Chapter 27
“ I don’t know why you’re so upset.” Cody paused for the perfect amount of time, then added with a smirk, “Juggy Bear.”
Jugs’s expression tightened. “You’re an ignorant ape.”
“You say the sweetest things,” Cody said, giving himself a couple of beats before saying, “Juggy Bear.”
Jugs looked into the rearview mirror of his truck. “And you’re an ass for telling him.”
Demmy laughed from the small backseat of Jugs’s Silverado pickup. “I told you I’d have to tell him.”
“Asses, both of you.”
Cody laughed and looked out his side window. “Where are we going? Are you kidnapping us to Harriettville?”
“I wouldn’t submit my hometown to you,” Jugs said. “We’re going somewhere other than your house. How’s that?”
“I like our house. All our stuff is there,” Cody said as Demmy squeezed his shoulder.
“You’ve both been sitting in that house for a week,” Jugs said.
“To be fair,” Demmy said. “Cody spent three days in the hospital.”
“Yeah, I know,” Jugs said.
Cody leaned in a bit closer to Jugs and said in a low voice, “Three days.”
“Hey, until you’ve been in the ICU for a week as your body tried to turn you into a zombie, I don’t want to hear about it.”
“Fair point,” Cody said. “But we also no longer have jobs.”
“Hard to get a paycheck from a department that’s been wiped out because of vampires,” Demmy said.
“Yeah, that,” Jugs said, shooting a pointed look at Cody. “And someone drove a snowplow through the back door.”
“I was going for the element of surprise,” Cody said.
“The city ever charge you for that?” Jugs asked.
“Not yet,” Demmy said with a sigh. “But we did get all our overtime, so that’s helped.”
Jugs slowed and pulled into the parking lot of the Hollow Leg. As he slotted his truck into a spot suspiciously close to the entrance, he said, “Not one word of complaint from either of you, hear?”
“Do you hear me complaining?” Cody said.
Jugs gave him a side-eye before getting out.
Cody got out and waited for Demmy so he could lean down and whisper, “I bet we could walk home before they realize we’ve ditched them.”
“I heard that, Bonker.” Jugs held the door open. Cody could hear conversation, laughter, and the heavy beat of drums from some rock song playing on the juke box. Raising his eyebrows, Jugs waved for them to enter the bar.
“Come on,” Demmy said, tugging his hand. “Let’s see what’s going on.”
Reluctantly allowing himself to be pulled toward the bar, Cody said as he passed Jugs, “You’re a terrible friend.”
“I love you, too,” Jugs said, pursing pursed his lips in a kiss.
As Cody followed Demmy into the Hollow Leg, a shout went up from the crowd inside. Glasses were raised and someone— it might have been his brother, Dave, and Cody made a mental note to have a word with him—let out a whoop. A large sign had been strung across the back wall, just over the jukebox, and it read: Our Heroic Critter Catchers.
“Someone needs to let them know we’re out of business,” Demmy said, even as he smiled.
“Maybe this is for the werewolf case that started it all,” Cody said. “They’ve been saving up all these years.”
Amelia gave them both tight hugs, then stepped back and wiped tears away.
“I promised myself I wouldn’t cry,” she said.
“Did you set this up?” Demmy asked.
Amelia shook her head. “Not my idea, but I helped with some of the details.”
“Of course you did,” Cody said, leaning down to give her another hug, because he couldn’t seem to help himself. He was on the verge of tears himself. What the hell?
They made a circuit of the bar, shaking hands, hugging, and talking with a lot of people from town. Their core group of friends were there, of course: Dave, Ollie, Amelia, and Otis, Eileen and Dieter, Jugs and Agatha, and, Cody was surprised to find he was happy to see Clarabell. Margie was there with Vicki, a waitress Cody might have dated years ago if he hadn’t realized how important Demmy had become to him.
Someone clapped him hard on the shoulder, and Cody turned to find Lucia smiling at him. She was out of uniform, dressed in worn jeans and a blue chambray button-down that made her eyes pop. Deputy Walsh stood just behind her, also dressed casually in a long-sleeved tee and jeans.
“Uh oh, am I in trouble?” Cody said.
“Again?” Walsh offered, then laughed.
“Not yet,” Lucia said. “And, besides. We’re off duty.”
“How are you doing?” Cody asked.
“We’re rooting out a few more of them every day,” Lucia said. “Going door to door. Getting a lot of help from people in town, actually.”
“Yeah,” Walsh said. “A lot of tips called in.”
“That’s good.” Cody nodded. “Did they find John the Bastard yet?”
Lucia and Walsh exchanged a look, then Lucia said, “We found him in the basement of the DPW garage. Looks like he’d hung himself.”
“Oh, shit.” Cody blew out a breath. “How’d his wife take it?”
“Pretty hard,” Lucia said. “Life insurance won’t pay out because it’s ruled a suicide, but he had a lot of cash hidden around his house, and that’ll go to her.”
“Lie down with vampires,” Cody said. “Oh, hey, what’s up with Shrieky Pete?”
Walsh’s turn to blow out a breath. “He’s still in the psych ward. Last I heard, there was no definite release date. And a couple walking their dog out by Parson’s Pond came across what was left of Spiffy. There wasn’t much.”
“Damn, those vamps really fucked up the DPW.” Cody shook his head, then leaned in a little closer to Lucia. “How are you doing?”
She shifted her gaze away and shrugged slightly. “Good nights and bad.”
“Yeah, me, too.”
Demmy came back, sliding an arm around Cody’s waist. It felt good and warm, anchoring Cody to the moment and all that was good in his life.
“Hi, Lucia,” Demmy said. “Hi Deputy Walsh.”
“You can call me Gayle when I’m not in uniform,” she said.
“How are you feeling, Demetrius?” Lucia asked.
“Oh, you know how it is. Good days and bad.”
“Seems to be a lot of that going around,” Cody said.
Zenona joined them, pulling Cody into a tight, long-lasting hug. Before she released him, she whispered in his ear, “Thank you.”
Cody smiled when he stepped back, then swiped at the tears in his eyes. He was definitely getting soft in his old age. To their credit, everyone standing around them had looked off in a different direction, except for Demmy, who smiled and placed a hand on the small of his back. It wasn’t a possessive gesture, more a comforting one. He and Zenona shared a smile of their own.
“Holding up?” Cody asked.
She nodded, blinking back tears. “I am. I’m starting to get back to a regular sleep cycle again.” She gave a quick, humorless laugh. “It makes me feel guilty. Isn’t that weird?”
“Not at all,” Cody said.
More people came by to talk with them. A lot of them were people from town Cody knew but never really had a chance to talk with. One young kid with dark hair styled to make him look like a young Justin Bieber approached, smelling of weed and wearing a permanent smile. He and Demmy talked for a bit, and when the guy wandered off to plow through the food buffet Margie had provided, Cody learned his name was Baron and he owned a big house in Hollow Hills that had needed some chipmunks evicted.
“We’ll live out there one day,” Cody said.
Demmy lifted one shoulder in a half shrug. “I like our house.”
Cody kissed him. “Me, too.”
A few more past Critter Catchers clients came up and thanked them. Some had been attacked by vampires or had family members turned, and they were grateful for their help. Inevitably, they asked when the business might be opening up again.
“We aren’t able to apply for a license again until next summer,” he replied. Each one of them expressed frustration about that decision, and Cody just smiled.
Someone plugged money into the jukebox and played their song, “Holding Out for a Hero,” by Bonnie Tyler. Demmy dragged him onto the small, wooden parquet dance floor. Their group of friends joined them, even Amelia, Otis, Eileen, and Dieter. Cody caught a glimpse of Lucia dancing with Deputy Walsh… oh, yeah, Gayle when she was out of uniform. Dave and Ollie were dirty dancing close by, which made Cody wince and look away. Where he saw Jugs and Agatha laughing as they danced around each other, Jugs nearly knocking people flat flinging his arms out to either side. Clarabell was doing a weird dance that made Cody think of one of the Peanuts kids from A Charlie Brown Christmas , and Zenona was doing her best to keep up with her. Tracey Mumm was dancing with her creepy boyfriend, Heath, who was practically shooting lasers at Cody with his eyes. What the fuck was that about?
Other than that, it felt like the perfect way to end yet another terrible monster case. But it could be better.
Hours later, after three trips to the buffet, more than their usual intake of beer, and dances with pretty much everyone in town, Cody and Demmy tumbled into the backseat of the Sebring, giggling and holding hands. Amelia smiled at them over the front seat as Otis got behind the wheel.
“Go through downtown,” Cody said. “I want to see our decorations before someone tears them down.”
Amazingly, garlands were still wrapped around the majority of the street lamps along Main Street, cobwebs clinging to the crossbars. The lights were twinkling, and a rush of emotions made his throat feel hot and tight. He and Demmy had done that. It felt like years ago, but it had just been two weeks. And even with a flood of tourists and dozens of vampires running amok, their decorations were still up.
“Wonder who will take over the DPW stuff?” Demmy said quietly. Cody looked at him and could see the glow of the streetlights reflected in his eyes, and he thought he’d never looked more handsome.
“Isaac Wilkerson attended the city council meeting this week,” Otis said, and Cody snorted quietly before he went on. “Lots of talk about how things were handled on Halloween. He thinks they’re going to outsource the DPW work to Harriettville.”
“Great,” Cody said. “It’ll never get done. Fucking Harriettville.”
Demmy playfully slapped his thigh, but leaned in to rest his head on Cody’s shoulder.
Once home, it took Demmy a few tries to get the key lined up as they joked about finding the hole and laughed together. It felt good and shockingly normal. Inside, Demmy put together a bowl of bruised fruit and vegetables for Trevor, handed off from Margie as they’d left the Hollow Leg.
“I’m too drunk to shower,” Cody said from where he had dropped on the mattress in his briefs.
“Are you too drunk to fuck?”
Cody lifted his head, cock already coming around at the sight of Demmy trying to keep his balance as he pulled his Henley over his head.
“I don’t think I’ve ever been that drunk in my life.”
Demmy smiled as he flung the shirt aside. “Good.”
He pounced on top of Cody, forcing him to release a deep, “Oof!” followed by a round of laughter that helped push a bit more of the darkness from his mind. Demmy kissed him hard, moaning as he thrust his tongue into Cody’s mouth.
“I want you to fuck me,” Demmy said between kisses.
Cody rolled them over so he was on top. He took command of the kissing, holding the sides of Demmy’s head as their tongues twisted. With awkward movements, he got his briefs down his legs and kicked them aside. Demmy got his own briefs to his knees, at which point Cody had to break their kiss to stand and yank them off his legs and throw them aside.
Demmy lifted his legs, hands gripping the backs of his thighs as he looked up at Cody. “Fuck me, baby. Hard and fast.”
Not needing to be told a third time, Cody grabbed the lube, slicked himself, then stepped up and slid a finger into him. Demmy groaned and dropped his head back. Cody stroked himself as he watched his finger slide in and out of Demmy. He was so revved up even the amount of beer in him couldn’t temper his drive.
Moving in, he pressed against the tight ring of muscle and slowly, steadily, entered him. The familiar hot grip of muscle felt even more intense tonight, and he moaned in time with Demmy. When he was all the way in, bush pressed against Demmy’s taint, Cody leaned down to deliver a deep, open-mouthed kiss.
Then he stood up tall and strong and fucked him. As Demmy had requested, Cody pounded him, hips moving fast, sweaty skin slapping, and bed springs creaking. He held Demmy’s ankles and they locked eyes, Demmy’s mouth open as he grunted with each thrust. It was hot, quick, and dirty, and when Demmy stroked himself to climax, his muscles clenched hard around Cody’s dick, bringing him over the edge as well. He emptied himself inside Demmy, crying out, “I fucking love you,” as his hips slowed and his cock pulsed.
Still inside him, Cody leaned down for a soft, breathless kiss before easing out. He lapped up a bit of Demmy’s cum puddled on his belly, then grabbed a towel from the nightstand and cleaned him up. Tossing aside the towel, Cody collapsed beside him, drawing him in close against his side.
“I love you,” Demmy said, placing a kiss on the side of his neck.
Cody shivered at the memory of Xavier hovering just above his skin in almost that same spot.
“Oh, sorry.” Demmy moved back a bit. “Did that trigger something?”
Cody pulled him back close and turned to kiss his lips. “I don’t want it to. Do it again.”
Demmy kissed him on the neck again, adding a quick flick of tongue, and Cody was able to smile and keep the memories of Xavier at bay.
“Better?” Demmy said.
Cody kissed him again and smiled. “Always better with you.”
With Demmy snuggled in close at his side, Cody closed his eyes and drifted off to sleep, thinking of the town he sometimes hated to love and the people who resided there that felt like family. He had no idea what they were going to do for income, but that was all right. With Demmy beside him, anything was possible.