Hot Demon in the City (Latter Day Demons Book 1) by Connie Suttle Page A
Authors: Connie Suttle
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will get suspicious."
"Wow. So I still get to live in hell, but have job security?" I asked.
"That about sums it up. Tell handsome hunk to buy an engagement ring and I'll get gussied up for Saturday at Hannah's."
"I'll let him know," I said.
"I heard," Kory lifted his second slice of pepperoni from a box and gave me a grin. "I'll find something for her to wear."
"Why aren't you asking about Anita's special talent?" I studied the sides of boxes, looking for the sausage and mushroom pizza.
"Hmmph," he said and continued chewing an overly large bite. I took that to mean he wasn't surprised in the least. Well, he knew vampires and werewolves. Why wouldn't he recognize a Sirenali, too?
Setting his half-eaten slice of pizza on a paper plate, he pulled out the box I wanted without looking at it and handed it to me. I made a face at him before opening it and extracting a wedge for myself.
He tapped his plate and kept eating. I placed another wedge of sausage and mushroom in front of him, then went looking for a glass of wine. After the day I'd had, I needed it.
"Don't let that bitch upset you," Kory said emptying half his glass of beer. "Deep down, she's paranoid and insecure."
"That doesn't help when she calls me her little assistant bitch," I pouted.
"I realize that's worthy of getting her arm ripped off," Kory looked away for a moment. "Try to hold yourself back."
"Why—and how—would I do that?" I huffed.
"You took care of three guys in a parking lot. Your eye looks almost normal," he added.
"I heal fast," I said and bit into my pizza.
"Just—try not to take that shit personally. If it weren't you, she'd treat the next woman exactly the same."
"Yeah. That's what Anita says. I've just never been talked to like that."
"I know. Ignore it and think whatever you like about her. That's what everybody else does."
"It sounds easy, the way you say it. Not so easy in reality," I said.
"I know—I'm just trying to make you feel better right now. This is life, little onion. People will dump shit on you all the time. You just have to find a way to use what you can and slough off the rest. Don't ever let them rule your life with their own fallibilities."
"Yeah." I pulled out a barstool and sat across from him. I was certainly learning about life the hard way. I hadn't realized how privileged I'd been before running away from home.
"Don't let depression rule your life, either," Kory rumbled before emptying his beer bottle. "If you let that witch upset you, she wins. Don't let her win. Let your actions define who you are, not hers."
"You sound like my uncle Sal."
"Then Uncle Sal must be a wise man," he said.
"His best friend is even wiser," I sighed and dropped pizza crust onto my plate. "I only talked to him a couple of times, though."
"Then you'll have to make do with me," he offered a wry smile. "Come on, onion, let's go find an engagement ring that'll fit Anita."
* * *
I'm sure Anita didn't appreciate the multiple images I sent her from the jewelry store, but we finally found something she liked in her size. Kory made sure to ask about the return policy before he handed the clerk his credit card.
The clerk, who frowned the whole time we looked at rings, was no doubt wondering why Kory brought another woman with him to pick out the engagement ring for his fiancée, while keeping her on the phone to make a final decision.
It wouldn't have made any sense to me, either, so I gave the poor man a pass. The ring wasn't expensive by some standards, but looked like something Kory could afford on his salary.
None of this would be happening if Hannah the Horrible hadn't filled Vann's spot on the evening news.
That brought back the images of Donna Raven's dress in the image of Vann at the Romes' party. I considered telling Kory of my discovery, but held back—it held no interest for him. Anita was the one with whom I needed to discuss my findings and speculation.
"Anything new on the vamps chasing Mike?" I asked when
"Wow. So I still get to live in hell, but have job security?" I asked.
"That about sums it up. Tell handsome hunk to buy an engagement ring and I'll get gussied up for Saturday at Hannah's."
"I'll let him know," I said.
"I heard," Kory lifted his second slice of pepperoni from a box and gave me a grin. "I'll find something for her to wear."
"Why aren't you asking about Anita's special talent?" I studied the sides of boxes, looking for the sausage and mushroom pizza.
"Hmmph," he said and continued chewing an overly large bite. I took that to mean he wasn't surprised in the least. Well, he knew vampires and werewolves. Why wouldn't he recognize a Sirenali, too?
Setting his half-eaten slice of pizza on a paper plate, he pulled out the box I wanted without looking at it and handed it to me. I made a face at him before opening it and extracting a wedge for myself.
He tapped his plate and kept eating. I placed another wedge of sausage and mushroom in front of him, then went looking for a glass of wine. After the day I'd had, I needed it.
"Don't let that bitch upset you," Kory said emptying half his glass of beer. "Deep down, she's paranoid and insecure."
"That doesn't help when she calls me her little assistant bitch," I pouted.
"I realize that's worthy of getting her arm ripped off," Kory looked away for a moment. "Try to hold yourself back."
"Why—and how—would I do that?" I huffed.
"You took care of three guys in a parking lot. Your eye looks almost normal," he added.
"I heal fast," I said and bit into my pizza.
"Just—try not to take that shit personally. If it weren't you, she'd treat the next woman exactly the same."
"Yeah. That's what Anita says. I've just never been talked to like that."
"I know. Ignore it and think whatever you like about her. That's what everybody else does."
"It sounds easy, the way you say it. Not so easy in reality," I said.
"I know—I'm just trying to make you feel better right now. This is life, little onion. People will dump shit on you all the time. You just have to find a way to use what you can and slough off the rest. Don't ever let them rule your life with their own fallibilities."
"Yeah." I pulled out a barstool and sat across from him. I was certainly learning about life the hard way. I hadn't realized how privileged I'd been before running away from home.
"Don't let depression rule your life, either," Kory rumbled before emptying his beer bottle. "If you let that witch upset you, she wins. Don't let her win. Let your actions define who you are, not hers."
"You sound like my uncle Sal."
"Then Uncle Sal must be a wise man," he said.
"His best friend is even wiser," I sighed and dropped pizza crust onto my plate. "I only talked to him a couple of times, though."
"Then you'll have to make do with me," he offered a wry smile. "Come on, onion, let's go find an engagement ring that'll fit Anita."
* * *
I'm sure Anita didn't appreciate the multiple images I sent her from the jewelry store, but we finally found something she liked in her size. Kory made sure to ask about the return policy before he handed the clerk his credit card.
The clerk, who frowned the whole time we looked at rings, was no doubt wondering why Kory brought another woman with him to pick out the engagement ring for his fiancée, while keeping her on the phone to make a final decision.
It wouldn't have made any sense to me, either, so I gave the poor man a pass. The ring wasn't expensive by some standards, but looked like something Kory could afford on his salary.
None of this would be happening if Hannah the Horrible hadn't filled Vann's spot on the evening news.
That brought back the images of Donna Raven's dress in the image of Vann at the Romes' party. I considered telling Kory of my discovery, but held back—it held no interest for him. Anita was the one with whom I needed to discuss my findings and speculation.
"Anything new on the vamps chasing Mike?" I asked when
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