Touched by Fire (Demons of New Chicago #1) - Kel Carpenter Page 0,23

of them. We’ll want to go after Greta McArthur first. She’s got the best chance of being in contact with Kenneth, and as soon as he knows you made it out alive, he’ll go underground.”

I nodded. “Capturing him is priority number one. Taking out the rest of your coven is number two.”

“And the demon?” she asked softly, lowering her voice.

“I’ve yet to decide what’s worse. Going after him, or dealing with my boss.”

I ate every morsel of food on my plate within three minutes. I wasn’t trying to be fast. I was just efficient at not wasting time. Nathalie was halfway through her pancakes when I pushed my plate away and got to my feet.

“Where are you going?”

“To get the check,” I replied. Several eyes turned my way as I started for the cashier at the end of the diner. Some of their eyes were trained on my face, others were scanning my body. Not much of my form was on display, but several of my weapons were.

I didn’t come here often, but it was often enough that most of the regulars recognized me. They weren’t the ones to worry about. It was the stragglers I’d never seen before who could prove to be problematic.

I got to the end of the counter and held up my wallet.

“Thirty-seven dollars and sixteen cents,” my waitress said without lifting her eyes.

“Add a seven-dollar tip,” I said, already typing the new number into my wallet. I held it out, pressing my thumb to the scanner. She lifted the one connected to the cashier stand and did the same. The tips flashed from red to green, signaling the transfer went through.

“Pleasure, sweetness,” she said, adding a little zing now that she knew I wasn’t a complete asswipe.

“No need to lay it on for me. Save the sweetness for your clients that like it.” I approached the table once more and was pleased to find her pancakes were nearly gone. “Ready?”

Nathalie took a long swig of her coffee, emptying the mug. It clapped down on the plastic table, and she moved to stand.

The door jingled as another party stepped in.

I lifted my head and one look told me there was going to be trouble. Thinking quick, I spun around. My hand locked on Nathalie’s forearm as I debated going out the back.

Apparently, luck was not in my cards this evening.

“Piper? That you?” a southern drawl called out. I froze, cursing under my breath.

“Flint.” My tone said it all. Unlike his that implied familiarity, mine was cold. Closed off. In other words, professional.

“I haven’t seen you around, darlin’.” His eyes roamed my form, and if he was disappointed, he didn’t look it. “Where’ve you been?”

“Oh, you know. Here and there,” I muttered, running my nails alongside the shitty table surface.

The sound of his boots as he came toward me made the rest of the diner fade. I needed to get out of here. Now wasn’t the time for a trip down memory lane.

“You always did love the chase,” Flint said, coming to stand before me. His pale blue eyes and light blonde hair were too clean, too polished for the diner.

I scoffed under my breath. “I’ve been busy. You know how it is.”

Cold fingers touched my cheek, skimming down to my chin. I slapped his hand away, and my heart rate started to pick up.

Fuck no. This was not happening here.

A chuckle slid from his lips. “I’ve missed you, Pip.”

I nudged Nathalie, telling her to start walking. “Afraid I can’t say the same, Flint.”

I moved to step around him and those cold fingers wrapped around my shoulder. “I heard there was an incident the other night. Your boss ain’t so happy.”

“Fuck off, Flint. It’s none of your business.”

The hand on my shoulder tightened. My heart rate picked up once more.

There was a fine line where one went from adrenaline junky to what I was. The faster my heart beat, the closer it was to stopping, and that couldn’t happen.

If not for the fact that I’d kept my secret for ten years, then because I couldn’t afford for that sort of incident in a diner full of supes and humans alike. While I had no problems with killing, mass murdering innocents wasn’t my style.

“You’re in trouble, Pip. I can help.”

Yeah right. More like he wanted a chance to fuck me again. Maybe more.

“You can help by keeping your nose, and your department, out of it. I left human patrol years ago, and I have no intention of going