“Too much caffeine I guess,” I offered with a smile that felt shaky on my lips.
My phone buzzed in my pocket and I jumped several inches. Jamal even looked up.
“Whoa Mom, you okay?”
Now two people were giving me way too much attention. I shot up to my feet. “Gotta take this.” I pointed to the phone before hastily beating a retreat to my bedroom.
“Hello?” I answered, not even bothering to screen who called.
“Miranda,” Grim’s low, steady voice filled my ear as dread landed with a thud in my stomach. There was something about the way he said my name, as if he was about to tell me something I wouldn’t like.
“Could you come to Sinopolis? I need to have a word with both you and Xander.”
I couldn’t speak past the lump in my throat.
“I understand you’ve been up all night hunting, but there is something we must discuss and I’m afraid it can’t wait until tonight.”
“Uh yeah, sure.”
Even as I gave my distracted consent, Jamal cracked the door to give me a smile and wave to let me know he was off to school. I blew a kiss at him before he disappeared.
“I can come now,” I said, not hearing Grim’s farewell before the phone hung up.
I threw the phone on my bed and covered my face.
Oh my god, did Grim know what happened? Was he going to talk to us about what happened?
About your failure to kill Sheshem or because Xander banged your brains out?
So far, I was painfully aware of what a failure I was. Unable to kill a single god and trap it back inside of the Blade of Bane, and unable to hold my ground on not fucking the feral god who got under my skin and hurt me.
“Oh Bob,” I said to the silent blade that also lay on my bed. “I wish you were here.”
Despite Bob’s squeamishness about blood and death, he’d been dealing with all of this supernatural immortal nonsense longer than I had.
A refreshing air-conditionedbreeze blew over me as I entered Sinopolis, stepping on to the ocean of gleaming black marble. I’d spent so much time here, it truly felt like my second home.
That feeling did little to ease the knots of nervousness in my gut. Maybe one day I’d get over the feeling that meeting Grim wasn’t the same as being sent to the principal’s office, but apparently that wouldn’t be today.
Grim strode out from the elevator, making his way directly toward me. The god of death was always a big, imposing dark mass in black suits, and though I worked for him before I knew what he was, I always felt that distinct undercurrent of danger around him.
My skin prickled and heated as someone stepped up next to me. Xander. The jackass still wore the same rumpled blue Hawaiian shirt and pants from last night. A memory of him curled over me, the shirt undone and flowing around his hardbody as he fucked me senseless, slammed into my head like a baseball.
Knowing he was likely keyed into my every small motion, I focused all my attention on steadying my breathing so he wouldn’t know he affected me.
I screamed his name five times as I splintered under his tongue, hands, and cock, and that was mere hours ago.
He probably knows he’s affecting me right now.
Goddammit.
Grim got halfway to us before a child ran out into the lobby. She couldn’t have been older than ten years old and she stopped directly behind Grim, giggling.
Grim turned around slowly before leaning down to her level. “And what are you doing here, little one?” he asked.
It was, in fact, a school day, so she should by all rights be in a classroom somewhere.
“My mom works at Wolf Town Club, and we are going to the dentist this morning.” Even as she gave her explanation, her giggles only intensified.
