Demon Hunting with a Dixie Deb - Lexi George Page 0,21

his broad, muscular frame, torn between disbelief and outrage. He’d done it again. Handed her an order and walked away. Never had anyone treated her with such peremptory arrogance. Hot pink sparkles of irritation shot from her skin and buzzed around her head. She hated him. He was the most infuriating, pompous man she’d ever met.

And he was right, darn it. If venereal disease had a color palate, the Hannah Inn would be gonorrhea green. The thought of staying there made her skin crawl.

But the thought of accepting anything from Trey, dead or alive, galled her. Through the years, Sassy had quietly reached out to him without their mother’s knowledge. Her chatty letters and vacation postcards had gone unacknowledged, her high school graduation invitation returned unopened.

She didn’t bother to send him a college graduation announcement. She got it, message received loud and clear. He wasn’t interested.

And now she was supposed to stay in his house? Technically it was her house now that Trey was dead, but that made it worse. She wanted a brother, not things.

The owl hooted again. It was dark, except for the light of the moon. Somehow, Sassy the City Girl was in the boondocks. Again.

She needed to get hold of herself. Her emotions were all over the place. Mother-of-pearl, had she really punched Grim in the nose? She’d never hit anyone in anger before. It was this place, this nutty, wacko place. The sooner she got out of Hannah, the better.

She took a deep breath and exhaled to release her hostility. The bright pink glow surrounding her faded. She smiled. That was more like it. Sassy Peterson was sunny and serene, a priestess of positivity. She would make the best of this. She excelled at making the best of things.

She would stay at Trey’s tonight. One night—she could stand it for one night. Her decision had nothing to do with a certain know-it-all demon hunter and everything to do with common sense.

She was petite, but practical.

Not that she was letting Grim boss her around. Oh, no. She was just too tired to walk back to town.

Tomorrow she’d meet with the lawyer and arrange to sell the mill. Then she’d go back to Fairhope, back to the real world, the sane world. Her world, where there were boundaries and routine, and she knew her place.

Plans made, she trudged down the paved driveway. The house sat half a mile off the road and overlooked the river. Sassy had hired a local real estate agent to move the property, but this was the first time she’d been here. Too painful to see where her brother had lived—too many what-ifs and wonder whys.

The motion sensor lights came on as she neared the end of the wooded drive, lighting up the sprawling, two-story, European-style home. Good heavens. That explained why the property hadn’t sold. It was too ostentatious, a monstrosity of stucco and stone, with dark wood detailing, a steeply pitched roof, two fireplaces, and wrought-iron railings. It was too much house for most people, especially in a small rural town with no industry.

She yelped as Grim materialized in front of her.

“I searched the dwelling and the surrounding environs,” he said in his deep silken voice. “There is no sign of anyone, human or supernatural. I will place a shield spell around the property to be sure.”

Tilting her chin, he looked into her eyes. His fingertips were warm against her skin. “Rest easy, Sassy. No harm will come to you while you are in my care.”

Sassy’s heart gave an uneven thump and her skin tingled at his touch. Less than a minute ago, she’d been furious with him. Now she was glowing like a bloom of jellyfish, her body pulsing with a soft flush of light. Goodness, she might as well have a sign around her neck that said, Take me. I’m easy.

Edging away from him, she concentrated on bringing her hormonal reactor under control.

“Thanks,” she said. “How’d you get inside the house without setting off the alarm?”

“What alarm?”

The Dalmatian bounded out of the darkness and pranced ahead of them up the wide stone walk. Double square columns supported the arched portico over the front entrance. The massive double doors were framed by a paneled transom and sidelights.

The dog led the way, tail wagging. Sassy gave the Dalmatian a wide berth. Her big brother had returned from the Great Beyond as a dog. That took weird to a whole new level.

The front doors swung open without a sound and the lights