I blink a couple of times. I can’t believe what I’m hearing. Eight months is a long time, especially for someone who looks like him. He must get propositioned all the time. “For your information, it hasn’t been as long as seven years, but it’s been…a while. A long while.” More like three years, but I’m too embarrassed to tell him that. I eat some more of my dinner, chewing slowly. My plate is nearly empty.
“No wonder you’re so cranky.” He laughs.
“Hey!” I throw my napkin at him, and he catches it before it can hit his face. Fabulous reflexes. Fabulous everything. The bastard. I’m only saying that because I like him. I like him too much.
“Eight months is a long time for a guy. No wonder you’re so easy to proposition,” I say.
His jaw tightens.
“I’m teasing you,” I add.
“You had better be.”
“I am.” I finish my coffee, put the last bite in my mouth, and stand. “Thanks,” I say around my food. I swallow. “That was delicious. I’ll watch out for the harpy for a while, and then I’ll head back to the motel. You won’t see me until tomorrow, but call if anything is suspicious.” I don’t hang around during the night. Lilith is trying to find the others. There’s no point monitoring Lyre while he’s asleep.
“You should stay.” His eyes are locked with mine. There is no talk of a spare bedroom. My heart stutters. It almost sounds like he’s propositioning me this time. I’m sure it’s my sex-starved, overactive imagination talking.
“Um…no…I…thanks again.” I turn and run. Not literally, but there is running involved. I can’t have sex with Lyre. I just can’t. It would complicate things. It would go against my…code. I don’t sleep with non-humans. It wouldn’t be right.
I hunt them.
I kill them.
Or I leave them be.
I never, never, ever have sex with them.
14
Three days later…
Morgan
I’m about to unlock my room when the door to the manager’s office-slash-reception opens. “Um…Miss O’Reilly,” he calls across the parking lot.
Shit!
No!
Shit! Shit!
I’m tempted to pretend I didn’t hear anything. To run into my room and lock the door. I know he’ll just come over and knock. I won’t be able to pretend I don’t hear him. I’m going to have to speak to him sooner or later. May as well be now. I pull in a breath and smile, even though I’m sure he can’t see me since the outside lighting isn’t great. It must be nearly midnight. “Yes…um…hi.”
“Please can you come into my office?”
At this moment, I’m thankful I’m well-armed. I’m thankful that even if I didn’t have my weapons, I’d be able to defend myself against the likes of him, otherwise, I might feel a little apprehensive. Asking a woman to meet during the middle of the night isn’t exactly kosher. Then I remind myself that I leave while it’s still dark and arrive home well into the night. When is the poor guy supposed to have a talk with me, if not now? “Sure thing,” I say, dreading this conversation.
I go over to his office. He walks inside behind me and then closes the door behind us, which leaves me a little on edge. It is a little cold out, so maybe that’s it. He leans on his desk and folds his arms. “You’re late with your payment. Long-staying guests need to pay for the week upfront. You’re two nights overdue. I’m going to need you to pay up, or I’m going to need you to pack up.”
“Now?”
“Now, Miss…” he picks up the form I filled in when I checked in, “O’Reilly.”
“Look, I understand that this is important, but is there no way this can wait till morning?”
“It can’t! You’re two days over. I need you to pay right now. Will that be cash or card?” He rubs his chin. He has thin, wispy hair on his face. I’m not sure why he even tries with the facial hair. It’s patchy and doesn’t work at all.
“I’m getting money tomorrow,” I lie. I’m hoping to buy myself one more night. “I’ll pay you—”
“No! It’s money right now, or you’re out.” He scratches his paunch next. His t-shirt has a stain on it. How did my life get to this? I’ve worked hard at keeping humans safe. Busted my butt for most of my twenties, and yet here I am. About to be thrown out on the street.
There’s been no sign of the harpy.
Nothing!
Thankfully none of Lyre’s friends have seen her either. That’s one positive in all this. At this rate, it could be days, weeks even before we catch her. “I’ll pack,” I say, taking a step back. “I need ten minutes.”
His eyes narrow. “What about rent for the last two days?”
“I told you, I’m getting paid tomorrow, either you wait, or I leave now, and you lose out.”
“It doesn’t work like that.” His voice is whiney.
“That’s how it is, take it, or leave it.”
Then he snorts out a laugh. “If I had a dollar for every time someone told me they were getting paid tomorrow, I’d be a rich man. Look,” he pushes out a breath, “I’m a good guy.” I want to roll my eyes, but I don’t. I can’t wait to hear what he has to say next. “I’m willing to negotiate.” His mouth turns up at the corners in the start of a smile.
“I’m listening.” With half an ear because I know exactly where this is going.
“You don’t have money, and I don’t have a girlfriend right now.”
No shit! I want to laugh. I don’t, I just keep my eyes on him.
“I’m sure we can work something out.” He unbuckles his belt. His eyes are sparkling. I haven’t shot him down so, he obviously thinks he’s in with a chance.
I fold my arms.
He unclasps his pants and pulls down the zipper. “A blow job for three days…which means you get to sleep here tonight, or I fuck you, and you get a week rent-free.”
“A whole week!” I try to sound excited.
I must be doing a good job because he takes out his sorry excuse for a penis. “A whole week, babe. I’ll make it good for you.”
“I very much doubt that,” I say with a laugh. This guy is hilarious.
His eyes flash with anger, and he stands up. “Just get onto the desk and shut your mouth.”
I know it’s probably wrong of me, but fuck it! I pull my Glock and put it under his chin; I press it into his flesh. I’m sick of fuckers like this taking advantage of vulnerable women. Sick to death. “I’m FBI, you sick motherfucker.”
“What? Oh my god! Shit! I didn’t mean it. I was just kidding around.” He laughs. It sounds stilted. His hands are in the air, so his pants fall around his ankles.
“I could shoot you right now.”
“What? No! Come on…I swear, I didn’t mean it.”
“Stop! Just stop. We both know you meant it. Your pants are down. You’re half-naked right now, and we both know that this isn’t the first time you’ve pulled something like this. We’ve received complaints.”