Seduced by Chaos by Stephanie Julian

needed answers. And he knew someone who might have them.
    * * * * *
    “Sal, you home?”
    Teo used the silver key around his neck to open the door to the nothing-special row house south of Penn Street, several blocks from Lacey’s bar. From the small entry hall, he could see up the stairs to the second floor landing, back to the TV room and to the left into the living room.
    He didn’t see Sal.
    The amentia wanted him to panic, to scream and shout. He managed to wrestle it back to a manageable level and take a deep breath. In the silence that followed, he heard movement above.
    “Sal!”
    “Yeah, yeah, I can hear you, scassacazzo . You don’t need to yell.”
    The clip-clop of hooves on the wooden floor above sent relief shooting through Teo like adrenaline.
    And when the little goatman appeared at the stop of the stairs and began to stomp down, Teo wanted to meet him halfway and kiss the guy’s bearded face.
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    Seduced by Chaos
    An Etruscan salbinelli , Salvatorus had the lower body of a goat, the upper body of a man, tiny black horns sprouting from his head and the broadest New York Italian accent Teo had ever heard.
    He’d lived in Reading since at least the early 1800s and no one was sure where he’d come from before then. So the accent was a head-scratcher.
    Not everyone in the Etruscan community knew about Sal but Sal knew everything there was to know about everyone.
    “Teodoro de Feo, what the hell are you screaming about?”
    “Sal, I need to know everything you know about twin quercioli named Cara and Lacey.”
    Sal’s eyebrows rose toward the sky but he kept coming down the stairs. “What the hell are you talking about, kid? I don’t know anything about quercioli .”
    Teo slashed his hand in front of him, the amentia boiling, just waiting for a chance to erupt. “Bullshit. Do you know if Cara’s in town?”
    Sal stopped a few steps from the bottom so he could look Teo in the eyes. “Maybe you want to start at the beginning, because you lost me somewhere about the time you started swearing at me.”
    Fuck. He didn’t want to piss off Sal. A pissed-off Sal was someone who could turn you into a toad with one kick-ass spell. And then he’d never get the answers he wanted.
    Teo took a deep breath. “I’m sorry. Sal, I apologize for yelling but…I love her.
    Lacey’s mine. She’s gone and if I don’t find her, I’m afraid something’s going to happen to her. Please, Sal, I’m begging you. If you know where she might be, please tell me.”
    Sal’s expression never changed but his eyes softened. “Yours, huh?”
    Thank the Great Goddess. Sal wasn’t going to kick him out or punch him out. And he probably even knew where Lacey might be.
    “We met two days ago and I knew, even though I didn’t realize. I’ve gotta find her, Sal.”
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    “And what makes you think she’s in danger?”
    A noise from the second floor caught Teo’s attention. Someone was up there. In all the years Teo had known Sal, he’d never known the guy to have a woman in his home.
    Or a man, for that matter.
    “Holy shit, Sal. I’m sorry. I didn’t kn—”
    “You don’t know anything.” Sal’s voice cut through his with quiet strength. “How’d you get in anyway?”
    “With my key.”
    Sal nodded, his eyes narrowing. “Guess I’ll have to make sure I reinforce the lock.
    You want some coffee, kid? You’re gonna need it.”
    Teo followed Sal down the hall, knowing Sal would spill what he knew in his own time. That didn’t mean he had to like it.
    In the kitchen, Sal headed straight for the counter. The scent of fresh-brewed coffee made Teo’s mouth water.
    “Now, about your woman.” Sal filled the two mugs already sitting on the counter and waved Teo into one of the chairs at the kitchen table. Sal sat across from him. “I’ll give you an address but—”
    Sal’s eyes narrowed down to slits and focused behind Teo. Feeling the air displace behind him, Teo turned his head to look