Dante sighed in relief as he propped his feet up on the edge of his desk, then leaned back in his chair, ignoring the ever-present squeak of hinges protesting the movement. He flipped a magazine off of a pile on his desk with his foot and caught it mid-air. Settling it on his face, he grinned to himself.
A weekend alone, and with no jobs, definitely had its perks.
He had closed the shop, even going so far as to lock it from the inside, and with Lady and Trish off on a supposed mission, he would be able to relish the next forty-eight hours that were entirely his.
Or so he thought.
A soft knock on the front door of Devil May Cry had him grumbling under his breath. Maybe if he was quiet, whoever it was would get the hint and go away. But today, Lady Luck wasn't smiling on him.
The knocking grew louder, until his grated on his nerves. Sighing in defeat and annoyance, he flipped up out of his chair and stomped to the door.
"Shop's closed!"
"Please, I need your help!"
Dante sighed at the soft, feminine tone. He'd never been able to turn away any woman, much less one who needed his help. But it would have to come with a hefty reward for him to reschedule his weekend. He quickly yanked a key from his pocket and unlocked one door, holding it open as the woman entered.
Dante looked her over, grinning a little. She was small and petite, with large green eyes and soft auburn hair.
'Not bad looking…'
Dante's thoughts were interrupted as the woman turned to him and started to speak.
"I need your help. I won't take much of your time, only discuss why, and then I will give you time to reach a decision as to whether you will indeed offer me your services."
Dante arched one brow. This woman certainly wasn't one to mince words, and he got an inkling that whatever her appearance, she wasn't a push-over, and she might actually be able to take care of herself. He shrugged as he walked back to his desk and resumed his seat, motioning to her to sit in the chair in front of the desk.
"Ok, let's hear it."
The woman reached under her shirt and pulled out a necklace. She quickly unclasped it and then slid it, almost reverently, across the desk. When she removed her hand, Dante's eyes widened and shot up to her own.
"Where did you get this?"
The woman smirked, glad he recognized it. Reaching under his own, dark shirt, Dante pulled out a necklace that was a twin to the one on the desk. Unclasping it, he laid them side by side and studied them. They were matched, perfectly, one gold and one silver. After bringing himself to acknowledge that the necklace was the one that belonged to his twin, Dante stood up.
"Tell me where you got this."
The woman stood as well.
"This necklace was given to me by my bonded."
Dante stiffened, realizing that the use of the word meant that the woman was a demon in human disguise.
"He's dead."
Dante spit the words out like venom, then whirled back to the woman, who simply shook her head.
"No, he'd not. I'd know if he was, I would feel it. He's alive and I want you to find him."
Stepping forward, she laid one small hand on Dante's bare arm, and looked up at him, pleading etched across her face.
"Please, Dante, find your twin, and bring him home to me."
Dante sighed and threw his hands toward the ceiling. His weekend was definitely screwed.
