Total pages in book: 57
Estimated words: 54626 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 273(@200wpm)___ 219(@250wpm)___ 182(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 54626 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 273(@200wpm)___ 219(@250wpm)___ 182(@300wpm)
“I don’t remember much about being captured,” Pet said. “I was dancing in some guy’s pants at a festival in Austin. He was tripping, and I was tickling.”
“Vile.”
She went on, “Next thing I know, I was thrown inside a box. It was cold.”
That didn’t help. “Pet, do you know if others were taken at the same time as you?”
“There were a few. We were all scooped up and then…” Her voice trailed off.
He knew why. The things done to fairies in that room must’ve been traumatic. Pet was lucky to be alive.
“And you, demon?”
Gorgonzolina muttered quietly at the floor.
“I cannot hear you.”
“I…I…” she said in a voice smaller than Pet’s, “I was living on a farm. One day, a bunch of men showed up and took us.”
“Who is us? And where was this farm?” he asked.
“Somewhere in the valley. It was a nut farm.”
Obviously. “Who ran this nut farm?”
“A nice old man and his family. I lived there for a long time. His wife fed me a lot.”
Poor woman probably had no idea why she was tired all the time.
“And the men who took you?” Damien asked.
“They rounded up all the women who were helping with the harvest. One of the men thought I was cute, so I was taken, too. He ended up giving me to the Browns. They knew what I was.”
Interesting, but still not the type of solid information Damien needed. These clues merely indicated the organization running the trafficking might be larger than Sky suspected.
The oven dinged.
“I’m-sorry-biscuit time!” Pet grabbed his favorite green potholders from the drawer and opened the oven. Inside were biscuits shaped like breasts with giant nipples. “I used real nipple hair from Gorgonzolina.”
“Lovely,” he said. “Apology not accepted. Now clean this up and get out.”
“Sky says you should be more grateful.” Pet shook a finger at him.
Sky was here? Good, he needed to speak with her. “Sky, were you aware that your third article never went live?”
“She says her entire site was hacked. Everything’s gone.”
How did Sky know that? “Have you been using my laptop?”
Pet shrugged. “Duuuh! Ghosts don’t have their own computers, and Sky needed to order some things with your credit card. Oh, and I’ve been helping her do research. Did you know the Browns are dead? They were in the house that blew up.”
Damien frowned. Pet was the one who told him. Sex fairies were so irritating. “Yes, I was aware. And do not touch my things ever again. Are we clear? Not my credit cards, laptop, cars, or potholders.”
“Sky wants to know if you’re done talking because she’d like to remind you that you ran her head over with your car. Also, using a few of your material possessions isn’t much to ask after she’s lost everything, including her work.”
Gah! How long was she going to hold this over him? “Fine. Use the damned laptop. And…I’m sorry to hear that your site was hacked. Perhaps you can think of another way to get the article published.”
“She’s working on it.”
“How?” he asked. “Wait, never mind.” He was about to go change, when he realized he’d forgotten something. “And, Sky, I know about your sister and nephew coming. If this is your doing, they cannot stay here.”
“She wants to know why,” Pet asked.
“What do you think Amelia will say when she discovers the ghost of her sister invited her? And what about them?” He pointed to Pet and Gorgo. Not that he planned to let them stay. He was merely making a point.
“Sky says her sister and nephew are open-minded individuals. They believed her when she said she’d been attacked by me—though, that wasn’t an attack, right, Sky? I was just hiding. But they won’t have any problem accepting your other guests.”
They were not his guests. They were squatters. “And what about you being a ghost? Do they even know you’re dead, Sky?”
“Sky says that’s why she invited them. She wants to tell them the truth. They’ve been worried sick and need to know what happened to her. Also, someone needs to comfort them.” Pet’s stare grew intense.
“Me? She wants me to comfort them?” Sky was out of her mind.
“You promised to look after Sky’s family. They will be safe here.”
“No. They won’t.” They had no clue about the beast inside him. He cared for no one and loved killing just for fun.
“Why not?” Pet asked.
“Because I am not what you think, and none of you are safe here. There will be no more discussion on the matter. You must all be gone by the time I return tonight.” He turned to go change. It was time to pay Vincente Newbery a visit. His family had the most to lose in this trafficking scandal and was likely behind killing the Browns and bombing Amelia’s home. Plus the hack.
“Where are we going?” Pet asked.