Jim stared out his window and watched as a mother with a baby in her arms walked by the truck, got a look at his face, and shied away. “I don’t think we’re fit for visual consumption.”

Adrian reached up and cranked the rearview mirror his way. “Whatever, I’m gorgeous—wow. I…”

“Look like shit,” Jim finished. “But at least you could walk straight if you had to. Did you have to go for the jewels?”

Adrian prodded his nose. “I think you broke this.”

“And now I’m probably shooting blanks for the rest of my life. At least your swelling’s going to go away.”

Adrian leaned back and crossed his arms over his chest. In concert, both of them took a deep breath.

“You can trust me, Jim.”

“Trust isn’t something you can cold lab. It has to be earned.”

“Then that’s what I’m going to do.”

As Jim made a noncommittal noise, he shifted delicately in the seat and his ’nads didn’t appreciate the repositioning. After he negotiated a comfortable arrangement, he went back to watching the people in the parking lot. There was a predictable rhythm of them getting out of their cars, going into the store, and returning with filled carts or a couple of bags hanging from their hands. Witnessing it all, he was struck by how great the divide was between him and the rest of the planet. And not just because he was now playing in a paranormal game most of these fine patrons of the supermarket wouldn’t have believed was real.

He’d always been separate. Ever since he’d found his mother on that kitchen floor, it was as if his root system had been plucked out of the soil and carried across the road to another plot of earth. His job hadn’t helped. His personality hadn’t either. And now he was seated beside a fallen angel who might or might not actually exist…who fought dirty.

Shit, it didn’t matter if he was sterile. He was never getting a shot at having kids now, and keeping his crappy DNA out of the gene pool was no doubt the nicest thing he’d ever do for the human race.

About ten minutes later, Eddie emerged with a cart full of plastic bags, and as he pulled up to the bed and started transferring the shit, Jim couldn’t stand his own thoughts anymore and got out to help: All the mommies and dear little kiddies were just going to have to suck it up if they didn’t like the way he looked.

Eddie didn’t say one word as they worked together, which was a clear indication that whereas Jim and Adrian had kind of made up, Eddie was not on the “Kumbaya” train. Frankly, he looked like he’d had it with everything and everyone.

And no offense, the guy had one bizarre frickin’ grocery list.