“Actually, Bianca.” Lynn’s face screwed up apologetically. “I do have to get the chair back to the senior’s center before Mrs. Hall needs her middle of the night bathroom break.” She winced. “And also the van. I only said I needed it for a couple of hours.” She leaned closer and lowered her voice. “I told them I needed it to take my mother and her friends to the theatre.”
“Well.” Patty stomped into the kitchen. “I need a godsdamned drink.”
Weaz-adj clicked his fingers and pointed to Lynn and Bianca. “Move the prisoner to the sofa.”
“Get me one, will you, Patty.” Bianca’s eyes went colder than tanzanite. “And if you ever click your fingers at me again, Christen, I’m going to rip them off and shove them down your throat.”
“Bianca!” Carmen gasped. “Christen is the coven leader and in charge. You can’t speak to him like that.”
“Get him out of here.” Lucifer had reached the end of his tolerance with Weaz-adj and his merry band. He locked gazes with Bianca. “Get them all out of here. I deal with you and you alone.”
“Unacceptable.” Christen threw back his shoulders and puffed out a chest that looked like it owed much to hours of bench press.
“Now.” Lucifer snarled. “Or there will be no listening to what you say. No help.”
Indecision crossed Bianca’s face.
She was frightened to be alone with him, and that was the only good sense she’d exhibited since this entire fuckfest had begun.
“Here.” Patty nudged Bianca’s arm with a tumbler full to the brim with red wine. “You look like you need this.”
Gaze locked with his, Bianca took a hefty swig. She swallowed, breathed deep, and nodded. “Right!”
The others jumped and stared at her expectantly.
“Let’s get him to the sofa. Then he and I are going to talk this out.” Her grim look was almost impressive. “And get him a glass of wine.”
Bianca wasn’t completely devoid of good sense then.
“I suppose you’ll need me to move him.” Weaz-adj flexed and preened to Carmen’s breathless delight.
Lynn scuttled closer. “I’ll hold the chair.”
The next three minutes made the entire operation thus far look like a smoothly executed military maneuver.
Weaz-adj’s attempts to move him ended with the other man red faced and sweating and Lucifer slumped ass teetering over the edge of the chair.
Finally, Weaz-adj bent and heaved Lucifer over his shoulder.
The amulet slipped over his head and clattered to the floor.
Everyone froze.
Lucifer’s power surged.
Bianca sprang, snatched the amulet up and tossed it over his head again. All without spilling a drop of her wine. Impressive and annoying. For one sweet second his power had crackled through him.
Still, he was much more comfortable on the overstuffed plaid sofa, and she did give him a generous sip from her tumbler.
They had an execrable taste in wine. But he lowered his standards and accepted a second sip. Wine, after all, was wine.
Weaz-adj hovered, and Lucifer turned his stare on him. Demons, hell princes, and archangels had all trembled before his stare. Weaz-adj folded like soggy toilet paper.
“Leave,” Lucifer said.
“I’ll…er…” Weaz-adj gestured to the door. “Leave Bianca in charge of prisoner liaison and just…er…go and…run the coven.”
Lucifer bared his teeth. “Smashing idea.”
“Are you sure that’s safe?” Carmen had the grace to look over her shoulder at Bianca as she followed Weaz-adj to the door. “Will she be safe with him?”
Not in a million years.
Patty wagged her forefinger from Lucifer’s one eye to the other. “Don’t like the way he’s eyeballing us.”
“I’m okay.” Poor, sweet deluded haglette drew her shoulders back. “I’m fine. I have him under control.”
“Well…if you’re sure.” Lynn backed out with the wheelchair. “I would stay, only I have to get the stuff back to the seniors’ home.”
“Hmm.” Patty squinted at him. “I don’t trust him.”
“Neither do I.” Bianca pointed to the amulet. “But as long as he’s wearing that, I can control him.”
She’d like to think that, and Lucifer was going to let her continue to do so.
“If you’re sure.” Patty dug in her enormous bag and produced a black security stick. She pressed a button, and it telescoped another three feet. Wrapping Bianca’s fingers around the handle, she said, “If he gives you any crap, you whack him with that.” She frowned. “Or would you prefer the taser?”
“No taser.” Bianca gaped at the stick in her hand. “Where did you get this? And the taser.”
“Ask me no questions, and I’ll tell you no lies.” Patty jabbed her middle and forefingers at her eyes and then at him. “I got your number, handsome.”
At least she acknowledged his striking good looks before the door clicked behind Patty.
And they were alone.
Lucifer smiled at Bianca. “Alone at last.”
Chapter Six
Bianca had herself a tiger by the tail. She gripped Patty’s security stick tighter and suppressed the urge to run after the others and ask them to stay.
Outside the cabin, car doors opened and closed. Lights illuminated the driveway as an engine started. Tires crunched over the dirt.
And Lucifer sat there like the devil he was and grinned at her. “You know there’s not a fucking chance I’m going to help you.”
She finished her wine and debated the wisdom of another glass but did it on the way to the wine bottle, so it was a foregone conclusion once she got there. “You haven’t heard what I want yet.”
