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Vic looked like he was bursting with curiosity, but he reined it in until after they finished dinner. He filled Simon in on the highlights of his day, as well as what he had uncovered pertaining to the Ocean Visions situation.

He poured wine for both of them and handed Simon a glass. “Now. Zombies?”

Simon gave him a recap of what he and Donnelly had found but skirted the cause of the fire for plausible deniability, not wanting to put his cop husband in a compromising position. By now, he felt sure Vic could read between the lines and knew enough about the concept of cleansing fire to fill in the blanks.

“Are you okay? Did you get hurt? They didn’t bite you, did they?” Vic sounded worried.

Simon shook his head. “No. I’m fine. Donnelly is very good at what he does. Scary good, actually. I’m glad he’s on our side. And for the record, real zombies are even more terrifying than in the movies.”

“Wow, that’s…impressive. And I’m guessing you don’t want to watch Night of the Living Dead tonight?”

Simon barked a wry laugh. “Yeah, maybe not tonight.”

Vic picked an action flick without undead characters, and they shared popcorn and the rest of the wine on the couch.

“How can I make you feel better?” Vic sat close to Simon so they touched from shoulder to hip.

“This is a good start.” Simon reached out to put his hand on Vic’s chest so he could feel his husband’s beating heart. “So is this.”

“Glad to oblige.” Vic gently kissed Simon’s jawline. “What else?”

“Hold me. Proof of life and all that.” Simon and Vic had each been through enough harrowing experiences that they both understood the importance of aftercare following traumatic experiences.

“I can do that.” Vic continued to hug and kiss Simon, gently stroking his arm or shoulder, providing reassurance without expecting it to become sexual.

“Maybe by morning I’ll be up to rocking your socks off.” Simon didn’t want to disappoint.

“If you are, great. And if not, we’ll get back to it. What matters is that you’re safe, we’re together, and you headed off what could have been a major disaster. My hero,” Vic added without a trace of sarcasm.

By morning, a good night’s sleep had worked wonders to put Simon in a more romantic frame of mind, and they started the day with a sensuous, reaffirming round of sex before Vic left for work.

Aside from the physical and emotional benefits of connecting on that level, Simon knew that sex possessed its own powerful magic that helped to heal and strengthen. Vic had been hesitant to leave him, and Simon had to reassure his partner that he expected the day to be much less eventful.

At least, Simon hoped so.

“Everything okay, boss?” Pete asked when Simon walked in. He had worried when Simon didn’t return to the store after going to the storage unit. Simon had promised to tell him about what happened and debated how much to share.

“There were zombies. We fought them off. Then we had to burn the contents of the unit. No one got hurt, except for the zombies.”

Pete’s raised eyebrows made it clear that he knew the account had been heavily edited. “Well, that’s new.”

“I’d rather not make it a habit.” Simon managed a hint of dry humor despite everything.

“Fred Sanderson called. He has stuff to show you and wanted to know when he should come by. Said it might be important.”

Simon cast a wistful glance at the full pot of coffee, wishing for half an hour to gather his thoughts without a world-shattering event.

“How about I tell him you’re tied up until ten,” Pete suggested, reading Simon’s hesitance correctly. “Drink some coffee, check your messages, and get settled. I’ll hold off the world—and the zombies—until then.”

Simon gave him an appreciative smile and lost no time pouring himself a cup of fresh, steaming java. Fortunately, none of his email or phone messages appeared to be more urgent than run-of-the-mill requests for séances and psychic readings. He closed his eyes and tried to center himself, drawing on positive energy and asking his spirit guides for wisdom.

He took several deep breaths and let gratitude flow through him when clarity and peace returned, clearing his mind and driving away disturbing memories and worries.

Simon resolutely chose low-stress tasks to fill the time before Sanderson’s visit, happy to feel a sense of accomplishment while keeping his energy clear for whatever might come from the hotel owner’s visit.

“Sorry it took me a little longer than I expected to go through everything.” Sanderson brought a small cardboard box and set it on the table in the back room. “I think I found some stuff that might help.”

He refused coffee, but Simon poured himself a refill before they sat.