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She looked up and gave s "Trust h with therateful? Fine Help me with this situation and I’ll take out anyone you say Your enemy is my enemy How does that sound?"

I shuddered and shook my head A deal with a deround And one I wasn’t having any part of

"You can’t live here, end of story"

"But what if I like it here? Think about this, Glory Your friends aren’t et it, one way or another Even if ittheir lives hell on earth until you see the light" Alesa laughed then slurped down more cheese She threw me a look that made me wish for a shower and lots of soap

Ian called and said the ultrasound hadn’t come in yet But the blood test showed that Alesa was definitely pregnant Oh, joy We rescheduled for Monday night I decided to head down to the shop like I always did on a Saturday evening I needed to be there--ere usually busy--and Rafe and I stayed firm that Alesa could fend for herself Of course that left ure her for idle threats

She hadn’t given me a cell phone number or any way to reach her but I knew she’d find me, unfortunately

I hadn’t been in the store ten et a group together to go dancing at Rafe’s club

"Not really in the ht" I s a skirt to the counter

"But, amica, you love to dance What is thisno for an answer "You close at ht Call Jere table for us on the balcony"

I was tempted I’d love to cry on Flo’s tiny shoulder But doubted I’d be able to escape fro the de distance of o ballistic if I got near his ith another demon She’d had a close call with hell the last time I’d involved her in one of my freakfests and I sure didn’t want to remind Alesa who my friends were

"Tell her yes I love to dance" Alesa was suddenly in front of me "Unless we’ll still be at Ian’s"

"I’ll call you back, Flo" I ended the call "Not going to Ian’s tonight That special rabbed Alesa’s arnant "Back room Now" I did a quick check Erin could handle the sparse crowd

"Since you asked so nicely and all" Alesa jerked her arrasp and flounced toward the back room As she did, an expensive sweater fell out of the back of her skirt I scooped it up off the floor

"What the hell? Were you shoplifting? In ainst the table before I started to shut the door to the shop It took everything in me not to slam it

"Hold it, Glory Is that des and Muffins, the coffee shop next door, stuck her foot in the door

"Yes" I glanced at Alesa, who just s for a chip in the black polish "What has she done now?"

"She just leftfor the half dozen muffins she scarfed down" Diana pushed her way inside my back room and waited until I had us closed inside Diana, a vaet in Alesa’s face "I don’t tolerate deadbeats"

"Pay her, Glory" Alesa brushed cruh not very filling I could have eaten a few more"

"Stay out of my store I don’t want a demon in there You hear ing out with such as this?"

"Not ue about the bill with Alesa but didn’t want to do it in front of Diana "Tell Erin up front what you’re owed and she’ll take care of it" I glared at Alesa "This won’t happen again I’et rid of the probleain "Honey, I figure you must be over a barrel to tolerate this, um, critter" She patted my shoulder "Let me know if you need h what I could do…"

"I appreciate the thought anyway"

"Run along, little vampire We’re just fine And, seriously? Your coffee is weak and I’ve had better service in hell" Alesa sniffed