Page 5 of Pleasantly Undead in Dark River

Judge looked up when he heard us approach, and his smile when he looked at me was the most beautiful thing I’d ever seen. It was pure temptation, like sex and sin in one expression. “Hey, Rainey Day. You hungry?” His eyes told me he didn’t mean for cheese fries.

I leaned in and kissed him, because I would definitely be taking him up on that later. But right now I wanted cake.

Well, maybe a little.

I sat beside Judge and Nico took the other side of him. Despite the fact that he’d pledged to the town, people still hadn’t warmed up to my drifter, probably because it had gotten out that he’d been an Enforcer once upon a time. The fear of the Enforcers had only doubled since Lucius’ little foray into town.

But Nico didn’t have that standoffishness. Nico was more powerful than anyone really comprehended, except for Judge and X who were almost related to him, and me because I had tasted his blood and I knew deep in my soul he was powerful. Even now, the small taste of his blood was a vivid memory. I wanted more, but the idea scared the shit out of me too.

I looked over at the man in question, who was perusing the menu like he hadn’t seen it every day for the last hundred or so years.

Beatrice bustled over. “Hello, Lass. I saw your young man in here earlier with-” she lowered her voice. “Alexander of the Shifters.” I nodded. “It's why it is so busy now. Everyone was waiting for them to leave.”

I winced, and she must have read the apology on my lips because she waved a hand at me. “Don’t even think of apologizing. You have no control over the people of this town. But this good-for-nothing has been warming my counter watching over him like a mother hen.”

I raised an eyebrow at Judge, who just grunted. “He’s fucking old and a shifter. I don’t trust him with Tex.”

He may as well have taken out a huge billboard that said “I love Tex” in flashing neon colors. I didn’t press it though, because Judge was more skittish than a manwhore at a shotgun wedding.

“He’s got Tex’s best interest at heart,” I said to Beatrice.

She scoffed. “Yeah, I’m sure it's just altruism he has in heart.” She gave Judge a soft look, and then cleared her throat. “What can I get for you, Nico?”

Nico got a steak, and I got one too, plus cake. “Bert has been experimenting with deep-fried cake pops for you, Lass. I’ll let him know you’re here.”

I groaned and made literal heart eyes. “I love him so much.”

Beatrice laughed. “Don’t tell him that, or he’ll be petitioning to join your harem.” She waggled her eyebrows and I blushed a ferocious shade of red. Judge laughed, and even Nico was grinning as she bustled away.

“Don’t you laugh,” I said to Judge, nudging him in the ribs.

“I wouldn’t dream of it, Rainey Day.” I leaned my head on his shoulder and he didn’t disappoint me. He kissed my forehead. “You smell like smoke.”

I nodded, giving Nico the stink-eye when he chuckled. “I was over at The Immortal Cupcake. I was trying to bake.”

Because he had excellent survival skills, he didn’t acknowledge the fact I saidtrying.Definitely not succeeding. I told Judge about the dick on my doorstep, and my visit from Lucius, both of which made him frown and look at Nico, who looked equally perturbed. Logically, I knew it was a problem, but it was hard to think of him and be horrified when I wanted to hump his mirror image into next week.

We demolished our food in companionable silence, talking about how Lewellyn over at the recycling plant had reattached his finger himself with fishing line rather than go see the new doctor in town. Apparently, having the Executioner as a doctor was freaking the townspeople out, which was concerning to Nico but amusing as fuck to Judge.

Eventually, Bert emerged from the kitchen with little balls of deep-fried goodness dusted with powdered sugar.

They smelled amazing. When he placed the whole bowl in front of me, I didn’t hesitate to taste one. Bert loved creating me deep-fried amazingness, and I enjoyed eating the guilt free food. Coronary disease? Didn’t matter when your heart hardly beat.

The crunchy outer coating gave way to the softest, fluffy center and I moaned out loud. Holy shit. What was this amazingness? “Holy hell, Bert. I’m leaving all these assholes for you, and we can run away together and you can make me deep-fried foods and really test whether vampires can get diabetes.”

Bert blushed and Beatrice cackled. “You like them? Good,” he grunted, and then hurried back to the kitchen. Beatrice patted my arm and went back to taking orders. I ate another cake ball and groaned. Honestly, these were amazing.

“You want to be alone with your deep-fried bakery goods?” Judge whispered in my ear. “Because if you don’t stop making that noise, I’m going to bend you over this counter and fuck you until my cock makes you mewl like that.”

My body shuddered as pleasure raced down my spine. He’d do it too. Judge gave zero fucks about propriety. I caught the same hot look in Nico’s eyes, and I bit my lip. He looked like he’d be happy to throw his reputation to the wind too in that moment. Instead of screaming yes like I really wanted to, I stuffed a cake ball into Judge’s mouth.

“You can’t understand my pleasure until you’ve had one of Bert’s sweet, sweet balls in your mouth,” I growled back, barely keeping my face straight.

Judge screwed up his nose and Nico threw back his head and laughed. I grinned, happy as hell in that moment. Nico would fit in with us fine. I didn’t have to worry about him tipping the fragile balance of our little love nest too much.

Chapter Four

My eyes shot open in the middle of the night, and it took me a moment to orientate myself. I was wrapped around Tex’s body, Walker at my back. I could hear the faint thud of his heart over Tex’s more rabid one.

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