Page 102 of Starved Until Sunset

“I’m sorry, too.”

Cody pulled back and looked at him, holding Demmy’s face in both hands. “I was afraid I’d never see you again and get to say that to you.”

“Me, too.”

“We can hunt all the monsters you want.”

Demmy’s laugh held no humor. “I don’t think I want to hunt anymore monsters.”

“You know we don’t have a choice, right?”

“Yeah, I know. But for now, I just want to sleep for—look out!”

Cody felt claws dig into his shoulders and yank him backward away from Demmy.

“You killed our master!”

They dropped him on his back, and he looked up to find vampires surrounding him, eyes glowing red, fangs flashing. Before they could attack, however, the points of stakes burst through their chests, splattering him with foul-smelling dark blood. Cody closed his eyes and clamped his lips tight, wincing as he felt the cold, slimy splash of vampire blood all over him.

“Jesus H. Tater Tot loving Christ, Bonker, you’re a mess.”

Cody had never been so happy to hear Jugs’s stupid nickname for him.

“Somebody help him up,” Demmy said. “Wipe off his face.”

Hands helped him sit up and someone wiped the gunk off his face. When he opened his eyes, he saw his brother Dave kneeling in front of him, holding a ruined shirt and smiling.

“You look like the end result of a cheap porno.”

“I need a beer,” Cody said.

“Oh, pine trees. You need a doctor,” Amelia said. “We’ve called an ambulance.”

Demmy dropped into the puddle of vampire blood beside him and pulled him in close. “We’ll go together.”

“Shared ambulance ride? So romantic,” Cody said.

“He’s fine,” Lucia said. “Everyone check the area, make sure there are no more vampires around here.”

“Somebody find John the Bastard,” Cody said, his eyes slipping closed as he laid his head on Demmy’s shoulder.

“We’ll find him,” Lucia said.

“Tell him I want double overtime,” Cody said.

“Fuck that,” Demmy said. “Triple.”

Over the conversations around them, Cody heard someone crying softly, and he opened his eyes. Zenona knelt a short distance away, head down and hands pressed into the puddles that had once been Michael.

“Help me up,” Cody said.

Demmy didn’t ask why or tell him to take it easy. He helped him stand, and then supported him as they approached Zenona. Cody slowly lowered himself to his knees beside her and pulled her into a hug.

“I’m sorry,” he whispered as she put her arms around him, her crying intensifying into sobs. Then, because he didn’t know what else to say, he just kept repeating it as he held her tight.

CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN

“Idon’t know why you’re so upset.” Cody paused for the perfect amount of time, then added with a smirk, “Juggy Bear.”