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bright smile at the patron who stood at the desk, whom was only the first of many that evening.
    After helping the last patron find all the information about the Pileated Woodpecker that the library and its associated databases had, it was finally time for the library to close.  A little bit after, actually, she groused as she walked downstairs and checked the bathrooms for hiding patrons.  Gratefully, she grabbed her light fall coat and walked out the back door, waving to her co-workers as they chatted around the door before leaving for the night.
     

CHAPTER SIX
     
    She circled the building and walked to Murphy’s where Gabriel waiting at one of the two outdoor tables. The sidewalks were empty except for him.  Everyone else, as far as she could see, was inside.  She couldn’t blame them with the cold breeze driving the harsh autumn chill through her hair.
    Feeling her phone vibrate, she answered it as she walked towards him.
    “Hello?”
    “Lia?  It’s me,” Morgan said, sounding far away, “Listen, I haven’t heard anything about Sam, except she’s nowhere.  I was hoping she’d text me after I talked to you, but so far, nothing.  I just wanted to let you know.”
    Her gut twisted. “Thanks Morg.”
    “I’ll call if I find out anything else,” her cousin promised before letting her go.
    Hanging up the phone, she touched the cold chair, hesitant to sit down and freeze her ass, only perking up when she saw the two cups in front of Gabriel.
    He gestured towards the empty seat and slid a Styrofoam cup towards her.  His wings were pulled close to his body, the feathers resting against his arms.  She couldn’t decide if it was because he was nervous, or because he was cold.  As she shivered, she wondered if the wings were helping him stay warmer.  Probably.  With a huff, she sat down.
    The people that walked in and out of the coffee shop openly gawked at him, but he steadfastly ignored the attention.  She could appreciate why he’d want to sit out in the cold, alone, rather than be subjected to the open speculation inside the warm shop.  However, that still left her ass freezing on the seat.
    "Mocha," he said, “As promised.”
    “As bribed, you mean,” she said pertly, standing next to the cold seat, still contemplating the freezing of her ass.  After grabbing the drink, she slowly sat down, trying to ignoring the numbing happening to her backside.
    “You know,” he said after she sipped the drink, “It normally doesn’t take a bribe to get a woman to go on a date with me.”
    “I’m not most women,” she replied as she savored the sweet drink.  “If I were, I don’t think you would have asked me out.”
    “You do have a point there,” he said as he sipped his own drink, a caramel macchiato.
    Her only response was a grin and another sip of her drink.
    She picked it up, appreciating the warmth as the cool fall breeze swirled around them, ruffling his feathers and touching her hair.  Pulling her arms close, she breathed in the smell of the hot drink, grateful for the little bit of warmth it provided.
    “So you’re a…Enforcer?”  She questioned the title, not sure if she were remembering it right.
    He nodded and leaned an elbow against the table before tapping his fingers against his chin.  “Yeah.  You can call it that, or Coercitor.  Means the same thing.  Latin versus English is all.  Most people use the English version.”
    “So what’s an Enforcer?  I remember you saying that it’s basically FBI with a dash of bounty hunter, but-“
    “But you need more details?” he said with a smile.
    “Exactly,” she said as she took a sip of the mocha.  “The librarian in me is calling for the details.”
    “Well,” he said after a pause, “I deal with enforcing the laws of the angelus.  If someone breaks certain laws, I get to put them ass over teakettle.”
    “Literally?  Like you make them hold a teakettle and toss them around?”
    He narrowed his eyes at