Page 62 of Half Dead

I resisted the urge to kick his shin under the table. “Why don’t you make yourself comfortable in the parlor room and I’ll bring the brandy?”

“I believe I passed the room on the way in.” Lucifer looked at Kane. “Will you join me, old friend?”

“In a minute.”

Once Lucifer exited the kitchen, Kane steered me into the powder room and shut the door behind us.

“This bathroom is due to be cleaned tomorrow,” I warned him, “so it’s as dirty as your mind right now.”

Kane’s face remained stony. “I didn’t pull you in for a quickie. I want to talk about Lucifer.”

“Can’t we wait until he’s gone? The sink is poking into my butt.”

He eased back so that I was no longer pressed against the edge. “What game is he playing?”

“No clue, but he’s laying it on thick.”

Kane clenched his fists in frustration. “He excels intorture and that’s exactly what this is. He knows I’m waiting for the other shoe to drop, so he’s drawing it out. Pretending to have good intentions to lull us into a false sense of security.”

I shrugged. “That’s what we’ve been doing, too.” Not that it was working. Lucifer hadn’t let anything slip so far, but I’d seen that nasty gleam in his eye at Otto’s house. The real demon was fully operational behind the mask.

Kane let loose a deep sigh that must’ve been building all night. “You’re not falling for any of it, are you? Promise me we’re still on the same team.”

I planted a quick kiss on his mouth. “Always. Now let’s see if we can loosen his lips with that brandy.”

I squeezed past him and opened the door. Kane reluctantly joined Lucifer in the parlor room, while I returned to the kitchen for the brandy. Nana Pratt immediately chased me away.

“I’ll take care of it. For the love of God, don’t leave those two alone,” she hissed.

I hurried to the parlor room to a relatively calm scene. Kane sat in a wingback chair, as stiff as a British upper lip. Lucifer sat on the sofa, appearing hypnotized by the fire that blazed in front of him.

“It’s a cozy room, isn’t it?” I asked, joining him on the sofa.

He ran a hand along the cushion. “I adore the red leather. It’s a real statement piece.”

I felt a surge of pride. “Thank you.”

Nana Pratt delivered three brandy snifters on a tray. I noticed that she didn’t leave afterward. She and Ray huddled in the corner, watching us with trepidation.

“A toast,” Lucifer said, raising his glass. “To closure.”

I clinked my glass against his. Kane lifted his in a half-hearted gesture and quickly lowered it again.

“I believe the time has come to lay my cards on the table before I’ve worn out my welcome.”

“You were never welcome,” Kane said.

I shot him a pointed look.

“I didn’t think I would manage to fool you, but I admit it was entertaining to try.” Lucifer downed the brandy and returned the empty glass to the tray. “Come now. You didn’t really think I ventured all this way to make amends, did you? I’m Lucifer, my susceptible darling.”

Who was he calling susceptible?

Nana Pratt gasped. “But he seemed so sincere.”

Kane shot to his feet. A flaming sword now burned where his arm had been, as though he’d been anticipating this very moment, which no doubt he had.

“Keep them away from the library,” Ray yelled. “Those shelves are brand new.”

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