cheeks answered for her, even as she said, “No.”
Clearly Maksim didn’t believe her any more than Ellina did.
“You shouldn’t be walking,” he said, his dark scowl now directed at Jo.
“Of course I should walk,” Jo said, undaunted by his frown. “It’s nice and cool outside. And my back has been bothering me all day. Walking helps.”
“Your back hurts?” His glower was replaced by a frown of concern. He instantly began to rub a place low on her back that he’d obviously rubbed for her in the past.
Jo sighed, closing her eyes.
Ellina smiled at her brother’s protectiveness and attentiveness. He’d gone from the ruler of the eighth circle of Hell to a complete worrywart and a pretty great husband.
“I’m fine,” Jo told him after a few moments, touching his cheek, which seemed to pacify him. Unfortunately, because he only studied his wife a moment longer, then tugged her over to Ellina’s desk.
“Tell her,” he said to Jo. “Tell Ellina she’s being stupid, she needs someone around. That the things happening lately aren’t just coincidences.”
Jo pursed her lips, giving Ellina a pained look as if to say she didn’t want to think the worst, but…
“I do think you should have someone around. At least until you find out who pulled the cat trick.” Then Jo smiled as if to buffer her words and gestured to Ellina’s hair. “I like this new color. Blond suits you.”
Ellina touched her newly colored hair. “Thanks.”
Maksim rolled his eyes.
Ellina rolled her eyes back, then returned to the topic at hand. “But we may never discover who did that. And I’m not having someone hanging around all the time. My work requires alone time. To write. To research. No.”
She shoved the paper back across the desk at her brother, this time disregarding her orderly, printed-out notes.
Maksim growled, frustrated. “Don’t even get me started on all your alone time.”
Ellina frowned. This was a topic she didn’t want to talk about, but she couldn’t stop herself from saying, “I like my life the way it is.”
“How can you like…”
Jo stepped forward, raising a hand to stop the tirade she saw coming. “Ellina, just let Maksim hire someone for a couple weeks. If nothing else happens, then you can let him go.”
Maksim made a noise as if he was going to argue the plan, but Jo waved her hand again, silently shushing him.
“And you know with the baby nearly here, Maksim won’t be able to watch out for you himself. And he will worry.”
Well, that was great. Now they were guilting her for not taking around-the-clock security. And sadly, it was working. Darn it.
“What can it hurt?” Jo added, driving in the last nail of the coffin of her will.
Ellina looked at her note-cluttered desk, then her computer screen with a Word doc opened and reporting a mere twenty pages finished.
What could it hurt?
Her career. Her deal with her publisher. Her future deals.
Then she glanced back at her brother and sister-in-law, and selfishness created a sinking feeling in the pit of her stomach. Both of their expressions showed how worried they were. And they had a baby due to arrive any day.
What could it really hurt? It would calm Maksim down and allow him to fully focus on Jo and their new baby, and it did only have to be for a little while. She could suffer through it for a little while, right?
Once Maksim realized he was paying someone for nothing, she’d be back to her normal life.
“Fine,” Ellina muttered, but waved the unwanted résumé at Maksim.
Maksim frowned but accepted the paper. “Don’t you want to look it over more?”
“I’m assuming he’s already your choice,” Ellina said, not bothering to hide her irritation with being railroaded.
“Well, I do think he’s the best, yes.”
Ellina made a well there you go face at him.
“Now,” she said, turning her attention back to her computer, “why don’t you give me a little time to—”
A loud, abrupt rap echoed through her apartment.
Ellina glared at her brother.
“That’s him,” Maksim said with a smug smile.
So much for work now.
Jude stood in the doorway of a shotgun cottage that looked as if it had fallen out of the pages of a fairy tale. He half expected children in lederhosen to answer the door.
But instead of Hansel or Gretel, the door was jerked open by a tall man, fit and tough enough to be a bodyguard himself.
“Jude Anthony?”
Jude nodded. “Yes.”
The man extended his hand. “Maksim Kostova. I’m the one who contacted you on behalf of my sister.”
Jude had guessed as much. He accepted the man’s hand, giving it a brief, firm shake. As he released it, he fought the urge to wipe his hand on his pants as if there was something thick and slimy clinging to his fingers.
Demon. That particular preternatural aura affected him more than some others. The energy from Maksim was strong and heavy, coating Jude’s palm and fingers, creeping up his arm like a living thing. The Blob from horror movie legend.
Damn, he hated that sensation. He flexed his fingers, trying to subtly shake the sensation off.
Maksim raised an eyebrow, obviously aware that Jude had had some reaction to him, but he didn’t inquire. Instead he stepped back, opening the door wider.
“Come in.”
Jude moved past him, keeping a good distance between them. This male was clearly a powerful, high-ranking demon. Jude could even feel his aura just in passing.
Jude steeled himself to the sensation, but was pleased to step into a fair-size sitting room. More space was always better.
He could do this. Just a few more jobs, and he’d be done with this life. No more paranormal creatures. No more of this existence. He would reinvent himself.
With renewed determination, he turned his focus away from the demon and to the room they’d just entered. His impression again was that of being in a fairy-tale world. Lavender walls, gold brocade furniture, and beaded lamps gave the room a feeling of a princess’s private parlor.
But the woman who entered the room was no fairy-tale
