"I know I look a little strange," I say quickly, fighting every instinct to push my way inside. "But I need to borrow your phone."
He doesn't answer me. In fact, he stares right past me. His lips part, and then he makes a wordless little sound that might be sexual. Right. Because Kassam is two steps behind me. I shouldn't be surprised.
Nor should I be jealous, but as he gives Kassam an intense stare, I want to snap my fingers in front of his eyes and shout, "That's my boyfriend." Except…he's not my boyfriend. What did Kassam say earlier? That I was helping him scratch an itch? Now that I've got the crystals back in place, I'm a little peeved by that. Scratching an itch, indeed. Is that all I am to him? A back-scratcher? The thought bothers me. "Phone, please?"
My neighbor—a nice-looking guy in his mid-thirties and probably divorced—pulls out his phone, wordlessly types in his password and holds his cell out to me. His gaze never leaves Kassam, even when some of the cats head inside, meowing and twisting around our legs.
"This better not be the donut neighbor," I mutter as I swipe my finger over the screen and start dialing. I don't know why I'm jealous. I don't.
"It does not matter if it is, my little light," Kassam says in a voice that sends curls of heat through my body. "You asked me to be monogamous, and I shall be."
My neighbor looks at me then, and his gaze is sheer hatred. It's calculating, too, and an alarmed part of me is starting to realize just how dangerous it is to be Kassam's anchor. Charlie attacked me because he was jealous. If this guy came to my door in the middle of the night with a butcher knife, I'd absolutely believe it. Cradling the phone, I step behind Kassam as it rings.
And rings. And rings.
My mom doesn't pick up on the first eight rings and it goes to voicemail. A hard knot of panic starts in my chest and I hang up, then re-dial the number. To my relief, this time my mom answers. "Hello?"
She sounds tired, her voice thick. "Mom?"
"Carly? Is that you?"
"Yes!" I cry, so relieved I could scream with sheer joy. "Are you okay?"
"Just a rotten headache," my mother says. "I was taking a nap to try to get rid of it. What time is it?"
"Late," I say, though I don't know how late. Just that it's dark out and my neighbor is in his pajamas. "Listen, Ma, I need you to stop using your cards to help us out, okay? Whatever you were doing, just stop. I got a warning that you can't continue."
"What do you mean, you got a warning?"
I glance over at my neighbor, not sure if he's listening in or not. Even if he does, does it matter? I'm not entirely sure he'll remember. Hesitant, I lower my voice and turn away. "You know I told you who and what Kassam is? Do you remember?"
"A god. From another world."
"Yup. Well tonight at the bar, one of the locals showed up. Said her name was Lachesis and gave me a warning that we were messing with things and for you to stop."
My mother pauses. "Lachesis, like…one of the three Greek fates?"
"Right. That's the one." She'd mentioned fate, but I didn't know the rest. "Just…no more cards, okay? I don't want you getting pulled into this."
"No more cards," my mother agrees. "I couldn't find out anything anyhow. It's like someone's blocking me."
It could be Lachesis for all I know, but I don't point that out. The goddess could be our enemy, but I'm still going to take her warning to heart. "Just…be careful, okay? Are you feeling all right?"
"I'm fine. Just headachey."
"Want us to come over?" I glance at Kassam, who's holding my neighbor entranced with a sensual smile. "We could protect you."
"No, no no," my mother says, a fussy note in her voice. "Now that I'm awake, I'm going to work on your handfasting vows. Make sure that they're good and binding so he can't slip out of his promises to you. I can't do that when he's around." She chuckles. "I can't do anything when he's around, actually. I don't know how you think straight."
"I'm not sure I do," I admit. "Okay, well, if you need me, I lost my phone. We'll be there in the morning first thing, all right?"
"Be ready to get married," my mother tells me. "We're going to make sure he keeps you safe."
I try not to think about Charlie's attack, or the fact that my neighbor probably wants Kassam for himself…or hell, the goddess Riekki, who wanted to marry Kassam and will probably shit a brick when she hears I have. Fuuuuuck.
One problem at a time. "Be safe. Love you."
"I love you too, sweetheart. Kiss your pretty man for me."
I hang up with my mom, a little amused at her comment to kiss my “pretty man.” He's not mine, and he's not a man, but a god. But…he's definitely pretty enough. I hold the phone back out to my neighbor, a thank-you hovering on my lips, when he gives me a dirty look and turns back to Kassam. "I could treat you better than her."
And just like that, any gratitude I have toward my neighbor vanishes. "Your phone," I snap, wagging it at the neighbor. "We're leaving."
"Think about what I said," he murmurs to Kassam.
"My needs are met," Kassam tells him, that smile constantly on his face.
His needs. I'm growing less amused by the moment. First I'm scratching his itches, now I'm meeting his needs. I don't know what sort of response I expected from him, but this bond between us feels…bigger than having just needs met?
Because here I am helping him, and in return for some mind-blowing orgasms, I'm getting my life torn apart. I just lost my job, my boss attacked me, I'm pretty sure I'm going to get tossed out of my apartment building, and now my mom is in danger. All because I'm helping him “scratch his itch.”
For a moment, hot resentment flares. It feels like I don't matter to him, and that hurts. I know it's only been a short time since we touched hands in the alley, but…can't he even feel some sort of appreciation for me? As a person? Not just my pussy?
Kassam keeps blithely smiling as we head out into the hall. The cats mill around us, meowing for attention as we walk the short distance back to my apartment, and unhappy thoughts stew in my head. I'm tempted to remove the quartz jewelry entirely because I'm much happier with Kassam when I'm being orgasmed out of my mind. If I have time to think about what a shitty situation I'm in, I start to wonder what the hell I'm doing.
I stumble over one of the eager cats, and Kassam catches my arm. He sees the expression on my face and that dark brow goes up. "You look upset, my little light. What's wrong?"
"I kinda hate the effect you have on everyone," I grumble.
He nods. "Not to worry. You are the one I am using for my needs."
My jaw clenches. Is that what I am to the gods? Just the human version of a pocket pussy? A convenient receptacle for Kassam's lusts while he figures out how to get home? Now that I'm slightly less dazzled by him, I'm starting to realize what a raw deal I've been given. It's not in me to stew endlessly, though. If something isn't working for me, I bail out quickly…as evidenced by my long string of short-term relationships and all of the unfinished art projects scattered around my apartment.