Page 172 of My Monster’s Keeper

“What did you do?” I shout and shove at the car, frustrated. “I’m going to get docked for this. Again. I can barely afford rent without you fucking up my paycheck.”

It’s not rational, but this month, this year has been too much. If this is my psychotic break, I want to yell about all the things that are ruining every shred of peaceful sleep I get.

“Do you make it a habit to go around yelling at beings, pink one?”

“Pink one?” My eyebrows snap down, and I whirl on him. Poking a finger into his chest. God, he’s hard.

The horns come down as he looks at my finger on his chest. I turn my head, studying the hard horn in front of me. I want to touch it.

I lick my lips, nervous and unsure now that I’m surrounded by this giant, red creature.

All of a sudden, I’m picked up and pressed against his chest, my face level with his.

“Human?”

“My name is Hartley. Tobias Hartley.” I swallow hard. “Put me down.”

The creature stares into my eyes, a tiny frown marring his alien features.

“I don’t think I can do that. Hart. I like it.”

“What are you?” I whisper.

“I am a devil or demon if you will,” he croons back.

And before I can say anything else, we disappear in an explosion of crimson smoke.

***

When I wake up, I’m lying on my couch in my apartment. There’s a broken spring digging into my ribs, and I’m not wearing my uniform. In fact, I’m stripped down to my boxers. I peek around but can’t see him.

Is he gone? Why am I so disappointed?

“Do you have food, human?”

I nearly jump out of my skin, whirling to find him looming in the dark of the kitchen.

“Hartley!” I snap and rush to the fridge, slamming it shut. “My name is Hartley, not human. Not pink thing.” I register what I’m looking at and feel my head spin. He’s taller than me but only by a few inches. He’s human, very attractively human, with black hair, who looks about my age, but his eyes are still red. Freakily, eerily red.

When I was a teenager, I had feelings for a couple of guys, but nothing since I met my ex-wife. I’m feeling all those feelings. It's an instant and undeniable attraction.

I stumble back, needing to get away from the sulphur and sin scent of him.

“What are you?” I whisper.

“I told you before.”

“Tell me again, who are you? Why are you here? What do you want with me?”

He takes a step, and I step back.

He follows after me, smiling like a predator. “My name is Diablos, and you, Tobias Hartley, are going to help me save this world. It’s going to need us both.”

***

“That’s another one on the list.” Diablos frowns, looking down at the body of the broken woman.

She’d never know that we were so close to finding her, to keeping her safe.