Page 17 of Etched in Stone
“Okay, you want it done or okay you want to go back to the other roof?”
“Yes.”
Without any other warning, Ray scooped her up in his arms, spread his wings and strode off the edge of the building. They didn’t so much as fly down as float, or perhaps glide. She wrapped her hands tightly around his neck and once down, he folded his wings about them.
“Are you going to put me down now?” she asked.
He didn’t say anything. He just sort of looked at her funny. She touched his skin. It was cool to the touch but soft under the rippled stony gray skin.
“How do you work, anyway?” she inquired.
He set her down, but he didn’t let her go. She tilted her head up to look at him. He was taller than she had realized, probably because he’d been sitting down for most of her life. It also made sense that Ray always wore a fedora. It was tall and wide enough to give him the illusion of being shorter.
Her fingers stroked his neck, almost absently, getting the feel of him as a man, not as a stone statue.
“It makes more sense now,” she said. “How you could demolish a bathroom in a day, and be completely spotless and sweat-free minutes later.”
Still he said nothing. He just stared at her mouth. She’d begun to stare at his. It was wide and he clearly had fangs, but what kind of kisser would he be? What would it feel like to press into his cool skin? Did he have a tongue? Of course he had a tongue. How could he talk without a tongue?
He lowered his head and she tilted her chin up to meet his kiss. It was hot and demanding and sent sparks down to her toes. His tongue swept into her mouth and her knees threatened to buckle.
There was a pounding. Was it in her head? No, it was at her door. She broke off the kiss.
“Oh God. That’s the door. I should get it. Do you have a bat?”
That statement didn’t seem to amuse him. He headed toward the door.
“Ray. Is that really your name? Ray? Wait up! Aren’t you afraid of someone seeing you like that?”
She trailed after him.
“No, that’s not how it works.”
“How what works?”
Ray peered through the peephole on the door. “Who the hell is that?”
“Well, move over and let me look.” She squeezed passed him Behind the door, she could see a rather nervous looking Luis. He wasn’t making any qualms about hiding the baseball bat in his hands.
She threw back the dead bolts and opened the door.
“Who’s that?” both Ray and Luis asked at nearly the same time. From his reaction, Jesse could tell that Luis was indeed seeing Ray the old man, not the gray monster.
“Ray, Luis. Luis, Ray.” she introduced.
“What are you planning on doing with the bat, Luis?” Ray said.
Luis tried to tuck the bat behind his back.
“My boys told me that the blue boy was back.”
Jesse smiled. “You didn’t actually have to keep an eye on me.”
“We ain’t keeping an eye on you. We’re keeping an eye on our street. You know, head off
problems before they get into the family bodega and practice their little five finger discounts.”
Except Luis and a bat was probably no match for Pablo. She’d have no problem believing that Pablo carried several guns beneath that smooth exterior of a suit.
