incredulous glare. "Are you serious right now? You brought me to a goddamn charnel house?" He shook his head, winced. "Where do you take guys on the second date, the city morgue?"

Georgia tipped up her nose. "Don't be silly. Morgue is the third date." She took in the look on his face, and sighed. "Look, if we're going to work together, we can't have a repeat of the other day. I need to know you're not going to lose your shit if there are spirits around."

Darius scowled. "Who says we're going to work together?"

Georgia rolled her eyes. "Oh, please. We're past that, aren't we?"

Darius didn't answer, his gaze hard. Finally, he jerked his head in a nod. "Fine. What did you have in mind?"

Georgia twined her arm aroundcreature let loose a roar that surpassed any of the others. Georgia scrambled to her feet. Darius grunted. "What the fuck are you doing?"

Georgia swallowed hard. "It wants me, right? Maybe it'll leave you alone if—"

"Absolutely not." She heard him struggle to his feet behind her. "No way are you going full-martyr on me. Not if I have anything to—"

The creature charged. Darius swore, and Georgia braced herself. Maybe it wouldn't kill her. Maybe if she just did what it wanted, it would let her go. At the very least, maybe she could get through to it somehow, convince it to leave Darius alone...

And maybe Hell wasn't hot.

The smell of brimstone and rank animal made her eyes water. Georgia held her ground. Darius clutched her arm and tried