had reacted almost as violently to her liaison with David Bishop as she had. Practically ordering her to stop seeing the man.
But Jessie had never listened to anyone. Particularly her father. And of course the irony was, he’d been absolutely right.
“I told you I need his help.”
“Blast and damn, girl. You don’t need anyone’s help,” her father thundered. Fortunately, no one but her could hear him. “Especially not a mortal. What do they know?”
“Well, this one is an expert on the Protector of Armageddon, remember? And if you want me to find the damn thing, I’m going to need his help.”
“I assumed you’d simply use your gift – after all that’s what gives you the upper hand in finding things, am I right?” His smile this time was genuine. Her father liked it when she played by his rules.
“I tried. More than once as a matter of fact.” Since she was a tiny girl, Jessie had been able to see things, visualize who exactly held the information she needed. Sometimes it was quick and to the point, sometimes it was so vague it took her weeks to work it out, but always it was ultimately on target.
Except with the Protector. She’d tried to find it years ago – for David. And she’d been trying now – for her father. With absolutely no success at all – except that’d she’d managed to locate David, and stop him from being killed.
“I’m blocked. Or the box is protected in some way. Long and short of it is, that if I’m going to find it, I’m going to need help, and David’s been hunting the thing for years. He’s my best shot.”
“Well, I’d think the very fact that he hasn’t found it, would mean just the opposite, but who am to question your choices. I’ll just believe in your resourcefulness, and remind you how much is hanging in the balance here, for you – and for me.” Leave it to her father to make it all about him.
“I’ll get the box, Daddy. I promise. But no more popping in to see how I’m doing. You owe me that much.”
For a moment, her father’s frown seemed to reach out from the monitor, his eyes shooting flames, but then with a sigh, he capitulated. “Fine. Have it your way.”
It was an old battle. “I don’t need your help. I’m perfectly capable of taking care of myself. I’d think the last few centuries would have more than proved the fact.”
“What can I say?” her father’s head bobbed, “I’m your father. I worry.”
“And the moon is made of green cheese.” She started to laugh, but swallowed it, worried that David would wake to find her father ensconced in the little monitor. “Look, Daddy, I learned my lesson. Relationships can’t work. Not for someone like me. So I’ll handle this – without your interference.”
She waited as her father digested the information.
“I’ll have your word.” He opened his mouth to argue, but she shook her head. “If you can’t give me that, then I won’t even try to find the box. You can take your request to Lola.” She knew he couldn’t, her little sister was capable of a lot. Wrecking havoc among men being chief of the list. But she wouldn’t be able to find the Protector.
“I gave you the quest. And I guess I’ll just have to trust that you know how best to find the box.”
It wasn’t a glowing endorsement, but considering this was the devil, she’d take it.
Excerpt from Hell’s Fury by Dee Davis, Copyright © 2006 by Dee Davis. All rights reserved. Reprint only with permission from author. Please contact [email protected] .
But Jessie had never listened to anyone. Particularly her father. And of course the irony was, he’d been absolutely right.
“I told you I need his help.”
“Blast and damn, girl. You don’t need anyone’s help,” her father thundered. Fortunately, no one but her could hear him. “Especially not a mortal. What do they know?”
“Well, this one is an expert on the Protector of Armageddon, remember? And if you want me to find the damn thing, I’m going to need his help.”
“I assumed you’d simply use your gift – after all that’s what gives you the upper hand in finding things, am I right?” His smile this time was genuine. Her father liked it when she played by his rules.
“I tried. More than once as a matter of fact.” Since she was a tiny girl, Jessie had been able to see things, visualize who exactly held the information she needed. Sometimes it was quick and to the point, sometimes it was so vague it took her weeks to work it out, but always it was ultimately on target.
Except with the Protector. She’d tried to find it years ago – for David. And she’d been trying now – for her father. With absolutely no success at all – except that’d she’d managed to locate David, and stop him from being killed.
“I’m blocked. Or the box is protected in some way. Long and short of it is, that if I’m going to find it, I’m going to need help, and David’s been hunting the thing for years. He’s my best shot.”
“Well, I’d think the very fact that he hasn’t found it, would mean just the opposite, but who am to question your choices. I’ll just believe in your resourcefulness, and remind you how much is hanging in the balance here, for you – and for me.” Leave it to her father to make it all about him.
“I’ll get the box, Daddy. I promise. But no more popping in to see how I’m doing. You owe me that much.”
For a moment, her father’s frown seemed to reach out from the monitor, his eyes shooting flames, but then with a sigh, he capitulated. “Fine. Have it your way.”
It was an old battle. “I don’t need your help. I’m perfectly capable of taking care of myself. I’d think the last few centuries would have more than proved the fact.”
“What can I say?” her father’s head bobbed, “I’m your father. I worry.”
“And the moon is made of green cheese.” She started to laugh, but swallowed it, worried that David would wake to find her father ensconced in the little monitor. “Look, Daddy, I learned my lesson. Relationships can’t work. Not for someone like me. So I’ll handle this – without your interference.”
She waited as her father digested the information.
“I’ll have your word.” He opened his mouth to argue, but she shook her head. “If you can’t give me that, then I won’t even try to find the box. You can take your request to Lola.” She knew he couldn’t, her little sister was capable of a lot. Wrecking havoc among men being chief of the list. But she wouldn’t be able to find the Protector.
“I gave you the quest. And I guess I’ll just have to trust that you know how best to find the box.”
It wasn’t a glowing endorsement, but considering this was the devil, she’d take it.
Excerpt from Hell’s Fury by Dee Davis, Copyright © 2006 by Dee Davis. All rights reserved. Reprint only with permission from author. Please contact [email protected] .
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