doesn’t make any sense,” Ash admitted, running his fingers through his hair. It was sticking up at weird angles from all the times he had done the same thing.
“I know that Lucifer used to communicate with several humans that he thought of as pets,” Mali told him. “Unfortunately, I was not privy to who they were. He didn’t like to tell me much of anything.”
“I think maybe Antonio might know a little something about this,” Ash said. “He seems to know a little bit about a whole lot.”
“But no expert in anything,” Mali finished for him with a smile.
Just then, Ash picked up his head. “What the fuck is that noise?” he snarled as he stood from his desk. It wasn’t the cat in the washer sound that he had come to think of when Antonio sang, it was much, much worse. And there were two voices. He moved toward his office door to open it, expecting the worst.
As soon as Ash opened the door, Antonio and Jake burst into the office singing “Since you Been Gone” by Kelly Clarkson at the top of their lungs. The pair had their arms around each other, less in a show of affection and more for support so that neither of them fell on their faces. The smell of liquor preceded them, but even if it hadn’t, the empty bottle of Tequila was a dead giveaway.
“What the hell?” Ash said with irritation.
“Hey bosth-man,” Jake slurred. “Watz happenenenening?” He held his hand out as if to shake Ash’s hand. Ash clapped his hand into his newest guard’s and held it steady for a moment while Jake staggered a bit.
Ash eyed Antonio suspiciously. “Why do I feel like this was your fault?”
“Nope, no sir,” Antonio belted out. “All his idear. Ol’ boy here needed a drink and ya know, frens don’t let frens fly dunk ‘lone.” He pointed to Jake, who was giving him the stink eye.
“Snitch,” he mumbled under his breath.
Ash scrubbed his hand over his face and took several breaths. Would he never catch a break? “Go to bed,” he commanded, “both of you.”
“Kay boss!” Jake said, saluting Ash with one hand and holding Antonio with the other.
“Right-Oh Capitan!” Antonio cheerfully chimed in. “Hi-ho, hi-ho, off to bed we go…” they walked, staggered, out of Ash’s office. They were weaving back and forth through the hallway, laughing under their breath. “Shhh,” one of them said. “Stand up straight, you fuckin’ dunk,” the other said. Ash even thought he heard Jake ask, “Doya think we kin git the redhead to go to bed too? She’s pretty.”
Ash refused to bang his head on the wall. It was tempting, though. He sighed and prayed, “Dear Lord, grant me strength. Or patience. Hell, I think I am going to need both in spades.”
CHAPTER ELEVEN
Jake was standing alone in his room when Shelly barged through the door.
“You think you’re something special, don’t you?” Shelly grumbled at Jake. She looked him over from head to toe and back again. He was a respectable height, with broad shoulders and a lean waist. His legs were powerful, she already knew. The white t-shirt he wore stretched over his muscles and she could see their contours easily through the thin material. He was hers. How dare he think any different? How dare he show concern for any woman but her? So what if it came naturally to him. She didn’t like it and that was all that mattered.
“I’m not special,” he mumbled, fixing himself a drink of water. His head was pounding. Why did he drink so much? “I don’t get any of this.”
“You were a fighter in life,” Shelly told him. “That’s why Ash chose you.”
“I fought fires,” he said. “And I fought people for money. That is hardly noble.”
“The fire part is,” she reminded him. “I did some checking. You gave your life helping others. There is no
“I know that Lucifer used to communicate with several humans that he thought of as pets,” Mali told him. “Unfortunately, I was not privy to who they were. He didn’t like to tell me much of anything.”
“I think maybe Antonio might know a little something about this,” Ash said. “He seems to know a little bit about a whole lot.”
“But no expert in anything,” Mali finished for him with a smile.
Just then, Ash picked up his head. “What the fuck is that noise?” he snarled as he stood from his desk. It wasn’t the cat in the washer sound that he had come to think of when Antonio sang, it was much, much worse. And there were two voices. He moved toward his office door to open it, expecting the worst.
As soon as Ash opened the door, Antonio and Jake burst into the office singing “Since you Been Gone” by Kelly Clarkson at the top of their lungs. The pair had their arms around each other, less in a show of affection and more for support so that neither of them fell on their faces. The smell of liquor preceded them, but even if it hadn’t, the empty bottle of Tequila was a dead giveaway.
“What the hell?” Ash said with irritation.
“Hey bosth-man,” Jake slurred. “Watz happenenenening?” He held his hand out as if to shake Ash’s hand. Ash clapped his hand into his newest guard’s and held it steady for a moment while Jake staggered a bit.
Ash eyed Antonio suspiciously. “Why do I feel like this was your fault?”
“Nope, no sir,” Antonio belted out. “All his idear. Ol’ boy here needed a drink and ya know, frens don’t let frens fly dunk ‘lone.” He pointed to Jake, who was giving him the stink eye.
“Snitch,” he mumbled under his breath.
Ash scrubbed his hand over his face and took several breaths. Would he never catch a break? “Go to bed,” he commanded, “both of you.”
“Kay boss!” Jake said, saluting Ash with one hand and holding Antonio with the other.
“Right-Oh Capitan!” Antonio cheerfully chimed in. “Hi-ho, hi-ho, off to bed we go…” they walked, staggered, out of Ash’s office. They were weaving back and forth through the hallway, laughing under their breath. “Shhh,” one of them said. “Stand up straight, you fuckin’ dunk,” the other said. Ash even thought he heard Jake ask, “Doya think we kin git the redhead to go to bed too? She’s pretty.”
Ash refused to bang his head on the wall. It was tempting, though. He sighed and prayed, “Dear Lord, grant me strength. Or patience. Hell, I think I am going to need both in spades.”
CHAPTER ELEVEN
Jake was standing alone in his room when Shelly barged through the door.
“You think you’re something special, don’t you?” Shelly grumbled at Jake. She looked him over from head to toe and back again. He was a respectable height, with broad shoulders and a lean waist. His legs were powerful, she already knew. The white t-shirt he wore stretched over his muscles and she could see their contours easily through the thin material. He was hers. How dare he think any different? How dare he show concern for any woman but her? So what if it came naturally to him. She didn’t like it and that was all that mattered.
“I’m not special,” he mumbled, fixing himself a drink of water. His head was pounding. Why did he drink so much? “I don’t get any of this.”
“You were a fighter in life,” Shelly told him. “That’s why Ash chose you.”
“I fought fires,” he said. “And I fought people for money. That is hardly noble.”
“The fire part is,” she reminded him. “I did some checking. You gave your life helping others. There is no
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