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Now I just had to figure out how.
CHAPTER16
Officer Leo had been the one to mention the anteater dream, which didn’t necessarily rule him out as responsible for the current situation. It was possible he’d brought the demon here, or even that he was the demon’s human form, although the latter seemed unlikely. I wasn’t aware of any records that stated a baku could take human form.
I didn’t want to be too obvious about my quest, so I drove Alicia to school and then parked my truck downtown, hoping to see the new cop. Fairhaven was only a town of three thousand people in a contained area. Odds were good that we’d cross paths if I loitered long enough.
I ducked into Five Beans to see whether Officer Leo had picked up Chief Garcia’s caffeine habit.
“Lorelei?”
I spun around to see two members of the Assassins Guild. I recognized Alfonso Triton, a tall, solidly built man with black hair and a gold earring, seated at a table with Vaughn, Cam’s crush.
“You’re not with Cam?” I asked Vaughn as I approached the table.
“I was. Gun’s with her now.”
“I don’t see you out and about very often,” Alfonso said. “If you want a hot drink, the chai latte is the ultimate comfort beverage.”
“Actually, I was looking for someone, but I don’t see him.”
He kicked out a chair. “Then sit down and chat with us for a few minutes.”
“How’s it going?” I said, reluctantly taking a seat between them.
“I heard you stepped up for Dusty,” Alfonso said. “That’s very cool of you.”
“Lorelei is incredibly cool,” Vaughn chimed in. “I’m starting to understand why Sullivan has taken an interest.”
“I’m sure any of you would’ve done the same, if you’d been allowed,” I said.
“Sullivan would punish the whole guild if one of us broke that particular rule,” Alfonso confirmed.
As if on cue, the door to the shop swung open and in walked the prince of hell himself. The sight of this regal demon in the middle of the local coffee shop tickled me and I burst into laughter. The sound of my inelegant cackle drew his attention to our table.
He smiled at the sight of me. “Miss Clay, what a lovely surprise.”
“You’re late,” Vaughn told him.
I narrowed my eyes at the assassins. “You knew he was coming?”
“Did anyone order for me?” Kane asked, joining us.
Alfonso shook his head. “We didn’t want yours to get cold. Lorelei hasn’t ordered yet either. You can go up to the counter together.”
I rose to my feet. “Or I could order for both of us and let the three of you talk.”
Kane offered his arm. “Nonsense. I’d be more than happy to escort you.”
I ignored his proffered elbow. It was basically a game for him now to see how many ways he could encourage me to make physical contact with him, knowing I’d refuse, although he didn’t know why.
“See anything you like?” he asked in a vaguely suggestive tone.
I made a show of staring at the board behind the counter. “If I have to squint to see it, the answer is no.”
He laughed. “Fair enough. The mocha with whip is an indulgence I highly recommend.”
“Is that what you’re getting?”
