Ren rematerialized in the front room of The Witchâs Brew⦠right back in the same spot heâd disappeared from and glared down at the top of Lacey's head. She was sitting on the floor with her back to him holding and rocking Vincent like a damn baby⦠with his head pressed against her breasts no less. The muscles around his eyes tightened in irritation.
Lacey jerked her head up and frowned when the black lights in the room started to flicker, making her worry that the thunderstorm was going to take out the power here, like it had at the âMuseum of the Damnedâ. She flinched and tightened her hold on Vincent when a deafening crack of thunder slammed through the atmosphere, at the same second she saw the flash of lightning.
Vincent let a smirk pull at his lips when he noticed the man shaped shadow the lightning had fleetingly cast on the floor right beside them. Just for the hell of it, he snuggled his cheek deeper into Lacey's soft chest before murmuring, âI think your boyfriendâs back love.â
Lacey felt the tiny hairs on the back of her neck stand on end and dance. All of her brand-new paranormal senses were telling her that Ren was so close to her that, if she leaned back even slightly, she would feel his legs. She mentally blamed it on morbid curiosity and tilted her head back to look up. Sure enough⦠Ren was leaning over her and glaring down at the both of them.
That definitely wasn't the same gentle gaze heâd given her when heâd left only a few minutes ago and Lacey silently wondered what had happened to sour his mood when heâd returned to the museum. Before she could ask what his problem was, she felt the floor under her vibrate and swung her gaze around the room when everything started to rattle from what she was sure was an earthquake.
Ren gritted his teeth when he heard the crystals and other breakables in the room start vibrating off their shelves. Not in the mood to have the shop destroyed yet again, he stood to his full height and, with a resounding growl, focused his concentration on steadying the store until the quake moved past it.
Vincent pushed himself into a sitting position when the motion inside the store suddenly stopped but the streetlight right outside the front window continued to swing back and forth, casting a moving shadow in the room.
âWhat on earth is that?â Vincent asked softly when a cloud of dust and debris moved across the window almost obscuring the view of the street.
Ren didnât have to guess⦠he knew. He could feel the demons fleeing the destruction. Once the shockwave had passed he answered, âI do believe the city is now down one demon run museum seeing as how the building is no longer standing.â His gaze followed Vincent, who was now making his way toward the window and away from Lacey⦠smart man.
Vincent gripped the windowsill still feeling weak as he watched the cloud of heavy dust roll past the building in billowing waves. He made a face when he started seeing bodies moving within the dust and realized it was actually demons fleeing the area, using it as dirty camouflage.
He couldnât stop himself from taking a quick step back when a skinless demon came within touching distance of the window in front of him. He could see remnants of what was left of its skin actually hanging on in tatters from the blood soaked muscles. It turned its head to look directly at him and its mouth opened wide in a silently grotesque scream before fading back into the cloud of dust.
âTell me again this place is warded against demons,â Vincent demanded having a feeling there were more demons out there on the street than thereâd been in the museum.
Lacey quickly leaned backwards having just seen the demonic image at the window only to wind up pressed against Ren's legs. At the moment she didnât care and welcomed the comforting strength behind her.
âThey canât come in without an invite,â she repeated in a frightened whisper then yelped out of fear when a bloody hand came out of the dust like something from a horror movie and pressed up against the glass⦠leaving a long crimson streak all the way across as it passed.
âBloody hell,â Vincent whispered as he slowly turned around and slid down the wall leaning back against it just under the windowsill.
He would much rather deal with the powerful ones any day⦠at least they werenât so damn creepy. It was displays like this that always turned Vincentâs stomach. He didnât have to look again to know they were still out there⦠he could tell by the frightened look on Lacey's face as she stared out the window just above his head.
âClose your eyes love. You donât need this memory coming back to haunt you. They should be gone by the time the dust settles,â he coaxed in a soothing voice.
The muscles in Ren's jaw flexed as he continued to stare at the man across the room from them. âThere are many memories she could have done without,â he said in a dangerous voice, unaware that his eyes were bright enough to look like silver penlights glowing behind the sunglasses. He tried to keep a tight rein on his rage but with so much evil crossing his path it was taking a huge effort. The higher levels of power drifting in and out of his range were trying to push him past the breaking point and leaving him a bit disturbed.
