Free The Holiday From Hell by Demelza Carlton Page A

wouldn't she stay in Japan until she was stronger?
    "Luce."
    Luce's eyes turned to Mel at the sound of his name on her lips.
    "Luce. I came home for Luce."
    She wasn't calling him – she was answering Patrick's question, which she must have heard. Luce hit the speakerphone button and held the phone up between them. "She's here," he said, "and she can hear you. I've put you on speakerphone. We're in a vineyard with no one nearby."
    "Mel? How did you manage it?" Patrick asked.
    "I had Luce waiting for me and he's with me now," Mel said simply. "He's been a Godsend, Patrick. I can't begin to enumerate half the things he's done for me this week and he picked the perfect location. All the locals think we're on our honeymoon. The minute they think Luce is out of earshot, the advice they whisper! You'd think half the people here are sex-mad and surprisingly kinky, too. One of them suggested I should…do all sorts of things to Luce." Her blush rivalled that chili rosé for its rosy colour.
    "What sort of things?" Luce asked. Was there any chance they'd suggested something he'd fantasised about that Mel might be willing to do?
    "I'm…not repeating them," Mel replied, still pink. "What news is there on Persi, Patrick?"
    Damn.
    Patrick stopped laughing. "Daniel reported that Persephone definitely was in Egypt – they found where she stayed, where she ate, all the tourist attractions she visited and where she shopped. And then…nothing. She disappeared without a trace about the time you were in Japan, almost a fortnight ago. The trail's cold, so Daniel and the other Grigori came home. Raphael's sent word out to everyone he knows, though – any word of Persephone and he or Daniel will hear of it. Is there any chance…do you think she might be in Hell?"
    "No. Every demon in Hell knows I don't want her there. If she takes so much as a single step inside Hell's gates, they know to bring her to me, or at least to the HELL Corporation. Mephi would have notified me if she had her." Luce glanced at Mel. "She's definitely not in Hell."
    Mel's gaze rested on some distant trees. "If she's not in Hell…Patrick, has Raphael thought to look in Turkey or Greece? Or perhaps Italy?"
    "You're reading my mind, Mel. Or has Raphael already told you? He's had three unconfirmed reports – one from Pamukkale in Turkey, one from some place in America and another from Sicily. He hasn't sent anyone in to investigate yet, though."
    "Patrick, tell him to send someone to Pamukkale and to Enna in Sicily. When she was human, Persi lived in Sicily. She'd barely recognise the place now, but something tells me…that's where you need to be looking. She didn't like America much – she objected to something they called panties." Mel sighed, her shoulders slumping.
    Luce hesitated as he took in Mel's tiredness before he said, "If there's nothing else for you to report, time to end the call. Mel's tired and I need to get her back home to rest."
    Patrick coughed. "I'll call again if I hear more. Mel, please don't overdo it. You just concentrate on getting well. Luce…take care of her, okay? She's –"
    "More precious than words can say," Luce finished for him. "Talk to you later, Patrick."
    A round of goodbyes ended the call and Luce shoved his phone in his pocket again. Without asking her permission, he scooped Mel into his arms and strode back to the loft, ignoring the staring people in the car park.

Luce let Mel unlock the door before he kicked it open and carried her over the threshold. "The bed or the couch?" he demanded.
    She laughed gently. "Neither, if you're going to be this grumpy. I don't make love with angry men." Luce opened his mouth to protest, but she waved him into silence. "I know you didn't mean it that way. I'd like to take an afternoon nap, so the bed's best, my love."
    An afternoon nap? His fears were realised – her health wasn't improving at all. She was deteriorating and there was nothing he could do to stop it. He had to abandon this