Searching the house of the dead witches, no furry carcasses were found hiding in the bushes or under any porches. Neither did we locate any of the pets. Whatever living creature the witches had owned had disappeared and left no trail behind.

This in and of itself was suspicious. Or so Pete claimed as we left Anthony behind to converse with the detective in charge, although before I made my escape, he managed to drag me into a private corner and kiss me senseless, making me eager for his promised, “We’ll finish this later.”

Piling into Pete’s truck, we headed back to my place, stopping along the way to grab cartons of Chinese food. Not pizza, but the leftovers would taste just as good, so I allowed it.

Settling ourselves at my kitchen counter, we discussed our findings, or lack of.

“There’s something weird about the animals missing,” Pete said in between bites of General Tao chicken.

“Not all of them are gone,” I pointed out. “The cops said they saw your neighbor’s cat sitting on the porch when they arrived.”

“And not a single sighting since.”

“So the cat wandered off.”

Pete snorted. “You’ve obviously never owned a cat or dog.”

“Nope. My dad is allergic.” And I’d never felt a burning desire to own something furry that liked to mark its territory—until I met Pete.

I quite enjoyed petting the hair on his chest, which arrowed down to his python. I bit my lip so as to not snicker as Pete explained his reasoning.

“Animals tend to stick close to home where they know they’ll be fed.”

Shoulders rolling in a shrug, I swallowed my chow mein mix before replying. “So the demon ate the cats.” Which is what each of the trio had owned, according to the niblets left behind in the food bowls.

“Doubtful.”

I wanted to slap him upside the head. “Okay, Mr. Negativity. Since you’re having such a good time shooting down my theories, mind telling me why?”

“First off, there’s no scent trail. It’s like the kitties disappeared into thin air. Damned if I know what happened to the felines. The only thing I am sure of is that the creature we’re hunting didn’t eat the cats. And the reason I know this, before you ask, is simple. A demon who is eating human flesh is not going to ruin its palate with a cat. It would be like mixing spam with your porterhouse. It’s just not done.”

Somehow, my appetite vanished, and I pushed my carton of Chinese food away. “That is a really disturbing comparison.”

“Yet an apt one. So, again, I have to wonder, what happened to the cats?”

“Honestly. I don’t care.” I didn’t.

Maybe they’d wandered off. Maybe something else ate them. They’d been run over. Aliens beamed them up. Or a neighbor took them in. Who knew? Who cared? We’d only gone on our fieldtrip because Pete wanted to understand why those people left the safety of their homes and he forced me to go along. Now we knew, or assumed. On to the next question.

“We’re still no closer to discerning the reason they were targeted,” I pointed out as Pete continued to scarf down his portion and mine.

“It has to tie in to the fact they were all witches,” he mumbled around a mouthful. Talking while eating was a lot sexier when it was my flesh he chewed on.

“Give the dog a bone!”

Coming from behind, Anthony’s voice, so unexpected, startled me, and I screamed. “Holy fuck, stealth man. What the hell are you doing sneaking up on us?”

“I knew he was there,” Pete retorted, tackling the last egg roll.

“And didn’t tell me?” Evil eye meet the guy who treated too many things with nonchalance. He’d pay for that later when I told him about the head he would have gotten had he done the chivalrous thing and not abetted me almost wetting my pants.

“Sorry. I forget sometimes your hearing isn’t as good as mine.”

Ignoring the apology, I spun sideways in my seat and peeked up at Anthony. Looking disheveled with the top button of his shirt undone and his tie loosened, tired or not, he nevertheless bestowed a smile upon me before leaning down to give me a thorough kiss. “Good evening, Chloe,” he murmured when he finally let me up for some much-needed air.

“It is now.”

He grinned at my reply before seating himself beside me, which earned him a scowl from Pete, who’d chosen the spot across.

“Any luck finding clues after I left?” I asked.

“Actually, I found the answer to what you were discussing just before my arrival.”

“You know the connection?”

“I do. It seems those three witches, plus four more, were part of a local coven who met once a month on the full moon.”

“Of course they did.” Everything happened on that night. Just ask any EMT or cop.

“Have you found the others and warned them they might be in danger? Or, even better, asked them what they did to piss a demon off?”

“I would if we could find them. Either the demon already got to them, or they’ve gone into hiding. We’ve paid visits to their homes, but no one answered. Calls to their known friends and places of work have netted no results.”

“Can’t we cast like a spell or something to find them?” For a girl who’d only discovered witches and magic a few days ago, I had no problem transitioning and seeing if we could make it work for us.

“Already being attempted. The TDCM—”

“The what?”

“TDCM, the Thaumaturgic Department for the Concealment of Magic, has some interdepartmental wizards working on it, but the members of the coven hid their tracks well.”

“More witches?” And why was I not more surprised a secret agency existed? Probably because it was a lot less crazy than realizing I dated a vampire and a werewolf.

“Wizards.”

“There’s a difference?”

Anthony grinned. “According to them, yes.”

Pete snorted. “One goes to university to gain the title and the right to wear a pointy hat and robes; the other dabbles at home. It’s all the same in the end. They play with things best left alone.”

Intriguing as they sounded, I had more important things to concentrate on. “You say these wizards couldn’t find them? Does that mean they’re dead?”

Anthony shrugged. “They couldn’t answer that either. Hell, they wouldn’t even confirm it was demon DNA we found in the sample under the witch’s nails.”

“I thought we’d already ascertained it was.”

“By scientific means. It has yet to be confirmed by esoteric ones.”

In other words, we were dealing with useless idiots. Nice to know even the magical underground had issues getting straight answers from publicly paid employees.

“Okay, so locating the rest of the coven is a dead end at the moment. Has anyone checked out their last meeting spot to see if they left any clues as to what they were up to?”

“That is the plan, once we figure out where it is.”

I didn’t miss the pointed glances my way. “Let me guess. You think I can find it.”

Turned out they were right. Around one a.m., while sitting on the couch, my feet in Pete’s lap—getting an awesome toe-curling massage as he absently watched some gory movie—and while Anthony sat across from me perusing some paper files, I caught the break we needed—a receipt found stuffed in the pocket for one of the bodies to have shawarma delivered, but not to any of their homes or places of work. A delivery that coincided with the full moon and appeared every month, regular as clockwork on a credit card statement.

To double check, I cross-referenced the delivery dates with my list of the dates for the last six full moons. They matched.

“Got it!” I crowed, adding for modesty’s sake, “I think.”

“What did you find?” Anthony asked, ditching his pile of papers with a rustle so he could kneel at my side and peer at my screen.

“An order for the family platter of shawarma, once a month, on the full moon, delivered to a warehouse at, get this, six hundred and sixty-six Hells Alley.”

Pete emitted a disparaging sound. “Seriously? How can anyone in this day and age still believe that number has any meaning?”

“Not the number of the devil I take it?” was my dry reply.

“Nope. He’s unlisted.”

I shot Anthony a look, but his expression was blank. I shot my suspicious gaze back at Pete, who didn’t even crack a grin. I wondered if he pulled my leg. On second thought, I preferred not to find out.

“I’ll call it in,” Pete said. He lifted my feet from his lap so he could stand. A shame, the man had magic hands. Lucky me, he’d opted to spend the evening at my place since we had no leads. I wondered if armed with this new information he’d now go out. A part of me hoped not. I didn’t like the thought of him possibly encountering danger. But then again, having both of my lovers here would severely curtail my chances at nookie.

Cool fingers brushed the hair from my cheek. “Good work,” Anthony murmured.

I blushed inwardly at his praise. “You would have found it.” Eventually. I just found it faster. Yeah, I’m not ashamed to admit I did an invisible fist pump. “Are you going to check it out?” I asked.

“Not tonight,” Anthony replied.

“Got other plans?”

“Most definitely.”

A part of me wanted to inquire if I figured in those plans, but that smacked too much of something a girlfriend would ask, and I didn’t want that title. Or maybe I did.

“Do your plans have you staying or going?”

“Depends. Would you like me to stay?”

Before I could reply—with a resounding yes—Pete hung up and returned. “They’ll send a team in the morning. No one wants to chance possibly walking into something ugly while it’s still dark. We’ll reconnoiter right after dawn. Case the joint for danger and suspects. If it looks feasible, we’ll go in during daylight hours and see if we can find any clues.”

“Do they think the demon might be hiding there?” Again, my worry over Pete’s safety rose, making a liar of my attempts to keep him properly at arm’s length.

“We don’t know, hence our caution.”

Caution good.

“Lucky you. I get to spend the night.”

One man too many sleeping over? Bad.

Something of my chagrin must have shown because both my guys adopted looks of concern.

“Something wrong?” Anthony asked.

“Nope, nothing.” Other than a case of hungry pussy. Even I wasn’t gauche enough to take one to bed while the other languished on the couch. “Just tired. I guess I’ll go to bed.”

That might have been the moment they both clued in that their plans for sex were also screwed. As Pete and Anthony indulged in a silent staring match, I slipped away.

Brushing my teeth and hair, I railed at the injustice of having two drop-dead gorgeous men, who were also excellent lovers, in the next room while I went to bed alone—and horny.

The injustice of it all. Crawling under the sheets, I wondered what they did out in my living room. I heard the low murmur of their voices. No thuds, though, signaling violence. I also didn’t hear the sound of my door shutting as one of them got the hint and left or lost the coin toss. I sighed.

Shutting my eyes, I tried to go to sleep, but it eluded me. I tossed. Turned. Threw off my sheets. Flung my arm over my eyes.

The creak of my door opening had me holding my breath. Had my lovers come to an agreement? Tossed a coin? Which of them would spend the night with me? What would I bite on so as to not scream and make the other jealous he’d not won the battle to grace my bed? Or would the winner just choose to snuggle? Would—

Having not moved my arm to peek, I was completely taken aback when not one but two bodies slid into bed with me. A male on either side. Naked. One cool, one hot.

They’d both come.

Damn.

I didn’t dare speak. Didn’t want to question. Hell, I almost forgot to breathe as they rubbed against me, their hands laying claim to their respective sides, cupping my aching breasts, their purpose similar, yet their touch worlds apart. Where Anthony skimmed my skin with smooth fingers, Pete kneaded with rough ones. The frisson on my left as soft lips nibbled at the skin of my neck contrasted deliciously with the rough stubble and harder intent of the mouth to my right.

I arched under their combined erotic play, my body coming alive and singing with pleasure, the yearning between my thighs resulting in warm moisture and a clenching of muscle as my arousal built and begged for more.

Slender yet long digits found my velvety slit, sliding in and stroking me. I gasped, a soft sound caught by demanding lips, my resulting moan happening around a hot, insistent tongue. While Pete took possession of my upper body, Anthony moved lower.

What had happened to my determination to sleep with only one man at a time? To not get involved in a threesome? Awash in sensation, any protest I might have had at this new experience vanished. If they could handle sharing me, then how could I deny myself the pleasure they seemed intent on bestowing?

I laced my fingers around Pete’s neck as I kissed him back with passionate fervor. A rumble of contentment shook his frame. His callused hands grasped at my breasts, squeezing the globes. Pinching and rolling my nipples, he sent zings of sensation through me, and my breathing came faster.

But it was the tongue applied to my clit that had me crying out. With my legs spread and draped over his shoulders, Anthony lapped at my core, alternately flicking my clit and penetrating me.

Not to be outdone, Pete ended our hungry kiss, only to suck on my straining nipples. Tug. Suck. Wet slide. More sucking. Holy fuck.

Too many sensations assailed me. My pleasure built and built, a teetering wall that toppled all too soon. I bucked hard and screamed as I came.

“Oh, fuck. Oh, my.” Coherence was beyond me. And the bliss wouldn’t stop. Fingers joined Anthony’s tongue, plunging and spreading me, taking the wild trembling remnants of my orgasm and building it again. It was too soon. I was still recovering from my first climax. I…

The coiling tension within me mounted. Flipped onto my stomach, with no warning or announcement of their intent, I finally found some words. “No, don’t stop,” I begged. Not with nirvana peeking at me.

As if they’d leave me hanging. Apparently, they had a plan, and it involved them too. How decadent. A plump cock pressed at my lips, Pete’s familiar size demanding entry. I opened wide and took him in, sucking at him with eagerness, all too willing to give him what he desired. While I lavished his dick with attention, Anthony pulled my hips up, positioning me so I knelt on my knees, ass in the air, thighs spread.

It didn’t take a porn expert to guess what he planned next. Expected or not, I still cried out when Anthony rubbed the head of his shaft against my trembling lips. I waggled my butt, a silent demand not to tease me. He slapped my greedy pussy with his cock. Pete reaped the benefit of my excitement as I sucked at him hard. His fingers clutched at my hair, guiding me up and down his length, his hissed and growled, “Yes, baby, that’s it. Deeper. Fuck me, that’s good,” an added enhancement to my own enjoyment.

Seemingly impatient suddenly for his own delight, Anthony sheathed himself in me. A hard, deep thrust.

Yes!

I rocked back, dragging the edge of my teeth along Pete’s length. Anthony withdrew and then slammed back in, pushing me forward. Oh, gawd.

We seesawed in this manner for a blissful eternity. Flesh joined, we fucked, I sucked, and our pleasure mounted. Pants, groans, and moans accompanied the sound of my slurping and flesh slapping. So fucking decadent. So amazingly good. So…

Incredible.

Pete’s cock could only keep me distracted for so long before the rapid thrusts in and out of my pussy made me lose my rhythm. I hummed as my body braced itself to come. Sensing my dilemma, Pete took over and pumped himself into my willing mouth as Anthony upped his tempo.

Caught between the two, I became the point that joined us together. The focus of the pleasure. The one who came first.

I don’t know if it was my vibrating scream as I came that proved Pete’s undoing, but he quickly joined me, spurting hotly into my mouth. As for the lover between my thighs, he yelled as he dug his fingers into my cheeks. Thrust. Thrust. Pound. In. Out.

“Yes!” He gave one last mighty heave before coming.

And then we were still and silent but for our harsh breaths. Our bodies remained joined. And awareness returned.

It brought along its friend embarrassment.