Part 29 (1/2)
”Quite the opposite actually.” Reed smiled. ”My entire reason for being here is Eve.”
”Don't you have something to tell me about your trip to Australia?” Cain asked with narrowed eyes. That was the only sign that he was affected at all by Eve's departure and Reed's offer of accompaniment. Reed watched Eve reach the other side of the street, then glanced around to ensure privacy. ”We think the Infernal grows with every attack,” he said in a low tone. ”The one in Australia was considerably larger than the one Mariel first saw and the one that attacked Raguel was even larger than that.”
”You don't think it could be more than one?”
”Maybe, but Les-the Australian handler-watched the creature increase in size after it destroyed his Mark.”
”All right. Thank you.” Cain looked away, dismissing Reed altogether.
Shock threw Reed for a loop for a half minute. He almost told Cain about the Infernal's suspected ability to absorb its target's thread of awareness and connection to the handler. But in the end, he wanted to join Eve more than he wanted to give his brother any advantage in the upcoming conference with the other archangels.
Heading across the street, Reed reached the front door of the Ghoul School duplex and knocked. One dog bark and a minute later, the door opened and revealed a pretty redhead in a pink and purple sundress.
”Hi.” She grinned, checking him out.
”Hi. I'm looking for Eve.”
”He's with me,” Eve called out.
The redhead held out her hand. ”I'm Mich.e.l.le.”
”Mich.e.l.le.” Reed lifted her hand to his lips. ”Reed Abel.”
She stepped back and waved him in. He entered a dormlike s.p.a.ce filled with an inflatable sofa, a few folding lawn chairs, lots of cardboard boxes, and a couple of air mattresses. The air was redolent of insecticide and nacho tortilla chips.
Reed offered an all-encompa.s.sing wave and took note of the various occupants in the living room-a brunette in gla.s.ses shared the couch with a goateed guy in corduroy slacks. Another guy in jeans and white T-s.h.i.+rt was snoring from his spot on a nearby bed. A brown Great Dane paced the perimeter of the room, while Mich.e.l.le pulled up a lawn chair and offered it to him. He declined the hospitality with a shake of his head and a grateful smile.
Eve made the introductions, then continued with her interrupted conversation. ”So there you have it. We're really sorry about the inconvenience.”
”Hey,” Roger grinned, ”We're not going to get upset about a shot at Alcatraz at night. We've been signing up for the lottery there for two years now, but never get in. And even if we did, there's no guarantee we'd be allowed to film there.”
”I'm not sure,” Linda said. ”We were asked specifically to come out here to McCroskey. I hate to burn that bridge.”
”I'm certain the invitation will be reextended,” Reed rea.s.sured smoothly, celestial persuasion resonating through his tone. ”Gadara simply wants to make some small rest.i.tution for imposing on you. He hadn't expected that we'd be using the area in the evening, too.”
”That's very nice of him,” Mich.e.l.le said, her eyes dazed.
”What the heck can you all do at night, anyway?” Linda asked.
Reed's brows rose. The brunette seemed unaffected.
”Lighting,” Eve improvised. ”Exterior and interior.”
”Linda doesn't like spontaneity,” Roger explained, ”but I'm excited. Alcatraz at night isn't an inconvenience.”
Linda frowned. ”We'll have to talk it over and let you know.”
Reed looked at Eve. Tough cookie, he thought.
Her mouth curved. I like her. Aloud she said, ”Well, let me know what you decide. But don't wait too long. It's a two-hour drive from here, without rush-hour traffic.”
”I really want you to partic.i.p.ate in an investigation.”
Reed was taken aback by the fervor with which Linda made her p.r.o.nouncement. He had a.s.sumed Eve was pus.h.i.+ng herself to go along with them. He hadn't realized she was facing pressure from the ”ghost hunters.”
”I'll take a rain check.” Eve smiled. ”I promise.”
A few minutes later, Reed was standing on the sidewalk next to Eve and they were both staring at the Mark duplex across the street. From the outside view, the place was still and quiet. Everyone was inside, all the vehicle doors were closed, all the equipment packed away.
”I'm going to Anytown,” she said. ”Coming with me?”
He looked down at her, noting her stubborn chin and challenging gaze. ”I can stop you.”
Her lips pursed. ”Why?”
”Safety?”
”Right now, there are three of Gadara's Infernals, two guards, and two investigators working in Anytown. If you come, I'll have a guardian angel, too. A veritable army.”
Reed seized the opportunity. ”You'll owe me.”
Eve paused, then crossed her arms. ”Owe you what?”
He looked at her hands with their slender fingers. Certain she'd had a camera in hand when she set off toward the Ghoul School house, he asked, ”Where's your camera?”
”I left it inside.”
”Want to go back and get it?”
”Want to stop changing the subject? What will I owe you? It can't be s.e.x.”
”Why not? Maybe that's exactly what I'll want.” Might as well lay it all out there. He didn't want her saying later that she had no idea what she was getting into.
She snorted. ”You didn't want it from me a short while ago.”
”And you didn't hesitate to get it on the phone with Cain,” he countered. ”We both found subst.i.tutions for what we really wanted.”
”You can't even compare the two. They're not even in the same ballpark. I care about Alec. You-”
”And that makes you better than me?” he challenged, cutting her off. ”I'm an a.s.shole for blowing off steam with someone who doesn't give a s.h.i.+t about what I do, but you're on the high road for using a guy who cares about you?”
”I wasn't using him!”
”Bulls.h.i.+t.” Reed scrubbed a hand over his face. ”This is all jealous bulls.h.i.+t.”
Snorting, she said, ”Jealous? You flatter yourself.”
But her mind filled with images of him with the blonde-some were memories and some were made up in her head. She was torturing herself by imagining him doing things he hadn't done. He couldn't appreciate her possessiveness because it was driving her crazy. Some women could live with sharing. Eve wasn't one of them. Remorse slithered inside him, then fury.
His arm shot out and caught her nape, yanking her closer. With his nose touching hers, he whispered, ”Your jealousy has got nothing on mine. I feel it every time you come. Every time. Think about that for a minute.”