death mask. Birds fell from the sky outside. But
Aisa’s mirth only grew louder.
The blood pumping through my brain turned sluggish, and a wave of
dizziness passed over me.
“κλείστε επάνω, εσείς προδιαγεγραμμένη σκύλα, ή θα σας κλείσω,”
Lilith yelled in Greek, her hands cupping her ears.
As suddenly as Aisa’s laughter had begun, it stopped. Blessed
silence. Aisa smiled, gave Lilith the finger, and smacked me in the back of
the head. “I will enjoy snipping your thread.” She turned on her spiked pink
heel and left the restaurant.
“Lovely girl.” Lilith wiped up the spilled water, as a rush of
customers started CPR on the downed man. Rhythmic pounding and shouts
for help filled the air. The once peaceful diner slipped into chaos, much like
my life following Aisa’s and my wedding vows.
At one time, I had thought she was the one. Actually, I’d thought
Khloe—wife number one—and Lacie—wife number two—were the ones as
well. Drawn by all three ex-wives’ sweet innocence, kindness, and purity, I
fell in love quickly and out even faster. They had an untouchable quality,
like.... Shit. Mary. I’d forgotten all about her.
I quickly reached for the check, remembered my homeless state, and
pushed it toward Lilith. She grinned, and dropped a hundred on the table.
Rising from the booth, I motioned to the cash. “Sleeping with Satan
pays well, I see.” Lilith rolled her eyes, but followed me out the door
70
without comment.
71
Twenty
As an ambulance screeched to a halt in the front of the diner Lilith
and I had just left, I dialed Mary’s number from the payphone at the corner.
The phone clicked a couple of times before the call connected.
Lilith smoldered next to me, literally smoldered, smoke rising off her
reddening skin. She tapped her foot as her eyes shot daggers at my back. I
smiled, and cupped the phone waiting for Mary to answer.
“Hello?” Mary’s voice sounded divine. As if a spell had broken, cast
likely by the devil woman beside me, my heart swelled with desire for Mary.
I wanted to wrap her in my arms and never let go.
“Is anyone there?” Fear crawled into her words.
“Sorry.” I shook my head. “It’s Jace. I wanted to make sure you’re
all right.”
“Because heaven forbid Mary broke a nail,” Lilith sneered, a bluish
flame igniting in her eyes.
“Oh Jace, I was so worried. When your apartment burned up, and the
firemen found a body….” Her voice broke. “I didn’t know what to think.”
Body? Whose body? “I’m fine, but tell me about this body?”
“Body? What body?” Lilith grabbed my arm, burning my skin
beneath her fingers.
“Ow!” I pulled away, slapping at the fire handprint on my sleeve.
“Shut up so I can find out what body.”
“Is someone there with you?” Mary’s sweetness shifted to suspicion.
“Is it that Lilith woman?”
“No.” I smiled at Lilith. “Some hooker just asked me for a date. So
where did the firefighters find this body?”
“In your bed. That’s why I thought it was you.”
My bed? That didn’t make sense. The angel and I had been the only
people…umm… beings in the apartment. When had a body snuck into my
bed? I scratched my head. “Burned beyond recognition I bet?”
“Yes.” The shiver in Mary’s voice carried through the phone, circling
my spine with the premonition of doom. “If you need someplace to stay...”
That sounded like one hell of an offer. I licked my lips in anticipation
72
of tasting Mary’s skin. Smack. The palm of Lilith’s hand met the back of my
neck. I blinked, and swallowed my lust. “That’s a great offer, but I have
some work to do.”
“Work?” Mary acted surprised.
Ouch. Shame mingled with my desire. I grew used to that feeling as I
aged. “It shouldn’t take more than a day or so. I’ll call you when I’m
finished.”
“Or dead,” Lilith said, as I hung up the
Aisa’s mirth only grew louder.
The blood pumping through my brain turned sluggish, and a wave of
dizziness passed over me.
“κλείστε επάνω, εσείς προδιαγεγραμμένη σκύλα, ή θα σας κλείσω,”
Lilith yelled in Greek, her hands cupping her ears.
As suddenly as Aisa’s laughter had begun, it stopped. Blessed
silence. Aisa smiled, gave Lilith the finger, and smacked me in the back of
the head. “I will enjoy snipping your thread.” She turned on her spiked pink
heel and left the restaurant.
“Lovely girl.” Lilith wiped up the spilled water, as a rush of
customers started CPR on the downed man. Rhythmic pounding and shouts
for help filled the air. The once peaceful diner slipped into chaos, much like
my life following Aisa’s and my wedding vows.
At one time, I had thought she was the one. Actually, I’d thought
Khloe—wife number one—and Lacie—wife number two—were the ones as
well. Drawn by all three ex-wives’ sweet innocence, kindness, and purity, I
fell in love quickly and out even faster. They had an untouchable quality,
like.... Shit. Mary. I’d forgotten all about her.
I quickly reached for the check, remembered my homeless state, and
pushed it toward Lilith. She grinned, and dropped a hundred on the table.
Rising from the booth, I motioned to the cash. “Sleeping with Satan
pays well, I see.” Lilith rolled her eyes, but followed me out the door
70
without comment.
71
Twenty
As an ambulance screeched to a halt in the front of the diner Lilith
and I had just left, I dialed Mary’s number from the payphone at the corner.
The phone clicked a couple of times before the call connected.
Lilith smoldered next to me, literally smoldered, smoke rising off her
reddening skin. She tapped her foot as her eyes shot daggers at my back. I
smiled, and cupped the phone waiting for Mary to answer.
“Hello?” Mary’s voice sounded divine. As if a spell had broken, cast
likely by the devil woman beside me, my heart swelled with desire for Mary.
I wanted to wrap her in my arms and never let go.
“Is anyone there?” Fear crawled into her words.
“Sorry.” I shook my head. “It’s Jace. I wanted to make sure you’re
all right.”
“Because heaven forbid Mary broke a nail,” Lilith sneered, a bluish
flame igniting in her eyes.
“Oh Jace, I was so worried. When your apartment burned up, and the
firemen found a body….” Her voice broke. “I didn’t know what to think.”
Body? Whose body? “I’m fine, but tell me about this body?”
“Body? What body?” Lilith grabbed my arm, burning my skin
beneath her fingers.
“Ow!” I pulled away, slapping at the fire handprint on my sleeve.
“Shut up so I can find out what body.”
“Is someone there with you?” Mary’s sweetness shifted to suspicion.
“Is it that Lilith woman?”
“No.” I smiled at Lilith. “Some hooker just asked me for a date. So
where did the firefighters find this body?”
“In your bed. That’s why I thought it was you.”
My bed? That didn’t make sense. The angel and I had been the only
people…umm… beings in the apartment. When had a body snuck into my
bed? I scratched my head. “Burned beyond recognition I bet?”
“Yes.” The shiver in Mary’s voice carried through the phone, circling
my spine with the premonition of doom. “If you need someplace to stay...”
That sounded like one hell of an offer. I licked my lips in anticipation
72
of tasting Mary’s skin. Smack. The palm of Lilith’s hand met the back of my
neck. I blinked, and swallowed my lust. “That’s a great offer, but I have
some work to do.”
“Work?” Mary acted surprised.
Ouch. Shame mingled with my desire. I grew used to that feeling as I
aged. “It shouldn’t take more than a day or so. I’ll call you when I’m
finished.”
“Or dead,” Lilith said, as I hung up the
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