More Than Fiends (27 page)

“It sounded like fun,” he said, his gaze catching mine before sweeping over the crowd.

He looked…different. He was wearing jeans—black, of course—and an open-collared, charcoal gray knit shirt. It was the first time I'd seen him out of a suit—well, except for seeing him naked.

“Oh,” Rachel assured him, winking at me, “we're lots of fun. Speaking of fun, think I'll go make Simon dance with me again. Zoe could use a good laugh. Nice meeting you,” she called out as she walked away.

“Nice to see you.” He dipped his head and kissed the corner of my mouth.

“You missed.”

He grinned at me. Man, that man has some serious smile power.

“I'll do better next time.”

He sure had the
last
time. God, I could feel my skin humming at the memory.

“You keep looking at me like that, we're going to have to leave the party.”

Oh boy.

“Okay, then,” I said, looking away from him fast. Hey, I was up for another ride on the orgasm train, but I wasn't finished eating yet. Not to mention Thea and Logan were here, and how would I explain disappearing to
them?
I took a step away, just in case my hormones decided to take charge again. “So, what do you think of our party?”

He shoved both hands into his pockets and looked around. “I like it.”

“It's a tradition. Started when I was a kid, and every time a new family moves onto the street, they just get swept into it. Like a big good-bye to summer, you know?” I didn't wait for him to speak, just kept talking, picking up speed as I went. Hell, I could hear myself going and couldn't think of a way to shut myself up. “The Marchetti boys take care of the music. I swear it's the only night of the year they're not under one of their cars. The Butlers always donate the lights because Bob is just a
nut
over decorating for Christmas; you should see the place then—I swear he owns half the Edison company or something, because his bill must be tremendous in December. And then there's the food. You can see there's, like, a truckful or something, and there's dancing, if you can stand to humiliate yourself in front of the teenagers—”

“Cassidy?”

I sucked in air. “What?”

“Do I make you nervous?”

On so many levels I couldn't even count them all. But no way did I want to give any man that much information. “No,
I
make me nervous around you.”

He reached out and ran the tips of his fingers along the side of my breast, and I actually
felt
both of my nipples jump to attention.

“I like knowing that.”

I smiled wryly. “You would.”

The music pounded out around us, and snatches of conversation rose and fell like the tide. Wind rattled the branches of the trees and tossed Devlin's hair across his forehead, giving him a dangerous, pirate look. Ah, fantasies, alive and well in my head.

“Are you going to dance with me?” Devlin asked.

“In front of these kids? Are you nuts?”

“The Duster is scared of teenagers?”

I laughed. “Everyone with a brain is afraid of teenagers. Where've you been?”

“Cassie.”

Damn it. My fault. I should have been paying attention, but truth to tell, I was so busy looking at Devlin, I'd forgotten all about Logan. I turned around. “Hi, Logan. Having fun?”

“I was,” he said, his eyes narrowed, his mouth grim as he looked Devlin up and down as if Devlin were standing in a lineup. “Who's your friend?”

He knew damn well who Devlin was.

“Devlin Cole.” He held out one hand toward Logan, and when they shook, I could see lines of tension erupt on both their faces. Apparently there was some kind of testosterone battle going on. Perfect.

“Logan…” Nothing.

“Devlin…” Nada.

Both men were glaring at each other as if I weren't there. Their hands were locked in a silent battle of one-upmanship, and the strain was beginning to show. Logan's eyes were all squinty, and Devlin's jaw was locked as tight as his grip. Logan would never quit. I knew that about him. He'd stand there until his hand broke. Devlin—him I didn't know so well, but demon or not, he was
male,
so I figured he'd be just as stupid about this as Logan.

Finally, I stepped up between them, put one hand on each of their chests and gave a hard shove. This time, Duster power came through for me, and both men backed off a few steps, though neither of them acted as though their hands hurt. Idiots.

“Logan, Devlin was invited to this party, just like you were.”

“By you?” he demanded.

“Who else?” Devlin challenged before I could say that Rachel, my soon-to-be-dead ex-best friend, was the instigator here.

Logan gave me a look that promised we'd be talking about this later. Gee, can't wait. A moment later, he turned that glare on the man watching him.

“What the hell are you doing hanging around Cassie, anyway?” Logan walked in close, giving Devlin his most imperious cop stare.

“Cassidy and I enjoy each other's company.”

“Sure, you do.”

“Is that so hard to believe?” I asked, and Logan never even glanced at me. Men are so stupid, really.

“Not that it's any of your business,” Devlin said, “but Cassidy and I are working together on a project.”

The judge.

Yeah, you could say he was a project.

“Right. The demon thing.” Logan snorted. “She told me about it. About you being a ‘good' demon. Well, she might have fallen for that shit, but I don't buy it.”

“Logan, lower your voice.” For God's sake, did I really want all of my neighbors to hear about
demons
? My head was like on a swivel, spinning back and forth, making sure no one was close enough to overhear this bizarre little conversation over the roar of the music. Thankfully, the three of us were far enough away from everyone else that only
I
was forced to keep listening.

“Cassie's going along with your ‘I'm a poor, tortured demon' line,” Logan said, his gaze sweeping up and down Devlin dismissively, “but I know what you are.”

“Logan, you are being a moron,” I said.

“Stay out of this, Cassie.”

“Yes, Cassidy, stay out of this,” Devlin said, and his voice was just a low rumble. Like the far-off sound of a freight train.

“Just what am I, according to you?” Devlin asked.

“A lowlife,” Logan said. “The owner of a club that will be shut down for good as soon as we figure out a legal way to do it. You don't have any business hanging around Cassie, and if you think I'm going to stand back and let you move in, you're nuts.”

“My place of business is perfectly legal. Neither you nor anyone else in the police department will ever be able to prove otherwise.”

Ooh. Bad call. Never challenge Logan. Now he'd be like a bloodhound. Of course, he probably would have been anyway. I shook my head and concentrated on what Devlin was saying.

“As for Cassidy, you had your chance with her sixteen years ago,” Devlin said, and his mouth twisted into a half smile. “You were stupid enough to walk away.”

Logan took a step closer, the tips of his battered cowboy boots slamming into the toes of Devlin's expensive loafers. “You don't know me.”

“Don't care to.”

“Cassie and I have history.”

“Cassidy and I have
now
.”

Oh, wasn't this just fabulous? I looked around, smiling and wincing at the faces that were finally beginning to turn toward us. Swear to God, I was going to have to kill Rachel for this. Or maybe Logan. Or Devlin.

Hell.

Kill 'em all.

“You stay the hell away from Cassie and my daughter.” Logan was doing a little snarling all his own. “I don't want you anywhere near them.”

“You have no say over Cassidy.”

“Yeah? You keep moving in on her, and see how much I have to say.”

“Back off,” Devlin said tightly.

“Like hell,” Logan countered and balled his fists as if getting ready for a first strike.

Hell. How was I supposed to stop this before it got completely out of hand? Shriek at both of them? Punch them both out and walk away from their unconscious bodies? Hmm. Tempting.

“Oh, for God's sake.” Rachel came up out of nowhere, clearly ready to make the decision I was still angsting over. She carried a pitcher of iced tea, and as the two morons circled each other like bears, she tossed the contents onto both of them. “This is a party. Behave or go home.”

Stunned, both men stared at her in stupefaction. Hell, even
I
was speechless, and by now you should know how seldom something like that happens. Both men were dripping, but they weren't snarling and snapping at each other anymore. A lemon slice was stuck in Logan's hair, and a couple of seeds were clinging to the front of Devlin's shirt. Looked like the brewing fight was finished.

I glanced at Rachel, smiling smugly, and had to smile back. “Okay, I won't kill you after all.”

“Thanks. You want some cake?”

“Oh yeah.”

 

The rest of the party was pretty uneventful. I managed to have a good time in spite of Logan and Devlin. Neither of the men had left—not wanting to give the other guy the satisfaction, probably. So they wandered the crowd, avoiding each other and slowly drip-drying. I avoided both of them.

But, after a couple of hours of sugar consumption, I was feeling magnanimous. They couldn't help being idiots. It was a chromosome thing. Besides, I think it's a proven fact that testosterone makes idiots out of all males. Apparently, even in the demon world.

Still, I wasn't ready to forgive either one of them, so when it was time for the fireworks, I went looking for Thea, instead of the two men in my life. Spotting Zoe, talking to one of the Marchetti boys (and wouldn't Rachel have a heart attack if
she
saw that), I went up to her and asked, “Hey, sweetie. Seen Thea?”

Zoe turned big brown eyes on me and grinned. “Yeah. She was with Jett. They went over to your house to get Thea a sweatshirt.”

“Thanks.” I headed off that way at a quick march. Not that I didn't trust Thea alone with that kid. But I sure as hell didn't trust Jett. And I wasn't talking about him being a half demon here, either. I wouldn't trust
any
teenage boy with my daughter, alone in my house. Hey, I was in a better position than most moms to know
just
what could happen when hormones were left unchaperoned.

I kept looking for Thea in the crowd as I went, but didn't see her anywhere. So, she was probably still at the house. I'd just go in and get her and slap Jett around a little if he needed it.

“Thea!” I walked into the house, called her name and frowned when there was no response. Lights were on, but the rooms were empty. You know that feeling you get in a deserted house? Like it's holding its breath, waiting for its people to come home? That's what my house felt like.

I
knew
Thea wasn't there, but I kept looking. I went from room to room, my steps getting a little faster, my breath hitching a little more in my throat. Where was she? A dark, terrifying feeling started scratching in the pit of my stomach, filling me with dread and an inescapable sense of darkness.

She wasn't at the party.

Wasn't at the house.

Backyard?

I ran out and checked, but there was nothing. Only the dark. More emptiness.

I couldn't breathe. Couldn't feel my own heart beating. I fought desperately to find a flicker of hope. To argue with myself silently.
She's here. Somewhere, she's here. She wouldn't just leave. She loves fireworks. She loves this party. She wouldn't go anywhere without telling me. She's probably just lost in the crowd out there, and you didn't see her.
But she wasn't. I knew she wasn't.

Bolting through the house, I staggered out onto the front porch and swept the crowd again, my gaze seeing every familiar face and reading new meaning into their innocent expressions. Did one of them know where Thea was? Had one of them done something to her? Someone I'd known my whole life? A person I trusted and thought I knew?

Thea.

My brain was racing and my stomach lurched.

“Oh God.”

“Cassidy?” Devlin approached at a run. “What is it? What's wrong?”

“Thea.” I looked up at him and knew by the sudden jolt of tension in him that I hadn't managed to hide the desperation I was feeling. “I can't find Thea.”