Jenny steps forward, her gaze serious but with empathy pouring out of every move she makes. She places both hands on the cheeks of the furious woman. “Be logical.”
Yep, that’s not going to work.
The woman starts flailing again, but Jenny holds her grip. “Alana’s not going to Heaven.” What the fuck? But Jenny remains undeterred. “How long do you think it will take her to conquer Hell?”
Lena pauses, opens her mouth and closes it. “Not long, a few months maybe.”
Jenny wipes tears off the pop star's face. “How much demon smut does Alana read?”
Lena’s features soften as she regains control of her breathing and body. “It’s her second favorite genre.”
Jenny nods at Donny who releases his grip on Lena and clenches his chest as he creates distance. My girlfriend opens her arms to the pop star, “I don’t think the demons want her there. I don’t think the Devil himself could handle her.”
The out of place starlet embraces Jenny as we hear, “Clear!” from the med bay. The lights flicker and none of this is over.
Chapter Twenty-Seven
Jenny
Two weeks later
Joey is in the kitchen feeding Kingston breakfast of leftover eggs. I can’t compete with food. The dog is face down in his bowl scarfing it — Oh, he’s done. “Did you even taste it?” I ask him. The dog wags his little cinnamon roll tail at me.
“You look nice,” Joey says as he puts the frying pan away.
Wow! He washed and dried it minutes after using it. I’m not sure what witchcraft that must be.
I pull at my black dress. “Thanks. Waverly took me shopping.”
I don’t have any dresses that would fit the occasion, but this one feels nice on my skin and has the right vibes. Black isn’t my color though.
Joey checks his watch and his shoulders sink. “You don’t have to come, you know.”
I raise my eyebrows. “I would be there even if we weren’t sleeping together.”
His lips turn into a narrow line. “Is this one of those things that I’ll have to repeat a bunch until it becomes a core memory?”
I turn away from him and grab my purse off the counter. “Depends on what you’re about to say.”
He wraps his arms around my waist and whispers in my ear, “This isn’t just sex.”
I shiver, and I need to regain control. Deflect with humor.
“But we’re so good at it,” I counter.
“I didn’t say we weren’t. I need you to know this isn’t an empty physical relationship.”
My lips press against his cheek. “I know. I’m glad I can be there for you today.”
I don’t know if he’s fully satisfied with that answer. I think he wants to hear more. But words are easy to forget, and actions matter more.
A few minutes later we’re in his car. “When are you closing on the condo?” he asks as he turns down the Knights of the Night official podcast.
The date was moved around a few times. Since Silvio was in charge of the inspections, things have been backed up. We went to his funeral two days ago. Business wise, someone else has already stepped in to fill his role, and life goes on. But Joey’s eyes always linger on the blood stain in the office, and he blames himself.
This past week has been one traumatic event after another for him, and he keeps holding on to me. I'm his life raft.
“I will close in two weeks.”
