“Okay, what gives? This is supposed to be the happiest day of our lives. You’re not letting the fact that you are being held together by duct tape get you down, are you?”

He tried to smile, but it didn’t quite solidify. “I have to tell you your name now.”

“What?” I asked.

“I promised you. I just —” He shook his head. “I just don’t know what will happen once you know it.”

“That’s right,” I said remembering. “You promised to tell me my celestial name on our wedding day.”

“I did.”

“Don’t do it,” Osh said, coming up beside us. He was glaring at Reyes. “We aren’t sure what will happen once she knows it. We don’t know what will happen to Beep.”

Reyes glared back. “I promised, Daeva. I keep my word.”

But his promise was causing him distress. As much as I wanted to know my celestial name, it could wait. There were much more important things at the moment. I took his hands into mine. “Tell me later,” I said. “We have the rest of our lives, Rey’aziel. It can wait.”

Relief flooded him so completely, I almost laughed out loud. Sometimes he was like a kid. A tall, sexy, lethally dangerous kid who struck fear in the hearts of supernatural entities everywhere, but a kid nonetheless.

That seemed to satisfy Osh. He went to talk to the judge as she ate ice cream cake. I grew worried for her soul. The kid was a silver-tongued devil, and everyone – everyone – wanted something bad enough to risk his or her soul. But he’d promised to be a good boy and sup only on the souls of bad guys. He’d darned sure better keep that promise or he was going back to hell sooner than he’d planned.

The captain came in and reported that they had found a gold mine of evidence against Sylvia Starr at her house. A diary from the trial, pictures, notes she’d written to Reyes while he was in prison, along with a shrine. Reyes inspired shrines a lot. It was weird. And the evidence was enough to corroborate Uncle Bob’s story. As far as the captain was concerned, the case was closed, and I couldn’t help but breathe a sigh of relief.

A short while later, we said our good-byes. I kissed Uncle Bob all over his face until he blushed a brilliant red before we headed back to our respective homes. Osh was going to meet us at our place once he was packed. We had an hour. I was never the best packer. I inevitably forgot underwear or toothpaste or both. Thankfully, Reyes promised to help as soon as he was finished.

He went to his apartment and I went to mine even though we had no wall between our bedrooms. I’d hurried into my bathroom to scoop my toiletries into my overnight bag, wondering if I would need my Clorox Magic ToiletWand, when Jessica popped in.

She stood back, biting her lower lip as she waited for me to acknowledge her. After a solid two minutes of silence, she caved. “I just wanted you to know, I always felt guilty about everything that happened between us in high school.”

“Yeah, I could tell,” I said, testing a particular shade of lipstick on my wrist. Was it wrong to wear bright red lipstick in a convent? I just didn’t know how to dress for this.

“You have no idea how shallow and self-centered I can be.”

“Yes, I do. Trust me.” Maybe I should stick to pinks.

“But none of that matters anymore. I’m so glad I died,” she said, and I stopped. Turned toward her.

“What do you mean?”

“If I hadn’t died, I would never have even thought to go to you for help when my nephew was hit. I’m so grateful for what you did, Charley.”

“I didn’t do anything, Jessica. You don’t owe me anything.”

The fact that she was okay with giving up her life if it meant saving her nephew spoke volumes to me, almost enough to drown out the nasally whine in her voice as she turned to me and said, “I owe you everything, Charley. I will never forget this. To pay you back, I’m going to stay with Rocket, Strawberry, and Blue. I’m going to do the right thing and leave because I’m —” She lowered her head, then whispered, “I’m in love with your fiancé.”

“Reyes?” I asked, stunned.

“Yes. I’m sorry.”

Growing possessive, I said, “As of tonight, he’s my husband.”

Her head snapped up. “Already?” she asked, her face ashen and forlorn.

“Just like that.”

“Then I’ll leave.”

I fought my innate desire to do a fist pump. “That’s probably best.”

“Because, really, I’m completely, unconditionally, and irrevocably in love with him.”

“Okay, Bella. You need to find your own man, now. Capisce?”

“I did find my own man, remember? Freddy James? And someone took him from me.”

Crap. The guy I’d lost my virginity to, and all to get back at a shallow, self-centered – she’d nailed the descriptors – freshman whom I’d called best friend for years before she did a 180 on me. Still…

“And I’m glad I did,” I said, trying to sound sincere and not hurtful.

She crossed her arms over her chest. “And you suck because of it.”

“No, Jessica, what I’m trying to say is that… Freddy wasn’t very nice. In the long run. I’m glad you were spared his issues.”

“Oh.” She blinked in surprise. “Well, then, I’m sorry you had to find out the hard way.”