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The doorbell rang and the Dealer strode past me without co theht? They aren’t actually on fire yet, are they?"

"Sorry, sugar," he said as he opened the door

Garrett Swopes stood on the other side of it

"What are you doing here?" I asked hirin lighting his face Garrett was a skiptracer who happened to have died recently – an incident that may or may not have been my fault The doctors revived hi the afterlife, including Reyes’s father, the big man down under

"Backup plan?" I turned to Reyes "Why do we need a backup plan?"

The Dealer tossed a pair of socks and my boots to me "I cleaned them the best I could," he said "They’re still wet, but I don’t have anything that will fit you"

I took a black athletic sock and hopped on one foot to get it on while following the Dealer into the kitchen "I need ar," he said, grabbing a beer out of the fridge He winked before downing the entire contents in three huge gulps "Liquid courage" He pitched the bottle into a wastebasket and went for another

"I need you sober," Reyes said, his voice razorlike

"As luck would have it, your particular needs don’t interest me My only concern is the reaper She needs to stay here"

"You can’t keep me prisoner," I protested

"I told you," Reyes said, stepping close as I hopped into the other sock, "she doesn’t leave ht What if they show up here while we’re there?"

"They can’t come in here, demon spawn, or don’t you feel that?"

Reyes stepped back and lowered his head before pasting on a s and a little holy water are going to keep theot a better plan?"

Reyes pulled a leather cloth from the back of his pants He unfolded it in his palm to reveal Zeus, the only knife in existence that could kill a deood will that do you?" I asked him "You can’t even touch it"

"I can if it’s encased in leather" He held it out for my inspection Who knew a Sham Wow had so many uses? "But it’s not for me It’s for you" He took my hand and placed the knife in it sans the chamois "If they attack, don’t hesitate to use it, Dutch Not even a et ?"