I mean… it was like five hundred pages. All the information for how to set up utilities and stuff was on top, the rest just looked like a copy of the title and mortgage paperwork. Why would I even think about rereading that?
He face-palms himself. “I’ll take that grimace as a no. Noted, I’ll include it with the run down for new residents and call to check in with the rest of the mimics to make sure they aren’t suffering in silence. Shit, might as well reach out to everyone that moved in over the last six months. Fates, this is going to take weeks,” he groans.
Once I finish and am rubbing out a wicked hand cramp, Ellis gathers the paperwork. “I’ll mail the check to you at thevet clinic, so keep an eye out in the coming weeks, and you’ll have six weeks once I file the paperwork to vacate the property. But I’ll buy you lunch if you manage to get he-who-shall-not-be-named’s reaction on video when he finds out.”
Chewing on the corner of his lip, he eventually works up the nerve to say, “It’s not my place, I know, but devil’s advocate moment. Is it possible he realized how badly he fucked up and thought this was a grand gesture to grovel for forgiveness? Because I’ve met tens of thousands of mysts in my life, and while I’m biased because those are the sort of people that would come to a safe haven city like this, I could count on one hand the number that would take the gift of a fated mate and simply… throw it away. And of those few, it’d be a case of already being married and not wanting to hurt their partner, or they thought their mate deserved better than them. Even the assholes would feel entitled like they were owed their mate or use them like an object to flaunt around like they were superior.”
As much as it hurts, I take a second to really consider it. I might have read the situation wrong the day we met, piecing together information from his room, sure. But he’s hadcountlessopportunities to prove me wrong in the past six months. His son lives down the street from me and could pass along a message if he didn’t have the balls to face me himself. And after how we left things during the last encounter? It’s been days since the expo, but yet again, nada.
As the saying goes, if he wanted to, he would. And Havoc’s silence speaks volumes.
“I highly doubt someone like Havoc Knight would beg for anything, let alone forgiveness.” He’d have to apologize first, and that would require actually talking to me. So we all know that isn’t going to happen.
With a look of pity that kind of makes me want to punch him in his annoyingly perfect face, Ellis dips his head. “Let me know if you need help hiding a body, I have friends in low places.”
Chuckling, I thank him and head out. But while my shoulders feel lighter with financial freedom on the horizon, my heart is heavy on my walk through the city streets.
Ellis had a point. Why’s Vic suddenly pretending to carenow? And where does he get off coming in and bulldozing his way into my life after he cast me aside? He sent me here like a dirty little secret and left me to struggle alone. Maybe bumping into him at the expo reminded him that I exist, so he wants to toy with me until he gets bored and forgets about me again?
Fuck that, and fuck his help. I don’t want any part of the strings that come with it.
I’ll take his money though. Once that check clears, it’smine. If he wanted any ground claiming I owe him something in exchange? He should’ve drawn up a contract laying out the terms and conditions.
Some life lessons are best taught the hard way, and Havoc’s about to get hit with 100,000 of them at once.
Rummaging through my purse, I happily come up with more than I thought. Between the money I saved not having to pay for the valerian root, Z robbing a grocery store before inviting himself to move in, Devlin handling dinner every night, and not bothering to pay my electric bill since I’m abandoning ship anyway, I have nearly two hundred dollars. So I take the next right, heading to the grocery store instead of home. I won’t blow it all, but can bridge the gaps in the random things Z brought home to turn them into actual meals. Hell, depending on how much they run, maybe I can spring for a small electric heater for the bathroom.
May as well run up that electric bill before I ditch the house and hide behind my LLC. The clinic’s account is underthe company name, not mine, thank the fates. And that one, I actually pay on time.
A sense of foreboding snakes up my spine, wrapping around my throat like a noose. Pulling out my broken phone as an excuse to subtly look behind me, I see a group of three guys about a hundred feet back on the sidewalk, which in itself wouldn’t be strange. I’m in the heart of the city, after all. It’s a public street, it’s morning, and there are plenty of businesses around. But I’ve made a living out of trusting my instincts, and I’m not about to stop now. I’d rather look stupid about overreacting than wind up in a cage like Yukina’s.
Acting as if I haven’t noticed them, I continue walking. Each car I pass, I swiftly check to ensure no one is waiting inside and I’m being herded, and when I get near an alley? I cross the street instead of passing near it.
Which may or may not have been the worst possible decision as a giant ducks his head to clear the doorway and emerges out of the bed and breakfast, fiddling with his keys as he approaches his car.
Bracing myself for the wave of nausea, I reach out with my mimic ability, assessing the threats and which of their powers will come in handy to escape. There are only five businesses that aren’t open yet between me and the grocery store. One block. All I need is to buy myself enough time to run one block, and I’ll be safe.
If only the city was as anal about throwing down salt as Devlin. Fifty-fifty chance I’m going to slip and break my nose within the first five feet.
Siren, regeneration, and… I’m not quite sure about the third. A sort of vampire, but not? All I’m picking up is that he can turn blood into wine, and honestly, I’m tempted to borrow his power just to play with it for a little while.
A serial killer turning his victims into a winery wasn’t on my mystic bingo card, but I’m starting to think I’ve only scratched the surface of the weird shit the world has to offer. Or threaten me with, depending on the day.
When I reach out to the giant ahead of me, I don’t even register an ability. All I get is an overwhelming wave of safety that nearly has me buckling at the knees.
Fates, he could play keep away without breaking a sweat and just hold me out of their reach until they got tired and left. Sign me up to play monkey in the middle if he’s on my team.
My instincts have never led me astray before, so I choose to lean into them with every fibre of my being, embracing my inner Devlin. A.K.A; do not give a single fuck about what anyone thinks about you. “My love! I was worried I wouldn’t catch you before you left.”
I feel the weight of his suspicion hit me in slow motion, every centimeter his head slowly turns boring into my soul and making it whither and die a little. But that’s okay; I have plenty to spare. It’ll take more than a lone stranger to break my self-esteem.
He’d have to find it first.
“What the hell are you playing at-” I cut off his efforts to blow this for me by throwing myself at him, wrapping my arms around his middle. Well, kind of. Dude must have monster genes with the way he towers above me, my fingertips nowhere near touching when I hug him. He’s not even wearing a coat, just a long sleeved black t-shirt, and he still gives off enough heat to have me sinking into him.
Under my breath, I murmur, “Pretend to be my boyfriend for a minute? These guys have been following me.”
He jolts against me upon contact, stiffening for a moment before his demeanor abruptly shifts. Palming my thigh, he liftsme like I weigh nothing, hiking me up his body single-handedly and glaring over my shoulder. “Want me to kill ‘em?”
