get her out of Hell. And then heâd been so distracted trying to make sure Sissy didnât lose her mind in the transition, heâd tanked the last round.
If not for Sissy Barten, heâd be up by two and on the verge of shutting things down in a good way.
Instead, all it was going to take was one more fuck-up and Devina was the HBICâand the aftermath was going to make any concept of doomsday look like an infomercial for luxury time-shares.
He thought of his dead mother, up in the Manse of Souls, spending the eternity she deserved with the rest of the righteous. He cocked this up? Poof! Sorry, Mom, pack your bags, youâre retiring down south. Waaaaay down south.
All because I got my head scrambled by long blond hair and a pair of blue eyes.
And yet he still wanted to go after Sissy. Just to make sure . . .
From out of nowhere, he pictured her sitting up in his bed, nothing but a white T-shirt on, her eyes wide as she stared at him.
Her voice had been soft, but strong.
Just kiss me and Iâll go. Itâs the only thing Iâll ever ask of you. . . .
Heâd fought the seduction and then lied to himself as heâd given in, his brain insisting it was only going to be a kiss when his erection had known otherwise. Clear as day, he saw himself leaning into her, her lips parting for him. . . .
And then everything coming to a screeching halt as Sissyâs voice had said his nameâfrom outside in the hall. Instantly, Devina had emerged from the lie heâd fallen for, the demon replacing the illusion that was in front of him, her black eyes sparkling, her smile pure evil.
The bitch had been out of there a second later:
Well, you canât blame a girl for trying.
Talk about your crossroads. He was at one now. Either he went after Sissy again . . . or he got with the program and did his job.
Jim finished tying up his boots and headed for the door. Indecisiveness had never been a problem with him beforeâany more than plastic explosives would take a moment to introspect before going off. And yet, when he walked into the kitchen and saw his remaining wingman cracking eggs over a bowl at the counter, he had no fucking clue what he was going to do.
Adrian put his palm out to cut any questioning. âNo, I donât know where she went.â
âItâs all right.â
Adâs eyes narrowed. âLemme guessâyouâre going after her.â
Jim felt a pull toward that damn door that was nearly irresistible. The idea that Sissy was out in the world by herself, hurting and confusedâit was enough to make his heart go snare drum on him.
Curling his hands into a pair of fists, he turned to the table. Went over. Sat his ass down. âWe need to talk.â
Adrian looked up to the ceiling as if searching for strength. âYou mind if I have breakfast first? I hate hearing bad news on an empty stomach.â
Chapter
Three
Rage was the octane in her veins as Sissy shot through the streets of suburban Caldwell, jerking the Harley into lefts and rights, blowing through stoplights and intersections, flying past a hospital, some strip malls, a school. . . .
Nothing really registered. Not the SUV she cut off or the delivery truck she nearly crashed into. Not the pedestrians that jumped back or the stray black cat that skipped across her lane.
All she could think about were flames . . . the ones she had started days ago in the mansionâs parlor. Red, orange, yellow, licking out of the fireplace, fueled by the dusty sheets she had ripped off the furniture and shoved into the oven sheâd created. Heat on her face, singeing her eyebrows and lashes, making her pores sting, echoes of the flickering light spotting up her vision. Hunger in her gut for more, more, more. . . .
Jim had been the one to stop her before things had gotten completely out of controlâ
In the corner of her eye, a pattern