Enemy Mine

Chapter 46

"Reese, where are you? I was just about to call." Vincent sounded winded and annoyed when he answered his phone.

"I'm with Ori and a couple of demons. We're at Sylvie's place."

"What!"

"I need you to bring the amulet here alone or Ori is going to start killing off hostages."

"Are you injured?"

"No, but he cut Sylvie and he's threatening to do more unless you agree to bring the amulet."

Vincent went quiet. I didn't even hear breathing. Was he texting a distress signal to one of the Valentinos?

"Which demons?"

"Dale and a silent partner."

I heard Vincent grunt. "Well, they just showed their hand. What are the terms of this trade?"

"Ori gets the amulet, everyone goes free. It sounds like Hadria is behind the ambush. She doesn't want Cecile to have it. Cecile may not be long for this world."

"So, you told them I had the amulet when Sylvie was threatened?"

"I told them I didn't know where it was, then Ori said he believed you had the amulet in your pocket the day I opened the vault. He read it in some lore you needed a supernatural object to make it work. So, how is this going to play out? Sylvie is trying not to bleed to death over here."

"I'm going to give them the amulet. Don't try anything heroic before I get there. I love you."

"I love you, too." I hung up the phone and spoke directly to Ori, trying not to cringe at the sight of Sylvie's bleeding arm. "Vincent is on his way with the amulet. May I have my friend back so I can bandage her arm?"

I stood from the couch, holding out my hand to Sylvie, and Ori released her, looking strangely remorseful as he glanced at her pale face. As soon as we rounded the kitchen counter, I broke into my apology.

"I'm so sorry, Sylvie. I'll understand if you don't talk to me after this. Nobody needs friends with knife-wielding enemies." I turned on the faucet and held her arm under the water, rubbing her back as she grimaced with pain. "Where do you keep your first aid kit?"

"What first aid kit? I've got antibiotic ointment and Band-aids."

"Rubbing alcohol?"

"Nope."

"Vodka?"

"Of course. You want me to take a shot to numb the pain?"

"No. I need it to sterilize the wound."

"Cabinet above my head." Sylvie ducked as I followed her directions, uncapping the vodka bottle and pouring a couple ounces over her arm.

"Fuck!" Sylvie's curse had the boys turning their heads, but they quickly lost interest when we both ignored them. I located a dishtowel and started ripping it down the center.

"Hey, that's a new dishtowel," she complained.

"Well, now it's a bandage to minimize blood loss."

Sylvie smiled as she took a slug off the open vodka bottle. "You're an over-reactor, you know that. I would take a blade for you any day, Reese." She leaned in and kissed my cheek, lingering to whisper covertly. "Does Vincent really have the amulet or is he coming here with his gargoyle posse to take revenge on these douchebags?"

"He has it, but I don't know where it is. He didn't tell me the location so I couldn't be coerced into blabbing about it."

"I don't think that strategy worked out so well. What will be the fallout from this trade-off? Are heads going to roll?"