathroom, holding a towel around his waist. He shouted and nearly lost his grip when he saw Victoria leaning against the wall.

"You scared the hell out of me."

Victoria only laughed, doubling over and holding her knees. Kevin walked behind one of her many racks, trying not to smile at the vampire. It was good to know that after so many centuries someone could find something to laugh about, even if it was at his expense.

"I see now why Leese has been talking my ear off every night about you."

He turned red, but hid his face behind some clothes. Dropping his towel to the carpet, he quickly dressed, and then stepped out for Victoria to see.

"Do I look okay?"

He felt sloppy as Victoria looked him up and down. A simple pair of jeans, sandals, a blue shirt. He knew Leese would look gorgeous, like she always did, and simply wanted her to find him as attractive as he did her. But he was a simple, homely witch.

"You look nice, don't worry," she said, studying him a moment longer. "You're nervous, aren't you?"

"Just a little."

"You have to relax. Leese is in to you. You know that, right? My phone's rang more this week than when Jack and I bought the first ones made."

He thought about Leese. Things were going well with her. Maybe a little too well, and he thought the bottom might fall out at any moment. They talked on the phone nearly every day, and had another date earlier in the week. They went to a movie, and held hands the entire time. They missed a few parts in the middle due to their kissing, which he had no complaints about.

One of the wonderful things about Leese was she didn't have the need to constantly talk about magic. There was the occasional question, but it wasn't the backbone of their conversations. It was just another quirk to her, and she accepted him, magic and all. They spent their time talking about their day, each other, the people in their lives.

"It's not just Leese. I don't think I've ever really hung out with a group before. There was Rachel and her friends, but that was more just hiding in the corner."

She laughed and put a hand on his shoulder. "You're part of the group now, Kevin. Don't worry, you'll be fine. Leese will make sure of that. It's just movie night."

The strangeness wasn't lost on him as he followed Victoria up the stairs.

"A witch, vampire, demon, and a few mortal ladies, all getting ready to cozy up and watch movies."

"Don't forget pizza. We'll probably order a pizza later."

"But you can't eat pizza."

"True, but if the pizza guy is healthy, I can have my own food delivery."

He helped Victoria set up the living room. They wheeled a small table in and set it in the back of the room, loading it up with drinks and snacks. It was obvious Victoria had done this before. The vampire was an old pro.

"Do you guys hang out a lot?"

Victoria nodded. "I like my privacy, but I love spending time with Alex and everyone. Vampires are kind of solitary by nature. A lot of them only view mortals as food. But all of us, vampires, werewolves, shapeshifters, we can have lives. We don't have to hide. Look at Jack. Even he does something besides complain about mortals now. Hey, speaking of Jack—"

"No, I don't have his cure."

"Okay," she said, smiling a sheepish grin. "Just checking. We were talking on the phone last night, and he was wondering."

"Victoria, I can't control how things come to me." He thought about the most recent potion that trickled in his mind, ever so slowly. Strangely, most of it came in Leese's company. "There might not even be a cure. I just don't know."

She raised her hands in defense. "Hey, you're preaching to the choir, here. I just told Jack I'd ask."

Kevin and Victoria were watching TV when the front door opened, and heard the tail end of an argument.

"I'm just saying, you're not a very good driver. I can walk through walls, and I crap my pants every time I'm in the car with you."

"What are you talking about? I went out with Kevin twice this week and he didn't say one word about my driving."

"He's not going to. He probably doesn't care, anyway. He carries all that witch stuff in his coat."

The witch and vampire traded looks, both trying not to laugh.

"Cindy, come on, tell Alicia the truth."

"Hey, don't drag me into this."