26. Chapter Twenty-Six
Chapter Twenty-Six
Clay
I stopped my truck in the driveway of the farmhouse. The lights were still on in Mama’s studio. I turned to see my beautiful man asleep in the passenger seat. When I turned off the engine, Justin snapped awake. “Where are we?”
“Home, darlin’.”
Justin sat up and rubbed his eyes. It was absolutely the most adorable thing I’d seen since I found a cat and her kittens in the drying barn last summer. “We’re late for dinner, but maybe Mama put something in the fridge for us. You wanna walk up to the studio with me?”
“Of course I do.”
We both hopped out and once he rounded the front of the truck, I grabbed his hand and the two of us walked up the hill to Mama’s studio. What I didn’t expect to hear was Mama laughing inside, but maybe she was on the phone?
The door was open, so I called out. “Mama, it’s Justin and me. What’s—”
Sitting in a chair across from my mother as she sat behind her wheel was the demon hunter, EZ, and his two hell hounds. The dogs were lying on their sides with empty metal bowls in front of them as EZ and Mama laughed about something. What the hell?
“Oh, Clay, dear. Your friend, Ezgart stopped by to see you. You texted me that you were on your way back, so I invited him to stick around to wait for you. I gave his puppies some leftover chicken and rice I made the other day.
“He said the three of you were planning a trip soon. Where are you going?” Mom’s wicked eyebrow lifted in disapproval because she hadn’t heard the news from me. Hell, I hadn’t made any plans for her to know about.
Fuck that wasn’t good. A demon hunter in my mother’s studio wasn’t good at all.
I glanced at the creature. “Uh, EZ where did we settle on going?”
“You mentioned that you were thinking about going to New Orleans with Justin for a business trip, and I agreed to come along.”
I hadn’t mentioned anything of the sort but based on EZ’s statement and the probability that he knew more than we did regarding supernatural events, it seemed we were heading to New Orleans. Before Justin could say anything, his phone buzzed with a text message.
He pulled it from his pocket and checked the screen before he turned to me. “It’s a message from Kirk Dunston.”
Kirk Dunston? “Oh, the guy Eve mentioned. What’s he saying?”
Justin pulled up the message and stepped closer to me so we could both read it.
Hey, Justin. Long time since we chatted.
I got the weirdest call today out of the blue.
It was Madame Stella at that weird hoodoo shop in NOLA—no clue how she got my number.
She said you needed to meet her at her shop.
I hope things are going well for you. Reggie and I have moved to Denver and are buying a house.
I’m still here if you need to talk. Kirk
“Okay, uh...” I turned to Mama. “We’re going to New Orleans for a couple of days. Mama, do you need anything before we leave? We’re leaving tomorrow, I guess.” I glanced at EZ to see him nod.
“Oh, no, honey. I’m fine. How long will you boys be gone?” Mama kept shaping a pot as she spoke. The hell hounds seemed to be mesmerized by the spinning clay.
I turned to EZ, who shrugged. “As long as it takes?”
“That’s vague.” The whole thing didn’t seem right to me.
EZ laughed, but the hounds didn’t even lift their heads from their paws, both content to watch my mother. Who the fuck knew that hell hounds could win over my mother’s heart? She’d fed them, and they’d sacked out next to her chair and wheel.
Mama smiled. “Are you flying or driving?”
EZ smirked. “We’ll be flying. I’ll be back in the morning for you. Have a good evening.” He stood and snapped his fingers at the hounds. They stood and shook for a second before they walked over to Mama and licked her arms as if to say goodbye.
Mama’s hands were a mess, but she leaned forward and kissed both dogs on their heads before they followed EZ out of the studio. I was fucking speechless at what had occurred.
For the life of me, I had no idea what was going to happen next, but my goal was to ensure Justin was safe, along with my mother. I still wondered if I was in the midst of some dream, actually hoping I didn’t wake up. Having Justin beside me simply had to be my reality going forward.
I woke too damn early. We were waiting for EZ and his hounds to show up, but he hadn’t given us a time, which was a shit move on his part because I didn’t sleep much at all as a result.
“What time is it?” Justin whispered as he ambled into the kitchen where I was making coffee. I opened my arms and he came right into my embrace.
“It’s five-thirty. Did I wake you with my stomping around?”
“No. I felt you get out of bed. I love sleeping next to you and when you get up, I can feel that you’re gone. You want me to make you some breakfast?”
We both heard the barking outside, so I released Justin and walked to the back door. I wasn’t surprised to see EZ and the hounds outside.
“You want to come inside? Justin’s about to make breakfast. I’m sure he can make something for the hounds." That whole fucking statement sounded ridiculous to me, but I’d said it and I wouldn’t rescind the invitation.
“I’m always happy to eat, but don’t spoil them. They need to be hungry to find a spirit.”
Justin poured two cups of coffee, handing one to me and one to EZ before he spoke. “It seems that Sonny killed Tino because Tino killed Ramon and Johnny DeLuca. I don’t know what that means to you.”
EZ nodded before he took a sip of the coffee. “It means nothing to me, but I know it means something to my boss. How long do you need to get ready?”
“What time is our flight? We’re about ninety miles from the nearest airport.”
The demon hunter nodded. “We’re not flying commercial. Grab an overnight bag and let’s go. I’ll go check on Miss Pansy before I take off. I’ve made sure she’ll be safe while you’re gone.”
I turned to EZ. “How?” It seemed logical to ask him because I didn’t know him from anyone, nor did I know his definition of ‘safe’.
“The hounds have brothers and sisters, so I’ve asked that they guard Miss Pansy while we’re away. Nothing is getting through their watch, I promise you.”
“What would she be in danger of, by the way?” We had lived on the farm for years and we’d been safe. What new bullshit was he hinting at?
EZ cleared his throat. “I’m not a Guardian of Hell for no reason.
Sometimes spirits get through to the human realm and cause issues.
Case in point, Ramon. My presence leaves a marker for demons to follow until I come back for the last time and erase it.
I don’t want anything to follow it and find your mother alone. ”
That sounded ominous, but then again, Ramon had wreaked havoc on Justin and me, so I had to take EZ at his word. “Thank you, EZ.”
Justin nodded. “Yeah, uh, thank you, EZ. We appreciate you looking after Miss Pansy. I can’t believe I’m asking this, but what do we need to bring? How long will we be gone? I have a job I need to plan for.”
Yeah, and I had a farm to look after, too. We needed more information, and it seemed that EZ was reluctant to give it.
“If Madame Stella will see us today, then we can come back today. If she can’t, then we wait.”
His words didn’t instill a lot of confidence in me. “Can’t we call and make an appointment?”
EZ chuckled. “I’ve worked with these people before.
She’ll see us at her convenience, not ours.
My boss contacted her on Ramon’s behalf, so it’ll depend on when management is ready to talk.
Hurry up and get ready. I’m in the mood for beignets and chicory coffee.
” He gulped the hot coffee in his mug, put it on the counter, and walked out the back door.
“What the hell?”
Justin shook his head. “I’m killing Eve if she ever has another stupid idea of contacting the dead.” He turned and walked away, so I followed him. I suspected I’d be doing that for the rest of my life.
An hour later we had our clothes in my garment bag and were waiting for EZ to come back. I’d made toast for the two of us, and I’d seen the lights come on at Mama’s house, so she was up. I hoped the hounds EZ had enlisted to guard her did their job.
Justin came into the kitchen, still buttoning his shirt. His grumpy expression made me laugh. “What’s wrong, darlin’?”
“Well, this all worries me. Why did Madame Stella contact Kirk? Seems Eve would have been the most likely person to call, and why the hell do we have to go down to New Orleans? Can’t we just give the information to EZ and he can relate it to his boss?”
All very valid concerns, but I was guessing all would be revealed in time. “Well, we won’t find any of those answers if we don’t go. You ready? He’s outside.”
Justin tucked his shirt into his jeans. “Yeah. I guess when we get back, I’ll take a cab to my apartment. I’m sure my mailbox is full.”
Those words stopped me in my tracks. “You’ll... What about us?” My heart pounded in my chest.
Justin met my gaze and grinned. “You’re not getting away from me that easily, Clay Fines. I just need to get my life straightened out. I gotta figure out where I’ll live—”
“You’ll live right damn here, darlin’.” I was not joking. His place was by my side.
He chuckled as he walked over to me and wrapped his arms around my neck. “Simmer down, you sexy man. I just need to take a few days to break my lease, get my stuff, including my car, and quit my job. Basically, I need to implode my life, and I couldn’t be happier about doing it.”
I nuzzled into his neck, smelling the beautiful, unique scent of the man I loved, and I knew all would be right in my world. We just had to get through this bullshit—alive!