Page 64 of Dark Obsession

“Oh.” Cody flexed the hand Bastian had struck, flinching slightly. “I’m okay.” He stepped aside. “Demmy?”

“No, I’m⁠—”

“Wait!” Beverly Sue dropped the garlic launcher and held both hands out toward them. “Are you the Critter Catchers? Are you Cody and Demetrius?”

“Jesus fucking Christ,” Cody muttered, rubbing his face.

Demmy switched on his professional smile. “Yes, we’re the original Critter Catchers duo. I’m Demetrius, and this is Cody.”

Beverly Sue made a face and gave him an exaggerated wave. “Oh, stop it. The whole county knows who you two are.” She took a couple of steps closer and lowered her voice. “Did those vamps chasing you come from inside that bar? ‘Cause they’re not supposed to be doing that, and we should tell Marlowe right away if they did.”

Demmy stammered over his response, but Cody closed the distance between him and Beverly Sue and asked, “You know Marlowe?”

“Oh sure, I’ve known her all my life. This place has been in my family for five generations. My great-great grandpa built it. His name was also Hortense.” The dog woofed quietly again at hearing his name as she bent to pick up the garlic launcher. “Come on inside.” She turned for the house, waving for them to follow. “You can use the bathroom. Did you leave your car at the bar?”

“Um, yeah,” Cody said.

“I can give you a life back over if you like.”

Cody exchanged a look with Demmy, who shrugged back, and they fell in behind her.

It was a two-story farmhouse, with a covered porch wrapping around both ends. Inside was polished dark wood floors and plaster walls. She led the way down a hall to a modernized kitchen where she gestured toward a small door.

“Bathroom’s there.”

Demmy headed for it, and Cody dropped onto a stool at a wide island. He rested the side of his head against his palm and stared at Beverly Sue.

“You deal with this a lot?” he asked. “People running through your corn field?”

“It happens,” she said with a slight shrug. Then her eyes widened and she inched closer. “Did you get turned to a werewolf? Or was it Demetrius?”

“It was Demmy,” he said automatically then bolted off the stool. “How the hell do you know about that?”

She flashed a big smile. “My great aunt lived in Parson’s Pines back then, and I was staying over to help her out after her hip surgery. I saw the whole thing from her living room window.” Her expression softened. “You were both really brave going up against that awful man.”

Demmy stepped out of the bathroom. He’d washed the dirt from his face and smoothed down his hair. “Your turn.”

“Just in time.” Cody practically ran for the bathroom. As he closed the door, he heard Beverly Sue say, “What was it like to be a werewolf?”

After he’d peed, Cody splashed water on his face and ran his wet fingers through his hair. The skin under his eyes was bruised, and the wound across his chest had started to ache in time with his hand. It didn’t feel like anything was broken, but he’d probably have a damn big bruise. He splashed more water against his face, patted it dry, and then returned to the kitchen.

Beverly Sue reached for the stainless steel refrigerator. “Waters?”

Cody nodded along with Demmy, and she passed them each a plastic bottle. Then she looped her arm through the handle of a large canvas tote and fished around inside until she produced a ring with a great number of keys.

“Ready?”

“So, um…” Cody started back down the hall behind her. “Could you tell us more about how you met Marlowe? When you realized what happens at her bar?” He noticed a strand of garlic bulbs strung from side to side above the door, and a long silver bar leaning against the frame. Beverly Sue was prepared.

“Yeah,” Demmy said. “That would be really interesting to hear.”

“Oh, like I said, I grew up knowing who she was and what she used to do. But she’s known my family all our lives.” She stopped to look back. “Like, my whole family.” She waved a hand above her head, apparently indicating every member. “We give her space to do her thing, don’t cause trouble, and be careful when we go out at night.” She brandished the garlic launcher as an example. “She pays whichever lineage lives here a monthly installment. That’s how great-grandpa paid off the loan on the land. And that’s how my dad upgraded the kitchen.”

She started for the car again, the tote bag bumping her hip with each step.

“So, Marlowe takes care of your family?” Demmy said.

Beverly Sue reached a bright yellow Mini Cooper and pulled open the driver’s door. She tossed her tote bag into the footwell of the passenger seat then whistled. Hortense plodded around a corner of the house and up to the car. The dog scrambled into the driver’s seat, and Beverly Sue shoved him across the console to the passenger side. Nodding to the rear door, she said, “Mind your head and shins.”