Demons LLC (Damned and Cursed Book 7) (19 page)

"You don't look in awe."

"It's just…."
 
He couldn't find the words.

Luckily, he didn't need to.
 
She took his hand.

"Baby, I know you don't want to get famous.
 
You just want to help people, make a little money, and be as anonymous as possible."

He smiled.
 
"That's about it."

"I'm sorry, but that's not going to happen."

She was quiet a moment, to let her words soak in.

"If you want to get out of that warehouse…."
 
She motioned to the laptop.
 
"If this is what you want to do, we have to grow.
 
Get the name out there, advertise.
 
Believe me, I've put a lot of thought into this.
 
Demons LLC.
 
Paranormal investigation.
 
It'll grab the exact audience we want.
 
I'm still working on a logo.
 
But just imagine.
 
You pull out a business card.
 
Demons LLC is written across the top, in a cool font.
 
Maybe some fire behind it."

Alex chuckled at his wife.
 
Cindy's enthusiasm didn't take long to spread.

"Or maybe some wings.
 
That would be pretty cool."

She kissed him on the cheek.

"Just trust me.
 
Don't worry about a thing.
 
I'll handle all the back-end crap, keep your name out of as much as I can.
 
But, if you keep helping the living and the dead, and clearing houses of demons, your name
will
get out there.
 
Think about it.
 
A ghost hitchhiked across the east coast just to hire you."

He took a breath.
 
She was right, as always.
 
It was just a business name and a website, no different than having a business card.
 
It was a good, intelligent decision to make.
 
He was thankful Cindy was by his side.
 
She was much smarter than him.

"Demons LLC?" he said, smiling.

She nodded.
 
"Simple, effective.
 
I was also leaning toward Alex Teague, Inc."

He vigorously shook his head.
 
"No, no.
 
Demons LLC is perfect.
 
The site really does look great."

"Thank you."
 
She closed the laptop.
 
"You go take your shower.
 
I'll get started on dinner.
 
Maybe later, we can pick up where we left off this morning."
 
She scanned the living room.
 
"Is anyone here?"

"Nope.
 
Just me and you."

She quickly jumped on his lap and wiggled back and forth.
 
Wrapping her arms around his neck, she leaned in for a kiss.
 
Alex rested an arm across her thighs and a hand on her hip.

"I'm proud of you," she said.
 
"Money is good, don't get me wrong.
 
But just agreeing to help Kylie, you made her day."

"Thanks.
 
I'll try to make your day, too."

He tickled her.
 
She jumped up and ran to the kitchen.
 
Alex disappeared down the hall while Cindy browned a pan of meat for Hamburger Helper.

She was ten minutes into cooking when she realized the shower was simply running.
 
There was no movement, no noise.
 
Just the sound of running water.

Peering into the bathroom, there was no silhouette behind the curtain.
 
Cindy walked to the bedroom at the end of the hall.

She smiled when she saw the bed.

Alex was unconscious.
 
He'd started the shower to let it warm, and then plopped on the bed with the intention of resting for five minutes.
 
That five minutes turned into a deep, snore-filled slumber.

Cindy pried his steel-toed shoes off and let them fall to the floor.
 
Alex barely moved.
 
One leg was hanging off the bed.
 
She settled him square on the mattress and covered him with a sheet.

She kissed him on the side of the neck, drawing a moan from deep within a dream.

"Love you, baby."

Alex was anxious to get home.
 
Halloween.
 
It was his favorite holiday growing up.
 
What child didn't like getting candy, with the only price being to put on a silly costume?
 
Along with Cindy and Alicia, the three of them would comb every neighborhood they could find.
 
It was amazing that none of them were diabetic.
 
Alicia tended to dress as Disney characters, whichever one was popular at the time.
 
Alex liked to dress as a typical monster.
 
A vampire, a werewolf, a mummy.

The irony wasn't lost on him.

Even as an adult, Halloween was still his favorite holiday.
 
Not only did Cindy dress in a costume that could make a priest break solemn vows, but it was the one time of the year that everyone wanted to be the monster.
 
Everyone wanted to be scary.

If only the people dressing up as ghosts and goblins knew what was really out there.

He parked in front of the house.
 
Mr. Nelson, his neighbor across the street, waved politely as he put the finishing touches on a raggedy dummy hanging out of his tree.
 
Checking out his own yard, Alex knew they were ready.
 
He was going to scare every living thing that approached the front door for candy.
 
He thought about even taking a shot at any ghost roaming through the neighborhood.

Cindy was already home.
 
He could see her moving about the house through the windows.
 
She was still dressed in her office clothes.
 
Her costume remained a mystery; she refused to tell him what it was.
 
She wanted to surprise him.

This Halloween was one of many firsts.
 
It was the first Halloween in their new home, the first Halloween for Alicia and Kevin together.
 
They were going to have fun.
 
All of their group was invited for a night of food, music, and scaring children.

Kylie and Nate sat on the front porch.
 
The two had spent time at their home over the past few days, with Kylie actually staying the night.
 
Alex and Cindy both liked their company, although Nate could be talkative during a movie or TV show.
 
Alex would hold Cindy's hand while the four of them spread out across the living room.
 
Only in the Teague home could two ghosts spend time with two people who were alive, and have it almost be normal.

"Hey, guys," Alex said, waving as he walked the sidewalk.
 
"What's going on?"

The two were having a private conversation, with Kylie laughing quietly.
 
She had her bad moments.
 
Alex awakened one night to hear her bawling in the living room, still stressed over her own death.
 
As much as he knew about the spirit world, he didn't know what to say to ease her pain.
 
Perhaps there was nothing to say.

In that regard, Nate was a blessing.

The younger ghost, as energetic and annoying as he could be, had a gift for making others around him laugh.
 
That included Kylie.
 
The pair seemed to actually like each other, and Alex saw the friendship forming.

Kylie adjusted her glasses and waved shyly.
 
"Hi, Alex."

"Yo," Nate said.
 
"Is it just me, or are kids trick-or-treating earlier each year?"

"My sister and I went right after school when we were kids," Alex said.
 
"It was great."

"You excited about the party?" Kylie asked.

"It's not really a party.
 
Just a few people coming over.
 
My sister and her boyfriend.
 
Hopefully my friend Victoria can stop by."

Nate nodded at Kylie.
 
"What do you want to get into tonight?
 
We can catch a bus downtown.
 
Or maybe head to D.C.
 
You ever see the Washington Zoo at night?
 
It's freaking crazy.
 
This one time, I jumped in the lion's den, and—"

Kylie held up a hand before Nate gained momentum on a ten minute one-sided conversation.

"Downtown is fine.
 
Maybe I won't fall out of the bus halfway on the trip this time."

"You're not staying here?" Alex asked.

Kylie and Nate glanced at each other.

"We can?" Kylie said.

"Sure.
 
Why couldn't you?"

"Because, like, we're ghosts," Nate said.
 
"Won't we put like a negative vibe on things?
 
Dead people hanging out?
 
It's hard to fondle the ladies with that going on."

Alex couldn't help but laugh.
 
"Well, I'm pretty sure the only woman I'll be fondling is Cindy.
 
And everyone coming tonight is okay with ghosts.
 
Believe me, you won't shock anyone."

"I don't know," Kylie said.
 
"I'm not really good with parties."
 
She regarded her clothes.
 
They were the same as when she'd first met Alex.
 
"It's not like I can put on a costume."

"Classic rookie mistake."
 
Nate dismissed her with a wave of his hand.
 
His teenage arrogance was both amusing and irritating.
 
"You can change clothes anytime you want."

Kylie folded her arms.
 
"Okay, then, Mr. Expert.
 
You want to explain?"

"It's all up here," he said, tapping his head.
 
"You only
think
you can't change clothes.
 
You just have to want it to happen.
 
Watch."

He held out his arms, and his alien shirt changed from gray to white.
 
The sleeves shrunk, stopping at the elbows, turning into a short-sleeved shirt.

"See?
 
An idiot could do it."

Kylie shot him a look, and he quickly backtracked.

"I didn't mean…I'm not saying…."

"It's just practice, Kylie," Alex offered.
 
"The only problem is you'll need another set of eyes, or really good self confidence.
 
You won't be able to see your reflection in a mirror."

She lowered her eyes.
 
"I'm not a big fan of mirrors."

"Yeah, welcome to the club."

"I'll help," Nate said, looking her up and down.
 
"Maybe some jean shorts.
 
It's not like we feel cold.
 
Or maybe some of those yoga pants that have taken off lately.
 
Nice and tight."

Kylie laughed.
 
"You'll be dead a second time before you catch me in those things."

Nate was ready to plead his case when Cindy opened the front door.
 
Alex nearly leaned in for his customary hug until he saw the look on her face.

Cindy stepped onto the porch, directly on top of Kylie.
 
Kylie scooted away, frowning while Nate laughed.

"Alex, we've got problems."

"What's going on?"

"The sensor isn't working."

It took a moment to realize what she was talking about.
 
His eyes shot open when it hit him.

"The lights sensor?"
 
He looked at the yard.
 
"Our coffins aren't going to light up?"

"It's plugged in now, and it didn't light up when you came up the sidewalk."

"Ah, shit," Alex complained.
 
That was one of their cooler Halloween effects.
 
"Give Kevin a call.
 
Tell him to get his ass over here."

"I tried.
 
He's not answering his phone."

"How about—"

"I already tried," she said, referring to Alicia.
 
"She's not answering either."

Alex frowned, which prompted Cindy to smile and laugh.
 
Kylie and Nate glanced between them in confusion.
 
The witch and Alex's sister were probably engaged in a pre-Halloween romantic encounter.
 
The last time the two of them were together and neither one of them answered the phone, Alicia provided Cindy with graphic details of how a simple shopping trip at a clothing store turned into something more.
 
Cindy, in turn, shared those graphic details with Alex.
 
They haunted his dreams occasionally.

"Well, how about that magic rock of his?
 
He'll answer that, right?"

"Babe, he said only to use that in emergencies."
 
Cindy held up a finger before he could protest.
 
"This isn't an emergency."

Alex put his hands on his hips, disappointed, as he stared at the coffins in the yard.
 
Hopefully Kevin and Alicia would arrive early, and he could fix the lights.
 
A smile took hold as another thought crossed his mind.

"There are other ways to scare little kids."

"Hey," she said, pointing at him.
 
"You are not showing them your eyes and wings."
 
She turned to head back inside.
 
"I'll order some pizzas in about an hour."