Page 46 of Devils Don’t Deal

He smiled, showing his sharp teeth. “Naw. She escaped, humiliated me, and taught me that fairies have very sharp claws.” He touched one cheek with a pale scar through the green skin. “My pride couldn’t bear such humiliation, so I hunted her down. She was clever, but when I found her, she was sick from goblin dust. I was going to kill her, but she was so defiant. And the pay was only for the first attack, not a week of hunting afterward. So I saved her instead.”

I grabbed his forearm. “That’s so romantic!”

He raised a brow. “I was a killer. Your mother didn’t want to tell you about that. It might make you look at me differently.”

“But you’re part of me. And you’ve told me how dangerous goblins are over and over, you even more than Mom.”

“We are dangerous. Definitely. Which is why you should stay away from goblins even more than the pretty fairy boy should.”

“He was so pretty.”

“Like flowers.”

“Daffodils. So, how did you guys have me?”

He hesitated. I expected him to leave without saying anything, but he finally shook his head. “I don’t know. She came home with a potion, and the next thing I knew, she was pregnant.”

“A potion? What kind of potion? What did it smell like? What did it taste like? What kind of bottle was it in?”

“It was in her own bottle, and it tasted like maraschino cherries and something else even sweeter. It was sickeningly sweet, which is where you get your own craving to bake sweets, I’m sure.” He rolled his eyes.

I threw my arms around him and squeezed him tight until he grunted. “Thank you for telling me something. I’ve been dying to know my whole life, and I’m finally not dying anymore. You’re the best!”

He patted my back awkwardly. “You smell tired. Baking those sweetbreads for the ungrateful daffodil took it out of you. Why don’t you head up and take a nap before you go to dinner with the devil?”

I pulled away and frowned at him. “You think I should be well-rested for tonight? Maybe I’ll go to a club and shake down a fairy boy.”

He flashed his sharp teeth. “Get some use out of the devil. The deal’s only as good as you make it.” He winked at me, and I went to take a nap, smiling while he closed up the shop for me.

Chapter

Fourteen

The nap was solid, snuggling Divinity while I rested. I woke up craving caramels. I opened the door, and instead of a closet, it was Divinity’s old mistress’s bedroom. I’d wanted the door to go to Wonderland, but when had it ever given me what I wanted? Never, except for now.

I hummed as I went to the closet and searched until I found something dark red that would be more dramatic than my usual. Clubs should be dramatic, right? I’d never gone to a club, but in the department store, I knew exactly where to direct customers who were looking for that kind of thing. I ripped the long skirt off jaggedly, along with the sleeves, and then I pulled it on. Eye makeup? Absolutely. I did a smoky eye I’d practiced a million times when I’d worked in the makeup department with Deborah. It had been so much fun to work with her before she was fired for failing the weight check.

When the devil knocked on the door, I picked up the rabbit and hurried to open it. He wore a dark suit, tailored to highlight his broad shoulders and narrow hips. He took one look at me and frowned.

“No,” he growled.

I beamed back at him. “No kidding. I look amazing!”

His eyes glimmered as he took me in then he shook his head. “You, my dear, are temptation incarnate.”

“Naturally, since I’m advertising for The Rabbit Hole. Also, after dinner, I’m going to your club. I hear it’s phenomenal. Will you come with me?”

He blinked and hesitated, unsure what he was supposed to say. “The club in Wonderland isn’t the most respectable place,” he said delicately.

I patted his arm. “Oh. If you think it’ll be too wild for you, I’ll go on my own.”

He covered my hand with his. “Miss Charles, you’re still recovering.”

“I took a nap. And I’m going to make out with you.” I frowned. “We were supposed to drive to the restaurant before we went to the club, but it’s silly to go to two places instead of just here. Oh! We could make out in the magical garden. It’s pretty isolated, right?”

He stared at me. “Make out?” he finally said.

“Like kissing only also with a slow flow of energy and life-force. You’ll need to be focused on me so you don’t accidentally electrocute me again. Heart attacks aren’t on the agenda.” I grabbed his hand and pulled him out of the room and toward the stairs.