Page 103 of Kiss of Wrath

Michael threw his hands up. “What am I to do with you?”

“Punish me?”

“That goes without saying. Go immediately to the tower in the Transylvania castle and stay there until I have made a decision. Until then, contemplate your sins.”

“Can I at least go and say my good-byes to Miranda and the children.”

“Do not push me, Mordr.”

Mordr did not need to teletransport himself. Michael did it for him with a lung-piercing whoosh that landed him on his arse on the cold concrete floor of the tower.

The oddest thing happened then. The scent of lilies and cloves filled the chamber.

Mordr chose to view that as a good omen.

Eighteen

Sometimes prayers do get answered . . .

Miranda and Linda were rescued, but not by Mordr. His brother Ivak and a contingent of what she assumed were vangels came to take them away, at the same time the police arrived to arrest Roger and Carlotta.

While Carlotta screeched like a banshee that she was innocent, Roger went willingly. In fact, he almost seemed to welcome a return to prison. His rambling went pretty much like this: “Hey, I don’t mind being locked up, but are you sure you cops didn’t arrest any couple recently named George and Ginette? I am not sharing a cell with those two monsters. In fact, solitary confinement would be good.

“I already told you, George and Ginette look like movie stars sometimes, but then they suddenly become about seven feet tall, with red eyes and fangs. And tails. Big tails. They killed Clarence by eating him. No, I’m not shitting you. They gobbled him right up, all except for his cop clothes.

“How do I know why they didn’t eat the clothes! Of course I know Clarence wasn’t a cop. Do you think I’m a moron? Why are you guys laughing?

“Clarence was a pimp. I’ve been filling in for the bastard. You ever tried to organize a herd of hookers? It’s worse than trying to herd cats, I tell you. Which bastard? Clarence! Holy shit! How many times do I have to tell you? Clarence killed his cousin Lamar, the pimp, and then the Weird Couple killed Clarence, and Clarence was about to kill Miranda. Weird Couple, Odd Couple, get it? Ha, ha, ha!

“No, I didn’t kill Clarence, though I would have liked to. It was George and Ginette, the demon dragons, who made a Happy Meal out of Clarence.

“Is anyone listening to me? I think Clarence’s ice chewing and knuckle cracking must have finally pushed me over the edge.

“Hey, why are you putting that straitjacket on me?”

Apparently, Roger would be staying at the funny farm, not the prison farm, at least for the time being.

Ivak, the too-good-looking-for-his-own-good Sigurdsson brother, shielded Linda’s eyes and ears from the sight of her babbling father being arrested. And, yes, Ivak was wearing the long black cloak with angel epaulets. He quickly escorted her and Miranda down to the Lexus SUV and immediately took off, wheels squealing. Other vangels rode in the backseat, weapons ready. Several others followed in vehicles behind them.

Recognizing the SUV as the one Mordr had been using while in Las Vegas, she asked, “Where’s Mordr? Why didn’t he come for us?”

“He’s . . . uh, indisposed.”

Now that she was free, she had time for other emotions. Like anger. “Indisposed? Like he has better things to do?”

“Like he has nothing to do,” Ivak answered enigmatically.

“I want Mordr,” Linda said. She was sitting on the front seat, on Miranda’s lap. Not the safest place to be, according to the law, but the little girl was holding on to Miranda like a life buoy in the middle of the ocean. She’d been through an ordeal most children never faced and never should.

“He had to go away for a while, sweetheart,” Ivak said, patting Linda’s hand.

“Is he coming back?” Linda wanted to know.

Miranda would like to know, too.

“I cannot say for certain,” Ivak answered honestly, slanting a look of apology Miranda’s way.

That look said it all.