Free Damned and Desperate by Tara West Page B

prepared for verbal war.
    I warily eyed him as he fell into an oversized chair beside me. He dropped his head, groaning into his hands.
    “What is it?” I asked. This wasn’t like Aedan at all. If he was angry with me, he’d be in my face, foaming at the mouth and steam shooting out of his ears.
    He looked at me through hazy eyes. “They took my badge and my scythe.”
    I moved to the edge of my seat, searching his eyes as my heart began to pound out a wild rhythm in my ears. Was Aedan saying what I thought he was saying? “Who took what?”
    “I violated protocol when I let Sarge borrow my spare scythe. They fired me.” His lower lip trembled ever so slightly, and his childlike eyes melted my heart.
    Oh, no! They can’t do this! Aedan loves being a Grim.
    My hand flew to my chest as I struggled to keep my composure. “Can’t you appeal their decision?”
    His expression hardened, and I could tell it was taking all his willpower not to break down. “Nope.”
    Jack jumped down from the sofa and nuzzled Aedan before resting his snout on his knee. He stared up at Aedan with sad puppy dog eyes before licking his elbow and thigh.
    “Thanks, buddy.” Aedan’s voice cracked as he patted Jack’s head.
    I reached for Aedan’s hand. “I’m so sorry.”
    His eyes darkened. “I’ve got to get that scythe back or pay a fine.”
    “A fine? How much.”
    He shrugged, flashing a sour grin. “Basically every credit I have.”
    I squeezed his hand tight. “We’ll get the scythe back when we get Sarge.”
    He shook off my grip as he slowly stood. “There’s no telling if he still has it.”
    I jumped to my feet. “Well, I’ll just give you half my credits.”
    His jaw dropped. “You won’t get into the Penthouse if you do that.”
    “I don’t care.” My voice broke like shattered glass and I wiped the moisture from my eyes. “I’d rather be on level six with you than the Penthouse without you.”
    Aedan stepped around my dog and pulled me against him. Those stupid tears of mine flowed harder, especially when he kissed the top of my head and told me he loved me. Didn’t those Grim Reapers care he’d battled a demon army and prevented an apocalypse? He should have been given a promotion, and instead he’d gotten the boot. And here I’d thought life was unfair. Death was far crueler.
    “Don’t cry, sweetheart.” Aedan rocked me in his arms. “We’ll get through this.”
    But how when he hadn’t been without his scythe in a hundred years? Aedan had told me he’d been a Grim since shortly after he died. I pulled back, looking into his eyes which were definitely wet. It was the closest I’d ever seen him come to crying. “Isn’t there some other weapon you can bring?”
    A sheepish grin tugged the corners of his dimpled mouth as he pulled something out of his backpack. “Already got something. What do you think?”
    I froze, and I got this feeling that all time had stood still as I stared at the thing Aedan had in his grip.
    Could it be? No fucking way!
    “Where did you get that?” I pointed at the rusty hammer with the long handle as a shiver stole up my spine. There was still crusted blood on the blunt end of the weapon.
    “At a consignment shop downtown.” His grin nearly split his face in two. “It used to be stuck in some guy’s head.”
    I stepped back, swallowing the bile that projected into my throat. “You don’t say?”
    “Come on.” He grabbed my elbow, motioning toward the door. “We need to get going.”
    “Wait.” I pulled out of his grip, searching his eyes with urgency. “You can’t go down there with just a hammer. I don’t think it will be effective.” How was he going to chop off demon heads and shoot fire bolts with a hammer? Besides, didn’t he need the scythe to summon the elevator back up to Purgatory?
    Aedan’s brow furrowed. “What do you suggest?”
    “Here.”
    I spun around as Cam fluttered back into the room. He pulled the golden star emblem off his