Demon Hunters 3: Tainted (Stand Alone Series) (Demon Hunters.) by Avril Sabine Page A

remember.
    “We can get some when we go out later.”
    “No.”
    “No? You don’t want to buy milk?” When she shook her head, he asked, “Then what am I meant to have in my coffee?”
    “Buy cream. Or there’s ice cream in the freezer. It saves adding sugar.” She pushed away from the mirror and strode towards him, stopping when he didn’t move.
    “So, no milk allowed in the house. You want to tell me why?”
    “No. Now get out of my way.”
    Gabe stared at her a moment longer before he stepped back. “Do you have a spare house key?”
    Cassidy had started down the hall. She stopped and turned to face him. “Why?”
    “I want to grab my gear from Gran’s house.”
    “You know I never actually said you could stay.”
    “Of course you did.”
    “When?”
    Gabe grinned at her. “When you didn’t slam the door in my face when we came here this morning.” He strode towards her. “Breakfast, then I need to get my gear. Think you can drop me over there? I’m sure I can get a lift back. Or should I ring one of my cousins to pick me up?” He draped his arm around her shoulders, taking her to the kitchen with him. “One of my bible bashing cousins. Although they’re probably all at church today.”
    Cassidy rolled her eyes, pulling away from him. “Just what I need around here,” she muttered. “Fine. We’ll take my car. But you better not have much. It doesn’t have a lot of space.”
    “A couple of duffel bags and a handful of weapons.” He pulled a carton of eggs from the fridge. “French toast? With ice cream instead of milk?”
    Cassidy stared at the eggs in his hand for a moment before she nodded. “And put a shirt on. If oil from the pan splatters you, it’ll burn.”
    Gabe sent her a knowing look. “Would it make you feel better if I covered up from head to toe? Maybe a full ninja outfit.”
    “I’m not prancing around the kitchen without a shirt.”
    Gabe’s eyes dropped to her shirt then back to her eyes. His voice lowered. “I dare you.”
    Cassidy met his gaze, her heart pounding in her ears. She eventually tore her eyes away from his and turned her back on him. “Call me when breakfast is ready.” She strode to her bedroom and closed the door. This time she locked it. Leaning against the door, she pressed her hand against her heart, willing it to slow. She should tell him he couldn’t stay. There was no way in hell she wanted to risk killing someone else. It might not be by her hands, but she knew what Remedy would do if she gave into a single one of her impulses. She groaned as she slid down the door to sit on the floor. Banging her head against the door once, she closed her eyes as her fingers spun the ring she still wore.
    It had better be soon. She didn’t know how long before she lost the battle against temptation. Tonight she’d ask Remedy how to track down their enemy. And she needed the words of the ritual. She couldn’t help thinking about the pages her father had read from. The ones Remedy had burned until they fell around him in ashes. The binding ritual better be shorter than that one. It had taken him far too long to speak those words. And yet it also hadn’t been long enough. Pain arrowed through her as she again heard him begging for help. I’m so sorry. Her eyes remained closed as she waited for Gabe to call her.

Chapter Sixteen
    Late that afternoon Cassidy sat in her car at the front of the demon hunters’ house. She tapped her fingers on the steering wheel. Why hadn’t she told him she’d changed her mind? Talk about crazy. And it wasn’t Gabe. She needed to be locked up and the key thrown away. She almost cheered when Gabe stepped outside carrying a duffle bag and a rectangular case that she worried might be too long to fit in her boot. Beside him was Riley carrying another duffel bag and a timber toolbox.
    Pulling the lever, Cassidy looked in the other direction. She didn’t want to talk to anyone. Especially not someone who might try to talk her