Demon's Daughter: A Cursed Book Read Free Page B

smiling at me. “I know you want an omelet and bacon.”
    My stomach rumbled at the thought of food. We ate whatever we could whenever we could, but Dro was right. It had been a very long time since we’d eaten outside of a motel room or a stolen car.
    “Come on, Connie,” Dro said, sensing my hesitation. “One quick breakfast at a cheap, greasy diner. We can pretend to be normal for once.”
    Those were the magic words: We can pretend to be normal for once.
    My stomach grumbled again. It had been almost a year since I’d filled it with bacon.
    “All right. But we follow the rules.”
    Dro nodded, white hair bouncing against her shoulders. “Nothing over fifteen dollars and we make sure the restaurant is empty.”
    I nodded back at her, tossing the tablet into the back of the car. “Okay. Let’s start pretending.”
    ***
    Dro had picked out a mom-and-pop diner as soon as she’d left the library. The poor girl had been starving. I pulled the door open and walked ahead of her, bells tinkling over my head.
    To normal people, it looked like a cheap, fifties diner with red and white tile on the floor, faded red booths and chipped tables. Light shone through the wide, greasy paned windows, illuminating the poorly printed signs boasting the “ Best Breakfast in all of Texas! ” A cool grey counter top with plastic bar stools was set up across from the booths. Behind it was a silver walled kitchen I couldn’t see into very well. There were two doors, the one we had walked into, and another at the other end of the diner.
    I didn’t like this place at all.
    It looked harmless enough, but all I was seeing was a place with only two visible exits and too many windows. I couldn’t see what the people in the kitchen were doing. They could call the cops or the Blood Thorns and I wouldn’t have a clue.
    And if Dro sensed something wrong about them…
    “Con?” she said from beside me.
    I turned my head slightly so she would know I heard her. “Yeah?”
    “Are you going to be okay?”
    “Of course,” I told her, shifting the bag on my back.
    The kitchen door opened with a bang so loud I reached for the hatchet on my hip. I pressed myself closer to Dro, ready to throw her behind me.
    Not that the woman who came out of the kitchen looked like a threat. She looked more like Dolly Parton, all curly blonde hair, big eyes, and peppy attitude.
    “Mornin’ ladies!” she said in a chirpy Texan drawl. She smiled so wide the cherry red lipstick she wore turned into two curved slashes on her face.
    I won’t say I hated her, but I damn sure didn’t like her.
    My sister moved in front of me this time. She was a lot better around people than I was. She was friendly and didn’t constantly look like she was about to break something.
    “Good morning,” Dro said politely. “We’d like to get some breakfast, please.”
    “Sure thing, sugar! Take seat anywhere you like.” Dolly’s eyes shifted over Dro’s shoulder to me, some of her smile fading. “Your friend okay? She looks a little upset.”
    I crossed my arms and held back from laughing rudely. Dro smiled for me. “She’s fine. She’s just not a morning person.”
    This time I did laugh, shortly and icily. Dolly looked at me with hesitance, but Dro took over again.
    “We’ll take one of the booths.”
    “Sure thing, darlin’. Menus are on the tables. I’ll get you back in a second.”
    Dolly turned on her heel and clacked her way back into the kitchen. I watched her, trying to see who else was beyond the swinging door. I wanted to know who Dolly was talking to and what she was saying about me. If there was someone back there I needed to be worried about. If–
    Dro tugged at my elbow. “Con? Where do you want to sit?”
    I looked around the diner again. There was no decent place. No corner I could sit in and watch all the exits. I looked at the booth on my left. It was the closest I was going to get to a corner.
    “Here’s good,” I said, shrugging off my