Mind Sweeper by AE Jones Read Free Book Online

bar?”
    “No, that doesn’t track. The demon from the bar already knew what Byron witnessed.”
    “So then who was it?”
    “Maybe Jean Luc will be able to tell us something tomorrow. Why don’t we take a break? Do you want more water or need help getting to the bathroom?”
    I had reached my limit. His concerned face made my chest tighten again and I had reached pissed-off mode. “I can take care of myself.” I stood on wobbly legs.
    “It’s okay to accept help sometimes.”
    “Says the big, strong, he-man,” I retorted.
    I headed toward the bathroom, praying I wouldn’t fall flat on my face while I attempted to be indignant. He walked alongside, but had the good sense not to touch me.
    “I can tell I’m not going to win this argument, but, like it or not, I’m sticking around ’til Misha gets here. Then he can take care of you. Give you one of his famous foot rubs.”
    I marched into the bathroom and glared at him before banging the door shut.

Chapter 5

    It was official. Waking up every hour on the hour sucked. Before I could really relax, someone would wake me. The first couple of times, Dalton checked on me. At some point during the night, Misha replaced him.
    Now someone was banging around in the kitchen, so I got up, pulled on a robe and went to investigate. Misha fumbled with the coffee pot, and a half-eaten box of fry cakes sat on the table.
    “Good morning, sweet.”
    “Morning. Is Dalton gone?”
    “He left a couple hours ago to go home and get cleaned up. He said he would be in the office later this morning.”
    For some strange reason it bothered me he was gone, but I wasn’t going to dwell on it. “When did you get the fry cakes?”
    “I stopped and picked some up before I relieved Joe. They were warm then.”
    The bakery downstairs was open all night long, much to the delight of Misha and various Case Western and John Carroll college students who piled into cars and came in the middle of the night to buy them.
    Misha grinned. “Joe thanked me for the use of my shirt.”
    I shrugged. “That was nice of him.”
    “I think maybe he’s a little jealous. You did tell him we’re just friends, yes?”
    “I just met the guy. I don’t owe him an explanation for anything.”
    He clucked his tongue. “Humans. You overanalyze everything. Chemistry can be instantaneous. Ask my last three wives.”
    His statement was not as ironic as it seemed. Since it was difficult for Shamat females to bear children, demons did not mate for life unless they were biologically compatible. They stayed together for twenty years or so and then went their separate ways if no children were born.
    Little warning bells went off in my head. I didn’t like where this conversation was going. “He won’t stick around for the long haul.” I knew that from experience. “He can keep his distance.”
    The glare I gave Misha must have convinced him to let the subject drop.
    “Do you feel up to going into work for a while?”
    “Yeah. Let me take a shower and I’ll be ready in ten.”
    When I stepped out of the shower, I got a good look at myself in the mirror and grimaced. The gash along my forehead had bruised and turned a lovely shade of purple. I didn’t need to call attention to myself, so I pulled a pair of scissors out of the medicine cabinet and hacked off some hair in the front, creating bangs to hang over the worst of it. It was better than nothing.
    Misha insisting on driving. He was still worried about me, which became even more apparent when he offered me more than one fry cake during the ride in.
    Dolly cringed when she saw me walk in. So much for camouflaging my head. She was not very demonstrative, so I was touched she cared.
    “Don’t worry, Kyle, those bangs will grow out eventually.”
    I sighed and kept going. Mother Teresa she was not.
    Jean Luc and Dalton were in the back room, bent over the computer monitor.
    “What are you guys doing?”
    Jean Luc walked over and kissed me on both cheeks. He