Ripper (Hunter #1)(41)

The orange juice was sweet, though it had the slightest hint of peppermint. Interesting. I took another drink, the juice cool on my tongue.

“In a sense.” Syl took off his suit coat and rolled up his sleeves with practiced grace, further exposing inches of red skin. “I could be the focal point for his talents if only he could be persuaded to use them. He prefers to pretend they do not exist, so they flash on him at the oddest times.”

I slid onto the barstool and watched the little demon toil. He seemed perfectly comfortable talking to me now that he had ascertained I wasn’t a working girl. He was efficient and quick, and within minutes I couldn’t tell that Gray had cooked breakfast at all. “Are you talking about his prophecy powers?”

His red eyes widened and a big grin came across his face, showing off his small, curved fangs. “He has already told you of his gifts? I thought he would play it more coyly. This is exciting. And you accept his parentage? Many would not.”

I didn’t like it. It was creepy to think that Gray had a father working his mojo on the Hell plane, but then I wasn’t exactly blessed in the fatherhood department. I couldn’t expect Gray to overlook a crappy dad on my side if I wasn’t willing to do the same for him. “We don’t get to pick our parents.”

“No, we do not,” Syl agreed. “I suspect my master would have selected a different sire had he been given the choice. He rarely speaks with his father. The master really only acknowledges the Hell Lord when he…forces the issue.”

“I probably don’t want to know how a Hell Lord forces the issue.” Jamie had said something about Gray being at war with his father.

Syl shook his head sharply. “No, miss, you do not. It would be easier on my master if he simply took the call in the first place. He is a stubborn boy. Perhaps he is coming around though. We all learn in the end.”

“What are you doing here, Syl?” Gray’s harsh question broke the quiet little repartee Syl and I had established. Gray walked in from the den and he’d changed into jeans and a black T-shirt. His eyes were on Syl, his whole face tense. “I told you to stay away today. I called you last night.”

The demon dropped his head and submissively bowed. “I apologize, my lord. I did not check my voice mail. I was merely attempting to clean the kitchen and to see if there was any way possible I could help the lovely female you brought home to mate with last night.”

I choked on my drink as the laughter bubbled up, but Gray didn’t see the comedy.

“You will keep your mouth shut about her, Syl,” Gray ordered, his face hard as granite as he bore down on the servant. “Now go. You can stay in the guesthouse or…wherever. I don’t care, but I don’t want you around her, do you understand? You tell the rest of them to stay away from her, too.”

The demon refused to look Gray in the eyes as he slid by and slunk toward the door leading to the patio. There was a pool in the backyard and a small structure that must be the guesthouse Gray was talking about.

Syl stopped at the door, though he didn’t turn around. “I apologize if I offended you with my presence, miss.”

“I wasn’t upset at all.” I felt sorry for the little guy. He slunk away quietly and I turned to Gray.

“Don’t, Kelsey,” Gray said immediately. “Don’t you let him in an inch. That’s what they do. He’s a demon, a full blood.”

“He seemed perfectly nice.” I finished off my juice. He made a mean fresh-squeezed juice, but Gray didn’t seem to want to hear praise for his staff.

“That’s how they trap you. Do you think they’d ever get anyone to sign a contract if they came at you with fangs bared? They come off as charming and quirky and then, when you think they couldn’t possibly be so bad, that’s when they get you.”

I was a little offended that he seemed to think I couldn’t handle one small demon. He’d been the one who couldn’t see through an illusion. I’d known right away there was something wrong with Syl. He hadn’t fooled me. “I’ll try not to let him get me, then. He wasn’t trying to get me to sign a contract, Gray. He was offended at the thought that you brought a hooker back to the place where you should only enjoy marital bliss.”

I was rewarded with Gray’s mouth hanging open in complete shock. He stared at me for a moment before giving in to the urge and laughing until the force of it shook his whole body.

“He thought you were a hooker?” Gray managed to wheeze. “Why the hell would he think you were a hooker? I’ve never been to a hooker in my life.”

“He did seem surprised.” I had to fess up. “I might have mentioned you were a great tipper.” Gray shook his head and I felt compelled to explain. “He told me you never spent more than one night with any female.”

“That’s bullshit, Kelsey,” Gray said, sitting on the barstool beside me. “I’ve had girlfriends before. They were never serious, but then I’m only thirty and I’ve been looking for you for the last several years, so I think I can be forgiven for not settling down.” He reached out and grabbed my hand. “I’m sorry, sweetheart. Syl…he’s a constant reminder of a life I’ve tried to leave behind. I’ve tried to get rid of him on many occasions. When I fire him and refuse to let him work he causes trouble. Lots of trouble. It’s better that I let him do a little work and ignore him for the most part.”