The Price of Possession by Dakota Brown (phonics story books txt) 📕

The garlic smell made my stomach grumble constantlyand I hoped we got around to ordering soon. Not that I wasn't interested in thepizza shop drama, but I was also interested in food.

Another woman, with dark hair and high cheekbones anda hesitant smile, came over once we were seated. "Do you want me to letyou yell at Billy first, or do you want to order?"

Price glanced at the woman, eyebrows raised, beforeshe burst out laughing. "We'll order really quickly, Rebecca. It's been ahell of a day and I think we're all hungry. My normal, large, and whatever hewants." She gestured toward me.

I ordered a pizza with all the meat and water todrink.

Rebecca headed off to put our order in and Billypulled up a chair, spun it around and sat in it backward. "So, yes or no?"He gestured at the nearest pizza pentagram.

"Keep it," Sabian urged.

Price turned her attention to Mal. He looked like hewas trying to fight off a grin, and he nodded his agreement with Sabian.

Price sighed and turned to Billy. "Why me?"

Her manager grinned. "We hoped you would like it."

"Guess it's all right," Price allowed.

"Do you want to see our menu suggestions?"

She buried her face in her hands. "No, just runwith it. Have fun. Try not to summon any actual demons."

Billy laughed, got up, and put his chair back at theother table. As if that were the signal, Rebecca brought over our drinks.

Once we were alone, Price ran her hand through thelong part of her hair and sighed again. "Right, where were we?"

"You were going to tell me how you knew to showup and save my ass," I prompted. "And maybe explain what the hell isgoing on?"

She nodded. "That's right. Okay, so, I got no ideawhy they wanted you, mate. Anything special about you?"

Yeah, but I didn't know them well enough to tell themmy secrets yet. I shrugged.

Price smiled, as if reading into that and acceptingthat I probably had an idea of what she was referring to, but didn't want tosay it.

"Right. So, I'm an exorcist. The staff found outlast week. That's where all the," she gestured at the décor, "extratouches came from."

I raised my eyebrows. "Really?"

"Yeah. Anyway, friend of mine came to me not longago and asked if I could help him with a tricky case. Long story short, we'renow entangled in some sort of demonic power play that is leaking into our world.These drug runner folks seem to have figured out how to bind demons into charmsand are using them to up the power on their minions. They're also trying tosummon a demon prince and bind him. I think that's what they were doing at yourplace." Price studied me while I took in her words.

I couldn't deny that I was having a hard timeprocessing what she said and believing her, but everything rang with truth. Shewasn't lying. And, considering my own abilities, I had to accept that there wasmore out there than was generally acknowledged. Still...a demonic power playspilling into our world?

She gave me a sympathetic smile. "Trust me, I getit, and I already believed in demons. Just never thought I'd be helping theminstead of fighting them."

"You're helping them?" That certainly mademe uneasy.

"Common goals, mate. They don't want to be here,at least in this context, and I don't want them here."

Anything else was interrupted by the arrival of ourpizza.

We spent the next few minutes scarfing pizza, though Idid pause long enough to notice that Mal didn't eat any. He did drink theginger beer Price had ordered for him, though. Interesting. Sabian's attentionwas glued to Price while she ate her pizza with obvious bliss on her face.

There weren't any leftovers by the time the three ofus who were actually eating were done with the pizza, and Price leaned back inher chair, looking content.

"Okay, so demons. That still doesn't answer howyou knew to come save me."

"Oh, yeah, right. Well, those demons who arebeing somewhat helpful because they're not real excited about what's happeningto them, tipped us off and we raced to the rescue."

I nearly choked on my water. "Wait, seriously? Iowe my life to some demons?"

"Yeah, I wouldn't let them in on that idea. They'restill demons. They might let it go to their heads." Price looked a touchuneasy at that idea.

The cold chill in the pit of my stomach echoed herunease.

"You're just filling me with all sorts of warmfuzzies." I took a breath and tried to center myself. When I got freakedout too badly, that's when strange things happened. When my… abilities, if Iwanted to call them that, came out. I still wasn't sure why I hadn't been ableto get out of those bonds. It shouldn't have been difficult. Maybe some of themagic that woman had been using had prevented me?

"Okay, so why can't you two touch me?" Ipointed at the other two men.

Sabian and Mal traded a confused look before they bothshrugged.

"We don't know," Sabian answered.

His voice made me think of velvety chocolate and Ididn't typically think of men in those sorts of terms. He just oozed sex, evento me. It was a touch uncomfortable when he turned his attention fully on me.

I tried not to squirm while he studied me.

Mal also stared. From him, I got a predatory feel, asif he might consider eating me and not in any way that might even be remotelyfun.

"Maybe it has something to do with thoseabilities you don't want to tell us about," Price added. "No worries,mate. We all got secrets. Though, I guess you know mine." She rolled hereyes and gestured at the signs. "Everyone does, apparently."

That broke the tension and I chuckled. "Well, beingable to send demons back to hell is kinda cool."

She shrugged. "Yeah, I guess. Okay, so you got aplace in mind to stay, mate?"

I really couldn't place her accent. I thought it wasat least partially British, but whatever it was, it fit Price in a way that waskind of uncanny.

"No. Guess any decent hotel would be fine fornow."

"You should stay with Chris," Mal saidslowly. "I have a feeling you're not entirely safe yet."

"And