Page 123 of Hell’s Half Acre

“Don’t listen to her!”

“Call Luke!”

“I still have to pee!”

Well, whoever the woman was, she set off Luke’s Feral Closet Demons. Which meant she wasn’t human. The FCDs only went into hyperdrive around paranormal beings.

“Shaddix!” One of the males shouted. “Let me out again! I could be a good demon for you!”

“Shut it, Maraun! Are you trying to get skinned?”

“His name is Moron, not Maraun. Idiot! Someone rip his wings off. I can’t reach them.”

In a manner so similar to Luke’s that it betrayed this woman as Luke’s sister, she pounded on the wall. “Enough! Go to Hell where you belong.”

The closet demons immediately went silent.

So this was his sister Shaddix.

Sort of what Sorcha expected and not at all like she’d thought.

Huh.

The woman’s coldness reached out to her and made her feel sorry for Luke that this was what he’d been used to.

“What do you want?” she asked slowly, stretching the words out.

Shaddix shrugged. “Just curious, as I said. I always like to meet Luke’s girls. I never remember your names, but he certainly has a type.” She waved her hand toward Sorcha’s smart board. Dozens of pictures popped onto it.

All of them blonde.

Well, that hurts.

A lot more than it should. But she would never give Shaddix the satisfaction of knowing she’d hurt her. The devil could take his daughter and put her where the sun didn’t shine.

“Interesting group. I’ll have to introduce Luke to my friend, Nancy. She’s a gorgeous blonde. Thanks for letting me know.”

That seemed to confuse Shaddix.

Good. “So why are you here? Other than to give me an idea as to which of my friends I want to set up with Luke?”

Thunder sounded so loud that it rattled her windows.

Sorcha froze. Shaddix ducked toward the corner where Sorcha had her filing cabinets.

Two seconds later, Luke appeared in the room.

With a loud squeak, Shaddix vanished.

Luke growled like a feral bear. “Don’t come back here!” With a furious glower Sorcha was sure had made a number of demons wet themselves, he turned back toward her.

Sorcha swallowed hard. “I hope that’s not directed at me.”

That succeeded in smoothing out his brow as the fury was replaced by confusion. “What?”

“This”—she indicated him from head to toe with her finger—“is absolutely terrifying. Please don’t do that around small children or old people.”

He finally laughed. “Not you. My anger is for the bitch I know wasn’t here for any good reason. What did she say?”