A Demonic Bundle by Angie Fox, Lexi George Kathy Love

gone? He knew exactly where he’d placed them, so someone must have taken them. But why?
    The rest of the day went by rather quickly. Charlie still didn’t see Eugene, who might have taken the photos. After all, he’d clearly had no qualms about going into Charlie’s locker to look at his portfolio.
    But his portfolio was still there. Why take what was for the most part nothing more than snapshots?
    Unless someone wasn’t happy about his taking pictures of HOT! staff. Maybe he’d been right to be worried about that yesterday.
    Oh well. He was going to have to hope Carrie would be impressed with the rest of his portfolio.
     
    At about half past six, Charlie boarded the elevator, his nerves getting the better of him. What if this didn’t work out? He’d dreamed of a photography job like this forever. And now he had his relationship with Ava riding on his success too. He found it hard to believe Finola would make her life difficult if they were both working for her.
    He managed a smile for Ashley, who didn’t comment on the fact he didn’t have an envelope with him tonight. Once he reached Carrie’s door, he stopped, willing himself to calm down. He could only do what he could do.
    He knocked and Carrie immediately answered.
    “We’ve been waiting.”
    We? Charlie entered the office to see Eugene standing by Carrie’s desk. What was he doing here? But then Charlie decided maybe it made sense since the man had recommended him. Yeah, maybe that made sense, but Charlie wasn’t convinced. Nor did it make sense that Carrie locked her office door. But Charlie remained calm, walking farther into the room. Then he noticed his prints spread out all over Carrie’s light table.
    “Where did you find these?” He walked over to the table, looking at the photos he hadn’t even seen yet. Lou had been right, the ones of Ava, which Charlie hadn’t been sure he was going to share, had strange yellow light flares appearing all around her sleeping form.
    Just like the yellow auras he’d seen around several of the employees up here. Then his attention moved to the Bryant Park photos. He leaned closer, not sure what he was actually seeing.
    Then he quickly backed away. Many of the models looked the way the daytime receptionist looked. Like their beautiful model faces had morphed to reveal hideous distorted features.
    “You’ve seen all the things you captured here before, haven’t you?” Carrie said, coming to stand beside him. She picked up several of the pictures, studying them closely.
    “No—I—where did you get these?” Charlie demanded again. “What do you want?”
    Carrie smiled at him, her expression the same as always, affable, intelligent. Eugene looked the same too.
    “You have a talent, Charlie. One we really need.”
    “What talent is that?”
    Carrie held up one of the pictures of Ava. “Did you see that when you shot this picture?”
    Charlie shook his head.
    “Do you ever just see things like this without the aid of your camera?” Carrie asked.
    Charlie hesitated. “I have. But only here on this floor.”
    “Well, that certainly makes sense,” Eugene said, and Carrie nodded.
    “What the hell is going on?” Charlie demanded.
    “I’m about to tell you something you aren’t going to believe. Or at least, you will have trouble believing it, but I want you to keep an open mind, because we need your help.” Carrie’s voice was calm and very reasonable.
    He waited for her to continue.
    “ HOT! magazine—all of Finola White Enterprises—is run by demons.” She spoke in a hushed tone, so hushed he had to move closer to her to hear, and even then he was certain he couldn’t have heard her correctly.
    “Demons?”
    Carrie nodded, her lips pursed into a grim line.
    “Demons in the figurative sense, right?” Charlie said.
    “No,” Eugene said, his voice very serious. “In the very literal, very dangerous sense.”
    Charlie’s gaze flicked back and forth between the two of them. They were