Keepers of the Underworld

Chapter 2

Sephi hurried to Dee's office at the other end of the building. When she arrived, his door was open as he worked at his desk. Sephi tapped lightly on his door, making him look up and smile at her when he saw his wife.

"Come in, my love. To what do I owe the pleasure of this visit?" Dee asked as he leaned back in his chair.

"It is work-related," Sephi said as she closed the door behind her. "Something is not right with one of the residents here."

"What do you mean? Which one?" Dee questioned as he patted his leg for her to join him.

Sephi crossed the room, sat on his knee, and leaned into his chest as she explained. "It is Travis Collins. The story I was told by one of the other nurses is that he caused a horrific car crash as he ran from the police. He killed several, including a family, and it led to him having a severe traumatic brain injury and being in a vegetative state."

"Alright, so far, that does not explain why you feel something is wrong."

"First, his family is vile. I mean, they are completely repugnant. The way his mother spoke about him, even knowing that he might be able to hear her, was heartbreaking. But that's not all. The second thing is that I am positive that he was trying to look at me. I could swear he was shedding tears, and he tried to move his eyes to look at me. It was in response to what his mother was saying."

"Does anyone else feel something is not right with the situation?"

Sephi sighed, "Roxy, the charge nurse, was with me on rounds. When I asked her if I could take a few minutes of break to ask you to check into things, she told me not to count it as break time. She feels the same way and agrees something isn't right with Travis and his family. She would also appreciate it if you could do a little digging."

"I will check on things. Later today, I might wander over to his room and see what I can find out. I will review his file with the family if they are the legal guardians and go from there."

"Thank you," Sephi murmured into his neck as she inhaled the warm fragrance of his cologne. The aroma of sandalwood, lilies, and musk comforted her as it always had.

"You do not need to thank me for this. If you feel something is off due to a patient or their family, I will look into it. It is my job in both worlds, as is keeping you happy." Dee hooked his finger under her chin and tipped her head up to look into her eyes. "I know you well enough to always trust and listen when you say things like this. In the eons we have been together, you have never been wrong about this."

"Are you saying I have been wrong about other things?" Sephi challenged him with a smirk as she pulled away to look at him better.

"Perhaps that is not the way to put it. I feel it is more of a difference of opinion."

Sephi raised an eyebrow and tipped her head as she studied her husband.

Dee looked at her solemnly and said, "I have put great thought into it, and I am now convinced that we should not have children."

Sephi laughed, "Do you mean not have children now or the children we had a few thousand years ago, who are now grown and living their lives as independent adults?"

"Both. I am quite firm on that. I do not have the temperament to deal with children," he adamantly said.

"Alright, we can break it to our son and daughter when they come for dinner tonight," Sephi giggled.

"Fine. I guess that will work," Dee sighed before his deep laugh filled the room. "I love you, my queen, and as annoying as they can be at times, I love our children." He pulled Sephi back to him and said in a husky whisper, "Now kiss me and go back to work before I take you here and now."

"We do have an hour lunch break," Sephi said as she wrapped her arms around his neck.

"That's not enough time for what I want to do. A kiss will have to do until I get you home tonight," Dee said as he captured her lips with his. It was deep and needy, making her whine softly when he broke from it. He whispered, "Tonight, my love. I promise to make it up to you."

"I will hold you to that," Sephi giggled as she walked to the door and paused before she opened it. "Please help Travis if you can. My heart tells me he has been through more than we know."

"I promise you, I will find out the truth," Dee softly told her.

Sephi smiled at him before she opened the door and went back to the nurses' station. Dee thought about what she had said before he went to the file cabinet and retrieved the file containing all of Travis Collins' information. As he flipped through it, he began to feel the same as his wife. Things were not adding up in the file. It was different from the electronic version he had been given and was stored in the center's computer system.

Dee found forms filled out by the family members with conflicting information. Some forms that were required for residency to be granted had incorrect information. Other forms were missing entirely. A copy of Travis' life insurance policy also seemed to be off. It was not an original copy. It was blurred, and it appeared changes may have been made to it. Dee sighed as he picked up the phone and dialed.

"Darius," a gruff voice answered at the other end of the line.

"My friend, I need a favor," Dee said, his deep voice lowering even more.

"Do I want to know?" Darius asked.

"I need every bit of information you can find on a young man by the name of Travis Collins."

"Travis Collins… why does that name sound familiar?"

"He was involved in a police chase that resulted in several deaths and him being critically injured. He is now in the Spring Haven Hospice Center."

"Ah, I remember when that happened. Sad story for everyone involved."

"Sephi feels there might be more to the story. That is why I need everything you can find," Dee told the man.

Darius gave a single laugh and said, "If your wife says something is wrong, I believe her. I should have everything in the next twenty-four to forty-eight hours. If anything takes longer, I will give you what I have and bring you the rest as soon as I get it."

"Thank you, Darius."

"You're welcome, my king," Darius said before ending the call.

Dee dropped the phone on the receiver and sighed. Darius had been one of his loyal servants for over a thousand years. He knew Sephi well and understood if she felt something needed to be looked into, it needed to be done without question. After lunch, Dee would begin by visiting Travis' room and speaking with those there.

-

Roxy smiled at Sephi when she arrived back at the nurses' station. She looked Sephi up and down before shaking her head.

"Is something wrong?" Sephi asked her.

"I'm not sure," Roxy grinned. "I give you permission to go behind closed doors with your drop-dead gorgeous husband, and you come back without a hair out of place and perfectly put together. How does that happen?"

"It happened because there wasn't enough time for him to do everything he wanted to do to me. He will be taking care of that tonight when he can take his time," Sephi said.

"So what you're saying is, it takes longer than three minutes, and he takes off his socks?" Roxy grinned.

"Oh! Heavens, yes," Sephi laughed. "He always takes his time, and if he had his way, we would both be naked all the time."

"Now that is something I could get behind, or in front of, or beside. Really, any angle would be fine." Roxy smiled and rolled her chair close to where Sephi had sat. She spoke barely above a whisper. "Sephi, you know that I have no intention of ever making a move on your husband, right? Don't get me wrong. He is one gorgeous man, and I will admire him from afar, but he's not my man. I love my Reginald even if he is a goat man half the time."

Sephi giggled, "I understand, and I'm not worried. Dee and I have been together forever, and I trust him." Sephi whispered, "Look all you want. It boosts his ego."

"Does this mean I can live vicariously through you?"

"As long as your husband doesn't mind."

"He won't. He knows the kind of books I read," Roxy cackled.

"He sounds like a good man. Tell me about him."

Roxy's face lit up as she began to talk about her husband. "I might say he is part goat, but Reginald is the best. We have known each other since we were five years old. We started dating when we were sixteen and have been inseparable since then. He has been a firefighter here in Tarpon Springs for the past fifteen years. He loves that job almost as he loves me and the kids."

"Don't you worry about him?" Sephi asked.

"I worry every time he goes to work. But, I take solace in knowing he is well-trained, and if something happens, he will have died doing what he loves," Roxy said with a sad smile. "Sorry to change the subject, but what did your husband say about that issue we discussed?"

"He is looking into it as we speak. If there is anything to find, Dee will find it. He has connections and resources that will make sure of it."

"If your husband can do that, do you think he would look into some other residents and their families?" Roxy quietly asked.

"He would be more than happy to help," Sephi said.

"Good," Roxy said with a nod. "Now, let's go over the rest of your patients so you can have lunch with your hunk of a husband."