Page 34 of Grave Danger

Lucia grinned, and the sight of her amusement, so foreign on her usually stony face, left Cody momentarily speechless.

“Not even your legs?” Lucia pursed her lips in sympathy and looked at Demmy. “Have you been holding out on your husband? You two having some kind of lover’s quarrel?”

“Oh my God,” Demmy muttered, putting his face in his hands.

“I’m getting plenty of action, thank you very much,” Cody said. He heard how that sounded and waved a hand in Demmy’s direction. “We are getting plenty of hot, steamy love making action. Together. With each other. At the same time.”

“Making it worse,” Demmy said, his face still in his hands. “So much worse.”

“Well, I feel a lot better about things.” She beamed as she looked between them. “Thank you both for helping to lift my spirits after a trying day.”

Demmy finally looked up and gave her a flinty look and half-smile. “You’re so welcome. Always a pleasure.”

She walked out the door and Cody waved away Demmy’s piercing stare. “I know, I know. Sorry, she gets me wound up.”

“Yes, I’m quite aware.” He turned to his computer and started shutting down programs. “Come on, let’s head home.”

CHAPTER EIGHT

After a restless night, Demetrius was groggy and cantankerous the next morning. He managed grunts in response to Cody’s questions and attempts to engage him in conversation. When Cody finally stopped talking and turned his attention to his phone, Demetrius was relieved.

A few cups of coffee, some sugary cereal, and a cool shower he turned to bracingly cold for the last minute helped bring him around. He dressed and entered the kitchen. Cody was finishing up with the breakfast dishes, and gave him a cautious side-eye.

“I’m feeling much better,” Demetrius said, leaning his butt against the counter. “Sorry about my bad mood. I didn’t sleep very well.”

“Unsurprisingly, neither did I.” Cody wiped his hands on a dishtowel. “Want to talk about it?”

“Not much to talk about. Weird dreams and a boatload of anxiety.”

“We’re pretty much in sync with that.” Cody scrubbed his hands over his face, and Demetrius enjoyed the rough sound of his palms against his scruff. “Seeing the Widow’s car like that triggered a few flashbacks for me.”

Demetrius nodded. “The hedge?”

Cody’s eyes were wet and haunted by visions of the past, but he smiled shakily and lifted one shoulder in a half shrug. “Guess I’m getting a lot more sensitive as I age.”

“Or we’ve both been through a lot of trauma.” Demetrius reached up and pulled him down for a tight hug. “I know you went through a lot because of Nicolae and me. And I’m sure it freaked you out when you hit the mayor. I wish I could help.”

“Me, too.”

They held each other a little longer before Cody drew back and gave him a soft, sweet kiss. “I love you.”

“Love you, too.”

Cody’s phone buzzed and he grimaced. “And that’s my office calendar reminder about a job.”

“Gotta catch the critters to bring home the cheddar.”

The laugh Demetrius earned wasn’t the usual relaxed version he loved to hear, but he’d take it. “Did you just make that up?”

“No, I’ve been workshopping it in my head for about a week.”

“You apparently gave yourself some good notes.” Cody kissed him again. “What’s on your schedule for this morning?”

“No critter jobs, but I was thinking about going out to Buford Heights and poking around.”

Cody’s eyebrows went up. “The cemetery out by Parson’s Pines?”

“Right. The one that’s been posting about Eternal Hollow and the, um, recent events. I wanted to see if they’re missing any of their, you know, clients.”