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Wila squelched the threatening hysterical laughter. “Now, why on earth would I believe that?”
“You haven’t even heard my offer yet?” it said with mock disappointment.
“I don’t need to hear it to know it’s utter bullcrap.”
It clicked its tongue against its teeth. “Such an angry Black woman. Positively a textbook stereotype.”
“I’m not an angry Black woman,” she shot back. “I’m an irritated Soccer Mom with a flaming sword. And I’ve got a hankering for demon shish kebab.” She lunged for the demon.
It danced out of reach of her steel. “Talk to your sisters, War. Before you all make a decision you’ll regret. I’ll be in touch.” It backed out of the housewares aisle and disappeared around the endcap.
Wila started to follow, but Gammy grabbed her right arm. “Don’t be a fool, child. He’s taunting you to get you to act stupid. While I’d do my best to watch your back, I’m not your sisters.”
“I don’t have any sisters,” Wila growled.
“Penny, Francine, and Dani may not be your kin by blood, but the four of you are tighter than any family.”
Gammy was right about the demon as much as it burned Wila to admit it. The bastard could have an associate waiting for her to leave Gammy alone. It wouldn’t be the first time the demons kidnapped a family member of the Soccer Moms to use as a hostage against them. As one of the resurrected, Gammy was super vulnerable. Only God knew was else the demons could do with a human soul.
Besides use them to kill the Soccer Moms of the Apocalypse.
And Gammy was right about the other Soccer Moms, too. They’d always been there when Wila needed someone. Even Francine, who normally irritated the hell out of Wila.
Wila closed her eyes and evened out her breathing. The weight of the steel in her hand faded. When she felt calm enough, she opened her eyes.
“Let’s pay for your colander, and get out of here,” she muttered.
“What about your own shopping list?” Gammy protested.
“Those things can wait.” Wila softened her voice. She didn’t need to take her bad mood over the demon out on her grandmother. “Right now, I need coffee and a talk with one of my so-called sisters.”
##
The parking lot in Java’s Palace was more than half full when Wila turned into it twenty minutes later. She and Gammy wasted fifteen of those minutes in the check-out line when Arrow’ store computer crashed and all the registers went down. If Wila were a betting woman, she’d lay a week’s paycheck the damn demon who’d confronted her was behind the computer issues.
She parked her red minivan next to Penny's white one. It would give Scarlett and Silver a chance to spend time together. Wila couldn’t say how she knew it, but the four Soccer Moms’ minivans/horses seemed to communicate with each other, especially about their drivers/riders. It was freaky as hell, but it was just one more element in the weirdness her life had become.
They entered the coffee shop. Penny’s assistant manager Josie grinned at them from beneath her mop of wild pink curls as they approached the counter.
“What can I make for you this morning, Wila?”
“My usual, Bubblegum, but I also need to talk to Penny. I thought she worked today.”
“She’s in the back doing inventory.” Josie reached for a large paper coffee cup and scribbled their code for a white chocolate mocha and handed it to Oliver who was manning the espresso machines.
“Gammy, order whatever you want. I’ll be right back.” Wila handed her grandmother her debit card and strode down the hallway toward the café’s store room. She opened the door. The light was on. “Hey, Penny!”
“I’m in the back!”
Wila followed Penny’s voice to the corner of the store room. “We’ve got a problem.”
“Besides my missing shipment of large cups?” Penny rose from where she crouched and counted plastic-wrapped stacks of coffee cups on a shelf. She set aside her clipboard and pen before she brushed an auburn lock that had escaped her ponytail behind her ear and grinned.
“More like demon trouble.”
Penny’s smile fell, and she swore under her breath. “Another team try to kill you and/or kidnap your grandmother?”
“Actually, this was a new tactic.” Wila hugged herself. Things could have gone very badly at the super store. “A demon approached me while Gammy and I were picking up some things at Arrow. He made some nasty comments, but nothing worse than the shit our dear Officer Pence has said to me.” The beat cop had it out for all the Soccer Moms because they failed to stop a demon from killing his own resurrected grandmother.
Wila frowned as she replayed this morning’s incident in her head. “The demon said it would help the Soccer Moms stop the Apocalypse for something other than our souls, but it didn’t specify what. It also said I needed to relay the offer to my sisters, and it would be in touch. And the weirdest part was that it just walked away. Not move to hurt me or Gammy, much less any threats.”
Penny’s right eyebrow rose. “Do you believe it?”
“It’s a different play than interfering in our lives or trying to kill us outright.” Wila shrugged. “But no, I don’t believe it. I can’t figure out why a demon would want to stop the Apocalypse.”
It was Penny’s turn to shrug. “Maybe they’re worried their boss will lose the war, and they won’t have humans as playthings anymore. Or one of the translations I said they’d be condemned to non-existence once the Lamb and His armies won.”
“Maybe.” Wila shook her head. “There’s something else. Gammy could see it was a demon.”
“Really?” Penny’s eyes widened. “My mother-in-law was trained on what to look for, but your grandmother?”
“I know. She caught me off guard, too.”
“If any of the other dead can see demons through a possession…” Penny’s attention was lost in her analysis of the situation from every conceivable angle.
“Has Francine or Dani mentioned anything about the dead being able to see demons?” Wila prompted.
“Neither of them has said anything to me,” Penny said. “Should we call them?”
“No. I’ll text a warning to them in case this idiot shows up again.” Wila sighed. “We can discuss it in depth during our girls’ night. Is Laura coming with you?”
“Yeah.” Penny grinned. “She likes you grandmother.”
“And the situation with Edward and Marian is still driving her crazy.” Wila laughed.
“She’s honestly trying to remind herself their vows were until death do us part.” Penny leaned closer to Wila. “Would you believe Gene told Edward if he didn’t like Laura staying with us, he could move in with Marian?”
“And what did Laura and Marian say to that?”
“Marian refuses to sleep with him, much less have him stay at her condo. She’s of the opinion Laura’s resurrection nullifies her death. Therefore, Edward and Laura are still technically married.” Penny sighed. “On the other hand, Laura says her death ended their marriage, she has the right to date, and Edward can—and I quote—go screw Deborah Gibson’s brains out—as far as Laura is concerned.”
Wila cocked her head. “Who the hell is Deborah Gibson?”
“A neighbor Edward was having an affair with while Laura was in hospice.”
“What!” Wila stared at Penny. “Mr. I’m So Conservative I Make the Amish Look Like Punk Rockers had an affair?”
“I’m afraid so.” Penny grimaced.
“I know damn well he wouldn’t admit that to Gene, much less you. And I thought Laura didn’t remember the last year or so of her life.”
Penny sighed. “She doesn’t. Deborah recognized Laura when we were at the grocery store over the weekend, and with the coming Apocalypse, she decided she needed to beg for Laura’s forgiveness for committing adultery with Edward.”
“Oh, my god. What did Laura do?”
“She cold-cocked the bitch.”
Wila pursed her lips in an attempt not to laugh.
Penny chuckled. “Go ahead and laugh. I did when it happened.”
Wila roared at the thought of some elderly woman thinking a badass demon hunter like Laura Hudson wouldn’t slap her silly for screwing with Laura’s husband.
When Wila finally got her mirth under control, she said, “This Gibson woman isn’t going to sue Laura, is she?”
Penny shrugged. “If she does, how’s the court going to handle it? Laura may be running around now, but legally, she’s dead.”
“Is that what you think, or is that what Fred Whittaker said?”
“It’s what the attorney Fred referred me to said,” Penny amended.
A chill ran through Wila. The demon she and Gammy encountered at Arrow claimed to be riding a lawyer, but the timing couldn’t be a coincidence. She pulled out her phone. “What’s the name of the guy you talked to?”
“Chance Paxton.”
Wila tapped the name into her phone. A local listing came up with a picture. Her heart stopped. She turned the phone to Penny. “This the guy?”
“Yeah.” Penny looked up at Wila, and her face turned sheet white. “No. Oh, no.”
“Yep. This was the demon who confronted me at Arrow.”
Wila wanted to scream. The shit that went down with Seth Rimmon had been bad enough. Through this Chance Paxton, the demon inside him could make their lives living hell.
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