Midnight CEO After Dark

35.

"So, Bianca. You work for the devil?" Ebony said politely, sitting across from her in the lounge room. "That must be....nice." She put on a smile and tilted her head slightly with anticipation.

"I don't get paid, but yeah. I guess you could say that." Bianca's eyes made their way to me next to her nervously.

"I love your accent." Ebony cooed as she watched the both of us sitting on the sofa. "You sound so stuck up and proper."

"Thank you?" Bianca gave her a fake smile. "I love your....face." Bianca shrugged and pressed her lips together awkwardly, looking away.

"Oh, thank you. It was my mother's." Ebony gave me a look and then put on her usual happy smile. "How long have you been working in hell?" She crossed her legs and cleared her throat. "Or living?"

"A while," Bianca replied politely. "How long have you been shacked up with the handsome vampire?"

I tried not to laugh at Bianca's forwardness. She wasn't used to small talk or good at it, and it was adorable.

Ebony looked at me again like she was waiting for the punchline of this joke. "Carter and I have been together for a while now. It seems like forever, though." Ebony smiled fondly. "Love my family though."

"Was it difficult transitioning into a different world?" Bianca leaned forward as she spoke. "I mean living your world to be with another creature sounds ridiculously hard and annoying."

"It was certainly difficult at the beginning, yes. I sometimes miss the sun, but my family is worth it." She reached out and touched my hand. "Sacrifice is needed sometimes when you love something."

"I do like a good sacrifice." Bianca beamed at Ebony. "The ones where they beg for forgiveness from Jesus after they just killed someone. Like, hello! There is no forgiveness in hell, you idiot. Jesus literally saw you kill but he ain't watching no more. Right?" Bianca laughed with joy as she hit her knee. "Please, god! Help me!" She mocked the souls dammed to hell and laughed again. "Humans, right?"

"Right..." Ebony said, slowly raising her eyebrows in disgust and glaring at Bianca. "You enjoy hell then?"

"Not particularly." Bianca sat back on the sofa. "I mean, it amuses me, but I wouldn't recommend it. You know." Bianca shrugged and started fiddling with her hands. "It's what I do. It's what I have to do to survive."

"I get that." Ebony nodded. "It must have been nice to have a break with Jake here." Ebony patted my leg affectionally. "He's the best." She squeezed my hand tightly. "He was missed around here."

"Not the same without me huh?" I winked at her.

"Definitely not the same." Ebony grinned looking over her shoulder at Carter talking to Leon. "Trust me." She rolled her eyes. "I need you around here. Don't ever leave me again." She squeezed my cheeks as I pushed her hand away.

Bianca groaned loudly and shifted in the chair uncomfortably. "Gross." She mumbled crossing her arms over her chest in disgust.

"Uncle Jake!" Cayden came running into the room and jumped on me as he laughed. "You're back!"

"Hey, buddy. I'm back. Did you miss me?"

"Yeah." He climbed onto my back and hugged me tightly around my neck. "No one would play superheroes with me. I had to go to the stupid council with Dad.."

"Cayden Morgan!" Ebony yelled. "Language!"

"Sorry, mom." Cayden leaned closer to my ear and whispered. "It was stupid, Uncle Jake."

I covered my mouth and hid my laughter from Ebony, who was scowling at us.

"Well, I'm back now, and we can play superheroes all night when I'm not working." I pulled him over my shoulder and tickled him as he laughed and screamed in delight.