Projectile Vomiting of Pentagrams
The hum of tires on the asphalt was a monotonous drone as Chuck piloted her SUV toward the next location.
The radio was silent, and she was too, thinking hard about their situation.
Finally, she broke the quiet, sharing her thoughts.
“Another demon. I’m so confused, because you said they shouldn’t have been able to do that.
Which begs the question, why? Why would a demon do something like this?
I mean… what would they get from this? A bunch of dusty relics?
What could a demon even do with that? Anything?
” Her eyes rose to the rearview mirror, meeting his gaze while worry crinkled the skin at the corners of her lips.
Truthfully, I don’t know. Before Nicolina gave me this cloak, I wouldn’t have been able to even touch the door without turning myself inside out. Much less going inside the actual building and stealing relics. My fingers would fall off faster than you could say slimy, putrid, hot garbage gangrene!
Chuck’s face turned a sickly shade of green as she grimaced at the visual his words elicited. “Mal, gross. Seriously. Moving on, next question. Are you sure it was a demon?”
Huffing out an exasperated groan, Malachi shook his head as he slipped from his harness.
A quick blurring of his fur was her only warning as he shifted into his human form.
Stretching out his long legs across the floor, he sighed again.
“Yeah, that’s part of it. The scent was pretty faded, so I’m not one hundred percent.
It seems like a demon, but it could be someone who deals with one often enough they’ve picked up some of the darkness.
Definitely need to check multiple locations to see if the scents are stronger so I can narrow it down.
Also, you need to make sure you let Detective Squarebush know you’re not interested. ”
Forehead crinkling in confusion, Chuck tilted her chin up, meeting his eyes in the mirror again.
“Squarebu… Oh, come on, Malachi!” She choked on a laugh.
Now her lips were curved in amusement, which he liked seeing much more than worry.
“Kassidy is not flirting with me.” Shaking her head, she snorted in disbelief.
“Wanna bet?” He grinned with a mischievous glint in his eyes as he waggled his eyebrows suggestively.
Pointing at his chest, he lowered his voice, “Incubus, remember? I know when people are lusting.” His smile grew wider as her flushed cheeks and hard swallow proved she did indeed remember.
Leaning forward, his shadows slipped through the grate, stroking along her jaw, tracing down her throat.
A slight whimper from her had him retracting his shadows with an aching slowness that wrenched another moan from her. This time in frustration.
“I see you do remember. So, believe me, Kelly,” he purred her name, “when we get to the next stop, you need to make it clear that you belong to me, or I will bite both of your asses. Don’t miss your turn.” He gestured at the parking lot.
As he leaned back, Chuck heaved a harsh breath through her lips and nodded. “Got it. Yours. Malachi, you must know I only want you. You’re my storm.” She parked the car and turned to face him.
“I know, and I trust you,” he agreed, “but it’s him I’m worried about. I don’t trust men whose mustaches could double as small rodents. Or guys named Chip.”
A rapid tap on the hood as Roundtree approached her window had Malachi shifting back to canine form and scrambling for his harness.
He shook out his coat and watched closely as the man opened Chuck’s door and held out a hand for her to take.
A growl so low it was barely audible rippled from his clenched jaws, and Hellfire flashed through his eyes at the man’s audacity.
Chuck nimbly slipped from the vehicle and side-stepped Kassidy’s outstretched palm, flashing a small polite smile at his confused and disappointed frown.
She spun to the release, then quickly opened Malachi’s door so he could leap to the ground and heel at her side.
Absently, she clipped the leash and hummed nervously as she leaned away from the imposing figure of the detective.
Malachi tried to study the man objectively.
He supposed the guy was what some might call ruggedly handsome with his stupid square jaw and barely there five o’clock shadow.
His wavy auburn hair draped carelessly but stylishly over his forehead.
His eyes, a shade of vivid green so bright they shone like emeralds, were sharp and reflected a keen mind.
His lips were pillowy and soft, enticing as they curled in their appreciation of Chuck’s slender curves.
His teeth were still way too damn white under his neatly trimmed mustache.
Unable to stop it, Malachi’s upper lip lifted with a sharp snarl, wrenching the asshole’s gaze from his woman.
Smirking with satisfaction as the solid man backed carefully away from them, Malachi continued to glare, unwilling to let down his guard.
That’s right, you sleazebag cock sucker.
Back right the fuck off my Chuck. She is mine, and I will make sure you never reproduce after I rip your balls off.
“Hey, uh, Chuck?” Roundtree called nervously, stretching his collar with one finger.
“I get the feeling Malachi doesn’t like me.
Did I do something wrong? Or am I reading too much into this?
” He slowly lifted his hands as if surrendering and took another wary step back.
His concerned gaze never left the muzzle of the vicious dog watching his every move.
“Ha!” Chuck’s laugh barked out without humor.
It was more of an exasperated groan than true mirth.
“Well, you’re not wrong.” Pinching the bridge of her nose, she shook her head.
“Malachi doesn’t care for you because he’s very protective of me and somewhat jealous of other men.
He and my boyfriend Evan kind of have this pact where Malachi doesn’t let other men get close.
I keep telling him, I adopted him, I’m not getting rid of him.
I tell Evan the same thing. I love him more than anything, and I’ll never leave.
But I guess that’s a guy thing?” She shrugged lamely. “Sorry, Roundtree.”
Thank you, Malachi grumbled grudgingly and sat. He tried to relax his posture and stop being so threatening to the other officer.
Clearing his throat, Roundtree nodded slowly with understanding.
“Kassidy. Or, you can call me Kass. And I, um, wasn’t aware you had a boyfriend, so I will certainly respect that boundary.
Disappointing, because you are a beautiful and intriguing woman.
” His hands flew up in a protective manner as Malachi stood and growled.
“But again, I respect that boundary, and we will be strictly professional.” His eyes clouded for a moment, and he shook his head, seeming confused as he stared at her.
“Appreciate it,” Chuck offered sweetly as she smiled with feigned innocence. “If you want Malachi to like you, I suggest bacon.” With that, she turned and moved toward the brick alcove that sheltered the entrance to their next scene, Malachi spouting his opinions about her response.
Don’t get me wrong, I do love bacon, but I just don’t want you to give him the false hope that it will make us friends at the end of this.
I already have to put up with Action Jaxon; I don’t need to add Butch Kassidy to the mix.
I do NOT want another dude bro dumbass hanging around.
Especially another cop! I mean, I do like hanging out with Glenda, but don’t ever tell her I admitted it.
And Nate is a cool guy too, but Jaxers… He still wears Affliction shirts to the bar sometimes.
Quick, check Kass for rhinestones! If you find even one, I’m out of here!
Choking back her squeal of laughter, Chuck moved them forward to greet the priest of the second church that had been hit by the thieves. Gripping his leash tighter, she pressed her thigh to his side to provide him with reassurance inside the holy structure.
Malachi was grateful for the contact; it helped him tolerate the steady buzz building on his skin, making him tingle.
I feel like my fur is standing on end. Hey, do I look like a hedgehog?
Or a porcupine? Those guys are cool, basically walking around with armor on all the time.
Imagine if you could just curl up with knives sticking out of your back!
“Is he… okay?” the confused priest mumbled, watching in awe as the large black Malinois curled into a ball and began rolling around, doing somersaults down the row of pews, howling in delight.
“He’s fine,” Chuck gritted through her teeth and smiled almost manically.
Not really; the oh-shit handle on this vest was digging in my back.
Hey, what’s with the soap opera star turned prude over here?
Malachi had stopped with his hedgehog impression and was now eying the priest in intrigue.
Guy looks like that, must struggle with the temptations of the flesh if you know what I mean.
This man of the cloth was significantly younger than the geriatric leader at the last location.
His average height and build did nothing to deter from the man’s striking good looks.
Blond hair waved back in a smooth slick of gold that nearly shimmered in the noon sun.
His bright blue eyes sparkled as if they were reflecting the Caribbean's decadent aquamarine waters.
Kassidy, who had also been watching Malachi with incredulous amusement, shook his head and cleared his throat.
“Father Williams, thank you for meeting with us again. As I explained, our K-9 officer here will scent the area and hopefully home in on any similarities to the first location. We apologize for taking you away from your work.”
Smiling in the peaceful, serene way that only priests and the deeply content could, Father Williams patted the air between them.
“No need for that. We are grateful you are continuing to pursue the investigation. I will, in turn, continue my prayers for your safety and success in finding those responsible.” The man lowered his eyes and clasped his hands loosely as he began to mumble in Latin, running the rosary methodically through his fingers.
I’m gonna be sick, Malachi murmured in warning and dry heaved a bit, before barfing on the carpet, splashing the hem of the priest’s robe. Oops, he offered weakly at the pentagram of bile on the floor.
“So,” Chuck chirped, her voice slightly too loud in the stunned silence that followed. “Where do we start?”