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"Angel?" Alec stepped closer, a raceful prowl

"Give me a minute" She turned away to wipe her tears and was arrested by the tall, exceptionally dressed figure lounging in the doorway

"Rough day, babe?" Reedbetter" She swiped impatiently at her cheeks

"How can I help?"

"Get the fuck out," Alec snarled "You’ve done enough dae"

"You only wish you could toss me out," Reed retorted

Eve’s circu happened for a reason She didn’t need to be religious to believe that And it would takeabout it Instead of feeling crushed, her deterure out the tengu

Deal with the Nix

Lose theto take a shower," she said, wanting out of her jeans, which were stiffened by the dried water froards to Gehenna Masonry You boys can either kill each other, or help my mom fold laundry"

They stared

"Or cook dinner, if you kno I’m starved" She waved over her shoulder on the way out the door

CHAPTER 13

Eve stared at her computer ood, hard cry in the shower--a shower that now had an alunostic, now had a cross hanging in her shower and the Mark of Cain on her arhter at her situation had come first, then the tears that wouldn’t stop She let it all out, her frustration and anger, her sadness and worry She was pretty sure she cried more tears than she ever had in her entire life And then she told herself that was all the self-pity she was going toin It took too much out of her

But the after out like a dish towel Both Reed and Alec watched her with guilt and wariness She’d finally retreated to her office to save them all the discomfort

Reed had folded laundry with her mom, while Alec made a thick hearty stew for dinner Miyoko insisted on cutting vegetables and offering spice suggestions, then she left for home with obvious reluctance Stubborn to the last Eve fully expected a phone call to why Reed--her supervisor--would coood excuse by then

Presently, she was using Google in her search for information about Gehenna Masonry She had been distracted for a tiido Industries It existed And Alec was listed as the CEO and founder The naeddon Alec had called hi in disaster avoidance She had to laugh at his twisted sense of hulanced up and discovered hi in the doorway as he’d been when he first arrived It was an insolent pose with his hands in his pockets and his pale blue dress shirt open at the throat The roo froerously coned nonchalance No matter what he did or said, she couldn’t dispel theWhat’s up?"

"What’s up with you?"

"I’aze returned to the ?"

"Fine It’s hard to know if you’ve found what you’re looking for when you don’t knohat it is" She watched him enter the rooer The brothers moved so differently, yet they affected her equally "Where’s Alec?"

"Checking the balcony for any water leaks"

"Because of the Nix?"

"Yes"

"Can he get in that way?"

"He can get in anywhere there’s a water source" Reed stood beside her, staring down He watched her with that indecipherable look she was becoot the "I want to juret, and sympathy--she didn’t understand those

Eve turned in her chair and leaned back to look up at hih he presented an intilow froel "Gehenna is a relatively local company," she said "They’re based in Upland, California"