“It’s about time. Bring him to my office immediately.”
He hung up and I sighed, taking out a roll of vaporleaf and lighting it, leaning against the side of my car. I looked up into the sky, watching the little cloud of smoke rise and dissipate in the warm air. I could already feel the effect of the deal loosening itshold on my soul, but it wouldn’t be completely whole again until I’d delivered this asshole.
After finishing my roll and stubbing out the remaining embers with my boot on the ground, I punched in the address on my phone. It was a long drive to the seraph city-state of Halcyon, and I wanted to get this over with.
I was just about to get in my car when the sound of giggling and moaning captured my interest, and I looked up. The elf woman I’d seen earlier pushed the vampire from the club against the wall outside, their mouths latching onto each other. Two puncture wounds on the elf’s neck seeped blood, staining her white dress.
I smirked and shook my head. Apparently, I wasn’t the only one who’d found what they’d been looking for here tonight.
2
A Deal to Remember
It felt like I’d only just stripped off my clothes and collapsed onto my bed when my phone began to ring. I sent it to voicemail and pulled a pillow over my head, coughing at the stale, dusty scent and wondering when the last time I’d done any laundry was. I was barely here anymore—if I didn’t even have time for a nap, when was I going to have the time to wash my sheets?
The phone rang again, and I groaned, throwing off the pillow and running my hand down the stubble on my cheeks as I looked at the screen to see who thought they were so important.
Ugh, this asshole.
“Dammit, Garrick,” I answered with a growl. “I’m trying to sleep, and I told you—I need at least a week between jobs.”
The werewolf barked a laugh. “Since when do demons need their beauty rest? Besides, what makes you think I have morework for you? Maybe I’m just calling to pass along Damaris’s praise for a job well done.”
Sure, like a seraph would ever thank a demon bounty hunter. Seraphim prided themselves on following the letter of the law, as though they were shining examples of morality in Lundaria. Yet they had absolutely no problem hiringmewhen they needed something taken care of off the books.
Fucking hypocrites, but at least they paid well.
“What do you really want, Garrick?”
“Ronan… come on. What makes you think I want something?”
My stomach grumbled, and I realized I hadn’t eaten anything in almost two days. Watered-down cocktails and bar nuts, unfortunately, didn’t count.
I got up and inspected my cabinets, pulling out a half-eaten box of stale crackers. I peeked in the fridge and grabbed some leftover cheese that hadn’t molded yet. Putting my phone on speaker mode, I placed it on the counter and began cutting the block of cheddar into rough slices.
“Why else would you be calling?”
“Maybe I just wanted to chat. You know, like friends?”
I took a bite, coughing slightly from the dry, tasteless cracker. Then I grabbed a glass and filled it at the faucet. “We’re not friends.”
“Aw, Ronan… you’re breaking my heart!”
“Out with it, Garrick. I’ve been on the road since midnight, and I’m this close to hitting it again so I can personally put my boot up your ass all the way in Fenmoor.”
He chuckled, the sound of a lighter clicking and a long inhale of breath preceding his news. “I got a big one for you,” he said on his exhale.
I groaned, rolling my neck and silently screaming before composing myself to reply. I needed to get better at reinforcing my boundaries. “Good. Call me back in a week.”
“This can’t wait.”
I took another bite of my sad little snack, washing down the crumbs with the glass of tap water. “Then get someone else to do it. I’m not the only bounty hunter in Lundaria. What about Rudy?”
“My cousin’s busy. His pack’s courting an omega.”
Figured.
“Okay, and the twins?”
