“My nephew was supposed to have a job here,” Tom said abruptly.
I blinked. Tom had family. Who’d have thought?
“How am I involved in that?” Not like I went around bad mouthing his nephew to get him black listed.
“Your job. He was supposed to have your job,” Tom said through gritted teeth. “After they hired you, they said there were no more open spots. If you hadn’t had your little buddy pull some strings, he’d be able to work here and earn some money for the family back home.”
That was the reason for all the grief he’d been giving me over the past few years? Really? Now I wish I hadn’t even asked. The answer just pissed me off.
I started and stopped speaking a few times before I could compose myself enough to ask, “Correct me if I’m wrong, but wouldn’t your nephew have used the same nepotism you’re accusing me of to get this job?”
He gave me a nasty glare before shouldering past me, making sure to knock into me before leaving. I turned to watch him go, not wanting to chance him taking the opportunity to stick a knife in my back or at the very least try to put his fist through it.
He slammed the door; the framed photos on the wall rattled before hanging firm.
I turned back to Beatrix who had watched it all with that same smug face.
I took another look around. “For all hands on deck, you seem to be running pretty light. Where is everyone? I thought you were calling everyone in.”
She didn’t bother answering, just pointed a long, bony finger at the uncomfortable looking chairs in the waiting room. Propping my hands on my waist, I looked from them to her, suspecting that the matter wasn’t as urgent as she’d made it seem on the phone.
This was my night off. I wasn’t going to spend it in a sitting room with my thumb up my ass because she was on another power trip.
Screw it. I was out of here.
I turned on my heel and headed for the door.
“Unemployment line,” she said with glee in her voice.
I paused.
She didn’t have the power to fire people. She was bluffing.
I took another step.
“Jerry said to tell you that if you leave before he meets with you, don’t bother coming back.”
Shit, she was serious. Beatrix, I’d learned in the seven months since I met her, had no problem fucking with me at any and every opportunity, but she wouldn’t bring Jerry’s name into it unless it was something he’d actually said.
My situation was tenuous. Job prospects were slim for someone with my special needs and as much as I would like to ignore it, this job gave me protection against the vampires or any other spook who’d like to take advantage of a baby vamp.
Guess that meant I had no choice but to stick around until I found out what he wanted.
I did an about face and walked over to Beatrix’s desk before hopping up and planting my ass on the edge.
“What do you think you’re doing, you obnoxious twit?” Beatrix’s voice rose in outrage.
“I’m guessing nothing in his instructions said where I had to sit while I waited for him, just that I needed to stay put.” I gave her a toothy smile.
When she looked like she wanted to spit venom, I knew I had won.
No one said I couldn’t fuck back. You would think after all our interactions she would have learned that by now.
It might have been smarter to try to win her good will, but there was only so much turning the other cheek I could handle. She’d been after me since she showed up and I had no idea why. I figured it’d become evident eventually, and if it didn’t, we would have our little skirmishes until one of us got tired of it or quit.
I pulled out my phone and started playing a stupid game where I had to match objects before they hit the bottom of the screen. I wasn’t very good at it. The game was loud, obnoxious and distracting. It’s why I had downloaded it, planning to use it in a situation exactly like this.
It was satisfying listening to Beatrix grind her back teeth, getting louder every time I died. And I died a lot.
