#tmitde teaser

“How else was I supposed to keep her from finding you?”

“You- you knew? This whole time you knew who my dad was?”

"No."

"Excuse me?"

"No. I think you owe me some answers of your own."

"I don't owe you anything. You broke our deal."

"That's not what happened! I- hold on. No. You're trying to manipulate me into giving you what you want. Not this time. I will answer your questions if you answer mine."

Lucifer fell into step beside him.

“Where have you been?” Alastor asked after a moment, hands tucked behind his back.

Lucifer glanced up at him from the corner of his eye, a wry smile pulling at his mouth. “Did you miss me?”

Alastor’s eye twitched but his own smile didn’t drop. “Of course not.”

“Hmph,” Lucifer snorted. “If you say so. I was out of town on business; we bought a factory and I prefer to oversee these transitions in person.”

“Is that so.”

“It is.” Lucifer glanced up at him again and stopped, forcing Alastor to stop as well. “Why did you follow me?”

“Why did you wait for me?”

“Where’s Charlie?” Lucifer asked instead.

“Looking for her friend.”

He sighed. “I didn’t expect to run into you today.”

“I assumed as much,” Alastor said, leaning forward on his cane. “I didn’t expect you to be able to leave when you saw Charlie.”

“...I said I would.”

Alastor shrugged. “People lie, plans change.”

“I keep my word. Besides, I like my liver where it is, thank you.” He was smiling with good-natured humor. Alastor hated the flutter it sparked in his stomach.

Car tires squealed out front, headlights flashing across the wall through the curtains. Alastor sat upright, sharing a wide-eyed look with Rosie as they heard the twin slam of car doors. 

The women jumped to their feet and hurried toward Rosie’s room while Alastor drew his pocket pistol and reached the front door the same time someone began pounding on it. He peeked through the small window. He didn’t relax per se, but he removed his finger from the trigger and opened the door. 

“Husker,” he said.