Page 50 of Hell’s Half Acre

Simi was right. It sounded like another demon—or dozen—was at City Market, terrorizing Byrd’s Cookies.

“Not the cookies!” Helly whined to Luke. “We have to save the store, dominus. You know there’s a specific order I go in at City Market for fine dining!”

What?

“Fine dining?” Sorcha asked.

Luke nodded. “Byrd’s, Kermit’s Key Lime Pie Shop, Savannah’s Candy Kitchen, and the Irish Pub. In that order.”

“And when the Simi’s with her, Bear Hug Honey! ’Cause the only thing Simi loves more than barbecue sauce and ice cream…honey!”

Helly’s eyes widened as if a new thought had just struck her. “We can dip the demons in honey, then barbecue them!”

“Yes!” Simi actually jumped up and down in her excitement.

Sorcha turned toward Luke. “See what you’ve been missing?”

He laughed. “Has Acheron helped any?”

“Not as much as I’d like.” Sorcha paused at the door to glance at Trinket, who was in his cat form, draped over the arm of the sofa. “You coming, Trink?”

“No. I’m sleeping this one out.” He rolled over onto his back.

“Let him pout.” Luke grabbed his keys and headed for Delilah. “Has Reyes said anything about my absence?”

“Well…she thinks you have intestinal woe.”

“Pardon?”

Sorcha flashed him a grin. “Whenever she asked where you were, I told her you ate a bad steak.”

He groaned out loud. “And she didn’t question you on it?”

“Why would she? Besides, it could have been worse.”

“How so?”

“Could have told her you were allergic to milk.”

Grumbling, he got into the car.

Sorcha joined him, along with Helly, Simi, and Envee. The group she’d affectionately named her Demon Brigade. “I feel like we need to install a siren on Delilah. Like the Ghostbusters or something.”

He snorted. “We don’t have a lot of Code 3s.”

“Beg to differ. You haven’t been here with us policing your demons.”

Luke scoffed. “I caught Envee.”

“Envee came along peacefully,” Envee said from the backseat. “The others, not so much.”

Luke grimaced at Envee in the rearview mirror. “Great. She’s been around Simi long enough she’s now referring to herself in the third person.”

“Don’t worry, boss, Helly won’t start doing that.” Helly flashed a large grin.

“So this is Hell…” Sorcha nodded. “I’m beginning to really understand where you hail from. Pun intended.”

Starting the car, Luke glared at her. “I’m using my powers to open the garage door so that I am distracted from the sudden need I have to choke you with them.”