"If she was on Earth, we'd know." The Bishop made another gesture meant to be soothing. "I have the best priests on it, including your brother. We will find her. I promise you, Thane, God will take care of you."
"Thank you, Father." He took a breath, hoping it appeared convincing. "Should I go to the confessionals now?"
"I'd rather this stayed between us and the Cardinal. I think the torment you're suffering is proof that you've already received your absolution. If you need to talk about this further, I'm more than happy to listen."
"Thank you." He shifted but paused before standing. "Is there any way I can have a word with Laird? I mean Brother Laird? I said some pretty rude stuff to him last night, and I'd like to apologize."
"Certainly. I'll have him meet you in the sanctuary. Thank you for coming in. I feel better knowing that Satan's claws aren't buried in your heart."
More than you could ever imagine, Thane thought, finding his feet. After a few more empty pleasantries, he headed back the way he'd come. That hadn't taken long. He'd done what he had to, and he'd found out a few interesting things as a bonus. Now, he just needed to see Laird. For all he knew, it could be the last chance he ever had to speak to his brother.
Walking down the aisle toward the entrance, he pulled out his phone. It was only eight thirty. She'd probably have to stop somewhere to get a meal. He almost laughed at the thought. Dahlia's - no, Val's - meals weren't bought in a truck stop. She picked them up, used them up, and kept going. He didn't think she'd kill anyone, but if he was honest, he didn't like her other options any better.
The moment she'd claimed his last name, he'd started to act like a jealous idiot. She was dead. She'd just lost her girlfriend because of him. He certainly had no right to complain if she got hungry and decided to feed herself without committing murder. It was just sex, and God knew he'd had his fair share of hook-ups. She hadn't asked him for a damned thing, so he had no right to be upset.
Hell, it wasn't like he'd given a damn what any other woman had done. The last girl who cheated on him got dumped and replaced by nightfall. But Val wasn't cheating. First, he was little more than a bank account to her, and second, she honestly couldn't do without. Maybe she'd at least hook up with some woman. That he could handle. Hell. That was something he honestly wouldn't mind at all.
"Thane."
The sound of his brother's voice pulled his mind back to reality. He was standing in a church imagining Val - he got it right in his head this time - between another woman's legs. Not the brightest idea he'd ever had. "Hey. Got a minute?"
"All night. Why?" Laird looked at him strangely, as if trying to find the missing piece of the puzzle.
Thane tilted his head toward the door. "I'll buy you a crappy dinner, if they'll let you out of this place."
His brother tilted his head slightly. "Why? I'm pretty sure you don't feel that bad about what you said last night. We haven't had a family meal since Stu died. Thane, what's going on?"
Time to give in a bit. "Because I need someone who will actually listen to what I have to say, ok? Denny's?"
"Sure. Let me just tell them I'll be out. Meet you at your truck?"
Yep, first problem. "Rental. Truck's in the shop."
Laird's eyebrow raised. Just one. Since they were boys, it had been his go-to expression when he thought Thane was full of shit. "Right. This won't take long."
While his brother headed to the back, Thane beat a hasty retreat to the car. It was a tiny little compact something, but it'd do. He had no idea how he was going to buy another. Hell, he'd just paid off the truck. If he was lucky, she'd send him a text and he wouldn't need to worry about it. If not, she'd just gotten one hell of an "I'm sorry" present.
He'd just started the engine and turned on the radio when the passenger door opened. Laird, wearing something a bit less priestly, slipped in and reached for the seatbelt. "Denny's sounds great. Haven't had breakfast for dinner in a very long time."
"Thanks, man." He backed out and headed for the road.
It took two blocks before his brother broke the silence. "You wanna tell me what the hell is going on?"
"No." He glanced over. "I'm going to need to warm up to this."
"You ok?"
Thane shrugged. "I never should have gone inside that damned club. Everything's been pretty fucked up since then, and it's made me do a lot of thinking about Mom and Stu. What we were told and what we saw doesn't add up."
Laird let out a tense breath. "Officially, they say she was possessed. That's their excuse for why she just died instead of dissolving like your girl last night. The clavum shattered the demon, but her body died in the process." He paused. "Are these two things connected?"
He didn't want to answer, but his brother had always been there for him. "I think so."
"Still warming?" When Thane nodded, Laird went on. "If it makes you feel any better, that's why I want to climb the ranks. I want to make sure their records are cleared."
"What about the demons?" Because that was the only word Laird knew for the things they hunted.
His brother's answer was so soft he almost missed it. "I don't know. I honestly don't fucking know, Thane. That woman ate through her own arms to get away from what she knew was coming."