"Okay, go. But first, give me the poison," I said. He hesitated, but I arched an eyebrow and held out my hand. "You and Gabe can't get the job done. I'm going to try."
He sighed. "I don't like it, but it’s fine. Here."
He pressed the small vial into my hand. I held it up to the light. Still about half full. Good.
When I looked down, he was gone, and I heard the front door opening.
"How is Adam?" I asked.
Lucian shook his head. "I've never heard of a case of food poisoning setting in that fast," he said. "More than likely, he had a stomach bug already." He shrugged off his suit jacket.
"Well, I'll wipe down the kitchen and make us a quick bowl of ramen." We didn't eat the packaged noodles often since they were incredibly bad for us and we tried to stay somewhat healthy, but we kept a few packs on hand for quick meals.
"Sounds great, thanks." He ruffled Jellybean's head. The pooch had been sitting in the corner of the kitchen, observing the hoopla. "Come on Jelly, let's go change clothes."
He headed upstairs to get out of his suit and remembered to grab the suit coat he'd taken off and thrown over the back of a kitchen chair. I grinned at his consideration.
Ten minutes and one microwaved meal later, I poured half the poison in Lucian's and half in mine. That way whichever bowl he ended up with, he'd get the poison. Foolproof.
And to keep myself from getting it, I simply wouldn't eat.
Luc came back down in his jogging pants. "I want to go run after dinner; you want to come?" he asked. "Jellybean needs a good run."
"I'd love to." I smiled serenely at him and indicated the bowls on the counter. "Help yourself."
"Man, I love these noodles." He grabbed his bowl and set it on the table, a little too close to the edge. "Let me grab some hot sauce."
As he turned to get the bottle out of the refrigerator, his butt bumped the table, and it jarred the bowl of noodles. They went flying onto the floor with a crash. The bowl broke and noodles and broth went everywhere.
"Are you kidding me?" I asked.
Lucian looked at me in surprise. "It's okay, Conn. It's just noodles. I can eat a sandwich." He grabbed the paper towels and got up the bigger pieces of the bowl.
"Grab my bowl and eat, Luc." I pulled the mop out of the utility closet. "I'll finish this. I had a big lunch anyway. I may just have a big salad." No way I'd be eating anything from our house tonight.
"You sure?" He held the bowl out. "I don't mind a salad either."
"Positive. Eat." I nudged the bowl toward him and set to mopping, as I watched him out of the corner of my eye. He set the bowl securely in the center of the table and turned again to get hot sauce.
My jaw dropped as I watched Jellybean's nose lift into the air. That damn dog had been with us for several weeks now, and not one time had he ever stolen food from the table. Before I could gather a yell in my throat to shoo him away, he jumped up onto the table and inhaled the bowl full of noodles and poison in seconds.
"Jellybean!" I screamed.
Lucian turned around to see an empty bowl and a very naughty dog looking up at me with big eyes.
"Bad boy," I said in a low voice, worried about the poison.
Lucian grabbed the bowl and the instant he looked away; Jellybean burped. A small burst of fire erupted from his mouth. If I knew hellhounds, and I did, that meant his body had burned up the poison.
"Well." I walked into the utility room and slapped the mop into the floor sink to be cleaned later. "I'm done. I'm taking a bubble bath. Feed yourself."
Lucian gave me a dumbfounded look. "Did I do something?"
"No, darling, you are perfect as always. I'm just feeling grumpy." I shrugged. "Sour mood, I guess."
After patting him on the cheek, I headed upstairs. There had to be a way to get Lucifer back. This was getting frigging ridiculous.
Chapter 23
