I was better off making it on these streets.
Up ahead, the neon lights of the motel flashed, and I was about to head in when I saw a laundromat with several fliers flapping in the cool night air.Hiring. Laundromat attendant.
I’d never lived among humans, but I knew things from books and TV. You had to work to live and have money. They didn’t barter like we did.
A sound rang out, a singsong announcement, as I opened the door. Inside, the place was spotless. Dryers whirred and washers sloshed as people did their laundry. Most were busy on their phones, but there was one lady engrossed in a book. A huge mirror was mounted on the back wall; my shifter vision revealed it was two-way. Maybe so people could keep watch over the place?
I approached the door in the back marked office and knocked. Waited. And waited some more.
In seconds, I gasped and stumbled backward because what exited that door wasn’t a man. It was a mountain. His biceps were bigger than my hips. Maybe. My aunt said I had childbearing hips. Didn’t seem like a terrible thing.
“Who are you?” The man barked in a voice that dipped so low, I swore it vibrated my whole body. Oh, wow. He smelled like some kind of alcohol and musk. It almost made me dizzy.
“U-um,” I stammered. “I saw the flyer? For a laundromat attendant?” I held one up and instantly wondered if I shouldn’t have snatched their flyer off the window.
“You have experience?”
Fuck. No. I had zero experience. “Not as an attendant, but I know how to clean and make sure no one steals anyone else’s laundry and keep things tidy. Does that count?”
Diesel stepped to the side then two more men stepped out of the back room. One wore a black suit with an emerald-green shirt with the top button open. He had blond hair and blue eyes and a killer smile.
The other moved like a shadow. He wore all black, which didn’t help. A black suit with a black shirt and inky hair that fell over his forehead. His eyes were light brown and piercing.
Again, I took a step back.
“Who do we have here, Diesel?” Oh, the mountain had a name.
“She is inquiring about the laundromat attendant job,” Diesel answered, hanging the flyer on a corkboard behind him. It held signs for lost cats and all kinds of things for sale. One paper had flowers and was handwritten. Babysitting services.
“How did you find out about us?” the shadow spoke, sending a chill down my spine.
“Like I said, there was a flyer. And I only saw that because I was on the way to the motel. I was…dropped off and I need a place to stay.”
The blond stepped forward. “First things first. I’m Carver, this is Aries, and the big guy is Diesel. What’s your name?”
“My name is Josie.”
Aries cocked his head. “And why is it you were dropped off and told to go to the motel?”
I could’ve told them everything but my mental shields went up. “Is this part of the interview?”
Diesel moved his mouth. Discouraging a smile. “No. Just curious. Aries, Carver, what do you think? She says she can clean and keep things tidy. Keep out the riffraff.”
Carver nodded. “It’s fine with me. You can start tomorrow afternoon. I’ll call Thea at the motel, and she’ll have a room ready for you.”
“Y-you own the motel?” I asked.
“We do.” The shadow was still assessing me. I felt seen and not in a bad way at all. Most times when males looked at me, I felt grossed out but not these three. Weird. “You can stay there as long as you like. We don’t charge for people who don’t have a place to go. It’s only for females, as well, so you won’t be in any danger.”
“Oh. Okay. Thank you. What time tomorrow?”
“Five,” Carver answered. “And just so you know…” He took a few steps toward me and leaned over to speak into my ear. “That door leads to a storage area where we keep supplies for the laundromat, but beyond the other door is a club. In case you were curious, female.”
“I’m not,” I said, squaring off my shoulders. “I’m just trying my best to survive.”
Chapter Four
Carver
