Free Truth or Demon by Kathy Love

grinned. “She did more than buy the story.”
    Daisy frowned, not following.
    “She’s totally got a little thing for him,” Madison said, widening her eyes with disbelief.
    “No, she doesn’t,” Daisy said, immediately shaking her head.
    “She does.”
    Daisy looked to Emma. “Do you think so?”
    Emma shrugged. “I don’t know. But I kinda suck at the whole ‘boy’ thing.”
    Daisy shook her head again. “I really don’t think so.”
    “It doesn’t matter. He may be hot, but he’s definitely not the true-love type.”
    The elevator jerked to a stop and the doors slid open, but before Daisy exited, she added, “Well, and Poppy would never be dumb enough to fall for a guy like that.”
    She turned to step out and nearly ran into one of the objects of their conversation.
    Killian raised an eyebrow as he looked down at her. “Poppy wouldn’t be dumb enough to fall for who?”

C HAPTER 9

    K illian knew who they were talking about. But if he was expecting Daisy to hem and haw and fumble to find a suitably tactful answer, he should have known better.
    “You,” she said.
    “Why would she be dumb to fall for me?” He hated to admit it, but he was a little offended.
    “Well, first of all, you’re a demon,” Daisy said.
    Okay, there was that.
    “She doesn’t know that,” he said, most of his defensiveness disguised by the fact he was busy stopping the elevator door from automatically sliding shut.
    “Still, you aren’t her type,” Daisy said.
    Just leave it alone. He didn’t care if he was her type, he didn’t want to be her type. But his ego wouldn’t let him remain quiet.
    “I’m everyone’s type,” he stated.
    “And that’s exactly why you would never be her type.” Then Daisy frowned and peered past him into the hallway. “Why are you still here?”
    Did his ego need more bashing?
    “I—” Embarrassment joined the displeasure in the pit of his stomach. He didn’t like it. Not one bit. “I didn’t remember which apartment I was supposed to stay in.”
    The girls exchanged glances, their shared expression one of unimpressed tolerance. Then Daisy stepped back, waving for him to enter the enclosed space.
    “You are staying on the sixth floor,” Madison said slowly, as if she was speaking to a simpleton, as she pressed the button labeled with a print-smudged number six.
    In truth, he was feeling a bit like a simpleton. It wasn’t like him to forget—well, anything. Of course, that hadn’t been true here. Nothing he knew about himself seemed to apply here.
    Without any further conversation, the girls stepped out onto the sixth floor and led him to the door of his flowery abode. Emma moved forward—not without giving Killian a wary glance—to unlock the door.
    “You should give the key to Killian,” Daisy said, and the other girl’s face immediately collapsed into a worried frown.
    “I don’t know …” Emma glanced at him again, and clutched the small, silver key tighter in her fist.
    “He’s got to be able to come and go without us around. And you don’t want to leave the apartment unlocked, do you?” Daisy said.
    “What if Sweetness accidentally got out? Or someone stole something while Killian was away? Isn’t it better that he lock the place when he’s coming and going?” Daisy said.
    Emma shot another glance back at Killian, twisting her lips as she considered Daisy’s words.
    “Come on, Em, we’re already trusting a demon to stay here,” Madison said, her tone much more impatient than Daisy’s. “What difference does it make if he has a key?”
    Killian supposed the girl had a point, but again he could have done without it sounding like another slight.
    Finally, Emma nodded and held out the key to him.
    Killian didn’t really want the key, but he took it. Then he followed the girls inside the apartment, his nose immediately assaulted by the stale scent of old perfume, liniment and cat.
    He grimaced as they walked into the living room with its fusty