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I’m still a firm believer that some things are better left private. I don’t see that changing any time soon.”
    The truck raced up as I yanked on my spandex.
    “Come on, Hannon,” Ray yelled out the window, laying on the horn. “Get your ass covered. We’re wasting time here.”
    I pulled on my shirt and stood, making my way over to the vehicle—one that was only slightly less jacked-up than the Hummer we’d been forced to drive to Canada. The truck was bright orange with flames painted over the wheels. “Where in the world did you get this?” I asked.
    “From the airboat guy.” Ray chuckled from the open window. Then he thumbed his hand at Marcy, who was situated in the passenger seat. “She threatened him within an inch of his life. You should’ve seen it. And this was
after
she bought his goddamn airboat right out from under him.”

4

    Rourke came out from behind the tree fully clothed in brand-new jeans and a black T-shirt. Naomi did well. “How’d you know we’d need an airboat?” Rourke asked, nodding his head in appreciation for the commandeered vehicle.
    Marcy stuck her head out of the passenger window. “The first thing I did when I de-boarded my awful flight on Vamp Air was purchase a new cell phone. James told me we’d need one and where the closest ones were. There’s a bunch of places to rent them about thirty miles north of here, all clustered along the highway. We picked the most run-down operation we could see from the road, and knowing we couldn’t bring along any company where we’re going, I offered the owner more than he made in a year, and voilà, the boat was ours. Then I had to sign a bunch of safety waivers”—she dismissed their importance with a flick of her wrist—“but who cares. Get in.”
    Rourke and I made our way to the bed of the truck. There was no room for us inside. “You can’t leave out the part about forcinghim to lend us this truck to pick up our friends or you’d make sure his balls would ache for a week.” Ray chuckled appreciatively. “That stuff never gets old.”
    “I didn’t say balls, I said
groin
.”
    “Then she wound up for a fake punch and the guy nearly wet himself,” Ray howled out the window. “Funniest thing I’ve witnessed in a long time.”
    I nodded as I sat down near the cab. The small partition in the back was open. “Did he hand this prize over immediately?” I leaned in to ask Marcy and smiled.
    “Nah,” Ray answered first, turning around. “I had to pull out my badge and tell him we were investigating drug smuggling in these parts and may have mentioned the moonshine operation they had in the back as extra incentive. The guy was caught off guard, and if he hadn’t wet himself when Marcy feigned the punch, he did then. I couldn’t tell him my supernatural sense of smell picked up on his illegal activities, but I was clear enough about the implications and he finally let us take the truck. But, honestly, I haven’t had this much fun in a long time. Humans are so easy to manipulate.” Ray gunned the engine for effect. “Like taking candy from a baby.”
    “How’d you get your badge?” I asked as Rourke and Naomi settled in beside me.
    “I was buck-ass naked after that portal ripped every stitch of clothing off my body, so I went home to get new ones. My badge was sitting on the table where I left it, so I grabbed it. I thought it might come in handy, though not this soon, but turns out it did.” Ray hit the gas and spun out, racing over the marshlands at high speed, bouncing us around like kids on a hayride, hooting like a kid with a new toy.
    The huge tires, which appeared to be more like inflated donuts than actual tires, sprayed up an array of grasses and swamp wateras we went. I scuttled to the middle of the truck bed to avoid being sprayed, but it was a losing battle.
    “Too bad we don’t have demon showers here,” I muttered to my mate as he wrapped his arm around me. In the Underworld they had a