Page 42 of The Hangman's Rope

“Isn’t that coffee?” I asked. “Like a coffee dessert?”

“Yes, it is,” she said.

I frowned. “Coffee this late for me sounds like a bad idea.”

“Chocolate torte for Lorelai,” Madisyn said.

“Ooo, make that two!” Lainey declared.

“You? Taking a pass on coffee?” Madisyn bantered looking at the dark-haired woman like she was an alien baby or something.

“It’s been known to happen!” Lainey protested and Madisyn sniffed.

“Totally sus,” she declared, tucking some of her blonde hair behind her ear. “Forty-to forty-five minutes,” she said as she tapped a button and her phone made a noise as though it had sent her order by jet propulsion.

“What should we try next?” Valory stood looking at me, her hands on her ample hips, fingertip tapping her wide belt over her pencil skirt.

“Let’s go through the jeans,” Madisyn said. “I want to finish tonight so we can take back all the rejects tomorrow.”

“Sounds good,” Valory went over to a different set of bags and started rooting through them.

I just kind of stood there and blinked, hands smoothing over the bodice of the dress that I was falling in love with by the minute.

“Buckle up with these two,” Lainey declared. “We’re going to be at this all night.”

I laughed; half-afraid she might be right.

Chapter Thirteen

Hangman…

I felt better that she was surrounded by the girls as I walked down to the clubhouse. I cast a longing look as I passed by my bike, her chrome gleaming under the high overhead fluorescent lighting here in the garage. I was dying to go for a ride, but business had gotten in the way and making sure Lorelai felt safe had become my top priority.

She was this amazing amalgamation of both compliant and defiant that I found intriguing. She spoke her mind respectfully but also really weighed the pros and cons of her situation carefully. She was measured and controlled, and I liked that about her. I think I liked it even more that she was quiet. Contemplative. Almost to the point of being meditative. She had every reason to be freaking the fuck out over what had and was happening to her but she simply refused. She remained calm, almost placid, and I appreciated that.

I needed calm. That’s why I kept to myself among the dead. I didn’t like who I was when I got worked up. It was almost… I don’t know. I didn’t like it.

“Hey, what’s up homie? How’s it going with the dead girl?” Death asked me as I rounded the corner into the bar room upstairs.

“She was onlymostlydead,” I said and Haint nearly had beer come out of his nose as he’d been taking a swallow when I made the crack. He got it. Death only shook his head at me.

“I guess Reaper’s dick in your hand is enough to raise you from the dead,” Corvus said with an almost pained grin on his face.

“I keep saying,” Specter said. “Ain’t you ever cracked a cold one after a long day? Guess our boy’s version is just a little different from the rest of us.”

“Fucking get it out of your systems,” I said and then I fixed Specter with a look, “And don’t youevercrack that one in front of Lorelai again.”

“Dude,what?” Corvus demanded and looked from me to Specter aghast.

“Yeah,” I said.

“What the fuck is wrong with you, man?” Haint shook his head in disgust.

“What? I didn’t actually fuckin’doanything!” Specter’s defense was a thin one at best and the rest of the guys were already subconsciously distancing themselves from him.

“Grim and Reaper here yet?” I asked. Corvus shook his head.

“Not yet, no – Tor’s cooking up some barbecue out there we’re fixing to eat while we talk.”

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