The hunter stood on one side of the visitor desk, Dot stood on the other, her back to the wall.
To say she was intimidated by his size and body language would be doing Dot a disservice. She didn’t look afraid, but she did look cautious and annoyed.
“Just the night?” she asked, obviously stalling.
The hunter was a big man. Big enough people probably looked up when he entered a room.
But I was bigger. And I knew there were ways to carry a big body, ways to give off signals that big didn’t mean angry, or violent, or dangerous.
He wasn’t putting any effort into downplaying his size, looming as he was over the smaller woman.
“Don’t rent to this asshole, Dot.” I crossed the space so I stood next to her, shoulder to not-quite-touching shoulder.
The asshole’s dark eyes flicked my way.
Interesting.
“Yeah?” I said. “You can hear me? Well, then listen real close. You are not welcome here. Fuck off.”
His gaze wandered across the wall behind me, like a blind spider tracking a fly by feel alone.
“Maybe two,” he replied to Dot, finally looking her way again.
“Not happening,” I said. “Don’t do it, Dot.”
I widened my stance and shook out my hands. Lu came striding into the room like she owned the place and rent was overdue.
“Hello,” Dot said, relieved to see her. “Welcome back.”
Lu didn’t even pause in her stride, she stepped past the hunter who had the sense to turn her way as soon as the door had opened.
“I don’t like how you’re looking at her, ass,” I said. “You touch her, she’s gonna break your neck, and I’m gonna finish off whatever soul you have left.”
Lu ignored the hunter like he was invisible. “Jo was just wondering if she could pick up the key to her room now.”
Yeah, Lu had good hearing. She knew Dot didn’t want to rent the extra room to the hunter.
“Right, Jo?” Lu gestured her forward.
Jo sauntered over like she’d been here for weeks. “Sorry I wasn’t by earlier. Thanks for letting me reserve the room over the phone.”
Dot glanced from Lu to Jo to the hunter, and then back to Lu. Jo had not reserved the room on the phone.
“Come on, Dot. Be smart,” I said. “Go for the nice punk rock girl and ditch this joker.”
“Not a problem at all,” Dot said. She dug the key out of the drawer and held it out for Jo. “Sorry to say that’s my last room.” She smiled sweetly at the hunter.
He nodded, the corner of his lip twisting as he chewed the inside of his cheek. “Looks like you got the drop on me.” He nodded at Jo, but his eyes ticked over to Lu and turned cold.
Lu just held his gaze.
“Thanks again,” Jo palmed the key and moved out of the blast zone of the glaring contest. “Lu, I can show you that program you wanted to see now.”
There was no program, but I had to hand it to her. She had good instincts and knew when to back up a friend to get her away from a dangerous situation.
“Take a hike, hunter,” I said. “These women are more than capable of knocking your teeth out. Don’t make them humiliate you.”
His hands twitched, as if he’d heard that. Or heard part of it, anyway.
