Page 92 of Starved Until Sunset

John’s expression tightened with rage. He took a single step toward Cody, fists clenched, but stopped himself. His face was red as he turned away and trod up the stairs, boots loud against the metal. Xavier leaned down so his terrible face was inches from Cody’s and smiled.

“I think I’ll pay a visit to your husband first. You stole his heart all those years ago, would you like me to bring it to you?”

Cody leaned in close and snapped his teeth at Xavier, feeling a small rush of satisfaction when the vampire pulled back slightly. “You’d better think twice before you take him on.”

“Oh, Mr. Bower, but where’s the fun in that?” Xavier straightened and turned to the group of vampires behind him. “Come, my children. Let us go out and celebrate Halloween with all the tourists and drink our fill.”

Excited shrieks and screams echoed around the cinderblock walls as Xavier led the way up the stairs and out through the door. The most terrifying parade of all time.

“You fucking bastard!” Lucia shouted after them.

The door swung shut with a loud bang, and Cody heard the key secure the deadbolt. He tugged and pulled at the loosened tape around his wrists, gritting his teeth so hard they ached. He had to get free and get to Demmy. He was not going to lose him, not again.

CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR

Demetrius was in the pink tiled bathroom of his house, watching himself wince in the mirror as he slowly peeled away the hospital tape holding the bandage in place on the side of his head. He jumped, tugging on the tape a little harder than intended when someone outside the front door shouted, “Trick or treat!”

He’d deliberately left the porch light off to signal they were not passing out candy. Was it a vampire trick to gain access to the house? If it was a vampire, would he be attacked, or would he be taken to where Cody and the others were being held? Should he allow himself to be taken and maybe help figure out a plan to escape?

He made a face at his reflection as he heard Cody’s voice in his head: “savior complex.”

A heavy pounding on the door followed by two people shouting, “Trick or treat!”

Leaving the bandage hanging partway down the side of his head—it was Halloween, after all—Demetrius inched slowly down the hall to the door. He pulled a cross from his back pocket and paused to take a steadying breath, his hand on the knob. With a sudden yank, he opened the wooden interior door and thrust the cross toward the storm door.

“Took you long enough,” Jugs said.

“We know your porch light is off, you curmudgeons, but we had to show off our costumes,” Agatha said.

Demetrius’s legs nearly gave out from the wave of relief he felt. “Oh, God, you guys. Get inside. Come on.”

“Nice bandage,” Jugs said as he opened the storm door and waved for Agatha to precede him. “You going for some kind of murder victim look?”

“Trying to avoid that, actually.” Once they were inside, Demetrius leaned out to look up and down the street, checked the sky overhead, then shut and locked the door.

“Where’s Cody?” Agatha asked. “He might enjoy our costumes.”

“Costumes?” Demetrius took them in. They wore coveralls with the Ghostbusters logo, backpacks with tubes running out of them to long light up devices. “Oh, Ghostbusters. Yeah, you look great.”

Jugs frowned. “I told you they’d be a couple of downers and this would be a wasted trip.” He looked back at Demetrius. “Where’s Bonker? Were you two having sex or taking naps?” Turning toward the hall, Jugs shouted, “Bonker! Get your lazy, late-in-life bisexual ass up and come out here to ooo and aah over our costumes.”

“Cody’s not here.”

Demetrius couldn’t help the quiet hitch in his voice. As he turned away from them, he saw Agatha giving him a closer look.

“That’s a real bandage on the side of your head,” she said, approaching. “What’s happened? What’s going on?”

“Oh.” Jugs’s voice had softened. “Oh, hell no. Nope. No way. Another monster case? And on Halloween, for God’s sake?”

Agatha placed a hand on Demetrius’s shoulder. “Tell us what’s going on.”

Demetrius drew in a breath, faced them, and gave a shaky smile. “I was trying to keep you two out of it.”

Jugs groaned and looked up at the ceiling, shouting in his deep, wall-rattling voice, “Fuck!” Once that was done, he approached Demetrius and pulled him into a strong, warm hug. Demetrius’s resolve cracked, and a quiet sob slipped free as Jugs pressed him to his muscular chest.

“Yeah, I know,” Jugs said quietly. “I’m sure you’re tired of it, too.”

Demetrius allowed himself another few seconds of comfort before extricating himself from Jugs’s arms. He wiped his eyes and ran a hand under his nose before giving them an embarrassed smile.