Dank pulled me up against him tightly, “Come on, we’re going.”
I let him all but carry me to the Jeep and even put me inside and buckle me up.
“Dank, tell me what’s wrong,” I pleaded as he kissed me softly on the lips.
“Nothing. Nothing that I can’t fix,” he assured me and pressed his forehead to mine. “Listen to me Pagan, you have no reason to worry. I’ve got this. Remember what I told you. What Death protects can’t be harmed and baby,” the pad of his thumb caressed my cheek, “you’re the only thing I protect.”
The shivers I never seemed to be able to control when his voice dropped an octave and went all smooth and sexy seemed to make him happy. He always gave me a sexy smirk when I shivered.
“Okay, but I heard a voice. In my ear. Like when you talk to me but you’re far away.”
Dank tensed and he took a deep breath. “You did?”
I nodded and watched as he closed his eyes tightly and an angry snarl vibrated against his chest.
“No one gets that close to you. No thing gets that close to you.” He kissed the tip of my nose and then closed the door before appearing in the driver’s seat beside me. I sure hoped he wasn’t so otherwise occupied that he wasn’t paying attention to what my mother was doing. If she was looking out the window just now then things could get complicated.
“She’s already closed off in her room writing,” Dank said as he cranked the Jeep and pulled out onto the road. I didn’t ask how he knew what I was thinking. I was used to this by now. I couldn’t worry about anything without him knowing. He was obsessed with fixing all my problems. Normally that would frustrate me but right now with the problems I had looming I needed him.
“What did the voice say?” His voice was tense and I could tell he was trying to control the angry hiss that amused me when it was brought on because of jealousy. Right now it wasn’t amusing. At all.
“It’s almost time,” I replied, studying his reaction. His left hand tightened on the steering wheel as he reached over and rested his hand on my thigh.
“I’ll have this handled immediately. I didn’t see anything but I felt it. The moment you froze, I felt it. It isn’t a soul. It isn’t a deity. It is nothing that I’m familiar with but that leaves only a few things it can be. And I promise you Pagan that not one of those things is a match for me. So stop worrying. I’m Death, baby. Remember that.”
I let out a sigh and covered his hand with mine.
“I know,” I replied and began tracing hearts on his hand with the tip of my finger.
“I missed you last night,” he whispered in a husky voice.
I smiled down at his hands as he flipped it over and clasped mine in his. I liked knowing he missed me.
“Good.”
An amused chuckle was his response.
Chapter Two
When Dank pulled into the parking lot of the school, I did my daily check for Leif’s truck. And just as the days before it was missing from his spot. Instead of someone taking the coveted parking slip of the most popular guy at school it remained empty. It was as if they were all waiting. Wondering.
The last time I’d seen Leif was the day I’d thought Dank was lost to me forever. Gee, a transporter who was trying to kill my body and force Death’s hand, yet oddly enough became my friend, had managed to get my soul out of my body without Death’s help. Problem was, it was too late. Death had already broken the rules and he had to pay for it. I was left with the decision to either become a lost wandering soul or get back in my body and live. Even though the only guy I’d ever love was burning in Hell like a fallen angel for not doing his job when it was time to take my life. Gee explained that Dank would be tormented even more in the pits of Hell if he knew I was a lost soul. He’d want to know that I lived. That his sacrifice was for something. I’d do anything to ease his pain. I got back in my body that morning and chose life. For him.
Then he’d been at school that morning and I hadn’t even taken a moment to speak to Leif and explain. I’d just run to Dank. After Dank explained everything and then laid the whopper on me that Leif wasn’t human we’d gone to find him. But Leif Montgomery was missing. That was a month ago.
“Don’t frown,” Dank’s voice broke into my thoughts as his hand cupped my face and studied me. He could hear my fears. There was no reason to explain my sudden mood change.
“Will he ever come back?”
Dank let out a sigh while glancing back over my shoulder, “I’m afraid so.”
“Why does that seem to bother you? I know you say Leif has no soul but I know Leif. I’ve spent time with him. He isn’t evil. He’s incredibly sweet.”
Those blue eyes I loved lit up and the glow I was growing accustomed to warned me I’d said the wrong thing. Dank wasn’t dealing well with the emotion of jealousy. It was completely new to him and it wasn’t something he had a handle on.
“Leif is what he must be. He was created Pagan. He did his job. He isn’t sweet. He has no soul.”