Hell's Requiem (Book 2)

Chapter 5

“Frank! What the hell do you think you're doing in here? Get the fuck out.”

“There's that foul language again, love. And, like I said, should've locked the door.”

He strolled into the room, running his fingers across furniture as he passed as if checking it for dust. A broad smile stretched his lips and a dark, knowing glint shone in his grey eyes; the promise of the demon blackness that could soon bleed to the surface.

“Sooo, lover boy not home then?” he asked, eyebrows arched high on his forehead so they were almost hidden in his dirty, greying hair. The question was redundant though, it was clear he already knew the answer and was simply enjoying that he could tease me with it. He knew something.

“No, so get the hell out.” I demanded, sounding far braver than I felt. My mind flashed back to the last time I'd been in a room alone with Frank. It had not ended well, and I still felt I'd gotten the rough end of the deal; now I worried what might happen this time. Did the demons already have Jesse – despite all I'd done to try and convince myself otherwise – and in that case, was Frank just there for me? Well, I sure wasn't going to go down without a fight.

“Hmm, y'know, I don't think I will. See, I figure this is as much your house as it is mine. What right do you have to be here more than me?”

“Jesse actually invited me to stay with him. He'd never even invite you inside the door.” I spat back, realising how pitiful and childish my retort had sounded. Like he cared about that.

“Well I guess it's lucky I'm not a vampire then. Besides, you so sure he wasn't going to rescind his invitation to you? After all, you did kill his mother.”

I didn't reply. I'd been thinking pretty much the same thing and we'd never had our chance to talk about it since getting back. But, even so, I still felt I had far more right to be there than Frank did. I got the impression that asking him to leave wasn't going to get me anywhere, Frank had no reason to leave and every reason to stay there with me. I cursed him silently for wasting my time – everyone seemed so determined to get in my way today.

“So where is he then?” Frank asked, his lilting tone suggesting that he knew more than he was telling, or maybe I was just hoping that he might know something; anything to stop my brain from running in circles.

“I don't know. Why don't you tell me?”

“Aww, now isn't that sweet that you think I would know something. Unfortunately, love, I know about as much as you do – at least about this matter. Must say I'm somewhat disappointed. I was hoping to convince you to take me up on my offer, but if the meatbag isn't here I suppose I don't have much left in the way of leverage. And I suppose your stubbornness hasn't changed in the short time since we last talked.”

“So...you really don't know where he is?”I frowned, almost not daring to believe the tiny spark of hope that had ignited in my chest. If the demons didn't have him then there was still a chance that we could work this out.

I was beginning to think that we should just abandon everything; his house and job, the home I had to accept I would never be welcomed back to, and just run from it all. Live on the lam, maybe even go abroad – that desert idea didn't seem so bad now. I had to face the facts, as bad as the prospect of eternal exile from Hell sounded, it was probably better than the alternative.

“Am I speaking in a foreign language and not realising? No, love, I've no idea where lover boy is. Though I'm beginning to understand why he'd want to get away from you.”

I ignored Frank's jibe as best I could, casting him the barest of scowls, as I racked my brains. “So where has he gone then? And without his phone or any money?” I spoke mostly to myself, though Frank listened to my ramble with rapt attention.