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Of course he could be thinking about what we’re doing after this. The going to Hell thing. I’ve decided to push that concept out of my poor brain and deal with it later.
And by later, I mean tomorrow.
I text Perry just as we pull onto her street and then twist in my seat to face Jay.
“Didn’t Jacob say it was a bad idea to have all four of us in the same place together?”
He nods, chewing on his lip again. “He did. But that was then and this is now. And he’s not always right you know.”
“You mean the all-powerful Oz can be wrong about something?” I ask in mock shock.
“He has been before,” Jay says. “He told me if I ever touched you, I wouldn’t like the human I’d become. I can’t say I agree with that.”
Ouch. “He said that?”
“Don’t worry about it. Scare tactics. He just wants me to do my job and this makes me want to do it better than ever.” He props his shades up on his head so I can see his eyes. So piercing and blue, I almost gasp. “I haven’t lost anything. I’ve only gained.”
Perry comes out of the doors, breaking up our moment. She waves at me excitedly, then gives a stiff smile to Jay before walking to the parking garage and gesturing for us to follow. She waves her key card in front of the reader and the gates open.
We drive in and park in one of the visitor’s spots.
In parking garage terms, I’ve had one demon incident the last two times I’ve been in one. Let’s see what the third one holds!
But it’s just Perry pulling me into a bear hug before she says, “You smell funny.”
“Gee thanks,” I say as she holds me at arm’s length and inspects my dress and denim shorts combo. “I saw you wearing this on Instagram, like, last week. A repeat outfit, Ada are you feeling all right?”
She pretends to feel my forehead—which does feel flushed at the moment—and I knock her hand away.
“I didn’t pack properly, it was last minute,” I tell her, even though Jay packed for me. “I may need to borrow your clothes.”
She raises her brow. “Everything will be huge on you.”
I don’t comment. She looks over at Jay. “Thanks for getting her here safely,” she says with effort.
He nods gravely, his eyes flicking to me and back. “Not a problem. Thanks for letting us stay over.”
She gives him a tight smile before she starts leading me toward the stairs. “You have a lot of explaining to do,” she whispers in my ear.
“It’s a long story and I didn’t want to worry you,” I tell her. “Plus Jacob said—”
“Not that story,” she says in a hush. “Though I want to hear that one too. The one with you and this guy.” She jerks her head back at Jay who is following behind us, carrying our bags and obviously overhearing everything. “You’re in big, big trouble. I can tell. I can smell it all over you.”
I grimace and resist the urge to give myself a sniff.
“I have no idea what you’re talking about.”
Moments later we’re taking the elevator up to their floor and heading down the hall to their apartment.
Dex is at the kitchen island, pouring a glass of red wine. Fat Rabbit, their white fat French bulldog, comes scampering off the couch and running over to us as he normally does, all stubby limbs and wiggling butt.
He jumps up on my legs and I lean over to pet him when Jay steps in the apartment. Fat Rabbit snarls at him, barking repeatedly until he turns around and runs all the way to their bedroom.
“Hey you little fartface,” Dex admonishes him, putting down the glass of wine and shooting us an apologetic look. “Sorry, I don’t know what’s gotten into him.” He goes down the hall after him and I can hear him berating the dog in their bedroom.
I look behind me at Jay who is closing the door.
“I must have one of those faces,” Jay says, not seeming too bothered by the fact that the dog just acted like he was a spawn of Satan.
“Yeah,” Perry says slowly, giving him a skeptical look. “Anyway, do you guys want a drink? Jay, want a beer? Wine?”
“A beer would be great,” he says.
While she pulls a growler out of the fridge and two glasses from the cupboards, Dex comes back into the room.
“Little fuck,” he swears. Then he strides over to Jay and for a moment I’m certain they’re going to have a pissing competition considering the last time they saw each other was when we were in the streets in the wee hours of the morning and Jay just kidnapped me to the Thin Veil. That feels like a different life, a different Ada.
