Demon Can’t Help It by Kathy Love Read Free Book Online Page A

dead air, then a slight cough on the other end. “I will do that. Well, thank you for the information, and have a good day.”
    Maksim flipped the phone closed. Maybe he shouldn’t have made ole Loretta so obvious, but he couldn’t resist.
    A few moments later the phone rang again. He half-expected Jo to give up on the last reference, but he should have guessed she wouldn’t. He could already see that wasn’t her personality.
    “Good afternoon, Eleanor Rigby.”
    Maksim’s newest female persona was met with silence. Uhoh, perhaps he was getting too heavy handed, both with his praise of himself, and also with having all his fake names stolen from Beatles tunes. Eleanor Rigby. That was definitely heavy handed. He should have gone with Desmond or Molly Jones. More subtle.
    Well, that would teach him to concoct elaborate plans to get laid whilst listening to his sister’s vast Beatles collection.
    But after a minute, Jo spoke. “Hi, yes, I’m calling to inquire about one of your past employees. His name is Maksim Kostova.”
    This time Maksim paused before answering. “Maksim Kostova.” He pretended to ponder. “Hmm, oh yes. Maksim Kostova. Let me see, I believe he worked in our organization from…” He pretended to ponder again, then said in his best kindly old lady voice, “I believe it was 2002 to 2006. Maybe 2003.”
    “You were correct the first time.” Jo sounded very disappointed.
    “That’s right. Yes, he did a wonderful job for us. He was a team leader for our mentoring program. Just great with the kids. A hard worker. We were very sad to lose him.”
    There was another of Jo’s pauses. “It sounds like he will be perfect for us, then.”
    Maksim waited for amusement and delight to hit him, but they didn’t. Instead he was almost—sorry. The resignation in Jo’s voice wasn’t what he wanted to hear. She didn’t want him there. She didn’t want him around her, period.
    “Well, thank you for your time.” Jo’s voice pulled him out of his thoughts.
    “You’re welcome,” he managed to say, catching himself before his voice slipped back to normal. Her end of the line went dead.
    He stared at his now silent phone, looking at it as if the small device was something he’d never seen before.
    What he was doing was wrong.
    Then he snapped the phone shut. Of course it was wrong. He was a demon, damn it. Demons were not known for their good deeds and moral fortitude. He was the ruler of the Eighth Circle of Hell. Not Dudley-Do-Right.
    Slipping the phone into his pocket, he smiled and headed back to the street. She’d come around. They always did. It wasn’t as if she wouldn’t enjoy herself once he got what he wanted. She’d love every minute of it.
    He’d show her the best time of her life. And surely, that made up for the uncertainty she was feeling now.
    So, see, in a strange way, he was doing a good deed.
    Maksim whistled to himself as he strolled back to his sister’s apartment.
     
    Jo stared down at the résumé. That hadn’t gone at all as she’d hoped. She’d really believed these references were faked. I mean-Eleanor Rigby-really? Now she just felt rather stupid. And egotistical, too. Had she really believed he’d gone to such great lengths just to be around her?
    Maybe she was too jaded. She couldn’t spend her whole life assuming all men were like Jackson. But she could have sworn Maksim was a chip off the same block. He had the same air about him as Jackson. The designer clothing, the confidence that bordered on outright conceit. The surety that he could have whatever he wanted.
    And God knows Jackson never would have volunteered his time. Oh, he’d have donated money—then he could claim altruistic motivations. But get his hands dirty? No way. Jackson wasn’t into things getting too messy. She knew that very well. Somehow he always came out smelling like roses. While others cleaned up his messes.
    She sighed. No matter how hard it was, she’d been lucky. She’d escaped