Page 34 of Grave Throbbing
"Thanks." At first, Key didn't want to know, but then he wanted to see it. Unfortunately, they were pressed for time.
Once he and Greed carried the coffin to the truck and secured it to the back wall with ratchet straps, he patted the top of the coffin and hopped out of the truck, pulling the door shut behind him.
Santa pulled him in for a hug. "You can thank me by inviting me over to your swanky new place to meet your fancy new boyfriend."
Key nodded. "You bet."
"And look the other way if Fanglory is ever in trouble with the council."
"That might be a little harder to do." Key didn't yet know all the ins and outs of working for the council, but he had a feeling they would be a little tougher on vampire crime now that Empress Marcella had set a precedent with Dobbins's execution.
They said their goodbyes and made the short trip to their old apartment. They spent less time there than they had at Fanglory. They didn't have many belongings, nor did they know many people in the building, even after three years. Besides, everyone who might recognize them was already asleep.
Key drove the truck back to the apartment building and the guard at the desk gave them the key to the service elevator in the alley. Key had never lived in a building with a guard, let alone a service elevator.
"If it doesn't fit on the elevator," the guard said, "it won't fit in your apartment."
That statement had worried Key until he saw the size of the elevator. Two huge sectional couches could have fit in it facing each other corner to corner and left room for a gigantic coffee table in the middle. As it was, they had nothing larger than the double-wide coffin prop that looked out of place and ridiculous in Key's new apartment, especially since the only other furniture in the room was his own coffin, miniature by comparison.
"Harley's going to flip when he sees this thing," Greed said. "What time is he off work?"
"Four, I think."
Greed laughed. "We'll find out soon enough. I'm going to people-watch for the next few hours. You would not believe the number of people who walk by this building in the middle of the night! Oh, and I'm going to have a chat with Ithande. Harley forgot to mention—his tattoo artist girlie is hot!"
Key wanted to issue a warning about hurting Harley's friends, but he knew his sister. Greed would only hurt a human if they begged her.
"Don't forget to close the storm shutters!" he said instead.
"They're on a timer. They close five minutes before dawn every day, if they're open."
"All of them?"
Greed huffed another laugh at him. "Someone didn't read his texts from Head Councilor Newton last night. If you had, you would know this and tons of other vampire-friendly accommodations the council has made for its employees. We actually have benefits here. And I could get a cat if I wanted!"
Key leaned against the wall beside her and bumped her shoulder. "We did all right for ourselves this time, didn't we?"
"Took you long enough," she said. "He's been waiting for you as long as you've been waiting for him."
"Yeah, but the timing wasn't right."
She shook her head. "Timing is an excuse for cowards."
Key couldn't deny it. He'd been a coward for far too long. At least now, he was going to make it right.
When Harley joined him in his new apartment after work, Key led him directly to the bare minimum bedroom.
"What is that thing?"
"You don't recognize it?"
Harley gasped. "Why is the glory hole coffin in your apartment?"
"Fanglory didn't need it anymore. They're going for a more hands-on approach next Halloween, something called skeleton bone." Key shook his head. "Don't ask."
"Sounds … kinky."
"Kinkier than a coffin glory hole?"
