Date with a Demon

Copyright Date with a Demon Possessive Monsters Book 2 By Maggie Mayhem Copyright © 2023 Maggie Mayhem Cover by Atlantis Book Design All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or used in whole or in part, in any form, or by any means (electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise), without the publisher’s prior written permission. This is a work of fiction, and the characters and incidents found within are products of the author’s imagination and are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to persons, living or deceased, events or locales is entirely coincidental. Contents 1. Chapter 1 2. Chapter 2 3. Chapter 3 4. Chapter 4 5. Chapter 5 6. Chapter 6 7. Chapter 7 8. Chapter 8 9. Chapter 9 10. Chapter 10 11. Chapter 11 12. Chapter 12 13. Chapter 13 14. Chapter 14 15. Chapter 15 16. Chapter 16 17. Chapter 17 18. Chapter 18 19. Chapter 19 20. Chapter 20 21. Chapter 21 22. Chapter 22 23. Chapter 23 24. Chapter 24 25. Chapter 25 26. Chapter 26 27. Chapter 27 28. Chapter 28 29. Chapter 29 30. Chapter 30 31. Chapter 31 32. Chapter 32 33. Chapter 33 34. Chapter 34 35. Chapter 35 36. Chapter 36 37. Chapter 37 38. Epilogue About Maggie Also By Maggie Chapter 1 Tansy The large, Gothic Revival building towered overhead, blocking out the early afternoon sun. It might not be the tallest building in the city, but with its steepled roofs, pointed arch elements, and excess of decorative trim, it was the most imposing. The sounds of Darlington’s streets seemed to disappear as I stepped into the shadow of the building. I looked down at the address I’d scrawled on the lipstick-smudged café napkin. Yup. This was the place. It was a far cry from the dingy motel room I’d left this morning. This was a horrible idea. This place looked expensive, and I’d probably be laughed out of the office. I fingered the strap around my neck. The pouch held all the pieces of expensive jewelry I owned; they were the only things of value I had. They had to be enough. I could always offer to work off my debt—that was my backup plan—but I’d probably be working it off forever, considering how ridiculously swanky this place looked. If they could afford an office here, they must charge an arm and a leg. I probably wasn’t the type of client they usually took on. I’d bet they normally worked with the rich and famous. But what other choice did I have? I was fresh out of options, and if I didn’t do this, I might as well kiss my very existence goodbye. “Here goes nothing.” I stepped through the revolving doors to an ornately decorated foyer. There were offices on the lower floors and luxury condos above. I checked the map on the plaque set against the dark granite wall, looking for Redrock Protective Services. They were on the ground floor. I headed down the corridor to the office, pulling my wheeled luggage that held my entire life behind me. I needed to be mobile, so I couldn’t bring much, but this wasn’t my first rodeo. I’d had a lot less the first time I found myself with no hope and no home. Life had taught me to keep everything essential on my body, so if I had to ditch and run, I could. Turning the corner, I came face-to-face with a huge mirror in a gold filigree frame, and I stopped to check myself out. I looked out of place here in my jeans and comfy, oversized hoodie, and I tried to ignore the feeling of being woefully underdressed. The woman in the mirror looked tired, like she hadn’t slept well in days. Because she hadn’t. “Hi, I’m Danie,” I said to her. There wasn’t anyone else in this part of the building to witness me talking to myself. “I need your help.” That wasn’t hard. “I’m Danie. I’m Danie. My name is Danie,” I repeated. I’d gone by Danie for several months now, and it came out almost as naturally as my real name. Almost. “Squawk!” “Shh!” I hushed, placing my hand over the lump in my hoodie. “Not now, Nugget.” Chicken Nugget was my sun conure. I unzipped the top a fraction to look down at the small yellow, orange, and green parrot. “Can you be sneaky for me? Real sneaky. Shh.” She looked up at me with intelligent eyes. “Shhh,” she mimicked softly. Nugget knew it meant I wanted her to be quiet, but whether she chose to be or not was a total crapshoot. She was adorable but naughty. Lucky for me, she decided not to fight me on it today. She’d been such a good girl through all this. Nugget was part of the reason I’d chosen this outfit. I’d trained her to stay in my hoodies, and she wouldn’t stay in anything else. She’d happily hang out in my hoodie all day if I let her. A good thing, too, since I wasn’t able to bring her cage along. The other reason to dress casually and in dark colors was to make sure I blended in with everyone else on the streets. The door to the Redrock office was just as outrageously opulent as the rest of the building. The words Redrock Protective Services were written in gold above a heavy-looking, dark wood door. The door frame was equally ornate and stood out against the granite walls. I almost chickened out again. But no, I had to do this. The man on the phone, Eamon, had sounded nice enough. And most importantly, I knew he was who he said he was. At least for now. He had a low, rumbly voice that I’d felt down to my toes. I wondered if he was as sexy as he sounded. I tried the door, but it was locked. There was a panel with a button next to the door,