Sweet Evil (The Sweet Trilogy #1)(23)

I could not stop thinking about Kaidan Rowe.

I wondered exactly what it entailed to be the child of a demon. One without the balance of an angel side. He had been helpful and kind to me the night of the party, in his own brutish way.

Knowledge of what I was only fueled the fiery need within me to know more. I had so many questions. Patience was a virtue I’d never had a problem with until now. I needed to stay busy. Getting a job was first on my priority list.

I went to Paula’s Dairy Bar just outside of our neighborhood, within walking distance, and was hired on the spot. The owner’s only rules: Smile. And don’t give away my ice cream for free! Yes, ma’am. I could manage both of those.

I worked and tried to keep my mind occupied. I jogged every day, sometimes twice, read a lot of books, and spent time researching on the internet about angels and demons. I had no idea whether anything I read was true or if it was all just folklore.

A month passed, and I now had a couple hundred dollars saved. We were getting closer. But no amount of keeping busy could make me stop thinking about him. He was so near. I was sure he had at least some of the answers to my questions. But I had made a promise.

Patti was being her usual cautious self, but if Kaidan intended to hurt me, he would have done it, right? She was imagining him as something terrible, but if she met him, she’d see he was just a kid, only special, like me. I sat tapping the phone with my finger, debating, then picked it up and dialed.

“Hello?” he said.

“Hi, Jay.”

“Hey, princess of Popsicles! Queen of curlicue cones.”

“Nice alliterations.”

“Thank you very much. I try. So, what’s up with you?”

“Actually, I was wondering if, um...”

“Yeeees?” he said. I bit the inside of my lip.

“Is Lascivious playing anytime soon?” I blurted.

Complete silence.

“Jay? Hello?”`

“Sorry, I just passed out for a sec.”

“Very funny.”

“You wanna see Kaidan,” he teased.

I exhaled into the receiver. “Yes. I do. I want to talk to him. This is going to sound really random, but I think our dads might know each other.”

“Really? That is random. How do you figure?”

“Just some things he said when I talked to him, and some things I’ve found out from other people since then. Anyway, are they playing soon?”

“They’ve been playing venues around the state and in Alabama some. Let me hit up a few people and I’ll call you back.”

“Thank you.”

I hung up and walked around the apartment, straightening things here and there, trying to pass the time. I didn’t have any set chores. Patti and I always did whatever needed to be done at the time. I took out a duster and made my way around the house, barely noticing what I touched with it. When the phone rang, I dropped the duster on a shelf and ran.

“Hello?”

“Hey. They’re not playing around here for another two weeks, but I know their practice schedule.” Jay’s band-stalking tendencies were coming in handy. “They practice at Kaidan’s place. Greg says there’s this whole sweet setup in his basement for the band. According to Greg, Kaidan always has the house to himself.”

“Where’s his dad?” My stomach dropped at the thought of his demonic father.

“His dad works in New York City. He commutes in his own private jet. Crazy, huh? I don’t know how hard it’ll be to get into the band’s practice, but I can take you, just to see.”

That sounded horribly awkward, but it was all I had to work with.

“Okay,” I told him.

There were people pouring out of the front doors. Jay had gotten us through the Rowes’ private gate by telling the man on the speaker we were friends of Kaidan’s. Judging by the number of cars, a lot of people came to watch them practice. It looked like they’d had a miniconcert or a party. Jay stopped his car on the side of the circular driveway lined with vehicles. There was a fountain in the middle of the circle, directly in front of an enormous house made of gray stone, with hundreds of rose vines lining the giant arched doorway and windows. It was as close to a castle as I had ever seen, only there was no Prince Charming waiting inside.

“Want me to come in with you?” Jay asked.

“It might be better if I talk to him alone.”

“That’s cool. There’s this instrument store out here I’ve been wanting to see anyway. Just call me when you’re ready for me to pick you up.”

“’Kay, thanks.”

I got out and walked up to the door, passing people who were leaving. When I lifted my hand to knock, the door swung open. The lead singer of Lascivious, Michael, stood there in tight black jeans with a swanky girl under his arm.

“Practice is over,” he said, brushing past me.

“I just need to talk to Kaidan,” I said. He shrugged, walking away.

“Suit yourself,” he said over his shoulder. “He’s downstairs. Probably busy by now.”

I walked into the wide-open foyer filled with gleaming hardwoods and a grand staircase. I felt like an intruder as I followed the sound of voices through a dining room with elaborate china place settings, to an open doorway with carpeted stairs leading down. Two girls in miniskirts came up the steps, one of them stomping her feet and cussing as she went. Sounds of percussion began in the basement, following the girls upward.