"Wonderful," said Jerome. Turning back toward us, he scrutinized me. "You will keep this deal to yourself, Georgie. And we'll discuss your reward another day."
He disappeared and with him, the Grace statue. I didn't envy her.
Roman, Carter, and I started walking back toward the parking lot. I couldn't speak for them, but my mind was reeling with everything that had happened.
"Did you see what happened to Dante?" I asked Roman.
"Afraid I was kind of busy. What happened to Mortensen after he called Mei?"
"I told him to leave, and I think … " I hesitated, not entirely sure how I knew this, unless it was just my understanding of Seth's nature. "I think Seth may have carried him off in the confusion. Oh man, he actually listened to me."
The parking lot was empty. My car was gone.
"They took my car," I explained. I honestly hadn't thought Seth would, despite my pleas for him to leave.
"Wow," said Roman, clearly delighted. "Your ex-boyfriend helped save your current boyfriend and then stole your car. Or-well, wait-is Mortensen your boyfriend now? Did he technically save your ex?"
"Oh, shut up. It doesn't matter. We don't have a way to get back."
"Did you tell him to take the car?" asked Carter.
"Yeah. I told him to get far away. I wanted him safe, and I guess he listened."
"Depends on how you define it," said Roman. "Him coming back for the other guy put him in the demon line of fire. Why would he do that for someone he didn't like?"
I stared at the empty parking spot. "Because he's Seth."
Carter seemed as nonchalant about all this as Dante. "Well, it's a good thing I'm here, huh?" He rested his hands on our shoulders, and I braced myself for immortal teleportation. "Ready for a ride home?"
"It beats walking," I said.
Carter paused and gave Roman a curious glance. "What are you going to do for a home?"
Roman was thoughtful for a moment. "Well, I hear Georgina's moving to a bigger place." He glanced over at me with one of his beautiful grins. "Need a roommate?"
Chapter 26
Unfortunately, Roman wasn't entirely joking.
"What are you doing?" I exclaimed when we got back to my apartment. He'd flounced on my couch and promptly grabbed a remote. There was no sign of my car on the street, but if Seth had driven it back, Carter-transportation would have arrived much more quickly.
"I have nowhere to go," he said mildly. Aubrey strolled out from the bedroom and jumped up next to him.
"You just got amnesty from an archdemon. That's unheard of for a nephilim. I thought you wanted to put down roots? Why don't you go get a place in the suburbs? Work on your lawn?"
"No one wants to live there."
I raked my hand through my hair in exasperation and then immediately rearranged it. God, I'd missed shape-shifting. If I was going to be damned, I might as well enjoy the perks.
"You can't stay here. This place isn't big enough."
"I don't mind the couch."
I prepped myself for a rant, but then someone knocked at the door. Part of me hoped it would be Seth, even though that was pretty impossible. There was no immortal signature, which meant my visitor was a human. Yes, I'd definitely missed my abilities, even if they had strings attached. I opened the door and found Maddie.
"Hey," she said cheerily.
"Hey," I said, not sure I matched her enthusiasm. "Come in."
She stepped through, then faltered when she saw Roman. "Oh, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to interrupt-"
Roman hopped up from the couch. "No, no. I'm just an old friend. Roman." He extended his hand. She shifted some papers she was holding and shook his hand in return. Her smile returned.
"I'm Maddie. Nice to meet you." She turned to me. "You got a sec? I was on my way to work and wanted to show you something."
She handed the papers over to me. They were in-depth reports of the new condo over on Alki Beach. There were detailed price listings, as well as room-by-room photos of one unit in particular. It wasn't finished yet. The floor was only a foundation, and the drywall wasn't painted. Nonetheless, the pictures were clear and gave a good idea of the spacious layout. One picture showed a balcony that opened up to a breathtaking view of the water and the Seattle skyline beyond. It was nothing like what Seth and I had shared, but it was nice.
Roman, peering over my shoulder, let out a low whistle. "Nice."
I elbowed him out of my personal space. "Where'd you get these?"
Maddie smiled. "You said you were busy, so I went over there myself and talked to the builder. This is the only one left, and they let me go through and take pictures."