Demons LLC (Damned and Cursed Book 7) (10 page)

"Okay," he said, trying to add a tone of finality to his voice.
 
"I think we can talk about the rest of my fee now."

Alex woke with a start behind the wheel of his truck.
 
He wasn't completely asleep, just drifting lightly in and out of consciousness.
 
It would have been impossible to fall totally asleep, and not just because the truck was uncomfortable.

He was apparently engaged in some kind of game with Nate that he didn't know the rules to.
 
The radio was playing quietly.
 
Nate was humming, badly, to whatever song was playing.
 
In a fit of irritation, Alex would change the channel, hoping Nate got the hint.
 
He wanted to listen to music, not music and Nate's terrible humming.
 
Nate, however, was clueless, and the humming would begin again.

Alex wasn't sure why the young ghost was even still with him.

He turned the radio off completely and looked out the window.
 
The house was still completely dark, as was the rest of the neighborhood.
 
No doubt the family had all gone to sleep.
 
The minutes were ticking by.
 
He wasn't even sure he wanted to look at the time, but he knew it was late.
 
Or early, depending on perspective.

"Man, a demon…." Nate said again.
 
"I've been dead a while, and I've seen some crazy things.
 
But I've never seen a demon."

Alex kicked his feet up on the dashboard in an attempt to find comfort.

"That's a good thing.
 
Very dangerous.
 
They feed on fear, can possess a human or a ghost.
 
Not very fun to be around.
 
Very nasty."

"And yet you say you beat one up in there?"

"I didn't beat it up…."
 
Alex rolled his eyes.
 
"Okay, sure.
 
I beat it up."

"How did you do that?"

"I'm just nastier."

A moment of silence passed as Alex checked out the house again.

"Did you get that chick's phone number?"

"Uh, no.
 
We had other things going on.
 
And, again—"
 
He displayed his finger.
 
"I'm married."

"I mean for me, man.
 
Did you get her number for me?"

"You can't even use a phone."

"I know."
 
A devilish smile crossed Nate's lips.
 
"But you can look the number up.
 
We can find out where she lives.
 
Maybe I'll change my ways, figure out how to really haunt a house.
 
I'll haunt her house so good, just the way she likes it."

Alex laughed, almost embarrassed that he did.
 
Nate certainly had a sense of humor.

"So," Nate said.
 
"What are we doing still sitting here?"

He cast Nate a sideways glance, amused at the phrasing of the question.

"Well,
I'm
still sitting here because I think something's going on.
 
Now, why
you
are still sitting here, I have no idea."

"You said you smacked down the demon, right?
 
And you got paid?"

"I sure did," Alex said, pride in his voice.
 
He rubbed the back of his jeans pocket to feel the two envelopes.
 
He'd not collected on jobs before.
 
Sometimes it was his fault, sometimes the client.
 
It felt good to have money in his pocket.
 
"One thousand dollars.
 
Not bad at all for a night's work."

"Then, seriously, why are you still here?
 
It's not like you'll get paid again, right?
 
You think the demon is still around?"

"No, the demon's gone.
 
But I don't think I'm done here."

"Hell, then, go home, make them call again."
 
Nate rubbed his hands together, producing no sound.
 
"Make them
pay
again."

"That wouldn't be right."
 
Alex looked at him.
 
"You remind me of a friend of a mine."

"He sounds like a great guy already."

"He's over two hundred years old and never sleeps.
 
He's the biggest asshole I've ever met."

"Two hundred?
 
Damn."
 
Nate was quiet, absorbing the info.
 
He shook his head to get back to the conversation.
 
"I'm just looking out for you, man.
 
Money isn't a bad thing."

Alex smiled and nodded in appreciation.
 
He wasn't sure how he ended up with a ghost in the passenger's seat that wouldn't leave.

"What are you even looking for?
 
Can you tell me that much?"

Alex looked over the house for what felt like the hundredth time.

"I'm not sure yet.
 
But I think I'll know it when I see it."

"Oh, wow.
 
Real
zen
answer."

"Thank you."

"Don't mention it."

Nate was silent a moment, but only a moment.
 
He didn't seem to like silence much.

"Can I ask you a question?"

Alex let out a small laugh.
 
He wasn't sure Nate had it in him to
not
ask a question.

"Sure."

"How can you do what you do?"

"What do you mean?"

"I've seen psychics before.
 
I've seen mediums.
 
You're not like any of them."

He regarded the young ghost.
 
"Do you really want to know?"

Nate hesitated.
 
"Uh, sure.
 
I really do."

"My parents were leaders of a cult.
 
They had me, just so they could
kill
me.
 
They wanted to sacrifice me or something to some demons.
 
They thought it would give them power.
 
But it didn't go like they planned.
 
I'm
the one who ended up different, and they ended up dead."

The silence stretched, and stretched.
 
Alex didn't think it was possible for Nate to not say a word for so long.

"Holy shit," he finally said.

Alex laughed.
 
There wasn't much holy about it at all.

"That's not what I expected," Nate said.
 
"I mean…I knew it was something weird.
 
No offense, but I didn't think it was that wedding ring giving you powers."

"You've got a problem with being married?"

"Oh, not at all.
 
Hell, I'm only fifteen, so I can't say much about it.
 
But think about it.
 
You never get to have sex with anyone else.
 
Ever.
 
Again.
 
That doesn't bother you?"

He only smiled.
 
"Nope.
 
It wouldn't bother you either if you saw my wife."

Nate rolled his eyes.
 
"Sure.
 
Whatever."

Alex was surprised to realize he enjoyed Nate's company.
 
He made what would have been a boring stakeout into something a little better.
 
They talked a while longer, with Nate telling Alex about some of the places he'd visited across the country.
 
Nate was in the middle of describing floating over the Grand Canyon when Alex noticed something out of the corner of his eye.

There was a light coming from the Felder home.
 
It was on the second floor.
 
Kim's room.
 
The glow was dim, flickering.
 
Cindy had lit enough
mood
candles in their house for him to recognize candlelight when he saw it.

"Ah.
 
That might be it."

"What?" Nate asked.

"I'm going to go see what's happening."

Nate's eyes lit up.
 
"Can I come along?"

"No.
 
Stay out here and keep watch on things, just like before."

"What fun," Nate said, looking down dejectedly.

Alex smiled.
 
Nate must have been very bored to want to help that much.
 
He spoke up when Alex opened the door to the truck.

"Wait.
 
You're just going to walk up there?
 
Knock on the door?
 
Get everybody up out of bed?
 
That might not go over too well."

"No.
 
But something like that."

Alex left Nate behind and crossed the street.
 
He glanced up at Kim's window as he walked.
 
The curtains were open, and he could see the candlelight tossing wild, dancing shadows on the wall.
 
There was more flickering, and her silhouette crossed the room.
 
More candles, perhaps?

He wouldn't know for sure until he saw for himself.

As he crossed the lawn, he willed himself to shift.
 
He phased from the world of the living to the spirit realm.
 
It was a painless process with no sensation at all.
 
It was so normal to him that he often tested himself to make sure it really worked.
 
This time was no different, as he leaned down to run his fingers through the lawn.
 
His fingers passed through the individual blades of grass, and he knew he was essentially a ghost.

Alex wasn't sure which of his demonic powers was his favorite, but walking through solid objects was high up on the list.

He poked his head through the front door, leaving the rest of his body behind.
 
He assumed the living room was empty, but didn't want to just barge into the house.
 
The sound was muffled, but he heard Nate screaming in the street behind him.
 
The words were an excited mess, but Alex smiled as he understood the general idea.
 
It was something along the lines of
Damn Alex did you just stick your head through the damn door!

He stepped through completely into the darkened living room.
 
The only light came from the corner pole outside, and the soft glow of the time on the DVR under the TV.
 
Not only was it dark, but quiet.
 
It was hard to believe that only a few hours ago Alex had purged a demon from a teenage girl.

The stairs were to the right.
 
He wanted to rejoin the living realm and turn on his night vision, but that came with its own set of complications.
 
He'd be solid again, and would no doubt make noise moving about the house.
 
His night vision also wasn't exactly stealthy.
 
They gave his eyes a terrible red glow, making him look less human.

He stayed in the spirit realm, and walked carefully up the stairs.
 
Not making any sound at all, he trailed his hand through the wall to guide him.
 
He felt the wood, drywall, and the occasional nail.

The candlelight spilled from under Kim's door into the hallway.
 
Alex heard her, in a low whisper.

"…why…hurt…my family…."

Alex approached slowly, trying to focus his hearing.
 
Kim sniffled quietly.
 
There was pain in her voice.

"I thought we were friends.
 
How could you do this?"

He steeled himself as he stood outside her door.
 
He wasn't sure he wanted to see what a young teenage girl did in the privacy of her bedroom, but he was certain she wasn't playing with Barbie dolls.

Stepping into Kim's bedroom, Alex wasn't prepared for what lay before him.

There were candles spread throughout the room, but the majority of them were arranged in a half circle on the floor next to Kim's bed.
 
She sat on the floor with her legs folded.
 
She wore pink pajamas with her hair pulled back in a ponytail, looking much more her age than someone trying to land a modeling contract.

Sitting in the center of the half circle of candles was a Ouija board.
 
Kim kept one hand on the planchette while wiping at tears with a tissue.

"Please, talk to me," Kim said.
 
"You
hit
my mother and father.
 
Why?
 
Why would you do that?
 
And you…
took
me, took control of me.
 
How could you?"

A low growl came from the open closet.
 
Only Alex could hear it, as Kim didn't react.
 
The cold chill came once again, affecting him even in the spirit world.

Several candles blew out, which Kim did notice.
 
She smiled as she placed both hands on the planchette.

"I know you're here," she said.

Her desire, along with the Ouija board, were pulling the demon back into the world.
 
A taloned, dark hand reached out from the closet.

Alex could barely control his anger.
 
In what universe did playing with a Ouija board lead to good things?

The demon reacted fast, surprising Alex and Kim both.
 
It lunged from the closet and landed on top of her, knocking out the candles.
 
The demon's head smacked the bed and pushed it back several feet.
 
The smile vanished from her face quickly.
 
It pinned her wrists down and licked the side of her face, growling the entire time.